CHAPTER V
DAVID'S ROSE AND SOME THORNS
"Now," said David, "if you'll just put away a few of those ancient pipesand puddle your papers a bit in your own cozy corner we can call thesequarters ready to receive the ladies, God bless 'em! Does it look kinderbare to you? We might borrow a few drapes from the madam, or would youtrust to the flowers? I'll send them up for you to fix around tasty.A blasted poet ought to know how to bunch spinach to look well."
As he spoke David Kildare stood in the middle of the living-room in hisbachelor quarters, which were in the Colonial, a tall pillared, widewindowed, white brick apartment-house that stood across the street fromthe home of Major Buchanan, and surveyed the long rooms upon which he andhis man Eph had been expending their energies for more than an hour.
Andrew Sevier sank down upon the arm of a chair and lighted a long andvillainous pipe. "Trust to the flowers," he answered. "I think Phoebedoesn't care for the drapes of this life so much as some women do and asthis is for her birthday let's have the flowers, sturdy ones with stiffstems and good head pieces."
"That's right, Phoebe's nobody's clinging vine," answered David moodily."She doesn't want any trellis either--wish something would wilt her! Lookhere, Andrew, on the square, what's the matter that I can't get Phoebe?You're a regular love pilot on paper, point me another course; this oneis no good; I've run into a sand bank." The dark red forelock on David'sbrow was ruffled and his keen eyes were troubled, while his large sweetmouth was set in a straight firm line. He looked very strong, forcefuland determined as he stopped in front of his friend and squared himselfas if for a blow.
Andrew Sevier looked at him thoughtfully for a few seconds straightbetween the eyes, then his mouth widened into an affectionate smile as helaid his hand on the sturdy shoulder and said:
"Not a thing on God's green earth the matter with you, Davie; it's themodernism of the situation that you seem unable to handle. May I use yourflower simile? Once they grew in gardens and were drooping and sweet andoverran trellises, to say nothing of clinging to oak trees, but we'vedeveloped the American Beauty, old man! It stands stiff and glossy andholds its head up on its own stem, the pride of the nation! We can getthem, though they come high. Ah, but they are sweet! Phoebe is one of themost gorgeous to be found--it will be a price to pay, but you'll pay it,David, you'll pay."
"God knows I'm paying it all day long every day and have been paying itfor ten years. Never at peace about her for an instant. Protection atlong distance is no joke. I can't sleep at night until she telephones meshe is at home from the office on her duty nights and then I have to beglike a dog for the wire, just the word or two. She _will_ overwork andundereat and--"
"David," interrupted Sevier thoughtfully, "what do you really think isthe matter? Let's get down to facts while we are about it."
"Do you know, Andy, lately it has dawned upon me that Phoebe would liketo dictate a life policy to me; hand me out a good, stiff life job. Ibelieve she would marry me to-morrow if she could see me permanentlyinstalled on the front seat of a grocery wagon--_permanently_. And I'llcome to it yet."
"I believe you are right," laughed Andrew. "She really glories in herwage earning; it's a phase of them these days. She would actually hateliving on your income."
"Don't I know it? I suppose she would be content if she sewed on buttonsand did the family wash to conserve the delivery wagon income. I wishshe'd marry me for love and then I'd hire her at hundreds per week todust around the house and cook pies for me, gladly, gladly."
"We've developed thorns with our new rose, Dave," chuckled Andrew as herelighted his pipe.
"Sweet hope of heaven, yes," groaned David. "My gore drips all the timefrom the gashes. I suppose it is a killing grief to her that I haven't astar corporation practise instead of fooling around the criminal courtfighting old Taylor to get a square deal for the darky rag-tag most of mytime. But, Andy, it makes me blaze house-high to see the way he hands thelaw out to 'em. They can cut and fight as long as it is in a whisky diveand no indictment returned; but let one of 'em sidestep an inch in anyother ignorant pitiful way and it's the workhouse and the county road fortheirs.
"And the number of ways that the coons can get up to call on me to squarethe deal, is amazing. Just look at the week I've had! All Monday andTuesday I spent on the Darky Country Club affair; the poor nigs justhungering for some place to go off and act white in for a few hours.Nobody would sell them an acre of ground near a car line and the duskysmart set was about to get its light put out. Jeff and Tempie told meabout it. What did little Dave do but run around to persuade old manElton to sell them that little point that juts out into the river twomiles from town and just across from the rock quarry. No neighbors tokick and the interurban runs through the field. It really is a choicespot and I started their subscription with a hundred or two and gotWilliams to draw them some plans to fix up an old house that stands onthe bank for a club-house. They are wide-mouthed with joy; but it slicedtwo days to do it, which I might have spent on the grocery wagon."
"You always did have the making of a philanthropist in you, Dave," saidAndrew thoughtfully. "You're a near-one at present speaking."
"Philanthropist go hang--the rest of the week I have spent getting theold Confeds together and having everything in shape for the unveiling ofthe statue out at the Temple of Arts. I tell you we are going to have aturn-out. General Clopton is coming all the way to make the dedicationspeech. Caroline is about to bolt and I have to steady her at off times.I've promised to hold her hand through it all. Major is getting up thenotes for General Clopton and he's touching on Peters Brown only in highplaces. It'll be mostly a show-down of old General Darrah and the threegovernors I'm thinking.
"The Dames of the Confederacy and the Art League are going to haveentries on the program without number. I have been interviewed andinterviewed. Why, even the august Susie Carrie Snow sent for me andtalked high art and city beautiful to me until I could taste it.
"And all that sopped up the rest of the week when I ought to have beendelivering pork steaks and string-beans at people's back doors to pleasePhoebe. Money grubbing doesn't appeal to me and I don't need it, but fromnow on I'm the busy grub--until after the 'no man put asunder'proclamation."
"How you can manage to do one really public-spirited job after another,'things that count,' and then elude all the credit for them is more thanI can understand, Dave," said Andrew as he smiled through a blue ring ofsmoke. "Some day, if you don't look out, you'll be a leading citizen.In the meantime hustle about those flowers. Time flies."
"I'll send them right up," said David as he donned his coat and hat andtook up his crop. The hours David spent out of the saddle were those ofhis indoors occupations. "I'll be back soon. Just fix the flowers; Ephand the cook will do all the rest. And put the cards on the table anyold way. I want to sit between Phoebe and Caroline Darrah Brown--well,whose party is it? You can sit next on either side."
"Wait a minute, are--"
"No, I must hurry and go brace up Milly for a pair of minutes. Shewouldn't promise to come until I insisted on sending a trained nurse tosit with old Mammy Betty and the babies until she got back to 'em. BillyBob is as wild as a kid about coming, he hasn't been anywhere for solong. I talked a week before I could persuade Milly, but she's got herglad rags and is as excited as Billy Bob. I tried to buy that boy twinfor Phoebe's present but Milly said I had better get an old silver andamethyst bracelet. It's on my table in the white box. Bye!" and Kildaredeparted as far as the front door, but returned to stick his head in thedoor and say:
"You'd better put Hob by Caroline Darrah on the other side; he's savagewhen he's crossed. And tack in Payt opposite her. I invited Polly theFluff for you--she is a d?butante and such a coo-child that she'll justsuit a poet."
He dodged just in time to escape the lighted pipe that was hurled uponhim, and he couldn't have suspected that a hastily-formed plan to placehimself opposite Caroline Darrah had gone up in the smoke that followedthe death of life in
Andrew's pipe.
Then following the urgent instructions of David, Andrew began to right upthe papers in his den which opened off the living-room. His desk waslittered with manuscript, for the three days past had been golden onesand he had written under a strong impetus. The thought suddenly shotthrough him that he had been writing as he had once read, to eyes whose"depths on depths of luster" had misted and glowed and answered as heturned his pages in the twilight. Can ice in a man's breast burn likefire? Andrew crushed the sheets and thrust them into a drawer.
Then came Eph and the cook to lay the cloth in the dining-room, and a manbrought up the flowers. For a time he worked away with a strangeexcitement in his veins.
When they had finished and he was alone in the apartment he walked slowlythrough the rooms. Where David happened to keep his household gods hadbeen home to Andrew for many years. His books were in the dark Flemishoak cases and some of the prints on the walls were his. Most of the rugshe had picked up in his travels upon which his commissions led him, andsome interesting skins had been added since his jungle experiences. Itwas all dark and rich and right-toned--the home of a gentleman. And Davidwas like the rooms, right-toned and clean.
Andrew found himself wondering if there would be men like David in thenext generation, happy David with his cavalier nature and modern wit. Thesteady stream of wealth that was pouring into the South, down hermountain sides and welling up under her pasture lands, would it bring inits train death to the purity and sanity of her social institutions?Would swollen fortunes bring congestion of standards and grossness ofmorals? Suddenly he smiled for Billy Bob and Milly and a lot of theindustrious young folks seemed to answer him. He had found eleven littlenew cousins on the scene of action when he had returned after fiveyears--clear-eyed young Anglo-Americans, ready to take charge of thefuture.
And he, what was his place in the building of his native city? Histrained intelligence, his wide experience, his genius were being given tocutting a canal thousands of miles away while the streets of his own homewere being cut up and undermined by half-trained bunglers. The beautifulforest suburbs were being planned and plotted by money-mad schemers whoneither pre-visioned, nor cared to, the city of the future which was tobe a great gateway of the nation to its Panama world-artery. He knew howto value the force of a man of his kind, with his reputation andinfluence, and he would gage just what he would be able to do for thecity with the municipal backing he could command if he set his shoulderto the wheel.
A talk he had had with the major a day or two ago came back to him. Theold fellow's eyes had glowed as he told him the plan they had beenobliged to abandon in the early seventies for a boulevard from thecapitol to the river because of the lack of city construction funds.Andrew's own father had formulated the plan and gone before the cityfathers with it, and for a time there had been hope of itsaccomplishment. And the major had declared emphatically that a time wascoming when the city would want and ask for it again. That other AndrewSevier of the major's youth had conceived the scheme; the major hadrepeated the fact slowly. Did he mean it as a call to him?
Andrew's eyes glowed. He could see it all, with its difficulties and itspossibilities. He rested his clenched hand on the table and the artist inhim had the run of his pulses. He could see it all and he knew in allhumbleness that he could construct the town as no other man of hisgeneration would be able to do; the beautiful hill-rimmed city!
And just as potent he felt the call of the half-awakened spirit of artand letters that had lain among them poverty-bound for fortyreconstructive years. For what had he been so richly dowered? To singhis songs from the camp of a wanderer and write his plays with a foreignflavor, when he might voice his own people in the world of letters, hisown with their background of traditions and tragedy and their foregroundof rough-hewn possibilities? Was not the meed of his fame, small orlarge, theirs?
Suddenly the tension snapped and sadness chilled through his veins. Herethere would always be that memory which brought its influences ofbitterness and depression to kill the creative in him. The old mad desireto be gone and away from it beat up into his blood, then stilled on theinstant. What was it that caught his breath in his breast at the thoughtof exile? Could he go now, _could_--
Just at this moment he was interrupted by Mrs. Matilda who came hurryinginto the room with ribbons and veil aflutter. She evidently had only themoment to stay and she took in his decorative schemes with the utmostdelight.
"Andrew," she said with enthusiasm in every tone, "it is all lovely,lovely. You boys are wonders! These bachelor establishments arethreatening to make women wonder what they were born for. And what do youthink? The major is coming! The first place he has gone this winter--andhe wants to sit between Phoebe and Caroline Darrah. I just ran over totell you. Good-by! We must both dress."
And Andrew smiled as he rearranged the place-cards.
And it happened that in more ways than one David Kildare found himselfthe perturbed host. He rushed home and dressed with lightning-likerapidity and whirled away in the limousine for Milly and Billy Bob.He went for them early, for he had bargained to come for Phoebe as lateas possible so as to give her time to reckon with her six-thirtyfreckled-faced devil at the office. But at the Overtons he foundconfusion confounded.
"I'm so sorry, David," Milly almost sobbed, "but Mammy Betty's daughterhas run away and got married and she has gone to see about it, and thetrained nurse can't come. There has been an awful wreck up the road andall the doctors in town have gone and taken all the nurses with them. Shedidn't consider the babies serious, so she just had some one telephone atthe last minute that she had gone. I can't go; but please make Billy gowith you! There is no use--" and she turned to Billy Bob who stood by inpathetically gorgeous array, but firm in his intention not to desert thehome craft.
"We just can't make it, Dave, old man," he said manfully, as he caughthis tearful wife's outstretched hand in his. "Go on before we both cry!"
"Go on, nothing--with Milly looking like a lovely pink apple-blossom!You've got to come. I wouldn't dare face Phoebe without you. It's thewhole thing to her to have you there. It's been so long since you'vegladded with the crowd once and it's her birthday and--" David's voicetrailed off into a perfect wail.
"But what can we do?" faltered Milly, dissolved at the mention of the newfrock. "We certainly can't leave them and we can't take them and--"
"Glory, that's the idea, let's _take_ the whole bunch!" exclaimed Davidwith radiant countenance. "I ought to have invited them in the firstplace. Come on and let's begin to bundle!" and he made a dive in thedirection of the door of the nursery.
"Oh, no, indeed we can't!" gasped Milly while Billy Bob stood stricken,unable to utter a word.
"I'll show you whether we will or not," answered David. "Catch me losinga chance like this to ring one on Phoebe for several reasons. Hurry up!"and as he spoke he had lifted little Mistake from his cot and wasdextrously winding him in his blanket. The youngster opened his big dewyeyes and chuckled at the sight of his side partner, David Kildare.
"That's all right, he's all for his Uncle Davie. Here, you take him BillyBob and I'll help Milly roll up the twins. She can bring down Crimiewhile I bring them," and as he spoke he began a rapid swathing of the twolimp little bodies from the white crib.
"But, David," gasped Milly, "it is _impossible_! They are notdressed--they will take cold--"
"The limousine is as hot as smoke--can't hurt 'em--plenty of blankets,"with which he thrust the nodding young Crimie into her arms and liftedcarefully the large bundle which contained both twins in his own. "Goon!" he commanded the paralyzed pair. "I will pull the door to with myfree foot." And he actually forced the helpless parents of the four toembark with him on this most unusual of adventures.
When they were all seated in the car Milly looked at Billy Bob and burstinto a gale of hysterical laughter. But Billy Bob's spunk was up by thistime and he was all on the side of the resourceful David.
"Why not?" he asked brazenly. "Nine-tenths of
the people in the worldtake the kids with them on all the frolics they get, why not we? _They_know it's all right, _they_ haven't objected." And indeed there had notbeen a single chirp from any of the swathings. Big Brother was the onlyone awake and he was, as usual, entranced at the very sight of his UncleDavid, who held the twins with practised skill on his knees.
"Now," he said jubilantly, "don't anybody warn Phoebe and I'm going toput them on the big divan with her presents. You'll see something crash,I'm thinking."
And it was worth it all when Phoebe did see her unexpected guests. BigBrother, divested of his blanket and clad in a pink Teddy Bear garment,sat bolt upright in the center of the divan, and Crimie lay snuggledagainst him with his thumb in his mouth and entranced eyes on thebrilliant chandelier. The twins were nestled contentedly down in thecorner together like two little kittens in a basket. Before them kneltPolly with one finger clasped by the one whose golden fuzz declared herto be Little Sister, while Caroline Darrah leaned over Big Brother whowas fingering a string of sapphires that fell from her neck, with obviousdelight. The rest of the party stood in an admiring and uproariouscircle.
"Why," exclaimed Phoebe in blank astonishment, "why David Kildare!"
"You said you wanted your most intimate friends to-night, Phoebe, andhere they are," he answered with pride in every tone of his voice.
"Oh, dearie," said Milly as she clasped Phoebe's hand, "we couldn't comewithout them--everything happened wrong. I know it's awful and I ought totake them right back now and--"
"David Kildare," said Phoebe as she divined in an instant the wholesituation, "I love--I love you for doing it," and she sank on her kneesby Caroline. Mistake let go the chain and bobbed forward to bestow amoist kiss on this, his friend of long standing; and as he chuckled andsnuggled his little nose under her white chin Phoebe's echo was a sigh ofsuch absolute rapture that the whole circle shouted with glee.
And late as it was dinner was announced three times before the host orthe guests could be persuaded to think of food. And not until David's bedwas made ready for the little guests did they begin to make their wayinto the dining-room. It was Andrew who finally insisted on carrying thebabes away and tucking them in--only Caroline went with him with LittleSister in her arms and laid her gently on the pillow. She refused to lifther eyes to him for so much as a half-second until he drew her chair fromthe table for her; but then her shy glance was deep with innocenttenderness.
"Now," said the major as they settled laughingly into their places,"everybody's glass high to the silent guests!" And they drank his toastwith enthusiasm.
"And," added David Kildare as he set down his glass, "they needn't be'silent guests' unless it suits them. When they want to rough-house theyknow Uncle David's is the place to come to do it in."
"But let's hope they won't want to, David," laughed Milly, radiant withexcitement.
"I tell you what let's do," said the enlivened Hobson from the covetedseat next Caroline Darrah Brown, "let's all give them hard sleepingsuggestions, all at the same time.... Maybe they won't wake up for aweek."
"Andrew," said Mrs. Buchanan as she looked with delight in his direction,"these are delicious things you and David have to eat. I am so glad youare well again and can enjoy them."
"Better go slow, Andy," called David from down the table. "Sure you don'tneed a raw egg? Phoebe has a couple up her sleeve here she can lend you.The major has persuaded her to take a bit of duck and some asparagus anda brandied peach and--"
"David Kildare," said Phoebe in a coolly dangerous voice, "I will geteven with you for that if it takes me a week. This is the first thing Ihave had to eat since meal before last and I lost two and a half poundslast week. So I'll see that you--"
"Please, please, Phoebe, I'll be good! Just let me off this time. I'mgiddy from looking at you!" And before a delighted audience David Kildareabased himself.
"Anyway, I've got news to relate," he hastened to offer by way ofpropitiation. "What do you think has happened to Andrew? I didn't promisenot to tell," he drawled, prolonging the agony to its limit.
"Hurry, David, do!" exclaimed Phoebe with suspended fork. Caroline leanedforward eagerly, while Andrew began a laughing protest.
"It's only that Hetherton is going to put the great Mainwright on inAndy's new play in the fall--letter came to-day. Now, doesn't he shovehis pen to some form--some?" he demanded as he beamed upon his friendwith the greatest pride.
"Oh," said Caroline Darrah, "Mainwright is great enough to doit--almost!"
A pulse of joy shot through Andrew as her excited eyes gleamed into his.Of them all she and the major only had read his play and couldcongratulate him really. He had turned to her instantly when David hadmade his announcement, and she had answered him as instantly with herdelight.
"And Cousin Andy," asked Polly who sat next to him, "will I have to cryat the third act? Please don't make me, it's so unbecoming. Why can'tpeople do all the wonderful things they do in plays without being somussy?"
"Child," jeered David Kildare as they all laughed, "don't you know aheart-throb when you're up against it--er--beg pardon--I mean to say thatplays are sold at so much a sob. Seems to me you get wise very slowly."Polly pouted and young Boston who sat next her went red up to his hair.
"Better let me look over the contracts for you, Andrew," said TomCantrell with friendly interest in his shrewd eyes. If the material wasall Tom had to offer his friends he did that with generosity andsincerity.
So until the roses fell into softly wilting heaps and the champagne brokein the glasses they sat and talked and laughed. Pitched battles raged upand down the table and there were perfect whirlpools of argument andprotestation. Phoebe was her most brilliant self and her laughter rangout rich and joyous at the slightest provocation. The major delighted ina give and take encounter with her and their wit drew sparks from everydirection.
"No, Major," she said as the girls rose with Mrs. Buchanan after the lasttoast had been drunk, "toast my wit, toast my courage, toast my loyalty,but my beauty--ah, aren't women learning not to use it as an asset?"
As she spoke she stretched out one white hand and bare rounded arm to himin entreaty. Phoebe was more lovely than she knew as she flung herchallenge into the camp of her friends and they all felt the call in herdauntless dawn-gray eyes. Her unconsciousness amounted to a positiveaudacity.
"Phoebe," answered the major as he rose and stood beside her chair, "allthose things stir at times our cosmic consciousness, but beauty is thebouquet to the woman-wine--and _you_ can't help it!"
"How do you old fellows down at the bivouac really feel about thisconduit business, Major," said Tom Cantrell as he moved his chair closearound by the major's after the last swish and rustle had left the menalone in the dining-room for a few moments. "Just a question startsfather fire-eating, so I thought I would ask you to put me next. It's upin the city council."
"Tom," answered the major as he blew a ring of smoke between himself andthe shrewd eyes, "what on earth have a lot of broken-down old Confederatesoldiers got to do with the management of the affairs of the city? Youyoung men are to attend to that--give us a seat in the sun and ourpipes--of peace."
"Oh, hang, Major! Look at the way you old fellows swung that gas contractin the council. You 'sit in the sun' all right but they all know that thebivouac pulls the plurality vote in this city when it chooses--and theyjump when you speak. What are you going to do about this conduit?"
"Is it pressing? Not much being said about it."
"That's it--they want to make it a sneak in. Mayor Potts is pushinghard and we know he's just the judge's catspaw. Judge Taylor owns thecity council since that last election and I believe he has bought theboard of public works outright. The conduit is just a whisky ring schemeto hand out jobs before the judge's election. They have got to keep thecriminal court fixed, Major, for this town is running wide open day andnight--with prohibition voted six months ago. They've got to keep Tayloron the bench. What do you say?"
"Well," answered the
major, beetling his brows over his keen eyes, "Isuppose there is no doubt that Taylor is machine-made. He's the realblind tiger, and Potts is his striped kitten. I understand he 'lost'four-fifths of the 'open' indictments that the grand jury 'found' ontheir last sitting. The whisky men are going to sell as long as thecriminal court protects them, of course. Let's let them cut that conduitdeeper into the public mind before they begin on the streets."
"I'm looking for a nasty show-down for this town before long, Major, ifthere are men enough in it to call the machine."
"Tom," answered the major as he blew a last ring from his cigar, "a townis in a rotten fix when the criminal court is a mockery. Let's gointerrupt the women's dimity talk."
And it was quite an hour later that Milly decided in an alarmed hurrythat she and the babies must take their immediate departure. Davidmaneuvered manfully to send them home in his car and to have Phoebe waitand let him take her home later--alone. But Phoebe insisted upon goingwith Milly and Billy Bob and the youngsters, and the reflection that thedistance from the unfashionable quarter inhabited by the little family,back to Phoebe's down-town apartment was very short, depressed him to thepoint of defiance--almost.
However, he packed them all in and then as skilfully unpacked them at thedoor of their little home. He carried up the twins and even remained amoment to help in their unswathing before he descended to the waiting carand Phoebe. As he gave the word and swung in beside her, David Kildareheaved a deep and rapturous sigh. It was so much to the good to have herto himself for the short whirl through the desolated winter streets. Itwas a situation to be made the most of for it came very seldom.
He turned to speak to her in the half light and found her curled up inthe corner with her soft cheek resting against the cushions. Her attitudewas one of utter weariness, but she smiled without opening her eyes asshe nestled closer against the rough leather.
"Tired, peach-bud?" he asked softly. One of the gifts of the high gods toDavid Kildare was a voice with a timbre suitable to the utmosttenderness, when the occasion required.
"Yes," answered Phoebe drowsily, "but so happy! It was all lovely,David." Her pink-palmed hand lay relaxed on her knee. David lifted itcautiously in both his strong warm ones and bent over it, his heartahammer with trepidation. For as a general thing neither the environmentnor his mood had much influence in the softening way on Phoebe's coolaloofness, but this once some sympathetic chord must have vibrated in herheart for she clasped her fingers around his and received the caress ontheir pink tips with opening eyes that smiled with a hint of tenderness.
"David," she said with a low laugh, "I'm too tired to be stern with youtonight, but I'll hold you responsible to-morrow--for everything. Here weare; do see if that red-headed devil is sitting on the door-step and tellhim that there is--no--more copy--if I _am_ a half-column short. And,David," she drew their clasped hands nearer and laid her free one overboth his as the car drew up to the curb, "you--are--a--dear! Here's mykey in my muff. To-morrow at five? I don't know--you will have to phoneme. Good night, and thank you--dear. Yes--good night again!"
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