"Oh, Auntie, it"s the most wonderful thing you ever heard of." Jane took up the coffee-pot and led the way.
"I did it all, except I didn"t provide the money," said Lorenzo, and the next minute they were all seated, and he could tell the whole story.
Susan didn"t scream. She sat still, a bit of toast in her hand, listening breathlessly. When Lorenzo had finished, "Oh, that new religion!" she murmured in an awed voice, and then, "Nothing like this ever happened in this town before, I know."
"I"m more bewildered over it"s being there for me and my not being able to believe than I am by the money," said Jane. "Oh, Auntie, what a lesson, what a lesson!"
"You would limit yourself, you see," said Lorenzo; "you wouldn"t believe."
"How could I ever imagine such a thing?"
"You didn"t have to imagine,--you only had to expect."
"You laid limits, you see," said Susan, suddenly beginning to pour out the coffee, and pouring with a glad dash that swept over cup and saucer together. "I expect if G.o.d hadn"t been patient--like Mr. Rath--He could have very well hid that will forever. There may be a lot of such goings on in the world, for all we know. My goodness, suppose I"d been like Matilda and not have had old Mrs. Croft around for one minute,--it makes me ill to think of it! It"s a lesson for me, too."
"Life is all lessons," said Jane. "Dear me, think of Aunt Matilda"s surprise!"
"Think of it! Good mercy, how can I wait to tell her!" Susan"s whole face beamed. "I don"t mind a bit her coming back now. That shows the good of making that declaration about her. Those declarations are a great thing. I"ve told myself Matilda was coming back in a perfectly right way so many times that now, however she came back, I"d be positive it was perfectly right."
"Ah, Auntie," said Jane, "you"ve got hold of another great truth. Every one seems quicker than me."
"Well, you started us at it, anyhow," said Susan kindly. "Oh my, but I"m happy! Why, I believe I"m really in a hurry now for Matilda to come back, just so I can tell her. Think of that--me really and truly anxious to see Matilda again! My, you Sunshine Jane, you--what a lot of difference you"ve made in me."
"When is your aunt coming?" Lorenzo asked Jane.
"She went for three weeks," said Jane; "it will be three weeks next Thursday."
"Goodness, only three weeks, and it seems like three years?" observed Susan. "What a lot has happened! There"s Jane--and her religion--and me up and well--and old Mrs. Croft here and gone--and you, Mr. Rath,--and then you and Jane--and now this money."
"I can"t believe any of it," said Jane; "I try, but I just can"t. I guess I"m hopelessly limited. I"m too bewildered, I--"
"I"ll tell you what ails you," said her aunt warmly. "It"s that you"ve spread yourself too much; you"ve given such a lot away everywhere that you"ve got to just stop and let the tide run backwards into you yourself for a while. It"s nature. Nature and the new religion combined."
"I feel overwhelmed by the coming-back tide then," said Jane; "I don"t deserve it all."
Her aunt started to reply, but was stopped by a sudden loud bang outside.
"Goodness, what"s that?" she exclaimed.
"Auto tire burst, I think. I"ll go and see," said Lorenzo, jumping up and going out.
"Jane," said Susan solemnly, "that"s a young man in a million. Think of his finding that will. My, but he"ll make a good husband!"
"I just can"t realize any of it," said her niece. She seemed to be totally unequal to any other view of her present situation.
"Well, you"d better realize it," said her aunt, "because it"s coming right along. What will Mrs. Mead say, I wonder! Dear me, how every one will wish they"d tried to get up a plane or two by having old Mrs. Croft to visit them. If that poor old thing could only come back, the whole town would just adore to have her on a visit now, and every one would sit up all night and listen to _Captain Jinks_ so cheerfully. She used to sing _Rally round the flag, boys_ too,--I forgot that. She used to sing it when she heard the roosters begin to crow. But n.o.body would have minded, whatever she sang now."
"Oh, there"s--" Jane hesitated and blushed.
Lorenzo stood in the door. "It wasn"t a burst tire," he explained briefly; "it"s a new kind of siren they"re using. It"s friends from out of town, Mr. and Mrs. Beamer."
"They"ve got the wrong house," said Susan. "I don"t know any Beamers."
"They asked for Mrs. Ralston."
"Then they"re selling something, grape-wine or hand-knit lace, or something. I don"t want to see "em."
"I"ll go," said Jane. And went at once. In the pretty, changed sitting-room she found the visitors--Mrs. Beamer tall and of large build, with a handsome motor-costume. Mr. Beamer also large, very wiry, and with rampant gray hair. Mrs. Beamer was Matilda.
But what a changed Matilda! "Well, Jane," coming forward and holding out both hands, "did you and Susan feel it?"
Jane staggered and laid hold of a chair. "Feel--" she stammered--"feel what? Oh, Aunt Matilda!"
"Did you feel the good I"ve been doing you? How"s my sister?"
"She--oh, she"s all right."
"Up and dressed?"
"Yes."
"There, you see!" Matilda turned to Mr. Beamer, triumph radiating her whole figure. "It worked,--oh, Matthew, it worked." Then she turned back to Jane. "Get up right off, didn"t she? Same day I left?"
"Y--yes." Jane clung more tightly to the chair. She began to doubt the ground beneath her feet.
"Perfectly well, strong, able-bodied,--isn"t she?"
"Yes."
"You see?--" to Mr. Beamer. Then, "Oh, it"s too splendid! I s"pose the cat"s stopped snooping, too, hasn"t he?"
"Y--yes."
"House all clean? Garden growing fine?"--
"Yes, indeed."
"And you, Jane, how are you?"
"Oh, I"m all right. I--I"ve become engaged."
"You hear that, Matthew? And the town?"
"Everybody"s well."
"Did you ever in all your life!"
"Oh, old Mrs. Croft died!"