ELECTRIC TIPS AMONG THE ROSES.
During luncheon, Mrs. Gower, seeing that her companions seem too full of
busy thought to be talkative, exerts herself keeping up a constant flow
of little nothings, requiring no replies; her spirits became less
depressed by the effort to keep sorrow at bay, her pleasant walk to town
has really been a tonic to her. And now the knowledge that the Coles may
come in at any moment; that a handsome face, so full of power and
sympathy with herself, will be here also; with the meeting by the Smyths
and herself of the wife of their old friend Charlie Cole; all this is a
powerful stimulant to her, as well as the little surprise and excitement
for the quiet, fair-haired girl, with tear-stained cheeks, on her left.
"Would you like a trip down to Florida with me, Miss Crew. Orange groves
and outdoor blossoms would be as a glimpse of Paradise, with one's eyes
full of snow flakes."
"Yes; I should like to go anywhere with you, Mrs. Gower; that is," she
adds, glancing, timidly, at Mr. Dale, already now he knows her history,
turning to him as a child to a parent; "that is, if it would be best for
me."
"Do you really contemplate this trip; if so, and you do not leave for a
few days, I think it would be the very thing for Miss--, for this little
lady," he says; thinking she is merely running away to escape the
remainder of the winter.
"I do really intend going," she said, slowly, and with an unconscious
sigh.
He looks at her earnestly, thinking there is some latent reason, when
his wife, making a _moue_ at him, accompanied by an almost imperceptible
shake of the head, when, Mrs. Gower, changing the subject, says: "Did
you see how Professor Herkomer has been lauding the Americans, Mr.
Dale?"
"I did; but I only agree with him in part."
"Not so with me; I am at one with him, to the echo; but I should tell
you I have only seen extracts from his expressed views, in which he
says, 'he was impressed by their keen, nervous temperament, keen
intelligence and ambition to excel;' and when he says America will
become a leader of art in the nations as of nearly everything else."
"I don't go with him that length," he said, shaking his head; "give me
the Old World for art in the present, as well as in the future."
"In the present, I agree with you, I think; but their very ambition to
excel, their-go-ahead-ness, to coin a word, will, I feel convinced, gain
them first place in the future."
"That's right, Elaine; give it him, he is too conservative, this dear
old hubby of mine; the stars and stripes float over the smartest people
on earth."
At this a general laugh makes them all feel less blue, Mrs. Gower
saying, as they leave the dining-room:
"Well, let us see which of us, England, United States or Canada, will be
the smartest in taking a few minutes' rest, and getting into a dinner
gown." Wending her way to the kitchen, she meets Miss Crew, bringing
water and seeds for the birds.
"Thank you, dear; that saves my time; when you have done that, run away
up to your room, and put on your pretty heliotrope frock; the Smyths may
dine with us."
"Very well, I shall; and oh, Mrs. Gower, may I tell Thomas when my
friends come (you know I told you I am going to have my black silk
altered), he is to show them into the dining-room; though, perhaps, they
would not be called gentlefolk, still, they are not servants, and they
are so good."
"The highest recommendation you can give them, dear; I shall tell Thomas
myself."
Closeted in their bedroom, seated side by side, upon a lounge, Mrs. Dale
tells her husband of Mrs. Gower's troubles, and the stratagem by which
Mr. Cobbe has obtained her oath to marry him; of the woman who haunts
Holmnest; of how for long months Mrs. Gower has been imploring him to
release her from her compulsory promise. Also of Mr. Blair's love for
Elaine; and of how he has surprised her into a confessing of her own for
him; but of how in no way has she allowed him any demonstration of that
love since those few moments on New Year's Day. Of her own and Mr.
Blair's plan to induce the woman to speak.
"You astonish me, Ella!" he exclaimed; "but I agree with her; she cannot
break her oath, _she belongs to him_; does she know of your plan to
interview the woman?"
"Yes; but thinks we shall elicit no item of importance; but, Henry,
dear, say nothing to her of our plan for this evening; I only tell you,
so that should you miss Mr. Blair and myself, you will not remark on
it."
"I see. How do you like this Mr. Blair; you know, I have only met him
once?"
"I like him very much; you should hear that reticent Mr. St. Clair
praise him. He is though, really, a manly, generous, straight-forward,
determined fellow; just the reverse of Mr. Cobbe."
"Yes; well I hope it will come out all right for poor Mrs. Gower, though
I had hoped that she and Buckingham would have made a match," he said
musingly.
"So have I; but he has been too deliberate, a trait his German mother is
to blame for; and he may have imagined there has been something between
her and Mr. Cobbe. Now, hubby, I am just dying to know if Miss Crew has
confided in you, and if there is anything worth a snap in her story."
"I cannot tell you just yet, dear; and, besides, we have not time; it is
three-thirty, time for my little wife to dress."
On descending at four p.m., to her cheerful drawing-room, Mrs. Gower has
so far conquered her feelings as to cause a casual observer to say, she
is quite happy, and at ease; for her dark red gown is becoming, and she
has compelled her mind to dwell only on the pleasurable excitement of a
re-union with her old friend, Mr. Cole; wondering also what he will
think of her new friend, Mr. Blair. The air, redolent of hyacinths and
roses, tells her he is in the drawing-room; and the color deepens in her
cheeks as her heart throbs faster.
He comes to meet her, from a table, piled with blossoms, which he is
placing in Japanese and glass bowls.
"You will become bankrupt, Alec."
"Not while there are blossoms in the market, and you to accept them; I
am a canny Scotchman, you know; you should always wear this gown," he
says, quietly, pinning some roses near her chin.
"You said so of my old gold dress, you fickle man;" and, as she speaks,
her eyes rest for a moment on his.
With a sigh, he returns to his task.
"Don't, Alec, it breaks my heart to hear you sigh like that, and I am
trying so hard to keep up."
"I sigh that I am forbidden to take you in my arms," he said, gravely,
as their fingers meet in arranging the flowers.
"But, you know, I am acting for the best."
"Do you allow him?" he said, with a steadfast look.
"Never, when I can prevent it."
"These flowers remind me of an incident I have often thought to tell
you, Elaine. Do you remember one time, about a year and a half ago,
going to make a call upon some people who were transient guests at the
Walker House? they had left town; and while you waited, while this fact
was being ascertained, a wee lady, an invalid, was carried in by an
attendant, and placed on a sofa; she was emaciated and fair
complexioned. On your leaving the parlor you asked her to accept a
bouquet you carried; it was composed almost entirely of roses.
Passionately fond of flowers, she was very pleased, telling you so; do
you remember? but your face tells me you do. That poor little lady was
she whom you had frequently met in the street with me, before she became
too weak to walk; that was my poor little wife."
"And I met you as I was entering the hotel," she said, softly.
"Yes; I was going to Brown's livery stables for a cab; I generally went
myself, instead of using the telephone, as Jessie thought I got an
easier one."
"Poor little creature; I did not recognize her, because meeting her with
you, she had always been veiled. I remember how pleased she was with the
flowers; my kind friend, Mrs. Tremaine, had given them to me to brighten
my room; I could not afford such luxuries then," she said, sadly. "Your
wee wife had a sweet little face, and I frequently thought of her again.
Meeting the manager, Mr. Wright, one day, I asked him about her, when he
said 'she and her husband had left town.' It was all very sad for you,
Alec."
"It was, she told me, a winsome lady, bonnie, and so strong-looking, had
given them to her, and from her description, I knew it must be you. I
endeavored, even then, to ascertain your name, but failed," he said,
gravely, holding her hands among the roses for a moment in his own; when
Miss Crew entered, with her work-basket, followed by the Dales, Mr. Dale
carrying some open letters, with newspapers, which he placed carefully
on a table beside him, as he shook hands with Mr. Blair.
"Talk about the sunny south," cried Mrs. Dale; "one sighs for nothing in
this atmosphere; what with the sun streaming in all day from south and
west, the perfume of flowers, the Christmas decorations not yet down,
the glowing grate, even with the snow outside, we are pretty snug."
"I am glad you feel so, dear; I suppose with my small income, I am
recklessly extravagant in not shutting out the sunbeams; but my
furniture must fade, rather than that my flowers, birds and self, live
in gloom."
"I think you said real estate is your business, Mr. Blair; have you
opened an office yet?" inquired Mr. Dale.
"Broker and real estate is what I have been engaged in; but I have not
as yet rented an office; there will be some good rooms over the Bank of
Commerce, when completed; but that is a long look."
"Three years! a life-time, from a business standpoint; at least, as we
look at things on the other side," said Dale.
"I wonder what the Central Bank will be converted into; it, I should
say, is a good location, if the public wouldn't fight shy of a man
hanging out his shingle from such walls," said Blair.
"The owners should give it a man rent free for a term of years, who
would paint it white," said Mrs. Gower, half in joke.
"They have it black enough now," said Dale; "its career is a disgrace to
the city."
"It is indeed," said Mrs. Gower; "and one of the worst features of the
case is, that we have lost confidence; men are daily asking, who is to
be trusted?"
"Here is the _North-Ender_, taking up the refrain; it says," said Mr.
Blair, reading, "'other bank failures have been bad enough, but in
sheer, utter, unadulterated baseness, this excelleth them all;' and
here, in another newspaper, they say, 'whole families are beggared by
it, having nothing to buy bread.'"
"How terrible!" cried Miss Crew, clasping her hands; "if I only had
money," and she glanced timidly at Mr. Dale, "how much I should like to
assist them."
Here Mrs. Smyth enters, full of excitement.
"Oh, I am here before them; I am so glad," she said, untying her bonnet.
"Allow me to take your things upstairs for you, Mrs. Smyth."
"Oh, thank you, Miss Crew; but it's too much trouble for you."
"Not at all."
"How lovely your flowers are, Elaine; you cause me to break the tenth
commandment."
"Cease, then, and help yourself; as you love them."
"Thanks; oh, I just met Emily Tudor and her mother, on Huron street, on
my way up; and what do you think; they have lost every cent by the
Central. Emily and Mary have left school, and are looking for
situations; the mother seemed just heart broken."
"How dreadful!" cried Mrs. Gower, "they are such a worthy, honorable
family, and the delinquents! are rolling away in parlor cars to luxury
in fairer climes."
Here Miss Crew returns, and Mrs. Gower, asking her to give them some
music, in the midst of Leybach's "Fifth Nocturne," the Coles drive up,
ring, are admitted, and announced by Thomas.