CHAPTER XIV
IN THE SPRINGTIDE.
It is probable that not even those who loved her best realized how Jeanhad loved the pet which had been her daily companion for nearly fouryears. The very fact that she had rescued him from a miserable death,nursed and tended him to restored health, had felt his love for hergrowing with each day, made Baltie nearer and dearer to her than ayoung, vigorous horse could ever have been.
Baltie was now resting in his lowly bed at the foot of the garden, butJean did not cease to grieve for him. When Mammy had found her withBaltie's head in her lap that morning there had been a pathetic littlescene--for Mammy loved the old horse as dearly as Jean loved him; but hadshe been entirely indifferent to him, the fact that her baby loved himwould have been enough to exalt him above all other animals in Mammy'ssight. Jean was utterly exhausted by her grief and benumbed from hercramped position when Mammy found her, and the good old soul wasgenuinely alarmed when she tried to help the child to her feet. Baltie'sweight and her cramped position had completely arrested circulation. Inspite of her own grief Mammy lifted Baltie's head from Jean's lap, laidit gently upon the straw and then helped the girl up, or tried to, forJean was too numb to stand.
"Bress Gawd, what comin' to us nex'?" she cried, half carrying Jean tothe house, where Constance met them.
It was hours before Jean could walk unaided, and many days before thegirl smiled again. Mrs. Carruth grew troubled, and one afternoon spoketo Hadyn about her.
"I am so distressed about it. She is filled with remorse for havingtaken Baltie out that night, and that, added to her grief for him, ismaking the child positively ill. I have done my best to make herunderstand that Baltie had already lived far beyond a horse's allottedyears, and that very soon he must have come into his long rest, but Iseem to make no impression."
"If I had been on hand when needed he would be alive this minute, and mylittle girl happy and cheery as ever," protested Hadyn. "I'll never,never forgive myself that lapse as long as I live, and nothing I can dowill ever atone for it. It was the most contemptible failure of which Ihave ever been guilty; but I declare to you, I'm going to do somethingto make reparation. Where is Jean now?"
"She went down to the Arcade for Constance about an hour ago, but sheought to be back very soon."
"I'll walk down and meet my little sister. I've a scheme simmering farback in my witless mind which may take form and shape if I can keepawake. Au revoir, little mother," and with the grace so characteristicof him, Hadyn raised her hand and pressed his lips to it! There was noone on earth he loved as he loved this gentle, gracious woman.
Riveredge in its late April dress was very dainty. She seemed to bepreparing for Easter, which this year fell late in the month, and overall the world lay the softest veil of gossamer green. The air wasredolent of cherry and apple blossoms, and filled with bird notes.
As Hadyn walked down the steep roadway, which led from the Carruth's tothe broader highway, he saw Jean coming toward him and waved his hand ingreeting. As he hurried toward her he called:
"Well met, little sister," raising his hat and extending his hand.
A quick light sprung into Jean's eyes. "I like that," she said, with aquaint, little upraising of her head.
"Like what, Jean?"
"I like to have a man bow as you do, Champion. Because I'm only fourteenand still wear short skirts some of them seem to think a nod and'how-d'-do' is all that is required of them, but I don't agree withthem."
Hadyn did not betray the amusement this characteristic little commentcaused him. He knew Jean to be more observing of the amenities than mostgirls of her age, and that all her Southern instincts demanded thechivalrous attention which generations of her ancestors had receivedfrom men. Many of her girl friends laughed at her and teased her, butthat did not lower her standard of what was due womanhood from manhood.
"I should be unworthy the name you've given me if I forgot," said Hadyn.
"It wouldn't make one bit of difference whether I had given you thatname or not, you couldn't be different."
"Thank you. But where are you going now?"
"Nowhere in particular. Amy is away and Connie up to her eyes in themonth's accounts. So I'm adrift."
"How would you like to come for a walk in the woods with me? I am notgoing back to the office this afternoon, for the fever is on me. Thecall of the woods gets into my blood sometimes, and then I've got totramp. Only trouble is, I can't always get a tramping companion. Willyou come?"
"I'd love to, but I must let mother know, she might worry."
"She won't, because she knows I came to ask you to go with me if I couldfind you."
They struck into a side road, which presently became a mere wood pathleading up the mountain, and from which a little higher up an exquisitepicture of the river and opposite mountains could be seen. Hadyn,pausing at a broad, flat rock, said:
"Let's sit down and enjoy all this. Come, sit beside me, little sister."
Jean dropped down upon the lichen-covered rock, warm and dry in theafternoon sunshine which fell upon it, and said:
"Isn't it beautiful? Isn't all the world beautiful? Why need anybody oranything in it ever die, and why will other people make them. Oh,Champion, if I only hadn't made Baltie!" and quick tears sprung into hereyes. During the two weeks since Baltie's death Jean had actually lostflesh and grown pale in her sorrow and remorse for what she believed tobe purely the result of her want of thought.
Hadyn put his hand on hers and, looking into her eyes, asked:
"Little sister, do you know how that hurts _me_? It was not your want offorethought that night, but my faithlessness which carried you out intothat terrible storm, and I shall never, never forgive myself. You mighthave been the victim instead of old Baltie, but as it is his life paidthe penalty of my lapse. True, he was very old and might not have liveda great deal longer, but his end certainly would not have been hastened,or your loving heart grieving as it now is had I done my duty. Can youever forgive me, dear?"
As Hadyn talked a swift change swept over Jean's expressive face; a newlight sprung into her eyes, and she said:
"Why, Champion, I never for one single second blamed you. Did you thinkI did? Oh, you couldn't think that, not when you know how dearly I loveyou, and how good you've always been to Baltie and me. Why, you savedhis life, you know, and have always helped me look out for him; andyou've done hundreds and hundreds of things for us both. Please, pleasenever say that again. You didn't know I was going to signal that night."
"Ah, but I _did_ know it, and it was only upon that condition thatConstance consented to go upstairs to bed. She thought she could trustme to answer that signal, but you see she couldn't, and all this is theresult. You are grieving for your pet until you are almost ill from it,and I feel like--like, oh, like the most contemptible thing that everhappened. What can I do to help, little one? It hurts me to see you oryours unhappy."
"I shall not be unhappy," was Jean's instant assertion. "I do missBaltie terribly, for I loved him, and--and he seemed so much mine, andwas so good and faithful--" here a little sob checked her words. Hadynslipped his arms about her, and she leaned her head upon his shoulder.This big "brother" was a great source of strength and comfort to her.Then she resumed: "But I shall not let it make you unhappy, too. I daresay I am silly--the girls laugh at me and say I am, but I can't helpit--when I love anybody, or anything, I _love_ them, and that's all thereis about it. Baltie knew me better than he knew anyone else, and lovedme better. No one knows or believes how he understood me, or I him, andit is no use trying to make them; but I feel as if some part of me hadgone without having him to love and visit and pet every day, and havehim snuggle up to me. I wish horses could have monuments raised to theirmemory, and some record kept of their good deeds and faithfulness forpeople to read. My goodness, more good things could be said of Baltiethis minute, and they'd be true, too, than can be said of that dreadfulold Jabe Raulsbury; and yet when he died last year they put up atombstone for him t
he very first thing, and what do you think they hadinscribed on it?"
"I'm sure I don't know," and Hadyn smiled at the thought of anycommendatory legend being placed upon the monument of the irascibleJabe, whose life had been one long series of quarrels with hisneighbors, brutality to the dumb creatures which had lucklessly falleninto his hands, and whose last act had been to fly into a wild rage andbeat his wife. Fortunately, it had been his last transgression, for aneighbor, hearing her screams, had rushed to her aid, and Jabe, hearinghis approach, and starting to escape by a back door, had pitchedheadlong through an open trap-door and into his cellar. Several brokenbones and some internal injuries brought him his just desserts of fourmonths' torture, ending in his death, and the town drew a sigh ofrelief. Then his widow erected a monument to his memory. It bore thismemorial to the deceased Jabe:
"A loving husband, tender brother. Never shall we find another,"
The first statement was open to doubt, also, the second, for NedRaulsbury, who had not had the pleasure of fraternal intercourse withhis brother Jabe for many years, unless a ten years' lawsuit to securehis own share of the estate represented it, probably congratulatedhimself that he was not likely to "find another."
Jean repeated the legend with infinite scorn, and Hadyn laughedoutright. Then growing serious again, he said:
"Perhaps a better record of Jabe's true character is preserved in hisneighbors' memory of him, and I should think that Mrs. Raulsbury mightnow draw her first free breath. It _is_ true that a man's death cansometimes bring oblivion of his evil deeds. Poor old Baltie might havetold a few of Jabe's, but even had he possessed human speech I doubt ifhe would have so employed it. Baltie was a gentleman. And, LittleSister, as a gentleman he must have a monument. Yes, I mean it. A shaftshall mark the old horse's resting-place down there in the garden, and Ishall have it erected; it is the least I can do under the circumstances.Don't say anything about it to anyone. What would you like inscribed onit, dear?"
As Hadyn talked in his deep, softly-modulated voice, Jean's face grewradiant. At his concluding question she clasped his hand in both of hersand pressed her lips to it again and again, exclaiming:
"No one but you would ever have understood! No, not anyone. You have_always_ understood; right from the very first day I knew you. Baltiewould never have been saved on that awful day, or ever have been mine atall, if it hadn't been for you, Champion, and oh, how hard, hard, hard Ilove you for it. Please don't ever go away from us; I couldn't livewithout you now; none of us could; you'll be just one of us always,won't you, Champion?"
Jean was too deeply in earnest to be aware that Hadyn's face wasflushing, or of the strange expression creeping into his eyes: a lightof wonderful tenderness and yearning. He looked steadily into the eyesregarding him so earnestly as he said:
"Little Sister, do you realize that your home is the only real home Ihave known in many years? That when you and Eleanor and Constance agreedto share with me 'a part of Mother,' as you so sweetly expressed it, youmade me your debtor forever and ever? Can you understand how very dearthat little Mother of yours is to me, or how much her daughters' welcomeinto their home has done to spare me a great many lonely hours? True,there are many friends in the outer world, but that house was once myMother's home, you know, and all my boyhood was spent in it. To go backto it under almost any conditions would seem almost like entering my owndoors, but to be welcomed to it as I have been makes it--well, some dayyou may understand just what it _does_ make it, little girl. And now Iwant to tell you something else: You miss old Baltie, I know, andnothing can ever quite fill his place for you, but your heart is big,true and warm enough to hold another, isn't it? For some time I havebeen dissatisfied with the care given Comet down in that South Riveredgeboarding stable. They are careless in grooming him, and someone, I can'tfind out which man, is not treating him kindly. Comet never knew themeaning of a harsh or impatient word until he went there, never feared ablow----"
"Strike Comet!" cried Jean, all her sense of justice outraged.
"Not exactly strike him, I think, but there are many ways of making ahigh-strung, thoroughbred horse's life a torture. A sudden slap whengrooming him, a shout if he does not step around briskly, or even a blowon his muzzle with the curry-comb. They may not inflict any great amountof pain, but they soon get on his nerves, and the next thing we know wehave a horse that starts and plunges at the first sharp word; jerks hishead up if anyone raises a hand toward it; shrinks at the sight of acurry-comb as from an instrument of torture. Comet never beforemanifested any of those signs, but now I'm beginning to notice them, andI don't like it a little bit. I wouldn't have that horse ruined for tentimes his price in dollars, and so I'm going to see what I can do toplace him where all chance of it will be removed."
"Where, where are you going to send him?" cried Jean, clasping her handsin her eagerness.
"How would you like to have him come and live down yonder with you?"asked Hadyn, nodding toward Jean's home, which could be seen from theirwoodland nook.
"In our stable: Comet? To be there all the time so I could go out to seehim every single day, and he'd grow to love me just as Baltie did? Doyou really mean it? Could I?"
"I think Comet will meet your advances more than half way. He has beentreated like a child since his colthood, and you know how he understands_me_. I've had a long talk with the little mother, and she has agreed tolet me keep Comet down there, and my man Parsons is to take care of him,to sleep in the coachman's room upstairs and board with Mammy. You knowmost of his color find 'just naturally doing nothing' quite to theirliking; but Parsons seems to be of different clay, so we will make himhappy by keeping him busy. Good plan all around, don't you think so?"
"I think you are just the splendidest, dearest man that ever lived, andComet shall have the best care in all the world, and if any living beingso much as points a finger at him I'll--I'll--well, I just tell you,they'd better not! Now, let's go right back home and tell Connie allabout it. You know she loves Comet as much as you or I love him, andshe'll be tickled to death to have him right there," and Jean bounded toher feet all enthusiasm, her eyes shining and cheeks glowing, forsomething to love and care for was absolutely essential to Jean'shappiness.
And so it came to pass that about a week later Comet was installed inthe Carruth stable, and if ever a horse came into an earthly paradise,Comet came into one in this new home.
Jean was in a rapture, and truly no horse-lover could fail to fallcomplete victim to Comet's charms. It was the balm needed for Jean'ssorrow for Baltie, and when, in the course of the following weeks, agranite shaft was placed over Baltie's grave, the little girl was ashappy as she well could be.
The shaft bore the legend:
TO BALTIE.
_For Thirty Years a Faithful Friend and Servitor._
Perhaps in some more blissful realm Your eyes will beam on us again, And we shall find that great and small, God _is_ the father of us all.
Three Little Women's Success: A Story for Girls Page 14