AN UNEXPECTED CALLER
"'And if I do say it as shouldn't,' this room is a credit to our college
and our own sweet native land," proclaimed Elfreda, as she viewed with
critical eyes the long cheerful living-room, to which she and Grace had
just put the final touches. The morning sunshine of a perfect midsummer
day poured in at the windows flooding the scene with dazzling light, as
though smiling its approval of the pretty room. The walls and ceilings
were papered in cream color with a running border of green leaves. The
floor rug was in two shades of green, and the window draperies were in
green and white. The furniture was in mission oak, but there were
several comfortable arm chairs and willow rockers scattered about the
room. A long library table took up considerable space at one end of the
room, and conveniently near it were rows of book shelves, lined with
special books required by the Overton curriculum of study, which, in
price, were out of reach of the more impecunious students, and were in
such constant demand at the library that their temporary possession
often meant weeks of waiting.
There was a piano, of course, but the crowning feature of the room,
however, was the wide window seat built across the bow-window at its
upper end. It was at least four feet wide, upholstered in thick green
velvet and piled high with sofa pillows. It was indeed a cozy corner
which invited rest, and Elfreda confidently predicted that it would be
the most popular spot in the house.
The house itself had not followed the usual plan of modern architecture.
In fact, it was distinctly old-fashioned and built for room rather than
effect. The hall ran the length of the house to the kitchen, dividing it
into two parts. The dining-room was on the side opposite the
living-room, and had also a bow-window. Directly behind it lay the
servants' quarters. Adjoining the living-room was Grace's little office
and behind that was a room furnished with every convenience for the
benefit of those girls who were obliged to launder their own clothing to
save expense.
The second, third and fourth floors were, with the exception of Grace's
suite, given up entirely to bedrooms, of which there were sixteen. This
meant the accommodation of thirty-two students for whom the perplexing
problem of food and shelter was solved for their entire four years'
course at Overton, provided they complied with the rules of Harlowe
House.
"Doesn't it seem wonderful, Elfreda, that through Mrs. Gray's generosity
the girls who come here will be free from the dreadful worry of paying
board? All they will have to look out for is their regular college fees,
and if they happen to be lucky enough to enter Overton on scholarships
they will have absolutely plain sailing." Grace's face was alight with
appreciation of Mrs. Gray's gift.
"What a pity Ruth Denton couldn't have had such a chance," mused
Elfreda. "Poor little Ruth, how hard she worked."
"And now she has everything," returned Grace. "It seems miraculous that
she found her father, doesn't it?"
Elfreda nodded. "Arline Thayer was good to her those first three years.
Do you remember the ridiculous quarrel they had because Ruth wouldn't
tell us what she was like when she was a little girl?"
"I ought to remember it, considering the fact that I officiated as peace
maker," smiled Grace. "How I shall miss Arline. There is only one other
girl, outside of you and Miriam and Anne, whom I shall miss as much."
"Emma Dean?" guessed Elfreda.
"Yes, Emma Dean. I can't begin to tell you how fond of her I am and
always have been. She was the life of Wayne Hall. Mrs. Elwood was
sighing fond remembrance of her only this morning. Really, Elfreda, I
wonder if, ever again, there will be a class quite like 19--?"
"Never," declared Elfreda with quick loyalty, then, glancing up at the
mission clock on the wall, she exclaimed: "I wonder why Mrs. Gray
doesn't come! Let's go out on the veranda and watch for her."
The two young women strolled out onto the veranda just in time to see an
automobile drive up to the house containing two persons. One of them was
Mrs. Gray, the other, to whom she was talking animatedly, was a
broad-shouldered young man, whose gray eyes shone with pleasure as he
caught sight of Grace.
"Why, Tom!" she called in astonishment. "Where did you come from? I
thought you were away up in Maine." She hurried down the steps, her
hands extended.
The young man caught them in his and held them fast. "So I was," he
answered, his eyes searching hers, "but my work there is done for the
present. I am on my way to Washington, but it's a roundabout way, for,
when I received your letter, I was devoured with curiosity to see
Harlowe House, so I took a day off, on my own responsibility, and came
this way."
Grace colored under the young man's ardent gaze. She knew only too well
that it was not alone curiosity to see Harlowe House that had taken Tom
out of his way. "I'm sorry your curiosity didn't devour you sooner," she
retorted mischievously. "If only you had come here last week! You could
have made yourself invaluable. However, you are in time to meet Elfreda,
at least."
"Yes, Tom," declared his aunt, "you can't afford to miss knowing
Elfreda. She is the counterpart of Hippy, and has kept Grace and I in a
perpetual state of smiles during the past two weeks."
Tom helped his aunt out of the automobile and the three walked slowly
toward the veranda where Elfreda stood waiting. A moment later she and
Tom were shaking hands and declaring that, having heard so much of each
other from Grace, they were really old acquaintances.
"When are you going home?" Tom asked, as half an hour later, the party
paused in the living-room after a tour of inspection which included the
four floors.
"That is the main subject under discussion at present," smiled Grace.
"It must be very soon. If not to-morrow, then the day after. Here we are
fairly into August and I have spent a very short time with Father and
Mother. Then, too, the Phi Sigma Tau has a great many mysterious rites
to observe before two of its members enter into that state known as
matrimony. Also we expect Eleanor Savelli soon. She and her father and
aunt are going to be at 'Heartease' for two or three months. Mabel
Allison and her mother are coming east, and the Southards are coming
home with Anne when their motion-picture work in California is done. I
could go on naming plenty of other reasons, but those are the really
important ones."
"I should say they were important ones," agreed Tom. "It sounds as
though there were to be some lively times in Oakdale. I'm going to try
to make my vacation cover the weddings. I can't allow the Originals to
get married, celebrate or jollificate without me."
"Oh, Tom, will you really?" cried Grace with enthusiasm. "I'll let you
know the moment the date of the girls' weddings is set."
"Can you stay over until to-morrow, Tom?" asked Mrs. Gray. "Then we can
go back to Oakdale on the late afternoon train."
"I'm afraid not, Aunt Rose, I'm a day late now. I'll have to take the
night train for Washington. Let me see." He drew a time table from his
coat pocket. "There is a train out of Overton at nine o'clock to-night.
I'm due to catch it. But I'm going to take you all to dinner at the
Tourraine and we are going for a drive afterward which will end at the
station, where you will all see me on my desolate way. Are there any
objections?"
"Nothing but delighted acceptances, my dear boy," assured his aunt,
glancing fondly at her big, good-looking nephew. "I'll venture to answer
for the girls, too."
"We'll come to Tom's dinner party, provided he has luncheon with us,"
stipulated Grace. "It's almost noon now. Mrs. Elwood will have luncheon
ready at one. You'd better come with us, Tom. We are going to have
strawberry shortcake with whipped cream, for dessert."
"You couldn't lose me," asserted Tom with slangy emphasis. "Shall I go
on ahead and telephone for a car, Aunt Rose?"
"No, I'll walk to Wayne Hall with you children," decided Mrs. Gray.
"I wonder if there is anything else to be done," murmured Grace,
surveying the living-room with anxious eyes. "Oh, my motto. It must hang
directly above the archway."
"Where is it?" asked Elfreda. "We have time to put it up before we go to
luncheon, and plenty of skilled laborers." She cast a laughing glance at
Tom.
"It isn't made yet," confessed Grace. "Eva Allen's brother, who is an
artist, is illuminating one for me."
"What is your motto, Grace?" asked Tom interestedly.
"'Blessed are they that have found their work,'" repeated Grace, her
eyes on the spot where she intended the precious motto to hang. Mrs.
Gray had walked on into the hall, so there was only one pair of eyes to
see the sudden tightening of Tom's lips and the look of wistfulness
which crept into his face, and that pair of eyes belonged to Elfreda.
"He cares a whole lot more for Grace than she cares for him," was
Elfreda's quick appraisal. "At heart, Grace is still a little girl, and
will be for a long time to come. I hope when she does wake up it won't
be another prince who will do the awakening."