CHAPTER XXV
A month later Jennie was able to announce that Lester intended tomarry her. His visits had of course paved the way for this, and itseemed natural enough. Only Gerhardt seemed a little doubtful. He didnot know just how this might be. Perhaps it was all right. Lesterseemed a fine enough man in all conscience, and really, after Brander,why not? If a United States Senator could fall in love with Jennie,why not a business man? There was just one thing--the child. "Hasshe told him about Vesta?" he asked his wife.
"No," said Mrs. Gerhardt, "not yet."
"Not yet, not yet. Always something underhanded. Do you think hewants her if he knows? That's what comes of such conduct in the firstplace. Now she has to slip around like a thief. The child cannot evenhave an honest name."
Gerhardt went back to his newspaper reading and brooding. His lifeseemed a complete failure to him and he was only waiting to get wellenough to hunt up another job as watchman. He wanted to get out ofthis mess of deception and dishonesty.
A week or two later Jennie confided to her mother that Lester hadwritten her to join him in Chicago. He was not feeling well, and couldnot come to Cleveland. The two women explained to Gerhardt that Jenniewas going away to be married to Mr. Kane. Gerhardt flared up at this,and his suspicions were again aroused. But he could do nothing butgrumble over the situation; it would lead to no good end, of that hewas sure.
When the day came for Jennie's departure she had to go withoutsaying farewell to her father. He was out looking for work until latein the afternoon, and before he had returned she had been obliged toleave for the station. "I will write a note to him when I get there,"she said. She kissed her baby over and over. "Lester will take abetter house for us soon," she went on hopefully. "He wants us tomove." The night train bore her to Chicago; the old life had ended andthe new one had begun.
The curious fact should be recorded here that, although Lester'sgenerosity had relieved the stress upon the family finances, thechildren and Gerhardt were actually none the wiser. It was easy forMrs. Gerhardt to deceive her husband as to the purchase of necessitiesand she had not as yet indulged in any of the fancies which anenlarged purse permitted. Fear deterred her. But, after Jennie hadbeen in Chicago for a few days, she wrote to her mother saying thatLester wanted them to take a new home. This letter was shown toGerhardt, who had been merely biding her return to make a scene. Hefrowned, but somehow it seemed an evidence of regularity. If he hadnot married her why should he want to help them? Perhaps Jennie waswell married after all. Perhaps she really had been lifted to a highstation in life, and was now able to help the family. Gerhardt almostconcluded to forgive her everything once and for all.
The end of it was that a new house was decided upon, and Jenniereturned to Cleveland to help her mother move. Together they searchedthe streets for a nice, quiet neighborhood, and finally found one. Ahouse of nine rooms, with a yard, which rented for thirty dollars, wassecured and suitably furnished. There were comfortable fittings forthe dining-room and sitting-room, a handsome parlor set and bedroomsets complete for each room. The kitchen was supplied with everyconvenience, and there was even a bath-room, a luxury the Gerhardtshad never enjoyed before. Altogether the house was attractive, thoughplain, and Jennie was happy to know that her family could becomfortable in it.
When the time came for the actual moving Mrs. Gerhardt was fairlybeside herself with joy, for was not this the realization of herdreams? All through the long years of her life she had been waiting,and now it had come. A new house, new furniture, plenty ofroom--things finer than she had ever even imagined--think ofit! Her eyes shone as she looked at the new beds and tables andbureaus and whatnots. "Dear, dear, isn't this nice!" she exclaimed."Isn't it beautiful!" Jennie smiled and tried to pretend satisfactionwithout emotion, but there were tears in her eyes. She was so glad forher mother's sake. She could have kissed Lester's feet for hisgoodness to her family.
The day the furniture was moved in Mrs. Gerhardt, Martha, andVeronica were on hand to clean and arrange things. At the sight of thelarge rooms and pretty yard, bare enough in winter, but giving promiseof a delightful greenness in spring, and the array of new furniturestanding about in excelsior, the whole family fell into a fever ofdelight. Such beauty, such spaciousness! George rubbed his feet overthe new carpets and Bass examined the quality of the furniturecritically. "Swell," was his comment. Mrs. Gerhardt roved to and frolike a person in a dream. She could not believe that these brightbedrooms, this beautiful parlor, this handsome dining-room wereactually hers.
Gerhardt came last of all. Although he tried hard not to show it,he, too, could scarcely refrain from enthusiastic comment. The sightof an opal-globed chandelier over the dining-room table was thefinishing touch.
"Gas, yet!" he said.
He looked grimly around, under his shaggy eyebrows, at the newcarpets under his feet, the long oak extension table covered with awhite cloth and set with new dishes, at the pictures on the walls, thebright, clean kitchen. He shook his head. "By chops, it's fine!" hesaid. "It's very nice. Yes, it's very nice. We want to be careful nownot to break anything. It's so easy to scratch things up, and thenit's all over." Yes, even Gerhardt was satisfied.