RESTITUTION
"Did you see Elinor?" whispered Judith to Patricia, as she edged her
way to her in the packed assembly room.
Patricia shook her head. "She's with Griffin and Bottle Green," she
answered under her breath. "What do you want her for?"
Judith's bow was on one eye and her hat under her arm, showing that she
had made great haste to join the growing crowd in the first antique
room. She looked even more agitated than Patricia had expected her to
be.
"What's the matter?" insisted Patricia, nudging her to compel her
attention, but Judith's gaze was wandering all about in search of
Elinor, and she answered absently. "There she is, up on the stand with
Griffin," she murmured in dismay. "I can never let her know. I wish I
could catch her eye; can't you signal her, Miss Pat? You're taller
than I am."
"What'll I tell her, if I do?" demanded Patricia indignantly. "I
haven't any idea what you want to telegraph?"
"Tell her Bruce Haydon is here," said Judith. "Oh, there she goes! I
was afraid you couldn't get her. She's sitting down beside Miss Green
now, and we'll never be able to let her know."
"Bruce Haydon!" exclaimed Patricia, astonished. "Why, he's in Italy,
isn't he? Elinor had a letter yesterday----"
"He's here all the same," said Judith, interrupting her surprise. "And
he sent a message to Elinor, so she'd be prepared, I guess. But I
simply can't get to her now. She'll have to find it out for herself."
"What's Bruce doing here?" asked Patricia, as they resigned themselves
to the inevitable and prepared to await the event.
"He says he finished his studies, and has come back because he wanted
to keep an eye on you two art students," replied Judith. "He looks
awfully well. You ought to have seen them stare when he grabbed me up
and kissed me in the corridor just now."
Patricia gave a happy sigh. "It'll be good to have him around again,"
she said appreciatively. "I never knew how weak in the knees I was
until this very moment. Things are bound to go right with Bruce
hovering around. I hope Elinor sees him. She's feeling mighty shaky
right now, I fancy."
"Isn't it queer how wobbly one feels?" commented Judith uneasily.
"We've been crazy for the time to come, and now we feel like running
away. I know I'll simply _drop_ when Mr. Benton makes his speech."
"Nonsense," said Patricia stoutly, although her own knees were not too
steady. "Keep your eyes on Elinor, and remember how glad you are that
she's getting an official apology, after all the cheating and
nastiness--then you won't want to collapse."
"Sounds like you were prescribing for yourself," retorted Judith with a
flash of intuition. "You look just as----"
"Hush, he's coming," warned Patricia, turning pale in spite of her
brave words. "Listen, he has begun."
Her eyes sought the pale pure outline of Elinor's profile, caught
between the intervening faces, and held it during the brief explanatory
speech, wherein Mr. Benton paid his tribute to Elinor's generous
silence, and apologized in the name of the Board for the unjust
accusation. She saw the wave of color sweep over it at the
commendatory words, and the dark eyes fall under the shame of the
hinted treachery of the unnamed student whose face was in every one's
mind. Then at the next words she saw the light flash into full
radiance, as Mr. Benton, with something in his extended hand, turned
full toward Elinor where she sat.
"And now, Miss Kendall," he finished with grave satisfaction in every
word. "It is my privilege to award to you the Roberts prize of one
hundred dollars, in recognition of the meritorious work done by you in
the late competition. Will you kindly come forward to receive it?"
There was a general murmur of surprise and a following rustle of
gratification.
Patricia's eyes were too blurred with happy tears to see very clearly,
but she made out Elinor's figure bowing over the same purse that Doris
Leighton had received ten short days ago, and she whispered to herself
joyously, "Dear old Norn, they've more than paid up for all the
horridness now, haven't they? And you deserve it all, too."
Judith, whose eyes were still wide with astonishment, touched her arm.
"Did you know?" she asked breathlessly. "Did anyone know she was going
to get it?"
"Can't you tell by looking at them?" demanded Patricia. "Do they look
as though they'd expected anything like this? Of course we didn't
know. The Board didn't even peep to Bottle Green, for she's gaping
like the rest."
"I see," acknowledged Judith, sweeping the ringleaders with her sharp
scrutiny. "They're all simply stunned, but they're mighty glad, too.
They're going to give the Academy Howl. Oh, Patricia, I wish I could
howl, too!"
"Go ahead, if you can do it," said a masculine voice at her elbow.
"The Academy won't object, I'm sure."
Patricia turned with a gasp of delight. "Bruce!" she cried
delightedly. "You dear thing! You've come in the nick of time. Isn't
it splendid that Elinor's won the prize? Did you hear about it?
Aren't you perfectly crazy over it?"
Bruce laughed good-naturedly as he shook hands.
"I can't undertake to answer all that at once, Miss Pat," he said.
"Let's go find what Elinor thinks about it."
He pushed a way for them to the group which surrounded the flushed and
gracious recipient of the Roberts prize, and before Patricia quite
realized how he did it, he had them ensconced with Elinor in a cozy
corner of the print room, and had heard the whole story of the stolen
design.
"It's a good thing you two innocents have a responsible person like
Judith to look after you," he said seriously. "I don't know what you'd
do without a protector to play providence for you."
Judith flushed and tossed her mane with a gratified air. "Oh, they
don't think much of _me_," she rejoined. "They make fun of me lots of
times."
"Is that so?" said Bruce, with great concern. "I'm sorry to hear that.
I tell you what, Judy, we'll form a partnership, you and I, and we'll
see to it that they behave themselves better in the future. They've
proved that they can't take proper care of themselves, so we'll have to
play guardian angels."
Elinor merely smiled her gentle, affectionate smile, but Patricia
rippled out in mocking laughter.
"I like that!" she cried. "Who took care of us all those years when we
were poor and alone in the world? It's late in the day for Elinor to
need protectors."
"Nevertheless, she's going to have 'em," declared Bruce with
undisturbed geniality. "You may mock us and you may shock us and you
may say you don't care, but we're on the job for keeps, aren't we,
Judith, _ma chère_? And the first step we're going to take in our new
position is to drag you both off to luncheon this very minute. You'd
best give in gracefully, for both Judy and I are fearfully strong and
ferocious."
Judith giggled, but Patricia rose briskly.
"I guess you won't have to chloroform us to drag us there this time,"
she retorted. "I'm glad we're presentable, anyway. Aren't you
thankful I made you put on your best duds, Norn? There's nothing like
being contented when one feeds, and I couldn't partake of the stalled
ox with any satisfaction in my old school rags."
Judith cuddled close to Bruce on the settee while Elinor went for her
wraps.
"Patricia's awfully superficial, I think," she confided to him
cheerfully, as she watched her readjusting her bright hair beneath the
pretty hat rim at the quaint old mirror of the bookcase. "She's so set
on pretty things. She just worships anyone who is pretty--no matter
whether she understands their character or not. I wish we could make
her more serious-minded and careful."
"Pooh," said Patricia, turning from her own reflection with a gay
laugh. "You don't need to try. I do worship beauty, and I always
shall. I like to laugh and sing and be happy. I like blue skies
because God made them that way. And I don't think a pink rose is
wickeder for being pink than if it were grubby gray. _I_ think being
happy is the serious business of life--when you take other people in
with you--and I reckon God thinks so too."
"Pa-tri-cia!" ejaculated Judith in prim rebuke, but Bruce gave her hand
a restraining squeeze, and Patricia went on, glowing with earnestness.
"There isn't any more goodness in dismal looks, no, nor half so much,
as in happy faces. Don't the cherubim sing eternally? Is there
anything said about dark days in the New Jerusalem? I'm ashamed of
you, Judith Kendall, for not knowing that it's twice as brave and good
to be cheerful and pretty as it is to be moping and dull. Look at
Elinor--would we love her if she'd been fussing about the hard times we
had? Not much! Every bright smile she had for those horrid times has
made her more adorable to me and I look on every bit of happiness we
had in those poor days as just so much wrested from the powers of
darkness." She stopped suddenly, with a little gasp of embarrassment,
as Elinor entered.
"Patricia's spouting again," remarked Judith with the serene cruelty of
extreme youth. "I didn't mind, because I'm used to it, but I guess
Bruce is thankful you didn't keep us any longer, Elinor."
Bruce rose and held out his hand to Patricia, who was flushing
painfully.
"Don't mind the kid, Miss Pat dear," he said, with his most winning
smile. "She doesn't know any better yet. Your religion is the sort
we've got to _grow_ into, and, even then, some of us aren't ever quite
big enough to realize it."
Judith's face had been undergoing swift changes during this short
speech, but now it cleared and a beatific expression shone upon it.
"I know what you mean, now, Miss Pat," she declared loftily. "I've
read it in Stevenson's verses, about 'those who . . . sow gladness in
the peopled lands,' Isn't that it, Bruce? I didn't _quite_ understand
the way Patricia put it, but I think it's perfectly lovely, really I
do."
Bruce pinched her cheek, with a tolerant laugh.
"It's all right, so long as it's in a book, eh?" he asked. "What a
perfect little chameleon you are, Judy Kendall. I don't know whether
to take you into the grand surprise that I'm going to spring on these
two young ladies, or leave you at the nearest library while I disclose
my dark projects. What do you say, Elinor?"
Elinor slipped Judith's nervous hand into her muff within her own.
"I think we might let her share with us this time," she said gently,
and Judith's relief was beautiful to behold.
"Bruce says we're going to a French restaurant," she announced proudly.
"I hope I can remember enough French to talk politely. Mademoiselle
makes us say so many fine sentences when we have our 'calling days' in
the French class that I get awfully twisted and never know whether I'm
masculine or feminine."
"You won't need to think about it here," said Bruce. "The waiters are
both Belgians and they speak English pretty well. You know that
English is taught in the public schools in Belgium, and even the little
children can say a few words to you. It's the old folks that don't
understand."
Judith flew back to his side, pushing Patricia ahead to Elinor.
"Oh, do tell me all about it," she pleaded, and Bruce, with his
customary good nature, launched into a very diverting account of the
habits and customs of the Flemings and the year spent among them in his
student days.
The first breath of spring was in the air, softening the chill of the
crowded streets with warming sunshine and a hint of the coming miracle
of the yearly resurrection. The shops were filled with the crisp,
fresh-tinted goods of the nearing season, and here and there among the
smartly dressed women was a modish straw hat brightening the winter
furs and velvets. Patricia's cup was full and running over. She had
no need for speech with Elinor, but she kept giving her hands quick
little squeezes in her muff, while now and again they exchanged swift
telegraphic glances of appreciation.
Bruce swung the door for them, and they passed into a little narrow
shop-like place.
Judith's eyes were wide and dismayed.
"I don't think this is very nice," she whispered as Bruce was
exchanging a few words with the smiling proprietor in the little cage
behind the tiny counter.
"Hush," cautioned Patricia, using her eyes industriously. "It must be
all right, or Bruce wouldn't have brought us. I like it. The floor is
_sanded_, Judy! And those people at the snippy little tables under the
stairs are French--just hear them gabble to the waiter."
Judith recovered sufficiently to take notice.
"There isn't any table--" she had begun, still with slight protest in
her voice, when Bruce ushered them up the narrow vertical stair to the
larger room above where more tables and windows made a cozy dining
place for about a dozen people.
The waiter, a broad-faced Belgian, rushed forward with a smile of
genuine welcome and a flourish of the spotless towel which he wore upon
his left shoulder, and, with a few murmured words in French, motioned
them to a table by the front window.
When they were being settled in their places, Judith found opportunity
to whisper to Bruce, who immediately turned to the Belgian, who was
helping Patricia remove her coat.
"You have good custom today, François," he said with a gesture toward
the chattering groups at the other tables.
The waiter bowed as he folded the coat carefully.
"Yes, Mr. Haydon, sir," he said clearly. "We do not complain. Our
trade keeps up, sir. We are the same as when you left, sir. We do not
complain."
Patricia laughed at Judith's expression, as she watched François whisk
away to the dumb-waiter in the far corner of the little apartment, and
roar stentorian commands in indistinguishable French to an unseen
source of supply below.
"He just uses his French to plot his dark plots with, Judy darlin',"
she said, merrily. "You needn't try to make them out, for he doesn't
intend you to."
"I heard 'Chateaubriand,' anyway," retorted Judith triumphantly. "And
that means beefsteak. So I did understand something, you see."
Bruce made a gesture of mock despair. "Heavens, I'm discovered!" he
cried, with a twinkle. "Judy knows just what she's going to have for
lunch, and there won't be any surprise, after all."
Patricia looked inquiringly at him.
"Is _that_ the grand surprise you meant, Bruce Haydon? Sure you aren't
fooling us? Oh, you are! You've got _something_ else--I know it by
your eyes. You look awfully guilty."
"Do I?" asked Bruce innocently. "I wish there was a mirror here so I
could see how that looks. Here comes François with the bouillon and
omelets. Don't let him see me, please, till I've gotten up a better
expression."
François served them deftly, while still attending to all the other
tables, and Patricia, in the intervals of merry chatter, wondered at
the innumerable bits of respectful conversation he managed to supply
his patrons in addition to his very satisfactory table service, and she
said so to Bruce, just as the dessert had been placed and François had
withdrawn to a party of newcomers.
Bruce, however, was remarkably absent in his reply.
"Yes, he's a wonder," he said, cracking nuts studiously. "I hope he's
as good on breakfasts as he used to be."
"Breakfast!" cried Patricia, bubbling. "Are we going to keep on eating
till----"
"No, no, I didn't mean that," returned Bruce hastily. "I was thinking
of something else."
"The surprise, I am sure," announced Judith calmly. "Let's try to
guess what it is, like charades or Dumb Crambo. You can tell us if we
guess right, Bruce. I'll begin first."
Bruce laid down his cracker with a grin. "No, you don't, young 'un,"
he said decisively. "I'm not going to turn my choicest possession into
a puzzle department. I'm going to spring it myself, right now."
All eyes were upon him as he crumpled his napkin into a hard ball and
crushed it between his flexible fingers, while his face assumed an
earnest and rather anxious expression.
"I am going to ask you to think first and speak last," he began. "I
don't want you to go into it hastily or unless you're quite sure you
will like it."
"We'll like it, all right enough, if you have a hand in it," Patricia
assured him heartily.
"It's a scheme I've been thinking of for nearly a month now, and I've
made all the arrangements before I came home; but if it doesn't appeal
to you--well, there are no bones broken, and I can easily fix it up
with Miss J---- that is, I can make other arrangements."
Judith gave an impatient wriggle, but it was Patricia again who spoke.
"Please, please, _do_ tell us what it is! Suspense is so awful!"
Bruce cocked his head on one side meditatively. "I'll make a stab at
it," he acceded, and then paused, while they waited in breathless
silence.
"I've taken a studio apartment, and I've got someone to keep
house--just for a month--and I'm banking on you all coming to spend
that month with me. I want you to have this chance at some outside
work," he said to Elinor. "I'm not so keen on this academic work for a
steady job. I want you to keep up your life class, of course, but
there's a big lot of education lying around in the studios for this
short time anyway. I may not be able to offer it to you again, as I'll
have to be off as soon as this contract is finished. Will you come?"
Elinor sat looking at him with her eyes shining, and then she drew a
quick breath.
"I think it would be perfectly glorious," she said gratefully. "It's
wonderful that you should bother with us. I can't thank you----"
"Don't want any thanks," returned Bruce gruffly. "Your aunt would
understand it. I'm only beginning to pay my debt to her, and it's
going to take a mighty long while, too."
Patricia held out her hand across the cloth. "I can't kiss you, but
here's the substitute. You're a _duck_, Bruce Haydon. Where is the
studio?"
Bruce laughed in a relieved way. "That's the way to talk, Miss Pat.
I'll show it to you as soon as you've all finished. Judy, haven't you
anything to say?"
Judith finished dabbling her fingers in the finger-bowl, and wiped them
daintily. Then she raised her clear eyes to the expectant company.
"The only thing I'm afraid of is that Mrs. Hudson won't let us go a
whole month sooner," she said with the calmness of despair. "I suppose
I'll have to stay there all by myself, just because I'm the youngest
and not an artist. But I tell you all this--I'm not going to stay
alone. I'll get Mrs. Shelly to come in----"
"Good idea, Judy," said Bruce encouragingly. "We'll see what we can do
about it. Come along now, we're going to inspect the new premises.
You girls get your duds on while I settle up. It's only around the
corner, and we'll be there in a jiffy."