CHAPTER XXIV. HAROLD AND CHARLES
Harold was frankly curious. He had not heard of the guest at theWarner's. Indeed, having arrived but that day he had heard nothing excepthis mother's anxiety about Gwynette. Could it be possible that thefine-looking chap at his side was a friend of Jenny's? He could easilyunderstand that anyone, man or woman, who had once met her would, everafter, wish to be counted as one of her friends.
When they were well out in the country, the lad at the wheel turned andsmiled in his frank, friendly way. "Stranger hereabouts?" he inquired.
"Yes and no," the young man replied. "This is my third visit, though theother two could hardly be called that. I came here when the rainy seasonbegan up north to put my sister, who is not strong, in the seminary here.I hoped that your more even climate might help restore her strength.Dakota is our home state. We have a ranch there, but the winters are verysevere. Sister, I am sorry to say, was not happy at the seminary, and,when she did take a severe cold, she did not recover, and so I made mysecond flying trip with the intention of taking her to Arizona if thatseemed best, but, when I arrived her nurse told me that she believed apleasant home atmosphere would do more for my sister than a dry air.This, I was glad to find, had already been offered to Lenora. She had meta girl, Jenny Warner is her name, and the two had become fast friends. Onthe very day that I arrived Miss Jenny was also going to the seminarywith an invitation from her grandmother which was to make my sister aguest in their home until she should be strong enough to travel. That wastwo weeks ago. This, my third visit, is for the purpose of determining ifLenora is well enough to accompany me to our home in Dakota. My name isCharles Gale, and I have just completed the agricultural course connectedwith the state college at Berkeley."
Harold reached out a strong brown hand which was grasped heartily byanother equally strong and brown.
"Great! I'd like well to take that course. Harold Jones is my name.Mother and Sis put a Poindexter and a hyphen in the middle. Women likethat sort of thing. It was mother's maiden name. Well, here we are at thelong lane that leads up to the farm."
Charles leaned over to pick up his suitcase. "Don't turn in. I can hikeup to the house."
"Nothing doing." Harold swung into the narrow dirt lane. "I was planningto pay a visit to Susan Warner. She took care of me when I was a smallkid, you see, and so I claim her as sort of a foster grandmother, and, asfor Silas Warner, there's no finer example of the old school farmerliving, or I miss my bet."
Charles looked interested. "I'd like to meet him. I was here such a shorttime on my last visit that, although I met Mrs. Warner, I did not see hergood spouse."
Harold, eager to create some sort of a stir, caused his sport siren toannounce their arrival with shrill staccato notes. It had the desiredeffect. First of all dear old Susan Warner bustled out of the kitchendoor, then from around the front corner of the house came Jenny with herfriend, frail and white, leaning on her arm. Lenora's face brightenedwhen she saw her brother and she held out both arms to him as he leapedfrom the low car. Harold chivalrously sprang up on the side porch toshake hands first of all with his one time nurse, then he went to Jenny,and although he did not really frame his thought in words, he wasconscious of feeling glad that it was _his_ arrival and not that ofCharles Gale which was causing her liquid brown eyes to glow with awelcome which, at least, was most friendly.
"Come in, all of you, do, and have a glass of milk and a cookie." GrandmaSue thought of them as just big children, and, by the eagerness withwhich they accepted the invitation, she was evidently not far wrong.
Jenny skipped to the cooling cellar to soon return with a blue crockerypitcher brimming with creamy milk. Susan Warner heaped a plate withcookies. Charles led his sister to Grandpa Si's comfortable armed chairnear the stove. When they were all seated and partaking of therefreshments, the older of the lads said, "Sister, you are not yet strongenough to travel, I fear."
"O, I think that I am! We could have a drawing room all of the way and Icould lie down most of the time." But even the excitement of herbrother's arrival had tired her.
Jenny went to her friend's side and, sitting on the broad arm of thechair, she pleaded: "Don't leave me so soon, Lenora! Aren't you happyhere with us? You've been getting stronger every day, and only yesterdayGrandma Sue told the doctor that she hoped you would be here anotherfortnight, and he said, didn't he, Grandma Sue, that it would be at leastthat long before you would be able to travel."
Lenora looked anxiously at her brother. She knew that he was eager to getback to their Dakota ranch home, knowing that their father needed him andwas lonely for both of them. But the young man said at once, "I believethe doctor is right. I will wire Dad tonight when I go back to the hotelthat we will remain two weeks longer." Then, turning toward the nodding,smiling old woman, he asked: "Mrs. Warner, you are quite sure that we arenot imposing upon you? I could take my sister with me if----"
Susan Warner's reply was sincerely given. "Mr. Gale," she said, her ruddyface beaming, "I reckon there's three of us in this old farmhouse aswishes your sister Lenora was goin' to stay all summer. Jenny, here," howfondly the faded blue eyes turned toward her girl, "has allays had ahankering for an own sister, and since it's too late now for that, nextbest is to adopt one, and Lenora is her choice and mine, too, and Si's aswell, I reckon."
The young man's relief and appreciation were warmly expressed. Then hesaid, "Father will want us to stay under the circumstances. I will remainat the hotel----" Grandma Sue interrupted with, "I do wish we had anotherbedroom here. It's a powerful way from the farm to town and Lenora willwant to see you every day."
Harold had been thoughtfully gazing at the floor. He now spoke."Charles," then with his half whimsical, wholly friendly smile hedigressed, "you won't mind if I call you that, will you, since we aremerely boys of a larger growth," then continued with, "Don't decide whereyou will bunk, please, until I have had an opportunity to talk the matterover with my invalid mother. I'd like bully well to have you for myguest. I have a plan, a keen one if I can carry it out. I'll not revealit until I know." Harold stood up, suddenly recalling that he had a dutyto fulfill which was being neglected for his own pleasure. That hadalways been his way, he feared, when he had to choose between Gwynetteand someone who really interested him.
To Mrs. Warner he said, "I'm on my way over to the seminary to see mysister. Poor kid! There are two more days of prison life for her, or soshe considers it. Mother requested that she remain at the seminary untilthe term is over and it's being hard for her." Then to the taller lad,"Charles, you want to stay here with your sister until evening anyway,don't you?"
The girl quickly put out a detaining hand, as she said, "O please dostay. I haven't asked you a single question yet. It will take you untildark to answer half that I want to know." The big brown hand closed overthe frail one. To Harold he replied, "Yes, I'll be here if I can get abus to town in the evening."
"You won't need the bus, not if my little gray bug is in working order."They had all risen except Lenora, and Susan Warner said hospitably,"Harry-lad, if your ma don't need you over to the big house, come back intime for supper. I'll make the corn bread you set such a store by."
"Thanks, I'll be here with bells," the lad called as he leaped into hiswaiting car.