CHAPTER XXXIII--THE THINGS ABOVE GROUND
Higgins let him in, and across the room Blair saw the figure of theactress against the light of the long window. Her back was to him as hecame up, and though she knew who it was, she was far from dreaming howdifferent a man it was that came in to see her this morning from the oneshe had known.
"Won't you turn around and bid me good-by?" he asked her. "I'm goingaway."
She gave him a languid hand without looking at him.
"Has Higgins gone?"
"Yes. Won't you turn round and say how-de-do, and good-by? Gosh," hecried as she turned, "how pale you are, darling." And he took her in hisarms.
The vision he had had of her in her coral-colored dress at Maxim's gaveplace to the more radiant one which had shone on him in his curiousdream.
"Are you very ill?" he murmured. "Speak to me--tell me--are you going todie?"
"Don't be a goose, boy."
"I've had a wire from Ruggles," Dan said; "he tells me it's true. I havenothing but my own feet to stand on, and I'm as poor as Job's turkey."Looking at her impressively, he added, "I only mind because it will behard on you."
"Hard on me?"
"Yes, you'll have to start poor. Mother did with father, out there inMontana. It will be rough at first, but others have done it and beenhappy, and we've got each other." The eyes fixed on her were as blue asthe summer skies. "Money's a darned poor thing to buy happiness with,Letty. It didn't buy me a thing fit to keep, that's the truth. I'venever been so gay since I was born as I am to-day. Why, I feel," hesaid, and would have stretched out his arms, only he held her with them,"like a king. Later I'll have money again, all right--don't fret--and thenI'll know its worth. I'll bet you weren't all unhappy there in Blairtownbefore you turned the heads of all those Johnnies." He put one handagainst her cheek and lifted her drooping head. "Lean on me,sweetheart," he said with great tenderness. "It will be all right."
A coral color stole along her cheek: it rose like a sweet tide under hishand. She looked at him, fascinated.
"It's not a real tragedy," he went on. "I've got my letter of credit,and old Ruggles will let me hang on to that, and you'll find the motorcars and jewels will look like thirty cents when we stand in the door ofour little shack and look out at the Value Mine." He lifted her hand tohis lips, held it there, and the spark ignited in her; his youth andconfidence, his force and passion, woke a woman in Letty Lane that hadnever lived before that hour.
He murmured: "I'll be there with you, darling--night and day--night andday!" He brought his bright face close to hers.
She found breath to say, "What has happened to you, Dan--what?"
"I don't know," he gravely replied. "I guess I came up pretty closeagainst it last night; things got into their right places, and then andthere I knew you were the girl for me, and I the man for you, rich orpoor."
He kissed her and she passively received his caresses, so passively, sowithout making him any sign, that his magnificent assurance began to beshaken--his arms fell from her.
"It's quite true," he murmured, "I am poor."
She led him to the lounge and made him sit down by her. He waited forher to speak, but she remained silent, her eyes fixed on her frailhands, ringless--tears forced themselves under her eyelids, but she keptthem back.
"I guess," she said in a veiled tone, "you've no idea all I've beenthrough, Dan, since I stood there in the church choir."
American though he was, and down on foreign customs--he wouldn't fight aduel--he got down on his knees and put his arms around her from there.
"I know what you are, all right, Letty. You are an angel."
She gave way and burst into tears and hid her face on his shoulder, andsobbed.
"I believe you do--I believe you do. You've saved my soul and my life.I'll go with you--I'll go--I'll go!"
* * * * *
Later she told him how she would learn to cook and sew, and thattogether they would stand in the door of their shack at sunset, or thatshe would stand and watch for him to come home; and, the actress in herstrong, she sprang up for a minute and stood shielding her eyes with herslender hand to show him how. And he gazed, charmed at her, and drew herback to him again.
"You've made dad's words come true." Dan wouldn't tell her what theywere--he said she wouldn't understand. "I nearly had to die to learn themmyself," he said.
She leaned toward him, a slight shadow crossed her face as if memorieslaid a darkling wing for a moment there. Such shadows must have passed,for she kissed him of her own accord on the lips and without a sigh.
Side by side they sat for a long time. Higgins softly opened a door, sawthem, and stepped back, unheard.
Ruggles came in, and his steps in the soft carpet made no sound; and helooked at the pair long and tenderly before he spoke. They sat therebefore him like children, holding hands.
Letty Lane's hat lay on the floor. Her hair was a halo around her pale,charming face; she had caught youth from the boy, she was laughing likea girl--they were making plans. And as the subject was Love, and therewas no money in the question, and as there was sacrifice on the part ofeach, it is safe to think that old Dan Blair's son was planning topurchase those things that stay above ground and persist in the heartsof us all.
THE END
The Girl From His Town Page 33