The Camp Fire Girls in After Years
Page 5
CHAPTER V
SOMETHING UNEXPECTED
DINNER was tiresomely dull! Again Anthony did not return, but telephonedthat he would be in as soon afterwards as possible. Several times duringthe meal Betty almost wished that she had accepted an invitation for theevening without him. For they had been invited to a dinner party anddance, but as Anthony had declared he would be too busy to attend, Bettyhad declined without any objection at the time. She had made up her mindnever to go out into society unless accompanied by her husband.
Nevertheless, tonight the young wife of the new Governor felt somewhatdifferently. If Anthony was going everlastingly to be kept at his officemust she always sit alone during the evenings? Always as Betty Ashtonshe had loved people and gayety and still loved it quite as much asBetty Graham. Moreover, her only two companions at dinner, Angel andFaith, were both in extremely bad humor and unwilling to confess thecause, for Faith looked sulky and annoyed and Angel undeniably cross. Ofcourse, the two girls must recently have had a quarrel. Their hostesswondered for a few moments what the trouble could have been. But thenthey were so utterly different in their dispositions and tastes, it wasnot surprising that they sometimes disagreed. Besides, she decided thatthey were both unlike the intimate friends of her youth and far harderto understand. In fact, though she was scarcely much more than a girlherself, Mrs. Graham concluded that "girls had changed since her day"and determined as soon as dinner was over to leave them to themselves.Naturally, if they had wished her society Betty would have been gladenough to have remained and received their confidences. However, neitherAngel nor Faith showed the slightest sign of desiring her society.
In a pale blue silk dinner gown Betty wandered disconsolately about herbig house waiting for her husband. He had promised to come home earlyand it seemed not worth while to settle down to any task beforehand.The babies were asleep and she did not feel like writing letters eitherto Esther or her mother. Several times she thought of Polly. But Pollywas so far away out West that she really did not know where to find herat the present time. Betty wondered if her best friend was happy with nohome or husband or children, nothing intimate in her life but her careeras an artist. She had always been puzzled to understand why Polly andRichard Hunt had never married after an engagement lasting over severalyears. But since neither of them had cared to explain their separation,it was, of course, useless to conjecture again after all this time.
The drawing room was too hopelessly big and formal! After Betty hadwalked around inside it for half an hour perhaps, sitting down in half adozen chairs and then pacing up and down, she grew even more restless.Surely it was no longer early in the evening, and why did Anthony notkeep his word and come home at the time he had promised? It would beever so much more satisfactory to have her talk with him in regard togiving John Everett a good position, with a comfortable salary, early inthe evening, before they were both tired and wanting to sleep.
Suddenly, with an impatient stamp of her foot, Mrs. Graham fled from herstate apartment. She was homesick tonight for her old home in Woodford,where she and Anthony had lived ever since their marriage until hiselection as Governor, and where her mother still lived.
Passing through the hall, more and more did Betty become convinced thatAnthony was not keeping his word, for the tall clock registered quarterto ten. The upper part of the house looked dark and quiet as if the restof the family had already gone to bed. Besides it was lonely enough onthe first floor, for the servants had their sitting room and dining roomin a big old-fashioned basement and were nowhere to be seen. Of course,one of them would come at once if she desired anything, but Betty couldnot think of anything she wished at present except society andamusement.
In the library back of the drawing room a few moments later she decidedthat things were not so bad. There was a little wood fire in the grate,kept there for its cheerful influence and not because the steam-heatedhouse required it; but Betty had not been a Camp Fire girl for half herlifetime without responding to the cheerful influence of even a gratefire.
Sinking down into a comfortable chair, she picked up a magazine andbegan reading. The clock in the hall ticked on and on and she was notconscious of the passing of time. The story was not particularlyinteresting--an absurd tale of a husband and wife who had quarreled. Itwas, of course, perfectly unnecessary for people who loved each other toquarrel, Betty Graham insisted to herself, and yet the writer did notseem convinced of this fact. Toward the close of the story she grew moreinterested and excited.
Then, without actually hearing a sound or seeing a figure, Bettysuddenly looked up, and there in the open doorway of the library stood astrange man. Like a flash her mind worked. She was alone on the firstfloor of a big, rambling old house and uncertain of how late the hour.Must she at once cry for help, or should she try to get across the floorand ring the bell furiously?--for that would be more certain to beheard. Yet for the moment her knees felt absurdly weak and her handscold. However, with a stupendous effort Betty now summoned her courage,of which the shock of the moment had robbed her. For her Camp Firetraining had taught her the proper spirit in which to meet emergencies.Quietly Mrs. Graham rose up from her chair.
"What is it you wish? I think you have made some mistake," she remarkedstiffly. For in spite of her terror the man in the doorway did not looklike an ordinary thief. Besides, if he were a thief why did he remainthere staring at her? Why had he not committed his burglary and gottenaway with his spoils without alarming her?
But he was now advancing a few steps toward her and there was no lightin the library, except from the reading lamp.
"Anthony!" Betty cried instinctively, although she knew that theGovernor could not be in the house at the time, else he would have comestraight to her.
Then to her immense amazement, almost to her stupefaction, the intruderactually smiled.
"Betty," he answered, "or rather Mrs. Graham, have I startled you? Yes,I know it is dreadfully informal, my coming upon you in this fashion andnot even allowing your butler to announce me. But I ran down from NewYork today to spend the night with Meg and Jack Emmet. A few moments agowe began talking of you. Well, as I've got to go back to town in themorning I decided that nothing would give me more pleasure than seeingthe wife of our distinguished new Governor, so here I am!"
Positively the stranger was holding out his hand.
Moreover, the next instant Betty had laid her cold fingers inside it.
"John, John Everett, how ridiculous of me not to have recognized you!Yet, though I was thinking of you, you were the last person in the worldI expected to see at present. And I confess you frightened me." Bettymade her visitor a little curtsey. "Remember how you boys used to tryto terrify us when we were in camp just to prove the superiority of BoyScouts over Camp Fire girls? I would not have been frightened then! Butdo let us have more light so that we can really see each other."
Betty touched the electric button and the room was suddenly aglow.
Then she again faced her companion. It had been foolish of her not tohave recognized her old friend, John Everett. He did look a good dealolder, but he was a large, handsome man with blond hair, blue eyes and acharming manner. Moreover, he was undoubtedly returning Betty's glancewith undisguised admiration.
"You won't mind my saying it, will you, Mrs. Graham, but you are morestunning than ever. I suppose it sounds a little impertinent of me, butyou know even though I always thought you tremendously pretty as a girl,really I never believed----" John began.
Betty shook her head reproachfully and yet perhaps she was a littlepleased, even though she recognized her visitor's compliment asextravagant.
Motioning to another chair, she then sat down in her former one. For afew moments there was a kind of constraint in the atmosphere, such asone often feels in meeting again an old friend with whom one has beenintimate in former years and not seen in a long time.
Under her lashes Betty found herself studying her visitor's face. Atfirst she did not think that he appeared much discou
raged by hismisfortunes, but the next moment she was not so sure.
"I am awfully pleased the world has gone so well with you, Mrs. Graham,"John Everett began, to cover the awkwardness of the silence. "You were awise girl to have known that Anthony had so much more in him than therest of us fellows. I hear he is making things hum in the state of NewHampshire."
Betty looked a little shocked. "Oh, I did not care for Anthony because Ithought him cleverer than other people. I--oh, does one ever knowexactly why one cares? But do tell me about yourself, John. You don'tmind my knowing of your present difficulty? Meg has just told me, but Iam sure things will be all right soon again."
Half an hour later the young Governor, coming in very tired from hislong day's work, seeing the light burning in the library, walked quicklytoward the door. He was worn out and hungry and wanted nothing so muchas supper and quiet talk with his wife. For Anthony had never gottenover the pleasure he felt at returning home to find her there to receivehim. Already it seemed ages since he had said good-bye at breakfast.
However, just before he arrived at the open door he heard the sound ofBetty's laughter and some one answering her.
Of course it was selfish and absurd of him to feel a sudden sense ofdisappointment. He knew that he should have been glad to find Bettyentertained.
Before entering the library the new Governor managed to assume a morehospitable expression. He was also surprised at finding John Everetttheir caller. But then he too had known him in their boyhood days inWoodford and was glad to see him. Certainly they had never been friendsas boys. The young Governor could still remember that John had thenseemed to have all the things he had wanted as a boy--good looks, goodfamily, money enough for a college education. Yet with all theseadvantages John had not been able to win Betty. Now was Anthony's chanceto feel sorry for him. Lately he too had heard that John Everett was insome kind of business trouble. He hoped that this was not true.
Therefore it was Anthony who insisted that their visitor should remainwith them while they had a little supper party in the library. And Bettywas glad to see that her old friend was making a good impression uponher husband. For she was now firmly determined to ask Anthony to giveJohn Everett a fine position at once.