CHAPTER XIV
MRS. EATON CALLS
"Oh, shades of Odysseus," muttered Nancy. From the swing on thehollyhock porch she had spied Mrs. Eaton coming up the flagged path tothe front door.
As she sat idly swinging, Nancy had been trying over the deeplyemotional lines that Berthe, the much-suffering heroine of her dearplay, should say when the villain proved to be her lover in disguise.A chance glance through the syringas had acquainted her with thealarming fact that an avenging enemy approached.
It was the day after the Fourth of July. As yet not a word had come toHappy House concerning Nancy's part in the celebration.
There was not time for Nancy to escape; however, it was not likely thatMiss Sabrina would take such a guest out to the porch. Nancy heard hergreet the newcomer, then their steps approached the sitting-room. Theswing was at the other end of the porch. Nancy, hugging her knees,could not be seen from the sitting-room windows and, anyway, the blindshad been shut to keep out the hot morning sun. Through their slatsNancy heard Mrs. Eaton's effusive greetings.
"I might as well hear what the cat tells," Nancy concluded. The fateof the proverbial eavesdropper did not alarm her in the least; she feltthe resignation, of a child that knows he faces punishment.
Mrs. Eaton spent several moments explaining, how often she "had had a_mind_ to drop in for a little chat."
"But I am a _different_ woman with my Archie away! Cyrus says he don't_know_ how I bear up so well. _You_ don't know, of course, a mother'sfeelings!" Did Nancy imagine that she heard a rustling, as though AuntSabrina had suddenly straightened in her chair? "And _I_ said to Cyrusthat _he_ don't even know a mother's feeling that's raised a boy rightfrom the _cradle_!"
Miss Sabrina inquired politely as to the last word of Archie, and, withsatisfied pride, the mother recounted Archie's description of thedifficulties that had confronted the Allied occupancy of theRhinelands. Archie's mother truly believed that Archie alone bore thattremendous responsibility.
"And Archie and me are as _like_ as two peas," she added.
It was, of course, only a matter of a few moments before Mrs. Eaton ledup to the event of the day before. Nancy caught the crisp change inthe woman's voice. The story gained much in her telling--of Nancy'simpertinence in forcing the Hopworth young 'uns among her "littledears," then how she had, though fully aware of her, Mrs. Eaton's,explicit orders, flaunted Eric Hopworth's brood in the face of everyrespectable man, woman and child of Freedom--actually desecrating thevery flags she had--_taken_--out of the Sunday-school room.
The story was interrupted by many sighs and sniffs.
"Of course _everybody_ on this Island that knows me and my Archie,Cyrus says, will _feel_ for me. I might as well as _not_ of beenslapped in the face. And I said to Cyrus, "_I_ think Miss Leavittought to _know_--she's taken that girl there!" And Cyrus and I _both_said that of _course_ no one would be surprised, seeing she's _that_branch of your family where I suppose--you'll _forgive_ me for speakingright out _plain_, you can expect almost _any_ kind of actions!"
Nancy swung her feet down out of the hammock. "The cat," she breathed,straightening. She could see that stinging shaft plunge straight intopoor Aunt Sabrina's heart and turn! She held her breath for AuntSabrina's answer.
Miss Sabrina's voice was cold and her words measured. "I am very sorrythis has happened, Mrs. Eaton. But I am sure my niece did not dream ofimpertinence. She has not been here long enough to know of ourprejudices!"
"_Bully!_" Nancy, said, almost aloud. "_That's_ a time when breedingshows!"
Mrs. Eaton was plainly annoyed at Miss Sabrina's defence. Her voicetook on a crisper edge. "She's been here long _enough_ to pick up withJudson's hired _man_! _Your_ notions may be different from _mine_,Miss Leavitt, but _I_ wouldn't 'low any girl of _mine_ to go swimmingat Cove's Hole with the Hopworth young 'uns! Dick Snead told hismother and his mother told my Cousin 'Manthy. Ain't there any _better_folks she can take up with on this Island than a hired man _and_ theHopworths?" Her shrill inflection seemed to say, "There--I have you_now_!"
Nancy's feet beat a war-dance. She wanted to rush in to her owndefence--had Dick Snead told his mother and his mother told Cousin'Manthy that she had swam forty strokes under water? Discretion,however, bade her use caution.
A rustling indicated that the caller, her errand accomplished, hadrisen to go. She shot her last tiny, poisoned arrow. "Of _course_ Isaid to Cyrus _all_ of us on the Island know all that poor MissLeavitt's _had_ to stand, what with her brother and _then_ her sister!And _that's_ why, I said to Cyrus, Miss Leavitt _ought_ to know aboutthese goings on, or else something _else_ would come down on your poorhead! I must run along, now, 'Manthy came in to watch my jam. ThatCarroll girl I got over at Greenfield isn't worth her keep--you have towatch her _every_ moment!"
All the pride of generations of Leavitts must have come to MissSabrina's rescue at that moment! She met the final thrust with calmdignity.
"My niece is only making me a very short visit, Mrs. Eaton. It ishardly worth while for me to interfere with her conduct."
Nancy was struck dumb with amazement. What did Aunt Sabrina mean--that_this_ silly little affair ended her stay at Happy House? What _would_Anne think? Oh, _what_ a mess she had made of everything! Of courseshe had expected that something might happen any moment; after one dayhad safely passed, she had always thought it might be the next; had shenot told Anne that she was certain to make some dreadful blunder? Butit was a shame to go away in disgrace when she had not really doneanything, after all!
Indignation of the most righteous sort began slowly to master Nancy'sconsternation. Well, if she did have to go she would allow herself,just once, the sweet satisfaction of telling Miss Sabrina what shethought of the Leavitts and their sense of honor! She rushed headlonginto the sitting-room.
"I heard what that--that creature said," she blurted out. "I don't_know _why God makes women like that! What would you _think_, AuntSabrina, if you'd seen her take a whip and lash those children acrosstheir bare bodies? And that wouldn't have been as bad as what shereally _did_ do, for those hurts would have healed, and the way shehurt their spirits wouldn't _ever_ heal! She is cruelly unjust--andunkind!"
Poor Miss Sabrina looked very old and very tired--far too tired to meetthis impetuous attack! Something in the unyieldingness of herexpression drove Nancy to utter abandon.
"Oh, I suppose I'll have--to go away! But I'm glad--everything is allwrong at Happy House. There's no happiness here--at all.Fath--someone I love used to tell me that happiness comes to you as you_give_ happiness, and that's what's the matter here--you don't givehappiness! You live--apart--and you just wrap yourself round with thetraditions of the Leavitts and all that--tommyrot! I'm glad I'mnot--a--I'm glad I'm the--the other branch. I guess the golden rule isbetter than any family honor and that it doesn't matter at _all_ whatall the people who are dead and gone've done--it's what the people whoare _living_ are doing--that counts!"
Breathless from her outburst and frightened by its daring, Nancy burstinto tears and rushed from the room.
In the aftermath of calm that followed the storm, Nancy woefully facedthe consequences of what she had done. How silly it would all sound toAnne when she heard it! Anne would tell her, of course, what _she_would have done--but then, Anne had always been able to control everyword and every action.
Nancy, staring about at the four walls of her room in very much thesame way she had done that first day of her coming to Happy House,realized that they were not so ugly, after all. Their height gave asense of coolness and space; the branches of an old cherry tree brushedher windows; from below came all sorts of sweet smells out ofJonathan's garden; the incessant twittering of birds and the humming ofinsects made the summer air teem with busy, happy life. It waspleasant, she sighed--much pleasanter than a flat in Harlem in July!
"Well, I won't pack until I get my dishonorable discharge, and I can'tget away until Webb's stage goes, anyway! I'll tak
e Miss Milly oncemore to the orchard."
Miss Milly went to the orchard so often now that it had become a partof almost every day's routine, and it was no longer necessary thatB'lindy and Jonathan should make up the party, though they went moreoften than not. This day Aunt Milly declared everything particularlynice, but she thought it was because she and Nancy were alone--shecould not know that Nancy had been doing her best to make it anafternoon Aunt Milly would never forget--"because it's probably thelast!"
They lingered in the orchard until almost supper-time. Then Nancysought the kitchen. She liked to drop in on B'lindy, help her in somesmall way in the preparation of the evening meal, and chat at the sametime. She was astounded, now, to find Aunt Sabrina, with a very redface, bending over the kitchen stove.
B'lindy, sitting very straight in the chair by the window, gave theexplanation--resentfully.
"'Pears to be hash ain't good enough for supper. Had it all fixed forthe cookin' and I guess it's fair 'nough for anyone to eat and I can'tabide left-overs hangin' 'round. But Miss S'briny says the supperto-night's got to be extry nice and Miss Anne's got to have waffles and_she'll_ cook 'em herself, seein' how old B'lindy that's cooked 'emnigh onto fifty years, can't cook 'em _good_ 'nough for Miss Anne!"
Miss Sabrina's face was bent over the waffles--Nancy could not see it.The moment was too solemn to permit her to so much as smile. She saidvery gravely, almost reprovingly:
"You _know_, B'lindy, that you _can't_ make waffles as good as AuntSabrina can and I've been hungry for days for waffles!"
Nancy knew that, after that night, waffles would always mean somethingmore to her than merely a concoction of food stuffs particularly dearto her palate--they'd mean the momentary triumph of reason and justice,the defeat of the Mrs. Eaton-kind, and the pitiful attempt of a veryold and a very proud woman to "give happiness."