The Open Question Part 98

"What is that to you--to any one but Ethan and me?"

"It _is_ something to your family," said Mrs. Gano. "I, too, should like to see the engagement ring."

Val thought of the gossip-loving town, the endless questions, "When is the wedding?" "Why the delay?"

"There is no engagement."

"You said he gave you a ring." Emmie's words were quick and glad under their suspicion.

"I can't show you Ethan's ring."

"Why, where's your own?" Emmie came nearer.

Val got up and faced her sister with angry eyes.

"How dare _you_ cross-question me? Don't you suppose I know it's _you_ that have brought in the town's chatter, and magnified it, and--"

"Your sister has done no more than her duty. She at least cares something for the family dignity. She has felt all this gossip to the quick."

"I've no doubt of it," said Val.

"Where is _my_ ring?"

"Y--your ring?"

"Yes, _my_ engagement ring. There has never been any need to hide that."

"I--"

"Ah, I see! there, too, you took the initiative. You don't bring back a ring, but you left one behind. _He_ has a pledge to show, if you haven't. But my ring was never meant for that; send and get it back.

Give me your arm, Emmeline." They pa.s.sed Val by. At the threshold the old woman turned. "Send and get it back, I say!"

A soft knock at the front door arrested her.

"Go and see, Emmeline." Mrs. Gano sat down on the chair just inside the door, averting her face from Val. At the sound of Wilbur's voice she half rose. "At _this_ hour!"

"Oh, he just wants to see me a moment." Val moved forward.

Mrs. Gano stood up, blazing through her spectacles, and cut off the retreat.

"Emmeline will remind him that you are not now away from your own home.

As long as I'm here, life under this roof must be conducted with some decorum."

"Oh, grandmamma, grandmamma!" said Val, hysterically, beginning to laugh and to cry all at once, "don't you see? We thought you were dying, and he's come to see if he can do anything."

"_Dying_, indeed!" Her tone was that of one resenting some far-fetched impertinence. "Go and tell him that I never felt better in my life, and that he'd better go home."

Mrs. Gano did not appear the next day, nor the next. Val watched her opportunity that second evening, when Emmie was out of the way, to go into her grandmother's room and see for herself how she was.

Mrs. Gano certainly appeared in excellent health. She was up, and she was dressed with all her customary care. Standing by the window in the waning light, she bent her veiled head over a book.

"Good-evening, grandmamma; how are you?"

Mrs. Gano turned and looked over her spectacles.

"Good-evening."

"I was afraid you were ill."

"You are very determined I shall be ill, it seems to me."

"No, no, but I naturally wanted to come and--" She stopped, feeling too chilled and rebuffed to say more.

"To come and bring me back my ring?"

Val, without answering, walked to the door.

"You _did_ give it to Ethan? Answer me."

"Yes, grandmamma."

"Have you got it back?"

"No, grandmamma."

"But you've heard from him?"

"Yes--Emmie must have told you--letters and telegrams."

"Had you written him to send back my ring?"

"No, grandmamma."

"Why not?"

It crossed the girl's mind, "Suppose I tell her, 'Because I saw him throw it away.'" She smiled faintly.

"You will write for it to-night. Go and do so at once."

"No, I'm sorry; I can't do that--I'm sorry;" and she went out.

Val had a glimpse of her the next morning, when Mrs. Gano made her final cold-weather "flitting" from the blue room up-stairs to the long room down-stairs. But it was Emmie and the servants who a.s.sisted. The removal was in the act of being finished when Val appeared on the scene. No notice was taken of her. She went out and walked about the garden.

Returning to the house a little later, she met Emmie coming down the steps of the porch with a letter.

"Where are you going?"

"To the post-office, and grandma doesn't want to be disturbed."