V
"ALWAYS YOUR JACK"
As soon as d.i.c.ky had left the house I cleared away the dishes and washed them and prepared a dessert for dinner. Then, finding the want advertis.e.m.e.nts of the Sunday papers, I looked carefully through the columns headed "Situations Wanted, Female."
I clipped the advertis.e.m.e.nts and fastened each neatly to a sheet of notepaper. Then I wrote beneath each one: "Please call Thursday or Friday. Ask for Mrs. Richard Graham, Apartment 4, 46 East Twenty-ninth street."
I addressed the envelopes properly, inserted the answers in the envelopes, sealed and stamped them, then ran out to the post box on the corner with them. I walked back very slowly, for there was nothing more that needed to be done, and I could put off no longer the settling of my problem.
I locked the door of my room, pulled down the shade and, exchanging my house dress for a comfortable negligee, lay down upon my bed to think things out.
I tried to put myself in d.i.c.ky"s place, and to understand his reasons for objecting to my earning any money of my own. I sat upright in bed as a thought flashed across my brain. Was that the reason? Were his objections to this plan of mine what he pretended they were? Did he really fear that I might have unpleasant publicity thrust upon me, and that some of our pleasure plans might be spoiled by the weekly lecture engagement? Or was he the type of man who could not bear his wife to have money or plans or even thoughts which did not originate with him?
I resolved to find out just what motive was behind his objections. If he were willing that I should try to earn money in some other way I would gladly refuse this offer. But if he were opposed to my ever having any income of my own the issue might as well come now as later.
A loud ringing at the doorbell awakened me.
For a moment I could not understand how I came to be in bed. Then I remembered and throwing off my negligee and putting on a little afternoon gown, I twisted up my hair into a careless knot and hurried to the door. The ring had been the postman"s. The afternoon newspapers lay upon the floor. With them was a letter with my former name upon it in a handwriting that I knew. It had been forwarded from my old boarding house. The superscription looked queer to me, as if it were the name of some one I had known long ago.
"Miss Margaret Spencer," and then, in the crabbed handwriting of my dear old landlady, "care of Mrs. Richard Graham."
I opened the letter slowly. It bore a New Orleans heading, and a date three days before.
"Dear little girl:
"A year is a long time between letters, isn"t it? But you know I told you when I left that the chances were Slim for getting a letter back from the wild territory where I was going, and I found when I reached there that "slim" was hardly the word. I wrote you twice, but have no hope that the letters ever reached you. But now I am back in G.o.d"s country, or shall be when I get North, and of course, my first line is to you. I am writing this to the old place, knowing it will be forwarded if you have left there.
"I shall be in New York two weeks from today, the 24th. Of course I shall go to my old diggings. Telephone me there, so that I can see you as soon as possible. I am looking forward to a real dinner, at a real restaurant, with the realest girl in the world opposite me the first day I strike New York, so get ready for me. I do hope you have been well and as cheerful as possible. I know what a struggle this year must have been for you.
"Till I see you, dear, always your
"JACK."
I finished the reading of the letter with mingled feelings of joy and dismay. Joy was the stronger, however. Dear old Jack was safe at home.
But there were adjustments which I must make. I had my marriage to explain to Jack, and Jack to explain to d.i.c.ky. Nothing but this letter could have so revealed to me the strength of the infatuation for d.i.c.ky which had swept me off my feet and resulted in my marriage after only a six months" acquaintance. Reading it I realized that the memory of Jack had been so pushed into the background during the past six months that I never had thought to tell d.i.c.ky about him.
"You"ve made a great conquest," said d.i.c.ky that evening when we were finishing dinner, "Lil thinks you"re about the nicest little piece of calico she has ever measured--those were her own words. She"s planning a frolic for the crowd some night at your convenience."
"That is awfully kind of her. Where did you see her." I prided myself on my careless tone, but d.i.c.ky gave me a shrewd glance.
"Why, at the studio, of course. Her studio is on the same floor as mine, you know. Atwood and Barker and she and I are all on one floor, and we often have a dish of tea together when we are not rushed."
I busied myself with the coffee machine until I could control my voice. How I hated these glimpses of the intimate friendship which must exist between my husband and this woman!
"I suppose we ought to have them all over some night," I said at last, "but I"ll have to add a few things to our equipment, and wait until I get a maid."
"That will be fine," d.i.c.ky a.s.sented cordially, pushing back his chair.
"Did the papers come? I"ll look them over for a little. Whistle when you"re ready and I"ll wipe the dishes for you."
He strolled into the living room, and I suddenly remembered that I had laid my letter from Jack on the table, with its pages scattered so that any one picking them up could not help seeing them.
I had forgotten all about the letter. I had meant to show it to d.i.c.ky after I had explained about Jack. It was not quite the letter for a bridegroom to find without expectation. I realized that.
I could not get the letter without attracting his attention. I waited, every nerve tense, listening to the sounds in the next room. I heard the rustling of the newspaper; then a sudden silence told me his attention had been arrested by something. Would he read the letter? I did not think so. I knew his sense of honor was too keen for that, but I remembered that the last page with its signature was at the top of the sheets as I laid them down. That was enough to make any loving husband reflect a bit.
How would d.i.c.ky take it? I wondered. I was soon to know. I Heard him crush the paper in his hand, then come quickly to the kitchen. I pretended to be busy with the dishes, but he strode over to me, and clutching me by the shoulder with a grip that hurt, thrust the letter before my face, and said hoa.r.s.ely:
"What does this mean?"
The last words of Jack"s letter danced before my eyes, d.i.c.ky"s hand was shaking so.
"Till I see you, dear. Always Jack."
d.i.c.ky"s face was not a pleasant sight. It repulsed and disgusted me.
Subconsciously I was contrasting the way in which he calmly expected me to accept his friendship for Lillian Gale, and his behavior over this letter. Five minutes earlier I would have explained to him fully.
I resolved now to put my friendship for Jack upon the same basis as his for Mrs. Underwood.
So I looked at him coolly. "Have you read the letter?" I asked quietly.
"You know I have not read the letter." he snarled. "It lay on the papers. I could not help but see this--this--whatever it is," he finished lamely, "and I have come straight to you for an explanation."
"Better read the letter," I advised quietly. "I give you full permission."
I could have laughed at d.i.c.ky, if I had been less angry. He was so like an angry, curious child in his eagerness to know everything about Jack.
"You have no brother. Is this man a relative?"
"No," I returned demurely.
"An old lover then, I suppose a confident one, I should judge by the tone of the letter. Won"t it be too cruel a blow to him when he finds his dear little girl is married?"
d.i.c.ky"s tone fairly dripped with irony. "He will be surprised certainly," I answered, "but as he never was my lover, I don"t think it will be any blow to him."
"Who is he, anyway? Why have you never told me about him? What does he look like?"
d.i.c.ky fairly shot the questions at me. I turned and went into my room.
There I rummaged in a box of old photographs until I found two fairly good likenesses of Jack. I carried them to the kitchen and put them in d.i.c.ky"s hands. He glared at them, then threw them on the table.
"Humph! Looks like a gorilla with the mumps," he growled. "Who is this precious party, then, if he is not a lover or a relative?"
"He is an old and dear friend. His friendship means as much to me as--well--say Lillian Gale"s means to you."
d.i.c.ky stared at me a long, long look as if he had just discovered me.
Then he turned on his heel.
"Well, I"ll be--" I did not find out what he would be, for he went out and slammed the door.