“Well,” said Sherwood, “we’ll do our best to keep him happy. Now, here we are at the office, and the clock is just beginning to strike. How is that for being on time? You get out, and I’ll run around to the garage and be up there before you get your hat off.”
The morning was a busy one. A man from the New York office came in and there was a conference at which Jane had to be present and take dictation, to say nothing of the letters that had to be written hurriedly afterward to get them into the noon mail. Jane did not see Sherwood all morning, and he was nowhere about when she came down to the street at twenty minutes after twelve, having finished her letters and mailed them and realizing that she was going to be late for her appointment with Lauderdale.
Setting her lips hard, she hailed a taxi to take her to the exclusive restaurant where he had appointed their meeting, reflecting that it would have been more courteous of him to have called for her at the office. Strange, it had not struck her in the mountains among all her friends that Lauderdale was not courteous. Could it be that he had been lax in such matters since he had learned that she was a working woman, rather than a butterfly of wealth? She was thinking about this as she got out and paid her driver, and perhaps the thought hovered in her eyes and clouded them with a tinge of haughtiness as she entered the restaurant and looked about her.
Lauderdale was waiting impatiently near the door, but when he saw her his eyes lit up with a genuine pleasure. “At last!” he said with a smile and more of his attractive manner than he had worn the day before. “I didn’t know but you were going to fail me again.”
“Again?” said Jane. “I haven’t failed you. It was just that you demanded things I could not give.”
“Well, never mind, let’s have a good time and forget it all,” he said in his happiest tone, and, looking up in wonder, she saw that he was not frowning and that he was courtesy itself. She had anticipated a most unpleasant time this lunch hour after the incident of yesterday afternoon and Tom’s embarrassing interruption, but she had decided to ignore it if possible. Since she must keep her promise and take lunch with him, she would try to make him forget that anything unpleasant had happened yesterday.
But evidently Lauderdale had decided to take a new course, and he did not even refer to his flight to the shore. He seated her at the most desirable table in the room, which had been reserved for them with flowers on the table and a delightful menu, and he treated her like a queen who was the apple of his eye.
He sat down opposite her, against a cool background of palms, and she could not help noting how handsome he looked, dressed in white linen of faultless fashioning, his dark hair immaculately smooth and shining, his hands the hands of elegance and ease, his whole well-groomed person making a picture in the quiet artistic room. A girl could not help but be a little proud to have others see that she was escorted by a man like this one.
She admired almost against her will the ease with which he gave the orders, his graceful attitude at the table, the flashing of his white teeth, the appeal of his dark eyes. This was the Lew she had known in the mountains, full of graciousness and admiration for her, ready to anticipate her slightest wish!
Yet it was not easy to forget yesterday, and she found herself puzzling over it all the time, even while she thrilled anew at his attractive self and tried to understand herself.
Jane was glad that she had been wise enough to tuck a simple little light chiffon dress into her briefcase that morning, and to slip it on in the cloakroom before she left the office. This with her plain white linen hat made her feel quite comfortable in even these exclusive surroundings, as she would not have felt if she had worn her dark blue office dress.
As the meal progressed, it was plain that Lauderdale did not mean to return to his former complaints, nor even attempt an intimate turn of affairs. He was picking up their friendship just where he had left it on the mountain, or where she had left it, and ignoring the incidents between; and when she realized this, she breathed more freely and was content to let things be this way. This was the Lew she liked and enjoyed being with. What could have made him act so different Saturday and Sunday? Could it be that he had been drinking then?
Only once was there a momentary cloud on the horizon, and that was when the champagne he had ordered was brought in.
“None for me, thank you,” said Jane quietly, as if it were a trifle.
His frown gathered at once. “Oh, Jane, don’t be foolish. You’ll just drink a little with me. You’ll like it. This is wonderful stuff! A special vintage—”
“No!” said Jane pleasantly. “Thank you, but I never take it under any circumstances.” She looked up expecting to see battle in his eyes, but he remembered his part just in time, and after an instant’s hesitation he smiled and said, “Oh well, then, Waiter, take it all away.”
Jane made no comment on this. She disliked to be the cause of his denying himself, but indeed she was relieved at the outcome, for her father’s daughter could only be ashamed to be anywhere with a man who was drinking, and especially so in her home city where there was always a chance that someone who knew her might come in. Perhaps that was not the highest motive, but it made her thoughtful.
Lauderdale’s eyes dwelt upon her happily. “You’re looking awfully well in spite of the weather and your hard work.”
“Oh, I’m not working hard!” laughed Jane. “This is only play. This is nothing to the regular routine in the winter. By the way, you haven’t told me who won the tennis tournament. Did you come out ahead?”
And so, lightly, she kept the conversation in safe and quiet channels until she could see by the palm-shrouded clock above the orchestra gallery that it was twenty-five minutes after two. She had grace of leave until three if necessary, she knew, but if she took it all, it was going to be hard work to get through by five o’clock, and there was the ocean waiting for her, and Sherwood in the flivver. She had an eager homesick longing to get back to the little whitewashed cottage and enjoy every minute of the precious vacation.
They had finished the delicious ices and coffee, and Lauderdale was lazily smoking a cigarette when Jane gave that glance at the clock.
“It’s been lovely,” she said with her sweetest smile. “I’ve appre- ciated this ever so much. It’s been nice to have a good talk and to enjoy all this quietness and beauty. I’m sorry I’ve got to bring it to an abrupt close, however. My time is up. I must speed back to the office.”
“So soon!” said Lauderdale wistfully. “Well now, when am I going to see you again? Let’s get that fixed up so there won’t be any misunderstandings.”
“Oh,” said Jane as she rose, “are you going to be down in our city again soon?”
“I shouldn’t be surprised.” Lauderdale smiled, rising and accepting his hat from the obsequious waiter. “If you were only more available, I might come more often, you know. But how about the first of next month? Can you arrange an evening for me then? Say, Saturday? Would that be convenient for you? I’ll write you and tell you where to meet me….” That was all. Just his pleasant easy way again, taking everything for granted, and seeming to forget that he had ever been offensively possessive, ever tried to monopolize her.
Going out they talked of his yachting trip, and he expressed regret that she would not be able to accompany them, said it was coming off next week and that was why he would not be coming down sooner. Then at the street, he put her in a taxi, and bade her a pleasant but rather formal good-bye. He did not get in and accompany her to the office building, as she had rather expected. She wondered on the way back to everyday life whether it could possibly have been his subtle intention to make her wonder about him, to pique her curiosity, and perhaps make her more eager to follow his wishes another time.
And then she chided herself for such unpleasant suspicions about the man who had certainly given her a pleasant two hours in the middle of a hot day of work, a man in whom she had to admit she was more than lightly interested.
She took some trouble
to slip in by a side door from the far elevator to the cloakroom, unobserved, because she did not want to be questioned by her fellow workers about where she had been and why she was wearing such gala attire. She changed back to the dress she had worn that morning in the quickest possible time and was soon seated at her desk again, but though she looked around the room several times, she did not see Sherwood anywhere. Could it be possible that he had been late coming up after all and had got into trouble through it?
She was not a little anxious during the afternoon when he did not turn up even when closing time came. But when she hurried down to the street, as soon as she could in conscience get away, he was there waiting for her in the flivver and she greeted him anxiously. “Where have you been all day? I’ve been so worried about you! Did I make you late this morning after all?”
“Oh no,” said Sherwood smiling, “I’ve just been busy other places. Dulaney took a notion to have me go over some of his files with him. I’ve been all kinds of busy all day. But say! You don’t know what I’ve got in the back of the car. Got them at noon! Melons and grapes and a lot of nice fresh vegetables. I happened to wander down around the market at my lunch hour, had to go somewhere when I couldn’t see you around anywhere, and I came on these. I thought they’d help out and sort of save work.”
“Oh, lovely!” said Jane. “But if you do things like that then you’ll simply have to let me pay for the gas, or I can’t travel with you.”
“Now, really,” he laughed back, “how do you think we are going to even this thing up? What, for instance, are you going to charge me for the joy of having a home and a family where I belong for a few weeks? I haven’t had that since I was a little chap, and you can’t imagine how I appreciate it. You can’t buy that with money!”
“It’s beautiful of you to feel that way,” said Jane, sobering at once. “Of course I appreciate your appreciation, but we enjoy having you among us, too, and how are we going to estimate that in money? I’d put a pretty high price on that if I were setting it. You don’t know how I feel about your friendship for my brother and so do we all. But, you see, I know you are just beginning life, you can’t be getting a very big salary—and we working people have to be fair to each other.”
“See here,” said Sherwood earnestly. “You’re right about the salary. It isn’t big. But neither are my needs at present, and I give you my word I’m not going beyond what I can afford to do. I’ve set my budget on a certain scale and I’m keeping to it, but there’s plenty in it for all I’ll do. Suppose you just trust me to look after my end of it, and I’ll trust you to be fair to yourself. When you can’t afford to keep me any longer, just be frank and say so and I’ll understand.”
That was the beginning of a thoroughly sensible and delightful understanding between the two, and the days went on like one long, happy picnic.
For three weeks the weather was perfect at the shore, even when the city was sometimes unbearable for two or three days at a time. Even when other days thunderstorms tore over the city threatening destruction and the two questioned whether the drive down was going to be possible, yet always by night they tried it and found lovely weather by the sea.
The invalid had been persuaded to stay the month out, through the combined efforts of his family, his doctor who drove down to visit him, Sherwood, and the letter from the office, which in spite of Jane’s fears had been couched in such cordial terms, accompanied by a check so unprecedentedly large, that for the time being his own dread was set at rest; and he had enjoyed himself and gained in health greatly.
It was not until the September storms set in and a wild southeaster came tearing up the cost, that the family by the sea decided that the time had come to go back to the city. So, after reserving their little cottage for the next summer, they began to pack up.
Jane, as she went about in the evening the last day of September, gathering up things and making sure that nothing was going to be forgotten, reflected regretfully that the good time was all over and now a new order of things would set in. There would be no more of those long delightful rides morning and evening, no more comradeship such as she had known with Sherwood and her brother and sister. All would be different in town. And—next week Lauderdale was coming again! Her heart quickened a little at that and the color stole into her cheeks. Why did she dread his coming just a little? Which Lauderdale would come? The one she had known in the mountains, or the one who had been so rude and domineering?
Jane and Sherwood took all they could carry in their flivver when they went up the next morning, and Tom, whose vacation had ended some two weeks earlier, got the day off to take the rest of the family home later in the day.
An hour after Jane and Sherwood had taken a last wistful look at the sea, the beach, the sand dunes shrouded in autumn rain, and the little sweet cottage that had grown so dear to them, and had driven away into the wind and storm, the little putt-putt-putting motor boat came in with the morning mail and brought a long official-looking letter addressed to Mr. George Arleth.
Chapter 12
Mr. Arleth’s face went white when Tom handed him that envelope. For the flicker of an eyelash, he closed his eyes and drew a long breath, and then with a look on his face as if he had been praying and remembered that whatever came it was all right, he began to open the letter. His hands were trembling and awkward so that he bungled it and could not get the envelope unsealed.
“Here, Dad, I’ll open it for you. I gotta knife!” And the boy reached out a gruff, kindly hand and took the letter.
“Dad, it’s not from your office!” Tom said as he looked at it carefully before he inserted the knife under the flap.
“Not?” said his father eagerly, breathlessly. “Not?” almost hopefully, and then a puzzled look came into his eyes. “Perhaps it’s only an advertisement after all.”
“No, Dad, it’s from Dulaneys. What in the name of peace can they want of you? Maybe Jane has been sassy to ’em and they’re complaining of her!” he finished with a nervous laugh, trying to make the situation less tense. “Read it, Dad, and let’s see what in thunder it is!”
Mr. Arleth settled his glasses and bent his gray head to study the letter, and the family sat down wherever they happened to be and waited, breathless.
Perhaps it was a firm of lawyers giving Dad the bounce so his old employers wouldn’t have to bother themselves to tell him, suggested Tom to himself. But no, Dulaneys was not a firm of lawyers, what was he thinking about?
Perhaps something had happened to Jane, thought Betty Lou, forgetting that there would not have been time for a letter to reach here since she had left an hour ago.
Perhaps Dulaneys was dismissing Jane, and they thought it was kinder to let her family know than to have to break it to Jane herself, thought the mother anxiously.
But Father suddenly broke the awful tension by looking up with a smile. “Now, what do you think of this?”
“What?” The family breathed it as one word, leaning forward with eager faces.
“Read it out, Dad!’ said Tom.
“This letter is from Dulaney and Dulaney,” began Father in wonder, gazing for an instant at the letterhead. “Mr. George Arleth, 1921 Flora Street,” he began and then paused to turn the envelope over. “Oh, this has been to the city, of course, and has been forwarded. How fortunate that it got here before we left.”
“Oh, read quick, Daddy!” said Betty Lou, wringing her small hands in her eagerness. “It isn’t anything bad, is it, Father?”
“Oh no,” laughed Mr. Arleth happily, “it isn’t anything bad. Listen.”
My dear sir,
For some time, we as a firm have been more or less interested in you and your career as a businessman, and quite recently we have been looking up your records and have been pleased to note your reactions to certain matters in the business line.
We have, as a firm, been contemplating the enlargement of a special line in our business house that would include a new department, dealing both with our e
mployees and with our clientele, and we have been looking for an experienced man to be manager of this new department.
It has seemed to us that you would be admirably suited to our needs in that position.
We are therefore writing to inquire whether you would consider leaving your present position and coming to us to help us build up this department as it should be built?
If you are favorably inclined toward us, we should be glad to discuss this matter with you as soon as you can find it convenient to make an appointment with us. We shall await your reply with interest.
Very sincerely,
Jefferson C. Dulaney
Dulaney, Dulaney, and Company
“Gosh! Dad! Can you beat that?” said Tom with a grin, reaching over his father’s shoulder to read those high-sounding phrases again.
“Where do you suppose they found out about you, George?” asked Mother, beaming upon her old lover happily. “Oh George, I always knew your worth would be recognized someday.”
“Well, I’m sure I don’t know how they knew anything about me,” said Arleth perplexedly. “But of course it is gratifying to have an offer like this. I’ve always longed to have a chance with a really worthwhile company where there is plenty of money and they are not afraid to use it. But perhaps I’m getting too old to attempt it, Mary.”
“George! You’re not old! You look younger this minute than you did an hour ago. If you once got out of that awful office where they grind the very life out of you, you would be ten years younger than you are.”
“Yes, Dad, you’ve got a lotta pep, and no mistake. Look how you wanted ta go back ta that old office the day after you got outta the hospital!”
“When will you begin, Father?” asked Betty Lou with shining eyes. “Will you be in the same room with Jane? Wouldn’t that be funny? Won’t Jane be pleased? And you’ll have thousands and thousands of dollars! Won’t that be wonderful! Then Daddy can have a new suit right away, can’t he, Mother?”