CLEMENTINA ASKS QUESTIONS
Little Duke rapidly recovered from his shock, and the sudden arrival of
David Collins gave the entire household something to think of besides
the storm. Polly alone bore the brunt of the surprise. She had felt
vaguely that sometime this must come--her meeting again with David; but
she had thrust aside the thought of it as something not of the present.
His appearance, therefore, caught her unprepared, and she suffered in
consequence. Yet, so complete was her self-control that none except
Lilith guessed of her timorous heart or her aversion to her unexpected
guest.
She had asked no questions of Benedicta concerning the coming of David,
but on the morning after his arrival she accidentally overheard the
explanation as well as several other things.
“Where did you find Mr. Collins?” Clementina was asking the housekeeper
as she lingered in the kitchen after breakfast.
“I didn’t find him,” was the answer. “He found me.”
“Where’bouts?” persisted the child.
“Why, he was on his way to the garage, when he spied the number of my
car--or Miss Dudley’s car, I should say--and he raced after me, yellin’
at the top of his voice. He s’posed it was Miss Polly inside. I guess
he was amazin’ly flabbergasted when he saw me drivin’,” she chuckled.
“What’s ’flapper--grasted’?” questioned Clementina.
“Oh, just a good deal surprised,” was the quiet answer.
“Why didn’t you say so, then? It’s lots easier.”
“It doesn’t tell so much,” replied Benedicta.
“I think it tells more. How did Dr. Abbe and Miss Brooks know you were
down there?”
“They didn’t. I heard the train come in, so I thought I’d see if they’d
come. And there they were!”
“Had they got married?”
“Married! I should hope not! What put that into your head?”
“Why, a girl that lived in the next room to me before I lived with Miss
Dudley went off to the shore with a feller one day and when they come
back they were married.”
“Huh! we ain’t that kind up here.”
“Anyway, Dr. Abbe’s her beau, ain’t he?”
“Not that I know of.”
“I don’t see why,” muttered Clementina. “Who did that Mr. Collins come
to see?”
“Miss Polly, he said.”
“Did she ask him?”
“I don’t know.”
“Is he her beau?”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know very much, do you?”
“I don’t know much about beaux and I don’t want to!”
“Why don’t you want to?”
“Because I don’t! I should if it wasn’t for that.”
“Don’t you like ’em? I do.”
“Much you know about ’em.”
“I do! I’m goin’ to have a beau and I’m goin’ to marry him when I grow
up.”
“Sinners and snobs! You’d better be playin’ with your dolls than
talkin’ about gett’n’ married.”
“Why had I? I think it’s awful lovely to get married in a long white
satin dress and a veil and a bouquet and go to New York.”
“Huh! you’re a great kid.”
“Why am I?”
“Teeters and tongs! if you don’t stop I shan’t know whether I’m makin’
cocoa gingerbread or coastin’ down Overlook Hill.”
“Oh! may I have a piece when it’s baked?”
“I’ll see, if you’ll run away now and let me be.”
“If you don’t want me, I s’pose I’ll have to,” plaintively.
Nothing further came to Polly’s ears, except the patter of small
footsteps, which told her of Clementina’s retreat.
Why did Benedicta allow them to bother her and resent it almost as
interference when Polly remonstrated?
Now Clementina’s thin voice was piping out again.
“Say, how soon will the cocoa gingerbread be done?”
“Oh, not for a good bit!”
“Say, don’t you think Dolly Merrifield’s brother is an awful lovely
gentleman?”
“I guess so.”
“He’s beautifuller than any of the other gentlemen, isn’t he?”
“Yere.”
“Why don’t he be Miss Polly’s beau? They look sweet together.”
“Teeters and tongs! What’s got into you?”
“There isn’t any cocoa gingerbread inside o’ me!” resented Clementina.
“Nor there won’t be unless you stay out of here!” Benedicta’s voice was
as nearly impatient as it ever came to be with the children.
“I don’t know where to wait,” complained the child.
“Go and see Grissel and Dolly and the rest.”
“I ain’t a wheel-chair one.”
“Well, I’ll make you one if you don’t go this minute!”
Which dreadful threat sent the little feet off again, not to return
within Polly’s hearing.
Although there were tasks still awaiting her, she lingered by her
window long after her mending was finished and the garments folded
ready to be put away. The questioning that had floated up to her from
the kitchen had flooded her mind with thoughts that would not be thrust
out, and she brooded over them with troubled brow and restless fingers.
As yet she had said little to David. She had resolved not to be
left alone with him if she could prevent it, although she felt that
it was only delaying a sure occurrence. If he had been arrogant or
assuming, as at the last time she saw him, she felt that things would
have been easier for her; but he was cordial without assumption and
genial without familiarity. He had rarely, she thought, appeared in so
attractive a light--and yet--and yet--Polly knew that she had no love
to give him, that she never could have any love for him again. Had he
killed it by his faithless behavior, or had she never loved him? She
could not tell. If there had been any real love in her heart for David
Collins, of this she was confident, none of it was left. Still, she
dreaded to tell him so. She vowed there in the silence of her room that
she would not let herself be led into a position from which there was
no escape.
Early after breakfast David had proposed going down to Overlook but
Polly had excused herself for lack of time. Lilith, promptly taking
her cue from Polly, had many duties which must be performed at once,
and so on. Mrs. Daybill would gladly have accepted the invitation, but
was unwilling to go unless one of the girls would be of the party. So
it came about that Dr. Abbe and David went off in the car alone. Polly
hoped fervently that they would not return before noon. She chided
herself for her attitude towards David, yet she was unable to bring her
mind to any dearer feeling for him than kindliness.
Finally she rose and was putting away her mended garments when the
purring of a motor car caught her ear. Drawing a little sigh she
speeded her work and started towards the front window. Short of it she
halted. That car was not hers. She watched it round the corner--Was
that--? It was! “Nita!” she whispered joyously and flew down the
stairs.