“Now,” said George, “do you figure it was all our prayers that brought this about, so I could go on to that college without expecting a hurricane every time I came back?”
“I shouldn’t wonder,” said Dale, smiling. “And now, Corliss, we can really get to work at your studies so you will be able to take those examinations sooner. Perhaps if you are both already entered in that college when your mother gets back, she may consent to let you stay. At any rate, you can have a chance to find out if you really like it.”
“Oh, I like it all right,” said George, “and I’m sure Corrie will, too.”
“Of course,” said Corliss. “Oh Dale, I think you’ve been perfectly wonderful to bring all this about for us.”
“There, there,” Dale said, smiling. “Forget it, and come let’s get to work. What comes first? Latin or mathematics?”
“Latin!” said Corliss. “I simply adore that, and I like to get the easiest things out of the way first.”
So they settled down to regular life, doing good work, and being fairly happy.
It wasn’t really very different from Dale’s life the last few years, perhaps, but she hugged the thought of her wonderful beloved to her heart and still prayed for him day by day, hoping against hope that some word might someday come from him.
And every night when George came home to dinner, he had pleasant things to tell of his college, and she could fairly see him grow into another person from day to day.
Chapter 20
Dale was getting to be a good teacher. She was enjoying the study herself and enjoying Corliss’s quick mind, enjoying the game of getting her ready for a quick examination. But while she was working with her hands here and there around the house she was continually praying for David, that if it was God’s will he might come home to her sometime. That she might not have to live out her life without him.
Now and again she would read in the paper that some soldier or sailor boy who had been reported missing had come home, and her heart would leap over the thought of what joy his family must be feeling on his return. Would such joy ever come to her?
It was as if she were living his life out with him wherever he was, in prison, or suffering, or distress of any kind. Her Savior watching over David, and she keeping continual watch for answer to her prayers. Of course most people would tell her she was a fool to keep on hoping, for now days and weeks had passed since the word had come, and nothing further came. She was glad that nobody knew of her beloved, for now they could not pity her. She would hate to be pitied. For they would not understand what was strengthening her in such a sorrow. They would think she did not care, and she could not bear that. And they would never understand how an idea, a trust in an unseen being could keep her bright and sunny. She must not bring her Lord into shame by not trusting Him, and she knew He was able to keep her, even though He did not see fit to give her back her beloved.
There came letters from Aunt Blanche, not written by her own hand, because her arm and wrist had not yet recovered strength to write, or at least she thought they hadn’t, which amounted to the same thing. But she had found a nice nurse who would write very neat letters for her, and she described the hospital where she was and all its lovely views and the people, some pleasant and some disagreeable. But she said that she had found a few friends who were very good bridge players, and therefore she was happy, for she simply adored bridge.
She said that her usual check had come through and she was sending Dale twenty-five of what she owed her and would hope to be able to repay her in full before too long. Meantime she thanked her for being so kind to the children, and she was so glad that they had found suitable schools where they were happy, and she hoped they would do their best to behave and not get into trouble anywhere as she wasn’t there to get them out.
Dale did not wonder that neither of her cousins mourned much for the absence of their mother. They had been greatly broken up when she was hurt, but more because they were afraid of suffering and death than because of any deep love for her. Nevertheless, they were greatly glad that their mother was happy and had decided to stay where she was for several months, until she was thoroughly well and could go home and attend to her own affairs as usual, for they were both very much in love with their college and wanted above all things not to be taken away against their wills.
At last Corliss was ready for her examinations and was hoping to be allowed to get into classes before the year was over. And suddenly Dale felt that if she did, life was really going to be quite dull for herself without either of her bright young cousins. For now they had all grown to be very dear to one another, and whenever there was a chance for George to get away from his work, he would run home for an hour or two to report on how things were going with him. And then one day he came in a great hurry and said he could stay only a minute, that he was tutoring another fellow in geometry and had promised to be back before supper to help him.
“But there is something I want to tell you. Dale, I knew you’d be interested, maybe Corliss, too. Anyway, I’ve found the Lord, and I thought you’d be glad! It’s wonderful to know I’m saved, and I never was so happy in my life. I don’t know what Mother would say to it. Sometime I’ll have to tell her, when I’ve had a chance to live it a little and let her see I’m different. It isn’t a thing I’d know how to write to her about. She’d be taking me right away from here and sending me to some worldly college. She’s horribly afraid of anybody getting religious. But now, Corrie, I’m praying for you, and I want you to get saved, and then we’ll begin to pray for Mom.”
He scarcely gave them opportunity to tell him how glad they were. Even Corliss seemed glad, though she didn’t altogether understand the matter and after that day often asked Dale many questions and sometimes consented to read the Bible with her. But Corliss was more interested to pass her examinations now, and she was working very hard.
And at last she did pass them, and Dale went with her to enter the college, and they were all very happy about it.
But when Dale went back to the empty house, it seemed very desolate without either of her cousins, and she wondered if she ought not to think about taking over her school, although it seemed to be getting on nicely without her, and she wondered if that was what the Lord would want her to be doing now. She seemed to have arrived at a place of pause, where she must think things through and know how she was going to order her days.
And then that very night there came a letter from the War Department that Captain David Kenyon had been found and brought back to a base hospital, where he was under the best of care. A letter was enclosed that had been found in his Testament in his breast pocket. He had been wounded and was not yet in a condition to tell all that had happened to him, but it was known that he had floated for a number of days on the ocean in one of the small rubber boats, that he had been picked up by a pilot who had seen him far from land and had taken him to his own outfit. He was wounded and not in very good physical condition when found, but now the doctor gave every hope that he would eventually recover.
There followed an address where she could write, and Dale, tears of joy streaming down her face, hurried up to her lonely room and began to write a letter. Perhaps he would not be able yet to read much of a letter, but she would put what was in her heart for him just in a few words at first. And later she would write all that she had wanted so say for all the lonely weeks he had been away.
But the first letter she wrote came from the depths of her heart.
My precious David:
The letter has just come that says you have been found. After all these weeks when you were missing in action, now you are found and in the hands of nurses and doctors who can help you.
My darling, I cannot thank God enough that you are safe and I can know where you are. I’ve been praying hourly for you. I know you were always safe, because our Savior has been watching over you.
Now I shall get this down to the post office at once so that you may have word from me as soon
as you are able to understand it, but I’ll be writing all the time now, every day, and if they are too much, just let the nurse put them away to keep for you till you are well.
Good night, beloved,
Dale
She looked up to find Hattie standing in the doorway looking at her with troubled eyes.
“Why Hattie, I thought you had gone to bed,” she said.
“No ma’am, Miss Dale, I couldn’t go to bed till I knowed you was all right and ready to rest. I thought you’d be lonesome, maybe. But you look real happy, Miss Dale. Are you glad you got rid of them children?”
“Oh no, Hattie. I love the children, and I shall miss them very much, of course, but I am happy, Hattie. Something wonderful has just happened to me. You heard the bell ring a little while ago? Well, it was a special delivery letter from the War Department, telling me that a dear friend of mine, whom I love very much and who has been missing in action for several weeks now, has been found. He was floating for a long time, several days, perhaps, on the ocean in a little boat, and a pilot saw him from the sky and picked him up and took him to a base hospital. They are taking care of him, and they think he may get well. Yes, I’m happy, oh so happy and thankful to God.”
“That’s great, Miss Dale. And do I know that man?”
“Why, I’m not sure. He was here several times. Do you remember a man in naval uniform at Grandmother’s funeral?”
“Man with a gold bar on his shoulder and gold wings on his chest?”
“Yes, that’s the one, Hattie. His name is David Kenyon, and we were engaged before he went away. He’s been made a lieutenant commander now. Oh Hattie, I’m so happy!”
“Well, you got a good man, I am positive. He’s the very handsomest man I ever saw, and that’s certain. Does anybody else know about this?”
“No Hattie. You’re the first one. I’ll want to tell the cousins, of course, when they come back for the weekend. But how I wish I could tell Grandmother. How she would love it!”
“Don’t you reckon she already knows it, Miss Dale?”
“I think perhaps she does,” said Dale softly, with a golden look in her eyes.
After that, Dale wrote every day to her beloved, who perhaps was not yet able to even hear the letters read, but she had to write them, or else her heart might have burst with the messages it contained.
And when the cousins came home for their first weekend, they looked at her for a minute and then they said, “What’s the matter? What’s happened? You look as if something wonderful had come to pass.”
“It has,” said Dale with a great illumination in her face. “My very dear commander, to whom I am engaged and who has been missing in action for a long time, has been found and is in the hospital, with a very good hope that he may get well and come back to me.”
Then Corliss lifted up her voice—a new, happy voice—and screamed for joy. “Oh Dale, you darling Dale, I’m so very glad for you,” she cried and embraced her cousin around the neck and administered some very definite kisses. “Who is he, Dale? Is it that perfectly darling uniformed man that came to Grandma’s funeral? David Kenyon, wasn’t that his name? Oh, I’m so glad, so glad. I thought he was wonderful!”
And then George spoke. “Well, I’ll say, you put one over on us all this time. You never let on all these weeks that we’ve been so close to you! And you didn’t wear a ring or anything.”
Dale laughed. “We didn’t have time to think of rings or anything but each other, he had to go away so soon.”
“That’s the talk,” said the boy. “Rings are just doodads, anyway. And besides, in wartime people aren’t thinking of things like that. Say, but I’m glad for you, Dale, only I hope you won’t go far away from us where we can’t see you anymore. You don’t know what you mean to Corrie and me. We were talking about it on the way up today. You are family to us now, and I don’t know how we’d ever get through all of life that’s ahead if you go so far we can’t get to see you often. You can just tell Cousin Dave that we won’t stand for him taking you away to China or anywhere afar off, and that’s not maybe.”
Dale laughed. “I’ll tell him,” she said happily. “But you might as well know that your cousin David is very much interested in you and has been praying for you while he was away. Yes, he has, and I’ve written him a lot about you, too, although I’m not sure he ever got those last letters, for he wasn’t allowed to write after he went off on this last assignment.”
They sat down and wanted to know all about him, and Dale got out her pictures. They really got acquainted with their new cousin and quite approved of him.
And then after a time they got back to talking about their college and all the things that had been happening there and how they enjoyed the Christian fellowship.
“And Corrie does, too,” said George eagerly. “I guess you’ll find she’s saved now, too!”
Corliss nodded her head. “Yes,” she said, “one couldn’t stay there very long and not be. They all just live in an atmosphere of salvation. And it begins little by little to seem more and more real to you, till you want it for yourself.”
“Oh, I’m so glad!” said Dale. “So very, very glad!”
And then all three cousins knelt down and thanked God for His wonderful salvation.
Chapter 21
Day after day Dale watched for more news, though her common sense told her that there might be a long delay. The first announcement had left her to suppose that David’s condition was more critical, and if he was still delirious of course he would not know what message had been sent her, nor have strength to frame a personal message to her. How long would she have to wait, she wondered? Of course until he could talk to the nurse or to some comrade, no one would know how to get in contact with her, except the War Department, and they had already done their duty in letting her know her man had been found and was doing as well as could be expected.
Night after night she went to bed praying, and morning after morning she arose with new hope in her heart that there might be some word that day. Hattie, too, was on the lookout every time the telephone rang or every time the doorbell sounded.
Dale laughed as she met her rushing to the front door in answer to a ring and called out, “He couldn’t be coming yet, Hattie. He’s away on the other side of the world somewhere, and he’s been too sick to even send a personal word, so there is no use in expecting him to come and ring the doorbell.”
“Aw, but Miss Dale. He might have flew, mightn’t he?”
“Well, not likely in the condition they gave me to understand he was in.”
“Aw well, you can’t always tell what may happen in wartimes,” said Hattie, nimbly excusing herself and grinning at her mistress.
Dale grinned back.
Three days later there came a telegram, brief and to the point but from David himself.
BELOVED DALE: SAFE IN HIS CARE. ALL MY LOVE, DAVID
Dale sat down and laughed and cried for joy into that telegram. It told so much and yet so little. He must be better or he could not have worded it. It rejoiced with her and called her to rejoice with him that he had been saved from great peril through their Savior who had watched over them “all through the night.” It told all his love. He had not forgotten her, and she apparently was his first thought when he came back to life and self again.
She had much to tell the cousins when they came again, and they all rejoiced together that David was getting well. For there soon came letters from David’s nurse and from a comrade now and again, giving a few more details of his progress. His shoulder was healing nicely. His hands were getting stronger. The sprained wrists were so much better he would soon be able to write her a letter “under his own power” and not have to wait for a secretary to take dictation.
There was nothing about the hardships he had gone through, except one sentence:
I’ll tell you all about it when I get home. God speed the day. “Joy cometh in the morning.”
The two eager young cousins who were
so interested in her romance exulted in all these messages, which Dale let them read because she enjoyed having someone to talk them over with. And they just reveled in knowing what a wonderful man was coming back to their dear Dale someday.
But now brief letters in his own hand began to come more often, and Dale began to take new heart of hope that soon he might be coming home. He hinted now and then that there might be a chance, though the doctor had not yet told him his release was coming soon.
Of course like all soldiers and sailors who had been in combat, David wanted to go back and finish up the job, but when he suggested it, his doctors and nurses shook their heads. Definitely no. He had been through too hard a time, and his physical strength was not up to such things yet, perhaps never would be. He had earned his ribbons and his stars and other decorations, what else did he want?, they asked him, and so he let his heart relax and began to look forward to seeing his beloved once more. Oh, would she think the same of him? He asked himself that a thousand times a day, yet kept on praying and hoping.
But Dale began definitely to get ready for his homecoming.
She wanted the house to be in perfect order, though with Hattie’s willing help there wasn’t so much to be done in that way. The house was always in order, for Hattie took pride in keeping it so. But there were a few curtains to be washed, a few little things that needed mending, and it was happy work to be doing, in between the Red Cross work she was doing now and the occasional groups of children she supervised during part of each day while their mothers were away at war work. Some of Grandmother’s geraniums and pots of ivy needed trimming and coaxing into early bloom so the house might be bright and attractive when he came.
And often as she sat sewing or reading, only half her attention was on her work. She was remembering her beloved as he had been with her on that one long, beautiful day among the hemlocks out under God’s wide sky before he went away. And now was it really true that he was coming back to her? He had hoped that God would let him; she had hoped and prayed about it and given up her will about it again and again. But God had been so very gracious to save him from that awful fate alone on the sea. No, not alone, but alone with God on the sea.
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