The Homesteader: A Novel

  CHAPTER V

  THE PREACHER'S EVIL INFLUENCE

  With all Ethel's excited ways, she was not to be reckoned a fool whenshe had in mind to accomplish some purpose. She understood full well,that it would be up to her at this time to keep Orlean from returningWest with her husband, unless she recalled her father. This she did notwish to resort to, until she had exhausted all her force without avail.She appreciated the fact that Jean Baptiste could and would influenceher husband as well as her mother, while as to Orlean, she would onlyneed a half a chance to fall away from her influence and go back to herhusband.

  So with this in mind, Ethel, who had inherited from her father, muchevil and the faculty of making people miserable began, as soon asBaptiste had left the house, to formulate plans to counter any effort onhis part to see Orlean.

  Her first move, therefore, was to recall Orlean who was visiting near, afact which her mother had feared to tell Baptiste. She convinced herforthwith that she was sick, in danger, and sent her to bed, not tellingher that Baptiste was even in town. She followed this by sending hermother to the kitchen, and keeping her there.

  "Now what I must do--succeed in doing," she muttered to herself, "is tokeep Orlean from seeing or meeting him in private and even in public foras much as an hour." She realized that keeping a man and wife apart wasa grave task, and that she could not trust to the sympathy of anyfriends. But one person could she trust to be an ally in the task shewas trying to accomplish, and that was her father. She rather feared herhusband at this time, for, while she held him under her control at mostall times, he was by disposition inclined to be kind and good. And,although he was jealous of Baptiste in a measure, this did not reachproportions where he was likely to be a very ready accomplice with theplan in hand. Indeed, if it was left to him, Orlean would sleep in herhusband's arms that very night!

  "I wish papa had stayed just another day," she grumbled as she walkedthe floor and tried to formulate some effective plan of action. "Tothink that he left only this morning and that man came this afternoon!"She was provoked at such a coincidence. She did not like to think toodeeply, or to scheme too long, for it hurt her. So she was compelled totake a chair for a time and rest her mind. She was not positive how longBaptiste would stay, and she would have difficulty in keeping her sisterin bed for any length of time. But she decided to keep her in the houseif she had to sit on guard at the front door.

  And it was while she was yet undecided upon her plan of action, thatGlavis came home. Once in a great while, when she wanted a change, adiversion, she would have his supper waiting. Other times it was left toher mother. He loved her in spite of all her evil, and was alwayspleased when she had his supper ready. So when she heard his footstepsoutside, she was suddenly struck with an inspiration. She rushed towardthe rear, and began hurriedly to set the table. Her mother had the mealready, so she affected to be very cheerful when Glavis came into theroom, and even kissed him fondly. He was so surprised, that the instancemade him temporarily forget what was on his mind, which was just whatshe wished him to do.

  "Where is Orlean?" he inquired after a time, whereupon his wife's facedarkened.

  "Oh, she's sick, and in bed," replied Ethel guardedly.

  Glavis grunted. He was thinking. For a time he forgot all that wasaround him; his wife, the supper, his work, all but Jean Baptiste andthe wife that was being harbored under the roof that he kept up. Hesuddenly got up. He walked quickly out of the room and hurried upstairswhile his wife's back was turned, and knocked at the door of the roomwherein Orlean was supposed to lay sick.

  "Come in," called the other.

  "Oh, it's you, Glavis," she cried, dropping back into bed when heentered the door.

  "A--ah--Orlean," he said in his stammering sort of way. "A--ah--how areyou?"

  "Why, I feel well, Glavis," she replied wonderingly. She had never feltjust right mentally since before she left the West. And when she allowedherself to think, she found that it hurt her. She had always beenobedient--her father had told her that time and again, and gave hergreat credit for being so. "Think of it, my dear," he had so often said,"in all your life you have never 'sassed' your father, or contrariedhim," whereupon he would look greatly relieved. So her father had laiddown the rule she was following--trying to follow. Her husband mustcertainly have been in grave error--not that she had observed it, orthat she had been badly treated by him, for she had not. However,whenever she tried to see and understand what it all meant, it hurt her.She was again the victim of those nervous little spells that hadharassed her before she married, but which had strangely left her duringthat time. But to do her father's will--for he never bid--always hiswas an influence that seemed to need no words--she was trying. So shelooked up at Glavis, and observed something unusual in his face.

  "What is the matter, Glavis?" she inquired, sitting up in bed again.Glavis shifted about uneasily before replying.

  "Ah--why--Orlean, it's Baptiste, your husband."

  "Jean!" she cried, forgetting everything but her husband--forgettingthat she had allowed herself to be parted from him. "What--what is thematter with him, Glavis? With Jean? Has something happened? Oh, I'malways so afraid something will happen to Jean!"

  "No, no," exclaimed Glavis, pushing her gently back upon the pillow."Nothing has happened. Ah--er--ah--"

  "Oh, I'm so relieved," she sighed, as she fell over in the bed.

  "He's here--in the city," she heard then from Glavis.

  "He is!" she cried, sitting suddenly erect again. For a moment shehesitated, and then, raising her hand to her forehead as if in greatpain, she groaned perceptibly. The next moment she had again sunk backupon the pillow, and her breath came hard. Perspiration stood upon herbrow, and he saw it.

  "Orlean, oh, Orlean," he cried then upon impulse. "Great God, this is ashame, a shame before God!" he lamented with great emotion.

  Suddenly he rushed to the door and then halted as he heard his wifecalling him from below. He turned to where Orlean lay in the bed, sicknow for true.

  "Aren't you coming down to supper, Orlean?" he called.

  "No, Glavis. I am not hungry."

  "But you should eat something, Orlean."

  "No, Glavis," she repeated in a tired voice, a voice in which hedetected a sigh. "I couldn't eat anything--now." He looked at her amoment with great tenderness, let escape a sigh, and then as if resignedto the inevitable, he turned and passed down the stairway to where hiswife waited below.

  She regarded him keenly, and during the meal, she kept casting furtiveglances in his direction. "I wonder what he's been saying to Orlean?"she kept muttering to herself. She concluded then, that she would haveto watch him closely. He had never been in accord with her and herfather's plan, and they had borne false witness to influence him againstBaptiste. But he had seen Baptiste she knew, and was also aware of thefact that Glavis liked both her sister and brother-in-law, and it wasgoing to be a task to keep him from following his natural inclination.

  She thought about her father again, and wished that he was in Chicago.

  She had never been delegated to handle such a task alone, and shedisliked the immense responsibility that was now upon her, and no one tostand with her in the conflict.

  "Well, Ethel," Glavis said, arising from the table when the meal wasover, "I'm going to walk out for a while."

  She started up quickly. Her lips parted to say that he was going to meetBaptiste and conspire with him against her father, but she realized thatthis would not be expedient. He might revolt. She rather feared this attimes, notwithstanding her influence over him, therefore she decided toexercise a little diplomacy. Accordingly she sank back into the chair,and replied:

  "Very well, dear."

  He regarded her keenly, but she appeared to be innocently completing hermeal. He sighed to think that she did not make herself disagreeable, theanticipation of which had made him fear and dread the task that wasbefore him. But now he was compelled to feel a little grateful becauseshe was apparently very prudent in t
he matter.

  He hurried quickly to the hall tree, slipped into a light overcoat, andleft the house. As he walked down the street, he was in deep thought.