Spice Box (28 page)

“You were never that, Janice! And only a fool could ever think you were. The trouble was, those girls who talked that way were so lost to all sense of righteousness themselves that they couldn’t conceive of anybody wanting to live on a higher plane. But as for Rose Bradford, I never loved her, nor even wanted to be engaged to her, though she tried hard enough to make me think I did. But after I knew her she was definitely out of my thoughts. She couldn’t ever be compared to you. And now, Janice, let’s forget Rose Bradford and those fool nurses, and let’s talk about you and me. Janice, I love you, and I’ve learned through these long months of searching for you that I shall never be happy or satisfied without you. Do you feel that you could ever come to love me?”

He searched her face anxiously, the sweet eyes downcast, the lovely lips curved into the lines of great happiness.

Then she raised her head and let the joy in her eyes shine into his.

“Oh, I
do
love you!” she breathed softly. “I’ve loved you from the first! That was what was the matter. I thought I ought not to.”

“You precious love!” said Sterling, suddenly reaching yearning arms to draw her close. “Oh my darling!” And then his lips were upon hers, and a great joy descended upon them till it seemed as if God stood there with His hands upon their heads, blessing them.

All the months of pain and uncertainty, distress and separation vanished, and they almost saw why the hard things had to be, that this perfect blessing should be theirs. More perfect because they had suffered, more joyous because they knew what it was to think they would never have it.

They were sitting so with the realization of their new happiness upon them, when suddenly the little new clock on the mantel that Martha had bought only a few days ago chimed out the half hour, and beat upon the consciousness of the young doctor, with sharp insistence.

“Great Scott!” he said and looked at his watch. “Can it be possible the time has gone like this? I can hardly get to the office and down to the station in time for the train! It hurts to tear myself away, but I shall have to rush!”

He lifted her to her feet and stooped for one more quick kiss before he rushed to the door.

“I can’t come back tonight, for it will be too late, but I’ll be seeing you. I’ll be calling you. Good night, darling!”

It was during that last quick kiss that Ronald, approaching over the back fence, stopped to reconnoiter at the end window that looked over into the backyard. He placed a curious eye where it would take a full view of the big room before he ventured into the blessed precincts. But what he saw filled him with dismay.

He waited until the front door shut, waited another decent moment or two, and then slowly, dejectedly, he entered the kitchen door that Martha generally kept unlocked for his benefit.

Martha was at the kitchen table cutting out cookies and placing them on the cookie sheets. There was a delicious smell of pleasant baking in the atmosphere. Ronald usually tried to be there on the baking nights. He was always on hand to sample the results.

He stood around till the first batch came out of the oven, helped to take them out of the pan, and spread them on the big china platter that stood ready. Then after he had finished two hot cookies and pronounced them “swell,” he stood back and sighed heavily.

“Good
night
!” he said gloomily. “I don’t see what people wantta fall in love for! I don’t see what they see in
love
!”

Martha laughed.

“Well,” she said with an amused half bitterness in her face, “I guess there’s nothing we can do to stop it.”

“No,” he said sorrowfully, “but why did
she
fall for
him
? He’s all right, I guess—if he had only stayed away. But good
night!
Why did he haveta go and spoil everything?”

“Well,” said Martha, endeavoring to be cheery, “a good many people have fallen in love through the years. The world is still going on, and
sometimes
we have good times.”

“Yes? Well, that Joan of Arc didn’t ever fall in love, did she? Why can’t everybody be like her? Gee! I thought Janice had more sense. I thought she was just like Joan of Arc!”

“Not everybody has to be burned at the stake!” remarked Martha crisply. “But then, perhaps there are more kinds of stakes than just wooden ones.”

There was silence for a minute, and then Ronald said, “Well,
boy!
We’ve got God left
anyway
, and He
can’t
change! I’m glad of that!”

“Cheer up!” said Martha. “It maybe won’t be as bad as we fear.”

“No,” purred Ernestine, coming out from under the table to see if they were going to give her a cookie, “it won’t. I went in for a while and jumped up beside them on the couch, and he seemed quite pleasant. I guess we’re going to get along.”

And out on the highway Dr. Blackwell’s car was speeding along, taking him and his old friend to the train, and one of them had a heavy heart as he went away to pain and loneliness and uncertainty, but the other’s heart was light like heavenly sunshine.

GRACE LIVINGSTON HILL (1865–1947) is known as the pioneer of Christian romance. Grace wrote over one hundred faith-inspired books during her lifetime. When her first husband died, leaving her with two daughters to raise, writing became a way to make a living, but she always recognized storytelling as a way to share her faith in God. She has touched countless lives through the years and continues to touch lives today. Her books feature moving stories, delightful characters, and love in its purest form.

Also Available from Grace Livingston Hill

Amorelle
April Gold
Ariel Custer
Astra
Beauty for Ashes
Beloved Stranger
Blue Ruin
Brentwood
Chance of a Lifetime
Christmas Bride
Coming Through the Rye
Crimson Mountain
Crimson Roses
Duskin
The Flower Brides
GI Brides
Girl of the Woods
A Girl to Come Home To
Gold Shoe
Happiness Hill
Head of the House
Honor Girl
Job’s Niece
Kerry
Ladybird
Love Endures
Man of the Dessert
Matched Pearls
A New Name
Not Under the Law
Patricia
The Prodigal Girl
Rainbow Cottage
Ransom
Re-Creations
Sound of the Trumpet
Spice Box
Story of a Whim
Strange Proposal
Street of the City
The Substitute Guest
Sunrise
Tomorrow About This Time
Treasure Brides Collection
Where Two Ways Met
White Flower
White Lady