CHAPTER IX
THE MOST WONDERFUL THING IN THE WORLD
NELSON HALLOWELL had something on his mind. Ruth had discovered itearly in the evening. They had all gone over to Peggy's, and therehad been the usual amount of talk and laughter, but Nelson had hardlyspoken. Every time she looked in his direction, Ruth found his eyesupon her, and something in his manner said as plainly as words couldhave told it, that he was only waiting to get her alone to impart someconfidence of more than ordinary importance. Ruth was not in the leastinclined to be self-conscious, but for some reason his unwaveringregard made her nervous. She was glad when the clock struck ten and shecould take her leave.
Though Graham had lingered for a little talk with Peggy, and Nelsonand Ruth had the sidewalk to themselves, the young man seemed in nohurry to relieve his mind. Instead he walked at Ruth's side apparentlyabsorbed in thought. Ruth, waiting, half amused and half vexed by hisair of preoccupation, pinched her lips tightly shut as she resolved notto be the first to break the silence.
At the door of her home Nelson suddenly roused himself. "May I come infor a little while, Ruth?"
"Of course, Nelson. It's Friday. No classes to-morrow."
"There's something I want to talk to you about," he said, and followedher indoors with an air of summoning his resolution. As Ruth turned onthe lights in the living room, he drew a letter from his pocket andhanded it to her. "I'd like to have you read that."
Ruth seated herself by the drop light, and drew out the enclosure. Itwas folded so that her eye fell at once on the signature. "Why," sheexclaimed, "that's the nice soldier you got acquainted with in thehospital."
"Yes. The fellow from Oklahoma, you know."
Ruth unfolded the letter and began to read. Immediately her expressionunderwent a noticeable change. One would have said that the letterannoyed her, though when at length she lifted her eyes and met Nelson'sexpectant look, she was laughing. "Did you ever hear of anything soabsurd!" she exclaimed.
Nelson cleared his throat. "If you look at it in one way, it's quite anunusual chance. You see he's willing to take me without any capital--"
"I don't know what he ever saw in you to make him think you'd makea ranchman," Ruth exclaimed. "I can't imagine you as a cowboy. Isuppose," she added excusingly, "that he's always been used to anout-door life and it seems rather dreadful to him for any one to beshut up in a book-store."
"It is rather dreadful."
Ruth gave a little start. For a moment she was under an impressionthat she had not heard Nelson aright, or else that he was joking.And yet his voice had no suggestion of humor. It was hoarse andcuriously intense, and as she looked at him, she saw that his face wasunnaturally flushed.
"Why, Nelson," she cried, "What are you talking about? You can't meanthat you don't like your work."
Nelson looked at her appealingly. Without realizing it, Ruth had spokenin a rather peremptory fashion, and at once his sensitive face showedhis fear of having offended her.
"I used to think I liked it, Ruth."
"Used to! Why, Nelson--"
"But now it's like being in a strait jacket. I don't see how any fellowwho was in the service can ever get back to standing behind a counterand be satisfied."
Again Ruth noticed the curious intensity of his manner. She looked atthe letter lying upon the table with a feeling of irritation she didnot stop to analyze.
"Nelson, you don't mean you want to take that offer? You wouldn'treally like to go to Oklahoma, would you? Why it's the jumping-offplace."
He sat looking at the floor. "I wanted to know what you thought," hemurmured.
"I'd hate to say all I thought. Why, Nelson, I don't believe it's everoccurred to you what it would mean to your mother." Ruth herself hadnot thought of Mrs. Hallowell until that instant, and she made up forher tardiness by speaking very earnestly. "It would simply kill her tohave you off at the ends of the earth."
"Mother's pretty game, you know." Nelson smiled as if recallingsomething that had pleased him particularly. "She says she wouldn'tmind a bit living in Oklahoma."
Ruth swallowed hard. Something in his reminiscent smile added to hervexation.
"I should think you would know better than to take her seriously. She'ddie of homesickness. But of course, if you've really set your heart ongoing thousands of miles away from all your friends, I wouldn't want toput anything in your way."
"Ruth, you know I don't mean that." He looked rather bewildered at herinjustice. "I haven't answered the letter. I just wanted to know whatyou thought about it."
"Well, I think the whole thing is absurd. I suppose you are a littlerestless after your army life, but you'll get over that."
"I suppose I will," Nelson acknowledged. He was so humble about itthat Ruth promptly forgave him for having given favorable considerationto the offer of his friend in Oklahoma, and was her usual pleasant selfduring the remainder of his stay.
As far as Nelson was concerned, the matter was dropped, but unluckilyfor Ruth's peace of mind Peggy was yet to be heard from. The next daywas Saturday and Peggy dropped in soon after breakfast.
"Ruth, what was the matter with Nelson last evening? I never knewanybody to be so quiet. I was afraid that perhaps something was saidthat hurt his feelings. He's such a sensitive fellow."
"No indeed, Peggy. It wasn't anything particular." Ruth hesitated,uncertain whether to let it go at that, or to explain the situationin full. Her life-long habit of confiding in Peggy proved more thana match for her undefined hesitation, and she went on to tell of theletter from Oklahoma with its preposterous offer. She finished with alittle contemptuous laugh, but Peggy's face was grave.
"Did he want to go, Ruth?"
"Why, he--well, it seems, Peggy, that since he got out of the servicehe's been sort of restless. He got so used to outdoor life that hedoesn't enjoy indoor work. But I tell him he'll get over that."
"I suppose," said the downright Peggy, looking straight at her friend,"that you feel that you wouldn't want to live in Oklahoma."
Ruth jumped. Then as the blood rushed tingling to the roots of herhair, she turned on Peggy a look of intense indignation.
"Peggy Raymond, what on earth are you talking about?"
Peggy sat without replying and Ruth continued vehemently, "Of courseI like Nelson Hallowell; like him very much. I consider him one of myvery best friends. But that's all. The very idea of your talking asif--"
"I suppose," said Peggy, as Ruth came to a halt, "you'd miss him if hewent out West."
Ruth brightened. "Yes, that's just it. I'd miss him terribly. I reallythink he's one of the nicest boys I ever knew, and for all he's soquiet, we have dandy times together. But as for anything else--"
"Don't you think," suggested Peggy, as Ruth halted again, "that itseems a little bit unfair to interfere with Nelson's future, justbecause you like to have him dropping in every day or two and becauseit's convenient to have an escort whenever you want to go somewhere?"
Ruth found herself incapable of replying. She sat staring at Peggy witha resentment that she could not have concealed if she had tried. AndPeggy, quite unmoved by her friend's indignation, continued judicially,"If you were going to marry Nelson, you would have a perfect right tohelp decide where he should be located. But it's considerable of aresponsibility to persuade him to turn down an offer like that, justbecause you're afraid you're going to miss him if he goes away."
Ruth found her voice. "Nelson Hallowell can do exactly as he pleases.He asked my advice and I gave it, but he doesn't have to take it unlesshe wants to."
"That's not fair, Ruth. However you feel about it, you know perfectlywell that Nelson wants to please you more than anything in the world.And besides, when a friend asks you your advice, you're supposed tothink of what is best for him and not of what you want yourself."
"Really, Peggy," said Ruth rather witheringly, "as long as Nelson issatisfied with my advice, I can't see that any one else need take it toheart."
Peggy colored. It was a fact that,
relying on long intimacy andclose friendship, she had said more to Ruth than she would have beenjustified in saying to another girl. "Excuse me, Ruth," she answeredquickly. "I'm afraid I was rather interfering."
The effect of this apology was peculiar. Ruth burst into tears. "Oh,don't, Peggy," she sobbed. "Don't act as if it wasn't any business ofyours what I did."
"I'm afraid," owned Peggy, "that I'm too much inclined to thinkeverything you do is my business."
"No, you're not. We're just the same as sisters. And it would kill meif you washed your hands of me."
Peggy burst into a reassuring laugh. "Small danger of that, dearie.I'm likely to remain Meddlesome Peggy to the end of the chapter, as faras you're concerned. And I don't know what you're crying for, Ruth."
Ruth was not quite sure herself, but she continued to sob. "Do youthink I ought to encourage Nelson to go, Peggy?"
"I don't say that. But it seems to me you ought not to discourage him,unless you have a good reason. And though I don't know much about suchthings, it sounded to be like a wonderful offer. What does Nelsonthink?"
"I--I guess he thought so, too, but I didn't give him a chance tosay much." Ruth dropped her head upon Peggy's shoulder and sobbed."Oklahoma is such a dreadful way off."
"I know it is," Peggy patted her shoulder tenderly. "I'd nearly cry myeyes out if anybody I loved went there to live."
"Nelson is so good, Peggy. He wanted to go, but he gave it up just assoon as he saw I didn't like the idea. And I know he hates that oldbook store."
Peggy continued to smile rather wistfully and to pat the heavingshoulders while Ruth prattled on. "I'm awfully selfish, I know. It'sjust as you said. I never gave a thought to what was best for him."
"I never said that, Ruth, I'm sure."
"Well, it's so, anyway. I wonder if he's answered that letter yet. I'mgoing to call up and see."
Ruth had no need to look in the telephone book to find the number ofFlynn's book store. As the hour was early, Nelson himself answered thecall. His politely interrogative tone changed markedly as in responseto his, "Hello," Ruth said, "It's I, Nelson."
"Ruth! Why, good morning!"
"Have you answered that letter from Oklahoma?"
"No, I haven't, Ruth. But never mind that letter. We won't talk aboutit any more."
"I just wanted to ask you not to answer it till we'd talked it overagain, Nelson."
He hesitated a moment. "I don't see the use of that. I wanted to seehow you really felt about it, and now I've found out."
"Well, don't answer it right away. That's all. Are you coming upto-night, Nelson?"
"Sure."
Ruth smiled faintly at the emphatic syllable. "Good-by," she said, thensighed as she hung up the receiver. "Well, it's all right," she toldthe waiting Peggy. "I haven't done any mischief that I can't undo."
But when Nelson came that evening he proved unexpectedly obdurate. Heshowed an extreme reluctance to re-open the subject of the Oklahomaproposition, and roused Ruth's indignation by hinting that the matterdid not concern Peggy Raymond, and he could not see any reason for her"butting in." And when sternly called to order for this bit of heresy,he still showed himself unwilling to talk of Oklahoma.
"What's the use?" he burst out suddenly. "I know how you feel aboutit. I--I--It's awfully hard explaining, Ruth, when I haven't any rightto--to say how I feel--but the long and short of it is I wouldn't go toany place where you wouldn't live."
He stopped, his face scarlet as he realized all his statement implied.Nelson was keenly conscious of his own disadvantages. Graham wouldsoon be in a position to support a family, but the salary Mr. Flynnpaid his competent clerk made a wife seem an impossible luxury. Nelsonregarded Ruth as the bright particular star of the Friendly Terracequartette. He considered her prettier than Peggy, wittier than Amy, andmore talented than Priscilla. For him to aspire to be the first in herheart was the height of presumption, in Nelson's opinion, and yet hehad just said to her in effect that he would not go to any place whereshe would not go with him. Despairingly he realized how poorly hispresumptuous speech had expressed his attitude of worshipful humility.
Then he became aware that Ruth was looking at him from the other sideof the table, and that her manner lacked the indignation appropriateto the occasion. She held her head very high, and her eyes were likestars. Nelson suddenly experienced a difficulty in breathing. His heartwas beating more rapidly than it had ever beaten under fire. He heardhimself asking a question, the audacity of which astounded him.
"You wouldn't think of it, would you, Ruth, going out to that roughcattle country, a girl like you?"
He did not realize the desperation in his voice as he put thequestion, but its appeal went straight to Ruth's heart. She answeredunhesitatingly. "The place wouldn't matter, Nelson. Everything woulddepend on the one--the one I went with."
It was not an opportune time for Graham to walk into the room. And itargued him obtuse, that instead of realizing he was in the way, heseated himself in the easy chair, and proceeded to discuss a variety ofsubjects. Once or twice Nelson's answers suggested that his mind waswandering, and small wonder. For when the most wonderful thing in theworld has just happened, it is hard on any young fellow to be held upand forced to give his views on universal training.
Peggy Raymond's Way; Or, Blossom Time at Friendly Terrace Page 9