BETTY MAKES A PROMISE
On the following Monday, I was in the store, feeling kind of blue over
the general muddle I had made of things, when who should go by but Betty
and Stigler! If there was one man in the town I disliked, it was
Stigler. He was one of those narrow-faced individuals who goes around
with a perpetual sneer. I never heard of him saying or doing anything
good to any one. It was said of him that he was so mean that he grew a
wart on the back of his neck to save buying a collar button!
Stigler was in love with Betty. I didn't blame him for that; but what
she could see in a fellow like him got me! I was jealous--I know I was
jealous, and I told Betty so when she accused me of it that night.
"Dawson," she said, "you act like a jealous, spoiled child."
And then the love, that had been growing in my heart, became too great
to contain.
"Betty," I cried hotly, "you know how much I love you! Do you wonder
that I'm jealous, when I see you with that man?"
"And why shouldn't I be with him?" she said archly.
"Well, you can't be with him any more," I said.
"Hoity-toity! and who are you to tell me whom I shall or shall not go
with?"
Her words were discouraging, but something in her eyes. . . .
Something had happened to the town when I left Betty's house. The hard
pavements were gone, and instead of them were beautiful silvery clouds.
The ordinary air had changed into exhilarating ether. I wanted to sing;
I wanted to tell people of my good fortune; but everybody must have
known it to have looked at me. I kept saying to myself, "I'm engaged to
be married! I'm engaged to be married!" When the teams went by they went
"Click _clack_ety click!--click _clack_ety click!--I'm engaged to be
married!--I'm engaged to be married!"
Mother had gone to bed when I got home, but I woke her up and told her
the good news. I expected her to be surprised, but she wasn't a bit. All
she said was: "Well, everybody knew it but you!"
I suppose it is because Love is blind that I didn't know. I told mother
that we were going to be married on the 19th of June.
"Do you think it wise to get married so soon?"
"Yes, indeed," I said, "I need the help of a woman like Betty in my
business. You see, mother, her business experience and her--"
Mother kissed me on the lips and said:
"Don't bother to think up any excuses--Love itself is sufficient excuse
for that."
I saw some tears in mother's eyes. I put my arm around her waist and
said:
"You are happy, aren't you, mother, dear?"
She kissed me again and pushed me from her, and hurried to her room.
When she got to the door she turned around and said, "God bless you, my
boy."
Believe me, I had _some_ mother.