CHAPTER VIII
MRS. VAN DORN'S WINNING HAND
Helen was sitting on an ottoman and leaning her arms lightly on Mrs. VanDorn's knees that had a soft wrap thrown over them. She fancied she feltlittle twinges of neuralgia in them now and then; August nights weredamp.
They had been talking about the successful examination. Helen had provedthe heroine of the dinner hour. Mr. Pratt admitted that he could nothave answered half of the questions. Mrs. Disbrowe said she went intothe High School of her town on quite as good a record. Mrs. Lessing saidshe did not see the need of half the tests, or of College education forwomen. The most satisfying destiny for a woman was a good marriage andshe was quite sure men didn't care for learned women.
"You have been a very nice, cheerful, ready girl all summer, Helen. Youreally have been a great pleasure to me," said the lady.
"I am very glad." Helen's voice was full of emotion, and she gave thewrinkled hands a soft caress. "It has been a delightful time to me. I amso glad Mrs. Dayton thought of me when there were so many nice girls inthe world. It seems to me as if I was brimming over with happiness."
She could feel the thrill in the young hands. Ah, if she had found Helenjust as she was now, ten years ago. But she was good for many years yet,and she would have her sweet young life, her charming womanhood.
"Would you feel very much disappointed if you didn't go to the HighSchool?"
"Oh, I think now, it would break my heart."
"But if something better offered?"
"Oh, could there be anything better?"
"Can't you think of anything better?"
The girl was silent. In her narrow life there had not been much room fordreams of real betterment.
"Think, all around the world."
"Well," with a half laugh and a sound like a sigh not going very deep,"there would be travel all round the world. I hope some day to earnmoney enough to go--well I'll take London first. Then Paris, but I donot believe I shall want to stay there long, for you see I shall nothave a great deal of money. And then Rome, dear delightful Rome, withall its old haunts, where its poets have lived and died. And that isn'thalf, is it? Is any life long enough to see it all?"
Her face was in a glow of enthusiasm, her eyes deep and luminous.
The woman had not begun very early in life and she had seen a good dealof it. She had heard hundreds of people wish for things, but very fewwho were willing to earn them, like this girl who had so little envy inher composition.
"Suppose someone would say to you, here is a school where you can betaught all the higher branches as well, music, drawing, painting,literature and all the pretty society ways that make one feel at home inany company. Would you go?"
"Oh, that is like a fairy dream," and she laughed with charmingsoftness. "Why, I am afraid to look at it lest I _should_ want it."
"That isn't answering my question."
She raised her face and studied the one above her. It was wrinkled andthe eyes were a faded blue-gray. She did not guess the eyebrows werepenciled, the lips tinted, that the hair just a little sprinkled withwhite had come from the hair-dresser's. The curious asking expressiontransfixed her.
She drew a long breath. "Why, that would be wonderful to happen to apoor girl who is thinking how she can work her way along. It would belike a glimpse of heaven. I should be crazy to refuse it."
Mrs. Van Dorn took both of the warm, throbbing hands in hers. "Listen,"she exclaimed. "I like you very much. When you first came, I thoughtonly of a little maid to wait upon me, and run up and down and stay withJoanna when I wanted to be alone. I was rather curious to know whetheryou understood what you were about when you recited 'Herve Riel.' Youhave a great deal of natural or inherited intelligence--your father wasa scholar. If you were two or three years older, I should take youabroad with me and finish you on the Continent, that is, if you had nottoo much self-assurance that growing girls arrogate to themselves soeasily. But that is not to be thought of at present--it must be somedream of the future. You need real education and you are capable ofassimilating the higher part of it. I should like to send you to aschool I know of where you will get the best of training. And if youdevelop into the girl I think you will, there may be a future before youbetter than any of your vague dreams."
"Oh! oh!" and Helen Grant buried her face in Mrs. Van Dorn's lap andcried, overcome by a new and strange emotion. If the elder had followedher impulse she would have lifted the face and kissed it with thepassionate tenderness that was smoldering in her soul, and had neverbeen satisfied. But her experience in people had been wide and varied,she was suspicious, she could not trust easily, and here were at leasttwo years that would go to the shaping of this girl's character. Mightshe not care largely for what the money would give her?
"My dear! my dear!" she began in a muffled sort of tone fromcontradictory emotions.
Helen raised her face of her own accord, and her eyes were like the sunshining through a shower.
"Oh, what must you think," and her voice had a broken tremulous sound,yet was very sweet. "I didn't see how anyone could cry for joy--but I amlearning something new all the time. Are you in very earnest? Would youtake me with you if I were older and knew more? And would you like tohave me trained and made into the kind of girl that suited you?"
"A girl proud and honorable and truthful, sincere and grateful----"
"Oh, I would try to be all that. It seems almost as if I had beendeceitful to Uncle Jason, not to tell him about the High School, but Iwas not sure of passing, and not sure that I could work my way through.And sometimes I don't tell Aunt Jane things because I know she wouldmake such a fuss, and they are not bad in themselves, and often don'tcome to pass. But I hate falsehoods. It makes me angry when they aretold to me."
Mrs. Van Dorn smiled at the impetuosity.
"But you would give up the High School for this other plan? You would bewilling to go away among strangers, and trust me for the future? I willprovide everything for you, you will not have a care, only to study anddo your very best, and take care of yourself. Even if you should decideto teach rather than travel about with me, you would be at liberty tochoose."
"I should choose you," she said frankly. "Oh, how can I thank you foranything so splendid! There are no words good enough."
She kissed the wrinkled hands fervently.
"The thanks will be your improvement. Westchester is a beautiful place,with mostly educated people. Mrs. Aldred, who is a connection, is a ladyin the truest sense of the word. You will learn what the higher classgirls are like--some are fine, some under a charming and well-bredexterior you will find full of petty meanness. I should hate to have youmean, grudging. I want you to keep broad, unselfish; though sometimesyou will get the worst and the smallest measure in return. And you willbe quite content to leave your people?"
A serious sweetness overspread Helen's countenance.
"If I had a mother who loved me, such a mother as Mrs. Dayton wouldmake, I am afraid I would not want to leave her. Oh, I know I wouldn't,"decisively. "But Aunt Jane never liked my father, and I think she didn'tcare much for my mother. Their desires and ideas are so different frommine, and they care very little for education, yet they are all goodand kindly, and Uncle Jason is really fond of me, I think. But it seemsas if when one had neither father or mother to be disappointed, onemight choose what one liked best, if there was nothing wrong in it."
How did the girl come by so much good sense and uprightness?
"Then you will accept my proffer?"
"Oh, I can hardly believe anything so good _can_ come to me. I feel asif I were dreaming." She looked up uncertain, yet her eyes were dewysweet, her lips quivering.
"We will make it better than a dream. But we will have to disappointyour Mr. Warfield."
That gave Mrs. Van Dorn a secret gratification. She was jealous of twopeople who had come into Helen Grant's life, this man and Mrs. Dayton.
"Yes; he will be sorry, I know. But then he could not be my teacher, ashe wa
s last year. And, oh, how proud he will be that I passed sosplendidly."
"And I shall be glad when you attain to other heights. I really thinkyou will not need any urging. But don't go too deep in the abstrusesubjects, and don't let anyone spoil your fashion of reading, for I maywant you to read to me in the years to come."
"I shall be glad to do anything for you," the girl replied with deepfeeling. "I wish I might spend years and years with you to repay allthis generosity and kindliness. Oh, why do you go away?"
She flushed with an eagerness, a glow of excitement that gave her afrank, bewitching sweetness.
Why did she go? Mrs. Van Dorn had gone over the ground by herself. Shehad been tempted to settle herself for life, but did she want to helptone down the crudeness of the untrained nature, to prune theenthusiasms, to find little faults here and there? She would rathersomeone else would do the gardening, and she have the bloom in its firstsweetness. While she was away Helen would idealize her still more, andbe prepared to give her just the same girl-worship, but with morediscrimination. She would think of nothing but the benefits. She wouldsee none of the whims and queernesses that Clara Gage had grownaccustomed to. She would not note her growing old every day. And thenshe had a longing for a change.
"Well, I had planned to spend the winter in the south of France. It issupposed to be better to have an entire change every few years. I spentone winter there. I had not been quite up to the mark, and it improvedme wonderfully. Then, I have made most of my arrangements."
"But you will come back?" beseechingly. "I may not stay the whole twoyears. You think you will feel quite satisfied to go to Aldred House?You will be among strangers, but girls soon get acquainted. Of course, Icould board you here, and have you go to the High School, but it wouldnot be as well, and it would not make the sort of girl out of you that Ishould like as well, for two excellent reasons," smiling a little. "Whatis it?" as a grave expression touched Helen's face.
"You have the right to decide. I know I should like best to go away, butperhaps it will make some trouble for you. I think my aunt----"
"I shall have a talk with Mr. Mulford when he comes in on Saturday. Aman is generally master of his house. And I will see how the planappears to Mrs. Dayton. She is a very sensible person."
She had a talk with Mrs. Dayton that very evening. She would give Helenher two years' schooling, and then she would be old enough and capableof deciding what she would like to do for the future. If she shouldprefer to take up teaching, that kind of training would be necessaryafterward. She had some fine capabilities, and it would be a pity not tomake the best of them.
So Mrs. Van Dorn very clearly defined her own position in the matter,without betraying her full intentions.
"If she doesn't get spoiled," commented the listener with an odd smile."It is a very generous proffer, and I believe Helen is capable ofappreciating it to the full. It would be a hard thing for her to remainhere and work her way through school, though I had a plan for easing itup somewhat. She is above the ordinary run of girls, though I didn'tthink of that so much when I asked her to come here. The qualities thatdecided me then were her cheerfulness and her readiness. I do notbelieve her aunt half appreciates her."
"She is of a little different kind," returned Mrs. Van Dorn. That ladypossessed much cynical enlightenment as to the kinds. "There is a dealof talk about goodness in this world, and even an east wind may be goodfor something, but it isn't pleasant. You find an immense deal ofnarrowness in these old country places. Saturday when Mr. Mulford comesI want to have a talk with him."
Mrs. Dayton was really glad that the first explanation was not to comefrom her.
Miss Gage arrived the next day at noon. She was a quiet,sensible-looking girl, who might have posed for a very attractive one,if she had known how to make the best of herself. She had a fine clearcomplexion, quite regular features, an abundance of soft, light brownhair, and a slim, graceful figure. But she had begun life weightingherself up with care, and made many little things a matter of consciencethat were merely matters of choice. She was honest to a fault, obliging,and with that rare gift of being serviceable. At first Mrs. Van Dorn hadbeen much pleased with her, but she was too proud to accept many favors,and her heart was centered in her own family; perhaps selfishly so.
Helen seemed released from almost every duty, and was glad to devote hertime to Mrs. Dayton.
"I should like to know what Mr. Warfield will think of the plan,"commented the lady.
"Oh, he will hold up both hands for me to go," laughed Helen. "Everybodywill, but Aunt Jane."
The boarders were all out Saturday afternoon; a party had gonepicnicking to a pretty, shady nook on the Piqua River, where a littledecline and a bed of rock made a dainty waterfall. So Mrs. Van Dorn andMr. Mulford had the end of the porch to themselves.
She stated her plan in a very straightforward manner. For two years shewould send Helen to school, assuming all the expense. After that thegirl might take her choice as to what she would like to follow, and shewould be willing to assist her in any pursuit for which she was bestfitted.
Mr. Mulford gave a long whistle, and stared at Mrs. Van Dorn. There wassomething so amusing in his surprise that she could hardly refrain fromsmiling.
"Well, I swow! You must think a mighty sight of her, ma'am, to bewilling to spend that money out and out, when she could get herschoolin' right here for nothin'."
"I think of her capabilities. She is ambitious, and can fill anexcellent place in the world."
"She's a smart girl in everything, but the book learnin' she takes fromher father. Mother's missed her quick handy ways about the house, andI'm afraid she won't agree to givin' her up. And back there, ma'am, Iused a word not strictly orthodox, and I'm a deacon of the church. But Iwas so took aback."
Mrs. Van Dorn nodded her pardon. "You see," she said quietly, "that itisn't quite as if she had been given to you. Her father might havereturned and taken her. Then, when a child is fourteen she is allowed tochoose her guardians. I shall stand in that capacity for the next twoyears. I shall arrange matters with my legal man in New York, so that,even if anything should happen to me she would have her two years atschool. People lose their wits, sometimes."
"I don't believe you will lose yours. You're wonderfully well kept," hesaid with blunt admiration. "Well, I d'know as we could do anything ifwe wanted to. Mother's had other plans for her, but the child didn'tfall in with them. She was mighty glad to come over here. There isn'tmuch Mulford about her," with an abrupt sort of laugh. "We never justgot along with her father, but he was a good enough sort of man. We'vetried to do by Helen as one of our own, and Mother would now. But Ican't think it would be quite right to stand in the child's way."
"No, it would not," decisively. "She has her life to live, and you can'tdo that for her. She has some fine natural gifts which it would be a sinto traverse. I will have my lawyer draw up an agreement that you willnot interfere during the next two years----"
"But are we not to see her?" he interrupted, quite aghast at theprospect.
"Yes; you may visit her, and she can spend her vacations at home, andwrite as often as she has time. I should change my opinion of her if shewas glad to go away, and forget you altogether. I am sure, then, I couldnot trust her gratitude to me," she said decisively.
"No, ma'am, that you couldn't," he subjoined earnestly. "Helen isn'tthat kind, I'm sure. And we wouldn't like to have her go out of ourlives altogether."
"I should not desire her to."
"But, ma'am, after she's had all this fine living and everything, I'mafraid we'll seem very common. You don't think she'd better go toschool here, and keep nearer her own folks?"
"Well, the other plan seems best to me. But after she has tried it ayear, if she doesn't like it she shall be at liberty to come back toHope."
"That's fair, I'm sure. Thank you, ma'am. And I don't just know what tosay, only that I think it's mighty generous of you, though she's welcometo my home and all I have. I've never grudged her a
penny."
"I am sure of that. Will you explain the matter to your wife? Theagreement will come next week. And at the last I shall take her to NewYork to be fitted out with clothes. If there is any point you do notquite understand I shall be very willing to explain."
He rose in a dazed kind of fashion, and made an awkward bow, then wentround to the kitchen end, where Helen had been sorting overblackberries.
"Oh, my child," he cried with a new tenderness. "I can't bear to thinkof your going away!"
Helen gave a long, sighing breath, then smiled.
"Miss Gage is to be taken to Europe, and her folks are willing," shesubjoined.
"And this place isn't so far away. You can write and come home invacation."
Then he would consent. She felt relieved that there was to be noargument.
"What do you think Aunt Jane will say?" she inquired, clasping his arm.
"Well, she'll be mighty set against it. I'll have a hard row to hoe whenI go home. There'll be weeds of last year and year before," laughingbrusquely. "I wish the old lady had to tackle her."
"But I don't. Aunt Jane says a good many things at first that shedoesn't mean. It's the wrong side of something full of seams and knots,but when you get it turned out it is ever so much smoother."
"You're right. You're just right. You've quick sight in a good manythings, Helen, and I should hate awfully to have you spoiled, and get sogrand you'd look down on us. Mother aint much for book learnin', andJen's as smart as a steel trap, if she is ours. Oh, and there's thewedding. Why I don't see how we can do without you," and he lookedreally alarmed.
"Perhaps I won't have to go so soon." Somehow she was almost afraid shewouldn't go at all. It was one of the happenings that seemed too good tobe true, too wonderful for her.
"Well, I must get along. Mother'll wonder what kept me."
"And, oh, Uncle Jason, don't ever feel afraid that I shall forget you,and all your goodness."
Helen flung her arms around his neck and kissed his rough cheektenderly.
"No, my girl, no. I should hope not. We'll hear soon, I suppose. And youwill come over."
"Yes." Helen felt a little conscience smitten. She could go over andspend Sunday, but he did not ask it, and she did not proffer. She couldimagine the time there would be, and oh, she would so much rather be outof it.
Mrs. Van Dorn said he was much more amenable to reason than she hadfeared. She explained about the agreement, and her plans to go the lastof next week. Helen was transfixed with amazement.
Monday afternoon Mr. Warfield made his appearance. Miss Gage had goneout with Mrs. Van Dorn. Helen was very glad to have Mrs. Dayton explainthe proposal, and point out its advantages.
"I don't like it," he exclaimed brusquely. "And you didn't take theexamination?"
"Oh, yes, I did, and it was splendid! I'll show you the papers. But whydon't you like it?" apprehensively.
"If you are going to teach in a public school, the discipline andadvantages of the public school education are immeasurably the best. Idon't like boarding schools except for the high up people who care mostfor accomplishments. And I have been thinking it over, and had a plan topropose to Mrs. Dayton."
"My schooldays seem a great perplexity all around," said Helen with adubious sort of laugh.
"I do suppose Helen could have worked her way through. I had decided togive her a home, or her other expenses if a pleasant home offered. Iwould much rather not have her put on the level of a domestic. We mayhave some very fine theories on this subject, but Helen would have manysnubs to endure. And if she resolves to learn what is useful, she willlearn it as well there."
"But the experience will be so different. And two years will fit herfor just nothing at all. Every year more real education is demanded. Iam studying up for a college degree myself."
"Oh, dear!" Helen sighed lugubriously.
"Then, here, I should have had an oversight of your studies, and keptyou up to the mark."
"I am resolved I won't fall below anywhere," she replied resolutely; yetthere were tears in her eyes.
"But you don't know what the standard will be."
"Don't be discouraging, Mr. Warfield. Helen, go and get your papers,"interposed Mrs. Dayton.
"Is that old body going to have Helen trained for a lady's maid?" Mr.Warfield asked in an imperious manner; his lips touched with a bit ofscorn.
"You don't do her justice. At the end of two years Helen will be free tochoose her future course. She will be only sixteen then."
"And spoiled utterly. Full of airs and graces. She is too fine a girl tobe made a sort of puppet. There wasn't a girl in my class equal to her,and some had had much better advantages. I should not want her to go onliving with the Mulfords."
Helen returned bright and eager, proud of her success as she handed himher examination papers. But Mr. Warfield would not be reconciled to theboarding school plan, and when he saw Mrs. Van Dorn step out of thecarriage in her fine attire, he felt that he hated her; that she was anofficious old body.