SOMETHING UNEXPECTED
DINNER was tiresomely dull! Again Anthony did not return, but telephoned
that he would be in as soon afterwards as possible. Several times during
the meal Betty almost wished that she had accepted an invitation for the
evening without him. For they had been invited to a dinner party and
dance, but as Anthony had declared he would be too busy to attend, Betty
had declined without any objection at the time. She had made up her mind
never to go out into society unless accompanied by her husband.
Nevertheless, tonight the young wife of the new Governor felt somewhat
differently. If Anthony was going everlastingly to be kept at his office
must she always sit alone during the evenings? Always as Betty Ashton
she had loved people and gayety and still loved it quite as much as
Betty Graham. Moreover, her only two companions at dinner, Angel and
Faith, were both in extremely bad humor and unwilling to confess the
cause, for Faith looked sulky and annoyed and Angel undeniably cross. Of
course, the two girls must recently have had a quarrel. Their hostess
wondered for a few moments what the trouble could have been. But then
they were so utterly different in their dispositions and tastes, it was
not surprising that they sometimes disagreed. Besides, she decided that
they were both unlike the intimate friends of her youth and far harder
to understand. In fact, though she was scarcely much more than a girl
herself, Mrs. Graham concluded that "girls had changed since her day"
and determined as soon as dinner was over to leave them to themselves.
Naturally, if they had wished her society Betty would have been glad
enough to have remained and received their confidences. However, neither
Angel nor Faith showed the slightest sign of desiring her society.
In a pale blue silk dinner gown Betty wandered disconsolately about her
big house waiting for her husband. He had promised to come home early
and it seemed not worth while to settle down to any task beforehand.
The babies were asleep and she did not feel like writing letters either
to Esther or her mother. Several times she thought of Polly. But Polly
was so far away out West that she really did not know where to find her
at the present time. Betty wondered if her best friend was happy with no
home or husband or children, nothing intimate in her life but her career
as an artist. She had always been puzzled to understand why Polly and
Richard Hunt had never married after an engagement lasting over several
years. But since neither of them had cared to explain their separation,
it was, of course, useless to conjecture again after all this time.
The drawing room was too hopelessly big and formal! After Betty had
walked around inside it for half an hour perhaps, sitting down in half a
dozen chairs and then pacing up and down, she grew even more restless.
Surely it was no longer early in the evening, and why did Anthony not
keep his word and come home at the time he had promised? It would be
ever so much more satisfactory to have her talk with him in regard to
giving John Everett a good position, with a comfortable salary, early in
the evening, before they were both tired and wanting to sleep.
Suddenly, with an impatient stamp of her foot, Mrs. Graham fled from her
state apartment. She was homesick tonight for her old home in Woodford,
where she and Anthony had lived ever since their marriage until his
election as Governor, and where her mother still lived.
Passing through the hall, more and more did Betty become convinced that
Anthony was not keeping his word, for the tall clock registered quarter
to ten. The upper part of the house looked dark and quiet as if the rest
of the family had already gone to bed. Besides it was lonely enough on
the first floor, for the servants had their sitting room and dining room
in a big old-fashioned basement and were nowhere to be seen. Of course,
one of them would come at once if she desired anything, but Betty could
not think of anything she wished at present except society and
amusement.
In the library back of the drawing room a few moments later she decided
that things were not so bad. There was a little wood fire in the grate,
kept there for its cheerful influence and not because the steam-heated
house required it; but Betty had not been a Camp Fire girl for half her
lifetime without responding to the cheerful influence of even a grate
fire.
Sinking down into a comfortable chair, she picked up a magazine and
began reading. The clock in the hall ticked on and on and she was not
conscious of the passing of time. The story was not particularly
interesting--an absurd tale of a husband and wife who had quarreled. It
was, of course, perfectly unnecessary for people who loved each other to
quarrel, Betty Graham insisted to herself, and yet the writer did not
seem convinced of this fact. Toward the close of the story she grew more
interested and excited.
Then, without actually hearing a sound or seeing a figure, Betty
suddenly looked up, and there in the open doorway of the library stood a
strange man. Like a flash her mind worked. She was alone on the first
floor of a big, rambling old house and uncertain of how late the hour.
Must she at once cry for help, or should she try to get across the floor
and ring the bell furiously?--for that would be more certain to be
heard. Yet for the moment her knees felt absurdly weak and her hands
cold. However, with a stupendous effort Betty now summoned her courage,
of which the shock of the moment had robbed her. For her Camp Fire
training had taught her the proper spirit in which to meet emergencies.
Quietly Mrs. Graham rose up from her chair.
"What is it you wish? I think you have made some mistake," she remarked
stiffly. For in spite of her terror the man in the doorway did not look
like an ordinary thief. Besides, if he were a thief why did he remain
there staring at her? Why had he not committed his burglary and gotten
away with his spoils without alarming her?
But he was now advancing a few steps toward her and there was no light
in the library, except from the reading lamp.
"Anthony!" Betty cried instinctively, although she knew that the
Governor could not be in the house at the time, else he would have come
straight to her.
Then to her immense amazement, almost to her stupefaction, the intruder
actually smiled.
"Betty," he answered, "or rather Mrs. Graham, have I startled you? Yes,
I know it is dreadfully informal, my coming upon you in this fashion and
not even allowing your butler to announce me. But I ran down from New
York today to spend the night with Meg and Jack Emmet. A few moments ago
we began talking of you. Well, as I've got to go back to town in the
morning I decided that nothing would give me more pleasure than seeing
the wife of our distinguished new Governor, so here I am!"
Positively the stranger was holding out his hand.
Moreover, the next instant Betty had laid her cold fingers inside it.
"John, John Everett, how ridiculous of me not to have recognized you!
Yet, though I was thinking of you, you were the last person in the world
I expected to see at present. And I confess you frightened me." Betty
made her visitor a little curtsey. "Remember how you boys used to try
to terrify us when we were in camp just to prove the superiority of Boy
Scouts over Camp Fire girls? I would not have been frightened then! But
do let us have more light so that we can really see each other."
Betty touched the electric button and the room was suddenly aglow.
Then she again faced her companion. It had been foolish of her not to
have recognized her old friend, John Everett. He did look a good deal
older, but he was a large, handsome man with blond hair, blue eyes and a
charming manner. Moreover, he was undoubtedly returning Betty's glance
with undisguised admiration.
"You won't mind my saying it, will you, Mrs. Graham, but you are more
stunning than ever. I suppose it sounds a little impertinent of me, but
you know even though I always thought you tremendously pretty as a girl,
really I never believed----" John began.
Betty shook her head reproachfully and yet perhaps she was a little
pleased, even though she recognized her visitor's compliment as
extravagant.
Motioning to another chair, she then sat down in her former one. For a
few moments there was a kind of constraint in the atmosphere, such as
one often feels in meeting again an old friend with whom one has been
intimate in former years and not seen in a long time.
Under her lashes Betty found herself studying her visitor's face. At
first she did not think that he appeared much discouraged by his
misfortunes, but the next moment she was not so sure.
"I am awfully pleased the world has gone so well with you, Mrs. Graham,"
John Everett began, to cover the awkwardness of the silence. "You were a
wise girl to have known that Anthony had so much more in him than the
rest of us fellows. I hear he is making things hum in the state of New
Hampshire."
Betty looked a little shocked. "Oh, I did not care for Anthony because I
thought him cleverer than other people. I--oh, does one ever know
exactly why one cares? But do tell me about yourself, John. You don't
mind my knowing of your present difficulty? Meg has just told me, but I
am sure things will be all right soon again."
Half an hour later the young Governor, coming in very tired from his
long day's work, seeing the light burning in the library, walked quickly
toward the door. He was worn out and hungry and wanted nothing so much
as supper and quiet talk with his wife. For Anthony had never gotten
over the pleasure he felt at returning home to find her there to receive
him. Already it seemed ages since he had said good-bye at breakfast.
However, just before he arrived at the open door he heard the sound of
Betty's laughter and some one answering her.
Of course it was selfish and absurd of him to feel a sudden sense of
disappointment. He knew that he should have been glad to find Betty
entertained.
Before entering the library the new Governor managed to assume a more
hospitable expression. He was also surprised at finding John Everett
their caller. But then he too had known him in their boyhood days in
Woodford and was glad to see him. Certainly they had never been friends
as boys. The young Governor could still remember that John had then
seemed to have all the things he had wanted as a boy--good looks, good
family, money enough for a college education. Yet with all these
advantages John had not been able to win Betty. Now was Anthony's chance
to feel sorry for him. Lately he too had heard that John Everett was in
some kind of business trouble. He hoped that this was not true.
Therefore it was Anthony who insisted that their visitor should remain
with them while they had a little supper party in the library. And Betty
was glad to see that her old friend was making a good impression upon
her husband. For she was now firmly determined to ask Anthony to give
John Everett a fine position at once.