Betty's New Friends.
Betty's hand trembled as she took off the receiver of the phone at
the Mission Home. She gave the number of Dr. Cadman's office. After
all these years she was going to speak with this friend, her ideal of
manhood.
"Is this Dr. Cadman?" she asked of the pleasant "Hello."
"It is," came the answer.
"This is Betty Emmit," replied Betty in dignified tones. "I just
arrived in Brooklyn yesterday."
"Why, Betty," came in jovial tones. "I'm real glad to hear your voice.
Where are you anyway?"
"At Mission Headquarters. Could you come over to see me?"
"Not until about eight this evening. Will that do?"
"Yes," returned Betty delightedly. "By then I will know just what I'm
going to do."
"Very well. Tonight at eight. Good-bye, Betty."
"Good-bye, Dr. Cadman," was returned.
Betty hung up the receiver, with a great happiness filling her girlish
heart. New York didn't seem lonesome after all!
"So you have a friend in New York?" pleasantly asked President Gladder,
from his desk where he sat writing.
"O yes, a friend who is going to help me with my missionary work."
"Tell me about him," said the mission president, and he listened
thoughtfully to Betty's story of her friendship with Dr. Cadman.
"Sounds good," he declared, smiling as she finished her recital, "But
don't forget the missionary rules. Whenever he takes you, along goes
your companion. Perhaps you would like to know who your companion is to
be? I have decided that Dell Siegler and you would be just about suited
to one another."
"O, I'm so glad," exclaimed Betty. "We did so hope that we could be
companions."
President Gladder had a way of beaming on the young people, when he had
made them happy.
"That's good," he returned happily. "Now, Betty, you can be a great
power in the mission field, if you put your whole mind and soul on your
work."
"I will, President Gladder," promised Betty seriously.
"I want you to labor in New York for about one month. This Dr. Cadman,
will doubtless make it easy for you to be introduced there. After that,
you and your companion must go to Boston. So make the most of your one
month here and get a room in New York as soon as possible." And with
a kindly nod of dismissal, President Gladder resumed his writing, and
Betty left the room.
"Only one month in New York!" she thought with disappointment. "Well,
Betty, you're out for work, not pleasure," she said to herself, bravely.
That evening at eight o'clock, Dr. Cadman, called.
Betty never forgot the delight of that first interview. He was so kind
to her and so delighted with everything at the Mission Home. She felt
very proud as she introduced him to the president and his family, for
Dr. Cadman was strikingly attractive, and she could see that President
Gladder took an instant liking to him.
For about an hour they chatted and then on going, the arrangement was
made for Betty and her companion to meet Dr. Cadman the following day,
and he would help them to find a place to live.
That night Betty retired with a heart full of thankfulness--for just
exactly what, she couldn't say herself.
"You look beamingly happy," remarked Dell, as they undressed to retire.
"I feel so," returned Betty brightly.
When the light was out, and Dell fast asleep, Betty lay awake for a
long time, watching the moon slowly rise over the housetops.
"He's just more wonderful than ever!" she declared to herself. "I must
think of my mission, though, and not of him. I wonder--" and there
Betty left off her thinking and sank into a sweet dreamy rest.
*****
The next day, Betty and Dell met Dr. Cadman, as appointed--at his
office.
"Now, girls," he said, happily, after greetings were exchanged, "I'm
going to take you right up to a friend of mine. I telephoned to her
this morning that you were coming, and maybe she knows of a place for
you."
Driving along Fifth avenue and Riverside Drive, in Dr. Cadman's
machine, made New York appear very different from the view presented to
the girls when coming out of the Hudson terminal into crowded streets.
The city seemed to Betty a most wonderfully attractive place at this
stage of her experience.
At last they drew up in front of Edith's home, a beautiful house in the
West Eighties.
As they entered and Dr. Cadman introduced them to Edith Esterbrook,
both girls felt slightly embarrassed at the strangeness of this New
York home.
"It's all so grand and formal," thought Betty.
But Edith soon had the girls feeling quite at ease, entering into their
plans and work with real interest.
"So you are looking for a home for one month?" asked Edith kindly.
"Just one room," answered Betty shyly. "Do you know anyone with a
house-keeping room we could rent?"
Edith and Dr. Cadman exchanged smiles.
"I can't say I do," returned Edith amused. "None of my friends rent
rooms. But I'm going to ask you both to spend a month here,--as my
visitors. Of course, you'll be busy all the time, I know, but you may
come and go as you wish, and you'll feel you have a home to come to
instead of a stranger's house."
"Do you really mean it?" exclaimed Betty, forgetting her shyness, and
becoming her old bright, impulsive self.
Dell looked happy, but rather doubtful.
"Betty, it's awfully kind of Miss Esterbrook, but don't you think that
we ought to have it harder?"
At this, Dr. Cadman and Edith laughed heartily.
"My dears, you'll have all the hardships you wish before you get
through. Just take the sunshine while you can get it--and then, you
know, I want you to tell us all about 'Mormonism,' and my friends, too.
It will take almost a month to tell everyone that I introduce you to."
Dr. Cadman was not much surprised at Edith's offer. He was accustomed
to having her do what her friends called "odd." Only a month ago, she
housed three Salvation Army lassies for a week.
Betty's eyes shone with enthusiasm.
"Dear Sister Esterbrook," she said, "we will come and be so glad to.
And if we can bring you the gospel, I know that you will be more than
repaid for your kindness--our religion is the greatest thing in the
world--the greatest joy that we could bring anyone!"
Edith gazed at the earnest girl before her, and then, rising, took both
her hands lovingly,
"New York needs just such girls as you," she said kindly. "I see your
religion is a vital one. Yes, I know that we will be friends. Let Dr.
Cadman take you home; get what things you need, and come back tonight."
Dr. Cadman looked on with a studious smile.
"I knew that you'd be a real friend, Edith, but hardly expected this."
Then, more lightly he turned to the missionaries. "You don't realize
just how lucky you are, girls, to have Edith Esterbrook as your
hostess. Come, we'll carry the good news to President Gladder."
So Betty found herself driving home, with a still lighter heart, and
happier thoughts.
Her mission! O, what a joy--no sacrifice as yet!
*****