The Wrong Woman (22 page)

"I am mighty glad you said that," he offered. "I was afraid you might have to
leave. That's why I wanted you to pass."

"And that's why I
wanted
to pass, too," she said.

Now that the coast was clear they resumed their confessions. At times they
sat in silence, holding hands.

As the time approached when they ought to start back, they were reminded to
make more definite plans. He would take her to Merrill, leave the horse and
buggy there, and come home to Thornton on the night train. On the following day
he would come down with one of his own horses to get the buggy and she could
ride up "home" with him and catch the early train back.

"I want you to come up right away and look over the house and get acquainted
with the neighborhood."

"Are we going to have nice neighbors?" she asked.

"First-class. A mighty fine lot of folks. They 'll all put themselves out to
accommodate you. I think you 'll like them."

"Oh, I know I shall," she answered.

"And I 'll have something I want to give you, too. And we can talk things
over and make up our minds about the date. I don't see any use in waiting a long
time, do you?"

"Wellno; not too long. But of course there are quite a number of things that
need to be done first."

"Yesof course," he mused. "Quite a number of things that have to be done.
And there 's the license to get, too," looking up suddenly at the court-house.

"What!right now?"

"We might as well get it while we 're right here, don't you think? I might
have to come out here after it anywayand maybe the Comanche would be up and on
a rampage. Here we are right now. And there's the court-house."

"It does seem the most sensible wayof course. You had better do whatever you
think best."

Upon receiving this commission he arose and proceeded for the license. As he
set foot upon the court-house steps he paused and looked back at her. He was
straight as a ramrod; there was self-confidence in his carriage and pride in his
mien.

"I 'll bet ten dollars
I 'll
pass," he said.

Susie's mashe who made the "real Northern" piewas busy in her kitchen. A
dishpanful of dough, which had risen till it overhung the edges of the pan,
indicated that it was high time to knead a batch of bread. She was just clearing
the table with this end in view when she heard a familiar sound in the distance,
and going to the window she saw that Jonas Hicks was at home again. He turned
loose his "string," now reduced to two yoke, and went into the house.

While it was no unusual thing for Jonas to go into the house, it was seldom
that he stayed long, for which reason Mrs. Berry tarried at the window in
expectation of getting another sight of him. While she was thus waiting she saw
Mrs. Harmon making her way across the open. Evidently she was bound for Jonas's
house. She had hardly reached the door when Mrs. Norton and Kitty Wright made
their appearance on Claxton Road, arm in arm. They turned off the road and bent
their steps in the same direction. In a little while Mrs. Plympton and another
of her aristocratic neighbors issued forth and joined company, walking faster.
They too struck out across the common. What might this mean?

To Mrs. Berry, who knew nothing of the unreturned rockery, and nothing of the
mysterious doings of Steve Brown, this was a question which called for an
answer.

Evidently it was no preconcerted move. Mrs. Berry, being a woman, could see,
from various indications of dress and manner, that each of them was going simply
because she had seen the other do so, and this was reason enough; but still,
behind it all, there must have been some original reason; and what was it?

Mrs. Berry proceeded to the kitchen and faced her work. She addressed her
remarks particularly to the dough.

"Well, I guess I can just let my work go for
once
in my life," she
said. She spread out her hands and pushed down the dough till it was about half
its former size. "There, now," she said. "Rise again."

Donning a clean apron and her best hat, and giving Susan some parting
instructions, she opened the door and set forth for the common destination. Mrs.
Berry had the courage of her curiosity. She was not meddlesome, but only
interested; and as there was nothing whatever between her and what she saw in
the world,not even an education,she dealt with life in her own resourceful
way. Mrs. Berry was a "railroad widow"; she supported herself and Susan by
ceaseless industry helped out by a small income received from "the Company" when
her husband was killed in the faithful discharge of his duty.

By the time she had put in her appearance at Jonas's ever-open door, the
ladies had come to a period in their conference with Jonas and now they were
engaged in expressing various sorts of surprise. They were quite astonished at
somethingwhatever the nature of it might be.

"Yes, she had on that kind of a hat," Jonas was saying. "But she ain't any
woman from around here. She is a school-teacher and educated. I know her."

There was another chorus of "I declare!" which came to a stop as Mrs. Berry
rapped on the door-jamb; then all reference to their business was dropped as
they welcomed her in and made the usual polite inquiries regarding herself and
little Susan. Mrs. Berry seated herself in the proffered chair without any
reference to what the nature of her own errand might have been. When it was seen
that she had settled down to stay, Mrs. Harmon took in hand to make everything
plain and open. They had just received news that Mr. Brown was engaged to be
married. It was this, Mrs. Harmon explained, that they had all been talking
over, and they were all very much delighted. Mrs. Berry, on her part, was not a
whit less interested in such things than the rest of them; she expressed her
opinion that it was really the best thing for a man to do. With which sentiment
they all agreed. Then Jonas spoke.

"You see, Mrs. Berry," he said, "Steve and the young lady passed me on the
road coming in from the ranch; and they stopped and told me all about it. They
just got engaged to-day."

"Oh, indeed," said Mrs. Berry. And then she created consternation by a most
embarrassing question. "And were you all expecting it?"

"Wellyes. We rather
suspected
it, you know," put in Mrs. Harmon,
viewing her benignly. "We heard in a roundabout way that Mr. Brown was paying
attention to a young lady."

This crisis safely passed, gossip revived and took on new life, in the course
of which Mrs. Berry gathered a few details regarding the bride-elect. Talk had
not proceeded far, however, when Mrs. Harmon rose and stationed herself behind
Jonas's kitchen table.

"Ladies," she said, "I think that, just at this time, and while we are all
together, we had better call a meeting of the Circle." She took up Jonas's
long-handled batter-spoon and rapped three times on the table. The result was
that they all sat up a little straighter and came to order. "As you are all
aware," she continued, "the business of our last meeting was left in a rather
unfinished and unsatisfactory state. It has just occurred to me that there is a
little point that ought to be taken up promptly and brought to a general
understanding. I would suggest that anything in our last meeting which might be
of aStar Chamber naturebe expunged from the records, verbal and otherwise. In
every sense I meanentirely. Will some one make a motion to that effect?"

Kitty Wright arose to the occasion.

"I move," she said, "that the proceedings of the last meeting be expunged.
And that it be understood that it be considered a permanent meeting of the
committee of the whole behind closed doors. Also that it be understood that any
membersuch as Mrs. Plympton, for instanceis entitled to vote now, and make
inquiries from any of her sisters, at any time, regarding the nature of the
present parliamentary vocabulary."

"Second the motion," said Mrs. Plympton.

"Moved and seconded that the last meeting be of the aforesaid nature."

The motion was carried.

"And now," said Mrs. Harmon, rapping again with the spoon, "as this little
matter is tended to, I think it no more than proper, in view of the pleasant
news we have just received, that we turn our attention, while the opportunity
offers, to an
entirely different
matter." Here she turned a wary glance
in the direction of the much-mystified Mrs. Berry. "While we are all here I
think it would be a matter of pleasure to all concerned that we make some plans
for the proper treatment of the young lady who is going to settle among us.
Possibly we could do something to entertain her and make her feel at home. If
any of you have an idea on which we could act, motions to that effect will now
be in order."

"Mrs. President," said Kitty Wright, rising to her feet, "I think that would
be just lovely. I move that when Miss Smith arrives to-morrow she be invited to
a chicken dinner at the home of our worthy President; and that two members of
the Circle be invited, including myself."

"Second the motion," said Mrs. Norton.

"Moved and seconded that the young lady and her escort be invited to dinner
at the home of the President, and that Mrs. Wright and Mrs. Norton include
themselves. Are you ready for the question?"

"Question."

The motion was carried.

"Mrs. President," said Mrs. Plympton, rising and receiving recognition, "I
understand from the information that has been conveyed to us by Mr. Hicks, that
the wedding is not likely to be put off to a very late day. It may occur very
soon; therefore any plans that we may have in that regard ought to be set in
motion at once. Now, I have just been thinking that I have those fifty Japanese
lanterns which we used in the lawn festival. I move that a committee be
appointed, at the pleasure of the President, to begin arrangements for
celebrating the return of the bridal couple with a reception
al fresco
in
our peach orchard. And that the Colonel be notified to have his barn in
readiness for another dance."

The motion was seconded and carried by extra unanimous vote.

Mrs. Harmon paused a moment before bringing the meeting to an end. While she
was hesitating a chair scraped behind her and Mrs. Berry took the floor.

"I don't know as I belong to this here Circle," said Mrs. Berry, "but anyway
I guess I belong to the Square." A murmur of approval showed that they
appreciated this view, referring as it did to that rectangular neighborhood
surrounding Jonas's twenty acres. "I guess I belong to the Square. And I have
just been thinking that as long as Mr. Brown has been living alone around that
house he has probably got it into a pretty bad mess. Most likely the kitchen is
a sight and the place is all out of order. Somebody ought to go over and sweep
and dust and scrub and red things up. If the young lady was to come along
to-morrow and see things like that she would think we was a
pretty
sort
of a neighborhood. I move and second that I go and do it."

Without a dissenting vote, this motion was carried.

Mrs. Harmon was about to declare the meeting adjourned; but she paused with
her spoon in the air. "Mr. Hicks," she said, turning her head in his direction,
"I believe you understand about the rockery?"

"Yes," replied Jonas, rising. "I 'll tend to that all right. I 'll get them
back and fixed just the same as before. And as long as everybody is bearing
witness, I might as well do the same, as the cat said when she got caught in the
mousetrap. Most likely, if Steve has been hauling things around in that house,
there will be lots of heavy lifting and tall reaching that needs to be done; so
if Mrs. Berry is going over there to fix up I guess I 'll go along too."

Upon this the batter-spoon came down and the meeting was declared adjourned.
But though it was adjourned, it did not immediately dispersewomen's meetings
seldom do. Such delightful duties being in the air, they had to be dwelt upon
and enlarged, and Jonas had to bring forth further details of his favorable
impressions of the young lady. And did he do her justice? Did he let them
understand how well-bred and refined and good-looking she was? Did he, in short,
convey the information that she was just about the sweetest and most delightful
and charming young lady that ever set foot on the soil of Texas? I think, dear
reader, that we may safely intrust that duty to Mr. Jonas Hicks.

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