Those Dale Girls Part 27

"It is about the-the rent," said Julie, who wished her words would not stick in her throat. "We are getting on so well with our work that we want to begin to pay you. We thought if you would let us begin this month and-"

"And not object or scold us or anything," broke in Hester who never could remain out of a conversation, "but just take the money, we'd feel a thousand times happier, though no money or anything else could ever express our grat.i.tude for all you are doing."

He still leaned against the table with folded arms but the smile had given place to an expression of sadness.

"Have you both quite finished?" he asked when Hester had stopped for lack of breath.

"We never could finish talking about your kindness," put in Julie.

The Doctor raised his hand as if to waive that aside. "I have listened to your proposition," he said, "because I am a practical business man and I understand your spirit. It is the height of your ambition to be independent."

"Yes," they a.s.sented.

"When your father broke down," he continued, "I longed to take you all home and look after you. I was amply able to do it and he is my oldest and best friend. I would have done it, too, if you girls had not astonished me by displaying so much courage and such a determination to fight your own battles that I could only stand aside and watch you work out your own salvation."

"You have made the way easier all the time," said Julie tremulously.

The Doctor cleared his throat.

"I have been so glad to share a bit of the responsibility, but now my faithful little comrades want to shoulder it all."

"Oh, Dr. Ware, you don't think-" began Hester impulsively.

"Yes, I do think," he interrupted, "that you have the right idea and whatever my personal inclination may be, I like your spirit of independence and it shall be as you say."

Hester flung her arms about his neck and kissed him. "Do you know," she said brokenly, "Julie and I are getting so puffed up with conceit over our business prosperity that presently you will disown us altogether."

"Shall I?" holding her fast. "What do you think, Julie?" with a searching gaze into the face of the older girl who stood a little apart from them.

Julie flushed and turned her eyes away-tell-tale eyes like hers were not to be trusted. "I think," she said with a supreme effort to speak calmly, "I think we had better go upstairs for tea. Miss Ware will be wondering what has become of us."

When the Doctor learned that tea was brewing in the library he followed them upstairs and electrified his sister by handing about tea and taking a cup himself with as much complacency as if he were in the habit of dawdling around a tea-table every afternoon of his life. Miss Ware wished he hadn't come, for she had intended to ply the girls with questions about their work; questions which in the presence of her brother she hesitated to ask, standing, as she did, in considerable awe of him. She did manage, while he was talking to Hester, to catechise Julie a little, but that young woman's answers were so evasive, yet withal so sweetly polite that Miss Ware felt very much as if she were hitting a rubber ball, which, while showing the imprint of her attack, bounded back every time to the starting point. It happened also that Dr.

Ware having some notion of what his sister might be up to, rescued Julie from too prolonged a tete-a-tete and with infinite tact kept the conversation in such general channels that personalities were forgotten and Miss Ware quite shone in her desire to be agreeable. There are many persons who, given their own conversational way, manage in the course of an hour to reduce to a state of irritation every person in the room, yet who, guided and steered by a stronger force, rise to the best that is in them and produce such a favorable impression that one wonders how one ever thought them other than agreeable. It was thus with Miss Ware, who under the guidance of her brother, appeared to the girls in a new light, and she herself had the unusual sensation of regretting that they had taken so early a departure.

"I wish I had asked them to stay on to dinner," she said when they had gone.

"I wish you had," said the Doctor, accustomed to her after thoughts.

"Why didn't you suggest it?"

"I was not sure that it would be agreeable to you, Mary."

"Humph!" she said. Then critically, "Hester _is_ extraordinarily pretty-and what an air! She's almost conspicuous. How is your scheme about Kenneth getting on?"

"It is not a 'scheme,' Mary. I wish you would not express it just that way. And I have concluded I am not the right person to go in for match-making. Think no more about it."

"Humph!" she said again.

"I doubt if either of the girls will care to marry," he volunteered.

"Girls are queer," she said sententiously.

"Are they?" he rejoined wearily. "I do not think I know."

CHAPTER XX

That spring would always be a memorable one both to the girls and the country at large, for momentous events followed one upon another in rapid succession. War was declared with Spain, as Kenneth had prophesied, and all the bustle and activity attendant upon the preparations of hostilities with a foreign power were felt throughout the nation.

Kenneth, believing such a crisis inevitable, had prepared to respond promptly to the first call for troops.

There had been a fierce tussle with his father when first he broached the subject, but by that time Mr. Landor had learned that Kenneth's was not a nature to be forced into subjection and heard him out with far more respect than would have been accorded him a year ago. Mr. Landor suggested, in the course of the talk, that it was a pity to leave the business just as he was mastering it; and Kenneth agreed with him. But all the patriotism in his nature was aroused and this, combined with Hester's inspiration and his naturally adventurous spirit, held him proof against his father's arguments. This strength and decision were not lost upon the older man, who, having put forth every argument to keep his son at home, ended the discussion by saying, somewhat abruptly:

"When the call came in '61 I could not go. I had a father and mother dependent on me. I'm-I'm not dependent on you, Kenneth, and your country needs you. I should have been disappointed in you if you had not wanted to go."

"Thank you, father," with a hearty grip of the hand for he thought he understood the personal sacrifice his father was making, though, man-fas.h.i.+on, he said no word.

And so Kenneth used his influence toward the end he had in view, with the good result that when on that twenty-third day of April the President issued his first call for troops, he was given a commission as lieutenant in the crack cavalry troop of Radnor and ordered into the State camp to await developments.

The girls saw the troopers go. They happened to be in the business part of the city that afternoon and were attracted by groups of people standing about and talking excitedly. Further investigation, coupled with the sound of a bugle in the distance, caused them to take refuge on the nearest steps and wait with bated breath for the militia to appear.

Electric cars had stopped running, wagons rattled off into the side streets, leaving the main thoroughfare clear, and presently they came-a troop of cavalry followed by a regiment of infantry, the splendid column swinging along to the gay music of the band, whose medley of martial airs wound up suggestively with "The Girl I Left Behind Me."

The crowd broke into a great spontaneous cheer and cheered and cheered again, shouting until they were hoa.r.s.e. On the sidewalks, steps, from windows all about, people craned their necks for a last look at the departing soldiers. Women waved their handkerchiefs and wept. Men raised their hats-aye, flung them high in the air-while every man, woman and child who could lay hand on a flag waved it in frantic demonstration.

For staid decorous Radnor it was an ovation.

The Dale girls thrilled with excitement. Just as the cavalry pa.s.sed their steps Julie grabbed Hester and said:

"Look at that officer just back of the men-isn't he stunning! And see how beautifully he manages that prancing horse! No, not over there, Hester,-this way, nearer us," excitedly, "the horse is dancing to the music and oh!-why, Hester Dale, it's Mr. Landor! Wave to him, quick! I want him to see us!"

They both waved, standing on tip-toe, and, as if impelled by the instinct that warns us when those we love are near, he turned and saw them. There was a quick interchange of glances, a slight wave of the hand and he was gone.

"He _did_ see us," exclaimed Julie. "I am so glad even if it is against the regulations for an officer to recognize people. Oh, aren't you glad we were down town! It is really living in war times and seeing for ourselves the things Daddy has described a thousand times!"

"I can't realize it," said Hester, looking rather flushed, "but I would not have missed it for anything in the world!"

When they got back to the house they found Jack in a fever of impatience waiting to waylay them.

"Did you see him? Did you see him?" he cried, stopping them at his door.

"Mr. Landor? yes," laughed Julie. "Did you?"

"Where were you? I was down at the Armory. Oh, please stop in here a moment till I tell you about it."

Thus urged, they went in.

"He was here," cried Jack, to whom there was only one he, "early this afternoon in his uniform and he asked for you; he wanted to say good-by, but I said you'd just gone out. I saw you both going up the street before he came-and he could only stay a second 'cause the troops were ordered out and he thought I'd like to get around to the Armory and see them start off. And didn't I, just! I went lickety-split on my crutches nearly as fast as a boy could run," he cried, immensely proud of this achievement, "and I was there in time and got a front seat. A fellow on a grocery wagon asked me to sit up with him and I saw-everything," with a comprehensive sweep of his arms. "The horses and the officers and the men and all their friends crowding around the Armory and hanging on to some of them tight, and some of the ladies crying and gee! but it was great!"