CHAPTER XV
IN SEARCH OF REST
June brought all the young people home again. It brought, also, a greatdeal of talk concerning plans for vacation. Bessie--Elizabeth--saidthey must all go away.
From James Blaisdell this brought a sudden and vigorous remonstrance.
"Nonsense, you've just got home!" he exclaimed. "Hillerton'll be avacation to you all right. Besides, I want my family together again. Ihaven't seen a thing of my children for six months."
Elizabeth gave a silvery laugh. (Elizabeth had learned to give verysilvery laughs.) She shrugged her shoulders daintily and looked at herrings.
"Hillerton? Ho! You wouldn't really doom us to Hillerton all summer,daddy."
"What's the matter with Hillerton?"
"What isn't the matter with Hillerton?" laughed the daughter again.
"But I thought we--we would have lovely auto trips," stammered hermother apologetically. "Take them from here, you know, and stayovernight at hotels around. I've always wanted to do that; and we cannow, dear."
"Auto trips! Pooh!" shrugged Elizabeth. "Why, mumsey, we're going tothe shore for July, and to the mountains for August. You and daddy andI. And Fred's going, too, only he'll be at the Gaylord camp in theAdirondacks, part of the time."
"Is that true, Fred?" James Blaisdell's eyes, fixed on his son, werehalf wistful, half accusing.
Fred stirred restlessly.
"Well, I sort of had to, governor," he apologized. "Honest, I did.There are some things a man has to do! Gaylord asked me, and--Hang itall, I don't see why you have to look at me as if I were committing acrime, dad!"
"You aren't, dear, you aren't," fluttered Fred's mother hurriedly; "andI'm sure it's lovely you've got the chance to go to the Gaylords' camp.And it's right, quite right, that we should travel this summer, asBessie--er--Elizabeth suggests. I never thought; but, of course, youyoung people don't want to be hived up in Hillerton all summer!"
"Bet your life we don't, mater," shrugged Fred, carefully avoiding hisfather's eyes, "after all that grind."
"GRIND, Fred?"
But Fred had turned away, and did not, apparently, hear his father'sgrieved question.
Mr. Smith learned all about the vacation plans a day or two later fromBenny.
"Yep, we're all goin' away for all summer," he repeated, after he hadtold the destination of most of the family. "I don't think ma wants to,much, but she's goin' on account of Bess. Besides, she says everybodywho is anybody always goes away on vacations, of course. So we've gotto. They're goin' to the beach first, and I'm goin' to a boys' camp upin Vermont--Mellicent, she's goin' to a girls' camp. Did you know that?"
Mr. Smith shook his head.
"Well, she is," nodded Benny. "She tried to get Bess to go--GussiePennock's goin'. But Bess!--my you should see her nose go up in theair! She said she wa'n't goin' where she had to wear great coarse shoesan' horrid middy-blouses all day, an' build fires an' walk miles an'eat bugs an' grasshoppers."
"Is Miss Mellicent going to do all that?" smiled Mr. Smith.
"Bess says she is--I mean, ELIZABETH. Did you know? We have to call herthat now, when we don't forget it. I forget it, mostly. Have you seenher since she came back?"
"No."
"She's swingin' an awful lot of style--Bess is. She makes dad dress upin his swallow-tail every night for dinner. An' she makes him and Fredan' me stand up the minute she comes into the room, no matter ifthere's forty other chairs in sight; an' we have to STAY standin' tillshe sits down--an' sometimes she stands up a-purpose, just to keep USstanding. I know she does. She says a gentleman never sits when a ladyis standin' up in his presence. An' she's lecturin' us all the time onthe way to eat an' talk an' act. Why, we can't even walk natural anylonger. An' she says the way Katy serves our meals is a disgrace to anycivilized family."
"How does Katy like that?"
"Like it! She got mad an' gave notice on the spot. An' that made ma'most have hysterics--she did have one of her headaches--'cause goodhired girls are awful scarce, she says. But Bess says, Pooh! we'll getsome from the city next time that know their business, an' we're goin'away all summer, anyway, an' won't ma please call them 'maids,' as sheought to, an' not that plebeian 'hired girl.' Bess loves that word.Everything's 'plebeian' with Bess now. Oh we're havin' great times atour house since Bess--ELIZABETH--came!" grinned Benny, tossing his capin the air, and dancing down the walk much as he had danced the firstnight Mr. Smith saw him a year before.
The James Blaisdells were hardly off to shore and camp when Miss Florastarted on her travels. Mr. Smith learned all about her plans, too, forshe came down one day to talk them over with Miss Maggie.
Miss Flora was looking very well in a soft gray and white summer silk.Her forehead had lost its lines of care, and her eyes were no longerpeering for wrinkles. Miss Flora was actually almost pretty.
"How nice you look!" exclaimed Miss Maggie.
"Do I?" panted Miss Flora, as she fluttered up the steps and sank intoone of the porch chairs.
"Indeed, you do!" exclaimed Mr. Smith admiringly. Mr. Smith was puttingup a trellis for Miss Maggie's new rosebush. He was working faithfully,but not with the skill of accustomedness.
"I'm so glad you like it!" Miss Flora settled back into her chair andsmoothed out the ruffles across her lap. "It isn't too gay, is it? Youknow the six months are more than up now."
"Not a bit!" exclaimed Mr. Smith.
"No, indeed!" cried Miss Maggie.
"I hoped it wasn't," sighed Miss Flora happily. "Well, I'm all packedbut my dresses."
"Why, I thought you weren't going till Monday," said Miss Maggie.
"Oh, I'm not."
"But--it's only Friday now!"
Miss Flora laughed shamefacedly.
"Yes, I know. I suppose I am a little ahead of time. But you see, Iain't used to packing--not a big trunk, so--and I was so afraid Iwouldn't get it done in time. I was going to put my dresses in; butMis' Moore said they'd wrinkle awfully, if I did, and, of course, theywould, when you come to think of it. So I shan't put those in tillSunday night. I'm so glad Mis' Moore's going. It'll be so nice to havesomebody along that I know."
"Yes, indeed," smiled Miss Maggie.
"And she knows everything--all about tickets and checking the baggage,and all that. You know we're only going to be personally conducted toNiagara. After that we're going to New York and stay two weeks at somenice hotel. I want to see Grant's Tomb and the Aquarium, and Mis' Moorewants to go to Coney Island. She says she's always wanted to go toConey Island just as I have to Niagara."
"I'm glad you can take her," said Miss Maggie heartily.
"Yes, and she's so pleased. You know, even if she has such a nicefamily, and all, she hasn't much money, and she's been awful nice to melately. I used to think she didn't like me, too. But I must have beenmistaken, of course. And 'twas so with Mis' Benson and Mis' Pennock,too. But now they've invited me there and have come to see me, and areSO interested in my trip and all. Why, I never knew I had so manyfriends, Maggie. Truly I didn't!"
Miss Maggie said nothing, but, there was an odd expression on her face.Mr. Smith pounded a small nail home with an extra blow of his hammer.
"And they're all so kind and interested about the money, too," went onMiss Flora, gently rocking to and fro. "Bert Benson sells stocks andinvests money for folks, you know, and Mis' Benson said he'd got somesplendid-payin' ones, and he'd let me have some, and--"
"Flo, you DIDN'T take any of that Benson gold-mine stock!" interruptedMiss Maggie sharply.
Mr. Smith's hammer stopped, suspended in mid-air.
"No; oh, no! I asked Mr. Chalmers and he said better not. So I didn't."Miss Maggie relaxed in her chair, and Mr. Smith's hammer fell with agentle tap on the nail-head. "But I felt real bad about it--when Mis'Benson had been so kind as to offer it, you know. It looked sort of--ofungrateful, so."
"Ungrateful!" Miss Maggie's voice vibrated with indignant scorn."Flora, you won't--you WON'T invest your money without asking
Mr.Chalmers's advice first, will you?"
"But I tell you I didn't," retorted Miss Flora, with unusual sharpness,for her. "But it was good stock, and it pays splendidly. Jane tooksome. She took a lot."
"Jane!--but I thought Frank wouldn't let her."
"Oh, Frank said all right, if she wanted to, she might. I suspect hegot tired of her teasing, and it did pay splendidly. Why, 'twill paytwenty-five per cent, probably, this year, Mis' Benson says. So Frankgive in. You see, he felt he'd got to pacify Jane some way, I s'pose,she's so cut up about his selling out."
"Selling out!" exclaimed Miss Maggie.
"Oh, didn't you know that? Well, then I HAVE got some news!" Miss Floragave the satisfied little wriggle with which a born news-lover alwaysprefaces her choicest bit of information. "Frank has sold his grocerystores--both of 'em."
"Why, I can't believe it!" Miss Maggie fell back with a puzzled frown.
"SOLD them! Why, I should as soon think of his--his selling himself,"cried Mr. Smith. "I thought they were inseparable."
"Well, they ain't--because he's separated 'em." Miss Flora was rockinga little faster now.
"But why?" demanded Miss Maggie.
"He says he wants a rest. That he's worked hard all his life, and it'stime he took some comfort. He says he doesn't take a minute of comfortnow 'cause Jane's hounding him all the time to get more money, to getmore money. She's crazy to see the interest mount up, you know--Janeis. But he says he don't want any more money. He wants to SPEND moneyfor a while. And he's going to spend it. He's going to retire frombusiness and enjoy himself."
"Well," ejaculated Mr. Smith, "this is a piece of news, indeed!"
"I should say it was," cried Miss Maggie, still almost incredulous."How does Jane take it?"
"Oh, she's turribly fussed up over it, as you'd know she would be. Sucha good chance wasted, she thinks, when he might be making all thatmoney earn more. You know Jane wants to turn everything into money now.Honestly, Maggie, I don't believe Jane can look at the moon nowadayswithout wishing it was really gold, and she had it to put out tointerest!"
"Oh, Flora!" remonstrated Miss Maggie faintly.
"Well, it's so," maintained Miss Flora, "So 't ain't any wonder, ofcourse, that she's upset over this. That's why Frank give in to her, Ithink, and let her buy that Benson stock. Besides, he's feelingespecially flush, because he's got the cash the stores brought, too. Sohe told her to go ahead."
"I'm sorry about that stock," frowned Miss Maggie.
"Oh, it's perfectly safe. Mis' Benson said 'twas," comforted MissFlora. "You needn't worry about that. And 'twill pay splendid." "Whendid this happen--the sale of the store, I mean?" asked Mr. Smith. Mr.Smith was not even pretending to work now.
"Yesterday--the finish of it. I'm waiting to see Hattie. She'll betickled to death. She's ALWAYS hated it that Frank had a grocery store,you know; and since the money's come, and she's been going with theGaylords and the Pennocks, and all that crowd, she's felt worse thanever. She was saying to me only last week how ashamed she was to thinkthat her friends might see her own brother-in-law any day wearinghorrid white coat, and selling molasses over the counter. My, butHattie'll be tickled all right--or 'Harriet,' I suppose I should say,but I never can remember it.
"But what is Frank going to--to do with himself?" demanded Miss Maggie."Why, Flora, he'll be lost without that grocery store!"
"Oh, he's going to travel, first. He says he always wanted to, and he'sgot a chance now, and he's going to. They're going to the YellowstonePark and the Garden of the Gods and to California. And that's anotherthing that worries Jane--spending all that money for them just to ridein the cars."
"Is she going, too?" queried Mr. Smith.
"Oh, yes, she's going, too. She says she's got to go to keep Frank fromspending every cent he's got," laughed Miss Flora. "I was over therelast night, and they told me all about it."
"When do they go?"
"Just as soon as they can get ready. Frank's got to help Donovan, theman that's bought the store, a week till he gets the run of things, hesays. Then he's going. You wait till you see him." Miss Flora got toher feet, and smoothed out the folds of her skirt. "He's as tickled asa boy with a new jack-knife. And I'm glad. Frank has been a turriblehard worker all his life. I'm glad he's going to take some comfort,same as I am."
When Miss Flora had gone, Miss Maggie turned to Mr. Smith with eyesthat still carried dazed unbelief.
"DID Flora say that Frank Blaisdell had sold his grocery stores?"
"She certainly did! You seem surprised."
"I'm more than surprised. I'm dumfounded."
"Why? You don't think, like Mrs. Jane, that he ought not to enjoy hismoney, certainly?"
"Oh, no. He's got money enough to retire, if he wants to, and he'scertainly worked hard enough to earn a rest."
"Then what is it?"
Miss Maggie laughed a little.
"I'm not sure I can explain. But, to me, it's--just this: while he'sgot plenty to retire UPON, he hasn't got anything to--to retire TO."
"And, pray, what do you mean by that?"
"Why, Mr. Smith, I've known that man from the time he was tradingjack-knives and marbles and selling paper boxes for five pins. Iremember the whipping he got, too, for filching sugar and coffee andbeans from the pantry and opening a grocery store in our barn. Fromthat time to this, that boy has always been trading SOMETHING. He'sbeen absolutely uninterested in anything else. I don't believe he'sread a book or a magazine since his school days, unless it hadsomething to do with business or groceries. He hasn't a sign of afad--music, photography, collecting things--nothing. And he hatessociety. Jane has to fairly drag him out anywhere. Now, what I want toknow is, what is the man going to do?"
"Oh, he'll find something," laughed Mr. Smith. "He's going to travel,first, anyhow."
"Yes, he's going to travel, first. And then--we'll see," smiled MissMaggie enigmatically, as Mr. Smith picked up his hammer again.
By the middle of July the Blaisdells were all gone from Hillerton and thereremained only their letters for Miss Maggie--and for Mr. Smith. MissMaggie was very generous with her letters. Perceiving Mr. Smith'sgenuine interest, she read him extracts from almost every one thatcame. And the letters were always interesting--and usuallycharacteristic.
Benny wrote of swimming and tennis matches, and of "hikes" and the"bully eats." Hattie wrote of balls and gowns and the attention "dearElizabeth" was receiving from some really very nice families who weresaid to be fabulously rich. Neither James nor Bessie wrote at all.Fred, too, remained unheard from.
Mellicent wrote frequently--gay, breezy letters full to the brim of thejoy of living. She wrote of tennis, swimming, camp-fire stories, andmountain trails: they were like Benny's letters in petticoats, MissMaggie said.
Long and frequent epistles came from Miss Flora. Miss Flora was havinga beautiful time. Niagara was perfectly lovely--only what a terriblenoise it made! She was glad she did not have to stay and hear italways. She liked New York, only that was noisy, too, though Mrs. Mooredid not seem to mind it. Mrs. Moore liked Coney Island, too, but MissFlora much preferred Grant's Tomb, she said. It was so much more quietand ladylike. She thought some things at Coney Island were really notnice at all, and she was surprised that Mrs. Moore should enjoy them somuch.
Between the lines it could be seen that in spite of all the good times,Miss Flora was becoming just the least bit homesick. She wrote MissMaggie that it did seem queer to go everywhere, and not see a soul tobow to. It gave her such a lonesome feeling--such a lot of faces, andnot one familiar one! She had tried to make the acquaintance of severalpeople--real nice people; she knew they were by the way they looked.But they wouldn't say hardly anything to her, nor answer her questions;and they always got up and moved away very soon.
To be sure, there was one nice young man. He was lovely to them, MissFlora said. He spoke to them first, too. It was when they were down toConey Island. He helped them through the crowds, and told them aboutlots of nice things they
didn't want to miss seeing. He walked withthem, too, quite awhile, showing them the sights. He was very kind--heseemed so especially kind, after all those other cold-hearted people,who didn't care! That was the day she and Mrs. Moore both lost theirpocketbooks, and had such an awful time getting back to New York. Itwas right after they had said good-bye to the nice young gentleman thatthey discovered that they had lost them. They were so sorry that theyhadn't found it out before, Miss Flora said, for he would have helpedthem, she was sure. But though they looked everywhere for him, theycould not find him at all, and they had to appeal to strangers, whotook them right up to a policeman the first thing, which was veryembarrassing, Miss Flora said. Why, she and Mrs. Moore felt as if theyhad been arrested, almost! Miss Maggie pursed her lips a little, whenshe read this letter to Mr. Smith, but she made no comment.
From Jane, also, came several letters, and from Frank Blaisdell oneshort scrawl.
Frank said he was having a bully time, but that he'd seen some of themost shiftless-looking grocery stores that he ever set eyes on. Heasked if Maggie knew how trade was at his old store, and if Donovan waskeeping it up to the mark. He said that Jane was well, only she wasgetting pretty tired because she WOULD try to see everything at once,for fear she'd lose something, and not get her money's worth, for allthe world just as she used to eat things to save them.
Jane wrote that she was having a very nice time, of course,--shecouldn't help it, with all those lovely things to see; but she said shenever dreamed that just potatoes, meat, and vegetables could cost somuch anywhere as they did in hotels, and as for the prices thosedining-cars charged--it was robbery--sheer robbery! And why anable-bodied man should be given ten cents every time he handed you yourown hat, she couldn't understand.
At Hillerton, Mr. Smith passed a very quiet summer, but a verycontented one. He kept enough work ahead to amuse him, but never enoughto drive him. He took frequent day-trips to the surrounding towns, andwhen possible he persuaded Miss Maggie to go with him. Miss Maggie waswonderfully good company. As the summer advanced, however, he did notsee so much of her as he wanted to, for Father Duff's increasinginfirmities made more and more demands on her time.
The Martin girls were still there. Annabelle was learning themilliner's trade, and Florence had taken a clerkship for afternoonsduring the summer. They still helped about the work, and relieved MissMaggie whenever possible. They were sensible, jolly girls, and Mr.Smith liked them very much.