CHAPTER XIII
BERTHA'S YELLOW CART
Ben found his office a most cheerful and pleasant resort--just what heneeded. And each morning as soon as his breakfast was eaten, he went tohis desk to write, to read his morning paper, and to glance at the lawjournals. He called this "studying." About eleven o'clock the Haneysregularly drove down, and they went over some paper, or some proposalfor investment, or Williams came in with a report of the mines. Thisfilled in the time till lunch. Not infrequently he got into thecarriage, and they rode up to get Alice to fill out the table. In theafternoon they sometimes went out to the mesas, and it was this almostdaily habit of driving and lunching with the Haneys which infuriatedMrs. Crego (who really loved Alice) and troubled Lee Congdon (who was,as she said, frankly in love with Ben). Gossips were already discussingthe outcome of it all.
"Just such a situation as that has produced a murderess," said Mrs.Crego to the judge one night. But he only shook his paper and scowledunder its cover, refusing to say one word further concerning the Haneys.
Alice, studying Ben with those uncanny eyes of hers, saw him slowlyyielding to the charm of Bertha's personality, which was maturingrapidly under the influence of her love. She was as silent as ever, buther manner was less boyish. The swell of her bosom, the glow that cameinto her face, had their counterparts in the unconsciously acquiredfeminine grace of her bearing. She was giving up many of the phraseswhich jarred on polite ears, and she did this, naturally, by reason ofher association with Alice. She saw and took on many of the littleniceties of the older woman's way of eating and drinking.
At Lee Congdon's suggestion, she abandoned the cross-saddle. It requireda great deal of character to give up the free and natural way of riding(the way in which all women rode until these latter days), and to assumethe helpless, cramped, and twisted position the side-saddle demands; butshe did it in the feeling that Ben liked her better for the change. Andhe did. She could see approval in his eyes when she rode out for thefirst time in conventional riding-skirt, looking very slim and strongand graceful. "I can't stand for the 'hard hat,'" she confessed. "I'llwear a cap or a sombrero, but no skillet for me."
These were perfect days for the girl-wife. Under these genial suns, withsuch companionship, such daily food, she rushed towards maturity likesome half-wild colt brought suddenly from the sere range into abundantand peaceful pasture, the physical side of her being rounded out,glowing with the fires of youth, at the same time that the poor oldCaptain sank slowly but surely into inactivity and feebleness. She didnot perceive his decline, for he talked bravely of his future, andcalled her attention to his increasing weight, which was indeed a signof his growing inertness.
And so the months passed with no one of the little group but Alicesuffering, for Mart had attained a kind of resignation to his condition.He still talked of going up to the camp, but the doctor and Berthapersuaded him to wait, and so he endured as patiently as he could, andif he suffered, gave little direct sign of it.
Alice, fully alive now to the gossip of the town (thanks to Mrs. Crego),found herself helpless in the matter. She believed the young people tobe--as they were--innocent of all disloyalty, and she could not assumethe role of the jealous woman. She was frightened at thought of thesuffering before them all, and it was in this fear that she said to Benone day: "Boy, you're giving up a deal of time to the Haneys."
He answered, promptly. "They pay me for it."
"I know they do. But, dearest, you ought to take more time to study--toprepare yourself for other clients--when they come."
He laughed. "They're not likely to come right away, and, besides, I doget in an hour or two every day."
"But you ought to study _six_ hours every day. Aren't the traditions ofLincoln and Daniel Webster all to that effect: work all day with the ax,and study in the light of pine knots all night?"
He took her words as lightly as they were spoken. "Something like that.But I'm no Daniel Webster; I'm not sure I want to go in for criminal lawat all."
She spoke, sharply. "You mustn't think of getting your fees too easy,Ben. I don't think any good lawyer wins without work. Do you?"
"I didn't mean that," he hastened to say. "You do me an injustice. Ireally read more than you think, and my memory is tenacious, you know.Besides, I can't refuse to give the Haneys the most of my time; for theyare my only clients, and the Captain is most generous."
"The mornings ought to be enough," she hazarded.
"I know what you mean. I do go out with them afternoons a good deal, butI consider that a part of my duty. They are so helpless socially. You'vealways felt that yourself."
"I feel it now, Bennie boy, but we mustn't neglect all friends for them.Other people don't know that you do this as a matter of business, and ofcourse you can't tell any one; for if the Haneys heard of it they wouldbe cut to the heart. Do they put it on a business basis?"
"They never mention it. Bertha isn't given to talking subtleties, as youknow, and the Captain takes it all as it comes these days."
It hurt her to hear him speak of Mrs. Haney in that off-hand, habitualway, and she foretold further misconception on the part of Mrs. Crego incase he should forget--as he was likely to do--and allude to "Bertha" inher presence. But how could she tell him not to do that? She merelysaid: "I like Mrs. Haney, and I feel sorry for her--I mean I'm sorry shecan't have a place in the town to which she is really entitled. She isimproving very rapidly."
"Isn't she!" he cried out. "That little thing is reading right throughthe town library--a book every other day, she tells me."
"Novels, I fear."
"No; that's the remarkable thing. She's reading history and biography.Isn't it too bad she couldn't have had Bryn Mawr or Vassar? I've advisedher to have in some one of the university people to coach her. I'vesuggested Miss Franklin. I wish you'd uphold me in it."
He had never told Alice of the talk in the garden that day, nor of thelook in Bertha's eyes which decided him to assume the position of mentoras well as legal adviser, and he did not now intimate more than a casualsupervision of her reading. As a matter of fact, he was directing herdaily life as absolutely as a husband--more absolutely, in fact; for sheobeyed his slightest wish or most minute suggestion. He withheld thesefacts from Alice, not from any perceived disloyalty to her, but from hisfeeling that his advice to Bertha was paid for and professional, andtherefore not to be spread wide before any one. He did not concealanything; he merely outlined without filling in the bare suggestion.
He not merely gave his fair client lists of books, he talked with herupon them, and so far as he was able spoke seriously and conscientiouslyabout them. She seized upon his suggestion, and got Miss Franklin, oneof the teachers of the schools, to come in now and again of an eveningto help her, and, being fond of music, she bought a piano and began totake lessons. All of which (Lee Congdon would have said) threatened torender her commonplace and uninteresting; but Alice Heath felt quitedifferently about that.
"No; the more that girl gets, the more she'll have, Lee. As Ben says,she's the kind that if she were a boy would turn out a big self-mademan. That's a little twisted as to grammar, but you see what I mean. Sexis one of the ultimate mysteries, isn't it? Now, why didn't I inherit myfather's ability?"
"You did, only you never use it. But this girl hasn't your father todraw from."
"No; but her father was an educated man--a civil engineer, she tells me,who came out here for one of the big railroads. He was something of aninventor, too. That's the reason he died poor--they nearly all do."
"But the mother?"
"Well, she's weak and tiresome now, but she's by no means common. She'sbroken by hard work, but she's naturally refined. No, the girl isn't sobad; it's the frightful girlhood she endured in that little hotel. Ithink it's wonderful that she could associate with the people shedid--barbers and railway hands, and all that--and be what she is to-day.If she had married a man like young Bennett, for example, she would havegone far."
"She can't go far with
Haney chained to her wrist," said the blunt Mrs.Congdon.
"But think what will happen when she is his widow!"
"And his legatee!"
"Precisely."
"She'll cut a wide swath. She's going to be handsome."
They had reached a danger-point, for Lee was on the verge of sayingsomething about Ben's infatuation; but she didn't, and Alice knew whyshe didn't, for she asked, rather abruptly: "Won't you come overThursday night? I'm going to take the Haneys to dinner at the hotel."She flushed under Lee's gaze. "It's really Bennie's party, and I'm goingto make it as pretty as I can."
"Alice, I don't understand you. Why do you do this?"
"Because I must. She and the Captain are going East on a visit, and Benwants to give them a 'jolly send-off,' as he calls it. Besides, I likethe girl."
Lee mused in silence for a few moments. "I guess you're right. Of courseI'll come. Who else will?"
"Several of Ben's new friends and the Cregos--"
"Not the missus?"
"Yes; she comes because she's consumed with curiosity. Oh, it reallypromises to be smart!"
Congdon came in just in time to hear these words, "Who promises to besmart--Mrs. Haney?"
The women laughed. "Another person going about with a mind full of Mrs.Haney."
"Well, why not? I just passed her on the street in her new dog-cart, andshe was ripping good to look at. Say, that girl is too swift for thistown. You people better keep close to her if you want to know what'sdoing in gowns and cloaks. Did you ever see such development in yourlife? Say, girls, I always believed in clothes. But, my eyes! I didn'tthink cotton and wool and leather could make such a change. Who isputting her on?"
"The cart is a new development," said Alice. "I hope it wasn't yellow?"
"Well, it was."
"The Captain was in it?"
"Not on your life. The Captain was at home in the easy-chair by thefire."
The women looked at each other. Then Lee said: "The beginning of theend. Poor old Captain."
Congdon was loyalty itself. "Now don't you jump at conclusions. Yes, shepulled up, and I went out to see her. She gave me her hand in the oldway, and said; 'Isn't this a joke. The Captain ordered it from Chicago.He saw a picture in one of my magazines of a girl driving one of thesethings, and here I am. You don't think they'll charge me a speciallicense, do you?' Oh, she's all right. Don't you worry about her. Thenshe said: 'What I don't like about it is the Captain can't ride in it.I'm not going to keep it,' she said."
"That was for effect," remarked Lee.
"Don't be nasty, Mrs. Congdon. You can't look into her big serious eyesand say such things."
Lee looked at Alice. "Oh, well, if it comes down to 'big serious eyes,'then all criticism is valueless. Aren't men curious? Character isnothing, intellect is nothing--it's all a question of whether we'regood-lookin' or not. Sometimes I'm discouraged. An artist husband is sohard to please."
"I didn't use to be, dovey," he replied, with a mischievous gleam.
"He means when he took me. I'm used to his slurs. Just think, Alice, Iaccepted this man fresh from Paris, with all his sins of omission andcommission upon him, and now he reviles me to my teeth." She patted thehand he slipped round her neck. "Tell us more about Mrs. Haney. How wasshe dressed?"
"In perfect good taste--almost too good. She looked like one of JoeMeyer's early posters. Gee! but she was snappy in drawing. She carriesthat sort of thing well--she's so clean and nifty in line. If she couldhave a year in Paris--wow!--well, us to Fifth Avenue, sure thing!"
"All depends on what is at the bottom of that girl's soul," retortedLee, sententiously. "A light woman with money is a flighty combination.I don't pretend to say what your little Mrs. Haney is at bottom. Thusfar I like her. I talk about her freely, but I defend her in public.But, at the same time, fifty thousand dollars a year is a corruptingpower."
Congdon gravely assented to this. "You're perfectly right; that's thereason I keep our income down to fifteen hundred. I'd hate to see youlook like a ready-made cloak advertisement."
Alice rose rather wearily. "Thursday night, you said?"
"Yes; and I guess, following the latest bulletin concerning Mr. Haney,we better put on our swellest ginghams."
Alice, on her way home, continued to think of Mrs. Haney; indeed, shewas seldom out of her mind. And she had a feeling of having known herfor a long time--since girlhood; and yet less than a year had passedsince that dinner at Lee Congdon's. Spring was coming; the hint of itwas in the sweet air, and in the clear piping of a prairie lark in avacant lot. Spring! And how long it had been since Ben had referred totheir marriage! Perhaps he took it for granted. "Perhaps he sees in meonly failing health, and dares not speak."
She was not gaining; that she knew, and so did Lee. She had stayed toolong in the raw climate of her native city. "He must not marry me!" shedespairingly cried. "I must not let him ruin his life in that way!" Andshe sank back in the corner of her carriage with wrinkled, pallid face,and quivering lips; for Bertha was passing up the avenue, driving asmart-stepping cob, in her cart, and in the seat beside her, as radiantas herself, sat Ben Fordyce.
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