CHAPTER XI
ACROSS THE MANY WATERS
And the day of the election arrived next morning and brought cold cloudsshot through with occasional gleams of pale sunshine, only to be followedby light but threatening flurries of snow.
All through the Sunday night David had sat over in the editorial rooms ofthe _Journal_ beside Andrew Sevier, talking, writing and sometimes silentwith unexpressed sympathy, for as the last sheets of his editorial workslipped through his fingers Andrew grew white and austere. Once for ahalf-hour they talked about his business affairs and he turned over abundle of papers to David and discussed the investment of the money thathad come from his heavy royalties for the play now running, and thethousands paid in advance for the new drama.
As David ran carefully through them to see that they were in order forhim to handle, Andrew turned to his desk and wrote rapidly for someminutes, then sealed a letter and laid it aside. After he had read thelast batch of proof from the composing-room he turned to David andwith a quiet look handed him the letter which was directed to CarolineDarrah.
"If she ever finds out give her this letter, please. It will make herunderstand why I go, I hope. I can't talk to you about it but I wantto ask you, man to man, to look after her. Dave, I leave her to yourcare--and Phoebe's." And his rich voice was composed into an uttersadness.
"The work here and the night are both over, let's go down toheadquarters," he added, and like two boys, with hands tight gripped,they passed out into the winter street.
Down at the _Gray Picket_ they found some of David's ardent supportersstill fresh and enthusiastic though they had been making a night of it.Soon waves of excitement were rising and falling all over the city andthe streets were thronged with men from out through the county.
At an early hour heavy wagons moved with the measured tread of blindtigers and deposited blind tiger kittens, done up in innocent anddeceptive looking crates, at numbers of discreet alley covers nearthe polls. At the machine headquarters rotund and blooming gentlemengrouped and dissolved and grouped again, during which process wads ofgreenbacks unrolled and flashed with insolent carelessness. The situationwas and had been desperate and this last stand must be brought throughfor the whisky interest, come high as it would.
And so through the morning, delegations kept dropping in to David'sheadquarters to keep up the spirits of the candidate and incidentally tohave their own raised. There were ugly rumors coming from the polls. Thepolice were machine instruments and the back door of every saloon in thecity was wide open, while a repeating vote was plainly indicated bycrowds of floaters who drifted from ward to ward. The faces of the bosseswere discreetly radiant.
"Lord, David," groaned Cap Cantrell, "they're turning loose kegs ofboodle and barrels of booze--we'll never beat 'em in the world! They'vegot this city tied up and thrown to the dogs! What's the use of--"
"David," exclaimed the major excitedly, "we're in for a rally, and lookat them!"
Down the street they came, the news kiddies, a hundred strong, led byPhoebe's freckle-faced red-headed devil whose mouth stretched from ear toear with a grin. They carried huge poster banners and their inscriptionswere in a language of their own, emblazoned in ink-pot script.
"I LOVE MY DAVE--BUT JUMP!" meant much to them but failed to elucidatethe fact that they were referring to the gift of a flatboat, canvased fora swimming booth which David had had moored at the foot of the bridgeduring the dog days of the previous summer so that they might have ajoyous dip in the river between editions. He had gone down himselfoccasionally for a frolic with them and "Jump!" had been the signalfor the push-off of any timid diver.
He shouted with glee when he read the skit--he was taking his high divein life.
"RUN, DAVE, RUN--TIGER'S LOOSE--NIT!" was another witticism and a crookedpole bore aloft these words, "JUDGE DAVID KILDARE SOAKS OLD BOOZE THEFIRST ROUND!"
They lined up in front of the headquarters and gave a shrill cheer thatmade up in enthusiasm for what it lacked in volume. They took a few wordsof banter from the candidate in lieu of a speech and paraded off aroundthe city, spending much time in front of the camp of the opposition andindulging in as much of derisive vituperation as they dared.
They were followed by another picturesque visitation. A dignified oldcolored man brought twenty pathetic little pickaninnies from the orphans'home, to which, the men at headquarters learned for the first time, DavidKildare had given the modest building that sheltered the waifs.Decidedly, murder will out, and there come times when the left and righthands of a man are forced into confession to each other about their mostsecret actions. A political campaign is apt to bring such a situationinto the lives of the aspiring candidates. The little coons set up amusical wail that passed for a cheer and marched away munching thecontents of a huge box of candy that Polly had sent down to headquartersthe night before, such being her idea of a flagon with which to stay thecourage of the contestants.
And through it all, the consultation of the leaders, the falling hopes ofthe poll scouts, the gradual depression that crept over the spirits ofthe major and Cap and the rest of his near supports, David was a solidtower of strength.
Then during the day the tension became tight and tighter, for how thefight was going exactly no one could tell and it seemed well-nighimpossible to stop the vote steal that was going on all over the city,protected by the organized government. Defeat seemed inevitable.
So at six o'clock the disgusted Cap picked up his hat and started homeand to the astonishment of the whole headquarters David Kildare calmlyrose and followed him without a word to the others, who failed to realizethat he had deserted until he was entirely gone. Billy Bob looked dashedwith amazement, Hobson sat down limply in the deserted chair, Tomwhistled--but the major looked at them with a quizzical smile which wasfor a second reflected in Andrew Sevier's face.
Phoebe sat in Milly's little nursery in the failing winter light whichwas augmented by the glow from the fire of coals.
Little Billy Bob stood at her side within the circle of her arm, his headagainst her shoulder and his eyes wide with a delicious horror as hegazed upon a calico book whose pages were brilliant with the tragedyof the three bears, which she was reading very slowly and with manyexplanatory annotations. Crimie balanced himself against her knee andbeat with a spoon against the back of the book and whooped up thesituation in every bubbly way possible to his lack of classifiedvocabulary. Milly and Mammy Betty were absorbed in the domestic regionsso Phoebe had them all to herself--all four, for the twins lay cuddledasleep in their crib near by.
And though Phoebe had herself well in hand, her mind would wanderoccasionally from the history of the bruins to which Mistake patientlyrecalled her by a clamor for, "More, Phoebe, more."
In a hurried response to one of his goads she failed to hear a step inthe hall for which she had been telling herself that she had not beenlistening for two hours or more, and David Kildare stood in the doorway,the firelight full on his face.
It was not a triumphant David with his judiciary honors full upon him andgubernational, senatorial, ambassadorial and presidential astral shapesmanifesting themselves in dim perspective; it was just old whimsicalDavid, tender of smile and loving though bantering of eye, albeit asomewhat pale and exhausted edition.
"Phoebe," he said with a low laugh, "nobody wants Dave--for anything!"
And it was then that the fire that had been lighted in the heart ofPhoebe in her night watch blazed up into her face as she held out herarms to him! And in the twinkle of a fire-spark David found himself onhis knees, with Phoebe, the low chintz-covered chair and the two kiddiesclasped to his heart.
For a glorious moment he held them all close and his head rested onPhoebe's shoulder just opposite that of Mistake, while Crimie squirmedbetween them. Then he discovered that he was gazing under her chin intothe wide-open, slightly resentful orbs of Big Brother, who eyed him amoment askance, then, feeling it time to assert himself, reached up andlanded a plainly proprietary and challenging
kiss against the corner ofhis lady's mouth.
David laughed delightedly and embraced the trio with greater force as hesaid propitiatingly, "Good snugglings, isn't it, old man?"
But at this exact moment Crimie took the situation into his own hands,slipped his cable, grabbed the book as he went and rolled over a coupleof yards with a delighted giggle. Billy Bob, seeing his treasurecaptured, instantly followed and there forthwith ensued a tussle that wasthe height of delight to the two good-natured youngsters.
And Phoebe's arms closed around David more closely as she held himembraced against her shoulder, her soft cheek on his.
"Dave," she whispered, "you know I really don't care at all, don't you?"
"What?" demanded David with alarm in his voice as he raised his head andlooked at her in consternation.
"The election makes no--"
"Oh, _that_--I'd forgotten all about it! Don't scare me like that anymore, peach-bud, please," he besought and he took her chin in the hollowof his hand as she leant to him, her eyes looking into his, level andconfident but glorious with bestowal. For a long minute he gazed straightinto their dawn-gray depths then he said gently, the caress suspended:
"Woman, if you are ever going to take any of this back, do it now!"
"Never," she answered and clasped her hands against his breast.
"It's still the loafer out of a job--just Dave-do-nothing," he insisted,a new dignity in his voice that stirred her pride.
"Please!" she closed her eyes as she entreated.
"It's for a long time--_always_." His voice was heaven-sweet with itsnote of warning and he laid his other strong warm hand on her throatwhere a controlled sob made it pulse.
"I'm being very patient," she whispered and her lips quivered with asmile as two tears jeweled her black lashes.
But David had made his last stand--he folded her in, locked his heart andthrew away the key.
"Love," he whispered after a long time, "I know this is just adream--I've had 'em for ten years--but don't let anybody wake me!"
To which plea Phoebe was making the tenderest of responses, when the doorburst open and Billy Bob shot into the room.
"Hip! hip!" he yelled at the top of his voice, "six hundred and tenplurality and all from the two coon wards--count all in and verified--nodifference now how the others go and--" He paused and the situationdawned upon him all in a heap as Phoebe hid her head against David'scollar. "Davie," he remarked in subdued tones, "you're 'lected, but Idon't s'pose you care!"
"Go away, Billy Bob, don't you see I'm busy?" answered David as he roseto his feet, keeping Phoebe still embraced as she stood beside him.
"Jerusalem the Golden! Have you cornered heaven, David?" gasped Billy Bobagain rising to the surface. "Help, somebody, help!" At which exactminute Mistake succeeded in dispossessing Crimie of the last tatters ofthe adventures of the bears and thus bringing down upon them all a tumultof distraction.
Billy Bob caught up the roarer and threw him almost up to the ceiling."Hurrah for Dave!" he said, and to the best of his ability Crimie"hurrahed" while Mistake joined in enthusiastically. The hubbub at lastpenetrated the slumbers of the twins, who added to the uproar to such anextent that Mammy Betty hurried to the scene of action and cleared thedeck without further delay.
"And," continued Billy Bob to Milly and the pair of serene and onlyslightly attentive young people, "you should have seen Jeff, dressed inDave's last year frock coat and high hat, whizzing around the coon hauntsin Caroline's gray car handing out invitations to the Chocolate CountryClub jamboree! They put the bottle and the dimes completely out ofbusiness and he voted the whole gang straight. They tried hard to fix upthe returns but Hob and I were at the count and we saw it clean. Holysmoke, what a sell for the machine! Slipped a cog on the nigger vote thatthey have handled for years!"
"And not a dollar spent!" said David with pride. Which goes to show thatat times women keep their own counsels, for Phoebe ducked her head tohide a smile.
"And now it's up to you to hurry and get to the University Club byeight-thirty. You are to address the populace and two brass bands fromthe northeast window at nine sharp--two extras out announcing it.Everybody has been looking for you an hour, you old moon-spooner, you!"urged Billy Bob.
"They can keep up the hunt--Phoebe and I are going--well, we are goingwhere nobody can find us for this evening anyway," answered David withdanger in his eyes.
"No!" said Phoebe as she slipped her hand into his, "I've had you as longas is fair as it is. Won't you go and see them all? If you will I willdress in a hurry and you can come by for me. Please!"
"Don't pull back on the leash, David," remarked Billy Bob. "It's justbeginning. Trot to heel and be happy." He laid his arm round Milly'swaist as he spoke and gave her a little squeeze.
And it was into the midst of a glorious round-up of a whole joyousconvention of friends that David Kildare stepped several hours later, aresplendent and magnificent David with Phoebe glowing beside him. And,too, it was not only his own high particulars that surged around him,for Phoebe had fixed it with the board of governors and made out a verycareful list of every campaign friend he had made and had all the girlsat the phones for hours inviting each and every one. If at any time inhis political career David Kildare should lack the far vision Phoebe wasfully capable of taking a long sight for him.
So Mike O'Rourke was there, stuffed carefully into a rented dress suitand was being attentioned to the point of combustion by Polly, who wasthus putting off a reckoning with young New England, promised for "afterthe election." Freckles, the devil, was having the lark of his life inremoving hats and coats under the direction of an extremely dignifiedclub official.
There were men from the down-town district in plain business clothes whostood in excited groups discussing the issues of the day. The head of thecotton mills, who had voted every employee perfectly in line withoutcoercion, was expatiating largely to four old fellows in gray, for whomCap had succeeded in obtaining furloughs from the commandant out at theHome and was keeping over night as his guests. They also were having thelark of their young lives and were being overwhelmed by attentions fromall the Confederate Dames present.
Susie Carrie was wonderful in some dangerously contrived Greek draperies,and over by the window held court on the subject of a city beautifulunder a council of artistic city fathers. She announced the beginning ofsittings for a full life-sized portrait of Judge Kildare for the cityhall, at which Billy Bob raised such a cheer as almost to drown out theorchestra.
Mrs. Buchanan received everybody with the most beaming delight and Mrs.Shelby was so excited that she asked Billy Bob about the children, whichconcession brought the stars to Milly's gentle eyes.
Mrs. Cherry, as usual, was in full and resplendent regalia with Tom inattendance, displaying a satisfied and masterful manner that told its owntale. Her amazing encounter with Tempie had remained a secret between herand the discreet old negro and her manner to Caroline Darrah was soimpressively cordial that Phoebe actually unbent to the extent of anexchange of congratulations that had a semblance of friendliness. Thewidow's net having hauled up Tom, hopes for untroubled waters again couldbe indulged.
In the midst of all the hilarity the delegations and the bands began toarrive outside. The cheering rose to a roar and from the brilliantlylighted ballroom David Kildare stepped out on the balcony and stoodforty-five minutes laughing and bowing, not managing to get in more thana few words of what might have been a great speech if his constituencyhad not been entirely too excited to listen to it.
It was almost midnight when they all marched away to _Dixie_ played torag-time measure and sung by five hundred strong. With a sigh of reliefDavid held out his arms to Phoebe and started to swing her into the whirlof the dancers. As his arms fell about her Phoebe pressed close to himwith a quick breath and his eyes followed hers across the room.
Under the lights that hung above the entrance to the fern room stoodCaroline Darrah like a flower blown against the deep green of the ta
llpalms behind her, and her eyes were lifted to Andrew's face which smileddown at her with suppressed tragedy. For an instant she laid her handon his arm and they were about to catch step with the music when suddenlyshe swung around into the green tangle beyond her and reached out herhand to draw him after her.
"Pray, David, pray," said Phoebe as they glided over the polished floor.
"I am," David whispered back as his arms tightened. "I can't think ofanything but 'Now I lay me'--but won't it help?"
In the wide window at the end of the long room Caroline turned and waitedfor Andrew. The lights from the city beat up into her face and she waspale, while her jewel eyes shone black under their long lashes. Her whitegloved hands wrung themselves against his breast as she held him fromher.
"Out there while we danced," she whispered, "I don't know what, butsomething told me that you are going to leave me and not tell me why. Youwere saying good-by to my heart--with yours. Tell me, what is it?"
And with full knowledge of the strange, subtle, superconscious thing thathad been between them from the first and which had manifested itself indevious mystic ways, Andrew Sevier had dared to think he could hold herin his arms in an atmosphere charged with the call of a half-barbarousmusic and take farewell of her--she all unknowing of what threatened!
"What is it?" she demanded again and her hands separated to clasp hisshoulder convulsively. Her words were a flutter between her teeth.
Then the God of Women struck light across his blindness, and taking herin his arms, he looked her straight in the eyes and told her the wholegruesome bitter tale. Before he had finished she closed her eyes againsthis and swayed away from him to the cold window-pane.
"I see," she whispered, "you don't want me--youcouldn't--_you_--_never_--_did_!"
And at that instant the blood bond in Andrew Sevier's breast snapped andwith an awed comprehension of the vast and everlasting Source from whichflows the love that constrains and the love that heals, the love thatonly comes to bind in honor, he reached out and took his own. In theseventh heaven which is the soul haunt of all in like case, there was noneed of word mating.
Hours later, one by one the lights in the houses along the avenuetwinkled out and the street lay in the grasp of the after midnightsilence. Only a bright light still burned at the major's table, which waspiled high with books into which he was delving with the hunger of manylong hours of deprivation strong upon him. He had scouted the idea of theball, had donned dressing-gown and slippers and gone back to the companyof his Immortals with alacrity. On their return Mrs. Buchanan and thegirls had found him buried in his tomes ten deep and it was withdifficulty that Phoebe, kneeling beside him on one side, and Caroline onthe other, made him listen to their joint tale of modern romance, towhich Mrs. Matilda played the part of a joyous commentator.
To Phoebe he was merciless and a war of wits made the library echo withits give and take.
"Of course, my dear Phoebe," he said, "it is an established fact that aman and his wife are one, and if you will just let that one be JudgeKildare semi-occasionally it will more than content him, I'm sure."
"Why, Major, can't you trust me to be a good--wife to David? Don't beunkind to me! I'll promise to--to--"
"Don't, Phoebe, don't! That 'love, honor and obey' clause is the directcause of all the woman legislation ever undertaken--and it holds aremarkably short time after marriage as a general thing. Now there'sMatilda--for over thirty-five years I've--But where is Andrew?" hedemanded anxiously.
"Andy," answered David with the greatest delight in his happy eyes andthe red lock rampant over his brow, "is sitting on the end of a hardbench down at the telegraph office trying to get a cable through to hischief for permission to wait over for a steamer that sails for Panamatwo weeks from to-day."
"What?" demanded the major in surprise, looking at Caroline.
"Oh, _she's_ going with him--there are no frills to the affection ofCaroline Darrah! She'll be bending over his camp-fire yanking out his hottamales in less than a month--glad to do it. Won't you, beautiful?"answered David gleefully to Caroline's beautiful confusion.
"David Kildare," observed the major with the utmost solemnity, "when aman and woman embark with love at the rudder it is well the Almightycontrols the wind and the tides."
"I know, Major, I know and I'm scared some, only I'm counting on Phoebe'schart and the stars. I'm just the jolly paddler," answered David with alaugh across at Phoebe.
"Well," remarked the major judicially, "I think she will be able toaccomplish the course if undisturbed. It will behoove you, however, toremember that husband love is a steady combustion, not a conflagration."
"What do you call a love that has burned constantly for between ten andfifteen years, Major?" asked David as he smiled into the keen old eyesthat held his.
"That," answered the major, "is a fire fit to light an altar, sir."
"And in my heart, ah, Major, can you trust me--to keep--it burning?" saidPhoebe, thus making her avowal before them all with gallant voice andeyes of the dawn.
Moments later after Phoebe and Mrs. Buchanan had retired down the hall,and up the stairway, Caroline Darrah still knelt by the major's chair.They were both silent and the major held her hand in his. They neither ofthem heard the latch key and in a moment Andrew Sevier stood across thefirelight from them.
"I wanted to hear it, Major," he entreated as he laid his hand onCaroline's shoulder when she came to his side and held out his other tothe major. "Say it, if you will, sir!"
"The Almighty bless you, boy, and make His sun to shine upon you. Heis doing it in giving you Caroline to wife. Some women He holds ashostages until the greater men in us can rise to claim them and to-nightHis eyes have seen your fulfilment." The major looked straight into thepain-ravaged but radiant face before him and his keen old eyes glowedthrough the mist that spread across them.
"Child," he said after a moment's silence as he laid his hand onCaroline's other shoulder, "across the many waters that can not drownlove you have brought back to my old age young Andrew the Glad."
THE END
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