Those Dale Girls Part 23

That was the stumbling block of our young author, for he never could make up his mind to choose between the Dale girls. First he would write out a beautiful story in which his hero (and there was only one hero to him) married Julie and was as happy as the day is long. This would have been eminently satisfactory if it had not been for a sort of feeling of slighting Hester, who seemed to be lurking in the background of his tale gazing at him with reproachful eyes. Jack the tender-hearted could not stand that, so zip!-would go all the paper, torn to shreds, and he would patiently start all over again to give Hester a chance. But however he arranged it, one was left out. He couldn't have it on his conscience to make his hero a Mormon and so to one and one alone could he belong. This was all wrong, from Jack's point of view, but he did not know how to make it any different and as it seemed to be a subject he could not discuss with any of the three persons most concerned the poor boy gave it up in despair.

But if Jack was racked with indecision it was not so with Kenneth Landor, who had fallen in love with Hester at first sight. One hears that to fall in love at first sight is an experience belonging to bygone days, and is quite unknown to the practical common-sense young people of whom in this generation one hears so much. Be that as it may, Kenneth, in spite of his worldly experience, was old-fas.h.i.+oned enough to be full of sentiment and treasured in his mind every meeting with Hester down to their first walk when she had dismissed him so summarily under the lamp-post. He could count them on the fingers of one hand, the actual hours he had spent with her, but between Dr. Ware and Jack he managed to keep as well informed concerning her life as if he were in daily intercourse with her; and it was his sole aim and ambition to put her struggles to an end. The generous fellow had not Gremond's idea of taking one of them away-he could not conceive of the little family being separated and his admiration of Julie was rapidly growing into an affection that made him long to cast her life, too, in sunny places and make a snug little home for them all. These were Kenneth's hopes and dreams-air-castles which sometimes took grim, fantastic shapes and often tottered to the ground when he remembered that Hester might not deign to look at him.

Suddenly into all this work and dreaming entered a new element, threatening to disturb the future with a terrible upheaval, for the necessity that our country should go to war with Spain was talked of openly throughout the land. Rumors that war would be, had been, never would be declared were rife, suggested and contradicted in a breath, while the uncertainty of national affairs produced an excitement that pervaded all cla.s.ses and conditions of men.

Kenneth was one of those who believed in the war and whose whole spirit was fired with a desire to do his part toward jealously guarding his country's honor. At the same time, if he hoped to win Hester and make a home for her it scarcely seemed as if it would accrue to his advantage to go away. These things were so in his mind that he longed for a chance to see and talk with her, and then, as always, in his thoughts of her he was confronted by the fearful consciousness that she might take no interest in so unimportant a thing as himself. Nevertheless, he meant to make himself important to her and it was therefore to him as to Gremond, a great disappointment that the girls had not put in an appearance at Miss Ware's reception and he had spent an anxious night speculating as to the cause of their non-appearance.

He managed by rising earlier than usual to get around to Dr. Ware's office on his way to business the morning after the reception; but, contrary to habit, that individual was already off. Much perturbed he worked harder than ever at the office and regretted that he had promised to drive out of town to a wedding. He was in no mood for society, even so charming as that of the Lennoxes. He was not a man who broke his engagements, however, and therefore went home about three o'clock to dress. When the Lennoxes called for him he sauntered out in his usual charming manner and made the greater effort to be agreeable to each member of the party from the mere fact that it _was_ an effort. This is a form of unselfishness, trivial perhaps, but necessitating a willingness to put aside one's personal inclination, to thrust aside one's mood for the general good. Some people call it adaptability, some tact, some a desire to please, but in Kenneth Landor, as in many others, it was an unselfish wish to contribute his share to the general entertainment. He was a man who recognized the duty of a guest to his hostess and did not look upon it as being all the other way. Having adjusted himself to a purely impersonal philosophical att.i.tude toward the expedition, imagine his revulsion of feeling when Mrs. Lennox told him that the party would not be complete until they had picked up Miss Hester Dale whose sister, unfortunately, was unable to go with them. As we know, she delegated him to escort Hester down and we may know too, though no one on the coach suspected it, that he went up the four flights of stairs two steps at a time and nearly ran down Jack who was hobbling up on his crutches.

What if, when he and Hester went into the street together she was immediately appropriated by their host and given the seat of honor beside him. Couldn't Kenneth _see_ her-every turn of her pretty head-and wasn't he inwardly proud that she was chosen for this distinction and didn't he know that it would be his own fault if he did not monopolize her later on?

As for Hester, she had never been in a merrier mood and chattered on like a little magpie, forgetful of her sister's warning "not to talk herself black in the face." Every now and then she would heave a little sigh and audibly wish Julie were there-a wish promptly seconded by her host, who nevertheless was amply satisfied with his companion.

The mere sensation of bowling along over smooth roads and through the beautiful environs of Radnor was in itself a novelty and delight to Hester but she was raised to the seventh heaven of bliss when Mr.

Lennox, after a talk they had had about horses, said:

"Wouldn't you like to take the ribbons, Miss Dale?"

"Oh!" she gasped, "but my gloves-I can't drive in these," holding up two white kid hands. She did not think it necessary to add that they were her only pair.

"Take them off and I'll give you mine. You can manage even if they are big. Try."

She tried and in another moment the gloves were on, the ribbons slipped into her fingers and the control of four superb horses lay within her hands. Ah! how delicious it was to feel their strength and hers!

"What would Mrs. Lennox say if she knew I were driving?"

"She would not mind, but the others might. We'll never tell."

"Never."

They swung along at an even pace, but presently, as if conscious that the ribbons had changed hands, the horses became restive and finally taking fright at an imaginary object, the leaders s.h.i.+ed and plunged forward madly.

"Give them their heads!" commanded Mr. Lennox peremptorily.

"Don't drive at quite such a mad pace, please Mr. Lennox," cried a girl from the rear, "you frighten us nearly to death."

"Oh! it's all right," rea.s.suringly, "they'll quiet down in a moment."

Hester with set lips and feet firmly planted was struggling to get them under control. She did not speak nor did Mr. Lennox again, but he watched her narrowly, alert and ready in a second to relieve her. He thought her equal to the emergency and she was, for after half a mile of tearing madly over the ground, she succeeded in regaining control of them and the horses, recognizing the strength of an experienced hand, quieted down into the old habit of obedience.

"Good!" cried Mr. Lennox, "you're a crack whip, as I thought."

A little color came back into Hester's white face. "I'm so grateful to you for not taking them away from me," she said. "I should have died of humiliation if you had."

"I thought I could trust you to pull through, but now that you have proved your prowess-and I believe you just got the animals to playing tricks to show what you _could_ do, you sly young person-aren't you a bit tired? Shan't I drive?"

"Oh! thank you, yes, but I-I enjoyed it."

She was very quiet after that, and presently when they reached the house and Landor sprang off and turned to lift her down, the two bright red spots in her cheeks did not escape him nor the subdued manner so unusual to her.

As they pa.s.sed into the house Hester saw in the hall a large table piled high with small white boxes and she shuddered as she thought how they had spent half the night over the completion of those innocent looking things. The satin bows actually had a "perky" look as if the ribbon had just tied itself without any trouble whatever! Turning her back on them abruptly she followed Mrs. Lennox into the drawing-room, where the ceremony took place a few moments after their arrival.

It was a simple wedding with no bridesmaids nor ushers nor adjuncts of any kind, and the bridegroom had so large a family connection that only intimate friends had been added to the list so that the reception took on the informal character of a large family gathering. When the bride had been kissed all around, including every male cousin, in spite of the laughing protests of the bridegroom, she led the way into the dining-room for supper.

"May I take you out, Miss Dale?" asked a dapper young fellow who had just been presented to Hester.

"Thank you, I-"

"You can't walk off with Miss Dale in that calm fas.h.i.+on, Charley," said a voice back of them, "she's promised to come to supper with me."

Hester had no recollection of any such compact so she looked up and said mischievously, "What a wonderful memory you have, Mr. Landor," turning the while as if to move off with the younger man.

"You come with me, won't you?" urged Charley Bemis, "Landor always claims the earth and never gives us younger fellows a chance. We'll have to hurry a bit, Miss Dale," looking at her entreatingly, "if we want to see the bride cut the cake."

"The cake!" she repeated, suddenly shrinking back. "Oh! Mr. Bemis, you go on without me, will you? I-"

"Run along, Charley," said Landor. "Miss Dale and I will follow. The dining-room will never begin to hold us all anyway, so if we do not get in you look us up and tell us who got the ring. You may get it yourself if you hurry, who knows!"

"Oh!" said Hester when the man had departed, "I couldn't go in there-I just couldn't."

"Of course not," emphatically, "it is much too crowded. They've covered in the piazza by the dining-room. Won't you let me bring you something to eat out there?"

"How could you fib to that boy so!" exclaimed the girl at the same time signifying her willingness to be led to some less crowded spot.

Kenneth laughed. "You drove me to it. Do you suppose I intended to let him walk off with you under my very eyes?"

"Why not? I'm sure he seemed a very _nice_ boy," with marked emphasis.

"Oh! yes, he's nice enough," cheerfully, "quite nice, now you mention it, but I'm not just yearning for his society at the present moment."

"Perhaps I am," getting a wistful far-away expression in her eyes that was tantalizing.

"Here we are," said the man abruptly as they reached a semi-circular piazza where tables and chairs had been placed. "If you will sit down, Miss Dale, I'll look up Mr. Bemis immediately."

"Thank you," demurely, "but if it _should_ happen that you found the supper first, would you mind bringing that instead? I am _so_ hungry,"

with a pathetic droop at the corners of her mouth.

He went off on air, returning followed by a waiter almost before she had a chance to miss him.

And what a gay little supper that was! They had a small table quite to themselves, where Landor played host and was solicitous in providing for all her wants. Mr. Lennox, wandering about with an eye to his party, smiled across the piazza at her and reported to his wife that Hester was being well taken care of. Half unconsciously the girl herself was aware that her slightest wish was antic.i.p.ated and she caught herself wondering as she played with her ice, whether it was chance or design that led Mr.

Landor to avoid having any cake served at their table. It was everywhere else in abundance; hundreds of colored frosted cakes that seemed to Hester like so many little imps grinning at her and crying, "You made me-you made me!" This fantastic notion wrought itself into her tired brain until she wanted to scream out from very nervousness and caused Kenneth to say, as if divining her thoughts:

"You are tired, Miss Dale. I am afraid you had an anxious night of it. I hope your father is better this morning."

"How did you know?"

"We-we missed you at the reception," evasively, "and when Dr. Ware went off I had my suspicions."