Stranger within the Gates

by Grace Livingston Hill

  Mary Garland did not call her oldest son again. She reasoned that he probably wouldn't be back from Buffalo until very late that night, or maybe not till morning, and there would be another day's studies, maybe more examinations. She wouldn't disturb him now until his day's work was done. She had waited so long, she would wait until Rex had a chance to call her, or else to come in answer to her telegram.

  It was not until ten o'clock the next morning that Rex called, and then he was in a tremendous hurry. By that time the children had departed for school again, in comparative contentment. Somehow the night's sleep seemed to have quieted their anxieties. The letter of yesterday morning that had caused such consternation seemed more like an ugly dream now, and after one quick reassuring look at their mother, they put on their accustomed smiles and ate their breakfast with a brisk cheerfulness that was almost normal.

  Only Sylvia, as she left, whispered earnestly, "Mother, if--if--anything unusual happens, or--they're coming quickly, or--something--you'll telephone me to come home, won't you?"

  And Mary Garland gave her thoughtful girl a loving smile and promised.

  It was a hard morning for the mother to go through, and she spent more time upon her knees than she had done for several years. So when at last the telephone rang and she heard Rex's big boy-voice booming over the wire, her heart leaped with a quick response and tears sprang to her eyes.

  "Rex!" she said yearningly. "Oh, Rex! Where have you been?"

  "Been? Why, I've been to Buffalo! Didn't they tell you I was playing on the basketball team last night? I just got back. They promised to phone you. I didn't have a second. Just had time to throw my stuff in the bag and run. It was a swell game, Moms, and we won! How's that fer just a soph? Now, say, what's the little old idea sending me that telegram, Moms? You know that I can't do that. Why, I have two exams today and another tamorra morning. How d'ya think I can leave before vacation? These are important exams. Whaddya mean?"

  "I meant what I said, Rex. I want you to come home at once!"

  "And flunk my exams? What's the idea, Moms? You never talked that way before. You were always keen about my passing everything."

  Mary Garland's voice was full of tears as she answered, firmly, determinedly: "But things are different now, Rex. If what you wrote me in your last letter is true, then examinations have nothing to do with you anymore."

  "Aw, you don't understand, Moms," said Rex impatiently. "They don't have any of those old-time straitlaced rules here anymore. That's all right, Moms, and besides, nobody knows--"

  "Rex, I want you to come home at once! Don't even stop to pack. We can attend to that later. I want you now!"

  "Aw, heck, Moms! You just don't understand. And I haven't got any time to argue. There goes the bell, and I'm expected to be in my seat in three minutes! Goo'bye, Moms! See you soon. Be home as planned and can't come sooner! I'm as busy as a one-armed paper hanger with fleas! So long, Moms!"

  "But, Rex--" He was gone!

  Chapter 4

  Sylvia was on the watch as the bus neared the corner where Rance Nelius usually boarded it. She wasn't sure whether this was one of his days to get on here or not. Still, it was nearing vacation time and there were no regular rules at such a time. But he was not in sight, and she decided that probably his work up this direction was over for the week.

  She felt a distinct sense of disappointment as the bus started on again, wondering now where she would be able to see him that day. Would she have to call him up after all? She had a feeling that she would like to get it settled so that nothing could happen to prevent it.

  Then the bus lurched to a sudden stop, and looking back to the corner, she saw him running. That must have been his whistle she had heard a second before. The memory of it came back on the air now, like a living sound. A clear, sharp whistle! And the bus driver was watching him come with a look of interest on his face, as if Rance was one of his favorite travelers.

  "Thanks awfully!" said Rance as he swung himself aboard and dropped his fare into the hand of the driver. "I got held up, and I was afraid I was going to be late to my class."

  The driver's eyes lit up with the expression of admiration that a bus driver sometimes wears for daily passengers, and Rance smiled his nice, friendly smile as he turned to hunt a seat. Then he saw Sylvia.

  Sylvia's eyes were alight with friendliness, too, and she slid over to the corner of the seat and made room for him, for the bus was rather full and there were only two or three other places at the back.

  Rance came over and sat down beside her eagerly.

  "I thought I was going to be left behind," he explained, smiling, as he settled his pile of books in his lap and looked at her with that intimate friendliness that he had shown yesterday. "You see, I'm coaching a kid to pass some examinations for next semester in high school, and this morning he had a lot of questions to ask me at the last minute, so I got behind. It was nice of the driver to wait. He's an accommodating fellow."

  "Well," he said as he studied her face keenly, "what do you know? Anything happened that is going to make it possible for you to take in the concert Saturday night?"

  Sylvia hadn't any idea what a flood of pleasure swept over her face as she answered. She was lovely like her lady-mother, but she had never taken much notice of it herself, so her loveliness was utterly unspoiled.

  "Why, yes," she said. "I think I can go! I talked with Mother about it, and she didn't seem to think anything would interfere then. You see, we, I--" Then she stopped in hopeless confusion. She didn't want to tell Rance Nelius that her young brother had gone and got married without their knowledge and was going to bring his unknown bride home, maybe that night.

  Rance Nelius's face lit up with gladness, as if she had just promised something that he had wanted for a long time.

  "Say, I'm glad!" he said. "You know, I haven't had much time to make friends this winter, and it isn't such fun to go off on an adventure all by yourself."

  "No, I guess not," said Sylvia sympathetically. "I've never had to do that much. I've always had two big brothers, till they went away to college."

  Nelius's glance kindled.

  "That's nice," he said. "I'd like to know your brothers sometime. They would be worth knowing, I'm sure."

  "I think they are," said Sylvia modestly, and then like a sharp thrust in her heart came the memory of what Rex had done. Was Rex worth knowing? Would she always have to think a little less of Rex after this? Would this burden never lighten through the years? Her face grew suddenly somber at the thought.

  But people all made mistakes; many of them sinned and were forgiven, the sin forgotten, the mistake mended. Only, marriage was such a final thing! It just couldn't be mended or forgotten. One always carried the blight of the wrong marriage. And anyway, doing it the way Rex had! Oh, of course, there were people who thought a wrong marriage could be made right by divorce, but the Garlands were not brought up that way. In their minds that could never be a cure for what Rex had done!

  Her thoughts went rambling off till suddenly she realized that Rance had asked her a question about her brothers.

  "Will they be coming home for Christmas?"

  "Oh, yes," she said.

  "Then perhaps I'll have a chance to see them."

  "Yes," said Sylvia thoughtfully. "I'd like you to. I know they would like to know you. I'll arrange it when they get here and I see what their plans are to be. Are you in the city all during the holidays?"

  "Yes," said the young man, suddenly grave. "I have to. My mother died last summer-- the last of our immediate family--and I'm on my own now. Oh, there are places I could go, relatives, but I'd rather just stay here. They don't really want me very badly, and I don't especially want them." He grinned.

  She smiled understandingly.

  "Oh, I'm sorry," she said. "Mothers would be hard to do without. Mine is wonderful. My father is gone, but we all depend so on Mother. And Mother will be glad to welcome you, I know. We usually have quite a crowd when we ar
e all home and our friends come in."

  "That must be wonderful," said the young man wistfully. "I always thought it would be great to belong to a large family. I have been keeping as busy as I could this last year so I wouldn't feel lonely, but I shall enjoy knowing some real people. That's one trouble with attending a city university and not living in the dormitory with the rest; you don't get to know many intimately. And to tell the truth, those you do know are not always the kind you would select. Well, here we are again. It's seemed a shorter distance than usual. That's what it is to have company on the way." He gave her a bright smile as they rose to get out of the bus.

  "I'm so glad you are going to be able to go Saturday night," he said as they fell into step again entering the university grounds. "I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I'm going to. I was almost afraid I would have to take the poor old legendary musician as my companion. His eyes twinkled in amusement.

  The look in his eyes stayed with Sylvia all the morning as she went about her work, and it seemed to lighten her heart and keep her mind away from the possibilities of the immediate future. Though whenever she thought of taking Rance Nelius home to meet them all at Christmas and what a happy thing it could be, there would be a sudden dashing of her hopes at the thought of Rex. Could she possibly be glad to introduce her handsome brother Rex to Rance? Could she ever explain his foolishness in marrying while he was still in college? And then her young heart would cry out quietly to God: Oh, God! Won't You please help us? Somehow save Rex from this awful thing that he has done! Somehow make it come out right for us all! Again and again she found herself praying this, as she sat studying or while she was driving herself through the examination that filled the closing hours of the morning session.

  Sylvia was a beautiful girl, perhaps after the old-fashioned idea of beauty more than the modern one. Her complexion was clear and healthy, with a lovely flush of her own that was not applied daily. Her eyes were wide and blue with dark lashes and delicate dark, straight brows. They were eyes that looked at you levelly and unafraid. Her lips were their own natural color, curved often into merry smiles and bringing along a dimple or two when her heart was glad. Her hair was golden brown and needed no permanent wave, as one had come with her when she was born, and bright little tendrils of curls fluffed about her face making a soft setting for her every expression. Even her brothers were wont to think of her as beautiful, though Sylvia had no notion of it herself. The most of her thoughts were for the others, her dear family; if they were happy, it always made her as glad as if the happiness had been hers personally.

  That morning as she sat at her work, there was something unusually lovely about her, as if a fairy gift had been given her. Sometimes she found herself wondering why she was so pleased that Rance was glad to have her go. At any rate, little by little she ceased to be worried about the situation at home and what it might be when he came after her. She had a feeling of assurance that whatever happened, Rance would understand and take it all in good part. She did not know that more than once that morning Rance Nelius made an errand past the door of the room where she was and turned his head to get a glimpse of her.

  The last class in the afternoon was the one that they had together, and when Sylvia gathered up her books and started toward the cloakroom, her glance met his, and she was not surprised when she came out into the hall to find him standing by the outer door waiting for her.

  "Do you mind if I walk a little way and find out where I am to come Saturday night?" he asked as they went down the walk to the entrance together.

  "Mind?" said Sylvia. "Why, that would be delightful. Let's walk all the way! I feel as if I had been cramped up for a week! It will be nice to get some exercise. Unless that will keep you too long from something."

  "No," he said happily. "I haven't anything to be kept from for once. Just one more exam tomorrow afternoon, and I'm fairly sure of that. It's my major, so I'm not going to worry. How did it go with you this afternoon? Those questions weren't so bad, were they?"

  "No," said Sylvia with a little laugh of relief. "I was surprised. I expected they would be terrible. I think perhaps I did fairly well, all but the second question. I wasn't at all sure of that. I suppose you knew it all and didn't have to hesitate."

  "No," said Rance, "I wasn't sure of everything. That second question I thought was rather tricky."

  And then they launched into a discussion of their studies, and Sylvia felt the thrill of being on a level with this young man who was considered bright, though he seemed utterly humble and unconscious of his superior knowledge. So she chattered on just as she would have done with one of her brothers.

  As they came to the corner where Sylvia usually met Stan and Fae, she gave a quick look around. What would they think if they saw her coming with a strange man? Would Stan be apt to frown and think she was starting something like Rex's affair?

  But neither of the children were in sight, and then she remembered. The university class had been much longer than usual, and perhaps Stan and Fae had been dismissed early that afternoon, or more likely kept for some Christmas doings. Well, it was just as well. She didn't want things complicated.

  They were getting very well acquainted on this walk. They liked many of the same things, had enjoyed the same books and the same lectures, and they seemed to have made much the same judgments about their professors. They spoke the same language. Both of them realized that.

  "This part of the city is beautiful, isn't it?" said Rance, looking around admiringly. "I haven't been out this way before."

  "Why, yes," said Sylvia, looking up half in wonder. "I suppose it is. I never think about it much. We've lived here all our lives and got used to it, I guess. The houses are rather old-fashioned, but they are big and pleasant and have ground around them. There are a few beautiful gardens. We all went to school first down that street, about three blocks away, and the high school was in the same direction. Yes, it's been nice here, and we love it. This is our house," Sylvia said, turning in at the big stone gateway. Then suddenly it came upon her what might have happened since she left that morning! Had Rex come home yet? Should she risk inviting Rance to come in? Yet it was so awkward not to do it. Rance walked with her up to the house, studying it, noting the homelike-ness of the place, the tall perimeter nets of the snowbound tennis court, the outlines of the garden beds.

  "It looks like such a pleasant home," he said with a wistfulness in his eyes and tone that was most appealing. She couldn't help inviting him in.

  "You'll come in and meet Mother?" she said, trying to speak in an easy manner. "I hope she's home this afternoon."

  He smiled down at her.

  "Not this afternoon," he said. "I'll save that pleasure for Saturday night, if I may. I wanted to find out just where I was coming. Now I shall not miss my way. You have a lovely home," he added, giving an admiring glance up at the house again. "I like it." His eyes met hers once more, with a satisfied look that gave her a little breathless feeling. "Good-bye. I'll see you in the morning," he said, and with a wave of his hand he was gone. Sylvia stood still and watched him walk briskly down the drive and out the gate, thinking what a good time she had had for the last hour, in fact for the whole day, so far. Now, what would be coming next?

  She walked slowly into the house, almost afraid to stop and listen. But when she got inside the hall, there was no sound anywhere except the canary in the dining room yelling till it seemed he would fairly split his yellow throat.

  She ran upstairs to her mother's room, but she was not there. She called and looked about, but there came no answer. She could hear Selma down in the kitchen putting away pots and pans.

  She went into her own room, and there on her desk she found a little note:

  Sylvia dear,

  No developments. I have gone to the church to help with the Christmas luncheon for the mothers of the mission primary class. Will be back about five. Get your Christmas things finished, and don't worry.

  Mother

  She d
rew a deep breath of relief. Nothing happened yet! Perhaps, after all, there wasn't anything. Maybe it was just one of Rex's jokes. She hadn't been able to think that before, because Rex was too kindhearted and loved Mother too much to keep her in anxiety all this time. But surely he must have meant it for a joke and was sure she would understand. Oh, if it could only be that!

  So Sylvia got out her Christmas cards and went at addressing the ones she hadn't yet finished. One of them she lingered over--a charming artistic card, not very large, but lovely. It was a soft, beautiful etching of the wise men following a star, and a brief text in script: "We have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him." She had set it aside with Rance Nelius in mind, and now she addressed it to him with a pleasant sense that it was all right. Mother would approve, she was certain. Somehow that walk home had made her entirely sure of that.

  Then she went happily to work on an unfinished bureau set she had been making for Fae's room. While she worked she kept thinking of things they had talked about on the way home. Rance was very nice. Oh, if only everything were all right so they could have the party of old friends they had planned, and she might invite Rance. She knew they would all like Rance. He would fit in perfectly. But now--!

  Then her mind trailed off, wondering if she could bring herself to tell Rance about Rex. Suppose he came here for her Saturday night and Rex and his new wife should walk in! Rex looking so young and boyish and having a wife! She couldn't bear the thought of having to tell Rance Nelius that her brother had done such a wild thing as to get married that way. Oh, if it only didn't have to be!

  Then she heard the children's voices, Fae's pitched high with excitement. She remembered that Fae's school was to have their Christmas play rehearsal that afternoon. That was why the house had been so empty.