MILES BREAKS THE NEWS
A compromise had been effected with the striking waiters, and the heat
had lessened a little in its intensity. The two things, together with
the nonappearance of Ashby Stout were blessings for which Rex had to be
grateful.
But when the stage came in and he recognized among the passengers Miles
Darley and the latter’s father, he did not know whether he was glad or
not. They were links connecting him with that past life which he was
trying his best to forget. Now it seemed to him that only by forgetting
it and thus doing away with the power of contrast, could he be happy in
the present.
“You dear old fellow!” Miles rushed forward with this exclamation and
fairly took Rex in his arms.
He had grown much in the past few months and the clothes he wore set
off his figure to great advantage.
“I won’t say where on earth did you come from,” said Rex, “but where in
the world are you going to, that you should take in this forsaken
place?”
“Well, that’s polite, I’m sure,” laughed Miles, “Can’t you imagine that
Batemans may be our objective point?”
“No, because I’m certain you can’t be interested in saw mills, and
that’s the only thing that brings people here.”
“But I can be interested in you, can’t I, Rex? I’ve missed you
terribly. That great house seems so lonely with only three of us in
it.”
“But you needn’t have stayed there in the summer. There’s the White
Mountains or the sea coast—lots of places you could have gone to.”
“If we choose to come here instead, it’s all right, isn’t it, Rex?”
“Of course it is, old fellow, and now I see that the best way in which
I can entertain you is to tell you right off how I came by this black
eye,” which Rex proceeded at once to do.
“Good for you, my little game cock!” exclaimed Miles, when he had heard
the story. “Speaking of Stout, your friend Harrington has tried to
scrape acquaintance with me, but he hasn’t got beyond the scraping
stage yet. I wonder what Stout was doing out here.”
“His father’s in the lumber business, I believe. But I’m afraid you’ll
find it pretty hot, Miles.”
“Well, I’ve had so many cold days in my time I guess I can stand a
little heat.”
Rex was not the only one of the Pells who was astonished by the advent
of the Darleys. Their coming was a complete surprise to the entire
family. And a still greater cause of astonishment was the prolongation
of their stay.
They rented two of the best rooms in the house, had awnings put up at
the windows and wicker furniture sent on from Denver. Mr. Darley took
frequent trips to neighboring towns. It was understood by the gossips
at Batemans that he was a large Eastern capitalist, looking about for
profitable mining investments.
July, August and half of September passed, and still the Darleys
remained. Miles was supremely content, for he was with Rex, for whom
his admiration appeared to increase with each day’s added intimacy.
Miles had brought his books, and they studied together some. And in
spite of the forlornness of the place, the five young people managed to
have a pretty good time.
One afternoon Roy and Rex were washing the omnibus out at the stable.
The driver, hearing of a big strike that had been made at a mine some
sixty miles away, threw up his position at once and started off to try
to get rich at a hand stroke. And the boys were forced to throw
themselves into the breach until another man could be obtained in his
place.
This is the sort of thing they had trained themselves to expect since
coming to Batemans.
“Where’s Miles?” asked Roy, as he brought a fresh pail of water and set
it down beside his brother.
“He was coming out but his father called him into his room.”
“We’ll miss them when they go, won’t we, Reggie? It has been jolly good
fun to have Miles with us all summer. You ought to feel quite proud to
think you are a strong enough magnet to keep him here.”
“I can’t understand it at all, why they should have stayed,” returned
Rex.
He did not speak very cheerfully. The Darleys were to leave the very
next week. It was impossible but that Rex should realize vividly to
what they were returning. He did not tell Roy so, but he wished they
had not come.
There was only one wheel of the omnibus to finish when Miles came
hurrying toward them. There was an expression on his face which neither
of the twins could comprehend. It was a blending of fear, joy and
stupefaction.
“Here, let me help,” he said, as he came up. “I want you fellows to
hurry and get through. I’ve something to tell you.”
But they had so nearly finished that there was nothing left for him to
undertake.
“What have you got to tell us?” asked Rex, throwing his sponge back
into the bucket.
“I wish I knew how you fellows would take it,” returned Miles, a flush
creeping over his face.
“Try us and find out,” rejoined Roy with a smile.
“I’m simply delighted myself,” went on the other. “I wonder how I can
keep my two feet on the ground. It seems too good to be true.”
“Then why are you in doubt how we’ll take it,” said Rex. “What pleases
you ought certainly to please us.”
“But perhaps this won’t. It’s so—so, unexpected and altogether jolly.”
“Well, Miles Darley, you are certainly the most incomprehensible fellow
this afternoon,” exclaimed Roy. “What’s it about?”
“Well, it’s about the Pells and the Darleys,” explained Miles, the
color still surging in his cheeks. “In union there is strength, you
know, and—haven’t you guessed it yet?”
“No, indeed, we haven’t and just you tell us right out what it is
without any more fooling,” and Rex made a playful dab at his friend
with the big sponge.
“All right, here goes then,” and Miles drew in his breath. “Your mother
has told my father that she will be Mrs. Darley, and that makes us
brothers, Rex, don’t you see, and we’re all going back to Philadelphia
together—well, don’t you like it?”
Miles checked himself suddenly, for Roy and Rex stood staring at him as
if struck dumb, too amazed to allow any expression to appear on their
faces.
But it was all true; they were to have another test of fortune, and
though its bringing about seemed in some sense to deprive the boys of
their mother, they knew that not only was this not so, but that they
were to gain a father thereby. “And a brother, too, don’t forget that,”
Miles adds at my side.
THE END.