Those Dale Girls Part 31

"No," honestly, "it would not. Oh! my dear, I will be very patient if only you will try."

"I don't have to," she said.

"No," despairingly, "you don't have to.'

"Because-because-I do."

The ambiguity of this might have been mystifying to any but a drowning man ready to clutch at a straw. Kenneth was raised to a seventh heaven of bliss and promptly kissed her; at which she blushed furiously and pushed him away.

"You must not believe everything I say," she protested.

"But I do and I want to and I shall," exultantly. "Oh, my dear, my dear, will you say it all over again?"

"Certainly not," with pretended severity. And then with a light happy laugh, "Do you remember how I snubbed you on the street corner the day you met me at Dr. Ware's?"

"Do I? Well, I should say I did! But you were even worse at Jack's. You plunged me into the depths of despair, from which I never should have arisen if you hadn't been so charming at Mrs. Lennox's musicale. That night I began to take notice again, as it were."

"Notice of Jessie Davis? I heard you were in love with her."

"As if I had eyes for any one but you! I used to fairly haunt dear old Jack's place in the hope of running across you, but you always managed to elude me."

"I used to think at first," she said seriously, "that you were just curious about us, because we were poor and earned our own living and were not like the girls in your set, and I resented it. That made me nasty to you, though I liked you all the time. Then, well,-do you know what I believe made me care for you? If you laugh," earnestly, "I'll never forgive you. It was because you took such care of me at the wedding and never offered me a bit of cake! You suspected we had made it, didn't you? And I thought any man who had tact enough for that would be my undoing and I should not wonder," with a swift look from under her long lashes, "if it were true, but you will never tell a soul I told you, will you?" beseechingly. "It's a secret-the undoing, you know."

"Darling," he said, "I knew more about you and your work than you thought and that is why it was like wrenching my heart out to come away.

I wanted to stay there where I could work for you and wait and hope that I might make your life easier. Then when you talked to me that night I knew that whether you ever loved me or not you would want me to go."

"Yes," she said.

"And now if you only loved me enough to marry me I might at least leave you my name and the protection of my father, whose home would gladly open to you and Julie if he knew. _Couldn't_ you do it, dear heart?"

"I-I don't know," she said so low that he could scarcely hear her. "I do love you, but it is all so new and strange that I cannot realize what it means or even if it means as much as it should to the man I marry. I want to be honest-and you offer me so much that I don't know what to say. I don't love you as I love Julie, and perhaps after that you will not want me to love you at all."

"Yes, dear, I shall. If you care for me in any sort of way I am thankful and love is a thing that grows and grows. Some day I believe you will love me as much as you do Julie, but in a different way. There is room in your heart, dear, for both of us if you will only let me in."

"That is just the way Julie puts it," she answered. "She is going to marry Dr. Ware."

"She is? Jove! what an ideal match!"

"That's what I think. I would not have believed that I could contemplate sharing Julie and be as happy about it as I am. The night she told me I danced for joy! She needs a man to take care of her, and I love him with all my heart; it changes nothing inwardly and everything outwardly. I am going to live with them but I shall not mind being dependent on them for awhile. At first I thought I couldn't, but they have made me promise.

Dr. Ware is so dear. He says what is his, is Julie's, and what's Julie's is mine, and," laughing, "there is no getting around that, is there?

Julie and I have always gone shares. Besides, I'm going to study to be a trained nurse when Julie is married. I couldn't just sit down and be idle the rest of my days."

"Thank G.o.d your work is over!"

"Not my work but that work. No one will ever know how hard it was; there was so little profit in most of the things we made that we could not afford to hire the necessary a.s.sistance and had to take the brunt of everything ourselves. We should have kept on until we 'died in our tracks,' to quote Bridget, if it had been necessary, but I thank G.o.d, too, that we are not obliged to. It taught us a great many things, the poverty and hardship and all," she continued, feeling his interest, "and we shall be able to understand life and help people a great deal better because of it. Julie and I have had so many talks together both with Dr.

Ware here and since he went North about all the things we mean to do. We look forward to a very busy life."

"I am supremely glad that things have come out this way, dear," he said, "only," wistfully, "all these plans make me feel as if you had little need of me. Won't you please," gazing pleadingly in her eyes which shone steadfastly into his, "won't you please see if you can't make a place somewhere for me?"

Far off through the woods came the note of a bugle. Hester drew in her breath.

"Perhaps," she said softly as they turned in the avenue, "I do need you and want you, too. Will you wait and see?"

CHAPTER XXIII

There was no announcement of Julie's engagement except to the household of Wavertree Hall. Her marriage was likely to take place early in the summer, for Dr. Ware was to attend a medical convention in California and wanted to take her with him. In the event of his doing this, Hester and Bridget would join them later, for Mrs. Driscoe wanted to be off, as was her custom, to the Springs and Hester shrank from going into a scene of gayety. There seemed to be no reason why this plan should not be carried out, for Julie had entirely recovered and except for the shadow of sadness left by her father's death, was quite herself again. She knew it would be their beloved Daddy's wish that she should shape herself to the events of her life in just the way she would have done had he been actually among them, and many and many a time her new happiness was glorified by the thought that he knew and was rejoicing too.

When Hester came and told her of that ride through the woods with Kenneth, her cup was filled to overflowing. For Julie understood her sister better than the girl understood herself and she knew the love she now bore Kenneth would "grow and grow," as he had said, until it became a powerful factor in her life.

So finally Julie's wedding day was fixed and the day before, Dr. Ware with the Lennoxes and, as a joyful surprise above all things, Jack, arrived on the scene. The Doctor told her that this was the Driscoes'

idea-to bring them down and surprise her, as Cousin Nancy's guests. As Mrs. Driscoe said to Mrs. Lennox, who laughingly protested against such an invasion:

"Virginia is the heart of the country, my dear Mrs. Lennox, and we are the heart of Virginia-welcome to Wavertree Hall." She was heard to remark afterward to the Colonel that that charming individual looked like a thorough-bred Virginian.

As for Jack, a more ecstatic boy never trod on earth. The girls laughed and cried over him. So did Bridget, who gave him such a hearty smack that he nearly hugged the head off her.

There were other arrivals also, that day at Dunn Loring, for Mr. Landor had come down to have a look at Kenneth, and Sidney Renshawe was once more at the Blakes' plantation.

The latter called at Wavertree Hall that afternoon and Mrs. Driscoe was in such a good humor over the charming, aristocratic Mrs. Lennox and the little excitement of guests which delighted her hospitable soul that she actually shook hands with him and asked him to join their party that afternoon-they were going over to camp to see Mr. Landor. That bit of cordiality was enough for Renshawe. Enough, too, for dear little Nannie, who had witnessed this meeting with mingled fear and delight.

They arrived at camp just before parade and at Kenneth's tent was an elderly man who proved to be his father. In the general introductions which followed, Kenneth's pleasure was very great in this meeting of Hester and his father. She began talking to him at once in her bright, vivacious way, and what was really remarkable,-for he never had the faintest idea what to say to girls and seldom encountered them, he talked to her quite at his ease. But then, this wily young woman touched now and then on Kenneth-just enough to start him on the subject nearest his heart. It was very near her heart, too. But when had the stern, impa.s.sive Caleb Landor talked so freely of his son before?

As they sat under the "fly" which made a shelter in front of the tent, the girls observed down the line the colors standing in front of the Captain's quarters and it thrilled them with the pride of patriotism to see all the men and officers in going to and fro lift their hats and pa.s.s bare-headed before the flag.

The routine of camp was very interesting to Dr. Ware who had lived through it, to the girls who had all their lives heard of it, and to Jack, who still hoped to be a part of it in spite of his years. So it was a very talkative if somewhat weary party that returned to Wavertree Hall.

Late that evening there came tearing up the avenue a mounted orderly. He brought a note for Miss Hester Dale which required an immediate answer.

She opened it quickly. At the end she leaned against the pillar as if for support. Then she called Julie out from the garden where she and Dr.

Ware were strolling and said unsteadily:

"Read that, Julie dear. I want you to know before I send my answer."

Julie read:

"Sweetheart, my orders have come. Since you left I have heard officially. I am to be transferred and leave for Tampa to-morrow afternoon to join the Rough Riders, who embark in a few days for Santiago. Do you think, dear-could you, would you marry me before I go? Would that dear little Julie let you and me go with her and the Doctor to-morrow and make our lives one in the sight of G.o.d? Oh, say yes, say yes! But not unless you are sure, dear. I had rather wait a dozen years than have you give yourself to me under protest.

Whatever you say, dear, I shall believe is for the best. But, oh! if you could-KENNETH."

Julie took her sister in her arms.

"Hester, darling, have you decided?"

"Yes, Julie."

"You and Kenneth will come to-morrow with Philip and me?"