Under the Country Sky

by Grace S. Richmond

  CHAPTER X

  STUART OBJECTS

  That night, after Mr. Jefferson's unexpected proposal that she shouldassist him in his literary work, Georgiana, running out upon an errandin the business part of the village, encountered James Stuart. This hadbeen a not infrequent happening in days past, but since Jeannette'sarrival it had not once occurred. Stuart was much at the house, but notfor a fortnight had Georgiana had ten minutes alone with him.

  That he welcomed the chance as well as she was evident from his firstword: "Great luck! At last I get you to myself for half a wink without asoul around. Where are you going? Wherever it is, you don't go back tothe house till you've given me what I want."

  "And what's that?" queried Georgiana.

  Her tone was cool in spite of herself. She had missed the almost dailywalks and talks with Stuart, glad as she had been to have him do hiseffectual part in helping her entertain her guests. And there had been,as she was obliged to confess to herself, a sense that if he had beenvery anxious not to lose altogether her society he would have managed,in spite of lack of ordinary opportunity, to bring about such meetings.How much she could feel the absence of his companionship she had notdreamed until she had been tried.

  After the friendly village fashion of intimate acquaintance he lightlygrasped her arm in its covering of the scarlet-lined military cape shealways wore on such walks, and turned her from her course toward a sidestreet leading away, instead of toward, the centre she had beenapproaching. She protested, but he was laughingly determined and sheyielded. It was good, undeniably good, to have Jimps by her side again,and hear his voice in his old eagerly devoted tones in her ear. That hewas really overjoyed at coming upon her in a free hour it was impossibleto doubt.

  "My word! George, but you've kept me on short rations lately," he beganaccusingly. "One would think you had suddenly put me on a diet list.Nothing but sweets, contrary to the usual prohibitions of the medicalmen for the husky male! Do you think I have no appetite for the goodsubstantial food? Parties and drives and candy-pulls, always with thelovely guest, and never an old-time hobnob with my chum! What's thematter with you, George? What have I done?"

  "But such sweets! And so soon they will be gone, and nothing for thehungry youth but plain bread and butter. How absurd of you to complain!"

  "Bread and butter! Beefsteak and mushrooms, you mean; roast turkey andcranberry sauce! A fellow can live on them. But not on eternal honey andfudge--with my apologies to the lady."

  "I should say so, Jimps. You're outrageous, and you don't mean it. Iwouldn't walk another step with you if you did."

  "She's undoubtedly the sweetest thing on earth," admitted Stuart. "Thereare times when I think I'd like to ask her to marry me on the spot--ifshe'd have me, which she wouldn't--me, a farmer! She dazzles me,bewitches me, makes me all but lose my head. And then I look at my chum,the girl I've known all my life, and I think--well, sugar is all right,but you can't get on without salt--and pepper--and ginger--and----"

  "Jimps!" In spite of herself Georgiana was laughing infectiously, andStuart joined her. "How absolutely ridiculous! I sound like a wholespice box, and nothing but the 'bitey' spices at that."

  "That's what you are," declared James Stuart contentedly. "And when I'mwith you I have no hankering after sugar. Mustard plasters for me;they're warming."

  They walked on, the spirit of good fellowship keeping step with them. IfGeorgiana had allowed herself to believe that Stuart was completelyabsorbed with the enchantments of the beautiful guest, she nowdiscovered that, quite as he had said, the enchantment was by no meanscomplete and he had not lost appreciation of the old friendship and whatit meant to him. This was good to feel. It was all she wanted. If shehad been guilty of a creeping sense of jealousy as she watched Stuartand Jeannette together, so evidently enjoying each other's society tothe full, it was because it made her suddenly and unpleasantlyunderstand what it would be to her to live her days in this commonplacelittle village without Stuart at her right hand. But here he was,literally at her right hand, and he was making her walk with him, not abeggarly square or two out of her way, but a good three miles around acertain course which once entered upon could not be cut short by anycrossroads. And all the way he was telling her, as he had always done,all manner of intimate things about his affairs, and asking her of hers.

  Before the circuit had been made Georgiana had done that which an hourbefore she would have thought far from her intention, natural as such aprocedure would have been a month ago, before Jeannette came--she hadtold Stuart of Mr. Jefferson's offer. If the truth must be confessed,after suffering the mood which had only lately been dissipated, shecould not resist producing the effect she knew, if Jimps were stillJimps, was bound to be produced. Such is woman!

  Quite as she had foreseen, he was aroused on the instant. The generoussharing of Georgiana Warne with other aspirants for her favour had neverbeen one of James Stuart's characteristics, open-hearted though he wasin every other way. He stopped short in the snowy path, regarding hersternly while she smiled in the darkness. This was balm for a heavyheart, indeed, this recognition she had of his disapproval even beforehe jerked out the quick words:

  "Great Scott! You don't mean to tell me you'd do it! Spend hours everyday working with E. C. Jefferson? Not a bit of it. Not so you'd noticeit! Tell him to go to thunder!"

  "James McKenzie Stuart! What a tone to take! Why on earth should youobject?" Georgiana's tone was rich and sweet and astonished--itcertainly sounded astonished.

  "Because you're my chum, my partner; and I won't have you going intopartnership with any other man--not much!"

  "Partnership! Secretaries and stenographers aren't partners----"

  "Aren't they, though! The most intimate sort. And a fellow likeJefferson, full of books and literary lore--he'd be breaking off workhalf his time to talk Montaigne and Samuel Johnson and--and BernardShaw with you. And you'd drink it all in with those eyes of yours andmake him think----" Georgiana's uncontrollable laughter halted but didnot stop him. "What's his work, anyhow? Writing a History of Art?"growled Stuart, marching on, with Georgiana beside him bursting intofresh mirth with every step. Her heart was quite light enough now; nodanger that she had lost her friend!

  "I've no idea what it is, but it's certainly not that. He seldom speaksof art in any form--except literary art, of course. I've an idea it'sscientific research of some sort."

  "Then why isn't he in a laboratory somewhere, boiling acids? Why isn'the digging in city libraries or hunting scientific stuff over in Vienna?Vienna's the place for him. I wish him there fast enough," irritablycontinued this asperser of other men's vocations.

  "His research work has undoubtedly been done; he has pile upon pile ofnotebooks and papers on file. His handwriting is a fright; that'sprobably what he wants me for--to make it legible to the printer."

  "Let him send for a typist then; that's what he needs if he writes anillegible fist. You can't typewrite."

  "I could learn, if necessary. I've often wished I could."

  "You could learn! Yes, you could learn to come when E. C. Jeffersonwhistled, I've no doubt! Oh, I beg your pardon, George--you needn't turnaway. Nobody could ever fancy you coming at any man's whistle. I'm justseeing red, that's all, at the thought of your going into a thing likethis, that's bound to throw you two into the closest sort of relations."

  "That's all nonsense, Jimps. You're behaving like a little boy. And youknow I can't afford to lose a chance like this. You know how slow therug-weaving is----"

  "You don't mean you're still at that?"

  "Of course I am. The prices are very good now, and I'm----"

  "Then you certainly can't lose them to go into copying manuscript byhand. Stick to the weaving; that's my advice."

  "Mr. Jefferson saw the loom to-day. He thinks it too hard work for me,"suggested Georgiana slyly.

  This was a telling shot, for Stuart had often expressed himself insimilar fashion in the past. As was to have been expected, her companionbecame instantly
more nettled than ever.

  "Oh, he does, does he?" he said hotly. "I'd like to know what affair itis of his. You know well enough I've protested scores of times againstthat weaving----"

  "And now you tell me to stick to it!"

  He wheeled upon her. His tone changed: "George, I know I'm absolutelyunreasonable. Of course I don't want you pulling that back-breakingthing. I don't want you to have to hustle for money any sort of way;that's the truth. What I do want is--to keep you away from every otherearthly beggar but myself!"

  "O James Stuart, how absurd! That's not a brotherly attitude at all."

  "The role of brother isn't always entirely satisfying," retorted Stuartunder his breath. "You know well enough you've only to say the word andI----"

  "Jimps dear"--Georgiana's voice was very gentle now--"remember we'veleft all that boy-and-girl sentimentalizing behind. It was quite settledlong ago that you and I were to be brother and sister, 'world withoutend.' And I know you mean it as brotherly, all this fuss about my takinga bit of perfectly reasonable employment for just a little while."

  "Little while? Do you know how long he expects to be at work on thatconfounded book?"

  "No; do you?"

  "He told me one night when we were smoking together that he had givenhimself a year to do this work in. He came in January; this is April.Do you wonder I'm a bit upset at the notion of my best friend's goinginto harness with him for a year?" Stuart's tone was grim.

  Georgiana, now in wild spirits with the relief from her fears, and thesuddenly opening prospect of a long period of such work as she dearlyloved, had some ado to keep her state of mind from showing. "It doesn'tfollow," she said, outwardly sober, "that he intends to spend that wholeyear here."

  "He will--if he gets you for a side partner. A man would be a fool notto."

  "That's a great tribute--from a brother," admitted Georgiana, smiling toherself. "But as far as our lodger is concerned, you need have no fearof any but the most businesslike relations, even though I worked besidehim--as is quite improbable--for a year. He's not that sort."

  "Not what sort? Don't you fool yourself. He's human, if his mind is benton writing a book. And you are--Georgiana!"

  "Jimps, there's a path in your brain that's getting worn too deepto-night. Come--let's hurry home. Jeannette will wonder what's become ofme."

  "Let her wonder. George, are you going to do this thing?"

  "Of course I am."

  "No matter how I feel about it?"

  "Why, Jimps--really, do you think you have any right----"

  "Georgiana, I--love you!"

  "No, Jimps, you don't. Not so much as all that. You have a brotherlyaffection----"

  "Brotherly affection doesn't hurt; this does," was Stuart's declaration.

  "No, it doesn't, my dear boy. You're just made with a queer sort ofjealous element in your composition, and when something happens to callit out you think it's--something quite different," explained Georgianarather lamely. "You know perfectly that you and I fit best as goodfriends; we should be awfully unhappy tied up together in any way. Why,we settled that long ago, as I reminded you just now."

  "It seems to have come unsettled," Stuart muttered.

  "Then we must settle it again. Truly--you mean everything to me as abrother, friend, chum--whichever you like, and I--well, I should feelpretty badly to lose you. But----"

  "I wish you'd leave it there. I don't fancy what you're going on tosay."

  "Then I'll not say it. Come, Jimps, give me your hand on the oldcompact."

  "I will--on exactly one condition." Stuart stood still and faced her ina certain secluded spot just where the snowy path was on the point ofturning into a wider, well-used thoroughfare.

  "What is it? Make it a fair one."

  "It is fair--the fairest between a man and a woman. It's this: leave the'never-never' clause out. I'll agree to any terms of friendship youinsist on if--well, just leave me a chance, will you--dear?"

  There was a brief silence while Georgiana considered. She had notexpected this, certainly not just now, when her long-time friend franklyadmitted the drawing power of the winsome visitor. As she had implied,there had been between them, in the days of dawning maturity while theywere yet in school together, certain youthfully tender vows which theyhad later exchanged for the more carefully considered terms of the warmbut less sentimental friendship which had now existed for some years.That Stuart was really dearer to her, more a necessary part of her lifethan she had realized, had been made disconcertingly clear to her by thetotally unexpected pangs she had suffered during the last fortnight,when it had seemed to her that she was likely to lose the fine fervor ofhis devotion. Now, however, that she was assured of his intense loyalty,she was the old Georgiana again, ready to stand beside her friend to thelast ditch, if need be, but wholly unwilling to bind herself to hischariot wheels while no ditches threatened.

  "'Never' is a big word," she said finally. "It isn't best to say 'never'about anything in this life."

  "Then you won't ask me to say it?" His voice was eager.

  "Not if you don't want to, Jimps."

  "I don't. There was never anything surer than that. Give me yourhand--chum."

  She gave it. "All right--chum."

  He had pulled off his own glove; he now gently drew off hers, and thetwo warm hands clasped. "Here's our everlasting friendship," he said,with a little thrill in his low voice. "Nothing shall come between usexcept--love."

  "Jimps! That's not the old compact at all."

  "It's the new one then. Isn't it sufficiently ambiguous to suit you?"

  "It's much too ambiguous."

  "I can make it plainer----"

  "Perhaps you'd better leave it as it is," she admitted, recognizingdanger.

  "As you say."

  He held her hand for a minute in such a close grasp that it hurt her,but she did not wince. Ah! if she might just have this pleasantlysatisfying relation with the man whose presence in her life meant warmthand light and even happiness on the hard road of everyday routine, andthen have somehow besides the contentment which comes of accomplishmentalong a line of chosen activity--and still remain free for whatever Godin heaven might send her of real joy, she could ask no better.

  "Jimps, I'm perfectly contented," she said radiantly, as they walked on.

  "That's good. I wish I were."

  "What would make you?"

  "Your promise to earn your money making rugs--with me to help you."

  "But you couldn't!"

  "I could learn."

  "Oh, how absurd! You haven't time, if there were no other reason."

  He did not answer, and, since they were now back in the village andnearing the object of Georgiana's errand, no more was said until theywere once again on their way homeward. They walked in silence until theyreached the very doorstep of the manse. Then Stuart made one moreprotest.

  "Not even to please me, George?" he asked, as she stood on the stepabove him, leading the way in to Jeannette and the warm fireside.

  "Jimps, I'm sorry you feel that way about it. But I've talked withFather Davy and he agrees that it's a godsend. There's no reason in theworld I could give Mr. Jefferson for refusing to help him when he needsit, and when I need it, too. Therefore--I'm sorry, Jimps, since you areso strange as to care--but I've made up my mind."

  "You'll excuse me if I don't come in to-night," he said, and turnedaway.

  She stood looking comprehendingly after him as he left her, then ran inand closed the door. The mood which held her now was so far from beingblack that it was rosy red.