Meg of Mystery Mountain

  CHAPTER III. FACING HARD TRUTHS

  "It is because our father is honest that today we are poor," Dan Abbottbegan, "and I glory in that fact."

  His sister, sitting beside him in the train that was nearing Edgemere,curled her lips but did not reply. "The firm to which Dad belonged madeillegal contracts in western oil fields. The other men will be many timesricher than they were before, but, because our father scorned to be aparty to such dishonesty, he has failed. Not a one of the men in whom hetrusted made the slightest effort to help avert the catastrophe."

  "When did this all happen?" Jane's voice was still hard, almost bitter,as though she felt hatred and scorn for her father, rather than loyaltyand admiration.

  "Last February," was the brief reply.

  "Then why was I not informed? Am I a mere infant to be kept in ignoranceof facts like these? Father has treated me unfairly, letting me boast tomy most intimate friends that I could have an elaborate Paris wardrobefor the summer. My position is certainly a most unpleasant one."

  At this the slow temper of the lad at her side flamed and though he spokein a low voice that the other passengers might not hear, he said justwhat he thought. "Jane Abbott, you are the most selfish, heartless girl Ihave ever known. It is very hard to believe that you are an own daughterto that most wonderful woman whom we are permitted to claim as ourmother. In an hour of trouble (and there were many of them in those longago days) she was always brave and cheerful, comforting Dad and urginghim above all to be true to an ideal. But I actually believe that you,Jane Abbott, would rather our Dad had entered into dishonest negotiationsas did the other members of his firm."

  The lad glanced hopefully at his sister. Surely she would indignantlyrefute this accusation, but she did nothing of the sort. With a shrug ofher slender shoulders, she sank back against the cherry colored cushionas she replied, "I have often heard that an honest man can not be asuccess in business, and I do feel that our father should have consideredhis family above all else."

  Dan pressed his lips firmly together. He feared that if his torrent ofangry thoughts were expressed it might form a barrier between himself andhis sister that the future could not tear down, and so, after taking adeep breath that seemed almost a half sob, he again placed his handtenderly on the cold white one that lay listlessly near him.

  "Sis, dear," he implored, "try to be brave, won't you? I'll do all I canto make things easier for you, and so will Dad. He's pretty much stunned,just now, but, oh, little girl, you can't guess how he is dreading yourhomecoming. That's why I offered to meet you at the ferry station. Iwanted to tell you and save Dad that agony of spirit. If you would onlygo in brightly and say, what our dear mother would have said, it will domore to help our father than anything else in this world."

  Selfish as Jane was, she dearly loved the brother who had idolized her,and who in moments of great tenderness had always called her his littlegirl, remembering only that she was three years younger and in need ofhis protection.

  Tears sprang to her eyes, but as the train was drawing in at the Edgemerestation she only had time to say, "I'll try. But, oh, it is so hard, sohard."

  Dan engaged a hack and after assisting his sister in, he sat beside her.Then, as they drove along the pleasant streets of the village that wereshaded by wide spreading elms, the lad told her what changes had occurredin their home.

  "Mrs. Beach, our housekeeper, and Nora, her assistant, have left, and ourdear old grandmother has closed up her farm in Vermont and is stayingwith father. It has been his greatest comfort to have his mother withhim. You always thought her ways so old-fashioned and farmerish, Jane,but for all that she is the sweetest kind of a little old lady and asbrisk and capable as she was two years ago when we visited the farm."

  There was a slight curl to Jane's lips, but she merely said: "I suppose Ishall be expected to wash dishes now. We must be terribly poor if wecouldn't even keep Nora."

  "But we have one big blessing," Dan said brightly, "the home, which wasmother's can not be taken from us, for it belongs to us children."

  Jane was not listening. She was trying to figure out something in her ownmind. "Dan." She turned toward him suddenly. "I can't see why Dad losthis money, just because he did not want to be a partner in what heconsidered a dishonest oil deal. Explain it to me a little more clearly."

  "I didn't at first," her brother confessed, "fearing that it would nothave your sympathy. Many poor people invested their entire savings in theoil deal, supposing that father's firm could be relied upon to beabsolutely honest. It is their money, much of it, which is making therich men richer. Our father, knowing that many had invested their allbecause they trusted his personal integrity, has turned over his entirefortune to make up their losses, as far as it will go." Dan was sorry hehad to make this explanation, for he saw at once the hard expressionreturning to the eyes of his sister.

  "If our father has greater consideration for the poor of New York than hehas for his own children, you can not expect me to express much sympathyfor him."

  "Dear girl, wouldn't you rather have our father honest than rich?" Thelad's clear grey eyes looked at her searchingly.

  Jane put her hand to her forehead as though it ached. "Oh, Dan," shesaid, wearily, "you and father have different ideals from what I have, Iguess. I never really gave any thought to these things. I like comfortand nice clothes and I hate, hate, hate drudgery and work of every kind.I suppose now I shall have to scrub for a living." Jane was recallingwhat the working girl on the ferry had said.

  Dan's amused laughter rang out. "Oh, Jane, what nonsense. Do you supposethat while I have a strong right arm I would let my little pal work inany of those drudgery ways? No, indeed, so forget that fear, if it'shaunting you." But the boy could say no more, for another violentcoughing spell racked his frail body.

  Instantly Jane was self-reproachful. "Oh, Dan, Dan," she said, "I knowyou would give your very life to help me. I'm so selfish, so veryselfish! I'm going to think of only one thing, and that is how I can helpyou to get well, for I can see now that you must have been ill."

  The boy took advantage of this momentary tender spell to turn and takethe girl's hands in his and say imploringly: "Dear, we're almost home. Ifyou really want to help me to get well, be loving and brave to Dad. Yourunhappiness grieves me more than our loss, little girl, and I can't getstrong while I am so worried."

  There were again tears in the beautiful dark eyes of the girl, andimpulsively she kissed the one person on earth whom she truly loved."Brother, for your sake I'll try to be brave," she said with a half sobas the hack stopped in front of their home.