CHAPTER XVI--BILLY FINDS A FATHER
The moment the two girls had Mr. Fabian outside of the Studio, wherethey could talk in perfect freedom, they told him of their secret plan.
"We are going to keep the baby for a few weeks and see that he isperfectly trained, then we are going to present him to dear Mr. Dalken,"began Polly, eagerly.
"Oh, but we will try and find a sensible woman who will take all care ofhim, and Mr. Dalken can enjoy Billy when he is at home with nothing elseto do," added Eleanor.
Mr. Fabian was speechless, then he smiled. "Does our friend know aboutthis?"
"Mercy sakes, no! We want to surprise him. We thought it would be fine,if we could keep the baby that long, to leave him at Mr. Dalken'sapartment on Thanksgiving morning," returned Polly.
"Don't you think he would like that?" from Eleanor, eagerly.
"Mr. Dalken is now out west on important business, so of course, hedoesn't know a thing about Billy, unless he read about it in the NewYork papers," remarked Mr. Fabian, thoughtfully. "I don't suppose hewill take time to glance over every news item in the papers, as he istoo preoccupied, at present, with the financial pages."
"Well, what has that to do with our plan?" asked Eleanor.
"He won't know a thing about the baby, and you can easily keep the ideasecret until Thanksgiving, if you can get the right kind of a woman totake daily care of the boy. Of course, you were going to do that,anyway, were you not?"
"I suppose so--we really hadn't got as far as that in our planning,"admitted Polly.
"But we will, Mr. Fabian, now that you have mentioned it. How shall weknow if we have the right sort of nurse?" added Eleanor.
"I'll call up Ashby. I was there for dinner to-night, and they told meof a woman they know well, who is compelled to earn her living, becauseof family reverses. Shall we stop in the hotel across the street and usethe booth there?"
"Oh, yes! Let's, Mr. Fabian!" exclaimed Eleanor.
"No time like the present when you have any important work to do," addedPolly.
Mr. Fabian left the door of the telephone booth slightly ajar so the twogirls could assist in the conversation. He soon had Mr. Ashby's housenumber and asked if Mr. or Mrs. Ashby were in.
Shortly thereafter a man's voice was heard talking on the wire. "Is thisFabian--oh, yes. What can I do for you, old man?"
Then Mr. Fabian replied: "Why, I called upon my girls at the Studio thisevening, after I left you, and I found the most astonishing addition totheir family circle. A little baby boy was left on their door-step, itseems. A fine little fellow, too.
"So far, no one has called to claim him, and should no one come, the twogirls have a plan to place him in a good home. They told me all aboutit, and I rather approve of the idea, too. But what they need, at once,is an experienced, capable woman to take care of the boy, untilThanksgiving Day--perhaps after that, if she is found to besatisfactory.
"I thought, at once, of that woman that Mrs. Ashby and you were speakingof, at table, to-night. Do you suppose she would consider a position assecond-mother to a baby?"
The girls strained their ears to hear the reply but Mr. Ashby spoke toolow, and they could but judge what he said by Mr. Fabian's wordsafterward.
"Fine! If Mrs. Ashby will not consider it too much trouble. And she willbring Martha down to-morrow afternoon when the girls are home fromschool?"
Polly and Eleanor smiled with relief, and Mr. Fabian said over the'phone, "All right! Thanks, Ashby. And thank your wife for the twogirls, too, who are waiting here for the verdict."
As the three left the hotel again, Mr. Fabian said: "Now that much issatisfactorily settled for you, and Billy shall have a good woman tolook after him, if he is still unclaimed to-morrow afternoon."
The girls were altogether too inexperienced to realize that it wascurious how easily the Ashbys, Mr. Dalken's most intimate friends, andMr. Fabian agreed to such a strange plan as trying to saddle a foundlingbaby on a man who lived a hermit's life when in his own home.
They never questioned the readiness with which these friends acceptedtheir proposition, but they were delighted at the "lucky chance" thatbrought a woman to Mrs. Ashby on the very day that they began to thinkof employing a woman-nurse for the baby.
Mr. Fabian walked back to the Studio door with them, smiling at theirdreams of future bliss for Mr. Dalken. In fact, their thoughts traveledso far into the future, that they saw Billy a fine young man and Mr.Dalken, white-haired and bent, depending on his beloved adopted son foreverything.
The four inmates of the Studio were not aware that they had been keptsingularly free from constant annoyance from reporters and police. Nordid they realize that the short news article that had appeared in thepapers, had been a wonderful story to catch the eyes of curious readers,but _some_one in authority had ordered it "cut" to an inch.
The afternoon following Mr. Fabian's visit to the girls, they hurriedhome from school and found Mrs. Ashby's car in front of the house. Theyquickly entered the front door and greeted her with a smiling welcome.
"I see you have Billy in hand, already," laughed Polly.
"Yes; isn't he a friendly little fellow?" replied Mrs. Ashby.
"Wonderful! We never knew babies were so easy to live with," addedEleanor.
"Mrs. Stewart took Martha upstairs to show her how you managed for thebaby. He may need extra things, or other conveniences," suggested Mrs.Ashby.
Even as she spoke, the sound of steps was heard descending the frontstairs, and soon after, Mrs. Stewart led Martha in, and introduced herto Polly and Eleanor. The girls liked the refined look and quietsensible words and manners of the nurse-to-be.
"Isn't it splendid that Martha should have been relieved, last week, ofjust such a position as we now need her for? She was in the countrytaking charge of a baby of about this boy's age, but some friends cameand took him away, so she was free to find another position," explainedMrs. Ashby.
Martha handled Billy as if she was an expert, and the boy crowed andtried to talk to her, as if he had known her all his life.
"I never saw a friendlier baby than this one. He smiles and is contentedwith anybody, and that will make it fine for Martha," remarked Mrs.Stewart.
So it was immediately decided to retain Martha during the day, but shewould have to find a place to lodge, nearby and leave Billy with thegirls during the night. This pleased them well, for they did not wish torelinquish all rights of attendance on their baby to a stranger.
"I may as well remain for the rest of this afternoon, Madam," saidMartha, speaking to Mrs. Ashby, "as I have no other place to go."
"How about seeking for a room in the neighborhood and taking it to-day?You may not have a free half hour, like this, again," suggested Mrs.Ashby.
Martha silently acquiesced but she cast a troubled gaze at the child;when Eleanor picked him up by the arms, she immediately corrected themistake, by saying, "Miss, you should always hold a baby at his age,about the waist--a hand on each side of him. _Never_ by the arms!"
Mrs. Ashby offered to drive Martha about to hunt up a furnished room, sothe girls said good-by to their callers.
That evening was school-night again, and Mr. Fabian was interested inhearing if Martha had proved satisfactory. Even Ruth Ashby took apersonal interest in the baby-boy, now that Martha was to be his nurse.
"Do you know Martha?" asked Polly, surprised.
"Of course. Wasn't she mother's nurse, years ago?"
"Oh--I thought she was a lady of means who had just lost everything,"remarked Eleanor.
"Well, it is this way. When mother was a little mite Martha was a girlof about fourteen. Grandma engaged her to push mother's carriage out fora walk every day. Then Martha grew up and married and mother never sawher again, for a long time.
"Her husband's nephew came to live with them, as Martha never had anychildren, but her nephew grew up and married. Then Martha's husbanddied, and she went to live with the nephew and his wife. They werewell-to-do young people, and Martha had
an easy life there.
"They had a baby, and Martha took care of him, as if she was his ownmother. Then the nephew enlisted in the war and was killed 'over there.'His wife pined a lot, and during the epidemic of the flu, last Winter,she took it and died, too.
"That left Martha with the baby, but she hadn't a cent to live on,because there was only the money the baby ought to have had from theGovernment, because of losing his father in battle. But Martha didn'tunderstand how to go about getting it, and when a friend of hers offeredto find a good home for the baby, the poor great-aunt consented. She hadno other choice, as she would have to work herself, and could not behampered by a little boy.
"Then she came to mother and that is how it all happened."
"I wonder what became of her grand-nephew?" asked Polly.
"Mother begged of me not to mention it, and never to refer to the past,when Martha was about," said Ruth, seriously.
"I suppose the poor thing misses her little nephew so much!" observedPolly, sympathetically.
"Yes, that must be the reason," agreed Ruth.
Mr. Fabian listened attentively and approved of Mrs. Ashby's advice toher daughter.
No one came to claim Billy, and the days passed swiftly for theself-appointed mothers of the boy. He was so merry and good-natured achild, that Mrs. Stewart sighed when she thought of the Studio withouthim. Before November passed, he could walk all alone and even tried toclimb the stairs.
Martha was a jewel with him. She never seemed too tired to do things forhim. She it was, who taught him his table manners and insisted upon hissaying "Plee" and "Tant" for anything. He could say "Dadda" and"Biddy"--the latter meaning himself.
Polly and Eleanor spent every spare moment teaching him newaccomplishments, so that before the middle of Thanksgiving month, theboy really was unusually precocious and well-behaved.
Mr. Dalken returned to New York the third week in November andimmediately sent out cards to his friends for a dinner-party. It wasvery private, only the circle acquainted with Polly and Eleanor were tobe his guests. But they had a good time, nevertheless, and Mr. Dalkenappeared more cheerful than of yore.
"Now what do you suppose I called you together for?" said he, after thetable had been cleared of the roast and everyone was ready to listenwhile waiting for salad.
"Dear me, I hope you are not going to spring a sensational surprise onus!" Eleanor said, her face expressing worry.
Everyone laughed, but Mr. Dalken said: "What would you call asensation?"
"Oh, well! in case you were married while in Chicago! That would ruin myhopes," interpolated Polly, anxiously.
A general laugh greeted this, and Mr. Dalken retorted:
"I hadn't even dreamed of such a possibility, but now that you plainlyshow me how you have been hoping I would propose to you, I may as welltake my medicine like a man!"
"Me--you--propose! What _are_ you talking of?" cried Polly, aghast.
Everyone laughed teasingly, but Eleanor explained quickly. "Hemisunderstood your reason for worrying, Polly. Just like a man--theythink one is always thinking of marriage, even when there are greatcharities being perfected."
Mr. Dalken now showed his surprise, and asked what really was the causeof Polly's anxiety.
"Oh, you'll see some day. We can't tell you now!" laughed Eleanor.
"Then I may as well confess to you-all and tell you what my surprise is.
"I finished my business in Chicago much sooner than I had hoped for, andwent on to Pebbly Pit to see how things were progressing. I had adelightful visit at the ranch, and am able to say that work has reachedthe point, now, where the mining machines will start working next week,unless snow stops everything."
"Oh, then you saw father and mother!" cried Polly, eagerly.
"Yes, and I have all sorts of good things for you from home. A jar ofpreserves, and a dozen or more of glasses filled with jelly and otherdelectable sweets that Sary insisted that I carry to you. I did my bestto explain that it would be cheaper and safer if she sent them byexpress or parcel post--but no! She told me 'A bird in th' hand is wuthtwo er three in a bush.'"
Polly and Eleanor instantly visualized Sary as she made this remark, andthey laughed merrily.
Mr. Dalken then repeated minutest details of the work on Rainbow Cliffs,and the gold mine on Grizzly Slide. As everything promised so well, thegirls felt elated at their future prospects.
Mr. Ashby wanted to know if his friend had succeeded in buying any morestock for him, and Mr. Dalken replied: "You'll have to wait untilLatimer issues another block. No one I know of will sell any of whatthey hold."
The evening passed pleasantly with intimate matters to speak of, and atlast Anne said: "We must be going, Mr. Dalken. The girls have one oftheir long class days, to-morrow, you know."
"Yes, and Martha will want to go to bed," added Mrs. Stewart.
"Who's Martha? Got a servant at last?" asked Mr. Dalken.
"Why, no, Martha--" Mrs. Stewart began innocently, but the two girlswildly interrupted her. Polly shouted unusually loud for her, "Oh, I amso tired!"
Eleanor had managed to wink her eyes warningly at Mrs. Stewart, and thatlady realized that she had almost "put her foot in it." Mr. Dalkennoticed something was disturbing the two girls, but he never dreamedwhat it was.
The following evening, at art class, Mr. Fabian had news for the twogirls. "Mr. Ashby has invited Mr. Dalken to have his Thanksgiving Dinnerwith his family, and that will give you the opportunity you need, to getBilly settled in his new home."
"Oh, how can we part from him!" sighed Eleanor, wiping an eye, as shepictured the lonely rooms.
"Yes--" sighed Polly, mournfully. "That's the worst of having a dog or ababy that you become so fond of."
"But you will see Billy three nights a week, and you never could havekept him for yourselves, you know," said Mr. Fabian.
Thanksgiving Day Martha seemed all upset. The idea of moving the baby toa new home, and perhaps not being welcome, made her cry softly, now andthen. The little family at the Studio, instead of being very gratefulfor all the blessings they had had during the past year, went aboutlooking forlorn and miserable.
They went to the Latimers for dinner that noon, and left Martha with thebaby. It had been planned that they would get back home by eight o'clockand accompany their baby-gift over to Mr. Dalken's apartment. Billywould be placed in bed where his new foster father would find him, andthen would come the joy of it all.
The plans worked out as expected to a certain degree. Mr. Dalken went upto the Ashbys for dinner, and a little after eight o'clock, a mournfulprocession wended its way from the Studio door. Martha carried Billycarefully. Polly and Eleanor carried the tub, chair, and other articlesof use for the baby. Anne carried the bundles of clothing, and Mrs.Stewart carried the milk-warmer, the other food-equipment, and the extrablankets.
Mr. Dalken's chauffeur opened the door to admit the visitors, but whenhe saw the burdens the ladies carried, he was speechless. Eleanor triedto explain that they had a new boy for Mr. Dalken, but Henri seemed notto appreciate the fact.
Billy was gurgling and trying to get his active fists out of the quiltedblanket, but Martha held him firmly until she had him in the bedroomwhere Mr. Dalken slept.
"We are going to leave him right in the middle of this big bed, Henri,so his new father will find him when he comes in to-night," explainedEleanor, arranging the baby's bedding on the large expanse ofbed-spread.
Billy was arrayed for the night, and everyone kissed him tearfully, asif he was about to be placed in his coffin. Then Martha gave him a drinkof warm milk and placed him in his blankets.
Hardly had they tucked him up, before the bell at the entrance rangimperatively. Henri glanced distractedly at the baby and then at theother visitors, before he turned to answer the call. It rang a secondtime before he opened the door.
"Let's turn down the light and hide behind the velour portieres,"whispered Anne, anxiously.
The five guilty members of the surpri
se-party quickly hid themselves asbest they could, but not so soon, but that they heard Henri returning.He was talking, and other voices were replying.
"I donno why the missee's come in an' fetch a bebby. Dey say 'He a bigsurprise,' Mr. Dalken."
To the amazement of the hidden ones, Mr. Dalken's voice now replied:"Never mind, Henri. I'll be out with my visitors, in a moment. I onlywant to get a handkerchief from the dresser."
The five culprits saw him switch up the lights and they then heard Billywelcome the unusual privilege with a gurgle. Not a sound came from theman who must have heard the baby-voice and seen the occupant of hismassive four-poster.
Polly could stand it no longer. She had to peep out at what was goingon. The first thing she saw, was Eleanor's head showing from the side ofthe other portiere. Both girls watched the scene with bated breath.
Mr. Dalken stood beside the bed, looking down at the little bundle thatmade a dent in the middle of his comfortable mattress. Billy was wavinghis fists invitingly, as if to say, "Come on and fight!"
As the two girls watched him, Mr. Dalken smiled and said: "So _you_ areBilly Martin, are you?"
The two eaves-droppers glanced at each other in consternation. "How andwhy did Mr. Dalken call _their_ baby Billy Martin?"
"Well, Billy, suppose we go out and see what your Daddy thinks of you.For my part, I say you're just about perfect." As Mr. Dalken spoke, hecarefully lifted the willing baby from the bed and cuddled him in hisarms. Then he went from the room.
"Polly!" hissed Eleanor, anxiously, "did you hear what he said?"
"S-sh! let us follow and see what's the matter. Someone came in with Mr.Dalken, you know," returned Polly in a low voice.
Mrs. Stewart and Anne now crept from behind the heavy window curtainsand tip-toed after Polly and Eleanor. And, last of all, Martha came frombehind the door and followed in the wake of the other four. Then theyheard Mr. Dalken talking.
"Well, here's the boy, but how he ever got into my rooms I cannot say.Mrs. Ashby will have to explain that, in a minute, as she is the one whoseemed to know where to find Martha and the baby."
Martha was still in the hall and could not see who was in theliving-room with Mr. Dalken, but the four conspirators now stood staringat the group in the center of the lighted room.
Mr. and Mrs. Ashby were seated in comfortable armchairs, smiling happilyat the two standing men and about to make the baby comfortable. He hadbeen transferred from Mr. Dalken's arms to those of a younger man whowas trembling with joy at beholding Billy's smiling little face.
"There, now, Martin. Isn't he worth living for? You said you wanted todie, when you found your wife was gone. But let me tell you, my boy,this baby ought to make you brace up." Mr. Dalken patted the strangeyoung man on the shoulder, and just then Martha burst into the room.
"Jimmy! Oh, Jimmy--is it you, or is it someone who looks like my deadJimmy?"
"Aunt Martha--Dear Aunt Martha--it is your own Jimmy. I was a long timecoming home, but here I am at last!"
Then Polly and Eleanor learned the true story about their precious Billywho was, according to them, to have adopted Mr. Dalken for a father.
"Girls, I appreciate your great sacrifice to try and make me happy, forI have heard from the Ashbys how much you wanted to keep Billy, but youfelt that he ought to belong to me. Seeing that he came so near to beingmine, I shall always take a great interest in him and his relatives,"began Mr. Dalken, while Jimmy Martin and Martha went into the other roomto be alone with the baby.
"You see, Mrs. Ashby is at the bottom of this plot and having roped inher husband to believe just as she did, the next step was to make thewhole plan seem accidental.
"So, when Martha was left with the baby, she called on Mrs. Ashby forhelp. Seeing that the boy had brown eyes and was named Billy, my anxiousfriend decided that he was what I ought to have to cheer me. Martha wasboarded in a country home until I prepared to go west on my businesstrip.
"Just about that time, you found an unknown babe on your door-step, buthad we been able to look behind the scenes, I think you would have seenthe Ashby's car down on the corner, and Martha anxiously waiting to seeif you took Billy in, all right.
"After that, Billy made his own way with you people, as he is apt tomake it with everyone. And what was so natural, as that you should fallin with Mr. Fabian's well-learned lesson. The Ashbys made him memorizejust what to say and to do it every day.
"All went as had been planned, and my dear friends here were so pleasedwith themselves at the little scheme, that they planned to return homewith me to-night and see how I liked the baby-surprise. But this iswhere an unexpected and unknown actor entered upon the stage.
"James Martin was not killed in battle. He was wounded and takenprisoner by the Germans. He was so dangerously injured that he was leftto die in a small town in the interior. But he managed to pull through,and after many months of convalescence, he worked his way from Germanyback to Paris.
"It took several months more to identify him and get a passport for himto America. When he went to his old home town to find his wife andchild, he learned that one was dead and the other was taken away by theaunt. The shock sent him to the county hospital again, and it wasseveral months before he could get out to start a hunt for his boy.
"He learned where Martha had gone, and to-night, James called at thehouse to ask Mrs. Ashby if she knew anything about his boy and aunt. Ihappened to be in the hall when he came in.
"So here we are, girls; you lose a protege and I lose a boy."
"Oh, but James wins back his boy again!" cried Polly, delightedly.
"I want to know, Mr. Dalken," demanded Eleanor, frowning, "did RuthAshby know the truth about this when she told us that yarn aboutMartha?"
Mr. Dalken laughed. "No, girls. Poor Ruth is as upset about it as youcould wish her to be. She wants me to adopt Billy, anyway, even with hisreal father on hand to claim him. I really think Mrs. Ashby is the onewe have to put through the third degree on this whole plot."
Mrs. Ashby looked up and smiled. "Well, I told the truth about thematter, didn't I? But I refrained from telling Ruth that Martha was thesame woman who was aunt to Billy, and I withheld the facts that Billywas the same baby that you girls found on your door-step--that's all."
"That's all----" laughed Mr. Dalken. "As if that was not enough! Todeprive me of the son my two pet girls tried to place in my arms."
Polly flung herself in his arms and hugged him as she said, "Nolla and Iwill have to adopt you ourselves, now."
And he whispered in her ear, so only she could hear: "You haven't anyidea how happy you girls make me. I have found something in life worthwhile, since I found all of these good friends."
Then Mrs. Ashby said: "Dalk, you have been hunting for a reliable manand wife to take charge of your apartment, so I think it is Providencethat sent Martha and James to you. You will have admirable help in themand little Billy, too."
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