Pat of Silver Bush (19 page)

Pat slipped noiselessly out of bed, so as not to wake Winnie … Winnie who would not even ASK what she was doing if she did. Sniffing that delectable odour Pat crept down through the silent house. She hoped that Judy would not send her to Coventry; and she thought her heart might stop aching for a little while if she could feel Judy’s arms around her.

Softly she opened the kitchen door. Beautiful sight! There was dear old Judy frying herself a snack of ham, her jolly old shadow flying in all directions over the kitchen walls and ceiling as she darted about.

And … was it believable? … there was Gentleman Tom, sitting inscrutably on the bench, watching her. How peaceful and home-y and comforting it all was!

There had been anything but a peaceful scene in the kitchen two hours before when Judy had arrived home and demanded if all was well with the children. When she was told Pat was in disgrace and why Judy, as she expressed it, tore up the turf. Such a “ruckus” had never been known at Silver Bush. Everybody caught it.

“Suppose she had been SEEN, Judy?” protested mother.

“Oh, oh, but they didn’t see her, did they?” demanded Judy scornfully.

“Nobody but Aunt Edith …”

“Oh, oh, is it AUNT Edith?” sniffed Judy. “And it was me fine EDITH that dragged her in and blew it all afore Brian and his fine lady wife, ye’re telling me? Sure it was like her. It’s a pity a liddle thing like that cudn’t av been hushed up in the fam’ly. And to punish the tinder-hearted cratur so cruel! Ye ralely ain’t wise, Long Alec. A bit av a tongue-lashing might av been all right but to kape on torturing the poor jewel for a wake and her that fond av ye all! It’s telling ye to yer face, I am Long Alec, ye don’t deserve such a daughter.”

“Well, well,” said Long Alec, quite cowed, “I don’t think it’s done her much harm. We’ll let her off the rest of the week.”

“I don’t know what possessed the child to do such a thing,” said mother.

“Oh, oh, it’s a bit av that ould Frinch leddy coming out in her, I warrant ye,” suggested Judy.

“Certainly it didn’t come from the Quaker side,” chuckled Uncle Tom.

“Judy!”

Pat was in Judy’s arms, laughing, crying. It was a glorious five minutes. Even Gentleman Tom betrayed a trifle of sympathy.

Finally Judy held Pat off and pretended to look stern.

“I don’t want to be hard on ye, Patsy, but what monkey-didoes have ye been cutting up? It’s a fine yarn yer dad has been spinning me av ye dancing in the bush widout inny clothes on.”

“Oh, Judy, I never saw such a moon … and I was pretending I was a bewitched princess … and Uncle Tom LAUGHED at me. That spoiled it worst of all, Judy … and it WAS so beautiful before Aunt Edith came.”

There was some wild strain of poetry in Judy that made her understand. She hugged Pat with a fierce tenderness.

“Oh, oh, I’ve rid the riot act to thim, I’m telling ye. Whin I get me dander up I’m a terror to snakes. There’ll be no more visiting in Coventry for ye, me jewel. But ye’d better not be doing any more quare things for awhile.”

“The trouble is,
I
don’t think the things I do are queer,” said Pat gravely. “They seem quite reasonable to me. And Aunt Edith was just … ridiculous.”

“Ye niver spoke a truer word. Oh, oh, what a shock it must av been to the poor sowl. She’s forgotten she has inny legs, that one. But ye’d better be a bit careful, Patsy, and if ye fale inny more hankering for such bathing just ye tell me and I’ll get a pitcherful av moonlight and pour it over ye. And now just sit down and have a liddle bit av ham wid me and tell me all that’s happened. Sure and it’s good to be home agin.”

“Oh, Judy, where did Gentleman Tom come from? He’s never been seen here since you went away.”

“Are ye telling me? Sure and he was sitting on the dure-step when I got out av the Bay Shore rig, looking as if he wasn’t knowing where his nixt mouse was coming from. I’M not asking him where he’s been. I mightn’t be liking the answer. Innyway, here he is and here I am … and there’s a beautiful pink dress av eyelet embroidery in me grip that yer Aunt Honor sint ye. It’ll be one in the eye for Norma whin she sees ye in it.”

“I’m going to sleep the rest of the night with you, Judy,” said Pat resolutely.

Under a Cloud

When in mid-September Long Alec suddenly announced to his family that, harvest being over, he meant to take a trip out west to visit a brother who had settled there years ago Pat took it more calmly than they had feared. It was rather dreadful, of course, to think of dad being away for a whole month, but, as he said himself, if he didn’t go away he couldn’t come back again. There would be his homecoming to expect and plan for, and meanwhile life was very pleasant at Silver Bush. She liked the fall nights because the fires were lighted. Jingle was building an elegant bird-house for her to be put up in the maple by the well when finished; and Mr. Wilcox was going to take Bets and her to the Exhibition in Charlottetown. Pat had never been to one yet. To the small denizens of North Glen a visit to the Exhibition loomed up with as much of excitement and delight as a trip to Europe or “the coast” might to older folks. Socially you were not in the swim unless you had been to the Exhibition. There were the weeks of delightful anticipation … the Exhibition itself … then weeks of just as delightful reminiscence. All things considered, Pat was quite cheerful about dad’s absence. It was Judy who seemed to view it most gloomily … Pat couldn’t understand why. For the week preceding Long Alec’s departure Judy had done an extra deal of talking to and arguing with herself. Disjointed sentences reached Pat’s ears every now and again.

“I’m not knowing what gets into the min be times. It do be saming as if they had to have a crazy spell once in so long” … “a bit av Wild Dick coming out in him I’m telling ye” … “‘tis the curse av the wandering foot” … “oh, oh, it’s too aisy to get about now. Sure and that’s what’s the matter wid the world.”

But when Pat asked what the trouble was Judy’s only reply was a curt:

“Ax me no questions and I’ll be telling ye no lies.”

Dad went away one windy, cloudy September morning. Uncle Tom and the aunts came along the Whispering Lane to say good-bye. Everybody was a little sober. The “west” was a long way off … the good-byes a bit tremulous.

“May the Good Man Above give us all good health,” muttered Judy, as she dashed back into the kitchen and began to rattle the stove lids fiercely. Pat hopped into the car and went as far as the road with dad. She stood and watched the car out of sight and then turned towards home with a choking sensation. At that moment the sun broke through a black cloud and poured a flood of radiance over Silver Bush. Pat realised afresh how beautiful home was, nestling under its misty blue hill with its background of golden trees.

“Oh, how lovely you are!” she cried, holding out her arms to it. The tears that filled her eyes were not caused by dad’s going. She was pierced by the swift exquisite pang which beauty always gave her … always would give her. It was almost anguish while it lasted … but the pain was heavenly.

It was well that Pat had her trip to the Exhibition over before she heard the terrible thing. She did have it … two glorious days with Bets … and, as the gods themselves cannot recall their gifts, she always had it, although for a time it seemed as if she had nothing … would have nothing for evermore … but pain and fear.

Again it was May Binnie who told her … that dad meant to buy a farm out west and settle there!

A strange icy ripple, such as she had never felt before, ran over Pat.

“That isn’t true,” she cried.

May laughed.

“It is. Everybody knows it. Winnie knows it. I s’pose they were afraid to tell you for fear you’d make a scene.”

Pat looked passionately into May’s bold black eyes.

“I wouldn’t have hated you for telling me this, May Binnie, if you hadn’t LIKED telling it. But I am going to TELL GOD ABOUT YOU TONIGHT.”

May laughed again … a little uncomfortably. What she called Pat Gardiner’s “rages” always made her uncomfortable. And who knew what Pat might tell God about her?

Pat went home sick and cold with agony to the very depth of her being.

“Mother, it isn’t true … it isn’t … say it isn’t!”

Mother looked compassionately into Pat’s tortured young eyes. They had tried to keep this from Pat, hoping she might never have to be told. Dad might not like the west. But if he did, go they must. When easy-going Long Alec did make up his mind there was no budging it, as everybody at Silver Bush knew.

“We don’t know, dear. Father is thinking of it. He had a hankering to go when Allan went, years ago, but he couldn’t leave his parents then. Now … I don’t know. Be brave, Pat, dear. We’ll all be together … the west is a splendid country … more chances for the boys perhaps …”

She stopped. Better not say more just now.

“So ye’ve heard?” was all Judy said, when Pat came, white-faced, into the kitchen.

“Judy, it can’t happen … it just can’t. Judy, God wouldn’t let such a thing happen.”

Judy shook her head.

“Long Alec will settle that, laving God out av the question, Patsy, me jewel. Oh, oh, it’s a man’s world, so it is, and we women must just be putting up wid it.”

“It will be the end of everything, Judy.”

“I’m fearing it will be worse than that,” muttered Judy. “I’m fearing it will be the beginning av a lot av new things. Sure, the heart av me will be bruk.”

She did not say this aloud. Pat must not know until it became necessary that Judy would not be going west with them. To Judy, the idea of leaving Silver Bush was as dreadful as it was to Pat; but she could not leave the Island. Judy had a secret conviction that if the Gardiners went west she would end her days at the Bay Shore farm, taking Danny’s part and waiting on the ould leddy who would live forever … and eating her soul out with longing and loneliness for her own.

“Oh, oh, they do be all I’ve got,” she mourned. “And all I axed was to be let go on working for thim as long as I was on the hoof. To the divil wid Long Alec and his notions and his stubbornness … him that ye wudn’t think cud stand up aginst a moonbame. But ‘tis in the blood to be set that way whin they think they want innything. His ould Great-uncle Alec was the same but he had a bit av sinse in his pate and whin he onct tuk a notion he wanted to go somewhere he was knowing he shudn’t didn’t he go and shave his head complate and thin he cudn’t go till the hair grew in and be that time the danger was over. Minny’s the time I’ve heard ould Grandfather Gardiner tell av it. ‘Twas be way av being a fam’ly joke.”

“When will we KNOW, Judy?”

“That I can’t tell ye, darlint. Long Alec said he’d write as soon as he made up his mind. God hasten the day! There’s nothing we can be doing but wait.”

Pat shivered. The words were so terrible and so true. How could one wait? Tomorrow would be more cruel than to-day.

In the weeks that followed Pat felt as if her heart were bleeding drop by drop. She seemed to be alone in her anguish. Sid rather hoped dad wouldn’t go west but was not terribly cut up about it. Joe frankly hoped he WOULD go. Winnie thought it might be fun. Mother SEEMED quite indifferent to it, in her usual calm, gentle fashion. Even Judy was fiercely silent and would give tongue to neither regrets nor hopes. Bets and Jingle were both in despair but Pat found she could not talk the matter over with them. It went too deep.

She got through the days in school somehow and then wandered about Silver Bush like an unhappy little ghost. She could not read. The books she had loved were no more than printed words. She and Bets had been half way through The Wind In The Willows, reading it under the Watching Pine on the hill-top, but now it lay neglected in the bookcase at the Long House. She could not play with Bets or Jingle … she could not bear it when she might soon have to leave them forever. She could not play with Sid because Sid COULD play and showed thereby that he was not feeling as badly as he should be. She could not play with Salt and Pepper because they were too cheerful. McGinty was the only animal that seemed to realise the situation. He and Jingle were a gloomy pair.

Pat slept badly and ate next to nothing.

“That thin she do be getting,” worried Judy to Mrs. Gardiner. “Sure there isn’t a pick on her bones. It’s me belafe that if Long Alec drags that child out west it’ll be killing her. She can’t live away from Silver Bush. Sure and she do be loving ivery inch av it.”

“I wish she didn’t love it so much,” sighed mother. “But she is young … she will forget. We older ones …” Mother stopped quickly. That was like mother. Mother never showed what she felt. That had been a Bay Shore tradition. The more emotional and expressive Gardiners sometimes thought she had no “feelings.”

Pat was having plenty and very dreadful ones they were. Everything she looked at hurt her. It hurt her to be in the house … to think of those dear rooms being cold … perhaps nobody even bothering to light a fire in them. Perhaps there would be no light in the windows at night … in the house that had always overflowed with light: no plumes of homely smoke going up from its chimneys: nobody looking on beauty from the round window. And if there were people in it … she hated that thought, too. Who would be sleeping in her room … who would be ruling in Judy’s kitchen?

It was worse outside. The garden would be so lonely. No one there to love or welcome the flowers. The daffodils and the columbines would come up in the spring but she would not be there to see. The bees would hum in the Canterbury bells and she not there to listen. The poplars would whisper but she would not hear them whispering. The tiny, pointed, crimson buds would come on the wild rose-bushes in the lane, not for her gathering. Perhaps the people who would come to Silver Bush would root up the old garden entirely. Pat had heard Uncle Brian say once it was really only an old jungle and Alec should clear it out. They would change and tear up. Oh, she could not bear it!

And yet, somehow, it could never be theirs. In after years Pat said of this time, “I knew they could never have the soul of Silver Bush. THAT would always be mine.”

But she would not be there. There would be no more jolly meals in the old kitchen … no more chronicles of Judy on the sandstone steps … no more kitten hunts in the old barns … no more delightful days and nights at the Long House … no more pilgrimages over Jordan … no Happiness … no Secret Field … no Hill of the Mist. There wouldn’t be any hills at all on the prairie.