Virgie Makes a Home for Herself.
"William," cried Lady Linton, springing excitedly to her feet, the
document which had caused her so much joy but a moment before dropping
unheeded on the table beside her. "What brings you home in this
unceremonious manner? Are you ill? Has anything happened?"
"Am I ill? Yes, by heart is broken—dying within me. Has anything
happened? My wife is lost to me forever!" he cried, in a hollow tone, as
he sank weakly into a chair and groaned aloud.
"What can I do for you? Let me call John to remove your boots and bring
you dry clothing," his sister said, thoroughly alarmed by his appearance;
and suiting the action to her words, she rang for the butler.
John came, and attended to his master's wants with alacrity. Wood was
piled upon the already cheerful fire, something hot was provided the
traveler to drink, and Lady Linton soon had the satisfaction of seeing
something like warmth and life stealing into her brother's haggard face.
She understood at once that he must have been nearly crushed upon
receiving the document which she had sent him, and that he had immediately
started for home. He must have been taken ill on the way and been detained
else he would have been there before, and she could imagine how he would
chafe over the delay, and how heart-sick he had grown over the fact of
being too late to stay the proceedings for the divorce.
She dreaded to have him know that the die was irrevocably cast, although
his own words had told her that he apprehended it; but she absolutely
feared the first passionate outbreak when she should give him those other
papers that had but just arrived.
When he began to grow more calm, and to realize the comfort of being once
more before his own hearthstone Lady Linton stole softly away to confer
with the housekeeper about preparing him something specially tempting for
his supper.
She was absent perhaps fifteen minutes, and was about to return to him,
when she was startled by a heavy fall on the floor above her.
Her heart told her what had caused it, and she hurried up stairs with all
the speed that fear could lend to her feet, and burst into the library, to
find her brother stretched lifeless upon the floor, an open paper clutched
tightly in his hand, while John, the faithful butler, was bending over him
in an agony of terror.
"Send for Sir Herbert Randal at once, then come back to me," commanded her
ladyship, as she stooped to lift her brother's head to place a cushion
under it and loosen his necktie.
John sped to do her bidding, and during his absence Lady Linton succeeded
in removing that tell-tale document from Sir William's hand, and locking
it away from all inquisitive eyes; for her first thought was that there
must be no scandal over the affair.
Few knew of his marriage. She had persisted in keeping still about it, in
spite of all his orders to the contrary, and after his return from his
fruitless search for Virgie, he had been far too sensitive upon the
subject to talk of it himself, and thus almost everybody believed him to
be still a single man. Hence Lady Linton's anxiety that nothing should be
known regarding the divorce.
When John returned to her she summoned other servants and had Sir William
carried to his own rooms, where she and the housekeeper applied all
remedies that were at hand to revive him.
When the physician arrived he had recovered from his swoon, but was in a
raging fever, and wild with delirium.
Sir Herbert pronounced his illness to be brain fever of a serious type,
and Lady Linton knew, from the grave look on the wise man's face, that he
had but very little hope of his recovery.
* * * * *
When Virgie left the hotel on the morning after Mr. Eldridge requested her
to vacate her rooms, she drove to a quiet street, where she engaged
lodgings for a few days, until she could arrange her plans for the future.
She then gave notice at the bank where her money was deposited that she
should draw it all on a certain date. As soon as she received it she
purchased a ticket for San Francisco, and a week from the time of
receiving Lady Linton's cruel letter she was rolling over the Central
Pacific Railroad toward her former home, intent upon only one
purpose—that of gaining indisputable proof of her lawful marriage, in
order to shield her child from wrong and shame.
She reached a small town only a few miles from her old home among the
mountains, and then sent a messenger for Chi Lu to come to her.
He came at once, glad to do anything for the "young missee" whom he had
served for years, and learned to regard with great affection.
Virgie felt sure that she could safely confide in him, so she told him
something of her trouble, and asked him to help her gather the proofs of
her marriage.
He proved himself very efficient in this respect, and was only too eager
to secure justice for her.
After all was done, and she had the precious papers in her own hands, she
would have paid him handsomely and sent him hack to the mountains again.
But he threw at her feet the money she offered him, and begged to be
allowed to go with her wherever she went—to let him work for her and the
"little missee," as he used to in the old days before she went away. "He
did not want any money—only let him have a little rice and curry, and a
mat to sleep on, and he would serve her as long as she needed him."
Virgie was moved to tears by this evidence of his faithfulness, and,
though she had not thought of such a thing before, it suddenly occurred to
her that it might be a wise proceeding on her part to grant his request.
She knew that he was entirely trustworthy; he was very capable in many
ways, and she was sure she should feel a sense of security and protection
with him that she could not experience to go alone into a strange place,
and have to depend entirely upon herself.
"I should like to have you, Chi," she said, thoughtfully, "but I am afraid
it would be hardly fair to you, for I haven't a great deal of money, and I
shall have to be very economical."
Chi Lu's little round black eyes flashed at this. "<i>He</i> takee monee too?"
he demanded, with contemptuous emphasis on the pronoun.
Virgie flushed. She could not bear, from another, the slightest reference
to the wrong she had suffered.
"How much monee?" the man hastened to add, as he saw that she was
troubled.
"I have a little over four thousand dollars," Virgie replied, thinking it
best to fully confide in him.
Her bills had been heavy in New York, and it had taken the most of one
thousand dollars out of the five thousand that Sir William had deposited
for her, to settle them.
Chi Lu gave a grunt of delight at the information.
"Good! missee live long. Chi Lu know how; he fix 'em," he said, with an
air of confidence that was reassuring and Virgie believed that he would
indeed make a better steward of her limited means than she could possibly
be with her inexperience, so she resolved to trust him, and told him that
he should go with her if he wished.
The next question to settle was regarding a place of residence, and she
finally decided, after talking the matter over with her servant, that she
would be less conspicuous in some large city, and as there was no place
she knew so well as San Francisco, she resolved to once more make her home
in that city.
These matters decided, Chi Lu went back to the mountains to dispose of his
cabin and settle up his affairs, and when he rejoined his young mistress,
they proceeded directly to San Francisco, where the Chinaman soon
succeeded in securing three very comfortable rooms in a quiet and good
locality.
Virgie furnished these simply, though prettily, and, when all was
completed, really felt quite at home, and as if she had at last found a
haven of safety.
There was a small parlor and bedroom for her own use, a tiny kitchen, with
a good-sized closet opening out of it, which was allotted exclusively to
Chi Lu.
Virgie soon found that she had indeed done wisely to take her old servant
again into her employ, for he managed everything in a most economical and
comfortable way, while she realized that if she had been obliged to depend
wholly upon herself and have the care of her little one besides, her
strength and courage would have both failed her in a little while.
The younger Lady of Heathdale demanded a great deal of attention during
that first year of her life, and, being wholly unaccustomed to children,
Virgie found the care a great tax upon her.
They had been in San Francisco some three months, when Chi Lu proposed to
Virgie to go into business for himself.
He told her that he had not half enough to do to keep busy; there was a
large unoccupied room adjoining the building they were in, which he could
secure for a moderate rent, and he desired to set up the laundry business.
He wanted to employ two or three of his countrymen to do the work, while
he simply had charge of it, which he could easily do and attend to his
duties with her at the same time.
Virgie willingly consented to this arrangement, never once suspecting that
it was a plan on the part of Chi Lu to obtain funds to contribute toward
her support when her own resources should fail. She knew that the
little which he consented to receive from her was but a small
compensation for the services he rendered her, and she was very glad to
have him make something for himself.
Thus in the course of time the faithful Chinaman established quite a
thrifty business, while his face would light up and his small eyes gleam
with satisfaction as he gathered in the dollars day by day, and he might
have been heard from time to time to mutter, with a gleeful chuckle:
"Good! Muche monee for missee and little missee by'm-by!"
But, as Virgie's baby grew older and capable of amusing herself somewhat,
time began to hang heavily on the young mother's hands.
Her sorrow was one that could not be easily out-grown and sometimes life
seemed a burden almost too heavy to be borne. Day after day her heart
cried out in rebellion against her lonely bitter lot; night after night
her pillow was wet with scalding tears, as for hours she lay weeping for
the love that she had lost.
She began to realize at last that her health was suffering from such
constant grieving, and that she must find something to occupy her time
more fully and take her thoughts from herself, or she would soon break
down beneath such severe mental strain.
It was after a day of unusual depression and sadness that she took up the
evening paper and began carelessly to glance over the columns.
Suddenly her eyes lighted upon an advertisement.
It stated that a well-known publishing house of that city offered a prize
of three hundred dollars for the most unique and tasteful design for a
Christmas souvenir. It described what was required, mentioned the
conditions of its acceptance, and the time when the designs of all
competitors must be delivered.
Virgie was interested at once.
"Why, cannot I do something of that kind?" she murmured "Papa used to say
that I was remarkably skillful in making pen-and-ink sketches, and why
should I not turn, my talent to some account? If I should succeed it would
not only give me something with which to occupy my time, but perhaps
enable me to earn for the future; my money is not going to last so very
long, in spite of all Chi Lu's economy."
The idea pleased her, and she set about putting it into practice at once.
During the next three months she applied herself diligently and as she
worked she became deeply interested in her occupation. Almost immediately
there was a change for the better in her health and general appearance Her
eye brightened, the lassitude that pervaded her movements disappeared and
something of her old energy returned to her.
She wasted no more time in useless brooding and pining; less tears were
shed at night, for, wearied with her close application to her work during
the day, sleep stole her senses and wrapped her in healthful rest.
At the time appointed for all competitors to send in their designs, Virgie
was ready to subject her work to criticism.
She had made three designs, each differing in style and character from the
others, but all so attractive that she felt almost sure they would bring
her some return, even if she was not the fortunate winner of the prize.
Besides these, she had been hard at work upon an idea of her own, which
she intended to show the publisher, hoping to win his approbation and
assistance in bringing it before the public.
Dressing herself plainly, but with taste, she started out one morning with
her treasures, and presenting herself at the publishing house referred to,
asked to see the proprietor.
The gentlemanly clerk led her to a private office, where she found a
pleasant-looking, elderly gentleman who regarded her a trifle curiously,
but greeted her courteously, and then politely asked her business with
him.
"Some time ago I saw an advertisement in your name, relating to Christmas
souvenirs," Virgie began, "and as this is the date on which they were
required to be delivered I have brought my contribution for your
inspection."
The gentleman bowed, but hesitated a moment before replying.
Virgie's manner and language told him that she was a lady, and he did not
like to say anything to wound her; but the advertisement to which she
referred had distinctly stated that competitors were, under no
consideration to expect a personal interview regarding their
contributions. They were either to be sent by mail or left at the office
until an examination by the proprietor should decide who the fortunate
winner of the prize might be.
"Ah!" he began, "I understand you desire to leave the specimens of your
work with me."
Virgie flushed, for his tone was rather frigid. Then she recovered
herself, and her face lighted with her rare, beautiful smile, which went
directly to the publisher's heart.
"Yes, sir," she answered, laying a package upon his desk. "Of course I
understand that I am not to expect a private examination of my work. I had
no intention of annoying you with the matter. I am willing to take my
chance with others. But there is another matter upon which I would like to
consult with you if you can spare me a little time."
She now drew forth a more bulky package from her bag.
"Some manuscript, perhaps, which you would like examined?" responded the
gentleman, glancing at it, but speaking indifferently.
"No, not manuscript according to the common acceptation of the term; and
yet, in reality, I suppose it is."
"Can you not leave it with me? I will look at it with pleasure later;" but
his tone was not very encouraging.
"I should prefer not to do so, because there is not very much time between
now and Christmas, and if you do not approve of it I shall like to take it
elsewhere," Virgie replied, untying the dainty ribbon which bound her
package, and, removing the wrapper, she laid before him a little book
about eight inches square and comprising some twenty or thirty pages.
It was composed of half sheets of the heaviest and nicest of unruled
paper, tied together in three places with beautiful little cords and
tassels of pale-blue silk.
On the cover, in a lovely design composed of mountain ferns, most
exquisitely executed, there was written, in a dainty hand, the
title—"Gleanings from the Heights."
The gentleman uttered a low exclamation of pleasure as his eye fell upon
this.
His attention was riveted; there was no indifference in his manner now.