The February sunshine lay warm and bright and still over Las Plumasand the sky bent low and blue and cloudless above the town. Brightfeathered birds were darting through the orchards and trilling theirnesting songs, the peach tree buds were showing their pink noses, andthe promise of spring was everywhere. In the big, wide hall of PierreDelarue's house Marguerite stood beside the door of her room, talkingwith Emerson Mead, while he clumsily buttoned her gloves. She wasdressed in a traveling gown, and as his glance wandered over herfigure his eyes shone with admiration. Tall though he was and superbof physique, her head reached his shoulder and her figure matched hisin its own strength and beauty.
"Tom and Nick look as forlorn as two infant orphans," he was saying toher. "You would think I had died instead of getting married. Nick hashinted that he means to go on a spree, and Tom says he'll lock him upin their room and sit on his chest for a week if he tries to make thatkind of a break."
"Do you think he will?" Marguerite asked.
"Sit on him? Yes, I think likely. He's done it before, and it's aboutthe only thing that will keep Nick sober when he has made up his mindthat he wants to get drunk. It's a good plan to keep Nick sober, too,for when he gets drunk most anything's likely to happen."
"No, I meant, do you think he will get drunk?"
Emerson shrugged his shoulders. "I reckon that will depend on whetherTom goes to sleep or not."
"Where are they?"
"Out on the porch with Bye-Bye."
They went out on the veranda where Tom and Nick were standing, andMarguerite put a hand on the arm of each, looking up in their faceswith smiling earnestness. "I wonder," she said, "if I could ask youboys to do something for me while we are gone?"
They turned toward her eagerly. "You bet we'll do anything you-allwant us to, Mrs.--Mrs.--" Nick tried to say "Mrs. Mead," choked alittle, and ended with "Mrs. Emerson." And "Mrs. Emerson" she was tohim and Tom from that time forth.
"What can we-all do?" asked Tom.
"Why, I've been hoping you wouldn't mind looking after Paul a littlebit for me. I am so afraid he will miss me, because I've always beenwith him. The housekeeper will take good care of him, of course, but Iknow he will be lonely if there is nothing to distract his mind. And Icouldn't be happy, even on my wedding journey, if I thought my littleBye-Bye was crying for me."
"Don't you worry, Mrs. Emerson," Nick exclaimed. "We'll give him somuch fun he won't know you're gone. I'll bring my horse and take himto ride every day."
"We'll buy all the playthings in town for him."
"We'll tote him around all the time. It'll give us something to do andkeep us out of mischief. He shan't shed a tear while you're gone."
"Here, Bye-Bye," called Tom, "come and ride on my shoulder." Andmounted on that big, high pedestal the child was marched up and downthe porch, laughing and clapping his hands. "We'll stay and amuse himwhile you-all go to the depot, so he won't cry after you."
"I'll make him some reins out of my Chiny pigtail," said Nick."You-all go right along, Mrs. Emerson, and don't you worry once. Heshan't whimper while you're gone, and he'll have such a good timehe'll be sorry to see you come home."
Marguerite looked back from the carriage window as they drove away andsaw little Paul holding fast to the middle of Nick's precious queue,laughing and shouting, while two tall figures attached to its endspranced and kicked and cavorted up and down the veranda.