Those Dale Girls Part 21

Julie's embarra.s.sment did not escape the Doctor and there was a twinge of pain in his heart as he said to her gently, "She is a naughty little girl, Julie, but she is right when she says your old friend Monsieur Gremond has not forgotten you. He inquired with great interest about you all and asked my permission to call upon you."

To this Julie made no reply and for some moments there was silence, when at last Hester sidled up to her and in her most wheedling voice said, "Forgive me, please, I did not mean to be naughty."

Julie gave her a hearty kiss and in the laugh that followed they all joined, even including Jack, who had found the situation almost painful a moment before when he thought his adored Miss Julie's feelings had been hurt. Perhaps the good Doctor did not laugh with his accustomed zest but if so no one detected it, least of all Hester who gave him a big hug by way of magnanimously forgiving him for being cross to her and said emphatically:

"You _must_ go home. Miss Ware will be having a thousand fits, not to mention all the guests who are probably looking everywhere for you."

"I have been called out to see a patient," replied the Doctor. "Every one knows it by this time, only they do not know that instead of one I find four," with a sweeping glance that embraced them all, "and not an inch do I stir until I see this case through. So you might as well make up your mind to put up with me and I want something to do. Come, Jack, show me how to take hold with you. I needn't be condemned as utterly worthless just because I am a man."

In spite of their protestations Dr. Ware was as good as his word, busying himself in Jack's corner, and with so many hands the work went forward swiftly. It was all smooth sailing now, as Bridget said, for the critical and difficult part was done and the next two hours in which the little group sat about the kitchen table wrapping, boxing and tying the cake was immeasurably shortened by Dr. Ware, who told them interesting anecdotes, experiences of his life that made Jack long to have the night lengthen out indefinitely. But that which the Doctor most dwelt upon, knowing well it was what the girls most liked to hear, were stories of the days when he and Major Dale fought side by side for the Union of the country in that war which was as much of a reality to these girls as if they had taken part in every military engagement.

And Dr. Ware went home in the wee small hours with his mind in a tumult of thought. Distress that the girls had had such a night of it formed only a part of his disturbance, for above this fact, which in more tranquil moments would have been pre-eminent, was the consciousness that a new and central figure had arisen on the scene-yesterday a stranger to him, to-day the hero of a drama which was to the Doctor as his very life.

He sat a long while in his study when he reached home, pondering over the future and the change that seemed imminent to the girls and he wondered what the outcome would be should Gremond take Julie's life into his keeping. Was he worthy of her-_was_ he? How on so short an acquaintance could he tell? And did she love him-_did_ she? Beset by all these unanswerable questions he paced up and down the room, his slow measured tread like an accompaniment strengthening the minor harmonies in which his thoughts that night were set.

His Julie! His little girl! Ah! she was no child to choose her lover lightly and if she loved him, trusted him to make her future, all would be well. He thought of her as he had left her, sweet and dainty in spite of the little dabs of sugar and frosting that stuck to the quaint blue ap.r.o.n which nearly covered her from head to foot. He remembered her embarra.s.sment when Gremond's name came up and kept that picture of her long before his eyes as if to accustom himself to this new aspect. He remembered too how flushed her cheeks were over the work and the tired shadows under her eyes told him plainly enough the relentless demand she was making upon her strength. Gad! those girls had been working eighteen hours at a stretch! Eighteen hours! It wasn't the first time, either!

And he, who would give his life to make things easier, was powerless-to another man would be given the right! Good heavens! Did Gremond realize his privilege? As if suddenly weary the Doctor flung himself down in his chair and heaved a sigh. Presently his lids drooped heavily. When he opened his eyes the room was flooded with sunlight.

CHAPTER XVI

The order for the wedding-cake which had been a cause of such tribulation to the girls had come through Mrs. Lennox for a young cousin of her husband's in whose marriage she was much interested. The order consisted of a bride's cake, a round wedding-cake, two hundred boxes and in addition some thirty dozen small a.s.sorted cakes to be served with the supper. The bride's mother had given the girls a fruit-cake recipe which had been many years in her family and had asked them to make the cake at least a month before the wedding that it might "age," as the saying is.

Hours easily counting into days had gone into the preparation of the fruit alone for this large order before the work of putting the cake together began; and then to make the twenty loaves, each of which when done resembled in size a two-quart brick of ice-cream, it was necessary to mix and cook the dough in installments. But as Julie told Dr. Ware, that was as child's play to the intricacies of the frosting and the catastrophe that ensued; and the nervous as well as the physical strain of that, coming on top of all the rest of the work which the order entailed, told severely on the girls, especially Julie, though she was up with Hester at six the next morning packing the boxes into the wooden case which was to take the cake to its destination.

The round loaf over which Julie had expended so much anxious thought was wrapped in sheet after sheet of cotton wadding to protect the elaborate frosting from breaking, and resembled when laid in its box a small-sized snow drift. Hester printed "handle with care" in so many places on the wooden box cover that the expressman when he came could with difficulty distinguish the address; while Bridget cautioned him with such emphasis to carry it "like it wuz a baby, shure," that the man finally turned on her and asked if she thought he played football with his packages. It was an intense relief to them all when he had carried down the boxes and driven away, though their suspense would not really end until they learned of its safe arrival in the country town twenty miles away. And that they would know that same afternoon, for the mother of the bride had asked them to the wedding and Mrs. Lennox had been most urgent in insisting upon their going out with her, just, as she put it, for a "little country spree."

Mrs. Lennox had arranged a charming program whereby the girls should be of the party she and Mr. Lennox were to take out on their coach, but as the morning wore on and Julie found each hour's work more difficult she finally told Hester she felt too tired to consider such an expedition and should remain at home. It was so unusual for Julie to admit fatigue that Hester felt alarmed and attempted to order her immediately to bed, saying she and Bridget could easily get through the rest and she should not go to the wedding without her. But Julie insisted, not only in working on into the afternoon when the orders for the day were at last completed, but in persuading Hester to consent to go to the wedding-a consent reluctantly given, for she was loath to go off without her sister. Having gained it, however, Julie dispatched a note to Mrs.

Lennox begging to be excused from the party and turned her attention to helping Hester get ready when their work was done.

Whereas, owing to her delicate const.i.tution, Julie's fatigue usually showed itself in complete physical exhaustion, Hester's frequently took the form of intense mental excitement, when the chords of her buoyant nature were strung to their highest pitch. At such times she talked incessantly, laughed immoderately and was so restless that Julie always threatened to tie a string to her. She was in such a mood this afternoon, laughing and capering about, performing such ridiculous antics that Peter Snooks, who aided and abetted these moods, was barking with joy while Julie despaired of ever getting her clothed, not to mention restoring her to her right mind.

"You are a darling to help me but I don't love you at all for making me go when you are too ill to budge. I've a good notion not to mind you, anyway! Why should I? I'm bigger 'an you!" dancing about on her toes to increase her height, which possibly measured some two inches more than her sister's.

Julie caught her on the fly and thrust a dress skirt over her head, hooking it together without loss of time. "I'm going to have a nice quiet rest with Daddy," she said, "and will be all right when you come home. I want to hear all about the wedding and whether the cake got there and everything, so do go, there's a dear girl, and you'll have a beautiful drive and a good time into the bargain."

"And feel like a pig because you are not there. That will be pleasant, won't it! Is that the doorbell? Do peek out the window like a dear and see if the coach is there."

Julie did as she was requested and reported the arrival of the coach just as Bridget appeared and announced that Mrs. Lennox had sent Mr.

Landor up to ask if she were ready.

"Do you suppose he is going?" whispered Hester. "Oh! Julie dear, can't you go in and see him?"

"Not much! Here are your gloves and have you got a handkerchief? Can't find one? Never mind, here is one of mine. Now run along and kiss Daddy and hurry-it is dreadful to keep people waiting. You look as fresh as a lark but don't talk yourself black in the face," admonishingly.

"Remember 'silence is golden,'" she called out when she had recovered her breath from Hester's parting hug.

She heard Mr. Landor expressing regret that the elder Miss Dale was not to be of the party and then she heard nothing more; but in most plebeian fashion she and Bridget and Peter Snooks peeped out of the window watching their departure, as did also Jack from the floor beneath. They saw Mr. Landor help her up to the box seat of the coach beside Mr.

Lennox and sent down answering smiles to the parting wave of her hand.

"Belikes I bet the young gentleman's disappointed he ain't got her hisself," commented Bridget. "She's the prettiest of the whole lot!"

"Didn't she look lovely, Bridget! She always does when she is so excited."

"It's a lot more excited she'll be when she gets back an' finds you no better, Miss Julie, so I'm just goin' to put you to bed. You do look in a way as I don't like, an' small wonder, the way you whip your poor frail little body along to do the work of ten!"

"Nonsense, Bridget! I am not frail, you must not talk that way. I am just tired out to-day and I couldn't brace up and be agreeable to people-I don't want to be agreeable-I want to be cross, so I advise you to keep out of the way."

Bridget acted upon this suggestion by picking her up in her great muscular arms and marching into her bedroom. There laying her down she left to brew her a cup of tea-faithful Bridget's panacea for every woe.

Having returned and administered this she proceeded to undress her.

"I was going to lie down with Daddy," expostulated Julie feebly.

"You'll do nothin' of the sort," commanded Bridget. "You ain't fit to be seen with that look in your face. I'm goin' to tuck you into bed an'

darken the room an' we'll see what sleep'll do for yez."

As if this petting were more than she could bear, Julie buried her head in the pillow with a movement that made the woman suspicious.

"What is it, darlint?" she cried, smoothing her hair. "Can't you tell your old Bridget about it?"

"Nothing," said a m.u.f.fled voice.

"Shure it's rest yez want, darlint. I seen how yez kep' up all day so Miss Hester'd not be after knowin' how dead beat yez wuz an' now ye've clean gone all to pieces. Jus' cry it all out dearie, an' it's like a new person you'll be. 'Taint no small wonder yer wore out, with the worryin' an' frettin' that goes on inside yer an' always a cheery smile outside. Yer old Bridget knows! And may the blessed saints take yez out of this business before yez drop dead in yer tracks, sez I, every night on my knees-an' I don't care who's after knowin' it!" She gave the girl a loving motherly kiss and thus encouraged Julie cried her heart out on her shoulder.

This was an unusual proceeding, for Julie seldom cried in these days.

She had learned when her emotions threatened to overcome her to stiffen her chin and swallow hard, hard, hard,-until the tears were forced back and only a drawn look about the mouth told of the battle royal. She valued each victory, however trifling, for tears are weakening and self-control is a mighty weapon in the equipment of a soldier. To-day she was weak bodily and the petting utterly unnerved her, so that she cried until she could cry no longer and finally fell asleep from sheer exhaustion.

When she awoke it was with a confused sense that it must be the middle of the night and that something was wrong, for Bridget stood over her.

"Are yez wakin'? That's right, dearie. You've bin sleepin' these two hours an' there's a gentleman to see yez."

"What?" dazedly, rubbing her eyes.

"A gentleman to see yez-he didn't give no name."

"Probably he has come to give an order. Couldn't you look after him, Bridget?"

"No, miss," with an air of suppressed excitement, "his business is particular with you. Go bathe your face, Miss Julie, an' I'll have you dressed in a jiffy."

"Well, I am a pretty looking object," commented the girl with a glance in the mirror as Bridget let some light into the room.

"Never you mind, you're feelin' much better an' you souse your eyes good with hot water-they'll look natural enough-an' it's gettin' kinder twilight in the parlor now anyhow," consolingly.

"What is the matter with you, Bridget, are you daft?" seeing her bring forth from the closet a French gown she had never worn in Radnor. "You know I never would put on such a thing to go in to see a customer. Get me a fresh shirt waist like the old dear you are."

"Oh! Miss Julie, just this once, please," in such a coaxing tone that Julie found it hard to refuse her but she simply said: