Sunny Slopes

by Ethel Hueston

  CHAPTER IX

  UPHEAVAL

  "Forty-eight, forty-nine, fifty, fifty-one, fifty-two,fifty-three,--for goodness' sake!--fifty-four, fifty-five." Carollooked helplessly at her dusty hands and mopped her face desperatelywith her forearm.

  David, watching her from the bed in the adjoining room, gave way tosilent laughter, and she resumed her solemn count.

  "Forty-six, forty--"

  "Fifty-six," he called. "Don't try any trickery on me."

  "Fifty-six, fifty-seven, fifty-eight, fifty-nine, sixty." She sighedaudibly. "Sixty-one, sixty-two, sixty-three, sixty-four--sixty-fourperfectly fresh eggs," she announced, turning to the doorway andfrowning at her husband, who still laughed. "Sixty-four perfectlyfresh eggs, all laid yesterday."

  "Now, I give you fair warning, my dear, I am no cold storage plant, andyou can't make me absorb any sixty-four egg-nogs daily just to even upthe demand with the supply. I drank seven yesterday, but this is toomuch. You must seek another warehouse."

  "You are very clever and facetious, Davie, really quite entertaining.But what am I to do with sixty-four fresh eggs?"

  "And I may as well confess frankly that I consider a minister's wifedistinctly out of her sphere when she tries to corner the fresh eggmarket, particularly at the present price of existence. It isn'tscriptural. It isn't orthodox. I am surprised at you, Carol. It mustbe some more Methodism cropping out. I never knew a Presbyterian to doit."

  "And as for milk--"

  "There you go again,--milk. Worse and worse. Yesterday I had milktoast, and milk custard, and fresh milk, and buttermilk. And here youcome at me again first thing to-day. Milk!"

  "Seven whole quarts have arrived this morning,--bless their darling oldhearts."

  "The cows?"

  "The parishioners," Carol explained patiently. "Ever since the doctorsaid fresh milk and eggs, we've been flooded with milk and--"

  "Pelted with eggs. But you can't pelt any sixty-four eggs down me."

  "David," she said reproachfully, "I must confess that you don't soundvery sick. The doctor says, 'Take him west,' and I am taking you if Iever get rid of these eggs. But I do think it would be moreappropriate to take you to a vaudeville show where you might coin someof this extravagant humor. There's a market for it, you know."

  "Here comes Mrs. Sater, with a covered basket," announced David,glancing from the window. "I just wonder if the dear kind woman isbringing me a few fresh eggs. You know the doctor advised me to eatfresh eggs, and--"

  Carol clutched her curly head in despair. "Cock-a-doodle-doo," shecrowed.

  "You mean, 'Cut-cut-cut-ca-duck-et,'" reproved David.

  Mrs. Sater paused outside the manse door in blank astonishment. Dear,precious David so terribly ill, and poor little Carol getting ready totake him away to a strange and awful country, and the world full ofsadness and weeping and gnashing of teeth, and yet--from the openwindows of the manse came the clear ring of Carol's laughter, followedclosely by David's deeper voice. What in the world was there to laughat, since tuberculosis had rapped at the manse door?

  They were young, of course, and they were still in love,--that helped.And they had the deathless courage of the young and loving. But Mrs.Sater bet a dollar she wouldn't waste any time laughing if tuberculosiswere stalking through her home.

  "Come in," said Carol, in answer to her second ring. "We saw you fromthe window, but I was laughing so I was ashamed to open the door.David's so silly, Mrs. Sater. Since he isn't obliged to strain hismental capacity by thinking up sermons, he has developed quite a funnystreak. Oh, did you bring us some nice fresh eggs? How dear of you.Yes, the doctor said he must eat lots of them."

  "They were just laid yesterday," said Mrs. Sater complacently. "And Isaid to myself, 'Nice fresh eggs like these are too good for anybodyless than a preacher.' So I brought them. There's just half adozen,--he ought to eat that many in one day."

  "Oh, yes, easily. He is very fond of egg-nog."

  David sputtered feebly among the pillows. "Oh, easily," he echoedhelplessly.

  "I knew a woman that ate eighteen eggs every day," said Mrs. Saterencouragingly. "She got well and weighed two hundred and thirtypounds, and then she had apoplexy and died."

  David turned on Carol reproachfully. "There you see! That's whatcomes of eating raw eggs." Then he added suspiciously, "Maybe you knewit before and have been enticing me to raw eggs on purpose."

  Both Carol and David seized this silly pretext to relieve theirfeelings, and laughed so heartily that good Mrs. Sater was quiteconcerned for them. She had heard it sometimes affected folks likethat,--a great nervous or mental shock. She looked at them veryanxiously indeed.

  "Are you selling your furniture pretty well?" she asked nervously.

  "Oh, just fine. Mr. Barker at the drug store has promised to fumigateeverything after we are gone, so we won't scatter any germs in ourwake." Carol spoke hurriedly, her heart swelling with pity as she sawthe sudden convulsive clutching of David's hands beneath the covers."Mr. Daniels has a list of 'who bought what,' and will see thateverything is delivered in good shape. Only, we take the moneyourselves in advance. Now look at this chair, Mrs. Sater,--a lovelychair," she rattled, thinking wretchedly of that contraction of David'shands and the darkening of his eyes. "A splendid chair. It isn't soldyet. It cost us eight seventy-five one year ago, and we are selling itfor the mere pittance of five dollars even,--we make it even because wehaven't any change. A most beautiful chair, an article to grace anyhome, a constant reminder of us, a chair in which great men havesat,--Mr. Daniels, and Mr. Baldwin, and the horrible gas collector whohas made life wretched for every one in the Heights, and--all for fivedollars, Mrs. Sater. Can you resist it?"

  Carol's voice took on a new ring as she saw the shadow leave David'seyes, and his lips curve into laughter again.

  "Well, I swan, Mrs. Duke, if you don't beat all. Yes, I'll take thatchair. It may not be worth five dollars, but you are."

  Carol ostentatiously collected the five dollars, doubled it carefullyinto a tiny bit, and tied it in the corner of her handkerchief.

  "My money, Mr. David Arnold Duke, and I shall buy candy and talcum withit."

  Then she ran into the adjoining room to answer the telephone.

  Mrs. Sater looked about her hesitatingly and leaned forward.

  "David," she said in a low voice, "Carol ought to go home to herfather. It's dangerous for her to stay with you. Everybody says so.Make her go home until you are well. She may get it too if she goesalong. They'll take good care of you at the Presbyterian hospital outthere, you a minister and all."

  The laughter, the light, left David's face at the first word.

  "I know it," he said in a heavy voice. "I have told her to go home.But she won't even talk it over. She gets angry if I mention it.Every one tells me it is dangerous,--but Carol won't listen."

  "Just until you get well, you know."

  "I shall never get well unless she is with me. But I am trying to sendher away. What can I do? I can't drive her off." His hands closedand then relaxed, lying helplessly on the covers.

  When Carol returned she looked suspiciously from the stern white faceon the pillow to the disturbed one of her caller.

  "David is tired, Mrs. Sater," she said gently. "Let's go out in theother room and visit. I have made him laugh too much to-day, and he isweak. Come along and maybe I can sell you some more furniture." Thento David, brightly, "It was Mrs. Adams, David, she wanted to know if weneeded any nice fresh eggs." She flashed a smile at him and his lipsanswered, but his eyes were mute. Carol looked back at him from thedoorway, questioning, but finally followed Mrs. Sater into the nextroom.

  "Mrs. Sater, you will excuse me now, won't you?" she said. "But I havea feeling that David needs me. He looks so tired. You will come inagain, and--"

  "Certainly, my dear, David first by all means. Run right along. Andif you need any more fresh eggs, just let me know."

  "
Yes, thank you, yes."

  "Carol," whispered the kindly woman earnestly, "why don't you go homeand stay with your father until David is better? They will take suchgood care of him at the hospital, and he will need you when he is well,and it isn't safe, Carol, it positively is not safe. Why won't you doas he tells you?"

  Carol stood up, very straight and very tall. "Mrs. Sater," she said,"you know I am an old-fashioned Methodist. And I believe that Godwanted David to have me in his illness, when he is idle. If He hadn't,the illness would have come before our marriage. But I think Godforesaw it coming and thought maybe I could do David good when he waslaid aside. I know I am a silly little goose, but David loves me, andis happy when I am with him, and enjoys me more than anything else inthe world. I am going with him. I know God expects me to do my part."

  And Mrs. Sater went away, after kissing Carol's cheek, which alreadywas paling a little with anxiety.

  Carol ran back to David and sat on the floor beside him, pulling hishand from beneath the cover and kissing the white, blue-veined fingers.She crooned and gurgled over him as a mother over a little child, butdid not speak until at last he turned to her and said abruptly:

  "Carol, won't you go home until I get well? Please dear, for my sake."

  Carol kissed the thumb once more and frowned at him. "You want toflirt with the nurses when you get out there, and are trying to get meout of the road. Every one says nurses are dangerous."

  "Carol, please."

  "Mrs. Sater has been talking to you. Oh, I knew it. She is a nice,kind, Christian woman, and loves us both, but, David, why doesn't Godteach some people to mind their own business? She is a good Christian,I know, dear, but I do believe there is still a little work of grace tobe done in her."

  David smiled a little, sadly.

  "Carol, it would break my heart if you got this from me."

  "I won't get it. They will teach us how to be careful and sanitary,and take proper precautions, and things like that. I am going to bevery, very careful. Why, honey, I won't get it. But, David, I wouldrather get it than go away and leave you. I couldn't do that. Ishould never be happy again if I left you when you were needing me."

  David turned his face to the wall. "Maybe, dear," he said very gently,"maybe it would be better if you did go home,--better for me. I needperfect rest you know, and we talk and laugh so much and have such goodtimes together. I don't know, possibly I might get well faster--alone."

  For a long moment Carol gazed at him in horror. "David," she gasped."Don't say that. Dear, I will go home if it makes you worse to haveme. I will do anything. I only want to help you. But I will be verynice and quiet, like a mouse, and never say a word, and not laugh once,if you take me with you. David, do I make you feel sicker? Does mychatter weary you? I thought I was helping to amuse you."

  "Carol, I can't lie like that even to send you away from me. Maybe Iought to, but I can't. Why, sweetheart, you are the only thing left inthe world. You are the world to me now. Dear, I said it for yoursake, not for mine, Carol, never for mine."

  Slowly the smiles struggled through the anguish in her face, and sheresumed her kissing of his fingers.

  "Silly old goose," she murmured; "big old silly goose. Just becausehe's a preacher he wants to boss all the time. Can't boss me. I won'tbe bossed. I like to boss myself. I won't let my beautiful old Davidgo off out there to flirt with the nurses and Indian girls and whoeverelse is out there. I should say not. I'll stick right along, andwhenever a woman turns our way, I'll shout, 'Married! He is mine!'"

  "Silly old goose," she murmured.]

  David laughed at her passionate discussion to herself.

  "Besides, I have been learning a lot of things. I've been talking tothe doctor privately when you couldn't hear."

  "Indeed!"

  "Oh, yes, and we are great friends. He says if we just live clean,white, sanitary lives, I am safe. I must keep strong and fat, and thegerms can't get a start. And he has been telling me lots of nicethings to do. David, I know I can help you. The doctor said so. Hesays I must be happy and gay, and be positively sure you will be wellagain in time, and I can do you more good than a tonic. Yes, he saidthat very thing, Doctor O'Hara did. Now please beg my pardon, andmaybe I'll forgive you."

  David promptly did, and peace was restored.

  A committee of brotherly ministers was sent out from the Presbytery tofind how things were going in the little manse in the Heights. Verygently, very tenderly they made their inquiries of Carol, and Carolanswered frankly.

  "With the furniture money we have six hundred dollars," she told them,rather proudly.

  "That's just fine. It will take you to Albuquerque and keep youstraight for a few months, and by that time we'll have things in handback here. You know, Mrs. Duke, you and David belong to us and we aregoing to see you through. And then when it is all over we'll get him achurch out there,--why, everything is going splendidly. Now remember,it may be a few months, or it may be ten years, but we are back of youand we are going to see you through. Don't ever wonder where nextmonth's board is to come from. It will come. It isn't charity, Mrs.Duke. It is just the big brotherhood of the church, that's all. Weare going to be your brothers, and fathers, and--mothers, too, if youwill have us."

  The devoted mansers rallied around them, weeping over them, giving themgood advice along with other more material, but not more helpful,assistance and declaring they always knew David was too good to live.And when Carol resentfully assured them that David was still very muchalive, and maybe wasn't as good as they thought, they retaliated bysuggesting that her life was in no danger on that score.

  On the occasion of Doctor O'Hara's last visit, Carol followed him outto the porch.

  "You haven't presented your bill," she reminded him. "And it's a goodthing for you we are preachers or we might have slipped away in thenight."

  "I haven't any bill against you," he said, smiling kindly down at her.

  Carol flushed. "Doctor," she protested. "We expected to pay you. Wehave the money. We don't want you to think we can't afford it. Weknew you were an expensive doctor, but we wanted you anyhow."

  He smiled again. "I know you have the money, but, my dear little girl,you are going to need every cent of it and more too before you get ridof this specter. But I couldn't charge David anything if he were amillionaire. Don't you understand,--this is the only way we doctorshave of showing what we think of the big work these preachers are doinghere and there around the country?"

  "But, doctor," said Carol confusedly, "we are--Presbyterians, youknow--we are Protestants."

  The doctor laughed. "And I am a Catholic. But what is your point?David is doing good work, not my kind perhaps, and not my way, but Ihope, my dear, we are big enough and broad enough to take off our hatsto a good worker whether he does things just our way or not."

  Carol looked abashed. She caught her under lip between her teeth andkept her eyes upon the floor for a moment. Finally she faced himbravely.

  "I wasn't big or broad,--not even a little teensy bit," she saidhonestly. "I was a little, shut-in, self-centered goose. But Ibelieve I am learning things now. You are grand," she said, holdingout her slender hand.

  The doctor took it in his. "Carol, don't forget to laugh when you getto Albuquerque. You will be sick, and sorry, and there will be sobs inyour heart, and your soul will cry aloud, but--keep laughing, for Davidis going to need it."

  Carol went directly to her husband.

  "David, I am learning lots of perfectly wonderful things. If I live tobe a thousand years old,--oh, David, I believe by that time I can loveeverybody on earth, and have sympathy for all and condemnation fornone; and I will really know that nearly every one in the world is_very good_, and those that are not are _pretty_ good."

  David burst into laughter at her words. "Poorly expressed, but finelymeant," he cried. "Are you trying to become the preacher in ourfamily?"

  "All packed up and ready
to start," she said thoughtfully, "andto-morrow night we leave our darling little manse, and our precious oldmansers and turn cowboy. Aren't you glad you didn't send me home?"