THE HOUSE OF TRUTH
It was plain to be seen that Bess Keats was very much disturbed aboutsomething. She sat in the couch hammock on the porch, talking to herselfand occasionally giving a sharp punch to the sofa pillow by her side.
"Mother is so old-fashioned," she said to herself, "and she gets worseevery year. Last year she wouldn't let me wear the kind of dresses Iwanted to and I looked different from the rest of the girls all the year.Then she wouldn't let me go camping with the party because only one motherwas going to take care of us. Surely one woman can take care of twentyboys and girls. Of course I was glad I hadn't gone when they had theaccident and partly burned the cottage, but she wouldn't let me go justbecause she had old-fashioned notions. Girls these days don't do as theydid when she was young.
"I just can't see a reason in the world why I shouldn't invite Henry Mannto take me to the leap-year party at the beach. Every girl in the crowd isasking a fellow to take her. Of course if George were here, mother mightlet me go with him; but he isn't and all the girls want Henry to gobecause he spends his money in such a dandy way; so I said I would invitehim to take me, never thinking for a minute that mother would object. Andnow she says, not only that I can't ask him, but that I can't go. Well, Iwill, anyway. So there! I just will go."
Then Bess pushed her head far down in the pillow to think out a way. Ifgrandmother were only alive she would help her. She had always found away to get what Bess wanted. But grandmother was dead and Bess must workit out alone, so she began to think.
Suddenly she heard a voice saying,
"Why, Bessie dear, whatever is the matter? You look very unhappy. Tell meall about it."
And there was grandmother with the neat, black silk dress and the daintywhite collar, and even the pretty white apron that she used to wear. Oh!Oh! how glad Bess was to see her!
Hand in hand, they went away from the house to where the trees in theorchard were bending with fruit, and, sitting there on a stone, Bess toldher all about her trouble. Whatever would the girls think of her when shehad promised to invite the boy they all wanted? And after she had told itevery bit, she squeezed grandma's hand very hard and said,
"And now, Granny dear, you will help me, won't you? It is perfectly allright to ask him for all the girls do it. I want him to take me."
"Well, well, dear," said the grandmother, "if we find that it is allright, I shall be glad to find a way to help you. But we must see. We mustsee."
"See what, grandmother?" asked the girl. "There is nothing to see."
"Indeed there is, child," said Granny. "In times of trouble one mustalways see the Truth. Then the way is easy. After I see the Truth, I shallbe able to tell what to do. Come and we shall soon find out. You see youbelong to my family and my family is proud of the fact that its girls haveall been ladies. So we must go to the keeper of the book and see what alady can do in this case."
On and on they went till they came to a queer little old man standingbefore a big, big book. Granny went daintily up to him and said,
"Will you tell me if it is ever right for a young lady to ask a strangeyoung man to take her to a dance, and pay out his money for her, when hehas not even been to her home or met her mother? My grandchild says allthe girls do it, so I suppose it must be a new thing that has been writtenin the book since I was a girl. I want her to be sure to be a lady, sobefore I help her to ask the boy to take her, I want you to look for therule."
The little old man began slowly to shake his head but he never said aword. He just looked and looked and looked. His finger went up one pageand down another. Finally he looked straight at Bess and said to Granny,
"Your granddaughter is mistaken. That is not done by ladies. It is nothere. It is not here."
"Oh, you are old-fashioned just like my mother," began Bess. "It may notbe there but it is true just the same that all ladies do it nowadays."
"Hush, child," said Granny. "What is written there is true--but it is onlyhalf the truth even then. Let us go and see the rest. If it is right foryou to ask him, then let us see the truth about the boy. Is he one thatour family would like to have specially chosen for your friend? We mustknow about him."
"Oh, Granny, he is all right. He doesn't study much and he doesn't do whatmother believes is right on Sunday. But he has a car, and a motor boat,and he is all right. Let me ask him," begged Bess.
"Tut, tut, child," said Granny. "Perhaps you do not know. This is theHouse of Truth and we can tell."
Then they entered a very large house and Granny walked to a man who stoodnear the door.
"May I go to the M room?" she asked, with a smile.
"I will show you the way, lady," said the man, and Bess noted how the manhad spoken the word "lady." Somehow every one knew as soon as they lookedat Granny that she was a lady. 'Twas very strange!
Down a long hall they went and then they stood before a large wall ofmirrors. What a strange place this was! Before them in the mirror weremany, many men and boys, all struggling to get up a very steep hill. Somehad a few strings ahead of them to help them up and many, many stringsbehind that were pulling them back to the foot of the hill. Others hadonly a few in back and many in front. Some were hopelessly entangled andseemed not able to move. Who were they and what were they doing?
Curiosity led Bess to study the scene in front of her. On the very top ofthe hill there was a bright sign, "Christian Manhood." This, then, was thething for which they were struggling. But what were the strings? Shepushed and reached but she just couldn't read the words.
"Did you want to know the truth about a friend?" said a voice. "I willgladly help you for you are young and need to know. I am old and to knowthe truth may only make me more unhappy. Take my place." And she was givena nearer stand.
Now she could read the words on the strings that held the men back. Onesaid "Drink" and another "Bad Companions," and another "Bad Temper." Besswas very much interested, so she began to study the faces of the men whowere pushing to the top.
Why! Away up there with the first was George Meyer, her good friend fromchildhood. He had many, many strings to help and only a few to hinder. Andthere was Edward Mead. He was such a goody-goody at school that shedidn't care much for him. Why, he wouldn't whisper at all!
Near the middle of the hill was Philip Marks. She knew him well and he hadmany things to help and many to hinder but he was surely trying. ButGranny had brought her here to see the truth about Henry Mann. Was hehere? She hadn't seen him.
First she searched among those near the top. He was such a bright boy whenout with the crowd and he had so many good things in his life that surelyhe must be near the top. But he wasn't there. Neither was he near themiddle. Surely he must be there somewhere for his name began with M.Finally she asked the man who had given her his place if he could see aboy named Henry Mann on the hill.
"I should say I could," was the answer. "There he is near the foot of thehill, hopelessly entangled in his drawbacks. It isn't hard to find thatyoung man here."
Sure enough, there he was and Bess's face grew very red as she saw all thestrings behind him. She was glad Granny had gone to sit down so that shewouldn't see him. Perhaps she could read what some of his drawbacks were,for he was quite near. There was, "Too much money," "Lazy," "Unkind to hismother," "Little schooling," "Drinks and smokes and swears," "A friend ofcareless girls"....
Oh, dear! Bess didn't want to read any more. What a list he had! Therewere one or two good strings but they could not do much against so manyothers to pull him back.
Up there very near to the top, George, her old friend, was moving on andhis face was so earnest. How different it looked as she compared him withHenry at the foot! She had never known before that he was so handsome.What were the strings that were pulling him forward? She leaned farforward to see. Just then she heard Granny's voice close at her elbow.
"Were you trying to look at George, Bess? He is a long way toward manhood,isn't he? Suppose you use my little glass to help you."
"Oh,
now I can see," she answered. There is "A good mother," "A keenmind," "A strong body," "Love of right and truth," "A good girlfriend"....
"But, Granny dear," said Bess, "one of his helps is 'A good girl friend.'Has George a girl? I thought he didn't care for girls."
"This is the House of Truth, dear," said the old lady. "I think perhapsthat good girl friend means you, for you have been a good friend to him.You know our family have always been proud of their education and theirhabits of life. I am sure it must have been a good thing for George togrow up all these years with a good chum like you. He must be a gentlemanif he would be fit to play with the daughter of a lady like your mother.When I was here before, George had several other pull-backs, but I see hehas conquered them. But come, dear, it is time we were going if I am tohelp you out of your difficulty.
"Let me see, you wanted to ask Henry Mann to take you to a party at thebeach. Did you find him there? Do you think your mother will change hermind when we tell her the truth about the new friend whom you wish tomake? If so, I am ready to try, even though I am not at all sure that alady does those things. But things change--things change very much andperhaps you are right. What said the House of Truth? Shall we invitehim?"
"Oh, Granny, never, never!" cried the girl. "I could never ask any one whowas known as the friend of careless girls. He has so many drawbacks--oh,no, never."
Just then a voice said, "Good evening, Miss Keats. I hope I haven'tdisturbed your nap. One of the girls told me you were very anxious to seeme, so I came up."
And there stood Henry Mann.
For a moment the girl could not answer. The face that had looked sohandsome when it was pointed out to her on the street yesterday now lookedcareless and insolent. She wanted to run away and not even answer.
But just at that moment the door opened and her mother came out. She wasdressed so prettily and her voice was soft and sweet as she said, "I thinkI haven't met you, but you must be one of my daughter's friends. Will yoube seated?"
"A man must be a gentleman if he would be fit to play with the daughter ofa lady like your mother," thought Bess.
Then she straightened her shoulders and, smiling, said, "Mother, this isHenry Mann, of whom I spoke to you."
Turning to the boy, who still stood at the top of the steps, she said,"Thank you so much for calling, Mr. Mann. There has been a mistake. Motherprefers that I should not go to the party at the beach and of course Iwant to do as she thinks best. I am sorry to have made you this trouble.Perhaps one of the other girls will be asked to fill my place so that youcan still be one of the party."
Then Henry Mann tipped his hat and went down the street thinking howbeautiful the mother and daughter were. But Bess and her mother stoodthere with their arms about each other, waiting for father to come home totea. And Bess was no longer unhappy.