AN INTERESTING COUPLE
"I came from New York with a very interesting couple," said Judy the
next day as she vigorously stitched away at some of the wedding finery.
"Of course I talked to them--I always talk to the interesting persons I
meet traveling."
"So do I," said Molly as she finished a garment and put it aside for
Kizzie to press.
"I never do," sighed Nance. "I do wish I had some of your and Judy's
warm-heartedness."
"Nonsense! Your heart is just as warm as any that beats," objected
Molly. "Ask Andy!"
"You see, honey, Vermont is Vermont and Kentucky is Kentucky! Persons
from Kentucky haven't quite as hard shells as the ones from Vermont, but
when once you get below the shell the kernel is about the same. You and
Molly couldn't be any more alike than Kentucky beeches and Vermont
pines," said Judy, pausing long enough in her labors to give Nance an
encouraging pat.
"Yes, and pines stay green all the year around," said Molly. "It is much
better to be a pine than a beech."
"Well, tell us about the interesting couple," laughed Nance, much
comforted.
"They were from Alsace but were very French in their sympathies. They
looked a little German but they spoke beautiful French except that they
did have a tendency to call Paris 'Baree.' They love Paris as much as I
do. The man, Misel is his name, Monsieur Jean Misel,--is the best
informed person I have seen for many a day. He knows the war situation
as few persons do, I am sure. He seems to have been everywhere and known
everybody. He even knew my father,--at least, knew all about him and was
greatly interested in the fact that Bobby is soon to sail for France to
help rebuild the roads. Madame Misel is much quieter than her husband
but is very intelligent, I am sure. With all her reserve, she never
misses a trick."
"Where was this interesting couple going?" asked Molly.
"Coming right here to Wellington! They have taken a cottage in the
village and mean to live here. He is writing and she wants to do war
work."
"How splendid!" cried Molly. "We need workers more than I can tell you.
The students give what time they can, but a full college course is about
all a normal girl can take care of in the way of work."
"You must call on them right off, Molly. I will go with you and Edwin
must go, too. I know he will like Monsieur Misel."
"I'll ask him, but Edwin is sure to want to know why this lover of Paris
is not fighting for France."
"Ah, the poor fellow! He is quite lame--walks with a cane and a crutch.
He hinted rather darkly that his lameness is in some way due to the
Germans, but I do not know in just what way. He was sensitive about his
affliction, so his wife told me when he left us and went in the smoker,
so naturally I did not ask him how the Germans were responsible for it.
He is a young man, too, that is under forty, and very handsome."
Professor Green was quite interested in what Judy had to tell him of the
Misels. He promised to call with Molly and do all he could to make
Wellington pleasant for them. He looked forward with pleasure to the
conversations Judy assured him he would enjoy with that highly educated
gentleman. Holding the chair of English in a woman's college is not bad,
but there were times when Edwin Green longed for more man talk. He and
Dr. McLean were sworn friends and saw much of each other, but they both
of them welcomed with enthusiasm any masculine newcomer.
"I wonder if your friend could teach French, Judy," asked her
brother-in-law. "Miss Walker is quite put to it for the end of the term.
The French professor took French leave last week. He seemed too old to
hold anything more weighty than a pen, but he has gone to fight."
"That is the terrible part of it," sighed Judy. "They say all the
superannuated dancing masters and French teachers are leaving to take up
arms. It means that France is having a hard time. Why, oh why, don't we
hurry up and get in the game?"
The call was made and Molly and her husband were quite as enthusiastic
as Judy had been over the charms of the new neighbors. Monsieur Misel
seemed the very person to take up the labors of the flown French
professor, and Miss Walker accordingly engaged him. Molly felt she must
have them to dinner in spite of the fact that she was deep in the
preparations for the wedding.
"I'll have a very simple dinner and not make company of them, just make
them feel at home," she declared, and her husband and Nance and Judy
smiled knowingly. Molly always would have company and there was no use
in trying to stop her.
"I know when I die she will feel called upon to give me a good wake,"
laughed Edwin.
"Certainly, if people come hungry to your funeral, I'll feed them,"
answered Molly.
"Are our new friends, the Misels, hungry?"
"Not hungry for food, but they must be lonely so far away from their
country and friends. Anyhow, they are invited now and have accepted, so
there is no use in teasing me. You just see that there are cigars here
for Monsieur Misel to smoke after dinner, and I'll attend to the rest."
How sad it was to see a man of Misel's beauty a hopeless cripple! He was
a tall, stalwart fellow with a military bearing which the use of a
crutch and cane could not take from him. His lameness had not affected
the comeliness of his limbs or his erect carriage. He had very courteous
manners and it seemed to be very hard on him not to spring from his seat
when a lady entered the room.
On the evening of Molly's informal dinner when Nance, who was the only
member of the household who had not met the strangers, came into the
library, Misel stood up to be introduced, but his wife gave a low cry of
alarm and sprang to his assistance, eagerly placing his crutch in one
hand, his cane in the other. He sank to his seat with a smothered groan.
"Jean, Jean! What am I to do with you?" said Madame Misel irritably. "He
is so imprudent," apologetically to Molly, who had tears in her eyes at
this exhibition of courage and weakness. She could well understand how
Monsieur Misel's courteous desires could get the better of his strength.
Andy McLean was present and the doctor in him immediately became
interested in the pitiable case. He had none of the hesitation Judy had
shown in regard to questioning the Misels concerning the cause of the
lameness.
"What is your trouble?" he asked bluntly. "If you can stand without
support as you did a moment ago, I see no reason why you cannot be
cured."
"In time! In time!" said Misel with patient resignation.
"He has had the best medical attention," put in his wife.
Madame Misel usually spoke with a kind of slow hesitation, but now her
words came rapidly. She had the air of trying to shield her husband from
farther questioning on the part of Andy. Andy, however, was totally
oblivious of this fact and went on.
"Who is his surgeon?"
"The great F----, in Baree!"
"What did he say?" asked Andy, impressed by the name.
"He--he--said--nerve centres--disturbed," answered Madame, returning to
her hesitating speech. She did not stammer at all but seemed to pause to
choose her words.
"If I can be of any assistance to you, I hope you will call on me," said
Andy kindly.
In the meantime Misel sat with his hands over his eyes as though in
great pain and his wife hovered over him solicitously.
Dinner was soon announced and this time the lame man arose very
cautiously and made his way slowly to the dining-room.
"Kindly--go--in--front--of--us," faltered Madame, and Molly marshalled
her family and guests so that the Misels might bring up the rear. She
fully appreciated how the wife felt about wanting to be the one to
assist her poor lame husband. If her Edwin had been so crippled no one
should have helped him but his own wife.
Molly turned to smile on the poor woman for whom her heart was sore. She
could well understand the misery it must bring to see one most dear
having to suffer so acutely. There was a dark place in the hall leading
to the dining-room and the hostess feared the poor lame man might
stumble there, so she stopped to warn him of a rug. She distinctly heard
Madame say to her husband in no gentle tones but with an asperity almost
malevolent:
"_Narr! Narr!_"
Molly began assiduously to hunt in the archives of her brain for the
small German vocabulary which she could call her own.
"_Narr!_ What can _narr_ mean?" the question kept recurring to her as
dinner progressed. She visualized lists of words in a worn old blank
book used at school. "_Narr_, _Nase_, _Nesse_, _Nest_!" She tried to
remember the English on the opposite page. How well she remembered the
little old book wherein was written the despised German exercises. The
script in itself had been almost impossible to learn and as for
mastering the language,--she had been so half-hearted about it that she
had not been compelled to keep it up.
"_Narr_, _nase_, _nesse_, _nest_!" ran through and through and over and
over in her mind. Suddenly just as Professor Green asked her what she
would say to adjourning to the library, the list of English words
flashed on her brain.
"'Fool, nose, nephew, nest'!" she cried audibly.
"What?" Edwin feared his Molly had gone crazy.
"Oh--I--I--mean, yes--coffee in the library!" and she arose from her
seat in confusion.
Why should that calm-looking, slow-speaking woman call her poor lame
husband a fool? _Narr! Narr!_ It was certainly strange.