GI Brides (42 page)

Dale lifted her chin a bit haughtily. “I would rather not discuss what my father did, Aunt Blanche. I have entire confidence in his actions, of course, and I think you will find that so have all the people who had to do with him in a business way.”

“Oh, of course you would feel that way,” said the aunt disagreeably, “no matter
what
he did.”

Dale went over to pick up a book that had been dropped on the floor, and after a moment, her aunt continued: “Well, I’m certainly disgusted with everything, especially all business matters, and of course if I felt that you were willing to accept my offer and come home with us, to help run our household, I would promise to be entirely responsible for your board and keep, and we would just forget this house and wait until a good opportunity comes later to sell it. But you are determined to be stubborn, and I feel responsible for you. I’ve always told dear Grandma that I would look after you when she was gone and she needn’t worry about that.”

But Dale turned and spoke firmly. “No, Aunt Blanche, you needn’t feel that way any longer. I am of age and fully able to take care of myself. I have my plans all made. I discussed them with Grandmother, and she heartily approved of everything, so you can cast aside any responsibility you have been feeling on my behalf and just make your own plans.”

“But I should like to know just what your plans are. I really can’t give up the burden of my responsibility for you unless I can know and approve what you are thinking of doing.”

“Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you, Aunt Blanche, but my plans are not ready to be divulged yet. It is enough for me that Grandmother and my former guardian approve of them, and it is better that no one else should know anything about them yet.”

“Indeed!” said her aunt. “I see you are still stubborn and impudent, and I am sure the time is not far off when you will have to regret this. I think you will find that Granniss lawyer is a fraud and is pulling the wool over your eyes.”

“No,” said Dale, “I am sure I will never regret it. And now, if I cannot do anything to help you in any way, I will ask you to excuse me. I have some errands downtown, which I should do this afternoon, and I think I’ll go now so that I shall not be late for dinner.” Dale hurried out of the room.

She went first to a store from which she could call up Mr. Granniss and report on the state of things without being overheard at home, and she received comfort in so doing.

“Buffington is just stalling for time,” he said. “He hasn’t a leg to stand on and he knows it. But don’t worry. This will all come out right in good time. I only wish I could find some way to send your unwelcome guests home, but that might only mean they would return again, so perhaps it is better to get it all done at once.”

Dale went to see three of her grandmother’s old friends, who were confined to their homes or bedridden and hadn’t been able to get even to the funeral. She stayed a little while with each, giving them dear little last messages from their old friend and a few little tokens, like a handkerchief, a devotional book, and a small testament Grandmother had designated for them. And when she came back to the codfish dinner, not anticipating a happy time, she was at least calm in her mind and resolved to keep sweet no matter what happened.

It was quite early the next morning, before the relatives had come over for breakfast, that the telephone rang and there was David Kenyon, her officer-friend, calling her.

“Is that you, Dale?” he asked, and his voice was eager.

“Yes, David.” Her heart was singing that he had called her so early before there was anyone around to listen.

“Well, my orders have come. Are you busy today? Can you meet me at the station when my train gets in, and can we have the day together?”

“Today?”
she said joyously. “Why yes, today, of course. What time does your train get in? Eleven o’clock? Yes, I can make it. And what time do you have to leave tonight? Ten? Yes, I can do it. I’ll be there by the train gate. And if by any chance you can’t find me, go to the traveler’s aid desk and wait for me. But I’ll be there. Good-bye.”

W
ith a radiant face, Dale sat down to plan her day. She must make out the best menus she possibly could for her time of absence. There was no point in making Hattie endure the grim remarks of the relatives, which would, of course, be directed against Hattie in her absence, as if Hattie had perpetrated the whole idea. What could she have? An omelet for breakfast,
jelly
omelet? That was one of Hattie’s great dishes. Dry cereal, orange juice, and raisins. For lunch, some of Hattie’s delectable rice pancakes with honey; for dinner, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and an apple pudding. That ought to be a good enough dinner for anybody, and they couldn’t complain that she had run away for the day and left them without enough food.

She would start right away. She would get the chickens and anything else necessary, and hire the little Talbut boy to bring them so that she could go into the city and not have to return and explain where she was going or how long she was staying.

She went down and told Hattie what she was having for the meals. She told Hattie a friend who was passing through the city had called and asked her to come down and stay for lunch and maybe dinner. She would be back in the evening sometime. Would Hattie carry on?

Hattie’s face shone with willingness.

“Sure thing, Miss Dale, I’ll carry on. And I don’t know one thing about where you is goin’ or what you is doin’. Don’t you tell me neither, and then those nosey people can’t get nothin’ outta me. I’m so glad you is gettin’ some rest. I hopes you have a good time. Your grandma would just like that, and I hope you get all that’s comin’ to you. Them relatives, they is just too snooty and disagreeable, and there’s no reason why you should have to dance ‘tendance on them every minute. Now you just set down and eat a good breakfast, and then go get yourself all prettied up, and go off before they gets here. Then they can’t get up any hindrances, for I’m just sure they would if they knowed about it. They is just folks that don’t want no other folks to have a good time.”

So with Hattie’s help, Dale was fed, got herself dressed up, wrote menus for the day, and departed out the back door and down the backstreet before her guests arrived for their breakfast.

Hattie had agreed to explain to the aunt about her sudden telephone call, so Dale went off with all her burdens laid aside for the time being and her heart ready to take in the joy of a day’s pleasant companionship.

Not until she was seated in the bus on the way to the city, with the hometown in the background and the day before her, did she let herself think much about what the day was to bring. Then she found herself visualizing the young officer and her heart quickening over the memory of his pleasant face. Would he look as handsome to her when she met him as he had when she had first seen him? Of course he would. How silly! But still, the other recent encounters with him had been so brief and so filled with cares and duties that she had scarcely had time to study him or really to know how he did look. However, she was sure she would know him, even if he came in company with a lot of other servicemen.

It was funny to her, Dale Huntley, who had never had much time to accept attention from men, to be going out to meet a young man whom she would have all to herself for the rest of the day. Would she be able to make it interesting for him all that time? Wouldn’t he soon get bored and wish he hadn’t asked her to meet him? Wish he had merely called, so he could go away at any time if his interest flagged? Well, he
hadn’t,
and so it was up to her to make the day interesting for him. And how should she do that?

Should she plan to take him to see the notable places in the city? Would he like that? The museums, the historic buildings?

But it was silly to try to plan until he came. He would likely know what he wanted to do, and he should be the one to choose.

Dale looked very pretty that morning. The cares and annoyances that had been with her ever since her grandmother’s death were lifted from her for the time being, and she was going out to be a real girl and just have a nice time. Grandmother would have loved that for her. Dale wondered briefly if Grandmother was where she could see her and be pleased about her day.

She was wearing a simple cotton dress of blue with white printed flowers in a delicate design and a plain, little white sailor hat, not new enough to be exactly stylish but very attractive. She had always liked it and felt at home in it. Its band was a simple black velvet ribbon tied in a neat bow a little to one side on the front. There was a soft pink flush of excitement on her cheeks, her eyes were starry, a sweet smile was on her lovely lips. More than one fellow traveler in the bus looked at her with admiration, and looked again because she made a pleasant picture and was very lovely. Dale would have been amazed if anyone had told her that she was. Perhaps that was what gave the perfect touch to her loveliness, that she was utterly unaware of her own beauty. But with that bright anticipation in her eyes she was really very beautiful.

Then suddenly they were at the station, and she saw by the clock on the tower of the station that it was almost time for her navy friend’s train to arrive.

She got out and hurried up to the train floor, searching out the right gate, making sure by reading the sign over the gate, asking a question of the gateman. She found that the train was on time, and though the clock on the wall said it would be there in just two minutes, those two minutes seemed each an hour long.

It was coming! She could see it down the track, a mere speck in the distance, rushing toward her. Then it had arrived, and she stood behind the gate, watching as the passengers poured from the train and crowded up to the gates.

Dale studied each face as the uniformed men came up, but none of them was the right one, and her heart began to sink. Now the crowd was thinning; most of the passengers had entered the gates and gone on into the city. There was just one man down the length of the train, talking to a redcap, handing over some baggage, and paying some money. Could that be David? And if it was, what was he doing? And now the redcap was running toward the gate, carrying some bags, and dashing over to the checkroom. Her quick mind grasped the idea at once, and she looked back at the man. Yes, that was David. Her heart thrilled at his fine bearing, his brisk military walk. He was coming to her. He had gotten rid of his baggage for the day so that he would be free to go with her!

Her face was beaming, radiant; there was a banner of welcome in her eyes as she stood there behind the gate and looked out, and David saw her and came forward. How beautiful she was! How had he dared call her up and make a date with her?

He came to her quickly and swung inside the gate, came and took both the hands she held out to him with his own, warmly clasped, and drew her aside by the gate entrance where a few stragglers were still coming through. He held her hands an instant and looked down into her eyes, and the look he gave her set her heart to thrilling and brought the color sweetly into her cheeks.

They almost forgot that there were other people around and that some of them might be watching, for each was so engaged in reading the look in the other’s eyes. But just then a group of people rushing to catch another train came bumping and elbowing by, and they had to draw farther aside. But David did not let go of the hands he was holding. He drew one of them up through his arm, and laid his other hand on the soft little hand that almost seemed to nestle on his arm. Was he imagining all this, or did she really feel as he did? He looked down at her sweet, shy face, but it was a glad look she wore. She was not annoyed, nor embarrassed. Just a great gladness seemed to envelope her, and he knew he mustn’t let her know what he was reading in her eyes, not yet, anyway. Perhaps she wasn’t conscious yet of her own reaction to his touch. Bless her! And he mustn’t startle her with it. He mustn’t run any risk of losing even a fraction of this wonderful thing that had come to be between them.

But both these young people were trained to be ready in all situations, and so it was scarcely a minute before they came to themselves and realized that they were in the way of a lot of hurrying people and must get out of it.

David smiled down into her eyes and kept his hand closed over the hand on his arm. “Come!” he said and led her across into the main station room and to the elevators. As they went slowly down, his eyes were upon hers, their glances locked in a look of delight, as if each glance were a new discovery to the other.

The elevator came to a stop, and they went out with the other passengers.

“This way,” said David.

Dale smiled and turned her footsteps as he led. “Where we going?” she asked, like a pleased child in a dream.

“Do you care?” he asked, smiling. “Had you someplace you wanted to go?”

“Oh no,” said Dale. “I wasn’t sure just what you were planning to do, or where you would want to go.”

“Then that’s all right,” said the young man. “The last time I was in this city I picked out a place where I would like to take you if I ever got the opportunity, and now we’ll have a try at it. If you don’t like it, we needn’t stay there. We can easily go somewhere else later. In fact, we probably will,
later.
But—do you like the woods?”