Vision House Part 30

"Oh yes--ye-es!" responded Marise.

Garth laughed.

The town of Albuquerque was very Spanish-looking. Indeed, it would have been strange if it were not so, since the Spanish had built much of it in the Great Days of their prime, hundreds of years ago. It was on the outskirts of the place that Mrs. Mooney lived, in a house--as she explained to Marise--"architected for her by Johnny himself."

"He and I lived here together after he brought me back to me dearly-loved west, from N'York," she went on; "as happy as turtle-doves till the war broke on us. That house at the Canyon where he's takin'

you--the later the better, because I want to keep ye here as long as I can!--was never for _me_. He thought he'd like to go and brood over his work in it, all alone, once or twice a year. He felt as if that Grand Canyon would be a kind of inspiration. I doubt if it ever popped into his head in those times that he'd be takin' a pretty young wife like a princess from a fairy tale there some day. Not that aught except a fairy-tale princess would be good enough for him."

Marise did not answer. What was there to say? But they had arrived at Mothereen's house.

It, too, was Spanish, in a modern, miniature way, and Mothereen explained it to Marise. "Johnny wanted to build me something bigger and more statuesque like," she said. "But I wouldn't let him. I love a little house. I'm at _home_ in it. I have no grand ways. I hope it's the same with you, me dear! Though for sure it will be, on yer honeymoon, with the best boy in the wurruld, just back safe from the terrible war!

Ze--I mean _he_--did speak of a 'suite' to put the two of ye up in, but I warrant ye won't be the one to say yer quarters are too small!... Come in, will ye? And welcome ye both are as the sunshine after rain!"

Marise obeyed the arm round her waist, but a presentiment of trouble was upon the girl. She foresaw a dilemma. And it had two long horns. She was between them!

CHAPTER XXVIII

MOTHEREEN

Mothereen led them over the house, which was built in bungalow style, all on one floor, saying to Garth, "Do you remember this? Do you remember that?" and pointing out to Marise details upon which she could hang some anecdote of "Johnny."

"But I've saved the best for the last," she announced. "Now I'm going to take ye to your '_suite_,' as Ze--as it's fashionable to call it. Ye know, Johnny, the spare bedroom with the bath openin' out? Well, I've added onto it the little sewin'-room, done up the best I could in a hurry. And if that doesn't make a 'suite,' what _does_? There's no door from one room into the other, that's the trouble! I'd a' had one cut if there'd been time, but there wasn't. Still, it's the next room, and the two of ye will have the whole use of it, so I hope the dear gurrl will excuse the deficiencies."

"I'm sure there won't be any deficiencies!" exclaimed Marise graciously.

Garth was right to love his "Mothereen"! She was certainly an adorable woman, and too delicious when she rolled out a long word. The girl was pleased to hear that there was no door between her room and Garth's. Not that he was likely to annoy her. But--who could tell if he would not be different here in his own home, where everyone made a hero of him, from what he had seemed in _her_ New York? It was just as well that she was to be on the safe side.

"What a pretty room!" she cried out, as, with a proud housewifely look, Mothereen flung open a door. "Why, it's lovely! Is this mine?"

"Of course it's yours, darlin'--yours and Johnny's," said Mothereen, beaming with pleasure at such praise. "Come and look out of the window, ducky. John knows what's there, but 'twill be a surprise for you."

Still clasped by the plump arm, Marise crossed the polished floor, which was spread with beautiful Indian rugs. The walls were white, and hung with a few good pictures of desert scenery and strange Indian mesas. The furniture was simple, but interesting: made of eucalyptus wood, pink as faded rose-leaves against its white background; and everywhere were bowls of curious Egyptian-looking Indian pottery, filled with roses. The one immense window took up nearly all one end of the room, and opened Spanish fashion upon a garden-court with a fountain, a marble bench, and a number of small orange trees grouped together to shade the seat.

"'Twas Johnny's idea," Mothereen explained, when Marise had complimented the court. "The next room looks on it, too. And now ye'd both better come and see what I've done with that same!"

She led the way out again, and opened the door of an adjoining room. "I do hope ye'll like it too!" she said. "It's yer own little sittin'-room, and you two turtle-doves can have yer breakfast here by yerselves if ye like."

With all her goodwill towards "Mothereen," Marise could not repress a slight gasp, or a stiffening of the supple young figure belted by the kind woman's arm; for her first glimpse of the room gave her an electric shock. The room _was_ a "sittin'-room," and nothing else.

"Is anything wrong, darlin'?" anxiously asked Mothereen.

Marise hesitated. Involuntarily she glanced over her shoulder at Garth, who was close behind. She met his eyes, which implored hers.

"Oh no, indeed!" the girl protested. "It's--it's charming. I was thinking of something else for an instant."

"Ye're _sure_ everything's all right?" Mothereen persisted, her pretty brows puckered.

"Quite sure. Thank you _so_ much!"

"Nothing ye'd like to have me change?"

"Nothing at all," Marise consoled her, in a strained tone.

"Well then, I'm glad, and I'll leave ye to yerselves for a while. Come out to me when ye feel like it and not before--one or both. And ye'll be welcome as the flowers in May."

She kissed Marise and snuggled her cheek, rosy and fresh as an apple, against the arm of her adopted son. Then she was gone with a parting smile, and Garth shut the door.

"That was mighty fine behaviour of yours, and I thank you with all my heart," he said to Marise.

She had dropped into a chair, tremulous about the knees. "You needn't thank me," she answered. "What I did was for _her_."

"I know. That's why I thank you," said Garth. "I think a lot more about Mothereen's feelings than I do my own. Mine are case-hardened--hers aren't, and never could be. You see, she's fond of me."

"I do see! So is everybody else--here, it seems."

"They're warm-hearted folks out in the West. They love to make a noise.

I hope you weren't disgusted."

"No, I liked them," said Marise. "They seemed so sincere. And Mrs.

Mooney is the dearest little woman. I'd have my tongue cut out--almost!--rather than she should be sad. But now the question is, what's to be done? I tried to help you. You must help me."

"I will," Garth a.s.sured her. "It's going to be all right."

"But how--without hurting her?" Marise looked round the room. "You can't sleep on that little sofa."

"I can sleep on the floor rolled up in a blanket. That would have seemed a soft billet in France."

"You'd be wretchedly uncomfortable. And how would you bathe?"

"I guess you don't need to worry yourself about that detail. I'll manage the business in one way or other."

"That sounds vague! What's become of the room which used to be yours in this house, before you went to the war?"

"Your bedroom next door is the one. The only spare room we had in those days was this, where we're sitting now. We never had any people come to stay, though, so Mothereen turned it into a sewing-room."

"I see! And you can't slip out to an hotel or anywhere, because every human being in town knows you."

"No, I can't slip out. But--well, we _are_ married!"

Marise started, and stared. Her eyes opened wide. She looked ready to spring up and run away.

"All I was going to say is this," Garth went on. "There's a big screen or two in your room, I noticed. Perhaps, as you're kind enough not to want me to go unwashed, you'd stretch a point, and let me walk through to the bath with a couple of screens in position. We needn't stay more than two days and nights, the way things have turned out. Mothereen will be disappointed, but her feelings won't be hurt because I shall take steps to get a wire from a friend of mine at the Grand Canyon. The friend will tell me that I'm needed at once on a matter of importance.

That'll do the trick. And Mothereen can make up for lost time by visiting me--us, at Vision House."

"Vision House!"