Those Dale Girls

by Frances Carruth Prindle

  CHAPTER V

  It is not until a great crisis is past that one comprehends with anyclearness of vision the multitudinous events that whirl about the onesupreme fact. Stunned by the first shock, one wakes to learn that closeon the heels of disaster come the consequences--pell-mell,helter-skelter, pushing, crowding with a grim insistence from whichthere is no escape. It was small wonder, then, that to the Dale girlsthe world seemed topsy-turvy.

  A change being inevitable, their one desire was to get it over quickly,the first of October, therefore, saw them moved into new quarters. Thearrangements had been made by Dr. Ware, who effected a compromise withthe girls--he offering them a vacant apartment in a house he owned, theygladly accepting this home if he would allow them to pay rent when theybecame successful wage-earners. The good Doctor sighed and consented; herecognized there was no thwarting their earnest purpose. In the firstdiscussion of plans, he had suggested a little house in the suburbs; butHester, with her practical nature fast developing, had said that to dobusiness they must be within reach of people--in the midst of things.She did not quite know how she knew this--perhaps it was more that shefelt it instinctively; but it met with Dr. Ware's approval and had greatweight with Julie, who secretly longed for the country, but put asideall personal inclination and voted with her sister. The result was aflat in a quiet, unpretentious neighborhood, which yet took on asemblance of gentility from its proximity to Crana Street.

  By methods known only to himself, Dr. Ware saved furniture enough tomake the place comfortable, while Bridget, who assumed mysterious airsfor days before their departure, saw to it that there was no lack ofhousehold necessities. Bridget was no small factor in those days. Shecame to the front with tremendous energy, backed up her young mistressesin all their plans, and vowed she would never leave them. So the littlefamily held together, which was the main thing, and the girls settledthemselves in the new quarters with brave spirits--was not this, afterall, the real meaning of "making a home for Dad"?

  All the choicest things were brought to the furnishing of his room; thegayest pictures to relieve the tedium of the weary hours, his best lovedbooks near at hand, though he could no longer read or even reach out hishand to touch them. In the window-sill Julie had set up a miniatureconservatory of potted plants that promised to bloom gayly, for downupon them poured the morning sun, filling the room with golden light.This was their resting-place in the new life--their father the centerabout whom they gathered in every spare moment--the room a little shrinefrom which in the midst of their attendance upon him many a silentprayer for strength and courage went up to God.

  The other sleeping-rooms were bedrooms by courtesy--mere closets, one ofwhich was given to Bridget and in the other the girls managed to squeezea double bed. Hester suggested that berths would be much moreconvenient, and only the lack of money prevented her having that sort ofsleeping arrangement constructed.

  "Julie!" she exclaimed, in the first days of squeezing themselves in,"it is something like living in the car again, isn't it? only it isso--so different. I believe I'll call the flat 'The Hustle'--onlyinstead of _its_ hustling like the car, we'll be the ones. Oh, Juliedear, to think of never racing around the country like that again!"

  "Don't Hester; I can't bear to think of it." In spite of her goodresolutions Julie's courage sometimes failed her.

  A few days later Hester came into the kitchen one morning, her arms fullof paper bags strongly suggestive of the corner grocery. "There!" shecried, "I've invested my last dollar in things for the cake."

  "Is it to-day you are going to see Miss Ware?" Julie asked.

  "Yes, if the cake comes out all right. Roll up your sleeve, old girl,and we'll begin." Hester suited the action to the words by weighing theingredients and turning the butter into a bowl. But ah! how hard it wasto put her pretty hand into it--how greasy the butter felt and how sandythe sugar, and how unpleasant the general stickiness! But she worked itthrough her fingers energetically, while Julie beat the eggs.

  "It is going to be death on our hands, my dear," remarked Hester,picking up a knife with which she scraped the dough from her fingers.

  "I wish you would always let me do that part, Hester. I know how youwill feel it to hurt your hands."

  "Well, as if I'd be likely to! No one part is worse than another. We'llget used to it after a while, though I know our hands will spread out totwice their natural size."

  "Perhaps even if they do get big and not quite so fine as they are now,_perhaps_ we won't mind, Hester, if we just think of it as scars in thebattle, you know. Don't you know how Daddy has often talked of thehonorable scars in the battle of life? We're just finding out what thatmeans, old girl."

  "Well, if you haven't a most blessed faculty for putting a comfortableconstruction on everything!" Hester emphasized her words by a lastvigorous beat of the dough and held out the spoon to her sister. "Justtaste this, will you, Julie? I think it's fine."

  "Umph, it is," agreed Julie, who had disdained the spoon, and dabbed herfinger in the mixture after the manner of cooks. "But, my dear, if wecreate a demand for cake like that which requires only the whites ofeggs, what shall we do with the yolks? Eat them, I suppose," making up awry face.

  "They are better than nothing and I do not see chickens hopping in thewindow, do you?"

  "No," reluctantly. "We have fifteen dollars in the house," she announcedsolemnly. "How long do you suppose we can live on that?"

  "I am sure I don't know, Julie. We must learn to eat less, and that isno joke. I'll tell you what, one of the hardest things is learning to dowithout what has always seemed absolutely necessary." There was a huskysound in Hester's voice which Julie did not like to hear.

  "No matter, dear, we are young and strong, and we will accomplishsomething before we get through. Why, if you stop to think of it, nearlyevery one who has made a success of life has started in the smallestkind of way."

  Hester nodded.

  "Did you say you were going to see Miss Ware to-day?"

  "Yes, I think I had better take her this loaf if it bakes properly. Willyou come with me, Julie?"

  "No, dear, I think you will manage better alone, though I'll go ofcourse, if you want me."

  "No, I had rather go alone," said Hester.

  But no expedition to Miss Ware's took place that day, for the cake wasspoiled in the baking and four succeeding attempts shared the sametragic fate. Toward night, when the failures of the day had reduced themto the verge of despondency, Dr. Ware came in and carried them off for along drive which wonderfully freshened up their spirits. On the way homehe asked their assistance in sending out a thousand circulars in regardto some medical matters, telling them it would be a tremendous help tohim if they would write them. They acquiesced delightedly andaccordingly that evening a huge bundle of stationery was left at theirdoor. Inside, stuck in a package of envelopes, was a slip on which waswritten: "Here's the paper and the form to be copied. Don't keep at thistoo persistently, little girls, or you'll bring down the wrath of yourfaithful friend, Philip Ware."

  More than glad to have an opportunity of being of use to the Doctor, thegirls set to work early the next morning writing industriously. Julie,after a few smirched and blotted copies, got well under way; she hadconsiderable precision in her character, which made a task like thissimple. But Hester during the first day or two spoiled so many sheetsthat she viewed her rapidly filling waste-basket with dismay. Finally,in supreme disgust she threw down her pen.

  "I believe I could build a house easier!" was her impatient exclamation."Who ever saw such daubs as I'm making!"

  Julie looked up and smiled. Her wrist ached, and she shook her hand tolimber the muscles. "If you did not dig your pen in the ink with such ahigh-tragedy, Scott-Siddons air, maybe you'd get on better," shesuggested.

  "High-tragedy fiddlesticks! I _like_ a lot of ink. I am sure you're asight," she commented, with sisterly frankness; "all doubled up and yourforehead screwed into knots. How many have you done?"

  "I don't kn
ow; there they are," pointing to a box-cover piled high.

  Hester surveyed them with lofty scorn. "Mercy! That is nothing! I'vedone heaps!"

  "Where are they, you airy young person?"

  "In the waste-basket, mostly."

  "Go to work, you ridiculous infant, or you will be stuck to that chairthe rest of your natural days."

  When Dr. Ware attempted to pay them for the work they remonstrated,telling him in the most convincing language at their command that it wasa pleasure to feel they could do even so small a thing for him. To thishe refused to agree, finally persuading them to take the money if on noother ground than to convince him of their business principles; while herefrained from mentioning that he had himself deviated somewhat frombusiness methods when he ordered the circulars written instead ofprinted in the usual way.

  A week later the almond cake for Miss Ware was baked successfully and anadmiring group stood about the kitchen table taking a last look at itbefore Hester did it up in a box preparatory to setting forth.

  "Faith, it's a beauty," cried Bridget, arms akimbo. "Any lady'd be proudto eat it. Shure it's your mother's own fingers ye've got, the both ofyez. Ther' warn't nothin' she couldn't make when she put her hand to it,before she got so ailin', an' the Major, God bless him, got so well offshe didn't have ter."

  "Poor, dear mamma!" said Julie, wistfully. "I only remember her ill andnot able to bear us noisy children about."

  "Sufferin' made her a changed woman, the Saints preserve her! But I seenthe day, Miss Julie, when she slaved for the Major before you was bornan' there warn't nobody could beat her at anythin'. It looks like herknack was croppin' out in yez, shure as my name's Bridget Maloney."

  "Perhaps it is, Bridget," said Hester, who had heard this conversationfrom the next room, where she was putting on her coat and hat. "We haveoften heard Daddy tell people mamma was a practical genius, that wouldmean nimble fingers, wouldn't it? Maybe she has left them to us as alegacy."

  "I'm not after understandin' your words exactly, dearie, but themeanin's clear an' it's right yez are."

  As Hester picked up the box, Peter Snooks sprang down from thewindow-sill jumping wildly about, the sight of her hat being conclusiveevidence to him that she was going out.

  "Poor little Snooks, not this time," the girl said, stooping to pat him."I am going in the car to-day."

  His stump of a tail drooped dejectedly as he looked at her with bigreproachful eyes.

  "It does seem mean not to take him, doesn't it, Julie?--but it is notworth while, for it is so stormy I thought I had better ride both ways."It was only dire extremity that permitted the extravagance of car-faresthese days.

  "Of course you must ride," said Julie. "Peter Snooks," to the stillhopeful little fellow, "you must not tease. Go find your ball and we'llhave a play."

  He trotted off and Hester picked up the box and started.

  "Tell Miss Ware that is only a hundredth part of the nice things you canmake, you clever girl," Julie called after her.

  "An' good luck to you, dearie," from Bridget.

  The wind and rain blew about Hester unpleasantly when she reached thestreet, but a car soon overtook her and afforded her a welcome shelterfrom the storm. She found all the seats occupied, but some of thepassengers moved up to make room for her, and being a trifle tired fromthe nervousness of the cake-making, she thankfully squeezed into the bitof space allotted her, and laid the box in her lap.

  Her thoughts as the car sped along were not of the most cheerful, forshe dreaded this visit to Miss Ware. That individual, who kept house forher brother, had expressed herself in terms of strong disapproval of thegirls when he had told her their plans. She considered cooking greatlybeneath them and would have thoroughly agreed with the views of theirCousin Nancy in Virginia, had she known that person. As it was, shethought her brother should interest himself in finding suitablepositions for them, and she refused to recognize the fact that thesewere not to be had for the asking. "There were plenty of ladylike thingsgirls could do," she said, but did not give herself the trouble tospecify.

  To the girls themselves she had talked at some length, endeavoring toexplain to them that they were laying out for themselves a path ofsocial ostracism by their extraordinary choice of work, never doubtingthat this argument alone would convince them. But when Julie gently putit aside with the assurance that she and Hester were sufficient tothemselves if the world chose to look askance at them; and when Hesterflushed angrily, and said the people whose friendship was worth anythingwould not fail them, Miss Ware shrugged her shoulders and gave them upas social heretics. She was not, however, allowed to wash her hands ofthem, for her brother sang their praises perpetually. She thereforeforced herself to take a negative interest in them which carried her sofar as to order from them a loaf of cake.

  Hester, gazing abstractedly out of the car window, felt it a momentouserrand on which she was going that day; it involved so much. If the cakemet with the critical approval of Miss Ware she intended to ask her tosolicit orders for it. It would not be easy to approach her on thissubject, but she should do it--oh! yes, she did not intend to befrightened out of her purpose. A curious little ache came into her heartas she braced herself for the coming ordeal. It was all so new and sostrange, to be put in the position of asking favors--to be looked downupon from frigid heights--she and Julie, whose world hitherto had beenall sunshine and approval. For a second something came between her andthe window, blurring her vision. Then she brought herself up with asharp mental rebuke for allowing her thoughts for one moment to revertto the past, and forced herself to look down with satisfaction on theneatly wrapped box she was carrying.

  By this time the car had become crowded, and directly in front of Hesterstood a woman of amazing breadth, clinging in a limp, swaying fashion tothe strap. Just as the girl observed her and was wondering if she couldsqueeze into her seat should she offer it to her, the car jerked round acorner, the stout woman screamed and landed with a thud on the box inHester's lap!