"I would be happy to have the a.s.sistance of the society"s organist, but as we have not yet been introduced, perhaps she would prefer that I did not give her name."
"What! do you mean to say that you have never been presented to Miss Sherwood! How did that happen? Come with me at once." There was much merriment over the long delayed introduction, and Dexie smilingly consented to accept the office of a.s.sistant, in addition to that of organist. This gave Guy Traverse the chance he had long been looking for, and at the close of the meeting he offered himself as her escort home.
This Dexie politely declined, adding in her kindest tone,
"Our house is just at the corner, Mr. Traverse, so I will not trouble you,"
and she slipped away.
The distance was short, for as Guy stood at the outer entrance of the T.
and B. rooms he could hear the front gate shut after her, yet he would have enjoyed even that short walk with his fair a.s.sistant.
"She is not inclined to be friendly, it seems," he soliloquized, as he stroked his long silken moustache. "I must find out the reason."
The next time opportunity offered he again asked permission to escort her home, but again his offer was so pleasantly declined that he could not feel offended, though it put him upon his mettle. He determined to overcome her prejudice, or whatever it was that made her treat him with so much reserve.
As he turned to go home, Gussie came down the steps, and with his hand to his hat he said, smilingly,
"I almost fear to risk a second refusal to-night, Miss Sherwood, but will you accept the escort that your sister has declined?"
It was a blow to her pride that Dexie had been asked first, but such an eligible young man could not be snubbed on that account, so Gussie smiled her sweetest as she walked by his side.
"Have I done anything to displease your sister?" he asked, as they stood a few moments at the gate. "I find her very hard to get acquainted with, though I can readily see that it is not her nature to be unfriendly."
"You have not offended her, of that I am sure," Gussie replied.
"Then you think she had no particular reason for refusing my company to-night?"
"She may have some objection to any company, but not yours in particular."
"Has someone else a prior claim?" he smilingly asked. "Believe me, Miss Sherwood," he added, in an apologetic tone, "I am not asking out of curiosity alone."
Gussie believed there was someone else, for Dexie had a gentleman correspondent.
"Then she is engaged, I suppose, but if the fortunate man is absent she might allow others the pleasure of her company occasionally."
But the opportunity of meeting Dexie at his own pleasure came with an introduction to Mr. Sherwood, and on learning that Mr. Traverse was a good hand at chess (Mr. Sherwood"s one weakness) he was made right welcome and became a frequent visitor.
Mr. Sherwood"s residence was so centrally situated that the young people of both s.e.xes found it very convenient to drop in for a few minutes on their way up or down town. Mr. Sherwood loved to see the rooms filled with laughing faces, and encouraged this free-and-easy intercourse, and he looked forward to the evening"s pleasure with the ardor of a young man.
When Guy Traverse made his appearance he was sure of a hearty greeting, and the weeks flew by very pleasantly until summer was ushered in, and still there was little seeming difference in Dexie"s att.i.tude toward her father"s friend.
One evening as a number of young ladies were a.s.sembled in the pleasant rooms of the T. and B. Society, discussing a coming convention, the society"s Vice-President, Miss Edith Wolcott, said in decided tones:
"Before this convention meets, we ought to make some new badges; these are positively disgraceful! Will someone suggest something, or must I take the responsibility of seeing that this society has decent and respectable tokens of membership?"
"There can be but one opinion where the badges are concerned," said Ada Chester, smiling, "so let us draw from the funds of the society sufficient money to purchase the material for new ones, then we can meet somewhere and make them up."
"Capital legislation! Now announce the place of meeting and the matter is settled," and Frank Fenerty joined the group around the table. "Better set the time and place of meeting without delay, for when you ladies begin to realize the amount of work which the making of these badges involves, you will each and all remember that you have a pressing engagement somewhere else."
"That"s so," said George Linton, as he drew a chair beside his friend; "but where"s Traverse? As President of this society he ought to take the ladies at their word, and set them to work before their ardor has time to cool."
"There is not a house in town so convenient for all as the Sherwoods," said Ada Chester; then turning to Gussie she asked:
"Could we go to your house to make up the badges, Miss Sherwood?"
"Certainly; that is, I think so. Dexie is the acting manager at home, so you had better consult with her," replied Gussie, pleasantly.
"Come here, Dexie," and Edith turned to where Dexie was evoking sweet music from the organ. "May we go to your house to make the badges?"
"That depends on what night you wish to come. If to-morrow evening is too soon to appoint for the meeting, you could come Sat.u.r.day. You know I have to be at the church on Friday evening."
"To be sure! I forgot about the meeting, and there is to be choir practice afterwards, so I"m engaged for Friday evening as well. How shall we arrange it?" and Edith looked inquiringly around the group.
"Put it to vote," and Frank Fenerty rose to his feet. "Hands up now for to-morrow night at Miss Sherwood"s--or not there at all, is that it?"
"No," Dexie laughingly replied; "our latch-string is out every night, but neither Gussie nor I would be at home Friday evening."
"What is to prevent us from accepting Miss Sherwood"s invitation for Thursday. I would rather go there than any other place in town," said the truthful fellow, having long admired Gussie from afar.
"We have to buy the material before we can meet to make it up," Edith replied. "Great Scott! how much material do you want to buy anyhow," said Fenerty. "I could buy out a store while you ladies were selecting the ribbons for your neck."
While they were speaking, Mr. Traverse made his appearance, and learning the cause of the discussion, presented a cheque for the amount needed to renew the badges, and volunteered his services as "needle-threader" for the evening.
"Come now, Traverse, you can"t thread needles for the crowd," said Fred Foster, "but if the ladies will only invite the male members, we will promise to keep them supplied with threaded needles, _ad infinitum_."
"Have you decided to come to our house Thursday? If so, all members of the T. and B. are invited, but we will keep you gentlemen up to your promise in regard to the needle-threading, so let no one imagine he can come and shirk his duty," and the group separated.
The next evening the parlor of the Sherwoods presented a busy scene.
Several small tables placed about the room were surrounded by groups, whose nimble fingers cut and sewed the bunches of ribbon that were provided; and as there were several "needle-threaders" for every group, there seemed no reason why the work should not progress with the greatest of despatch. The ever-increasing pile of finished badges which appeared on the several tables gave evidence that their fingers were as nimble as their tongues, and amus.e.m.e.nt and work were intermingled.
Amidst the fun and merriment that was taking place in the room, Dexie"s abstracted and absent-minded manner was not noticed, except by one pair of eyes--and very little that concerned Dexie Sherwood escaped the notice of Guy Traverse.
He was finding it hard to check the feelings with which he had long regarded her, for he had become attached to her from the very first, and his eyes were keen to note her varying moods. His frequent visits to the house gave him opportunity to study her character, and the more he saw of her, the higher grew his respect. A more tender feeling also was growing within his breast, that gave him secret pleasure, though he kept well in check any sign of its existence. He never had found the opportunity of asking the truth of her engagement; but being a.s.sured that she had a gentleman correspondent, he felt he had little cause to hope. He had been present on more than one occasion when Dexie had discussed with the rest of the family various extracts from letters which had come from over the sea.
To be sure, these extracts were mostly descriptions of places that the writer had visited, or accounts of amusing episodes met with while travelling; but there lingered an undefined impression on Guy Traverse"s mind that these letters were not so sacred as one would naturally suppose they should be if the writer were dear to the heart of the recipient.
"Something is troubling Dexie to-night," he said to himself, as he noticed how unusually silent and preoccupied she remained, even when the merriment seemed at its height. "I must be on the alert and see that she is not troubled unnecessarily," for being a frequent visitor, he was aware that Gussie was not always the pleasant person she appeared to be, and he, somehow, connected her with Dexie"s present mood.
But in this case he was mistaken. The evening mail had brought Dexie a letter from Hugh McNeil. She had heard so little of him for some time that she began to hope (when she thought of him at all) that he had forgotten her or had found other attractions that had effaced her from his memory.
But this unlooked-for letter told a different story, and his half-expressed determination to seek her presence and renew his suit filled her with dismay.
She had thrust the letter hastily into her pocket with but a rapid glance at its contents, just as her numerous guests were ushered in; and her time had been so engrossed that the letter itself was forgotten, though the memory of the eager, pa.s.sionate words therein was bringing up all the unpleasant scenes that had happened in Halifax in connection with Hugh.
During the evening she had, with the help of the cook, set out a dainty repast in the dining-room, and as she made her way into the parlor again to invite the guests to come and partake of it, she wondered at the sound that reached her ears, for instead of the hum of many voices one voice alone was heard, and that was Gussie"s.
Now, for some time back the frequent visits of Guy Traverse had aroused suspicions in Gussie"s mind. They certainly were not always intended for her father, and he never offered himself as her escort unless Dexie was in her company. She had repeatedly hinted that Dexie was "already spoken for,"
but the hint was not acted on in the way Gussie expected. Remembering all this, Gussie"s conduct this particular evening is seen in its true light, but it brought its own punishment.
In some unaccountable way, Hugh"s letter had dropped from Dexie"s pocket while she sat sewing at the badges with the rest, and in searching for a spool of thread, it fell into Gussie"s hands. She glanced over the letter, but did not notice the signature. Hugh had been thinking more of touching Dexie"s heart than of giving his letter the usual appearance, and had left place, date and all tell-tale marks to find room at the bottom of the closely-written sheet. Gussie guessed at once it was Dexie"s letter, and thought it would be "fun" to read it before those a.s.sembled; it would let Guy Traverse know that he was wasting his time over Dexie. No one in the room had the least idea what she meant when she rose from her chair and said:
"Oh! friends, listen! here is a specimen of true love for you!"