“Oh, Jeremy! Is that what the story about Balaam and the ass means? I always wondered why that was put in the Bible.”
Just then two seats in front of them were vacated, and the young people moved together. Then they had a jolly time and almost forgot for a while that there was a war on the other side of the world and the servicemen might have to return to it. The day was bright and the water just right. By the end of the day all felt rested and had got to know one another wonderfully well.
Back at Riverton there was gloom.
“Whatever becomes of those two navy men?” asked Jessica impatiently. “They never seem to be anywhere, and I really can’t waste my time hanging around for them. I’ve got an order for some writing, but I simply must have a few facts, and I’m dead sure I can get better ones if I could just once get Rod talking. I always used to be able to do that in the old days, and if I had a good chance at him all by himself I’m sure I could again. You promised to make this possible, you know, Louella. And you haven’t even found out yet what service those boys are likely to be called into when their leave is up. By the way, isn’t it almost up?”
“Why, yes, I’m sure it is,” said Louella. “Their mother was sighing the other day that she might soon have to be saying good-bye to them again, for they were sure to be going away somewhere.”
“Well, Louella, I’ve promised my husband to get some really authentic news from my old friends who have been all sorts of places and will be able to tell me lots of stories about the enemy and their plans.”
Then Louella, interestedly said, “Why that sounds wonderful, Jessica. It sounds like your old self, and I’m sure you are on your way to fame. But don’t get impatient, dear. I’m doing my best for you. I’m almost sure I’m on the right track. I was over at the house yesterday morning, and I happened to mention a phrase or two I had heard, and I was sure Margaret Graeme pricked up her ears and gave a swift look toward Kathie. I didn’t say anything more about it just then, because I didn’t want them to know I was getting on to any of their secrets, for then I know from past experience that they would shut right up. But I’ll be mentioning it again, and then I expect to have a more enlightening report to give you.”
“What were the phrases you mentioned, Louella? You haven’t forgotten them already, have you?”
“Why of course not. Did you ever hear of a place in the city called Bankers’ Security, Jessica? I think it’s a whole building somewhere. But I wasn’t quite sure what it had to do with the other phrase.”
“How aggravating you are, Louella! What was the other phrase? How can I make head or tail out of the things you say if you can’t be a little bit more explicit in telling me?”
“Now, Jessica, that’s very rude of you. I don’t know at all why I take all this bother for you when you are so cross and unpleasant about it.”
“Oh, well, Louella, you’re very trying. But what was the other phrase?”
“Well, the other phrase was Naval Intelligence. Does that mean anything at all to you? And I’m quite sure it’s something very secret, for the way they guard their looks shows that they are really afraid I’ll find out something.”
“Well, yes, Naval Intelligence might be a branch that would interest me very much if I could really get at any of their vital matters. Find out if that is the branch they are really going to be in, won’t you, and how soon they start? Gracious! I wonder how they got into that, if they really did. Well, get a hustle on and see what you can find out.”
Therefore, Louella took her way to the Graeme house the next morning. She arrived not more than ten minutes after the young people had left for the day, and Margaret Graeme gave thanks silently that she had not come sooner.
“Well,” said Louella, settling down in the most comfortable chair and getting out her crocheting, a delicate little nothing of pastel shades of silk, or near-silk, designed eventually to hold sachet powder and figure as an asset to handkerchiefs, “what’s new, Margaret? Don’t tell me the boys aren’t up yet. They’ll be getting lazy, and that won’t be a help when they get back into service. And of course you are keeping their breakfast hot for them. You always did spoil your children terribly, Margaret, and I’m sure you’ll be sorry for it yet. You can’t get by without such things catching up with you.”
“Yes?” said Margaret Graeme lifting a smile to her unpleasant cousin. “And what do you think is going to catch up with me, Louella?”
“Why, your pampering of your children. It will surely bring sorrow to you in some way. You’ll see.”
Margaret Graeme laughed lightly. “And how am I pampering my children now?”
“Why, letting them lie in bed a lovely peppy morning like this and then cooking them a separate breakfast when they choose to get up.”
“Oh,” said Margaret Graeme, “but my boys are not lying in bed. They were up an hour ago and had their breakfast and milked the cows and curried the horse, and now they are off on their own business.”
“Oh, really, Margaret? How did you manage that? Why, that’s wonderful! But where have they gone? Then it’s true, isn’t it, what I heard last night? They are in the Naval Intelligence Service, aren’t they? I was so hoping it would be that, for that would keep them at home, wouldn’t it? And I know it would so break your heart to have them go back overseas again and go on any more of these terrible ’missions’ as they call them, out to bomb human beings. It seems a terrible misnomer to call them by the name of missions. I supposed missions were for Christianizing heathen, not killing them.”
Suddenly Margaret Graeme was overcome by merriment, and she burst into a bubble of laughter.
But Louella, who had never quite understood her cousin-in-law’s laughter, turned an offended eye to look at her. “Well, really, Margaret, is that a new way you have acquired to escape answering my question? Laughter?”
Margaret Graeme sobered down till only her sweet eyes bore the merry amusement. “Question, Louella? Did you ask a question?”
“I certainly did. I asked you if it was true that your sons are being assigned to the Naval Intelligence Service. I was told so last night by someone who certainly ought to know the truth.” Louella reconciled this statement with the truth and her conscience by her emphasis on the word ought.
“Oh, is that so?” said Margaret Graeme gravely. “Well, I wouldn’t know about that,” she said pleasantly. “You see, no one has told me anything about that. If it is so, I suppose it will come to light in due time. If the boys have heard any such thing they may have kept it to themselves that I might not be disturbed. They have always been thoughtful of me that way. But I doubt if any order of any sort has come through for them yet. I am sure I should have known it if there were anything important soon. Of course ultimately, there will be something. We are expecting that. But we do not know what form it will take, yet. And now, Louella, tell me about your plans. You told me a week ago that you were obliged to hurry right home because an important deal was likely to come. Did it come through all right?”
“Oh,” said Louella, with a confused look. “Why, no—yes—that is, not yet. There was an unexpected holdup. The people who were thinking of buying my house felt that they first had to sell the one they were occupying, and I thought it best to wait here for their decision.”
“Yes? Well I should think that might be very wise. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, of course.” Margaret Graeme’s voice was steady and her lips did not twitch, but there were little lights twinkling in her eyes. She was used to Louella’s boasting and knew pretty well that Louella’s property in the West was a mere mirage that had faded long ago into a hopeless mortgage foreclosure, but why let Louella suspect that she knew it? There were unpleasant points of difference without adding an unnecessary one. Margaret Graeme was used to looking upon these sessions with Louella as a sort of game in which the winner was the one who could keep the question going back and forth over the net without answering it out and out. Thus she made it interesting rather than a bore, a
nd always kept her temper. Though Louella, not having a keen sense of humor, kept dropping stitches in hers.
Then Margaret Graeme took pity on her. “How would you like to go out on the porch, Louella? It’s a glorious morning, the sun so bright and the perfume of the flowers beginning to scent the air. I just love these early spring mornings.”
“Oh, yes, they’re well enough, if it’s not too chilly. I never like to get a cold in the spring. It’s so apt to linger all summer and keep one’s nose looking red and one’s eyes full of tears. But perhaps if you can lend me a shawl or a sweater …”
“Why, of course, I have shawls and sweaters, but if you are afraid, perhaps we’d better stay right here. Just move your chair over by the window and get a little more light on your work. How pretty that is, what you are making. Is it to be a handkerchief?”
“No, a sachet for a dear old lady at the hotel. She does admire my work so much.”
“How sweet of you!” said Margaret. “I often wish I had leisure to do nice things like that for people, but somehow the days are not half long enough for all I have to do.”
“Well, I say you do too much! You ought not to pamper your daughter. You make all her clothes, don’t you? And she’s always dressed like a doll. You would have plenty of time for anything you want to do if Kathie made her own clothes. When a girl gets to her age, she ought to understand the art of sewing thoroughly.”
“Oh, she does,” said Kathie’s mother with a loving smile. “She’s made all her own clothes since she was in high school and often has made some of mine. She seems to be very gifted in that way.”
“Oh, really? You don’t mean all her own clothes, do you? I’m sure she never could have managed that lovely suit she was wearing last Sunday night. It fit too perfectly to be homemade.”
“Yes, she made that last spring. It does fit nicely, doesn’t it? And she takes such good care of her clothes that it’s always well worth her while to get good material. After all, it does make a lot of difference if you have good material to work with.”
“Well, I suppose it does, but, after all, if you encourage a young girl to spend a lot on her clothes what kind of wife will she make for some of these poor soldiers when they come home?”
“I trust that Kathie will have good sense about spending her money. But, after all, she is making a very fair wage in her hospital work, and I think she will know how to spend what she has worked for.”
“Well, you always think your children are perfection, Margaret, don’t you? But if she works so hard and makes her clothes besides, how will she ever get out to know any young men? You know she might not get married at all. Then what would you say?”
“Well, I think I could bear even that, Louella, for then I should have my girl with me a little longer,” Kathie’s mother said with a smile.
“Margaret! You wouldn’t want your only daughter to be an old maid, surely!”
“Why not, Louella? There are worse fates. But unfortunately for your theory, Kathie isn’t likely to be unmarried. She is already engaged to a delightful young man whom we all honor and love.”
“Margaret! You don’t mean it? When did this happen? And why wasn’t I told?”
“Well, it happened in the winter sometime. The last time he had a leave of absence before he went overseas. He is a chaplain in the army, under some special orders. He was just back again last week for three days, and he’s likely to be back again next week for three days before he goes again.”
“Oh, Margaret, isn’t that too delicious? Somehow I thought that would never happen to Kathie, she’s so quiet and unworldly.”
“Oh, do you think all men prefer noisy, worldly women?”
“Well, no, I suppose not. Not if they know they are good cooks.”
“Mercy!” said Margaret Graeme with an amused laugh. “What an unpleasant idea of marriage you must have!”
“Why no, I haven’t really, Margaret, only naturally a man would take some account of what he was getting into when he set out to get married, and if a girl wasn’t stunningly pretty or a smart dresser or a good cook and housekeeper, why naturally he wouldn’t let himself get crazy about her. Oh of course, Kathie is fairly good-looking, not stunningly pretty as Jessica was, you know—”
“There are differences of opinion, you know, about looks. I certainly never felt that Jessica was even pretty, certainly not beautiful.”
“How funny, Margaret. You certainly are strange. I always thought Jessica was a raving beauty, but your ideas and mine never did jibe. However, as I was saying, I never did think Kathie had enough initiative to go out and get herself a man.”
“I should hope not!” said Margaret fervently. “Of all disgusting things, the worst I think is a girl who lowers herself enough to let it be seen that she is out to try to catch a man. That isn’t a girl’s place, Louella, to go out after a man. If the man wants her, it is his place to seek her.”
“Oh, Margaret Graeme, you are so far behind the times you don’t understand that no man in these days would ever go out after any girl unless she first courted him. Certainly not one as quiet as Kathie. I used to think it was hopeless for Kathie ever to expect to get married.”
Margaret Graeme only smiled. “Well, I’m glad my daughter isn’t the type to go out after a man. Better a thousand times that she go unmarried than that she would demean herself by setting out after a man. What kind of a marriage would that make? There would be no happiness at all where the girl had lowered herself that way.”
“Oh, Margaret! You certainly are old-fashioned! But that isn’t the way the world looks at that question today. The girls all understand that they must do all they can to get them a man before somebody else gets him, and I’m sure Kathie is to be congratulated on getting one that you think is so fine, but remember, after she’s got him she must keep him, and she’ll never do it by being such a demure little thing as you’ve brought her up to be. She simply can’t compete with the girls of today.”
“I’m afraid I wouldn’t want her to do that, Louella. A happy marriage is not built along such lines, and there is nothing worse than an unhappy marriage.”
“Oh no, you’re mistaken, Margaret, not in these days. There is always divorce now, and it is so common today one is not outlawed by it. In fact, divorcées are very attractive to men. They really have the advantage of young girls in many cases.”
“Well, Louella, divorce is something we do not consider in our family. In fact, I don’t think many Christians do. We just don’t believe in it, you know.”
“Oh! Christians!” said Louella with a shrug and a sneer. “Of course, I forgot how narrow-minded you are. By the way, Margaret, who is that coming up your front walk? Isn’t that a telegraph boy? He’s on a bicycle. Yes, I’m sure it is. He has brass buttons on his cap. Would you like me to go to the door for you? Then you won’t have to disturb your knitting.”
“No, thank you, Louella,” said Margaret Graeme gently. “I don’t disturb so easily.”
“Well, I’m sure I only offered to help you,” said Louella offendedly.
Quietly, without replying, Margaret Graeme laid her knitting down and went to the front door. She came back immediately with the telegram in her hand and stepped into the kitchen to give an order to Hetty, and then came back, standing the telegram up on the mantel by the clock, where Louella tried in vain to read the name it bore.
“Well,” said Louella at last, impatiently, “what was it?”
“A telegram. You were right, Louella, it was the telegraph boy.”
“But what was the telegram? How really trying you are, Margaret! I’ve just been quivering to know what has happened. Was it from Washington? I’m dying to know what the boys’ orders are.”
“Oh! Why, Louella, the telegram was not for me, so of course I do not know what it was about.”
“But is was for some member of your family, wasn’t it? Didn’t you open it? Aren’t you going to open it and find out?”
“Certainly not,
Louella. I don’t open other people’s telegrams. What do you think I am? It is a private message, and I would not think of opening it.”
“But—your own family, Margaret. How ridiculous! If it’s for some of your children, or even your husband, surely you have a right to find out about it. It might be something quite important that ought to be attended to at once.”
“No,” said the mother. “It would not be my business to open it, unless I had been told to open it and find out and send them word.”
“How perfectly silly you are. I’m sure I wouldn’t like to live with your conscience. Well, then suppose I open it for you, and if anybody finds fault you can blame it on me.”
“No!” said Margaret with finality. “The telegram is not ours, and you will not open it.”
“Well, I’m sure I never heard of anything so silly! Suppose we dampen it and pry it open and find out if it is anything important and then seal it up again. I used to be quite expert at that sort of thing when I was a girl.”
“No,” said Margaret firmly, “we do not do underhanded things like that in this house. Let’s forget the telegram, Louella, and suppose you show me how to make that crochet stitch you told me about the other day. Here is some pink wool. Is this the kind of needle you use, or would you rather a larger one?”
And so for the time being the subject was changed, but Louella kept turning wistful eyes toward the mantel shelf where the yellow envelope stood. Twice she tried strategy, inventing reasons for her hostess to go into the kitchen and see who was at the back door, after she had heard Hetty go upstairs, so she would have an opportunity to get nearer to the address on that envelope. She was consumed with a desire to know whose name it bore. But Margaret Graeme was canny and could explain every noise at the back door and did not leave her trying guest alone with that letter. At last Louella got discouraged and decided that it was high time for her to get home and telephone Jessica if she expected to catch her before she went out for the afternoon. But she felt that she had at least some progress to report. And then of course she was never at a loss for filling in from her prolific imagination what facts did not give her. And there was that mysterious telegram on the mantel for a start.
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