CHAPTER V
A PROPOSAL; A PROPOSITION; A CERTAIN MRS. PRUITT--AND A LETTER
"Oh, mama, Mr. Baptiste has asked me to marry him," cried Orlean,rushing into the room and to the bed where her mother lay reading, afterJean Baptiste had left.
"Why, my child, this--this is rather sudden, is it not? Mr. Baptiste hasknown you only a few months and has been corresponding with you just alittle while," her mother said with some excitement, suddenly sittingerect in the bed.
"Yes, mama, what you say is true, but he explained. He said--well, Ican't quite explain, but he--he wants to marry me, mama, and youknow--well, mama, you understand, don't you?"
"Yes, I understand. All girls want husbands, but it must be regular. Sotake off your clothes, dear, get into bed and tell me just what Mr.Baptiste did say."
The other did as instructed, and as best she could, tried to make plainwhat Jean had said to her regarding the land and all. She didn't make itvery plain, and the matter rather worried her, but the fact that he hadasked her to marry him, was uppermost in her mind, and she finally wentto sleep happier than she had ever been in her life before.
"Now, when the young man calls today, you will have him take hisbusiness up with me," her mother instructed judiciously the followingmorning.
"He will explain it all, mama. He can do so very easily," she said, gladto be relieved of the difficult task. Yet she had her worries withal.Her mother was a very difficult person to explain anything to; besides,Orlean knew her mother was in constant fear of her father who was aPresiding Elder, traveling over the southern part of the state, and whocame into the city only every few months. And if her mother was hard tomake understand anything, her father was worse--and business, he knewnext to nothing about although he was then five and fifty.
Jean Baptiste had accomplished a great many more difficult tasks thanexplaining to his prospective mother-in-law in regard to the land. Whenshe seemed to have sensed what it all meant, he observed that she wouldgive a peculiar little start, and he would have to try it all overagain. In truth she understood better than she appeared to; but it wasthe girl's father whom she feared to anger--for in all her life she hadnever been able to please him.
But she found a way out along late that afternoon when a caller wasannounced.
The visitor was a woman possessed of rare wits, and of all the peoplethat Mrs. McCarthy disliked, and of all who disliked Mrs. McCarthy, Mrs.Pruitt was the most pronounced. Yet, it was Mrs. Pruitt who settled thedifficulty and saved the day for Orlean and Jean Baptiste. But as to whyMrs. Pruitt should dislike Mrs. McCarthy, and Mrs. McCarthy shoulddislike Mrs. Pruitt, there is a story that was known among all theirfriends and acquaintances.
When Miss Rankin had said what she did about Rev. N.J. McCarthy, she hadnot told all, nor had she referred to any woman in particular. She wasnot a scandal monger. But she knew as all Chicago knew, that in so faras the parties in question were concerned there was a friendshipbetween Mrs. Pruitt and the Reverend that was rather subtle, and hadbeen for years. And it was this which caused the two mentioned todislike each other with an unspoken hatred.
But Mrs. McCarthy trusted Orlean's going eight hundred miles west tofile on a homestead, and what might come of it, to Mrs. Pruitt ratherthan to herself. While she could--was aware of it--she did not dareventure anything to the contrary where it might come back to herhusband's ears, she knew Mrs. Pruitt had more influence with her husbandthan had she.... Therefore when she invited Jean Baptiste to meet Mrs.Pruitt, who had met him years before, she breathed a sigh of relief.
It was over in a few hours. Mrs. Pruitt would accompany Orlean to theWest and back, with Jean Baptiste paying expenses, and preparations weremade thereto.
In two days they had reached Gregory where the great land excitement wason. From over all the country people had gathered, and the demand forthe land had reached its greatest boom since Jean Baptiste had come tothe country.
His sister and grandmother had arrived during his absence, and, aftergreeting them, he was handed a letter, which read:
_My dear Mr. Baptiste_:
Your most delightful letter was received by me today, and that you may see just how much I appreciate it, I am answering at _once_ and hope you will receive the same real soon.
To begin with: the reason I have not answered sooner is quite obvious. I was away on a short visit, and only returned home today, to find that your _most_ interesting letter had been here several days. Think of it, and I would have given most _anything_ to have had it sooner.
Well, in reference to what you intimated in your letter regarding the land up there, I am deeply interested. Nothing strikes my fancy so much as homesteading--which I think you meant. I would the best in the world like to hold down a claim, and am sure I would make a great homesteader. But why write more! An hour with you will explain matters more fully than a hundred letters, so I will close with this: You hinted about coming down, and my invitation is to do so, and do so at _your earliest possible convenience_. I am waiting with great anxiety your honored appearance.
In the meantime, trusting that you are healthy, hopeful and happy, please believe me to be,
Cordially, sincerely--and anxiously yours,
IRENE GREY.
He regarded the letter a little wistfully, and the next moment tore itto bits, flung it to the winds, and went about his business.
The Homesteader: A Novel Page 25