I
Meantime, Elsa Utterbourne’s ball had certainly proved the turning point
for Stella! All at once her life seemed packed with romance, and the
bewildered girl who had rebelled so bitterly against the eventlessness of
everything hadn’t time half to realize the wonders that were taking place.
The whole house seemed the brighter for Stella’s having gone to the
party. Yes, even near-sighted Ted smiled quite knowingly after Maud had
whispered a mysterious something in his ear behind the pantry door—for
Maud was shrewder than most people imagined, despite her fatal plainness.
She had guessed there were happy secrets in the air.
As for Stella—she refused to give in to those darker promptings which
suggested that Mr. King might, alas, have been merely amusing himself,
and had no intention really of calling. No, it was too wonderful to turn
out thus. Even Irmengarde would be thrilled—she couldn’t help herself.
The evening after the party Jerome came, and wanted to make it up. “I
don’t see what I’ve done all of a sudden,” he said, “to make you turn
against me like this!” And a moment later he was assuring her, with most
unusual vigour, that he didn’t intend to let a girl throw him down just
because she “gets an idea in her head.” Indeed, as he urged his cause,
Jerome looked quite roused and fiery. He rather amazed her, and finally,
by way of overwhelming climax, produced a ring. “I got to thinking,” he
covered it very simply. “Not such a big stone, of course—the big ones
cost like a house and lot. But the clerk at Ascher’s said we could trade
it in toward a larger one any time, and he told me it was a good little
diamond, even if it’s not so very showy.”
“Oh, Jerome—!” She clasped her hands in bewilderment.
“Let’s see how it fits!” he pleaded.
So she let him slip it on to her finger—how life galloped! And after
that—well, since she knew less now than ever which way to turn, Stella
ended by consenting to keep the ring, at least until she’d definitely
made up her mind. Tenderness and remorse and tears nearly overcame her.
“You must let me think.... I—I’ll send you a note!” Her eyes were soft
with romance. And they kissed—for one may kiss, even if one doesn’t know
which way to turn.
From the time he left her until the next morning when the florist’s boy
arrived, Stella’s mind was indeed in a state of quandary, and Jerome
had at least a fair fighting chance. However, the florist’s boy brought
a small but authentic box of violets, and a note from Mr. King written
on the stationery of Captain Utterbourne’s club; he was going to call
that evening! And then—had Jerome but known it as he sat poring over the
ledger, he might just as well have withdrawn from the arena altogether.
The only drawback, except that Mr. King must necessarily learn what a
shabby house she lived in, was the fact that Stella would have to receive
him in the same gown she had worn to the ball, and which fortunately
hadn’t yet been returned. Nothing in her wardrobe would suffice. However,
capable Maud found that the neck of Elsa’s gown could be temporarily
built up with a bit of chiffon so that it would appear a less formal
creation; and in fact, her mouth mumblingly impeded with pins, Maud
very soon proved how surprisingly it might be disguised as another gown
altogether.
Just at the last minute Stella ran to her sister and pressed a tiny
package into her hand. “Won’t you please ask Ted to run around to the
Stewarts’ and give this to Jerome? There won’t be any answer—he’ll
understand.” Then she turned up the gas in the parlour and sat in
glittering state to receive her caller.
* * * * *
After a quarter of an hour of more or less breathless readjustment, the
situation began to show signs of growing manageable. His ample charm and
magnetism carried everything before them. Their talk led them by degrees
into a simpler intimacy than it had been possible to establish at the
ball. He told her, discreetly, more of his romantic life; and she managed
to tell him of her life, too, without quite letting the cat out of the
bag—that is, without quite letting him see that what she showed him was
the wistful all.... He left with reluctance, but they were to meet again
the next afternoon, at the matinée.
The house was still and dark; yet she was partly mistaken in deciding
all the family were asleep at the time of Mr. King’s departure. Hardly
had she turned out her light on an image in the glass which had become
strangely tolerable, when she heard slippered feet, and Maud was kneeling
beside the bed, searching her hand.
“Oh, Stella!” she whispered in tones of throbbing and unselfish delight,
“I think Mr. King’s just _grand_, dear!”