"Well, I consider myself pretty lucky to have secured four sections all
together on this train," said Doctor Forester, with satisfaction, as he
and Andrew Churchill and Frederic retired to the smoking-room while
their berths were being made up.
"Why, what are we slowing down for out here?" Frederic glanced out of
the window. "This is West Weston, isn't it? Yes--we're off again. Some
official, probably."
A door slammed and a tall figure hurried through the passage, looked in
at the smoking-room, and turned back. "Hullo!" said a familiar voice,
and Jeff's laughing face beamed in upon them.
"Well, well, did you hold up the train?" they cried.
"Thought you'd come along, too, did you?" asked Doctor Forester. "Good!
Glad to have you. I thought it was odd you weren't round to see us off.
Go and surprise the girls. They're just back there, waiting for their
berths."
Jeff hurried eagerly away. A moment later Evelyn, standing in the aisle
beside Charlotte, felt a touch on her arm. She looked up, and met Jeff's
eyes smiling down at her.
"Did you think I'd let you go like that?" he said in her ear.
"I'm afraid I thought you had," she admitted, grown happy in an instant.
"You see, I had an appointment with a man in West Weston on some work
I've been doing for him. After I heard this plan of Doctor Forester's I
had only just time to catch a train and get out there. He kept me so
long I missed the train that would have brought me back in time to see
you off, so I telephoned Chester Agnew to get the flowers for me and
write a card. That was when I was afraid I might not make connections at
all. But when this man I went to see--he's a railroad man--heard what
train I'd wanted to make, he offered to stop it for me. Then it just
came into my mind that I'd join the party, even without an invitation.
Tell me you're not sorry--won't you?"
"Of course I'm not." She allowed him one of her frank looks, and he
smiled back at her.
"We'll have a great day to-morrow," he prophesied. "They'll put on a
Pullman with an observation rear in the morning, and if the weather
holds we'll camp out there for the day. We don't get into Washington
till three in the afternoon, and the scenery all the way down will be
fine. I suppose I'll have to go off now and let you be tucked up. Please
get up bright and early in the morning, will you?"
It was a merry party which entered the dining-car the next morning the
moment the first summons came. The day had risen bright and clear as a
June day could be, and everybody was in a hurry to get out on the
observation platform.
Doctor Forester, sitting opposite Charlotte and Andy at one table,
glanced across at the rest of the party, on the opposite side of the
car, and said in a low voice:
"This is literally a case of speeding the parting guest, isn't it?
Captain John Rayburn got you into something of a scrape when he sent you
that copper inscription over your fireplace, didn't he? He didn't
realise that the 'ornaments' it brought you in November would have to be
conveyed away by force in June. It was the only way to give you an
interval when you should, for the first time in the history of your
married life, have no guests at all."
Charlotte and Andrew were staring at him in amazement.
"Uncle Ray?" cried Charlotte, under her breath. "Was he the one? Did you
know it all the time, Doctor Forester?"
"Yes, I knew it all the time" he owned. "In fact, Captain Rayburn wrote
to me after he had heard of the fireplace. You sent him a photograph of
it, didn't you?"
"So we did," Doctor Churchill answered. "We took it the day the
fireplace was finished, I'd forgotten it completely, but I remember now.
We thought he'd be interested, because something he once said about the
ideal fireplace had put the idea into our heads of collecting the stones
ourselves. So he wrote all the way from Denmark to have that made?"
"He had it made there, and wrote me for the measurements. He expressed
it to me, and I repacked it and sent it to you," chuckled Doctor
Forester. "He was determined to puzzle you completely."
"He certainly succeeded. Did he give you leave to tell at this
particular date?"
"It was left to my discretion after the first six months, provided you
had had any guests. I thought the time was ripe, and you'd earned your
diploma. All that worries me is that you may find a fresh instalment of
ornaments when you get back. The motto strikes me as a sort of uncanny
provider of them." The others laughed. Charlotte glanced across at
Evelyn.
"It has paid," she said softly. Andy nodded. "It certainly has. All the
thanks we shall need will be in Thorne Lee's letter, after he has seen
his little sister."
"I rather think it's paid with the others, too," Doctor Forester added.
"Anyhow, you've certainly done your part."
Out on the back of the train Charlotte found Lucy at her elbow. She
looked into the girl's face, and discovered the blue eyes to be full of
tears. "Why, Lu, dear!" she said, softly.
"Mrs. Churchill"--Lucy was almost crying--"I just can't bear to think
it's the last day! I wish--oh, I wish--I lived with you!"
"Do you, dear? That's very pleasant," and Charlotte drew her close,
feeling more warmth toward Lucy than the girl had yet inspired. "But
don't be blue."
"I can't help it. It's almost ten o'clock now, and at three we shall be
going away from you all."
"No, you won't," Charlotte whispered in her ear. "It was to have been a
surprise, but I think you'll enjoy it more to know. Only don't tell
Evelyn. Doctor Forester has telegraphed your mother and received her
answer. You're not to go till to-morrow night at six, and we're to have
twenty-eight hours together in Washington."
"Oh! _Oh_!" Lucy almost screamed, so that the others looked around at
her and smiled. "Oh, I do think Doctor Forester and you are just the
nicest people I ever knew!"
Doctor Forester's secret was not very well kept, after all. Lucy
whispered the good news to Jeff, and he could not forbear telling it to
Evelyn just as the train was drawing out of Baltimore. His own spirits
had been drooping as time went on, but the reprieve of a day sent them
up with a bound.
"The question is what we shall do with our time," said Doctor Forester,
looking round at his party in the hotel parlour, where he had taken
them. "Speak up, everybody. We can divide our forces if necessary. Is
there anybody here who hasn't been here before?"
Lucy and Randolph seemed to be the only ones not more or less familiar
with the capital. On hearing this, Doctor Forester declared that he
should himself take them to as many of the most interesting places as
possible.
"Whatever we do to-night, I vote for the trip down the Potomac to Mount
Vernon in the morning," said Doctor Churchill, promptly. "We'll get back
in plenty of time for Evelyn's train, and there certainly isn't a better
way to put in the time than that."
This was heartily agreed upon, and the remainder of the day was used in
various ways, not more than two of which, it may be remarked, were
alike. Charlotte smiled meaningly at her husband as she watched Celia
and Fred Forester, having proceeded half-way across Lafayette Park with
Jeff and Evelyn, leave the two at a cross-path, and walk briskly off by
themselves.
"That's certainly a sure thing, isn't it?" said he.
"No question of it, I think."
"Are you satisfied?"
"Perfectly. I haven't seen very much of Fred since he--and we--grew up,
but if he's his father's son----"
"He is, I think," said Doctor Churchill, confidently. "And the doctor
likes it, I'm sure. There's satisfaction in his face whenever he looks
at them. In fact, I can't help thinking he planned both the house party
and this trip with a view of bringing them together all he could."
"Dear Celia--if she's just half as happy as she deserves to be----"
"She will be. She loves to travel, hasn't had half enough of it, and
he'll take her round the world. I haven't had a chance to tell you that
he's going to India in the fall, in some important capacity. He received
the appointment just yesterday."
"Really?" Charlotte looked thoughtful. "Celia--in India! Andy----"
"Does that startle you? I don't imagine it's for any long stay, but as a
matter of some scientific investigations. Here, don't go to looking
sober. I shall be sorry I told you."
Charlotte smiled and answered brightly that it was not a thing to look
sober over. Nevertheless, her thoughts were much with her sister. The
next morning, as the party found their places on the little steamer
which was to take them down the river to Mount Vernon, she found herself
watching Celia more closely than she had meant to do, in the anxiety to
discover if the trip to India was really imminent.
"Isn't Mount Vernon a fascinating spot?" asked Evelyn, as she and Jeff
walked up the long, ascending road from pier to house together. "I've
never forgotten my first visit. I lived in Washington's times in my
dreams for weeks afterward. I never saw it at this season of the year.
The garden must be in its prime now."
"Let's go and see it first," responded Jeff, quickly. "I don't remember
much about it. My two visits here have all been spent in the house."
So while the others rambled through the quaint and interesting rooms,
Jeff and Evelyn made their way to the box-bordered paths of Lady
Washington's garden, and wandered about there in the warm June sunshine.
It grew so hot after a while that they betook themselves to the lawn and
banks overlooking the river, and sat there talking, as they watched the
waters of the Potomac.
"What are you going to do when you get home?" asked Jeff, somewhat
suddenly.
"Put our rooms in order," Evelyn responded, promptly.
"All by yourself?"
"We live in the same house with a lovely little woman, the wife of a
former Confederate general. I shall be with her until Thorne comes."
"I suppose you've lots of friends of your own age?" Jeff observed.
"Not as many as I ought to have. You see, I've lived very quietly with
my brother for six years now, except for the time I spent at a girls'
school in Baltimore. Since I came home from there I've not been very
strong, and Thorne has kept me very quiet, until he sent me North to
school last fall."
"You're so well now you'll be going about a lot. Any young people in the
house with you? It's a boarding-house, isn't it?"
"Yes, a small one. There are no young people in it except Mrs.
Livingstone's son."
"How old a fellow?"
"Twenty-one, I believe."
"I suppose you're great friends with him?" said Jeff suspiciously.
Evelyn looked at him quickly and laughed, flushing a little. "Why, we're
naturally very good friends," she said.
"Evelyn," said Jeff, sitting up straight again, "I'm absolutely bursting
to tell you some news, and I can't seem to lead up to it. I've got to
bring it out flat. The only thing I'm anxious about is whether it's
going to be as good news to you as it is to me."
She looked at him with a quickening of her pulses, his expression had
become so very eager. "Please don't keep me in suspense," she begged.
"Well"--Jeff did his best to speak coolly, as if the matter were really
of no great importance, after all--"you know it's been a question with
me all along as to just what I was going to do when I got out of
college. I wanted tremendously to get to work, and a lot of the usual
things didn't seem to appeal to me at all. I haven't enough of a
scientific turn to go into any of the engineering courses. I didn't care
for a mercantile berth. In fact, while my brother Lanse has had his
future cut out for him since he was fourteen, and Just, at sixteen, is
body and soul in for electrical engineering, I've been the family
problem. Father's had the sense not to assert his wishes for a moment.
He saw from the start, I suppose, that the family traditions were not
for me--I could never begin by studying law and end by wearing the
ermine, as a lot of my grandfathers and uncles have done. So--"
Jeff paused and drew a long breath. He had been looking off down the
river as he talked, but now he brought his eyes back to Evelyn's face,
and his spirits leaped exultantly as he saw with what eager attention
she was listening.
"You really care to hear all this, don't you?" he asked, happily, and
went on before she could do more than nod. "Well, the short of it is
that through Doctor Forester I got to know a friend of his who is a
railroad magnate--the real thing--and to please the doctor he seemed to
take an interest in me. He's offered me a position in one of his
offices, provided I take a year to study practical railroading first. Of
course I'm only too glad to do that. And now I'm coming to the point of
the whole thing. When my year is up, that office where I'm to begin to
work up in the railroad business is"--he paused dramatically, watching
his hearer's face, as his own, in spite of himself, broke into a
smile--"in your own city, Evelyn Lee!"
If he had had any lingering doubt that this might not be as good news to
Evelyn as he wanted it to be, his fears were put to rout.
"O Jeff!" she said, quite breathlessly, and the happy colour surged into
her face. "Why, that's almost too good to be true!"
"Is it? You're a trump for saying so. Jupiter! I feel like standing up
and shouting. The thing has been sure since that afternoon I went to
Weston, but I didn't mean to tell you of it in this crazy boy fashion,
but write it to you quite calmly after you got home. But--it wouldn't
keep."
"I shouldn't think it would. Besides, it's so much nicer to hear it now,
when it makes it----"
She stopped abruptly, and jumped up. Jeff leaped to his feet also.
"Makes it--what?" he asked, eagerly.
"Why--it's such a pleasant place to hear good news in."
"That wasn't what you were going to say."
"We ought to go back to the house." She began to move slowly away. Jeff
followed.
"I'd like to hear the end of that sentence," he urged, as they walked up
the grassy slope to the house in the clear sunlight.
She laughed a little, but shook her head. She was looking very sweet in
her brown travelling dress, her russet hair shaded by a wide brown hat
with captivating curving outlines. Jeff looked at her dainty profile and
realised that the hour for separation was coming fast.
"Anyhow, I know what I _wish_ you were going to say,"--he was striding
close by her side--"and I can certainly say it if you can't. Telling you
that I'm coming to work near you next year makes it easier for me to say
good-by now. And that's--well--that's going to be a bit tough."
Evelyn walked on a few steps in silence. Then she turned and spoke
softly over her shoulder. There was not a touch of coquetry in her
simple manner, yet it had an engaging quality all its own.
"That's what I wanted to say, Jeff."
"Thank you," he responded. "I'll not forget that," and his tone told
that he appreciated the little concession.
It seemed but the briefest possible space of time before they had gone
over the house, had been hurried back to the landing by emphatic toots
from the small excursion steamer, and were off for the city again. The
trip back up the river was finished also before it seemed hardly begun.
All too soon for anybody the three young travellers were on their train,
and Doctor Churchill and Fred Forester had taken leave of them and were
out on the platform, ready to jump off. Jeff had lingered till the last.
"Good-by, Lucy! Good-by, Ran!" he said, and gave each a hearty grip and
smile. Then his hand clasped Evelyn's, his eyes said things his lips
would not have ventured to speak, and his hand wrung hers with a fervour
which made it sting. Then he went away without a backward look, as if he
must get the parting quickly over.
Outside the train, however, he turned with the others, and as the train
rolled slowly out of the station, and Evelyn strained her eyes to see
the group of her friends waving affectionately to her from the platform,
the last face upon which her gaze rested wore the strong, loyal,
eloquent look of Jefferson Birch.
* * * * *
"Home again," said Andrew Churchill, as he set his latch-key in the door
of the brick house four days later. "Fieldsy must be away, or she would
have answered."
They hurried through the house. It was in absolute order, but empty. On
the office desk was a note in the housekeeper's awkward hand:
"If you should come to-night, I've had to go to take care of a sick
woman, will be back in the morning, you will find everything cooked up."
Doctor Churchill read it with a laugh. "Charlotte, we're actually alone
in our own house. Let's run over to the other house and embrace them all
round, and then come back and see how it feels over here."
So they went across the lawn.
"We shall be delighted to have you stay with us, my dears," said Mrs.
Birch, after the greetings.
"Mother Birch," said her son-in-law, with air affectionate hand on her
shoulder, "not even you can charm us out of our own house to-night. Do
you know that we're all alone--that not even Fieldsy is over there?
Charlotte's going to get dinner, and I'm to help her with the clearing
up, and then we're going to sit on our porch. Of course we shall be
constantly looking down the street for a messenger boy with a telegram
announcing the coming of our next guest, but until he comes--"
Everybody laughed at the expressive breath he drew.
"Go, you dear children," said Mrs. Birch, and the rest joined in warmly.
"I'll sit on our doorstone with a rifle, and pick off the visitors as
they come up the street!" cried Just, as the two went off.
"Don't shoot to kill!" Doctor Churchill called back, gaily. Then the
door closed on the pair.
When the happy little dinner was over, the dishes put away, and
Charlotte had slipped on a cool frock in which to spend the warm summer
evening, she went out to find her husband lying comfortably in the
hammock behind the vines, his hands clasped under his head. The twilight
was just slipping into evening, and the breath of unseen roses was sweet
upon the shadows.
Charlotte drew a chair close to her husband's side and sat down.
"After all, Andy," said she, as they fell to talking of the past year,
"I wouldn't have had it different. One thing is certain--out of our
three guests we entertained at least one angel unawares."
"Yes, and I like to think that perhaps the others are none the worse for
staying with us," Andrew Churchill answered, thoughtfully. "I'm glad we
did it, glad it's over, and shall be glad to have other people come to
see us--by and by. But--I want a good long honeymoon first. Is that your
mind?"
"Yes," she answered fervently, smiling.