KENT BROWN.
"Mother, will you come and take a little walk with me?" asked Kent as he
finished Judy's letter. With his hand trembling, although his eyes were
very steady and his mouth very firm, he tucked the many thin blue sheets
back in their envelope.
"Yes, my son!" Mrs. Brown held her head very high and in her expression
one could very well read: "I told you so! Did I not know the 'mettle of
his pasture'?"
"Mother," he said, as he drew her arm in his and they took their way
through the orchard to the garden of Chatsworth, "I must go get Judy!"
"Yes, my son, of course you must."
"Oh, Mother, you think it is the only thing to do?"
"Of course, I know it is the only thing to do. I told Molly and Edwin
only a few minutes ago that you would want to do it."
"And what a mother! I--well, you know, Mother, I am not engaged to
Judy--not exactly, that is. She knows how I feel about her and
somehow--I can't say for sure--but I almost know she feels the same way
about me, at least, feels somehow about me."
"Of course she does! How could she help it?"
"You see, I knew it would be some time before I could make a decent
living, and it did not seem fair to Judy to tie her down when maybe she
might strike some fellow who would be so much more worth while than I
am----"
"Impossible!"
"I used to think maybe Pierce Kinsella would be her choice, when they
painted together so much."
"That boy! Why, Kent, how could you?"
"Well, he was a very handsome and brilliant boy and is pretty well fixed
by his uncle's generosity and bids fair to make one of the leading
portrait painters of the day. His portrait of you has made every lady
who has seen it want him to do one of her. Of course, he can't make all
of 'em look like you, but he does his best."
"It may have been wise of you not to settle this little matter with
Judy, son, but somehow--I wish you had."
"It was hard not to, but I felt she was so far away from her parents. I
thought she would be back in America in a month, at least. I wanted her
to come with me, but she felt she must wait for them, and of course, I
had to hurry back because of the possible job in New York. I am afraid
that I will lose that now, but there will be others, and I just can't
think of the things that might happen to my Judy--she is my Judy,
whether we are engaged or not."
"When will you start, son?"
"Why, to-night, if you don't mind."
"Certainly to-night! I have money for you."
"Oh, Mother, the money part is the only thing worrying me. I have a
little left, but not enough to get me over and back. I must have enough
to bring Judy back, too. You see, a letter of credit now in Paris is
not worth the paper it is on."
"No, I did not know. That is the one part of Judy's letter that put me
at ease about her. I thought she had plenty of money, and money
certainly does help out."
"Well, that is the part of her letter that made me know I must go get
her. The Americans who are abroad simply can't get checks cashed. She
might even be hungry, poor little Judy."
"Thank goodness, I have some money--all owing to Judy's father, too! If
he had not seen the bubbles on that puddle in the rocky pasture, we
would never have known there was oil there. What better could we do with
the money that Mr. Kean got for us than use it to succor his daughter?"
"Oh, Mother, you are so--so--bully! I know no other word to express what
you are. I am going to pay back every cent I borrow from you. Thank
goodness, I saved a little from the money I made on the architectural
sketches I did for the article Dickson wrote on the French country
homes. I'm going over steerage."
"You are going over in the first class cabin! Steerage, indeed! I lend
no money for such a trip."
"All right, Mother! You are the boss. And now, don't you think I'll have
time to go see Aunt Mary a few minutes?"
"Of course you must go see the poor old woman. She has been afraid she
would not live until you got home. She is very feeble. Dear old Aunt
Mary!"
They had reached the Chatsworth garden and Kent noticed with delight the
hollyhocks that had flourished wonderfully since he had dug them up that
moonlight night more than three years ago and transplanted them from the
chicken yard, where no one ever saw them, to the beds in the garden, and
all because Miss Julia Kean had regretted that they were not there to
make a background for the bridal party, after they had determined to
have Mildred's wedding out of doors.
"Haven't they come on wonderfully? I know Judy would like to see how
well they have done. I think hollyhocks are the most decorative of all
flowers. I wonder we never had them in the garden before, Mother."
Both of them were thinking of Mildred's wedding on that rare day in
June. Kent remembered with some satisfaction that in the general
confusion that ensued after Mildred and Crit were pronounced, by Dr.
Peters, to be man and wife, and everybody was kissing everybody else, he
had had presence of mind to take advantage of the license accorded on
the occasion of a family wedding and had kissed his sister Molly's
college friend, Miss Julia Kean.
"By Jove! I think war ought to give a fellow some privilege, too," he
declared to himself. "I think I'll do the same when I see the young lady
in France."
They found Aunt Mary lying in state in a great four poster bed, while
her meek half-sister, Sukey Jourdan, administered to her wants, which
were many and frequent.
"Lawsamussy, if that ain't that there Kent! Whar you come from, son? I
done got so old an' feeble I can't say mister ter nobody. You alls is
all Ernest and Sue and Paul and John and Mildred and Kent and Molly ter
me. Cepn Molly is Molly Baby. I still got strenth fer that. Law, Miss
Milly, ain't he growed?"
"Yes, Aunt Mary, he is looking so well, and now he is going to turn
right around and go back to France to-night."
"Don't say it! Lawsamussy, Miss Milly, did he fergit somethin'?"
"Well, not exactly," laughed Kent, "but I didn't bring something with me
that I should have."
"Well, you be sho ter make a cross an' spit in it. If'n you fergits
somethin' er fin's you has ter tu'n aroun' an' go back 'thout res'in' a
piece, if'n you makes a cross an' spits in it, you is sho ter have good
luck. Here you, Sukey, set a better cheer for Miss Milly. Wherfo' you
done give her sich a straight up'n down cheer?"
"Oh, this will do very well, Sukey," said Mrs. Brown.
"You bring another, Sukey. I don' see what makes you so keerless. I low
if'n 'twar that no count Buck Jourdan, you'd be drawin' up the sofy fer
his triflin' bones."
Poor Sukey had no easy job to keep Aunt Mary satisfied. The old woman,
having been a most energetic and tireless person in her day, could not
understand that the whole world of darkeys could not be as she had been.
Sukey's son Buck, the apple of her mild eye, was the bane of Aunt Mary's
existence. She never missed a chance to make her younger half-sister
miserable on his account. Indeed, Sukey, mild as she was, would not have
stayed with Aunt Mary except for the fact that Aunt Mary had insured her
life for her with the understanding that she was to minister to her to
the end. It was dearly paid for, this service, as the old woman was most
exacting. Lenient to a degree of softness with white folks, she was
adamant with those of her own race.
"How do you feel, Aunt Mary?" asked Kent, looking with sorrow on the
wasted features of the beloved old woman.
"Well, I'm a feelin' tolerable peart this mornin' although endurin' of
the night I thought my hour had struck. I got ter dreamin' 'bout my
fun'ral, an' I got so mad cause Sis Ria Bowles done brought a fun'ral
zine like one she done tuck ter Brer Jackson's orgies! An' dead or not,
I wa'nt gonter stan' fer no sich monkey shines over me."
"Why, what did she take to Brother Jackson's funeral?" laughed Kent.
"Ain't you heard tel er that? She cut a cross outn that there sticky
tangle yo' foot fly paper en' she kivered it all over with daisy haids
an' call herse'f bringing a zine. I riz up an' spoke my mind in my dream
an' I let all these here niggers in Jeff'son County know that if they
don't see that I gits a fust class fun'ral, I gonter rise up when I
ain't a dreamin' an' speak my min'."
Sukey Jourdan listened to this tirade with her eyes bulging out of her
head, much to Aunt Mary's satisfaction, as she very well knew that the
way to manage her race was to intimidate them.
"I done been carryin' insuriance in two clubs an' a comp'ny, an' betwixt
'em I's entitled ter seventeen hacks. I'm a trustin' ter Miss Milly an'
that there Paul ter make 'em treat me proper. Paul done say he will
black list 'em in his newspaper if'n they leave off one tit or jottle
from the 'greement. I sho would like ter see my fun'ral. I low it's a
goin' ter be pretty stylish. I done pinted my pall buriers an' bought
they gloves an' I low ter be laid out myself in my best black silk what
Miss Milly done gimme goin' on sixteen year, come nex' Christmas. I
ain't a wo' it much, as I had in min' ter save it fer my buryin'. Some
of the mimbers gits buried in palls made er white silk. They do look
right han'some laid out in 'em, but then palls is made 'thout a piece er
back an' I has a notion that when Gabrel blows his trump on that great
an' turrerble day that ole Mary Morton ain't a goin' ter be caught
without no back ter her grabe clothes. It mought make no diffrunce if'n
Peter will let me pass on in, 'cause I low that the shining robes will
be a waitin' fer me--but sposin'--jes' sposin'----" and the dear old
woman's face clouded over with anguish, "jes' sposin' Peter'll say:
'You, Mary Morton, g'long from this here portcullis. You blongs in the
tother d'rection,' an' I'll hab ter tun 'roun' an' take the broad road
ter hell! What'll I feel like, if'n I ain't got no back ter my frock?
No, sir! I's a goin' ter have on a dress complete. It mought be that
Peter'll think better er me if I shows him sech a spectful back."
"You not get in Heaven!" exclaimed Kent. "Why, Aunt Mary, there wouldn't
be any Heaven for all of us bad Brown boys if you weren't there."
"Well, now them is words of comfort what beats the preacher's. I done
always been b'lievin' in 'fluence an' I mought er knowed my white folks
would look arfter me on the las' day jes as much as ever. I kin git in
as Miss Milly's cook if'n th'aint no other way. I been a 'lowing whin I
gits ter Heaven I wouldn't have ter work no more, but sence I been a
laid up in the baid so long I gin ter think that work would tas'e right
sweet. Cookin' in Heaven wouldn't be so hard with plenty of 'gredients
ter han' and no scrimpin' and scrougin' of 'terials. A lan' flowin' with
milk an' honey mus' have aigs an' butter. Here you, Sukey Jourdan! Whar
you hidin'?"
"Here I is, Sis Ma'y, I jes' stepped in the shed room ter men' the fire
ginst 'twas time ter knock up a bite er dinner fer you."
"Well, while I's a thinkin' of it, I want you to git my bes' linen apron
outn the chist--the one with the insertioning let in 'bove the hem, an'
put it in the highboy drawer with my bes' black silk. I low I'll be laid
out in a apron, 'cause if'n I can't git inter Heaven no other way, I am
a thinkin' with a clean white apron on I kin slip in as a good cook."
"Dear Aunt Mary, you have been as good as gold all your life," declared
Mrs. Brown, wiping a tear from her eye, but smiling in spite of herself
at Aunt Mary's quaint idea of a way to gain an entrance through the
pearly gates.
Aunt Mary had had many doubts about her being saved and had spent many
weary nights, terrified at the thought of dying and perhaps not being
fit for Heaven, but now that she had thought of wearing the apron, all
doubts of her desirability were set at rest; indeed, her last days were
filled with peace since she felt now that even Peter could not turn back
a good cook.
"I must be going, Aunt Mary," said Kent, taking the old woman's withered
hand in his strong grasp. "I'll be home again in a few weeks, I fancy,
maybe sooner."
"They's one thing I ain't arsked you yit: whar's that there Judy gal?
I been a dreamin' you would bring her back with you."
"She is the thing I am going back to France for, Aunt Mary."
"Sho nuf? Well, well! They do tell me they's fightin' goin' on in some
er them furren parts. Sholy Miss Judy ain't nigh the fightin' an'
fussin'?"
"Yes, I am afraid she is. That's the reason I must go for her."
"Oh, Kent son! Don't you git into no scrap yo'sef. It's moughty hard
fer young folks ter look on at a scrap 'thout gittin' mixed up in it.
Don't you git too clost, whin you is lookin', either. Them what looks
on sometimes gits the deepes' razor cuts with the back han' licks. You
pick up that gal an' bring her back ter you' maw jes' as fas' as yo'
legs kin carry you."
"I'll try to," laughed Kent.
"Don't try! Jes' do it! That there Judy gal is sho nice an'
'ristocratic, considerin' she ain't never had no home. She done tell
me whin she was here to little Miss Milly's weddin' that she an' her
folks ain't never lived in nothin' but rented houses. That's moughty
queer to me, but 'cose niggers don't understan' ev'y thing. Well, you
tell her that ole Mary Morton say she better pick up an' come back to
Chatswuth."
"I certainly will, Aunt Mary, and good-by!"
The old woman put her hand on his bowed head for a moment, and while she
said nothing, Kent took it for a benediction.