CHAPTER V
As the morning passed on and it drew near to the noon hour SidneyGraham found himself almost excited over the prospect of the girl'scoming. Such foolish fancies as a fear lest she might have given upthe idea and would not come at all presented themselves to hisdistraught brain, which refused to go on its well-ordered way, but keptreverting to the expected caller and what he should say to her. Whenat last she was announced, he drew back his chair from the desk, andprepared to meet her with a strange tremor in his whole bearing. Itannoyed him, and brought almost a frown of sternness to his finefeatures. It seemed not quite in keeping with his dignity as juniormember of his father's firm that he should be so childish over a simplematter like this, and he began to doubt whether, after all, he mightnot be doing a most unwise and irregular thing in having anything atall to do with this girl's preposterous proposition. Then Shirleyentered the office, looked eagerly into his eyes; and he straight-wayforgot all his reasoning. He met her with a smile that seemed toreassure her, for she drew in her breath half relieved, and smiledshyly back.
She was wearing a little old crepe de chine waist that she had dyed areal apple-blossom pink in the wash-bowl with a bit of pink crepe-paperand a kettle of boiling water. The collar showed neatly over theshabby dark-blue coat, and seemed to reflect apple-blossom tints in herpale cheeks. There was something sky-like in the tint of her eyes thatgave the young man a sense of spring fitness as he looked at hercontentedly. He was conscious of gladness that she looked as good tohim in the broad day as in the dusk of evening. There was still thatspirited lift of her chin, that firm set of the sweet lips, that gave aconviction of strength and nerve. He reflected that he had seldom seenit in the girls of his acquaintance. Was it possible that poverty andprivation and big responsibility made it, or was it just innate?
"You--you have found out?" she asked breathlessly as she sat down onthe edge of the chair, her whole body tense with eagerness.
"Sure! It's all right," he said smilingly. "You can rent it if youwish."
"And the price?" It was evident the strain was intense.
"Why, the price will be all right, I'm sure. It really isn't worthwhat you mentioned at all. It's only a barn, you know. We couldn'tthink of taking more than ten dollars a month, if we took that. I mustlook it over again; but it won't be more than ten dollars, and it maybe less."
Young Graham wore his most businesslike tone to say this, and his eyeswere on the paper-knife wherewith he was mutilating his nice cleanblotter pad on the desk.
"Oh!" breathed Shirley, the color almost leaving her face entirely withthe relief of his words. "Oh, _really_?"
"And you haven't lost your nerve about living away out there in thecountry in a great empty barn?" he asked quickly to cover herembarrassment--and his own, too, perhaps.
"Oh, no!" said Shirley with a smile that showed a dimple in one cheek,and the star sparks in her eyes. "Oh, no! It is a lovely barn, and itwon't be empty when we all get into it."
"Are there many of you?" he asked interestedly. Already theconversation was taking on a slightly personal tinge, but neither ofthem was at all aware of it.
"Two brothers and two sisters and mother," said the girl shyly. Shewas so full of delight over finding that she could rent the barn thatshe hardly knew what she was answering. She was unconscious of thefact that she had in a way taken this strange young man into herconfidence by her shy, sweet tone and manner.
"Your mother approves of your plan?" he asked. "She doesn't object tothe country?"
"Oh, I haven't told her yet," said Shirley. "I don't know that Ishall; for she has been quite sick, and she trusts me entirely. Sheloves the country, and it will be wonderful to her to get out there.She might not like the idea of a barn beforehand; but she has neverseen the barn, you know, and, besides, it won't look like a barn insidewhen I get it fixed up. I must talk it over with George and Carol, butI don't think I shall tell her at all till we take her out there andsurprise her. I'll tell her I've found a place that I think she willlike, and ask her if I may keep it a surprise. She'll be willing, andshe'll be pleased, I know!" Her eyes were smiling happily, dreamily;the dreamer was uppermost in her face now, and made it lovely; then asudden cloud came, and the strong look returned, with courage to meet astorm.
"But, anyhow," she finished after a pause, "we _have_ to go there forthe summer, for we've nowhere else to go that we can afford; and_anywhere_ out of the city will be good, even if mother doesn't justchoose it. I think perhaps it will be easier for her if she doesn'tknow about it until she's there. It won't seem so much like not goingto live in a house."
"I see," said the young man interestedly. "I shouldn't wonder if youare right. And anyhow I think we can manage between us to make itpretty habitable for her." He was speaking eagerly and forgetting thathe had no right, but a flush came into the sensitive girl's cheek.
"Oh, I wouldn't want to make you trouble," she said. "You have beenvery kind already, and you have made the rent so reasonable! I'mafraid it isn't right and fair; it is such a _lovely_ barn!"
"Perfectly fair," said Graham glibly. "It will do the barn good to belived in and taken care of again."
If he had been called upon to tell just what good it would do the barnto be lived in, he might have floundered out of the situation, perhaps;but he took care not to make that necessary. He went on talking.
"I will see that everything is in good order, the doors made all right,and the windows--I--that is, if I remember rightly there were a fewlittle things needed doing to that barn that ought to be attended tobefore you go in. How soon did you want to take possession? I'll tryto have it all ready for you."
"Oh, why, that is very kind," said Shirley. "I don't think it needsanything; that is, I didn't notice anything, but perhaps you know best.Why, we have to leave our house the last of this month. Do you supposewe could have the rent begin a few days before that, so we could getthings moved gradually? I haven't much time, only at night, you know."
"We'll date the lease the first of next month," said the young manquickly; "and then you can put your things in any time you like fromnow on. I'll see that the locks are made safe, and there ought to be apartition put in--just a simple partition, you know--at one end of theup-stairs room, where you could lock up things. Then you could takethem up there when you like. I'll attend to that partition at once.The barn needs it. This is as good a time as any to put it in. Youwouldn't object to a partition? That wouldn't upset any of your plans?"
He spoke as if it would be a great detriment to the barn not to have apartition, but of course he wouldn't insist if she disliked it.
"Oh, why, no, of course not," said Shirley, bewildered. "It would belovely. Mother could use that for her room, but I wouldn't want you todo anything on our account that you do not have to do anyway."
"Oh, no, certainly not, but it might as well be done now as any time,and you get the benefit of it, you know. I shouldn't want to rent theplace without putting it in good order, and a partition is alwaysneeded in a barn, you know, if it's to be a really good barn."
It was well that no wise ones were listening to that conversation; elsethey might have laughed aloud at this point and betrayed the youngman's strategy, but Shirley was all untutored in farm lore, and knewless about barns and their needs than she did of Sanskrit; so theremark passed without exciting her suspicion.
"Oh, it's going to be lovely!" said Shirley suddenly, like an eagerchild, "and I can't thank you enough for being so kind about it."
"Not at all," said the young man gracefully. "And now you will want togo out and look around again to make your plans. Were you planning togo soon? I should like to have you look the place over again and seeif there is anything else that should be done."
"Oh, why," said Shirley, "I don't think there could be anything else;only I'd like to have a key to that big front door, for we couldn'tcarry things up the ladder very well. I was thinking I'd go out thisafternoon, perh
aps, if I could get George a leave of absence for alittle while. There's been a death in our firm, and the office isworking only half-time to-day, and I'm off again. I thought I'd liketo have George see it if possible; he's very wise in his judgments, andmother trusts him a lot next to me; but I don't know whether they'lllet him off on such short notice."
"Where does he work?"
"Farwell and Story's department store. They are pretty particular, butGeorge is allowed a day off every three months if he takes it out ofhis vacation; so I thought I'd try."
"Here, let me fix that. Harry Farwell's a friend of mine." He caughtup the telephone.
"Oh, you are very kind!" murmured Shirley, quite overcome at theblessings that were falling at her feet.
Graham already had the number, and was calling for Mr. Farwell, Junior.
"That you, Hal? Oh, good morning! Have a good time last night? SorryI couldn't have been there, but I had three other engagements andcouldn't get around. Say, I want to ask a favor of you. You have aboy there in the store I want to borrow for the afternoon if you don'tmind. His name is George Hollister. Could you look him up and sendhim over to my office pretty soon? It will be a personal favor to meif you will let him off and not dock his pay. Thank you! I was sureyou would. Return the favor sometime myself if opportunity comes myway. Yes, I'll hold the phone till you hunt him up. Thank you."
Graham looked up from the phone into the astonished grateful girl'seyes, and caught her look of deep admiration, which quite confusedShirley for a moment, and put her in a terrible way trying to thank himagain.
"Oh, that's all right. Farwell and I went to prep school together.It's nothing for him to arrange matters. He says it will be all right.Now, what are your plans? I wonder if I can help in any way. How wereyou planning to go out?"
"Oh, by the trolley, of course," said Shirley. How strange it must beto have other ways of travelling at one's command!
"I did think," she added, half thinking aloud, "that perhaps I wouldstop at the schoolhouse and get my sister. I don't know but it wouldbe better to get her judgment about things. She is rather a wiselittle girl."
She looked up suddenly, and seeing the young man's eyes upon her, grewashamed that she had brought her private affairs to his notice; yet ithad seemed necessary to say something to fill in this embarrassingpause. But Sidney Graham did not let her continue to be embarrassed.He entered into her plans just as if they concerned himself also.
"Why, I think that would be a very good plan," he said. "It will be agreat deal better to have a real family council before you decide aboutmoving. Now I've thought of something. Why couldn't you all go out inthe car with me and my kid sister? I've been promising to take her aspin in the country, and my chauffeur is to drive her down thisafternoon for me. It's almost time for her to be here now. Yourbrother will be here by the time she comes. Why couldn't we just goaround by the schoolhouse and pick up your sister, and all go outtogether? I want to go out myself, you know, and look things over, andit seems to me that would save time all around. Then, if there shouldbe anything you want done, you know----"
"Oh, there is nothing I want done," gasped Shirley. "You have beenmost kind. I couldn't think of asking for anything at the price weshall be paying. And we mustn't impose upon you. We can go out in thetrolley perfectly well, and not trouble you."
"Indeed, it is no trouble whatever when I am going anyway." Then tothe telephone: "Hello! He's coming, you say? He's on his way? Good.Thank you very much, Harry. Good-by!"
"That's all right!" he said, turning to her, smiling. "Your brother ison his way, and now excuse me just a moment while I phone to my sister."
Shirley sat with glowing cheeks and apprehensive mind while the youngman called up a girl whom he addressed as "Kid" and told her to hurrythe car right down, that he wanted to start very soon, and to bringsome extra wraps along for some friends he was going to take with him.
He left Shirley no opportunity to express her overwhelming thanks, butgave her some magazines, and hurried from the room to attend to somematters of business before he left.