“Well, if you want to know, I never thought anything about Him. It wasn’t in my line, and what’s more, I never saw any indication that it was in yours either.”
“That is quite possible,” said Mr. Bonniwell. “I’ll have to own that it hasn’t been. But I’ve come to see that it should make a difference in a man’s life and in his relations with his family and friends. That is all, young man. I’ll have to go back to my work now, but I certainly hope that you may learn a great deal about the best things of life before you are done. Good morning!” Mr. Bonniwell buzzed for his secretary. She appeared promptly and held the door open for the exit of the somewhat bewildered caller.
As Dan went his way he was saying to himself, “Now what in heck did he mean by all that gaff? I wonder, has he got something up his sleeve? I just can’t figure that he would give up as easily as this after all that baloney about taking time to think, unless he talked it over with Blythe and told her where to get off. But maybe after all he is really pleased at the arrangement, or perhaps his wife has taken a hand at the argument. I can’t help feeling she rather likes me. At least, she’s a good friend of my mother’s, of course.”
So Dan went on his way and tried at once to call up Blythe to make a date for a good talk to get things settled.
But Blythe was off to her day nursery, and he had to wait again. However, he was fairly comfortable in his mind about her, for he felt sure he could handle Blythe and get her to see eye to eye with him about their marriage.
And in the meantime he called up a few friends whom he would like to have figure in the wedding party, not telling too much about his plans, but enough to give them an idea of what to expect. And while he was about it, perhaps it would also be a good idea to find out if the church the Bonniwells attended, and the pastor who officiated there, were available on the day he had fixed his mind upon as the suitable time for this hasty marriage. And so the hours marched on with a fair amount of interest and excitement for the would-be bridegroom, and Anne Houghton never once entered his thoughts, except as a pleasant background for a dull evening that hadn’t turned out so badly after all.
But when the day drew toward evening, and, having failed twice at her home to locate her, he called up again at dinnertime.
“Hi, beautiful!” he said when he heard her voice answering. “I’ve been hunting you all day and couldn’t get a trace. What’s been doing that has kept you so busy?”
“Oh, Dan! Good evening! Sorry I have been so elusive, but you see, I went to one of the centers for soldiers and got so interested I stayed all the afternoon.”
“For sweet pity’s sake! What could you possibly find interesting in a lot of half-baked boys in uniform? I should think you’d be good and sick of that war stuff by this time. Why don’t you cut it out and give a little attention to your friends? What’s the idea? Do you think you can fight the whole war alone? I don’t like women doing war work. I think you ought to let the men fight the war and the women ought to stay at home and be feminine.”
“Oh!” said Blythe with a catch in her breath. “Is that the way you feel about it? But, Dan, you’re a man. What are you doing about the war?”
“Me? Oh, I’m right in it with both feet. Haven’t you heard? I’ve got my commission now,” said Dan, with a satisfied smirk that almost could be heard over the wire. “You haven’t been in evidence yet to be told about it, but it’s come, and I’ve some interesting things to tell you about what is going to happen. I’ll be over this evening to tell you all about it.”
“Oh, I’m sorry Dan, but I guess your news will have to wait. I have an engagement this evening.”
There was a displeased silence on the wire, and then a question snapped out:
“Beginning when?”
“Beginning now,” said Blythe firmly. “I am leaving in half an hour.”
“Break it!” ordered the young man, with a voice equally firm.
“Oh, but I couldn’t possibly,” said Blythe. ‘It’s something I couldn’t miss. It means a great deal to me.”
“Oh, is that so? And I and my wishes don’t many anything. Is that the way you feel?”
“Why no, Dan, if there was something I could do for you at a time when I am free, I’d be glad to do it. But this is something that I cannot cancel.”
Another instant’s silence and then the spoiled arrogant voice of Dan came sternly over the telephone:
“Well, I’m coming over there right away, and I think you’ll change your mind after you hear what I have to say! Good-bye!” And the telephone was slammed down.
Blythe hung up quietly and turned away with a sinking of her heart. Oh dear! Was she going to have trouble getting rid of Dan? If only she could get away before he arrived. Would it be possible? She glanced at the clock. No, there was no time. She knew too well how quickly Dan could get to their house when he was anxious to get there in a hurry. He had so often done it in his childhood. He knew every inch of the way, every stick and stone and pebble to cross, every flower bed to circle. No, she could never get away before he arrived, and she must not stay, for she would miss the meeting that she was so anxious to attend, a meeting that the Silverthorn that Charlie had written about was to address. She was taking Mrs. Blake. She was meeting her at a certain spot at the city train station, and it was but a short ride to the camp where he was to be. She would not disappoint Mrs. Blake for all the Dan Seavers in the world.
Rapidly she finished the hasty toilet: hat, coat, gloves. She was ready and on her way downstairs when Dan walked in the back door and met her at the foot of the stairs.
“Yes, I thought I’d find you running away from me,” he declared, offended, “but you’re not getting away this time, lady. I got here just in time. Come into the living room and sit down. I’ve something important to tell you, and something important to give you also.”
“But I can’t, Dan. It’s impossible! I’m meeting somebody at the station and taking her to a meeting.”
“Listen, beautiful! I’m sure what I have to tell you will stop all that. You see, it’s very important. You and I are going to be married one week from today, and going on our honeymoon right away. And does that make you open your eyes and take notice?”
For answer, Blythe suddenly broke into peals of merry laughter.
“Oh, Dan!” she said, and dropped down into a chair and put her laughing face down in her hands. “You certainly are a scream. Am I to understand that this is the most modern form of a proposal, or is it just a joke?”
Dan stood gazing sternly down at her, displeased, indignant, puzzled.
“Well, I like that!” he said, a furious note in his voice. “Here I’m offering you the greatest honor a man can give a woman, and you ask if it’s a joke! Really, Blythe, this is serious business, and I haven’t a whole lot of time to waste. I’ve got my list of ushers made out. I’ve inquired tentatively if your church will be free at the hour I’ve selected for the ceremony and did a little feeling out to see if your pastor will be at liberty. I’ve got as many things in line as I could before I got your word that the time suited you, and now I’ve come for that. If you’re so busy as you claim, all you’ve got to do is say the arrangements suit you and I’ll go ahead, so that you won’t have a whole lot to do and can concentrate on your trousseau. Any little details you care to add to my arrangements we can talk over, but in the meantime, I want your formal consent. And I might add, in case you are still a stickler for conventions, I have your father’s permission to address you formally. Now, will you stop that silly giggling and sit up and take notice? I don’t see what’s funny about this, anyway. Come, I want action, I tell you.”
Blythe suddenly straightened up, wiped the laughter tears from her eyes, and drawing a deep breath, looked straight at her angry would-be lover.
“Excuse me, Dan,” she said, her voice growing steadier as she spoke. “I’m sorry I misunderstood you. I didn’t, of course, realize that you had any such serious intention in mind. I didn’t know what
you meant. But no, Dan, I couldn’t marry you, either now or next week or anytime. I don’t think we have enough in common for marriage. I don’t love you, and I don’t think you love me. We’ve been good friends for a long time, but that was all, and I have never thought of marriage with you, nor wanted it. I wouldn’t want to be unpleasant about it, of course, but I certainly can’t marry you, and we might as well settle it now as later. Perhaps I should thank you for the honor you have done me, and of course I hope you’ll understand that it is nothing against you that I do not want to marry you. You have been a longtime friend, and I certainly wish you well, and I hope in good time that you will find somebody a great deal better for you than I could possibly be, but definitely it could never be me.”
Dan regarded her with disgust.
“Yes, I thought so. Your father said he hadn’t talked it over with you, but I can see quite plainly that he laid his commands upon you all right, and it is up to me to overcome those commands, so we better get at it at once, for I haven’t much time to spare, and I want the invitations to get into the hands of the engraver at once. I’ve already arranged that he will attend to them very swiftly, but he wants the wording at once, so we’ll have to work fast. Come, we’re going to take dinner in a quiet place where we will have opportunity to talk and a place to write our lists. My car is outside. Are you ready? Is this the handbag you are taking? Come, don’t keep me waiting.”
Blythe took the handbag from him and tucked it under her arm, looking up at him with her pleasant lips firmly set.
“You are mistaken, Dan. My father has laid no commands upon me on this subject or any other. And I am sorry to disappoint you, but I cannot possibly take dinner with you tonight. But even if I did have another engagement, I would not want to go anywhere with you to discuss this matter, either now or at any other time. Definitely, Dan. I will not marry you, and you will have to reconsider and cancel your plans without further discussion. It is utterly out of the question. Now, I must go at once. I have a definite appointment with someone, and a train to catch, so good-bye, and I’m sure you’ll soon get over this nothing and find the right person to marry. Good-bye!” Blythe smiled and turned and suddenly flashed out of the room and the house and hurried down the walk to the taxi that was waiting at the side door for her. She vanished out of his sight while Dan stood astonished and indignant, unable to believe his senses.
Chapter 15
Dan Seavers seldom wasted much time even in being angry. He could almost always think up something else to do that would be more interesting and yet be in a fair way to help carry his point, and it wasn’t long before he reflected he could still make progress in some other line to further his determined plans. So he cast about him for some other line to follow and presently thought of Blythe’s mother. She was a good friend of his. A pretty good sport at times. He would go and talk to her. She would lay down the law to Blythe and then he would have smooth sailing.
So he went back to the Bonniwell house and discovered that Mrs. Bonniwell had just come in from a full day among her committees and was very tired. She welcomed Dan pleasantly, though her manner was a bit abstracted. She had always liked the handsome Dan. Moreover, there was still hovering in the back of her mind a wistfulness about her daughter’s old playmate. He had seemed so altogether desirable to her.
“Mother Bonniwell,” he said with a smoothly flattering tone, “I think I need your help and counsel.”
Now, Mrs. Bonniwell always liked to give counsel to anyone, particularly to a pleasing young man, and she beamed on him and settled down to hear what he had to say.
“You see,” he said, “Blythe and I want to be married next week, and I’ve come to you to help me get things straight. I’ve got this thing beautifully planned out, thought of simply everything, I’m sure, and even got reservations in some things, and priorities. And now, Blythe is trying to hold things up. And I thought you would know how to go about this thing with more finesse than I evidently have, smooth down Blythe’s ruffled feathers, and set her ideas straight. Will you understand and help us out?”
Mrs. Bonniwell gave the young man a startled look, lifted her well-groomed eyebrows, and said, “Married! You say you are planning to be married? Since when did this happen? Blythe has said nothing to me about it, and she always tells me everything. How long has this been going on?”
“Why, surely, you’ve understood we’ve had that in mind for several years past. Everybody else has, I know. I find it has been sort of taken for granted for a long time. And now that I have my commission and am very likely to be sent to a location very soon, I thought it would be best for us to get married at once, and be ready to go together. So I’ve set the day, and I want your help in bringing Blythe to see that it is the wisest and best thing for us to do.”
“But I don’t understand, Dan. What does Blythe say about it?”
“Well, she doesn’t say much, only that she doesn’t want to get married now. She’s too busy with war work and the like, and she thinks it’s too soon to get her trousseau ready and all that, but good night, the stores will still be here after we are married, and she can pick out her togs at her leisure. I thought you could make her see that. And lots of girls are hurrying their marriages now before their men go overseas. It’s quite the swagger thing to do. And I thought if you would just advise her about this, Mother Bonniwell, and get her to see the thing straight, it would be a great convenience to me. You see, I don’t want to be rushed at the last minute, and if Blythe would only cooperate, everything would go smoothly. You’ll help me, won’t you?”
“But Dan, this is utterly new to me. I didn’t dream you had any such move in mind. In fact, well, I would have to talk with Blythe before I made any promises.”
“Now look here, Bonny! You might as well own up at the start. You and Papa Bonny have been hashing this thing over and agreed on what you’ll say, haven’t you? That’s the same kind of hooey stuff he gave me last night. Now own up.”
Mrs. Bonniwell raised an offended chin and looked the young man in the eye.
“Certainly not, Dan! I don’t know what you mean. I don’t consider that is a very respectful way to speak to me.”
“There, there, Bonny, now don’t get your ire up! I just thought it was funny you and your man had the identical same reply ready.”
“There is nothing strange about wanting to think over as serious a thing as marriage,” said Mrs. Bonniwell, “and I couldn’t possibly agree to further your plans without being sure that my family were agreed. However, why don’t you tell me your plan in detail, and then I can think advisedly.”
So Dan adroitly painted the picture of his proposed marriage, wedding ceremony, invitations, trousseau, and honeymoon, as fully as he had done it for Mr. Bonniwell, except that he went still further into details. Gradually, as he named prominent people who were to have part, the good lady was half intrigued and sat nodding acquiescence, as she in her mind’s eye saw the wedding procession marching down the aisle of the most aristocratic church in the community and envisioned the number of full dress uniforms that would be a part of the picture.
“It sounds all very lovely, Dan, and you seem to have planned a beautiful order of things, though I’m afraid perhaps it sounds a trifle too elaborate for wartimes. However, Dan, I would have to talk with Blythe and find out just what her objections are before I could promise anything. Just what objections has she given you?”
“Well, you see, she won’t really settle down and talk it over. She says she has engagements, and I haven’t been able to get her to discuss it with me. She hasn’t comprehended that haste is a necessary factor in the whole arrangement, and there’s where I thought you would be able to help me. You know Blythe, and you know how to make her listen. So, will you talk it over with her and call me up either early this evening or tomorrow morning at the latest? It really ought to be tonight to make things work smoothly. Will you do that, Bonny?”
“Well, I’ll see what I can do, Dan, but I’m
not at all sure that I can make Blythe see things as you do. However, I will endeavor to get her to give you an immediate opportunity to talk with her, and you will have to do the rest. Blythe won’t be home till late this evening. And if she’s not too tired, perhaps I can say a few words to her then, and phone you at once. Will you be home all the evening? Or at the latest, the first thing in the morning? I’ll let you know what to expect. But remember, Dan, I’m not promising anything. It’s all got to depend on Blythe.”
Dan rose with a bitter, dissatisfied look on his face, almost a sneer.
“Same old bunk!” he muttered. “You needn’t tell me that you and the old man haven’t talked it over. But I can tell you, Mamma Bonniwell, if you go against me, Blythe and I are going to elope and make a pretty scandal in the town for you and Papa Bonniwell to swallow, so keep that in the back of your mind while you think it over!”
“Well, really, Dan! I’m not accustomed to such talk. If you feel that way, I certainly don’t think you are a fit man to marry my daughter.”
“Oh, now Bonny, don’t get excited. You know I’m all right. I just want to get things going in a hurry. These are wartimes, you know, and you can’t afford to loiter, it’s so hard to get anybody to do anything these days.”
“Very well, Daniel, I’ll see what can be done and let you know, but I’m not promising anything. I feel that Blythe’s life is her own, and she must plan it the way she wants it, but I’ll endeavor to put before her what you are suggesting and then I will let you know, or ask her to let you know, when you can see her. And now, Dan, I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to excuse me. I have to meet a delegation of women at quarter to eight, and I simply must snatch a few minutes of rest before they come, for I am all but worn out.”
So Dan, inwardly cursing his ill luck, yet priding himself that he had got Mamma Bonny pretty well on his side, took his way home, to await the message.