Carmen's Messenger

by Harold Bindloss

  III

  FOSTER MAKES A PROMISE

  There was been frost next evening and Foster drove to the Crossingwithout his comrade, who thought it wiser to stay at home. The reunionhe was going to attend was held annually by one or two mutual-improvementsocieties that combined to open their winter sessions. It had originallybegun with a lecture on art or philosophy, but had degenerated into asupper and dance. Supper came early, because in Canada the meal isgenerally served about six o'clock.

  The wooden hall was decorated with flags and cedar boughs, and wellfilled with young men and women, besides a number of older citizens. Thefloor and music were good, and Foster enjoyed two dances before he metCarmen Austin. He had not sought her out, because she was surrounded byothers, and he knew that if she wanted to dance with him she would lethim know. It was generally wise to wait Carmen's pleasure.

  When he left his last partner he stood in a quiet nook, looking about thehall. The girls were pretty and tastefully dressed, though generallypaler than the young Englishwomen he remembered. The men were athletic,and their well-cut clothes, which fitted somewhat tightly, showed theirfinely developed but rather lean figures. They had a virile, decidedlook, and an ease of manner that indicated perfect self-confidence.Indeed, some were marked by an air of smartness that was half aggressive.A large number were employed at the Hulton factory, but there werebrown-faced farmers and miners from the bush, as well as storekeepersfrom the town.

  On the whole, their dress, manners and conversation were American, andFoster was sometimes puzzled by their inconsistency. He liked thesepeople and got on well with them, but had soon discovered that in orderto do so he must abandon his English habits and idiosyncrasies. Hisneighbors often showed a certain half-hostile contempt for the customs ofthe Old Country, and he admitted that had he been less acquainted withtheir character, it would have been easy to imagine that Gardner'sCrossing was situated in Michigan instead of Ontario. Yet they hadrejected the Reciprocity Treaty on patriotic grounds, and in a recentcrisis had demonstrated their passionate approval of Britain's policy.He had no doubt that if the need came they would offer the mother countrythe best they had with generous enthusiasm, and nobody knew better thattheir best was very good.

  By and by Carmen dismissed the young men around her and summoned him witha graceful motion of her fan. He crossed the floor, and when he stoppedclose by with a bow that was humorously respectful she gave him a cool,approving glance. Foster was twenty-eight, but looked younger. Thoughhe had known hardship, his face was smooth, and when unoccupied he had agood-humored and somewhat languid air. He was tall and rather thin, butathletic toil had toughened and strengthened him, and he had frank grayeyes that generally smiled. A glove that looked significantly slackcovered his left hand, which had been maimed by a circular saw when heworked in his mill.

  Carmen was a blonde, but with none of the softness that oftencharacterizes this type of beauty. Her features were sharply cut, herwell-proportioned figure was firmly lined, and the lack of color in herface was made up for by the keen sparkle in her eyes. As a rule, CarmenAustin's wishes were carried out. She knew how to command, and rivalbeauties who now and then ventured to oppose her soon found that herpower was unshakable.

  "You haven't thought it worth while to ask for a dance yet," sheremarked, and Foster could not tell if she was offended or not.

  "No," he replied, smiling, "I was afraid of getting a disappointment,since I didn't know your plans, but only made a few engagements in caseyou sent for me. One finds it best to wait your orders."

  Carmen studied him thoughtfully. "You generally take the proper line;sometimes I think you're cleverer than you look. Anyway, one isn'tforced to explain things to you. Explaining what one wants is alwaysannoying."

  "Exactly. My business is to guess what you would like and carry it outas far as I can. When I'm right this saves you some trouble and gives mekeen satisfaction. It makes me think I am intelligent."

  "Our boys are a pretty good sample, but they don't talk like that. Isuppose you learned it in the Old Country. You know, you're veryEnglish, in some respects."

  "Well," said Foster, "that is really not my fault. I was born English,but I'll admit that I've found it a drawback since I came to Canada."

  Carmen indicated the chair next her. "You may sit down if you like. Youstart for the Old Country on Thursday, don't you?"

  "Thank you; yes," said Foster. "One likes to be in the fashion, and it'squite the proper thing to make the trip when work's finished for thewinter. You find miners saving their wages to buy a ticket, and theManitoba men sail across by dozens after a good harvest. As they oftenmaintain that the Old Country's a back number, one wonders why they go."

  "After all, I suppose they were born there."

  "That doesn't seem to count. As a rule, there's nobody more Canadianfirst of all than the man who's only a Canadian by adoption."

  "Then why do you want to go?"

  "I can't tell you. I had a hard life in England and, on the whole, wasglad to get away. Perhaps it's a homing instinct, like the pigeon's, andperhaps it's sentiment. We came out because nobody wanted us and havemade ourselves pretty comfortable. America's our model and we have nouse for English patronage, but every now and then the pull comes and welong to go back, though we wouldn't like to stop there. It's illogical,but if there was trouble in Europe and the Old Country needed help, we'dall go across."

  "In a mild way, the journey's something of an adventure," Carmensuggested. "Doesn't that appeal to a man?"

  "It does," Foster agreed. "One might imagine that there was enoughadventure here, but it really isn't so. The lone trail has a mineralclaim at the end of it; you look forward to the elevator company'sreceipt when you break the new furrow. Hardship gets as monotonous ascomfort; you want something fresh, a job, in fact, that you don'tundertake for money. Of course, if you look at it economically, this isfoolish."

  "I like you better as a sentimentalist than a philosopher," Carmenanswered. "It's the former one goes to when one wants things done.However, if you would like a dance----"

  She danced well and Foster knew there were men in the hall who enviedhim. He, moreover, imagined that Carmen knew it would be remarked thatshe had banished her other attendants and shown him special favor. This,of course, would not trouble her, because Carmen generally did what shepleased, but he felt inclined to wonder about her object. He knew herwell enough to think she had an object. When the music stopped she said,"Now you may take me in to supper."

  Supper was served in an ante-room, but, although this was contrary tolocal custom, the guests came in when they liked and were provided withsmall, separate tables. Instead of Foster's leading, Carmen guided himto a quiet nook, partly screened by cedar branches, where they could seewithout being seen. He thought it significant that a spot with suchadvantages should be unoccupied, but this did not cause him muchsurprise. Things generally happened as Carmen wanted, and it was aprivilege to sup with the prettiest and cleverest girl in the hall.

  "You are going to stay at Featherstone's home in England, aren't you?"she asked by and by.

  "Yes," said Foster, who wondered how she knew. "Since I've spent tenyears on the plains and in the bush, it will be a rather embarrassingchange. You see, I'm better used to bachelor shacks and logging campsthan English country houses."

  Carmen firmly brought him back to the subject. "Do you know much aboutyour partner's relatives? It's obvious that he belongs to a good family.However, you'll have him with you."

  Foster smiled. He did not mean to tell her that Featherstone was notgoing with him.

  "I know nothing about them. In fact, my ignorance of the habits of agood family rather weighs on my mind."

  Carmen gave him a level, critical glance. "They won't be able to findmuch fault with you, and if they did, you wouldn't guess it, so itwouldn't matter. But that is not what I meant. You have beenFeatherstone's partner for some time, and it's curious that
he has toldyou nothing about his home."

  "He's reserved," said Foster, who looked up as Daly came into the roomwith a laughing girl, at whom Carmen glanced somewhat coldly. "Do youknow what that man is doing here?"

  "I don't, but as he's agent for an engineering company, I dare say he'slooking for orders. Hulton's are buying new plant."

  "But he's often in your father's office and at your house, and Mr. Austindoesn't buy machines."

  "Then perhaps he's speculating in building lots; we deal in them," Carmenrejoined with a laugh. "I sometimes meet my father's friends, but don'task them about their business."

  She went on with her supper, and Daly and his companion sat down not faroff. The fellow was well dressed and on the whole a handsome man, thoughthere was nothing about him to excite marked attention. He looked alittle older than Foster, who studied him thoughtfully. Daly had soldone or two machines in the neighborhood of the Crossing, but the businesshe did there hardly seemed to warrant his visit. It was possible that hemade it an excuse for watching Featherstone, but Foster fancied thatCarmen knew more about him than she confessed.

  "Perhaps you will visit Scotland before you come back," she said by andby.

  "It's possible. Featherstone's relations live near the Border."

  "Then I dare say you will take a packet for me to Edinburgh."

  "Of course," said Foster, who felt some surprise, and thought Carmen sawthis although she looked at him gratefully.

  "I know you'll take care of it, and you don't ask questions; but youwonder why I want to send it by you. Well, the girls are inquisitive inour post office, and I'm sending the packet to a man. Besides, Iwouldn't like it damaged, and things sometimes get broken in the mail."

  Foster said this often happened and hinted that the man was fortunate,but Carmen laughed.

  "Oh," she said, "he's as old as my father; we have friends in the OldCountry. But there really is a little secret about the matter, and Idon't want anybody but you to see the packet."

  "Very well; but I believe the Customs searchers, who examine yourbaggage, are sometimes officious. They might think I was trying tosmuggle and make me open the thing."

  "No; they wouldn't suspect you. You have such a careless and innocentlook. For all that, your friends know you can be trusted."

  "Thank you! I suppose I'm lucky, because one meets people whose looks areagainst them. Anyhow, I'll take the packet, and if necessary, protect itwith my life."

  "It won't be necessary," Carmen answered, smiling. Although she talkedabout other matters for some minutes before she told him to take her backto the hall, he imagined this was tactful politeness and she did not wantto dismiss him too soon after obtaining her object.

  He danced one or two dances with other partners and enjoyed them keenly.His work was finished for the winter, and after the strenuous toil of thelast ten years, it was a new and exhilarating experience to feel atliberty. Then there was no reason he should deny himself the pleasure heexpected to derive from his trip. Their small mill was only adapted forthe supply of certain kinds of lumber, for which there was now not muchdemand, and they had not enough money to remodel it, while business wouldnot get brisk again until the spring.

  By and by he went to the smoking-room and lighting a cigarette, thoughtover what Carmen had said to him. At first she had seemed anxious tofind out something about Featherstone, but he was not surprised by this.Carmen liked to know as much as possible about everybody she met, andused her knowledge cleverly when it was to her advantage. The othermatter was more puzzling and he wondered why she wanted to send a packetsecretly to a man as old as her father. It might, of course, be acaprice, because girls were fond of mystery, but, as a rule, Carmen had apractical object for what she did. She had stated that they had friendsin England, and this might mean that she had a lover. Perhaps she hadexaggerated his age, and in any case, Foster thought it would not be agreat drawback, if the man were rich. Carmen was rather ambitious thanromantic.

  Her plans, however, were not his business, and he felt no jealousy. Heliked Carmen and had some respect for her abilities, but thought he wouldsooner not marry her, even if she were willing, which was mostimprobable. Since he had promised to take the packet, he would do so andsay nothing about the matter.

  He left the hall early, and driving home found his partner sitting by thestove.

  "Was Daly at the reunion?" Featherstone asked.

  Foster said he was there, and Featherstone resumed thoughtfully: "It'scurious he hasn't come to the mill yet, but if he doesn't turn up beforeThursday, he'll be too late. I'll be ready to start with you by theafternoon train, and as there's no use in spoiling a good plan for a fewdollars, I'll buy a ticket and check my baggage to Ottawa. Then I'll getoff at Streeton Creek, where I won't have long to wait if the west-boundtrain's on time. You can express my things on from Ottawa. The Montrealexpress stops about an hour."

  "That ought to throw Daly off the track," Foster agreed, and they talkedabout something else.