IX
BROWN'S UNBIDDEN GUESTS
The front door, opening directly into the living-room, with its longtable, and its flashing fire lighting the eager faces round it--nobodyhad thought of or bothered to make any other light in that room--wasflung open by a fur-gloved hand, and a large figure appeared in thedoorway. A ruddy face looked in upon the scene. This face possessed apair of keen gray eyes, a distinguished nose, and a determined mouthbeneath a close-trimmed moustache with flecks of gray in it.
Brown sprang up. "Doctor Brainard!" he cried joyfully, and came forwardwith outstretched hand.
The unexpected guest advanced. Behind him appeared others. To the dazedand gazing boys these people might have come from Greenland, so envelopedwere they in defences against the cold. Motor coats of rich fur, furryhats and caps, floating silken veils, muffs, rugs--wherever they camefrom they could not have minded coming, sharp as was the November airoutside, as the boys, who had been hanging about the house since thefirst approach of twilight, well knew.
Dr. Bruce Brainard was followed by two men and three women. In theflickering firelight Brown was obliged to come close to each, as insmiling silence they approached him, before he could make sure whom thefurs and scarfs enshrouded. "Sue!" he exclaimed, discovering hissister. "And Hugh Breckenridge! This is great, brother-in-law! Mrs.Brainard--can it be Mrs. Brainard? How kind of you! You must have knownhow I've been wanting to see you. Webb Atchison, is that you, loomingbehind there? How are you, old fellow? But--this lady in the veil--"
He bent closer as he took the gloved hand outstretched, but all he couldmake out in the traitorous light was a pair of dark eyes, and lips thatmust be laughing behind the heavy silken veil.
"Do I know her?" he asked, looking round upon the others, who werewatching him.
"You have met her," Hugh Breckenridge assured him.
"Several times," added Webb Atchison.
"But not of late," said Brown, "or else I--"
"Once to have seen her," declared Doctor Brainard, "means never toforget."
"You put me in a hard place," Brown objected, trying in vain todistinguish outlines through the veil. "She isn't going to lift it?Must I guess?"
"Of course you must guess, Don," cried his sister.
"How can he?" laughed Breckenridge. "He knows so many fair beings ofabout that height, and furs and veils are disguising things. Withoutthem, of course, though she wore a mask, he would have no difficulty."
"Will you speak one word?" asked Brown of the unknown.
She shook her head.
"Then--forgive me, but I'm puzzled," said he, laying light but determinedhold upon the veil. "I can't imagine at all who--would honour me--"
He gently lifted the veil. The others saw his expression change as thedrawn folds revealed a face whose dark-eyed beauty was vividly enhancedby the fire-glow upon cheeks which the November frost had stung into awonder colour. There was a general laugh of appreciation.
"Never would have thought it, eh?" chuckled Webb Atchison, a fine andprosperous figure of a bachelor past his first youth but not yet arrivedat middle age, and with the look of one who does what he pleases withother people. "Well, it wasn't her plan, I assure you. She washorror-stricken when she learned where we were bound."
"Donald Brown in his bachelor apartment in the Worthington was oneperson, this queer fellow living in a roadside cabin is quiteanother," suggested Dr. Bruce Brainard quizzically. "Still, I'llwarrant Miss Forrest will confess to a bit of curiosity, when shefound she was in for it."
"Were you curious?" asked Donald Brown. He was still looking steadilydown into the lifted face of the person before him. Into his own facehad come a look as of one who has been taken unawares at a vulnerablepoint, but who has instantly rallied his forces to stand out the attack.
"They were all curious," answered Miss Forrest, and the sound of hervoice was different from that of the other voices. If, as Doctor Brainardhad jestingly but truthfully said, one who had seen her would not forgether, a similar statement might with equal truth be made of the hearing ofher voice. The one word Brown had asked from her lips could certainlyhave revealed her to him--and would have done so while he had a memory.
"To see if we know how to keep Thanksgiving here?" Brown inquired of thegroup, though his eyes came back again to Helena Forrest's face.
"To see if you had anything to be thankful for," cried Sue Breckenridge."Well, Don, now that we are here, are you going to invite us to stay?Or--is your present company--"
Brown wheeled and went over to the boys, who were staring, open-eyed andmotionless.
"You'll help me out, fellows, won't you?" he said in a low tone--and theyfelt him still one of them, for the tone was the old one of comradeship."You see, I have nowhere to ask my guests to sit down. If each of youwill take what you can at a time, and carry everything out into thekitchen, and then take out the table, I'll be much obliged. You arecoming again soon, you know; but for to-night, you see, I must call itoff. Tom, you'll see to taking off the tablecloth, will you? Fold it upany sort of way, but don't let the crumbs get out. All right?"
There was a tumultuous pushing back of chairs. In short order it wasall accomplished. The guests stood at one side, looking at the boys ascuriously as the boys had looked at them, while the dishes disappearedas fast as many hands could carry them. The big bowl of geraniums wasremoved by Brown himself, who set it carefully upon his reading-tableat the side of the room, and the tablecloth was painstakinglymanipulated by Tom Kelcey so that hardly a crumb fell upon the floor.There was one crash of crockery in the kitchen, followed by a smotheredhowl from the boy who in his agitation had done the deed, but this wasthe only accident.
Brown turned again to his guests.
"Now," said he, "will you make yourselves at home? It's a cold nightout. Let's have off the furs and sit by the fire. Mrs. Brainard, allowme to help you out of that coat. This is the happiest sort of asurprise for me!"