CHAPTER VIII
THE SPELL AND ITS WEAVING
And after the confusion, the distress and the joy of the afternoon out inthe park when she and her gift had been accepted and acclaimed, therecame days full of deep and perfect peace to Caroline Darrah Brown.
Long, strenuously delightful mornings she spent with Tempie in theexcitements of completing her most comprehensive culinary education andthe amount of badinage she exchanged upon the subject with David Kildareoccupied many of his unemployed minutes. His demands for the mostintricate and soul-trying concoctions she took a perfect joy in meetingand his enthusiasm stimulated her to the attempting of the most difficultfeats.
His campaign was on with full force and his days were busy ones, but hemanaged to drop into the kitchen at any time when he deemed it at allcertain that he would find her there and was always fully rewarded.
He often found Andrew Sevier in the library in consultation with themajor over the management of the delicate points in the campaign andoccasionally brought him into Tempie's kingdom with him. And Carolinelaughed and blushed and explained it all to them with the most beautifulsolicitude, Tempie looking on positively bridling with pride.
And there were other mornings when she took her sewing and crept in thelibrary to work, while the major and Andrew held consultation over theaffairs of the present or absent David.
The whisky ring had purchased one of the morning papers, which hadhitherto borne a reputation for extreme conservatism, and had it appeareach morning with brilliant, carefully modulated arguments for themachine; doctored statistics and brought allegations impossible to beinvestigated in so short a time.
And all of every afternoon and evening Andrew Sevier sat at aneditorial desk down at the office of the reform journal and pumped hotshot through their flimsy though plausible arguments. His blood was upand his pen more than a match for any in the state, so he often sat mostof the night writing, reviewing and meeting issue after issue. Theeditor-in-chief, whose heart was in making a success of the campaignby which his paper would easily become the leading morning paper, gavehim full rein, aided and abetted him by his wide knowledge of all theconditions and pointed out with unerring judgment the sore spots on thehide of the enemy at which to send the gadfly of investigation.
So each day while Andrew and the major went carefully over possibilitiesto be developed by and against the enemy, Caroline listened with absorbedinterest. Now and then she would ask a question which delighted them bothwith its ingenuousness, but for the most part she was busily silent.
And in the exquisiteness of her innocence she was weaving the spell ofthe centuries with the stitches in her long seams. There are yet left inthe world a few of the elemental women whose natures are what they wereoriginally instituted and Caroline Darrah was unfolding her predestinatedself as naturally as a flower unfolds in the warmth of the springsunshine. The cooking for David and Andrew, the sewing for busy Phoebe,the tactfully daughterly attentions to the major and Mrs. Matilda wereall avenues for the outpouring of the maturing woman within, andpowerless in his enchantment, Andrew Sevier was swept along on the tideof her tenderness.
One day she had picked up his heavy gray gloves from the table andtightened the buttons, listening all the while to an absorbing account ofa counter-move he was planning for the next day's editorial, and then hadbeen delightfully confused and distressed by his gratitude. The littlescene had sent him to the bare fields to fight for hours.
The major fairly gloried in her knowledge of the arrangement of hislibrary and delighted her with quick requests for his books during themost absorbing moments of their discussions.
And again the observation that the spell was not being woven for himalone went far to the undoing of Andrew Sevier. Her interest in theaffairs of David Kildare disturbed him not at all, but her sympatheticand absorbed attention to a bad-luck tale with which Hobson Capersreported to the major one morning when she sat with them, had sent himhome in a most depressed state of mind, and the picture of her troubledeyes raised to Hobson's as he recounted the details of the wrenchedshoulder of his favorite horse, followed him through the day withtormenting displeasure, though the offer of a cut-glass bottle full of adelightfully scented lotion for the amelioration of the suffering animalbrought the semblance of a grin. And Hob, the brute, had gone away withit in his pocket, accompanied by explicit directions as to itsapplication by means of a soft bit of flannel the size of a pockethandkerchief, also provided. Andrew Sevier had a vision of the bottleand the rag being installed in the most holy of holies in the apartmentsof Hobson Capers and experienced a sweeping smashing rage thereat.
A day or two later a scene he had witnessed in the kitchen, in whichCaroline and Tempie hung anxiously over a simmering pan of lemon juice,sugar, rye whisky and peppermint which, when it arrived at the propersirupy condition, was to be administered as a soothing potion to thehoarse throat of Peyton Kendrick, who perched croaking on a chair closeby, drove him to seeking comfort from Phoebe much to her apparentamusement but secret perturbation, for Phoebe both comprehended andfeared the situation.
And thus there is also much of the primitive left in the heart of themodern man on which the elemental forces work.
Then the day for the election came nearer and nearer by what seemedfleeting hours. The whole city was thoroughly aroused and fighting hardunder one banner or the other. As the last week drew to a close and leftonly the few days of the following week for a round-up of the forcesbefore the Wednesday election, the men all became absorbed to the pointof oblivion to everything save the speculation as to how the race wouldgo. But it was not in the nature of David Kildare to be held against thegrindstone of serious endeavor too long at a time, and in the midst ofthe turmoil he proceeded to plot for a brief and exciting relaxation forhimself and his strenuous friends, and he chose Saturday for theaccomplishment thereof.
The morning dawned in a fluff of gray fog that hung low down over theavenue, though the sun showed signs of soon piercing the gloom. The clashand clatter of the city was fast approaching a noonday roar but stillPhoebe slept in the room which adjoined that of Caroline Darrah Brown.
Caroline cautiously opened the door and stole in gently to the side ofthe bed, then paused and looked down with delight. Phoebe, asleep, was athing calculated to bring delight to any beholder. The brilliant, casual,insouciant, worldly Phoebe had gone out on a dream-hunt and a deliciouscurled-up flower lay in her place, with turned lashes dipping againstsoft tinted cheeks. Her head rested on one bare white arm and one handcurled under her daintily molded chin. Caroline caught her breath--thiswas a pathetic Phoebe when one thought of the most times Phoebe, cool,self-reliant--perforce!
"The darling," she whispered to herself as she slipped to her knees bythe low bed, "I can't bear to wake her, but I'm afraid not to; it's anhour late already. Dear!" She slipped her arm under the glossy headand pressed a little kiss on the dimple over the northeast corner of thewarm lips.
Phoebe's gray eyes smiled themselves open for a fraction of a second,then she nestled to Caroline's shoulder and calmly drifted off again inpursuit of the dream.
"Dearie," Caroline begged, "it's after ten!"
Phoebe sighed, nestled closer and drifted again. Caroline settled herselfagainst the pillows and pressed her cheek against the thick black braidthat curled across the sleeper's bare shoulder. She was incapable ofanother combat with the sleep-god and decided to wait. Besides, the awakePhoebe was busy--and elusive--not given to bestowing or receiving aughtsave the most fleeting caresses. So for a few moments Caroline Darrah'sarms held her hungrily.
"Be-autiful," came in a sleepy voice from against her arm, "is the watercold?"
"Awful this morning," answered Caroline tightening her arms. "Just alittle hot, Phoebe, please! I'll tell Annette."
"No," answered Phoebe, as with a whirl of the covers she sat up andtook her knees into her embrace. "No, sweetie, in I go! The colder thebetter after I'm in. How grand and Burne-Jonesy you look in that linenpinafo
re--indulging in the life domestic? I think I catch a whiff of yourculinary atmosphere--and, oh, I--am so--hungry."
"Tempie has a dear little plump bird for you and some waffles and anomelet. Let me have Annette bring them to you here! Please, Phoebe,please!"
"Caroline Darrah Brown," said Phoebe in a tragic voice, "do you know Igained a pound and a quarter last week and that makes me three and a halfpounds past the danger-mark? Two raw eggs and an orange is all I can havethis morning. I'm going to cry, I think!"
"No," answered Caroline Darrah positively, "you are going to eat thatbird and the omelet. You may substitute dry toast for the waffle ifTempie will let you. She's angry, and I'm in trouble. She won't usethat recipe I got from your Mammy Kitty to make the cake I promised DavidKildare for tea. She says she and her family have been making Buchanancake ever since there was any cake and she is not going to begin nowmaking Donelson mixtures. I think I hurt her feelings. What must I do?"
"Let her alone, she has the right of it and the cake is sure to be justas good," laughed Phoebe.
"But I promised him it should be just like the one you gave us the otherafternoon, only with the icing and nuts thicker than the cake," answeredCaroline in real distress. "He says that Mr. Sevier likes it that way,too," she added ingenuously.
"Caroline Darrah, you spoil those men to the most outrageous extent. It'slike David to want his icing and nuts thicker than the cake; he alwaysdoes--and gets it, but it isn't good for him." As Phoebe spoke she smiledat Caroline Darrah indulgently.
"I can't help it, Phoebe," she answered with the rose wave mounting underher eyes. "I'm stupid--I don't know how to manage them. I'm just--fond ofthem."
For a second Phoebe regarded her from under veiled eyes, then saidguardedly, "Doesn't that give them rather the advantage to start with--ifyou let them find it out?"
"Yes," answered Caroline as she pressed her cheek against Phoebe's arm,"I know it does but I can't help it. I have to trust to them tounderstand."
For a moment Phoebe was silent and across her mind there flashed David'sdescription of a man who sat into the gray dawn fighting his battle--hisown and hers--a man who wouldn't run!
"Perhaps that's the best way after all, dearie," she said as she preparedto slip out of bed. "Only it takes the exceptional woman to get resultsfrom your method. It ought to work with David; others don't seem to!"
"Phoebe, Phoebe--why--why?" and Caroline caught and held Phoebe for a fewseconds. "Don't you care at all?"
"Yes, child--a lot! Having admitted which I will betake myself to theplunge--leaving you to finish the cake for the precious thing." In asecond Phoebe smiled back from the door:
"Just one little waffle, tell Tempie," she said. "And I'm due to make alightning toilet if I get to that Woman's Guild meeting at eleven-thirty.Call the office for me and tell them not to send Freckles untilone-thirty to-day. And, dearie, please call Polly and tell her to be sureand go to that meeting of the Daughters of the Colonies so she can tellme what happens. Tell her to get it all straight--names and all and Iwill phone her. And not to let them office or committee me just becauseI'm not there! You are a dear!"
Caroline smiled happily as she went back to the mixing of the confectionof affection to be administered to David with his tea as by request, andshe laughed as she heard Phoebe's mighty splash.
And a half-hour later, during the discussion of the plump bird and theone crisp waffle, David Kildare whirled in, beaming with joy over hisplans. In fact he failed to manage anything in the way of a formalgreeting.
"Girls!" he exclaimed from the doorway, "the hunt is on for to-night!Everybody hurry up! Caroline, Mrs. Matilda wants you to motor out withher to the Forks to see about having Jeff and Tempie get ready for thesupper cooking--barbecue, birdies and the hot potato! Milly and Billy Bobare going and Polly and that Boston lad of yours, Caroline--yours if youcan hold him, which I don't think you can. And Mrs. Matilda says--"
"Stop," demanded Phoebe, "and tell us what you are talking about, David."
"I'm surprised at you, Phoebe, for being so dense," answered David with adelighted grin at having created a flurry. "Didn't you hear me tellCaroline Darrah Brown at least a week ago that possums and persimmons areripe and that the first night after a rain and a fog we would allturn out and show her how to shake down a few? The whole glad push isgoing. Mrs. Matilda and I decided it an hour ago while you were stillasleep. I've telephoned everybody--possums and persimmons wait for noman."
"How perfectly delightful," said Caroline with eyes agleam withenthusiasm. "Can everybody go?" David had failed to mention Andrew Sevierin his enumeration, an omission that she had instantly caught.
"Yes," answered David, "everybody that had engagements we asked theengagement to go, too. Even Andy is going to cut the poems for the lark!Thuse up a little, Phoebe, please--give us the smile! I'm backing you toshake down ten possums against anybody's possible five."
"I don't think that I can go," answered Phoebe quietly. "Mrs. Cherry hasthe president of the Federation of Women's Clubs staying with her and I'mgoing to dine there to-night to discuss the suffrage platform." There wasa cool note in Phoebe's voice and a sudden seriousness had come into herexpression.
"Now, Phoebe," answered David, looking down at her with the quicklyconcealed tenderness that always flashed up in his eyes when he spokedirectly to her, "do you suppose for one minute that I hadn't fixed allthat the first thing? Mrs. Cherry held back a bit but I rabbit-footed theold lady into being wild to go and then wheedled the correct hostesssome; and there you are! Caroline is to send them out in her motor andI'm going to make Hob and Tom chase the possum in company of the merrywidow and Mrs. Big Bug. Now give me a glad word!"
"I'll see," answered Phoebe. "I can let you know by two o'clock whether Ican go," and as she spoke she gathered up her gloves and bag and settledher trim hat by a glance at the long mirror across the room.
"What--what did you say?" demanded David aghast in a second. "If youthink for one minute that I'm going to stand for--"
"But you must remember that my business engagements must always besettled before I can make social ones--at two o'clock then! Good-by,Caroline, dear, such a comfy night under your care! I'm going to stop inthe library to speak to the major and then on to the guild if any onecalls. Here's to you both!" and she coolly tipped them a kiss from theends of her fingers.
"Caroline," remarked David, "I reckon I must have giggled too loud in mycradle, and the Lord turned around and made Phoebe to settle my glee,don't you think?"
And as Caroline saw him depart with his usual smile and jest she littlerealized that a jagged wound ran across his blithe heart.
The David within was awakening and developing a highly sensitized nature,which caught Phoebe's note of disapproval, divined its reason and wincedunder the humiliation of its distrust. The old David would have laughed,chaffed her and gone his way rejoicing--the new David suffered, for adeeply-loved woman can inflict a wound on the inner man that throbs tothe depths.
Across the hall Phoebe found the major at his table and, as usual, buriedin his books. He was reading one and holding another open in his handwhile his pen balanced itself over a page for a note. Phoebe hesitated onthe threshold, loath to disturb his feast. But before she could retreathe glanced up and his smile flashed a welcome and an invitation to her,while his books fell together as he rose and held out his hands.
"My dear," he said, "I was just reading what Bob Browning says about a'pearl and a girl'--and thinking of you when up I look to behold you."
"Thank you, and good morning, Major," returned Phoebe as a slow smilespread over her grave face. "I won't disturb you, for I've only a moment!This hunt to-night--it--it troubles me. Has David forgotten that he is tomake a speech on the cutting of the conduit over in the sixteenth ward athalf-past seven o'clock? It is one of his most important appointmentsand--"
"Phoebe," answered the major as he balanced his pen on one long leanfinger, "do you suppose that women will ever learn that men couldd
ispense with them entirely after their second year--if it wasn't for theloneliness? I see David Kildare failed to make a sufficiently fullapron-string report to you this morning of his intentions for the day."
"Sometimes, Major, you are completely horrid," answered Phoebe with botha smile and a spark in her eyes, "but I do care--that is, I'm interested,and--"
"It seems to me," the major filled in the pause, "that you are a trifleshort on a woman's long suit--patience. Now in the case of David Kildare,you don't want to give him one moment of tortoise speed but must keep himpacing with the hare entirely. Remember the result of that race?"
"But I want him to win--he must! I think--"
"Did you hear that speech he made to the motley and their friends lastMonday night? That was as fine an interpretation of the ethics involvedin the enforcement of law as I have ever heard or read--delivered tosimple minds unversed in the science ethical. He landed hot shot into thevery stronghold of the enemy and his audience saw his points. I find themind of David Kildare rather well provisioned with the diverse ammunitionneeded in political warfare. The whisky ring is making a stand andfighting the inches of retreat. I believe it to be retreat!"
"But can it be, Major? Andrew says that money is pouring into the city,even from other states. They intend to buy the election, come what will.How can a gentleman fight such a thing with 'not a dollar spent'announcement?"
"Phoebe," said the major with the quick illumination of one of hischallenging smiles, "you can generally depend on the Almighty to back theright man when he's fighting the right fight. Suppose you put up a littlefaith on the event--be something of a sporting character and back Davidto win. Backing thoughts help in the winnings they tell us these days."
"I have, Major--I am--I do, but this hunt to-night positively--positivelyfrightens me. It seemed so--so regardless of consequences--so trivialand--and inconsequent that--" Phoebe paused and the major was astonishedto see that she was veiling tears with her thick black lashes.
"Phoebe, child," he said as he bent over quickly and laid his hand onhers, "I ought to have answered you sooner. He is prepared to make thespeech of his life tonight at seven-thirty, but at ten he joins hisfriends to hunt. Didn't you draw your conclusions hurriedly--and againstDavid?"
In a second the tightness in Phoebe's throat relaxed and the tears flowedback to their source, only one little splash jeweled her cheek that hadflamed into a blush of joy and contrition.
"Ah," she said softly as she drew a deep breath, "I am soglad--glad!... I must hurry, for I'm an hour late already. Good-by!"
"Good-by, and remember that faith is one of the by-products of affection.And I might add that the right kind of faith finds tactful ways of--ofadmission. Do you see?" And the major held her hand long enough to makePhoebe look into his kind eyes.
And from the ten minutes in the library of Major Buchanan thedisciplining of the heart of Phoebe Donelson began and was carried onwith utter relentlessness. The first castigation occurred when Davidfailed to phone her at two o'clock, and a half-hour later Caroline Darrahcalled anxiously to know her decision and impart the information thatDavid had arranged that she and Phoebe go out to the fork in her car withMrs. Buchanan. Phoebe, to her own surprise, found that she intenselydesired another arrangement that involved David and his small electric,but she received the blow with astonishing meekness and delightedCaroline with her enthusiastic acquiescence in the plans for the evening.
And so through the busy afternoon while David Kildare met committees,sent in reports and talked over plans, he also managed to sandwich in thesettling of numerous little details that went to make good the night'ssport. And it was all done in apparent high spirits but with an indignantpain in his usually glad heart.
Meanwhile Caroline Darrah, in a whirl of domestic excitement incident tothe preparing of a hamper for the midnight lunch out on the ridge, whichshe had entreated Mrs. Matilda to leave entirely to her newly-acquiredhousewifery, stepped into the middle of the pool political and never knewit, in the innocence of her old-fashioned woman's heart.
"Miss Ca'line," ventured Jeff as he assisted her in packing the hugehamper that occupied the center of the dining-room table, "is Mister Davesure 'pinted to be jedge of the criminal court--he ain't a-joking is he?"
"Why, no, indeed, Jeff," answered Caroline Darrah as she rolledsandwiches in oiled paper before putting them into a box. "What made youthink that?"
"Well, it's a kinder poor white folksy job fer him, fooling withcrap-shooting niggers and whisky soaks, but if he wants it he's got terhave it, hear me! And Miss Ca'line, some of us colored set has made upour minds that it's time fer us ter git out and dust ter help him. Yousee this here is a independent race and it's who gits the votes, no'Publican er Dimocrat to it. That jest naterally turns the colored voteloose at the polls. And fer the most of the black fools it's who bids themostes, I'm sorry ter say, as is the fact."
"But you know Mr. David has said from the first that he will not buy avote. Will he have to lose--how many of the colored people are there--oh,Jeff, will he have to be beaten?" Caroline Darrah clasped a sandwich tothe death in her hands and questioned the negro with the same faith thatshe would have used in questioning Major Buchanan.
"No, ma'am, he ain't going ter git nigger-beat if we can help it--ussociety colored set, you understand, Miss Ca'line." Jeff's manner was aninteresting mixture of pomposity and deference.
"I don't quite understand, Jeff; you explain to me," answered CarolineDarrah in the kind and respectful voice that she always used to thesefamily servants, which they understood perfectly and in which they took ahuge delight.
"Well, it's jest this way, Miss Ca'line, they is sets in the coloredfolks jest like they is in the white folks. We is the _it_ set, me andTempie and Eph and all the fust family people. We's got our lawyers anddentists and a university and a ice-cream parlor with the swellest kindersoda fount in front. You heard how Mister David got that Country Clubfor us, didn't you? Well, he backed the rent notes of the soda fount,too--and he's jest naterly the fust set candidate fer anything he wantster be."
"Isn't he just the kindest best man, Jeff?" asked Caroline Darrah, in herenthusiasm sacrificing a frosted muffin cake between her clasped hands.
"Yes'm, he am that fer a fact, and they can't no low-down whisky bum beathim fer jedge, neither--'specially ef they count on using niggers to doit with. You see the race am so mighty close, that all the booze bossesis a telling the niggers that they is got the 'ballunce uf power' as theycalls it and it's up ter them ter elect a jedge fer whisky, the friend'at'll let 'em drink it down. Why, they's got out a bottle of whisky ashas on the label 'Your Colored Friend', and it's put up in clear glassand at the bottom you can see five new dimes a-shining. A nigger gits thebottle and the fifty cents ef he votes with them. Old Booze is flingingmoney right and left, fer if Mister David gits in he'll shore have tergit out."
"That is perfectly awful, Jeff!" exclaimed Caroline with horror-strickeneyes. "The poor people made to sell themselves that way--and the wholecity to lose David, a good judge, because they can't know what they do.It is horrible and nobody can help it!"
"I ain't so sure about that, Miss Ca'line! Me and Tempie and Doctor PikeJohnson and the dentist and Bud Simms, the man what runs the Palms, havethought up a scheme ef we kin work it. You see they ain't a nigger fromBlack Bottom to Mount Nebo as wouldn't sell his soul ter git ter theCountry Club and say he's been invited there. Now, we thought as how itwould be a good plan ter give it out that we was going to have erDavid Kildare jedge celebration out there and have invertation ticketsprinted. Then we could go ter the polls and fight down any dollar bottleof whisky ever put up with one of them invites--every man ter bring alady, and dancing down in a corner of the card. We'd scotch them bysaying no 'lection, no dance, so they'll vote straight. Ain't that theswell scheme? It'll work if we can make it go."
"Jeff," she exclaimed, "that is a perfectly splendid idea! You must doit, for offering them fun will be no bribery like whisky and m
oney--itwill do them _good_." Sometimes it is just as well that a woman be nottoo well versed in the science logical.
"Yes'm, and I believe it will work--ef we jest had a barbecue to put downin the other corner opposite the dancing I know it would draw 'em, butice-cream will be about all we can git fer the subscription money, andcold as it is ice-cream won't be no drawing card."
And there was no doubt that Jeff unfolded his plan to Caroline Darrahfrom pure love of sympathy and excitement and for no ulterior purpose,although it served to further his schemes as well as if he had been of amost wily turn of mind.
"Jeff," exclaimed Caroline Darrah excitedly, "how much would it take tohave a barbecue and ice-cream and everything good to go with it and a bigband of music and fireworks and--"
"Golly, Miss Ca'line, they will be most five hundred of 'em and the'scription ain't but a little over fifty dollars. I'm counting on thedancing and the gitting-there ter draw 'em."
"We can't risk it," said Caroline. "I will give you two hundred and fiftydollars and you can let it be known that no such celebration ever was asthe one his colored friends are going to give in honor of the election ofJudge David Kildare--his united colored friends, Jeff, high and low."
"Miss Ca'line, I'm a-skeered to take it! Mister David, he's jestnaterly--"
"Mr. David need never know about it. It is a subscription and you havecollected it--advertise that fact. I'm one of his friends and I cansubscribe even if I am white. You must take it, and get to work about it.Only four more days, remember, and we all must work for Mr. David; andtoo, Jeff, for those poor ignorant people who would commit the crime ofletting themselves sell their votes." There was real concern for theendangered souls of the coons in Caroline's voice, and Jeff was dulyimpressed.
They both fell to work on the packing of the basket as Temple's voice washeard in the distance, for they knew she would express herself in nouncertain terms if she found the amount of work done unsatisfactory.
But when he departed, Jeff carried in his pocket a slip of paper aboutwhich it nearly scared him to death to think, and one of the money-bagsof the late Peters Brown was eased by the extraction of a quarterthousand. Caroline was happy from a clear conscience and a virtuousfeeling of having saved a crisis for a dependent and ignorant people.Which goes to show that a woman can put her finger into a political pieand draw it out without even a stain, while to touch that same confectionever so lightly would dye a man's hand blood red.
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