The Street of the City

by Grace Livingston Hill

  “Oh, it’s Marietta, isn’t it?” he said amusedly.

  “It certainly is. Did no one tell you? I left messages that you were to call me the minute you came in.”

  “Well, I just this minute entered the door and came immediately to the telephone. Is there something I can do for you?”

  “Yes, there certainly is. In the first place I invited you to take dinner with me. I had something to talk over with you. Something quite important. Do you always stay as late as this at the plant?”

  “No, not always,” said Willoughby. He was not one who told all that he had been doing to everyone who asked.

  “But do you mean that they actually keep you at the plant till all hours of the day or night? I think that’s outrageous. Something ought to be done about it!”

  “No, not usually. Not unless there is something important to keep me there,” he said. “I’m sorry about the dinner invitation, but as it happened I had another invitation to dinner, and I didn’t come home at all until just now. But what else was it you wanted of me, Marietta? You know I’m not my own master all the time now and can’t be depended upon to be always at home at my usual hours.”

  “Well that’s absurd! You can’t be a slave to your work. You’ve got to have a little time for yourself. I think you ought to make a stand for that. If you don’t I’ll have to get to work. I happen to know some of the head men interested in that plant of ours, and I shall certainly tell them what I think of the way they are treating you.”

  “Listen, Marietta, you’ll do no such thing, do you hear? I’m in no need of your fine official hand in my affairs. I know what I am doing, and these are strenuous days, you know. This is no time for a man to baby himself and cry out for playtime when the world is at war. My work has to do with government defense.”

  “Well, so has mine,” said Marietta loftily. “And that’s why I want your help. I know you are utterly loyal to our America and would be a grand one to take hold of this plan of mine, and help me make it a great success. It’s quite an important matter, and I want to talk it all over with you and get ready tonight to start right in and do something really worthwhile.”

  “Well, Marietta, that sounds very interesting, of course, and it would probably be interesting to work with you, but I really couldn’t promise to get into anything that involves much time or thought. I’m busy, Marietta, and can’t count on my hours at all. What is this scheme of yours, and just how do you want my help?”

  “Oh, I can’t tell you over the phone, Val,” said the girl impatiently. “Can’t you come over now and I can outline it for you? I don’t want to waste any more time.”

  “Now! Why man alive! Do you know what time it is?”

  “Oh, what difference does that make? We’ve stayed up much later than this at parties, many a time!”

  “Not me! I never was one of those late birds. My work means a lot to me, and I have to be early at the plant tomorrow morning!”

  “Now Val, don’t be stuffy! Come on over now, this minute. It won’t take so long for me to explain, and I’ll have a nice little snack for you to eat while we’re talking. Good eats and good drinks. Come on! An hour or two longer won’t make any difference in the long run.”

  “I couldn’t do it, Marietta. I’m a working man and have to save my best faculties for my job.”

  “Now Val! I didn’t think you’d stand me up that way! I tell you this is important work. It’s for the good of our country!”

  The young man was silent for an instant, considering.

  “What’s the nature of your scheme?” he said. “What is it you are so anxious for me to do?”

  “Why it’s a perfectly wonderful scheme for raising money and providing entertainment for the soldiers in camp. It’s something I know you can do. I’ve practically got the thing all thought out, and if you’ll just run over a few minutes I won’t keep you long.”

  “No way,” said Val. “I’ve got to be in my bed within the next ten minutes. And I wouldn’t have time for raising money and getting up entertainment. Sounds childish to me. What do you mean, get up games for the soldiers? Seems to me they ought to have brains enough to get up their own games.”

  “No it’s not that, Val! Don’t be stupid! It’s to do some really serious planning to have a steady income for such things. You see, I’m planning to get up a series of dances for the younger set, with a few of us older young folks to sort of sponsor and chaperone them. I just know it could be made popular among the young crowd, and we’d get a lot of money. Of course we’d make them pay a good price for their tickets. And it would be awfully popular among their parents if you and I and a few others of the really solid set of young people were sponsoring it. You were always popular everywhere, and just your being in the scheme would give it a boom right off at the start. The kids would be crazy to join it, and there would be enough of our own set to have really a good time for us. Don’t you see? While we are carrying on something worthwhile for the younger ones, helping them to do defense work, too, you know. And you, Val, you need something really restful and relaxing once a week at least.”

  “Hold up a minute, Marietta. Do I understand that you are proposing a series of dances once a week for which I should be partly responsible? Well, right at the beginning, no way! I never was interested in dances in my life, and I don’t propose to stop my man-sized job now and start in playing with kids. Seriously, Marietta, you don’t seem to know what this war is about.”

  “Oh, now Val, you don’t really understand. Do come over a few minutes and I’ll make you see what a perfectly swell plan it is.”

  “Not possible, Marietta. You’ll have to excuse me now. My time is up and I’ll have to hang up. Sorry to disappoint you, but you picked the wrong man for a thing like that. I’ve grown up since you and I used to play prisoner’s base and fight who should be allowed in. Good night, Marietta. See you sometime soon for a few minutes when I get a chance, but I can’t say just when it will be.”

  Valiant Willoughby hung up the receiver and went upstairs with a bound. Was Marietta really as silly as she sounded? What had life done to her? Was she as much of a snob as she used to be, or had she acquired a semblance of courtesy? Her voice didn’t sound like it, but maybe he was mistaken. He really would have to run over sometime and renew his acquaintance. But, how would she compare with that girl he had brought home tonight? Getting herself a difficult, responsible job; going there on skates; fighting her way against those two bullies; coming home to take the responsibilities of a family upon her frail young shoulders. Marietta: well educated, rich, not a responsibility in the world, and all she could think of to help her country was to organize a series of dances, where she could have a good time among her kind. Bah! Well, maybe he was misjudging her. He would go and see her sometime and give her a chance to prove herself, whether she was worthwhile.

  Chapter 6

  The very next afternoon about closing time Marietta appeared on the scene at the street door of the plant, in her gorgeous sports car; wearing attractive furs of sable; her gold hair in a long, sleek bob with the ends duly curved in the latest twirl. She sent a boy to Valiant Willoughby’s office to say that she had come to take him home and would he please come out to the car at once! She wanted to see him about something important.

  But Val had just gone out the back way and was hurrying up the frozen river to the plant where Frannie worked. He didn’t intend she should run any further risks tonight.

  And so while Marietta waited impatiently for the office boy from the front office to go all over the plant hunting for Willoughby, he was kneeling on the ice fastening Frannie’s skates and hadn’t even seen the beautiful vision in her sports car who had set all the office boys around the place agog with envy of “the young boss.” At last the boy came back apologetically and said they couldn’t find Mr. Willoughby. They thought he must have stepped out somewhere.

  “But that’s the same tale you had for me yesterday when I called him on the telephone,�
� said Marietta impatiently. “Isn’t he ever here?”

  “Why, yes ma’am. He works here. That is, he’s all over the place usually. We never know just where to put a finger on him. He’s been here all day, more or less. He just keeps track of every worker under him and never gives you a break if you get tired or lazy. He’s right on the job. But you know a fella can’t just do that and be in one spot all the time. For after all he’s the young boss. He works, you know.”

  Marietta stared at the youth who had a comical grin in one corner of his mouth. She couldn’t believe that just a common workman was capable of sarcasm, but somehow it sounded that way, almost the way Val had sounded last night. Well, there was such a thing as being almost too patriotic, perhaps. Certainly Valiant Willoughby was taking his obligations too seriously. She must do something about this.

  “I’ll wait,” she said resigned, and sat back luxuriously. “As soon as he comes in you tell him I’m here,” she added crisply.

  “Okay!” said the youth, with a polite grin, and bounded up the steps to the office.

  So Marietta sat in her car, the admired of all the workers from all the shifts as they came out from building after building. She even carried on a mild flirtation with a couple of the young fellows she knew who lived in her neighborhood and were filling in the time until they were called to the army or navy by taking a temporary job.

  “Doesn’t this place ever shut down for the night?” she asked them petulantly.

  “Shut?” they exclaimed in a breath. “I should say not! Nothing shuts down anymore. Didn’t you know that, Marietta? This country has gone mad on work. We work when we ought to be sleeping, and we sleep when we ought to be working, and when we get almost used to that they lay us off. I suppose that’s good for our moral characters, but somehow I can’t see it. What are you waiting for? The young boss? Well, he’s hard to find. You know there are times when he works all night as well as all day. He’s a kind of superman, you know. But I think he went home early tonight. I heard him asking one of his subs to take over for him while he went somewhere. I don’t believe he’s coming back tonight. You might as well call it a day and quit. But I’ll tell him in the morning that you were here for him. That is, if I can speak with him. He’s a hound for work. He doesn’t hang around much talking.”

  So at last Marietta decided to take the two young men to their homes and then stop at the Haversett house, hoping to find the lost Willoughby there.

  But Valiant Willoughby was putting up curtains for Frannie Fernley and hadn’t turned up at his home yet. And though she waited until after time for her Red Cross class, he did not come. She began to wonder on her frantic way to her class if by chance this could be intention and her old playmate could be evading her. But she didn’t really think that seriously, for she had a fairly good opinion of herself and her charms and would find it hard to believe that any young man would not be glad to go with her anywhere.

  Frannie hadn’t seen anything of her two tormentors at the plant that day, and as she was not close with any of her fellow workers she heard nothing of them. Besides, they were employed on another floor from the one where she worked, so she did not know that they were both at home nursing black eyes and bruises. And she was so well cared for that she had no fears of a repetition of their annoyances.

  “You really mustn’t go out of your way to look after me,” she protested when she saw Willoughby come sailing up as she came out of the lower door with her skates in her hand. “I truly am not afraid of those boys. I haven’t seen anything of them all day. I think they had enough yesterday.”

  “Yes? Well, I hope they retain that impression,” said the young man. “It’s just as well they should see you have friends who will protect you.”

  “Thank you! That’s awfully kind of you,” said Frannie, “but you know you can’t go around being a daily nursemaid to me. An utter stranger! And, of course, I must learn to fight my own battles!”

  “Well, it was very evident yesterday that you are quite able to do that, but I don’t want those hoodlums to think you’re entirely on your own. So now for a few days while this ice lasts we might as well make the trip together.”

  On the way they talked about the war and about Frannie’s life.

  “You’ve been to college?” said the young man, giving her a quick look when she spoke of classes in some advanced studies.

  “Yes, a year and a half till Father died, and then we came to this part of the country and I had to hunt a job.”

  There was just the breath of a sigh on the girl’s lips, but there was no cloud in her eyes.

  “You didn’t mind?” he asked.

  “Why, yes, I minded. But it couldn’t be helped, of course, and I was only too glad to be in shape to work. I had to take care of my family, you know. Mother wanted to work and make me stay at college, of course, but she wasn’t well enough. As it was she wore herself all out taking care of Grandmother. That’s why I wanted to get them down here where I would be near them and could see that Mother took it easy.”

  “That was pretty plucky of you,” said Valiant pleasantly. “But you must look out now that you don’t work too hard,” he warned. “You can’t afford to get sick, at least not till your mother gets well.”

  “Oh no, I won’t work too hard. Why, you ought to see the way Nurse Branner watches over me. She made us all go to bed last night the minute supper was over and the few dishes washed, and she made oatmeal for us. She’s great! I wish we could afford to keep her on for a while. But of course I know we couldn’t, even if we had a lot of money. She’s an important nurse. Other people need her.”

  “Yes, I suppose she is,” said Willoughby. “But she’ll be there for a little while, anyway, the doctor said, and that will help. You haven’t much more to do to get settled, have you?”

  “Why, no, not so much. We’re going to put the curtains up tonight and a few pictures, and then we’ll feel like living. The rest can be done a little at a time, or not at all if we don’t want to.”

  “Ah! I see! That’s where I come in. I was wondering where I could work into the picture.”

  And so, in spite of her protests, Val walked into the little brick house, saluted the nurse who appeared in the kitchen door smiling, and said, “Now, bring on your curtains! I’m the man they sent up from the interior decorators to put up draperies and hang pictures.”

  “Well, Mr. Willoughby, that’s nice,” said the nurse. “Frannie says the windows are all washed. It certainly will be fine to have your help. You’ve got such nice long arms. But how about sitting down with us and having a little bite of supper first? I made some soup this afternoon, and it’s grand and tasty if I do say so myself. Doesn’t it smell good? Carrots and onions and barley and potatoes, and tender meat from the soup bone. It’s cooked all the afternoon.”

  “Well, that’s great!” said the young man. “I’m hungry as a bear. The menu sounds very alluring.”

  “Better sit down now,” said Nurse Branner. “Everything is ready to put on the table. You sit here, Mr. Willoughby, and Frannie, you take the head of the table and pour the coffee.”

  It was good soup, and Val Willoughby was hungry. So was Frannie. Such a pleasant, friendly, merry time they had eating it, just as if they had known one another for years. And then there was a luscious apple pie and delicious cheese they had brought from the country.

  When the nurse went upstairs to take the sick woman her tray and settle her for the night, the two young people jumped up and began to clear the table.

  “Oh, but you mustn’t do this,” said Frannie in horror as she saw the young man gathering up the dishes in an orderly manner as if he had been doing it all his life.

  “And why not, I’d like to know,” said Val, fitting the four plates neatly together, gathering the silver by itself. “Haven’t I eaten here, and should I not help to put things back into place? You see, I want to get at those curtains right away, and we can’t do that until our consciences are free from these d
ishes. Is this the dishpan? I’ll wash and you dry and put them away, for I don’t know where they belong.”

  “But truly, you don’t need to do this. There aren’t many, and I can do them in no time after the curtains are up.”

  “Yes, but that’s exactly what I don’t want you to have to do. You see, I’m concerned about you, all you went through yesterday and then going to work so early again today. How did you get through the day? Weren’t you all shaken up? You’re such a little thing, and you took quite a beating from those two boys, you know. And I wasn’t at all sure you wouldn’t have more trouble with them today. They are not the kind who give up a fight. Don’t relax your vigilance. They’ll try to catch you unaware. They may lie low for a while, though, for it’s my opinion that one of them had a pretty good case of black eye and wouldn’t want to appear in public, not for a while, if you ask me.”

  “I hate to be the cause of any workman losing time,” said Frannie with a troubled look.

  “They deserved it,” said Val, setting his lips in a stern line.

  And so they worked together and soon had all the dishes washed and put away. Then Frannie produced the curtains.

  They went to work chattering pleasantly, getting well acquainted and feeling like old friends.

  And there went another day when Marietta couldn’t find her old playmate to have dinner with her. Even though she had gone to the plant and then the Haversett house to find him. Strange, she thought. He hadn’t been home to dinner for two nights. She would certainly have to have it out with Auntie Haversett, for she was determined to get Val to help her with her plans.

  But Val was showing his skill at putting up curtain rods and advising about which curtains would fit best in certain places. He was really having a good time at it. This girl he was helping was so much in need of help and so utterly free from superficial airs and graces that he felt the atmosphere was just easy, pleasant, unrestricted. He hadn’t thought of Marietta since he talked with her on the telephone the night before. He assumed that she had gone elsewhere for help. Marietta was seldom at a loss to find somebody to give in to her beauty and her father’s wealth.