Blue Ruin (23 page)

So after lunch the next day, he took a pad and pencil and wended his way to the woods while Mary Somers, the washerwoman, kept Grandmother Rutherford company, washing up the kitchen floor and detailing how her seven grandchildren had the whooping cough.

Humped on the moss beside his favorite stone, Elim got out his knife, sharpened his pencil elaborately, and then sat and thought. He bit three beautiful points off before he got down to work at last. His brows were knit with perplexity and doubt, but his jaws were set with a grim determination.

Dear kid:
(it began)

Didn’t get this off after all in time to make the ship. But I guess you didn’t miss it. I had to keep the old sport from getting down in the mouth. I guess you know who I mean. Found her chasing a mouse in the tin cupboard when I got back from the station. Called Snipe in, and I guess he finished him. Haven’t heard anything more from him to date. Went fishing with Spud and caught a whole string. Gave him half. We had them for supper with flannel cakes and syrup. Some combination. You ought to have been here. You wouldn’t believe it but it’s darned lonesome since you left. Hope Muth gets home by night. I didn’t leave the house alone when I went fishing, so don’t worry. Old Petticoat said she’d stay till five o’clock. She didn’t keep her word on account of her husband getting home and demanding her at once, but somebody else came. I guess you know what chump I mean. Sorry to hurt your feelings, but I don’t like to spoil this nice paper with his name. He came straight from a ride, hadn’t been home to get his letter, and Old Sport asked him in and gave him a piece of your birthday cake. Clever lady, what?

Say, Lynnie, I don’t want to be mean, but for cat’s sake, what do you see in that egg? I don’t know if you like it or not, but I think you ought to know he isn’t worth the parsnips. He’s a sneak and a coward. He has a yellow streak a foot wide up his back. The truth is nothing in his young life, and as for his religion, it’s all baloney! I’m telling you! Take it from me and forget him! He isn’t worth the paper his name is written on, and I know what I’m saying. I’m your brother and I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t think a whole lot of you. Just call him a blank and think no more of it. Next time you pick one, pick a man! I’m saying it!

Say, Lynn, what about the pyramids? Heard anything of them yet? Don’t forget to drop me a line written in front of it, and say, bring me a bag of sand from the desert, can’t you? A square inch will do, and it won’t cost anything. You can put it in your glove and they’ll never catch on
.

And say, Kid, pick me out something nice for Muth, and for the Old Sport, too. Make it snappy. I’m getting a job tomorrow down at Smith’s garage, and I can pay around twenty-five bucks apiece by the time you get home, I guess, so go to it, Kid!

There isn’t much yet to say, but I guess there will be by next week, so long till then, Yours as ever
,

So long!
Lim

P.S. I forgot to say, Don’t you write to that sucker! Not even if he writes, don’t you answer! You wouldn’t want to if you knew all. Take it from your brother who loves you. He’s a flat tire! And someday good and soon you ‘re going to find it out
.

So long!
E.B
.

With a sigh of relief he read the letter over, folded it, and stuffed it into a pocket-worn envelope. That was done now and he could breathe easier. Now, if Lynnie wanted to throw herself away he had done his duty to her, and he’d wash his hands.

He decided to mail his letter at once before his mother got back. It would be better that way. Muth might object to worrying Lynnie that way, but a man had to decide those things himself now and then. A woman didn’t always understand how doggone lowdown another man could be when he tried. Maybe he would tell Muth sometime, and maybe not, but anyhow he would run no risks with having the letter held up.

So he got his bicycle and sailed off to the post office, and when he came back, Justine Whipple was waiting for him at the gate, a paper bag in her hand full of hot cookies that she had stolen from Amelia’s new baking, set to cool in the back kitchen.

“Elim, I wish you’d take these up to your grandmother with my love,” she called holding out the paper bag with an alluring odor of cinnamon and raisins.

Elim slowed down, looked suspiciously at the bag, and gave Miss Justine the “once over” as he called it.

“Your sister’s away, isn’t she?” she asked in tones of honeyed sweetness.

“Yep!” said Elim holding his bicycle by one toe touching the ground, wavering back and forth and eyeing her gravely, but making no attempt to take the cookies. What had the old girl got up her sleeve now, he wondered. She couldn’t put anything across on him. He knew his onions!

“Oh, that’s disappointing, isn’t it, when she’s just got back home! Is she going to be gone long?” cooed Justine.

“Yep!” said Elim succinctly.

“She is?” Justine gathered in the truth like a hungry person. “And did your mother go, too?”

“Yep!”

“Oh! Why, then your grandmother is all alone, isn’t she?”

“Nope.”

“Oh, she isn’t? She has someone staying with her, has she?”

“Yep.”

“Oh—well, then it’s all right. I was just going to suggest that I might come up and stay nights. But you say she has someone?”

“Yep.”

“Well,” bridled Miss Justine, “of course. Well, that’s very nice, and I’ve got company, too. But I came out to say that I’m sending these cookies up to your grandmother. I thought she might enjoy them. She used to like my cookies.” Justine never made a cookie in her life, but that made no difference in a case like this. She proffered the cookies as if they were pearls, with smiles. Elim accepted them reluctantly and held them with the tips of this thumb and finger as if they were a dead rat, but he did not relax his cold stare, nor thank her. He did not trust her. And he was impatient to be off.

“Where did your sister go?” she asked quite casually as she stepped back from the curb after forcing the cookies upon Elim.

“Oh, all around,” said Elim casually. “She’s traveling in Europe. Gub–by!” and he shot off around the house, leaving an astounded maiden lady standing tottering on the curbstone staring after him in dismay. Lynette gone to Europe!

She stood a moment looking after him, recovering her poise, and then, having adjusted what Grandmother Whipple called her cat-and-cream expression, she went slowly, smilingly, home and sat down at the table where the family was already assembled.

“You’re late, Justine!” snapped Grandma, fixing her sharp little eyes upon her. Nothing ever escaped Grandma. She knew Justine was up to something.

“Yes,” said Justine, accepting her plate from Amelia, “I was talking to Elim Brooke. I thought Grandma Rutherford might need someone to stay with her, poor old soul! Mrs. Brooke and her daughter went away yesterday morning, you know. I thought it might be my duty to run up and stay nights, but he says they have someone. Do you know who it is Dana? Elim didn’t say, and he seemed in a hurry so I didn’t detain him.”

But Dana was suddenly busy giving Jessie Belle another lamb chop and seemed not to hear. Grandma kept her eyes on her plate thoughtfully and did not seem surprised. Amelia was standing behind Justine filling her glass with ice water, and Justine could not see the startled look in her eyes. Justine waited a minute and then raised her voice a trifle to make sure of attention.

“So it seems Lynette has gone to Europe!”

She flung the sentence into the conversation like a bomb and enjoyed the sensation it created immensely.

Dana was helping himself to more potatoes and feigned an indifference he was far from feeling.

“Isn’t that something new?” pursued Justine persistently. “Did you know she was going, Dana?”

“She has been contemplating it for some time, I believe,” said Dana coolly, reaching for the butter plate and helping himself bountifully.

Then up spoke Amelia, stung into action by the superiority of Justine.

“It’s a pity you hadn’t decided to go along, Dana. I felt all along you should. What’s a few summer engagements to preach when you have an opportunity to travel with people who are congenial?”

Grandma cackled her appreciation.

Dana flashed a look of surprise at his mother, but came across in fine shape.

“Well, Mother, duty is duty, and a promise is a promise. I gave my word I’d fill those pulpits, and I can’t go back on it. This is a critical time in my career! Besides it takes money to go to Europe, and I ought to be saving up for the future.”

“Oh, money!” said Amelia with a toss of her head. “What’s money in a case like this? You knew I’d see that you had what you needed! I’ve got some saved up of my own!”

Justine looked up with a sneer in her eye, and Grandma cackled again. Life was rare these days.

“Well, Mother, I didn’t go,” said Dana smiling. “I thought my duty was at home this summer,” and beamed upon the table with a self-righteous smile that was charming. Even Jessie Belle succumbed to it and showed her dimple in admiration of him.

“It’s not too late yet!” said his mother with a surprising show of initiation. “You could catch the next boat if you started tomorrow. I was reading about the sailings this afternoon in the paper. And you could telegraph tonight for reservations.”

Dana looked startled but went on eating his supper, steadily.

“I couldn’t possibly do it, Mother. I’ve telegraphed that church I’d be there the third of August. It’s all settled. Besides, I may run over in September, if Lynette stays so long. I don’t know. Have another chop, Jessie Belle? They are awfully small ones. You must be hungry after your ride.”

“Yes, Jezebel, eat ‘em up!” piped up Grandma to the surprise of everybody. “Justine never eats a second one, and Amelia never has time to. Eat ‘em up, Jezebel! No use having to put any away!”

“Oh, Mrs. Whipple, you’re a scream!” giggled Jessie Belle. “Oh, I love the way you call me Jezebel, don’t you, Ella? I thought I’d simply pass away the first time I heard it.”

Ella Smith grew very red and tried to apologize for her child to Madame Whipple, but the old lady only grinned and went on drinking her tea.

Justine cast a dark look at Grandma, but smiled back sweetly at Jessie Belle.

“Yes, Jessie Belle, dear, take the chop. I don’t think I care for a second one tonight, really.”

Then she continued her pursuit of knowledge.

“How long does Lynette stay in Europe, Dana? Elim seemed to think she would be gone a long time.”

“Probably a year. It’s a little uncertain,” answered Dana glibly as if he knew all about it. “They may take in the Mediterranean trip if they winter in Italy. They are going to follow their own fancy after they get over there, I believe.” Dana still believed in his heart that Lynette would return that evening duly humbled, but time would take care of that.

“They? Who are they?” caught up Justine avidly. “Just Lynette and her mother?”

“No, her mother only went down to see her off. She went with relatives. Her uncle and aunt.”

“Oh, that must be a very expensive trip. I wonder how Lynette can afford it. They never seemed very well off. Their house needs painting terribly!” Justine’s lip curled bitterly as she said it. Amelia was on the defensive at once.

“People who don’t pull all their money in show and improvements have plenty left for traveling and luxuries. Besides, I’ve been told that Lynette’s grandmother is very wealthy indeed. Someone told me the other day at the missionary meeting that Mrs. Rutherford pays the largest income tax in town.”

Grandma cackled enjoyably.

“Is that so, Dana? You ought to know,” asked Justine with her head on one side like a saucy bird.

“Well,” said Dana, preening himself somewhat, “I have no means of knowing her exact income of course, but she always seems to have plenty of money for anything she wants to do. She is always giving Lynette something nice. I believe it was she who sent her to college, which explains her choice of colleges, I think. She is old fashioned in her ideas, you know, and Lynn adores her and humors her every whim, although I do think in this case she should have taken her stand for Wellesley or Vassar or some better-known institution.”

Dana was playing to the galleries, the gallery in this case being Jessie Belle. Dana did love to make a show of power. He loved to parade his opportunities and his wealthy friends, and his advantages, even before this foolish little scatterbrain.

“I wonder you didn’t go down and see Lynette off yourself, Dana!” cooed Justine, attacking the subject proper again. “It would have been so interesting. Something to remember. I just love to see people off. Why didn’t you go, Dana, deah?”

“Well, I did think of it quite seriously,” said Dana, pleased to be still the center of interest. “In fact I almost started, but I decided there would be little pleasure about it. Just a big mob and a long wait, and Lynette was going to be awfully busy shopping beforehand so there wouldn’t have been much satisfaction.”

“And is she going to write to you? Won’t it be interesting to be having all sorts of foreign stamps coming to the house?”

“I shall be hearing from her from time to time, of course,” answered Dana with a gratified smile, “and perhaps if things shape up I might get over while she’s there. I can’t tell!”

Dana shoved back his chair with finality and arose.

“How about another picture tonight, Jessie Belle? I shan’t have much time later on, but I might as well amuse you while I can.”