CHAPTER XV.
ONE SUMMER DAY.
The week that decided Quimby's fate so unexpectedly and brought him somuch woe, to Cyn brought good tidings. Her success at the concert hadbeen so decided that she was the recipient of many offers for the comingseason, and was enabled to accept those that promised mostadvantageously. No one was more honestly glad than was Nattie in hercongratulations; Nattie, who had fought and overcome that selfish painand bitter wonder of hers, why Cyn should have everything and shenothing.
Since the approach of summer, a much-talked of project among them hadbeen a little picnic party in the woods, and as Clem now proposed to getit up in honor of Cyn's success, the plan was immediately carried out.Mrs. Simonson, with a feeble protest, because Miss Kling was notinvited, accompanied them. The "them," of course, consisted of Cyn,Nattie, Clem, Jo, and the newly betrothed ones.
Nature was kind to these seekers of her solitudes, and gave them aperfect day; one of those that occur in our uncertain climate less oftenthan might be wished, but that penetrate everywhere with their sunshine,when they do come, even into hearts where sunshine seldom glances. So,for the nonce, our friends forgot all their little troubles; even Quimbybrightening up, and ceasing to think of his engagement, as they stoodunderneath the green trees, by the banks of a small river; sunshineeverywhere, and the music of birds in the air.
"Is it not glorious?" cried Cyn, like a child, in her exuberance.
"Why not camp out here, and stay all summer?" ecstatically suggestedClem, as he fondled his fishing tackle.
"But it might not always be pleasant like this," said practical Mrs.Simonson.
"When the sun shines we forget it may ever storm," said Jo, and lookingadmiringly at Cyn as he spoke.
"Is our artist a philosopher, as well as all the rest we know he is?"asked Cyn, laughing.
"A very little one; five feet six!" replied Jo.
"Well, we will have no shadows to-day," said Cyn.
"No shadows to-day!" echoed Jo; then turning to Mrs. Simonson, asked, "Ihope you do not still regret Miss Kling!"
"I suppose she would spoil it all!" that good lady committed herselfenough to say.
"Well, really, I must say," remarked Celeste, who now gave herself manyairs, and evidently looked upon Cyn and Nattie as commonplace creatures,_not_ engaged!--"I must say, now that you are speaking of her, that shedoes _Kling_ in a way that is not pleasant sometimes. She actually annoyspa!"
"I thought she entertained a high regard for The Tor--for your father,"said mischievous Cyn.
"That is exactly it!" replied Celeste. "_Too_ high a regard! Truly, shebehaves very ridiculously! Why, she positively waylays pa! so indelicatein a woman, you know!" with sublime unconsciousness of ever havingindulged in the pastime of waylaying herself! "Such an old creature,too! she is always coming and wanting to mend his old clothes andstockings! Poor pa actually has to lock himself in his room sometimes!"
The vision of "poor pa" thus pursued was too much for the gravity ofthe company, and there was a general laugh.
"It is true," asserted Celeste. "Now; isn't it, Ralfy?" appealing to herbetrothed with appropriate bashfulness.
Everybody stared at this. No one before ever really knew that Quimbypossessed a front door to his name, and he, as surprised as any one atthe cognomen Love had discovered, fell back on a rolling log, andclutched his legs to that extent that they must have been black and bluefor a week afterwards.
Clem saved the discomfited "Ralfy" the necessity of replying, byinterposing with,
"Come! come! let us not talk on such incongruous subjects this lovelyday! let us rather talk sentiment!" and he gave a prodigious wink inJo's direction.
"I fear we are not a very sentimental party!" laughed Cyn; addingmischievously, "except, of course, Quimby and Celeste!"
"Oh! I--I am not, I assure you! I am not in the least, you know!"protested Quimby, taking a roll on the log; "never felt less so in mylife."
"Why, Ralfy!" exclaimed Celeste, reproachfully, and to his distress wentup close to him, and would have sat down by his side, but for theuncontrollable rolling propensity of that log, which made it impossible.
"How is it with you, Jo?" queried Cyn; "can you not for once, forgetyour horrible hobby, and be a little sentimental, in honor of the day?"
Jo, who was throwing sticks into the water, to the great disturbance ofthe bugs, and plainly-shown annoyance of a big frog, made a somewhatsurprising reply. Decidedly seriously, he said,
"I fear if I should attempt it, I might get too much in earnest!"
"Oh! we will risk that, so please begin!" said Cyn, but staring at him alittle as she spoke. "Jo, sentimental! Just imagine it!"
"Will you risk it?" he asked still seriously, and with so peculiar anexpression that she could reply only by another astonished stare.
"But really, it does not pay to be sentimental, as you all ought to havefound out long ago! as Jo and I have!" Nattie said, jestingly, yet withan undertone of earnestness.
"Then," said Clem, dryly, "since it is so with us, let us fish!" and hethrew his line into the stream.
Cyn, Jo, and Mrs. Simonson followed his example. Quimby declined joiningin the sport, and perhaps, likening himself to the fish, balancedhimself on the log, and looked on with a pathetic face. Celeste, as induty bound, remained by his side. Nattie, too, was an observer only, andfrom the expression off her face was decidedly not amused.
"I think it is cruel!" she exclaimed, as Jo took a fish off Cyn's hook.
"I--I quite agree with you!" Quimby replied quickly, in answer toNattie's observation. "It is cruel!"
"But perhaps the fish were made for people to catch," suggested thepacific Mrs. Simonson, who had not yet been able to get a bite.
"Yes," acquiesced Clem, pulling up a skinny little fish. "They are noworse off than we poor mortals after all. We must each fulfill ourdestiny, whether man or fish."
"Yes! it is all fate!" exclaimed Quimby vehemently. "We cannot helpourselves!"
"You believe in fate then? I don't think I do!" said Cyn, with a glancehalf-humorous, half-pitying, at its victim on the log; "what incentivewould we have to any effort, if we were sure everything was marked outfor us in advance?"
"That is a question requiring too much effort for us to discuss on awarm day," said Nattie.
"Certain circumstances must bring about certain results, you willacknowledge," Clem gravely remarked.
"But, it is said that every soul that is born has a twin somewhere; andif so, that must be fate!" said Mrs. Simonson.
"Miss Kling's theory, I believe!" laughed Nattie.
"If it is so, the right ones don't often come together," said Quimbygloomily.
"_We_ are an exception, then, to the general rule!" simpered Celeste.
Quimby groaned, and then murmured something about the toothache.
"Poor fellow!" said Cyn, in a low voice, to Nattie.
"After all, there _is_ something in fate," Nattie sighed.
"Perhaps so," she said.
"Well, we will not get solemn over fate," said Jo, cheerily; then, in alower voice, as he glanced at Cyn, he added--"yet."
"And do not frighten away what few fish there are here, with yourtheories," commanded Clem.
Although this mandate was obeyed, and for a time silence reigned, it wasnot long before they were all singing a gay song, started by Clemhimself, even Quimby joining in the chorus with a feeble tenor. But theywere tired of fishing by that time, and began to feel as if a littlerefreshment would not be out of place, and would indeed enhance theloveliness of Nature, so a fire was made, and lunch-baskets unpacked.
"It will take a good many of those fish for a mouthful," declared Clem,who was cook.
"You may have my share, I can't eat creatures I have seen squirm," saidNattie.
"Ah, you fastidious young woman! what shall I ever do with you, if youare cast away on a desert island with me?" exclaimed Clem, in mockdespair.
"Set up a telegraph wire, and then s
he would need nothing more,"insinuated Cyn.
"And get snubbed for my pains!" muttered Clem, _sotto voce_. But Nattiecaught the words, and an expression of distress passed over her face.
"This reminds me of that feast!" Cyn declared, as they sealed themselveswherever convenient, with a dish of whatever was handy.
"Only more so," added Clem.
"What feast?" asked Celeste, curiously.
"One we had once," Cyn replied evasively, glad there was somethingCeleste did not know about. In fact, in the matter of curiosity, Celestewas an embryo Miss Kling.
"I am sorry we have no _Charlotte Russes_ to-day, Quimby," remarked Clem,with an expression of transparent innocence.
Quimby could only reply with a groan. The recollections awakened weretoo much.
"What is the matter now, Ralfy?" asked the loving Celeste.
Again Quimby muttered something about "that tooth."
"Oh!" said Celeste, tenderly, "you really must have it out, Ralfy!"
The possibility of being obliged to part with a sound tooth inself-defense, restored him for the time being. But he was not the onlyone to whom the retrospect brought a momentary pain. Nattie sighed asshe looked back to the day that had brought Clem, but not restored asshe then supposed, but taken away, her "C."
"The salubrious air and the invigorating odor of the forest addsimmeasurably to the natural capacity of the appetite!" commented Jo,gravely, as he passed his plate for the seventh fish.
"Ah!" sighed Celeste, who prided herself on her delicacy, "I nevercould eat more than would satisfy a mouse, and since my engagement,"simpering, "I cannot swallow enough to scarce keep me alive!"
Quimby looked up eagerly.
"I--I beg pardon, but if the--if the engagement weighs upon you, I--I amwilling to release you, you know!" he exclaimed, hopefully.
"You jealous creature!" replied Celeste, archly. "You know, Ralfy, thatno consideration could make me release you!"
Quimby knew it only too well, and sighed as he picked a chicken bone.
"A great objection to dining in the woods is that one is apt to find hisfood unexpectedly seasoned!" said Clem, as he captured a six-legged bugof an adventurous spirit, that had sought to investigate the contents ofhis plate.
"Isn't it strange that bugs don't seem half so bad in our food here asthey would at home!" said Mrs. Simonson.
"Oh! we can get used to anything, if we only think so!" said Cyn,bringing her cheery philosophy to the front.
"Yes!" assented Quimby, mournfully, "I--I am used to it, you know!"
Cyn laughed, and then proposed the health of the betrothed pair, whichwas drank in lager beer, and to which Quimby, bolstered up by Celeste,attempted to respond, but collapsed in the middle of the third sentence,and with the words,
"Thank you! and I--I am used to it, you know!" sat down, wiped hisforehead on his napkin, and looked intensely miserable.
After that they toasted Cyn, and then "Dots and Dashes," and last, Jowith mock solemnity proposed "Fate."
And just then Quimby met with a fresh mishap, and came near ending hissufferings in a watery grave, only the water did not happen to be quitedeep enough. Arising from the sharp-pointed rock that had served him fora pivot on which to eat his dinner, he stumbled, fell and rolled overand over down the bank, and into the river, with a tremendous splash.
Every one jumped up in consternation.
"Oh, Clem! Jo!" shrieked Celeste, wringing her hands, and rushing downto the water's edge. "Save him! Save my darling Ralfy!"
"Ralfy," however, was equal to saving his own life this time. The waterwas only up to his waist, and he had already picked himself up and waswading ashore.
"I--I am all right!" he said looking up at his anxious friends with areassuring smile. "I--I am used to it, you know!"
As Clem assisted him up the bank, the thought came into Cyn's head, whywould it not be a good idea to push Nat--accidentally--into the river,so Clem might rescue her, and thus bring about that much to be desiredcrisis? But remembering that water would run the colors of her dress,and farther, how dreadfully unbecoming it was to be wet--a fact fullydemonstrated by the present appearance of Quimby--Cyn rejected the ideaas not exactly feasible.
They left Quimby drying on a sunny bank, with Celeste as guardian angel,love, and the remains of the repast to cheer her, and the consciousnessthat his clothes were shrinking on him as they dried, to divert _him_, andwandered off through the woods, and over the hills, gathering on the wayso many flowers and green things, that Cyn declared they looked likeBirnam Wood coming to Dunsinane.
At first they were all together, then straggled apart; Mrs. Simonsonbeing the first dereliction, as she was not quite equal to climbing asfast as the young people. Thus it came about that Nattie found herselfalone with Clem, and suddenly stopping, with some embarrassment, butsteadily, said,
"There is something I wish to say to you. You have spoken several timesof late about my 'snubbing' you. I want to say, I have not intentionallydone so; that I have the same--the same friendship for you as always,and that I wish you every happiness. What may have appeared to you asstrange or cold in my conduct of late, is due to secrets of my own."
Clem look at her scrutinizingly, as she spoke, and the flowers he hadgathered fell unheeded from his hands.
"It has never been _my_ wish that any coldness should come between us; youknow that, Nattie," he replied earnestly. "From our first acquaintance,the old acquaintance over the wire, you have held the same place in myheart!"
"The place next to Cyn!" was Nattie's involuntary bitter thought, butshe instantly stifled the feeling, and answered,
"Thank you, Clem; and I hope we may always be the same friends."
At this Clem took an impetuous step towards her, and would havesaid--who can tell what?--had not at the same moment Mrs. Simonson, verymuch out of breath, come up with them. Nattie was not sorry. She hadwished to say to him what she had, that he might not think her changedmanner of late had been caused by any feeling of dislike, and mightunderstand she wished him success with Cyn. But she had no desire toprolong the interview, and gladly walked on by the side of the puffingMrs. Simonson.
Clem, however, looked displeased, and followed with a thoughtful face;so thoughtful that Mrs. Simonson noticed and wondered at hispreoccupation.
Meanwhile, Cyn, with Jo, were far in advance, and had turned into aby-path that led toward a slight rising, sauntering on, Cyn talkingmerrily, Jo unusually quiet, until suddenly stopping, she exclaimed,
"Dear me! we have lost sight of every one! Had we not better return?"
"No! I do not want to!" answered Jo, bluntly.
"Do you not? As you say, only we must not lose them. Possibly they maystroll this way; shall we sit down?" and without waiting for a responseCyn seated herself on a big rock by the side of the pathway.
Although Jo was not romantic, he had an artist-eye, and could not butnote the beauty of the scene before him, a scene he did not need toreproduce on canvas to remember ever after;--the mountains in thebackground, the narrow path sloping down from the near hill to where, onthe gray and moss-covered rock, Cyn sat, her dark eyes mellow with thesummer sunshine, and the cherry ribbons of her hat giving the requisitetouch of color to make the picture perfect.
For a moment he stood in silent admiration, then, taking off his hat,and smoothing down his shaven locks, he said,
"To tell the truth, Cyn, I do hope they will not stroll this way. Theyare around altogether too much. I never can have a quiet talk with you!"
"I declare, I believe in addition to your being unsentimental, and allthat, you are becoming a confirmed grumbler!" exclaimed Cyn, as shecaught one of the boughs of the tree overhead and turned amerrily-protesting face towards him.
Jo looked at her, and a queer expression came over his face.
"Am I?" he said, slowly. "Well--would you like to see me sentimental?Would you like to see me make a fool of myself?"
"Nothing would give me greater pleasure!" crie
d Cyn.
"Then," exclaimed Jo, planting himself directly in front of her, "heregoes! now I am going to astonish you very much, Cyn!"
"Very well! I am all impatience! Go on!"
"But it is no joke!" he replied, in protest to her laughing face. "If Iam to make a fool of myself I am going to do it in dead earnest!"
"That is the way, of course," responded Cyn, but beginning to look alittle surprised.
For Jo seemed very much excited, and his manner indicated anything but ajest. Extraordinary creature, that Jo! His next proceeding was even morestrange; that was to ask the apparently irrelevant question,
"Do you remember what we were all saying a short time ago, about Fate?"
"Certainly; but are you going to favor me with a dissertation on Fate,instead of making a fool of yourself?"
"No!" was the solemn reply, "have a little patience, Cyn. The fact is,you are my Fate--there is no mistake about it!--and must be either cruelor kind, and there's no alternative!"
Cyn's surprise increased visibly.
"I am sure, I do not understand you at all! how queer you are to-day,Jo!"
"Of course I am queer! when a man throws his theories and hobbies to thewinds, and confesses himself conquered, he is apt to be queer, is henot? Can you not understand, that I, Jo Norton, who have always scoffedat sentiment, and proudly declared myself incapable of being the victimof love, am ready--yes, and longing!--to make as big a fool of myself asthe veriest spooniest youth in existence, and all for love of you, Cyn?"
To this exceedingly novel declaration of love, Cyn responded byreleasing the bough she held, and staring at him with distended eyes anda perfectly blank face; for once in her life, speechless.
"I told you I was going to astonish you," said Jo, quaintly, in answerto her prolonged stare, "and I do not wonder that you cannot believe Ireally love you! I did not myself, for a long time, and I would notafter I knew it! But it is a fact. No joke--no mistake, but a sober,serious fact! I love you, love you, love you!"
Jo's voice grew very fervent, as he uttered these last words, and was insuch striking contrast to his ordinary manner, that Cyn could but seethat this was indeed, "no joke."
"You--you love--and _love me!_" she gasped.
"Yes, I could not help it! I have only known it within a few days, but Ithink I have loved you ever since we first met, only those confoundedtheories of mine blinded me."
"Well--but what are you going to do about it?" questioned Cyn, unableyet to recover from her bewilderment.
Jo looked at her, wistfully.
"I know I am homely, Cyn, and I am poor; I have nothing to offer you butan honest, loving and true heart. I suppose a man who is in love isnaturally unreasonable--I never was in love before, you know--but anextravagant hope will whisper to me, that even this little might not beunappreciated by you."
And as he spoke, Jo's face was so transfigured that it could no longerbe called plain. Cyn gazed at him in wonder, and recovering partly fromher first surprise, an unusual seriousness came over her own handsomeface, as she answered earnestly,
"It is not unappreciated! oh, no, Jo! Nothing to offer me but an honest,loving and true heart, you say? why, that is everything!"
"Then will you accept it? May I try and win your love?" he askedeagerly, advancing close to her. "I will work very hard to make myselfworthy of it, and to win a name you need not be ashamed to bear. I laymyself, my life at your feet, Cyn."
"And this is unsentimental Jo!" Cyn exclaimed involuntarily.
"This is unsentimental Jo," he answered, in all humility. "Do with himwhat you will; he is all yours."
Into Cyn's expressive eyes came some deeply-stirred emotion.
"I am so sorry;" she said, sadly, "so very, very sorry! what shall Isay? what shall I do? I like you so much as a friend! But what you ask,Jo, could never be!"
The sun sank behind the distant hills, and a shadow, such as had fallenover the woods behind them, settled on Jo's face.
"The idea is new to you. At least, think it over. Do not leave mewithout a little hope," he entreated.
"Jo, I wish--yes! I _do_ wish that I could love you as you deserve to beloved," said Cyn, earnestly. "But it cannot be! it never could be! Donot deceive yourself with false hopes. Friends always, Jo, but loversnever!"
"Ah!" exclaimed Jo, bitterly, unable to restrain his jealousy, "it isClem who stands between us!"
"_Clem_ who stands between us!" echoed Cyn, astounded for the second timethat day.
"There--now I have lowered myself in your estimation I am but ablundering fool, Cyn. You see I am selfish in my love; and I have notyet become sentimental enough to be willing to see another fellow winwhat is all the world to me!"
Cyn's face grew red as was the sky when the sun had gone down.
"Do you mean to insinuate that I am in love with Clem?" she asked,angrily.
"I would not insinuate it for all the world, if you are not," was Jo'seager reply; "I am not experienced in love matters, but I am quite surehe loves you--and he is very handsome," he added ruefully.
"What a dreadful combination of circumstances!" cried Cyn, distractedly."But, pshaw! It's impossible!"
"Impossible? No, indeed! Why, it was by being so jealous of him that Ifirst awoke to the fact that I was in love with you myself. Besides,every one has noticed his fondness for you."
"They have?" vehemently, and smiting the rock where she sat with herhand, as she spoke. "But this is truly awful!"
"Then you do not care for him?" questioned Jo, joyfully.
"Care for him?" repeated Cyn, irritably. "Of course I care for him! Isit not my pet scheme that he should marry Nattie? Certainly it is, andhas been from the first! And now, if he has gone and fallen in love with_me_, a nice predicament we will all be in. But you must be mistaken! Icannot believe him capable of such a thing! The only reason I have tofear it is that I would not have credited it of _you_ yesterday!"
"But you see I do love you. You believe I do, do you not, Cyn?" askedJo, too eager to press his own suit to give much thought to Nattie andClem. "Why will you not try and love me, as you do not love Clem? Am Iso homely as to be repulsive to you?"
"Homely? Nonsense!" replied Cyn, momentarily putting aside her newestanxiety for the previous one, "now I come to think of it, I had rathermarry you than any man I know!"
"Would you? Would you really?" seizing her hand hopefully. "Then whywill you not?"
Cyn allowed her hand to remain in his as she said slowly andimpressively,
"I cannot marry. That is entirely out of the question for me. Of mylife, love can form no part!"
"But I thought you believed in love?" said Jo, looking perplexed, butclinging to her hand as a sort of anchor.
"I do. I believe it is the best happiness of life. But it cannot be forme. Why, I will tell you. I owe this much in return for what you havegiven me; what I prize even though I am compelled to refuse it. Whatstands between us is the memory of a love--gone forever."
"What!" exclaimed Jo, astounded in his turn. "You do not mean to saythat you--that you--_you_, the gayest of the gay--that _you_--" Jo stopped,unable to proceed.
"You hardly expected to find me in the _role_ of the victim of a brokenheart, did you?" questioned Cyn, with a half-sad, half-humorous smile."I admit I do not exactly answer to the average description, and myheart is not broken--there is only a blank in it--something dead thatcan never live again. Once I loved a man with all my heart"--Josighed--"with all the illusion of youth, and he loved me. The differencebetween his love and mine was, that mine was forever, and his was for aday."
"Impossible!" interrupted Jo. "No man who once loved you could everchange."
"He happened to be one of the kind who _could_. I never really knew thecause--it might have been another woman. You know there always _is_another woman."
"Or another man," added Jo gloomily.
"Yes," assented Cyn, and continued. "He was one of the kind, I thinknow, who are incapable of appreciating a woman's love,
and consequentlyunworthy of it. But unfortunately, I did not know this, and wasted mineon him. So he and love, went out of my life forever. But," with a proudraising of her head, "I would not be weak enough to allow all my life tobe ruined because one part of it was wrecked; with so much gone, therestill remained something, and of that I made the most. This is why myart is everything to me, and why I cannot marry you."
"But it seems to me unreasonable, that because you loved one man who wasunworthy, you should refuse the love of another who would try very hardto make you forget that first sad experience," argued Jo. "Give me whatyou have left, Cyn! If it be but dead ashes, I will thank God for thegift, and perhaps, at some future day, in response to my devotion, evenfrom those ashes shall arise another love, so strong, so intense, that,in comparison, the old shall be but as some half-forgotten trouble ofchildhood, whose remembrance cannot awaken even a passing pain."
The fervor of an honest affection made Jo truly eloquent, and his trueblue eyes met the dark ones of Cyn, glowing with earnestness and love,and for a moment she looked at him and hesitated. Then she arose, sayingresolutely,
"No! Jo! no! Do not tempt me! The experiment would be too dangerous! Togive you a warmed-over affection in return for your whole heart, wouldonly be misery for us both--more misery than I am bringing to you now. Irespect and esteem you, as I said before--we will befriends--comrades--always--no more!"
As she spoke, she extended her hand to him, in farewell to all hishopes.
And so understanding he clasped it, a sadness on his face she had neverseen there before.
"As you will, Cyn," he replied, brokenly, "but I shall loveyou--forever!"
As he spoke, from below came the cry,
"Cyn Jo! where are you? we are going!"
"Coming!" Cyn's clear voice answered back.
"One moment," Jo said, detaining her, "may I--may I kiss you once, Cyn?Once, and for the last time?"
There were tears in Cyn's eyes. She bent her handsome head, their lipsmet, then, without a word, they went on together to join those whoawaited them.
And it was thus Fate decreed for these two.
Love brings the most intense sorrows, the keenest joys of life. Butthere must always be some lives, into which comes only the sadness, andnone of the bliss, of loving.
CHAPTER XVI.
O. K.
Leaving Clem, on their arrival at the hotel, to bear the burden of thegreen stuff they had brought from the woods, Cyn, with a trace ofmelancholy on her sunny face, followed Nattie to her room. For Cyn'sjoyous picnic, with its gay beginning, had ended sadly enough for her.
"I want to ask you something," Cyn said, with frank directness, as shecarefully closed the door behind them. "And that is, are you, can you befoolish enough to imagine, that Clem and I are in love with each other?"
The small basket Nattie held in her hand fell to the floor, at thisunexpected question. Had Cyn drawn forth a bowie-knife, and playfullyclipped off her nose, she could not have been more astounded.
"If you can possibly reduce your eyes to their ordinary size, and giveme a candid yes or no, I will be obliged," Cyn said, rather petulantly,after waiting in vain for an answer. The events of the day had sorelytried her usually even temper.
A little tremulously, while a burning flush covered her face, Nattieanswered her,
"I--I have heard it intimated!"
"You have heard it intimated! That means yes, to my question," said Cyn;then sinking despairingly on the lounge, she added, "here is a crisis ofwhich I never dreamed!"
Not understanding very well, and moreover much agitated by the subject,Nattie knew not what to say.
"This is awful!" went on Cyn, savagely beating the pillow with her fist;"what contrary things love affairs are!"
Fearful of having in some way betrayed her secret--the only conclusionshe could draw from Cyn's extraordinary outburst--Nattie stood lookingguiltily at the floor a few moments, then recovering herself, she wentto Cyn, and said, in a voice full of emotion,
"I do not just comprehend your meaning, dear, but it may be you think Imight not quite like the idea, on account of that--that first affair onthe wire. If so, dismiss the thought. You and Clem are suited to eachother, and--" Nattie stopped, unable to continue.
Cyn, who had been beating the innocent pillow, as if it was the cause ofall this, while Nattie was speaking, now threw it across the room, asshe exclaimed.
"Oh! the perversity of human nature! Oh! you degenerate girl! As if Icared for Clem in that way! Have I not from the first set my heart onthis real-life romance ending in the only way it could rightfully end?"
A sudden light came into Nattie's face, but it died away in a moment.
"Then you do not care for him? Poor Clem!" she said, in a low voice.
"Poor Clem, indeed!" cried Cyn, pacing the floor excitedly. "Icannot--no, I cannot--believe it of him! He certainly has sagacityenough not to run his head against a beam in broad daylight, even--"
"If Jo had not," she was about to add, but checked herself suddenly. Notfor the world would she betray Jo's confidence. What had passed betweenthem to-day should be a secret always, never again to be mentioned--butnever forgotten in the friendship and companionship of after years.
"You must be very difficult to suit, dear, if you do not like Clem!"said Nattie, with unconscious significance, after waiting in vain forCyn to finish her sentence.
"It is not that," replied Cyn, somewhat sadly. "Do you not know I haveonly one love,--music?"
"Poor Clem!" again said Nattie, from the depths of her tender heart."For I know he loves you, dear. He could not help it, who could?"
Such words would have been sweet to the vanity of an ordinary woman. Buton Cyn they had a very opposite effect.
"Things have come to a pretty pass if one can not laugh and joke, andenjoy one's self with friends without being made love to!" she said,annoyed. Then looking scrutinizingly at Nattie, she asked,
"And you--did you really wish Clem and I might love each other?"
Nattie played nervously with the fringe of her dress, hesitated, thenreplied in a low tone,
"I fear I did not, Cyn!"
"Then it may come right yet!" exclaimed Cyn, hopefully.
Nattie shook her head.
"And he loving you? Oh, no!" she said. "I shall never be able to sayO.K. to what you term your romance of the dots and dashes, Cyn. In fact,I have made up my mind that there are some people born to go throughlife missing both its best and its worst, and that I am one!"
"Pray, do not say that!" urged Cyn, too disturbed to bring her easyphilosophy to bear on the situation. "Of all things, do not get morbid."
"But it is the truth!" persisted Nattie. "Even my name, for instance,proves it! I was christened Nathalie, a very fine poetic name. But, inall my life no one ever called me by it! I was always mediocre Nattie!"
"And _I_ have curtailed you down to Nat!" said Cyn, with whimsicalremorse. "But what a tangle we are in! First it was the man of musk andbear's grease, who came between you! Then, when he was explained away,came blundering I! Why did you not lock me out of sight somewhere? Iwould have done it myself had I known--" ironically-- "what anextremely fascinating and dangerous person I was!"
At this Nattie could not help smiling.
"Is was not your fault; it was Fate!" she said, her smile becoming asigh, that Cyn echoed, for she thought of Jo. But yet unconvinced, shesaid,
"Fate! No; it cannot be! I think better of Clem than to believe he, too,has made a mistake, like Quimby, and fallen in love with the wrongwoman!" then starting up, she exclaimed, tragically, "Who? ah! whoshall cut the Gordian knot and bring about a crisis that shall causethis 'wired love' to terminate in 'O. K.'?"
As if invoked by Cyn's words, there came a sneeze from outside, and MissKling pushed open the door unceremoniously.
"I wish to have some conversation with you, Miss Rogers," she said in atone of severity.
"Some other time, if you please," Nattie replied, impatiently, for
hertalk with Cyn had unnerved her; "just now I am engaged."
Miss Kling drew herself up and said, with even more austerity,
"There is no time like the present, and since Miss Archer is here, itmay not be amiss for her to hear what I have to say."
Nattie frowned, but Cyn, not unwilling to be diverted even by Miss Klingfrom the topic that was so annoying her, said,
"Very well. We are listening, Miss Kling."
"Miss Rogers," proceeded Miss Kling solemnly, after a preparatorysneeze, "I know _all_."
The emphasis on the last word was truly tremendous, and Nattie startedastonished, while Cyn looked up with awakened curiosity.
"May I inquire what you mean by all?" inquired Nattie stiffly.
"Yes," repeated Miss Kling, without heeding the question. "I know ALL. Ihave for some time suspected that something underhanded was going on.Now I know what it is that has been so carefully concealed from me! Ihave long objected to your associates, Miss Rogers, but--"
"Pardon me, but that certainly does not concern you!" interrupted Cyndisdainfully.
Miss Kling looked at her and sneezed a sinister sneeze.
"It concerns me to know what kind of people I have in my house!" shereplied, "and since you force me to speak out, Miss Archer, I will saythat in my opinion no truly modest and proper girl would become intimatewith those who pad their legs and paint their faces, and show themselvesto the public"--this insinuation struck Cyn so comically that she couldhardly suppress a laugh. "My suspicions, to return to what I was aboutto say, Miss Rogers, were first awakened by hearing that--thatinstrument"--Cyn and Nattie exchanged looks of intelligence--"you havehere going, when I knew you were not in the room. And now, as I said, Iknow _all_! I pass over the audacity of such proceedings on _my_ premises,but their utter immorality is too much for me to bear! Yes! I found awire, and know where it leads! Into the room of two young men! That anyyoung woman should so immodest as to establish telegraphic communicationbetween her bed-room and the bed-room of two young men is beyond mycomprehension!"
Cyn felt a mischievous desire to inquire how it would have struck her,had it been the bed-room of _one_ young man? Nattie, who had flushedcrimson at the first knowledge of Miss Kling's discovery, now drewherself up and replied with dignity,
"Really, Miss Kling, I think this extravagance of language utterlyuncalled for! I admit it was not exactly correct for me to allow thewire to be run without consulting you, but beyond that, there wasnothing reprehensible in my conduct."
Miss Kling held up her hands in horror.
"Nothing reprehensible in being connected by a telegraph wire with twoyoung men!" she exclaimed. "Nothing--"
"Excuse my intrusion but, Cyn, will you please inform me if I am tostand all night loaded with green stuff, like a farmer on a market day?"at this point the merry voice of Clem interrupted, as he came hastilyin, still bearing the burden Cyn had piled upon him. Then becoming awareof Miss Kling's presence, he added to her, "I beg pardon for my abruptentrance, but the outer door being open, I made bold to enter;" thenexplanatory to Cyn, "Your door was locked, as also was mine, of whichQuimby has the key; and as Celeste has not yet been able to part withhim, there I have been standing in the hall, like patience with a loadof dandelions!"
"We were having such an interesting conversation," Cyn answered, with ascornful glance in Miss Kling's direction, "that I quite forgot you andthe lapse of time."
Clem instantly became aware of something amiss in the atmosphere, andglanced around inquiringly. Miss Kling immediately enlightened him.
"There are many things you make bold to do, young man!" she said."Putting telegraph apparatus in my house, for instance!"
"Ah!" exclaimed Clem, comprehensively.
"Yes;" went on the aggrieved Miss Kling, "you and that Quimby, Isuppose, did it. The idea originated with you, of course. _He_ hasn'tbrains enough; if he had he would not marry Celeste!" and Miss Klingsniffed in utter contempt of poor Quimby.
"Thanks for the compliment to _my_ intellectual abilities!" said Clem witha mischievous look; then advancing towards her, he answered in his ownfrank, manly way, "And so you have found us out? But I trust you willnot be offended with us? It is, after all, a trifle, and we said nothingabout it merely because we wished to have a little mystery of our own!It was, as the newsboys would say, a lark of ours!"
"Lark!" repeated Miss Kling, drawing herself up stiffly; "young man, youwill oblige me by not using slang in my presence!"
"Pardon me," said Clem, good humoredly; "and in regard to the wire,blame me, if you must blame any one. As you say, it was all my doing,and I induced Miss Rogers to allow the wire to come into her room."
"And I, too," added Cyn, propitiatingly, for Nattie's sake, "I wished tolearn the business, you know!"
But Miss Kling would not propitiate.
"Miss Rogers, I have no doubt, was very ready to be induced!" she said,with an effort at sarcasm. "I have heard of young females so much inlove that they would run after and pursue young men, but never before ofone so carried away and so lost to every sense of decorum, as to beobliged to have a wire run from her room to his, in order to communicatewith him at improper times!"
This accusation, far-fetched and ridiculous as it was, yet being utteredin the presence of Clem, overwhelmed poor Nattie, and she sank on thelounge, burying her face in her hands, at which Clem made a hastymotion, and then, as if aware any interference of his would only makematters worse, checked himself. But Cyn came to the front with strikingeffect.
"You ought, certainly, to be well informed on the subject of _old_females who run after _old_ men!" she said, witheringly. "If one maybelieve what the Tor--what Mr. Fishblate says!"
This shot told. Miss Kling turned livid with rage and mortification, andburst into a terrific spasm of sneezing.
"Miss Rogers," she said, wrathfully, as soon as she recoveredsufficiently to speak, "your conduct and that of your associates is such,that I can no longer allow you to remain on my premises.
"Miss Kling, this is--is very unjust,", said the agitated Nattie.
"It is against the wishes of her friends that she has remained as longas she has," cried Cyn, hotly.
"Miss Kling, your proceedings are infamous!" exclaimed Clem, not able tocontain himself longer.
Rather afraid to draw out Cyn any more, Miss Kling gladly seized thisopportunity to attack Clem.
"Young man, what right have you to interfere?" she inquired,majestically.
Clem bit his lip. Sure enough, what right had he?
He glanced at Nattie where she sat, pale and disturbed, at the scenethat threatened to end seriously for her, and then, obeying a suddenimpulse, seized the key at his side, and called,
"N--N--N!"
Nattie looked up quickly, and while Miss Kling, who supposed he waswantonly drumming on the obnoxious instrument to exasperate her, ventedher indignation, and also the outraged feelings caused by theTorpedo-wound inflicted by Cyn, still rankling, in a wrathful homily towhich no one listened, for Cyn was watching Clem curiously, he wroterapidly, his eyes on the sounder,
"She says I have no right to interfere. If you had not so changedtowards me--if I could hope you loved me as I have ever loved you, Iwould ask you to give me the right, and let me put this perniciousdiscredit to her sex on the other side of that door!"
As these words in dots and dashes came to her ears, Nattie, forgettingMiss Kling, forgetting everything, except that she loved Clem, and Clemdeclared--could it be possible--that he loved her, arose hastily, with aquick joy suffusing her face, and then their eyes met, and neither wordsor dots and dashes were needed. Love, more potent than electricity,required no interpreter, and that most powerful of all magnets drew themtogether. Before the face and eyes of the amazed Miss Kling, who hadjust delivered herself of a sentence intended to be crushing, and couldnot conceive why her victim should suddenly look so happy over it, headvanced to Nattie's side, clasped her hand eagerly and tenderly, thenturning to Miss Kling, said, while Cyn,
surmising the truth of thematter, embraced herself fervently,
"Miss Kling, any farther observations you may have to make, you will begood enough to say to me, hereafter; and now, will you oblige me byleaving the room?" and he politely held open the door.
"What?" gasped Miss Kling, hardly believing her own ears.
"I cannot allow you to annoy Miss Rogers, the lady who is to be mywife!" Clem added; "and if she and I choose to have twelve telegraphwires, we will. Let me bid you good-evening!" and he pointedsignificantly at the open door.
"Your wife! Miss Rogers!" echoed the discomfited Miss Kling, and glancedat the blushing Nattie, at Cyn, undisguisedly exultant, and at Clem,determinedly waiting for her to go out. This was something she had notexpected, and it took her aback. So, with a sneeze, she drew herself up,gave a spiteful parting shot,
"Well, she has worked hard enough to get you--had to bring the telegraphto her assistance!" and then retreated, before Cyn could retaliate withthe Torpedo. Retreated to her own room, to nurse her wrath and envy, andto dream hopelessly, forever more, of that other self, never to comenearer than now!
The discreet Cyn, comprehending that Miss Kling had brought about that,"crisis," and that something had been said on the wire to the rightpurpose, followed her out, and left them alone. It is hardly necessaryto mention, that as soon as the door closed behind Cyn, Clem took Nattiein his arms and kissed her. It was an inevitable consequence.
"And now explain why you have treated me so, you contrary little girl?"he queried, tenderly.
"I thought," Nattie replied, raising her gray eyes, from which theshadows were all gone now, to his, "that you loved Cyn."
"You did!" he said, surprised and reproachful; "and that is why you havebeen so cold and distant! How could you?"
"But Cyn is so handsome, and--I do not see how you could help it!"pleaded Nattie in self-extenuation.
"Of course she is handsome, talented, brilliant fascinating, everythingthat is nice," Clem answered, "but," in a low voice, "Cyn was not mylittle girl at B m!"
Of course, after this there was another inevitable consequence, and thenClem asked,
"And did you care because you imagined--you naughty, jealous girl--thatI loved Cyn?"
"Yes," Nattie answered, blushing, but honestly, "I was very unhappy,indeed I was, Clem! I think I loved you from the first--when you wereinvisible, you know!"
"And I," said Clem, "should have given myself up a victim to despair,like Quimby, if it had not been for one thing. Jo made me a duplicate ofthat picture you destroyed, and the fact that you never even mentionedthe Cupid overhead gave me hope!" and his own roguish look was in hiseyes as he saw Nattie's confusion, and laughing his merry laugh, heclasped her in his arms.
"I beg pardon," said Cyn tapping, and entering after a cautiousinterval, "But I come to inquire if Nat--I mean Nathalie--still thinks,as she did an hour ago, that Clem and I are just suited to each other?"
Nattie laughed and blushed.
"You see I set my heart on this from the beginning," said Cyn to Clem,not thinking it necessary to define to what "this" referred. "It wassuch a perfect romance, you know! and she has been frightening me bydeclaring that you were in love with me, and was so positive that shealmost made me believe it, notwithstanding my natural sagacity!"
"As I certainly should have been," replied Clem gallantly, "only for aprior attachment. You see, I loved Nattie before ever I saw you! Why, Iused to pass the most of my time when at X n in wondering what she waslike, and wishing--I was as near her as I am now, for instance. And howmiserable I was, when she dropped me so suddenly! and how happy I waswhen I came upon her at that blessed feast, and the red hair was allexplained away. And then came another cross on the circuit of my truelove."
"And had it not been for that _dear_ Betsey Kling with her invectives weshould have been mixed, and not had a cue now!" exclaimed Cyn. "Ideclare, I could hug her!"
But Betsey Kling not being available just then, she substituted Nattie,and gave her a most emphatic squeeze.
"It was your shot about the Torpedo that finished her, Cyn," laughedClem.
"It _was_ effective, I flatter myself," Cyn confessed. "And that remindsme, you must not stay here now, Nat, you know; so I have seen Mrs.Simonson, and you are going to live with me--for the present"--glancingarchly at her, "until that book is written, for instance."
"And it _will_ be written, now, I know!" said Nattie, earnestly, her eyesshining. "You remember what you once said, Cyn? I see now you wereright."
"Yes;" said Cyn, seriously, "and thank Heaven that it was love, and notdisappointment, that came!"
"Love shall not come in vain!" Nattie said, as seriously. "I will beworthy of it!"
The after years only could prove her words. But in Clem's face thebelief in them was written as plainly as if those future possibilitieswere acknowledged results.
"We must have another feast to celebrate events!" Cyn said then, gayly."You are happy; my romance is O. K.; Celeste is ecstatic; Quimby asjoyful as circumstances permit the victim of mistake to be; Jo and I arehopeful of future fame--and we certainly must have a feast!"
"With plenty of dishes this time," laughed Clem, "and there shall be nomore crosses on the wire!"
"But bless my heart!" ejaculated Cyn, "here you two are making lovelike ordinary mortals"--at this Nattie hastily withdrew the hand Clemhad taken-- "Quimby and Celeste, for instance! This will never do! Wemust end this romance of dots and dashes as it commenced, to make ittruly 'Wired Love!'"
"True enough! so we must!" answered Clem merrily, and rising, he went tothe "key," with his eyes looking straight into Nattie's, and wrotesomething that made her blush and seize his hand in shy and unnecessaryalarm, saying,
"Suppose Jo should be over in your room! He might be able to read it!"
"Very well," replied Clem, as he laughed and kissed her, regardless ofthe spectator. "I am quite content to make love like common mortals,Cyn, and I hope, my darling Nattie, that we are done now with all'breaks' and 'crosses,' as we are with Wired Love. Henceforth ours shallbe the pure, unalloyed article, genuine love!"
And Nattie, half-laughing, half-serious, but wholly glad, took the keyand wrote, "O. K."
If any one is anxious to know what Clem wrote when Nattie stopped him,here it is.
MY LITTLEDARLINGMY WIFE
[Transcriber's Note. The concluding three lines were printed in theAmerican Railroad dialect of Morse. It cannot easily be representedin ASCII as it requires dashes of different lengths]
THE END
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