CHAPTER XXI
ONCE MORE IN CONCORD
BUT as Polly did not immediately recover from the shock and exposure ofthe fire, Betty Graham did not return home with her family to Concord.
Anthony took the nurse and children and Faith Barton accompanied them,in order to keep Angelique from being lonely, she explained. However,her real desire, of course, was to be able to see as much as possible ofKenneth Helm.
Nevertheless, the carrying on of her romance with the same secrecy asshe had first observed was not so easy now, nor did it seem to Faith sodesirable as in the beginning. Yet Kenneth still implored her to saynothing for a short while longer. In a few weeks perhaps things would beall right with him, so that he would have sufficient money not to worryover the future. Then, of course, they could explain the reason fortheir silence. In the meantime, however, perhaps they had best be alittle more careful, for people were noticing their intimacy andbeginning to talk. Indeed, Faith's chief difficulty was that her fosterparents, Rose and Doctor Barton, had observed her marked interest inKenneth Helm during his Christmas visit with them and had asked Faith ifthere was anything between them.
Naturally this placed the girl in a painfully trying position. She wasdevotedly fond of both Rose and Doctor Barton, who were in reality notold enough to be her parents, although they had always treated her likean adored child, giving in to most of her whims and wishes. But whileFaith was selfish and considered her own dreams and desires of theutmost importance, she was neither ungrateful nor unloving, nor fond ofdeceiving the people for whom she cared. The trouble was that she wastoo much under Kenneth Helm's influence, else she would never haveconsented to keeping their engagement a secret.
Faith was not aware of the fact, but in reality it was Kenneth who hadmade the concealment of their affection for each other appear romanticand alluring to her eyes. Often she had longed to confide the news toBetty after Angel had proved so unexpectedly unsympathetic. However,having given her word to Kenneth, she felt in duty bound to keep it, andmoreover she was the least bit afraid of him.
The real truth of the matter was that Faith Barton was more in love withKenneth than he was with her. Not that Faith was unattractive, butbecause Kenneth was incapable of caring a great deal for any one excepthimself.
In the beginning he had been greatly interested, for Faith was prettyand full of a great many amusing ideas and ideals. Moreover, at the timeshe was a favored member of Governor Graham's family and might turn outto be useful. But Kenneth had no actual desire to marry any one for thepresent and had not at first taken their engagement seriously. Recently,however, discovering that Faith was desperately in earnest and that shemight at any moment announce the fact to her family and friends, theyoung man had been extremely uncomfortable. More than once he hadreproached himself for not having made a friend of Angelique instead ofFaith. She was not nearly so pretty, but she was cleverer and she mighthave been more helpful.
Indeed, Kenneth rather admired the fashion in which Angel had kept herword with him and had not reported the fact of his presence in theGovernor's study on the night of the Inaugural Ball. Besides she hadnever referred to his accusation against her, so there was no doubt thatthe little French girl was a true sport, whatever else she might be.
Moreover, when Governor Graham and his family returned to the Governor'smansion it was plain enough that Angel must have enjoyed some goodfortune in their absence. She seemed to have cast off her embarrassmentand chagrin over the suspicion which had rested upon her, and no one hadever seen her so happy or so gay.
Before little Bettina had been at home five minutes she and Angeliquehad vanished up-stairs together and were soon locked fast in the bignursery.
Then Angel straightway drew a large envelope out of her pocket and beganwaving it before Bettina's astonished eyes. Naturally the little girlhad no idea that a letter could be so very important, not even so largea one as Angel's.
An instant later and she was the more mystified, for her companion hadslipped a long, rather narrow piece of paper, with queer scrawls writtenupon it, out of the envelope and was also holding it up for her audienceto admire.
Bettina smiled politely although a trifle wistfully. It was hard lucknot being able to read anything except printed letters when one was asold as six. However, her mother and father did not wish her to become astudent too early in life.
"It is a very nice letter, Angel, if it makes you so glad," Bettinaremarked gently; "only there does not seem to be a great deal of writingon it."
Then the older girl threw her arm about her little friend's neck andhugged her close.
"Of course you don't understand, darling, and it's hateful of me totease you," she protested. "But that piece of paper is a check; itrepresents two hundred whole dollars, the most money I have ever had atonce in my life. And do you know how I got it? Our little picture of'Snow White and Rose Red' received the prize in the magazine contest. Ihad a letter, too, saying that though it was not the best drawing, itwas the loveliest little girl. So you see it was really all because ofyou, Bettina, that I got the prize!"
Then Angel did another mysterious thing. She made Bettina close her eyesvery tight and while they were closed she clasped something around herneck which fastened with a tiny click. Then on opening them the littlegirl discovered a shining gold heart outside her white dress, and in thecenter of the heart a small, clear stone that glittered like a star.
"I got it for you; it is your Christmas present from me, Bettina," Angelexplained. "And I want you to try and keep it always so that you may notforget 'Snow White and Rose Red.' Only please don't tell any one of myhaving gotten the prize until your mother comes home; I want her to knowfirst."
Naturally Bettina promised and having promised she was not a child whoever broke her word. Perhaps the request was an unfortunate one underthe circumstances, and yet how could Angel ever have imagined such apossibility?
A few days later, coming into his wife's private sitting room, which wasnext her bedroom, quite by accident Governor Graham happened to catchsight of a beautiful new silver bowl which he did not recall having seenbefore. Then besides its newness it had a card lying inside whichattracted his attention.
"Some one has sent Betty a Christmas gift which she probably knowsnothing of," Anthony thought carelessly. "I must write and tell her ofit." Casually he picked up the card and saw Angelique Martins' nameengraved upon it.
The next moment he looked at the bowl more attentively. Of course heknew very little of these matters, yet this present struck him as beingan exceedingly expensive one from a girl in Angelique's position. Shereceived a very small salary for her work and she must have many needsof her own.
Then Governor Graham frowned uneasily, for he had suddenly rememberedthat Bettina had exhibited a beautiful little gold chain and necklacewhich her adored Angel had recently given her. How had the girl acquiredso much money all at once? Really he preferred not to have to considersuch a question, and yet it might possibly become his duty.
Sitting down in front of the fire, Anthony tried to forget hisannoyances in smoking a cigar, but found it impossible.
The close of the Christmas holidays had not made his responsibilitiesless; indeed, they were crowding more thickly upon him. The lost papershad not been found and in another week ex-Governor Peyton, Jack Emmetand John Everett would have their bill before the Legislature. They hadmany friends and unless he were able to prove their dishonesty the billmight be passed in spite of the Governor's objections.
Finally Anthony glanced toward the mantel-piece where by chance his eyesrested upon a photograph of Betty.
Immediately his expression changed. "I shall write Betty of this wholebusiness tonight," he announced out loud, in his determination. "I havebeen an utter idiot to have kept the situation from her for so long atime. I have wondered recently if perhaps she was not quite so fond ofme because I was taking her less into my confidence? Goodness knows,that is the only sensible thing for a man and wife to do! Besides,
Bettyseemed more like her old self when we were in Woodford and so perhaps Ican make her understand how I hate to seem hard on her old friends. Butin any case this suspicion that Kenneth Helm has fastened in my mindagainst Angel must be looked into by Betty. Angel is a young girl andBetty has been like her older sister. Whatever she has done, I don'tknow that I would have the courage to disgrace her, but perhaps Bettymay be able to persuade the child to return the letters to us if she hastaken them. Heigh-ho! It will be a relief to me at least to have thePrincess take hold of this situation for me."
And Governor Graham spent the entire evening in his sitting room writingto his wife until after midnight.