Those Dale Girls Part 29

"There was not a man of them who could compare with Kenneth-he is superb!"

"Yes," she a.s.sented, "he is. I never saw him look so handsome as he does in his uniform."

The others had strayed into the great hall, and they were alone on the verandah.

"Julie," he said gently, "you begin to feel more like your old self now, do you not, dear?"

"Oh! yes," she said, "I feel stronger and stronger every day. But," with a little laugh, "I am in danger of being spoiled-you all wait on me so."

"It is a good thing to get that independent young spirit of yours into subjection," he laughed. "We are all making the most of the opportunity."

"Do you notice how cousin Nancy has changed?" she asked. "She does not eye Hester and me so curiously as she did at first. When we came she scarcely took her eyes off us for days. I think she was prepared to see freaks and could not readjust her mind to the fact that we looked and behaved just as usual. To cook for a living and still be a lady was an anomaly beyond her comprehension, but she is beginning to realize such things can be, though she wouldn't acknowledge it for the world. Dear cousin Nancy! She's so good and so contradictory!"

"I shall never forget her kindness in keeping me here," he said heartily. "Think of my merely meaning to see you safe at Wavertree Hall, and being taken possession of by her and made one of the family! Her hospitality is unbounded."

Presently he said: "I have been waiting for you to feel strong enough to have a little serious talk, Julie. What would you say if you were not to go back to your work for another year?"

"Oh, we must go back," she said. "Please don't think we'll allow ourselves to get demoralized or unfitted for work because of all this!"

"I'm not likely to think that, dear, but your cousin Driscoe has had a long talk with me and he urges me to persuade you all to remain with them a year, at least. He says now they've got you here they want to keep you and you'll be all the better fitted to work, he thinks, for a long rest. He says he has not mentioned this to your cousin Nancy because he will not have her bothering you to do what you don't want to-"

"The dear, blessed man," she exclaimed.

"And he didn't want to bother you himself but he thought if I threw the weight of my influence on his side you might be persuaded. He doesn't know, does he?" wistfully, "what little influence I really have with you two independent girls!"

"Oh, don't say that!" she protested; "it isn't fair! And I do not believe way down deep in your heart you would urge our staying on here so long. You know too well how hard we have struggled to get started to advise our letting the work all slip away. Besides, what would you do without us all that time, I'd like to know," she said playfully. "You'd be terribly lonesome, you know you would and-oh no," suddenly growing serious again, "we must go back and take up the work and push on with it, but it isn't the same-it just can't be without Daddy!" She turned her face away but not before he had detected the br.i.m.m.i.n.g eyes.

"Dear," he said, putting out his arms, "if only you would let me"-he stopped, pulling himself together with a mighty effort. "I-I-"

"You are so good to me," she faltered, "so good!"

"I'm far from good to let you get excited to-night," he said, struggling to speak calmly. "You are not strong yet, dear, but I wanted to speak to you about your cousin Driscoe's proposition before I went away!"

"Away?" she repeated as if scarcely understanding, "must you go away?"

"I think so, dear, in a day or two. Tell me what I can do for you in Radnor."

"Radnor?" musingly, "how far away that seems! Yes, you can do something for me there-two things. See Jack and tell him all about us and hunt up Mr. Renshawe and tell him we've nearly won the day. Hester and I have been maneuvering in his behalf on all occasions. Tell him Nannie treads on air and that any day he may expect a little flag of truce, for cousin Nancy shows signs of surrendering. Will you tell him all that?"

"Julie dear," bending toward her with a world of tenderness in his voice, "Julie dear, do you never want anything for yourself?"

"Yes," very faintly.

"Can you tell me, little girl?"

"Yes," reaching out her hands with a little childish gesture,-"you."

"Julie!"

He took her in his arms and for a moment there was silence while out in the moonlit trees a mocking-bird called to its mate.

"My little girl," he said at last tremulously, "is it really true?"

"Oh, how could I do it," she whispered, "how could I!"

"Love me? I am sure I don't know and I scarcely dare believe it. Look at me, sweetheart and tell me it is true."

She raised her beautiful honest eyes and let him look into the depths of her pure soul. "It is so natural to love you and so beautiful," she said simply.

"But I am no longer a young man, dear. What right have I to ask you to give your young life to me?"

"You didn't ask me," with a little fluttering laugh, "I asked you. It is very humiliating for you to remind me of it."

"Julie!" He was holding her fast as if he never meant to let her go.

"You are not old," she protested. "It is not years but the spirit that counts, and you are young-just as I am old for my years, and there is no one like you but Hester in the world. I have been loving you so long unconsciously, that I don't know when it began."

"Neither do I, dear."

"But I knew you so well," she continued, "I was afraid you would have some mistaken sense of honor that would prevent your ever telling me you loved me and I just couldn't bear that." Julie's head was hidden on his shoulder.

"You little saint," stroking her hair tenderly, "you always seemed to belong to me, as if you were a part of my very life, but I have never felt I was worthy of such a blessing and I have reminded myself a thousand times this past winter that I could only have one place in your affections-the old family friend. When Monsieur Gremond came along I realized more than ever that I had no right to daydreams-that some other man would claim you and carry you away."

"Did you want me to marry him?" she asked.

"I wanted your happiness above everything."

"Do _you_ never want anything for yourself?" she asked saucily.

"You," was his answer, at which they both laughed with the delicious sense of their own humor which only lovers know.

Then they had a long quiet talk together about the future, and he told her how he thanked G.o.d she was willing to give herself into his keeping; how he wanted to flood her life with suns.h.i.+ne and how blessed he should be if she and Hester would make for him such a home as they had made for Dad. And they spoke long and tenderly of the man who had been as n.o.ble a friend as a father and who would always be a loved memory to them both.

Then she slipped away from him and leaving him to dream of a reality that was beyond all imagining, went up to her room in search of Hester.

CHAPTER XXII

The change to Virginia was perhaps appreciated by no one more than Peter Snooks, that by no means unimportant member of the Dale family, whose activity knew no bounds. He raced madly about the plantation, to the consternation of the chickens and the terror of Mrs. Driscoe, who, never having owned dogs, fancied he was going to take up everything by the roots. But Peter Snooks behaved admirably. To be sure, he chased chickens, but what canine could resist that temptation? And it was recorded to his credit that he never hurt one of them. With Julie not well and Bridget and the two younger girls scarcely leaving her, Peter Snooks was forced to seek companions.h.i.+p out of the family-quite a new order of things-and chose George Was.h.i.+ngton, greatly to the delight of that ebony mite. What games they had out in the carriage-house and what antics the two cut upon the lawn playing circus for the edification of the people on the verandah! Hester herself was sometimes inspired to go into the ring and put Snooks through his tricks, which were many, herself performing some ridiculous caper which was received with wild applause. But Snooks had the best time when Hester and Nannie went riding, and he raced alongside and often way ahead, to his own evident delight though not always to the comfort of the horses.

Nannie, these days, was the happiest girl in the County, for she had her two cousins whom she adored and every prospect of a speedy adjustment of her love affair. She nearly hugged Julie to death whenever she thought of it and confided to Hester when they went off together that being engaged was just the loveliest thing in the world.

It would have been impossible to find two girls in greater contrast than Hester and Nannie, for all they were such chums. Nannie, in her white frocks and big sun hats, was a sweet little maiden whose soft brown eyes did not belie her disposition. She had a soft, drawling voice and dear little clinging ways that made the Colonel's sobriquet of "Puss" seem most fitting. She was fast growing to womanhood, but was in all things childishly appealing, though that she was not without character was shown in various ways, culminating in her loyalty to Sidney Renshawe in spite of the painful opposition.

Hester wore white muslin frocks and big hats, too-relics of their last year's Paris shopping. It had always been the avowed wish of their father that in the event of his dying before them they should not wear black. He had the strongest aversion to the garb of mourning and the girls remembered and respected his wishes. So they had made no change in their wardrobe, though since they had come down to Virginia they confined themselves almost wholly to white.