The End of the World: A Love Story
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE ENCOUNTER.
Just before August came out of the door of Julia's room he had heardHumphreys enter his room on the opposite side of the hall. Humphreys hadlighted his cigar and was on his way to the porch to smoke off hisdiscomfiture when he met August coming out of Julia's door on theopposite side of the hall. The candle in Humphreys's room threw itslight full on August's face, there was no escape from recognition, andWehle was too proud to retreat. He shut the door of Julia's room andstood with back against the wall staring at Humphreys, who did notforget to smile in his most aggravating way.
"Thief! thief!" called Humphreys.
In a moment Mrs. Anderson and Julia ran up the stairs, followed by Mr.Anderson, who hearing the outcry had left the matter of the Apocalypseunsettled, and by Jonas and Cynthy Ann, who had just arrived.
"I knew it," cried Mrs. Anderson, turning on the mortified Julia, "Inever knew a Dutchman nor a foreigner of any sort that wouldn't steal.Now you see what you get by taking a fancy to a Dutchman. And now _you_see"--to her husband--"what _you_ get by taking a Dutchman into yourhouse. I always wanted you to hire white men and not Dutchmennor thieves!"
"I beg your pardon, Mrs. Anderson," said August, with very white lips,"I am not a thief."
"Not a thief, eh? What was he doing, Mr. Humphreys, when you firstdetected him?"
"Coming out of Miss Anderson's room," said Humphreys, smiling politely.
"Do you invite gentlemen to your room?" said the frantic woman to Julia,meaning by one blow to revenge herself and crush the stubbornness of herdaughter forever. But Julia was too anxious about August to notice theshameless insult.
"Mrs. Anderson, this visit is without any invitation from Julia. I didwrong to enter your house in this way, but I only am responsible, and Imeant to enter Jonas's room. I did not know that Julia occupied thisroom. I am to blame, she is not."
"And what did you break in for if you didn't mean to steal? It is alloff between you and Jule, for I saw your letter. I shall have youarrested to-morrow for burglary. And I think you ought to be searched.Mr. Humphreys, won't you put him out?"
Humphreys stopped forward toward August, but he noticed that the latterhad a hard look in his eyes, and had two stout German fists shut verytight. He turned back.
"These thieves are nearly always armed. I think I had best get a pistolout of my trunk."
"I have no arms, and you know it, coward," said August. "I will not beput out by anybody, but I will go out whenever the master of thishouse asks me to go out, and the rest of you open a free path."
"GOOD-BY!"]
"Jonas, put him out!" screamed Mrs. Anderson.
"Couldn't do it," said Jonas, "couldn't do it ef I tried. They's toomuch bone and sinnoo in them arms of his'n, and moreover he's agentleman. I axed him to come and see me sometime, and he come. He comeruther late it's true, but I s'pose he thought that sence we got sech adee-splay of watch-seals and straps we had all got so stuck up, wewouldn't receive calls afore fashionable hours. Any way, I 'low hedidn't mean no harm, and he's my visitor, seein' he meant to come intomy winder, knowin' the door was closed agin him. And he won't let no manput him out, 'thout he's a man with more'n half a dozen watch-seals ontohim, to give him weight and influence."
"Samuel, will you see me insulted in this way? Will you put this burglarout of the house?"
The "head of the house," thus appealed to, tried to look important; hetried to swell up his size and his courage. But he did not daretouch August.
"Mr. Anderson, I beg _your_ pardon. I had no right to come In as I did.I had no right so to enter a gentleman's house. If I had not known thatthis cowardly fop--I don't know what _else_ he may be--was injuring meby his lies I should not have come in. If it is a crime to love a younglady, then I have committed a crime. You have only to exercise yourauthority as master of this house and ask me to go."
"I do ask you to go, Mr. Wehle."
It was the first time that Samuel Anderson had ever called him Mr.Wehle. It was an involuntary tribute to the dignity of the young man, ashe stood at bay. "Mr. Wehle, _indeed_!" said Mrs. Anderson.
August had hoped Julia would say a word in his behalf. But she was toomuch, cowed by her mother's fierce passion. So like a criminal going toprison, like a man going to his own funeral, August Wehle went down thehall toward the stairs, which were at the back of it. Humphreysinstinctively retreated into his room. Mrs. Anderson glared on the youngman as he went by, but he did not turn his head even when he passedJulia. His heart and hope were all gone; in his mortification and defeatthere seemed to him nothing left but his unbroken pride to sustain him.He had descended two or three steps, when Julia suddenly glided forwardand said with a tremulous voice: "You aren't going without telling megood-by, August?"
"Jule Anderson! what do you mean?" cried her mother. But the hall wasnarrow by the stairway, and Jonas, by standing close to Cynthy Ann, inan unconscious sort of a way managed to keep Mrs. Anderson back; elseshe would have laid violent hands on her daughter.
When August lifted his eyes and saw her face full of tenderness and herhand reached over the balusters to him, he seemed to have been suddenlylifted from perdition to bliss. The tears ran unrestrained upon hischeeks, he reached up and took her hand.
"Good-by, Jule! God bless you!" he said huskily, and went out into thenight, happy in spite of all.