Those Dale Girls

  CHAPTER IX

  The weeks passed rapidly to the young workers, who found each day fullof experiments, sometimes developing into satisfactory results and againfilled with bitter discouragement. There were days when the battle forexistence threatened to overweigh and submerge them; days when frommorning till night their work seemed possessed by evil demons, andeverything went wrong; days when despair tugged at their hearts, and theold happy life forced itself in upon their thoughts with clamorouspersistence. And ah! how they felt the sorrow of their father'shelplessness, the loss of his companionship causing an ache that nothingcould assuage! But through it all they fought their way, upheld by thelonging to show a spirit worthy of their father's daughters, sustainedby the consciousness that by their own endeavor they were "making a homefor Dad." This was the dominant note of the new life--like a bugle-callstirring them to action!

  Julie, who had been reading aloud to her father one day, suddenly wentinto the next room to find Hester, and exclaimed, "Thackeray says, 'Iwould not curse my fortune--I'd make it!' I think that's great, Hester!We'll take it for a motto." And by that motto ever after they abided.

  Mr. Dale had not awakened to any definite consciousness of hiscondition, as Dr. Ware had anticipated, but remained in a passive,tranquil state, taking little heed and no part in any conversation,though his face brightened perceptibly whenever any one entered theroom. Much of the day he slept, but during his waking hours one of thegirls was constantly with him, hovering about with a tender protectiveair.

  Dr. Ware, who devoted all his spare time to his old friend, was afrequent and most welcome visitor. He was a man of distinguishedpresence, tall and well-knit, with the military bearing of a soldier andsome ten years younger than Mr. Dale, although they had served in theWar of the Rebellion together. Streaks of gray showed plentifully in hishair and pointed beard, throwing into greater contrast his black browsand blue-black eyes, while his face was marked with strong linesindicative of character. It was an interesting face and one thatinspired immediate confidence, and in addition there was about him anindefinable charm which made itself felt both professionally andsocially, so that there was not a more popular man in Radnor. This wasperhaps an unusual position for a man of strong convictions, expressedfearlessly and freely on all subjects. To be thoroughly popular commonlyrequires an adaptable temperament not compatible with strongindividuality.

  He watched over "his girls" as he called them, with affectionatesolicitude mingled with an admiration and respect which knew no bounds."They are going to succeed," he would frequently say to himself afterleaving them, "every failure only makes them more determined--it's fineto watch the growth of such spirit." And then he would drive off on hisround of visits with a preoccupied air and vague longings would steal inupon him, softening the lines about his mouth and eyes and lingeringdeliciously in his mind even after he had roused himself impatientlyfrom such day-dreams.

  The girls' experiments in making mayonnaise resulted in Julie's screwingup her courage one day and going to the leading grocery of Radnor. Sheasked for the proprietor and laid before him her scheme, at the sametime showing him a sample of the mayonnaise. Poor Julie, who did notknow what it meant to cry her wares in open market, felt veryuncomfortable and flushed quite red as she talked; but she struggled toovercome her timidity and succeeded in interesting the man, who told herto leave her sample for him to try at home and gave her some valuableinformation about putting up such an article in the regulation form,suggesting that she follow his directions and bring in the mayonnaiseagain, bottled and labeled for his inspection.

  Busy days those were indeed in "The Hustle," for in addition to tryingvarieties of cake, the mayonnaise suggested making salads and one thingled to another with surprising rapidity.

  It gradually began to be recognized in Radnor that if one wanted anydelicacy in the way of fancy cooking, one should order it from "thoseDale girls," and this recognition was in no small part due to Mrs.Lennox, the President of _the_ Sewing Class. It was she who had sentthem their first order and shown a marked interest in their work whichwas not without its immediate effect, for people occupied in theirrelation to Mrs. Lennox a position similar to that of "Mary's littlelamb." Mrs. Lennox was a beautiful woman and in the fashionable worldher word was law; but society amused rather than interested her, and herkeen intellect and strong individuality led her into devious paths.Above all she was a philanthropist in that broad and humanitarian sensewhich sees promise in all gradations of men and women.

  She followed her first order to the girls with a second by mail; then alittle correspondence ensued, in which she suggested their sending herany new thing they might be trying. A few weeks later she "blew over,"as she expressed it, and said in her charming way to Julie, as if shehad known her intimately for years:

  "My dear, are you busy enough?"

  "No indeed, Mrs. Lennox, we never could be busy enough--we want to do somuch."

  "So I thought." She threw back her furs and unclasping a big bunch ofviolets tossed them into the girl's lap. "You like them, don't you? Sodo I. I adore violets. I am raising white ones now and I will send youover some if I may."

  "Oh, how good of you! Daddy loves them too. We always used to haveflowers wherever we were and we do miss them so. I don't see how yoususpected it, Mrs. Lennox."

  "I am rather keen about human nature, my dear, and it occurs to me thateven though you do cook, you may have a love and longing for thebeautiful."

  Julie smiled. It was so comfortable to talk with some one who understoodthem. "Miss Ware would not agree with you," she said. "She considers uslost to the finer things, beyond redemption. She dislikes us, you know,and we never go there; but she comes here sometimes and asks us allsorts of questions and wants to know about our recipes and things as ifwe could not comprehend any other subject. Hester calls it 'talkingshop' and we hate it--not the work but the being excluded from otherthings."

  "I understand perfectly. Miss Ware is a bit, well, narrow, like mostRadnor people. So you are not busy enough?" eyeing her curiously; "wellthen, I have a suggestion. If you want to cater for the town, send outcards."

  Julie gasped. "Business cards, you mean, soliciting orders?"

  "Exactly. You do a variety of things already--think up and experimentwith more until you get an imposing little list, have cards printed andsend them about--at least five hundred, I should say. Radnor is a largeplace and cliquey--there must be numbers of persons unknown to me whohave never heard of you girls, yet would be likely to give you theircustom. If my name on the cards by way of indorsement would be of anyadvantage, you are more than welcome to use it."

  "Oh! thank you, of course it would be a great advantage, Mrs. Lennox,for no one knows us at all, you see. I'm--I'm dazed by your idea--itseems so pretentious--so bold to advertise ourselves. I don't believe weshould ever have thought of it, but it _is_ the thing to do."

  "Decidedly. I know something about business and you have one of the mostnecessary qualifications for success--indefatigable zeal--and I want topush you along. But you must not overtax your strength. I suppose youhave heard that before, eh, Miss Dale?" She laughed musically. "No doubtkindly disposed persons come here to leave orders and tell you not towork too hard."

  "Yes, they do," Julie earnestly replied. "I wish they would not. Just asif we did not have to work with all our might and main, and it is noteasy--always."

  "Easy! I should think not!" Mrs. Lennox rose and smiled into Julie'sgrave eyes as she held out her hand to say good-by. "I am going now, butI want to come again and meet your sister too. May I? I should so liketo know you and be your friend."

  Julie impulsively kissed her. "It is so good to find some one who wantsto know us--in spite of everything," she faltered.

  "It is because of everything, my dear," giving the girl an impetuouslittle hug. Which demonstration would greatly have astonished the smartset of Radnor to whom this side of their leader was unknown andunsuspected.

  It was about this time that the girls
got the mayonnaise put up to theirsatisfaction, for innumerable perplexities had arisen in the matter ofsuitable bottles, corks and labels. When finally Julie had submitted theresult to the grocer and that all-powerful man had ordered a dozenbottles to sell on commission, the girls felt that they were working tosome purpose, and a glow akin to honest pride surged in their hearts.But the sensation swelled to overwhelming proportions when late oneafternoon Julie, passing the store, spied in the great show-window agroup of their bottles standing boldly alongside the firm's best fancyarticles. She gasped, scarcely daring to look at them, and rushed hometo tell Hester.

  But when she got home she did not tell Hester. Instead she said: "Put onyour things and come out before it grows dark--the air will do yougood."

  "Can't," said Hester, deep in a book, "I'm too tired to move."

  "I want to show you something."

  "Where?" reading on.

  "In a shop window."

  "Julie Dale, what's the matter?" she exclaimed, dropping her book. "I'msure you've got a crazy look about you--your hat's on crooked!"

  "I don't care, I think you would want to throw _your_ hat in the air ifyou had seen it!"

  "Seen what? A shop window? I hate them--they're just full of tantalizingthings one wants and can't have!"

  "Well, this isn't--or perhaps it is--I am sure I don't know, but I cameway back after you and oh! do come."

  "You are responsible for great expectations," said Hester, reluctantlygetting up from the bed. "I call it a most unchristian act to rout meout like this."

  But she took another view of it when she found herself out in the briskwintry air, and she caught some of the exhilaration of her sister's gayspirits as they went along, Peter Snooks racing wildly about them.

  When they approached the window of the grocery Julie's heart beatrapidly in anticipation of Hester's surprise. As they reached it shesuddenly pulled her arm and led her close to the window. "Look!" shesaid excitedly but in a low voice, for many persons were passing andsome few stood near them.

  There it was, the mayonnaise into which they had put their bestendeavor, standing in so conspicuous a place that it could not fail toattract the attention of the passers-by.

  "New thing, that mayonnaise, isn't it?" they heard a man say to hiscompanion, "well put up--let's go in and look at it."

  Hester gazed speechless into the window, her eyes nearly bulging out ofher head.

  "Would you ever have believed it!" whispered Julie, poking her. "Let'swait," as she saw a clerk lean into the window and take down a bottle,"let's wait and see if those people buy it."

  "No we won't," said Hester, finding her voice at last. She clutched hersister's arm convulsively. "We'll go straight home before I scream withjoy right here on the corner."

  "You don't like shop windows, do you?" said Julie with a happy laugh.

  In the exuberance of their spirits and with a desire to impart the goodnews to their neighbors, whom they now counted as friends, the girlsstopped at the Grahame's on their way upstairs.

  "Jack," exclaimed Hester the impetuous, "Jack, what do you suppose hashappened?"

  "By the look of you I should say you'd inherited a fortune."

  "Pouf!" disdainfully, "that is commonplace." She clapped her handstogether while her eyes danced merrily. "Try again, Jack."

  "May I have a guess, Miss Dale?" said a voice that made the girl start,while a long, lazy form emerged from the corner.

  Hester's manner changed instantly, and her eyes sought Jack'squestioningly, as if she were asking some explanation. Then she turnedto the man who stood quietly watching her.

  "How do you do, Mr. Landor?" she said with a stiff little formality thatwas unlike Hester, "I did not know you and Jack were friends."

  "May I be presented?" asked Julie, coming forward; "I seem to be quiteout of it."

  Jack from his chair in his capacity of host performed the introduction.

  "Will _you_ let me guess?" said the man, addressing Julie as if therehad been no interruption. "Your sister refuses to answer me."

  "You certainly will not let him guess," promptly replied Hester."Curiosity is a shockingly reprehensible trait and besides," with alittle toss of her head, "our affairs cannot possibly be of interest toMr. Landor."

  The man flushed and picked up his hat. "I am off, old fellow," he saidto Jack. "I'll be in again before a great while."

  "Oh, don't let us drive you away, please, Mr. Landor," protested Julie,who was secretly marveling over that cool little sarcastic voice whichshe had scarcely recognized as Hester's. "We had only a moment to stopand we can come down again any time; we know what a great pleasure it isto Jack to have visitors, don't we, Hester?"

  Julie had her hand on the door.

  "MAY I HAVE A GUESS, MISS DALE?"]

  "You will do what she asks, I am sure, Mr. Landor," said Hester. It didnot escape him that she shifted the responsibility to her sister. "Juliealways arranges things perfectly. We really should be at home this veryminute." And waving her hand at the astonished Jack, she followed in thewake of her sister.

  "Hester," exclaimed Julie, in the seclusion of their own apartment,"what made you so rude to Mr. Landor? I never heard you speak like thatto any one before."

  "Oh! Julie," cried the younger girl, flinging herself down in a chair,"I've the most disgusting, beastly temper!"

  "You've nothing of the sort!" denied her sister indignantly.

  "I have. You don't know anything about it, it's--it's just developing. Iget all hot inside; sometimes it breaks out the way it did at MissWare's and to-day it made me nasty and sarcastic. I've always hatedsarcastic people!"

  "What has Mr. Landor done, dear, to make you dislike him so? I thoughthe seemed most charming and agreeable."

  "Did you?" indifferently, leaning back in her chair. Suddenly she satbolt upright and exclaimed vehemently, "Julie Dale, if you dare to taketo singing his praises as Dr. Ware does I'll--I'll--well, I don't knowwhat I'll do! I hate him, with his smiling, masterful air and his pryinginto affairs which are none of his business." (This seemed rather stronglanguage, but Julie did not interrupt her.) "He is an idle society manand we are hard-working girls. He has nothing in common with uswhatever. We've no use for men, anyway--they don't belong to the sort oflife we live, they--they don't fit into our scheme of things. Ratherneat, that last phrase, eh, Julie? Read it in a book." As usual,Hester's outburst ended in a laugh.

  "Are you twenty years old," said Julie stooping down to kiss the flushedface, "or two hundred, Hester?"

  "I'm an end-of-the-century idiot, that's what I am!" she replied,pulling Julie over to give her a suffocating hug. Then in thatirrelevant fashion so characteristic of her she threw back her head andsniffed the air suspiciously.

  "Julie!"

  But Julie had slipped away.

  Hester chased her into the little dining-room. "Julie Dale! do I smellsteak?" Hester's nostrils fairly quivered.

  "You do. I plunged into that wild extravagance on the strength of themayonnaise, and I don't care what you say!"

  "Say!" gasped Hester as Bridget brought in this unheard of luxury, "Ionly want to eat!"