Phoebe Deane (37 page)

" He's all that," said Miranda, " an' a heap more. He's made that poor stupid Albert Deane think all these things is true, an' he's come whinin' 'round with his ' sorry this' an' ' sorry that,' an' offered to marry Phoebe Deane to save her reputation. Es ef he was fit fer that angel to wipe her feet on! Oh, I'd like to see him strung up, I would. There's only one man I ever heard tell of that was so mean, and he lived here in New York. His name was Temple, Harry Temple. Ef you ever come across him just give him a dig fer my sake. He an' Hiram Green ought to be tied up in a bag together an' sent off the earth to stay. One o' them big, hot-lookin' stars would be a fine place, I often think at night. Albert, he's awful taken back by disgrace, an' he's told Phoebe she hez to git married in jest a week, er he'll hev to turn her out o' the house. Monday mornin' 's the time set fer the marriage, an' Albert 'lows he won't wait 'nother day. He's promised his wife he'll keep to that."

Nathaniel's face grew stern as he listened, and asked questions. At last he said:

" Miranda, do you think Phoebe Deane cares for me ? Will she be willing to marry me ? "

" Wai, I sh'd think, ef I know anythin' 't all 'bout Phoebe Deane, she'd give her two eyes to, but she'll be turrible set 'gainst marryin' you with her in disgrace. She'll think if I bring shame on you."

" Bless her dear heart," murmured Nathaniel, " I suppose she will," and he touched her letter tenderly as if it had been a living thing. Miranda's eyes glistened with jubilation, but she said nothing. .

" But we will persuade her out of that," added Nathaniel, with a light of joy in his eyes.

" If you are quite sure it will make her happy," he added, looking at Miranda keenly. "I wouldn't want to have her marry me just to get out of trouble. There might be other ways of helping her, though this way is best."

" Well, I guess you needn't worry 'bout love. She'll love you all right, er my name ain't M'randy!"

" Well, then, we will just have a substitute bridegroom. I wonder if we'll have trouble with Hiram. I suppose very likely we will, but I guess we can manage that. Let me see. This is Thursday. I can arrange my business by tomorrow night so that I can leave it for a few days. If you can stay over till then I will take you to my landlady, who is very kind and will make your stay pleasant. Then we can go back together and plan the arrangements. You'll have to help me, you know, for you are the only medium of communication."

" No, I can't stay a minute longer 'n t'night," said Miranda, rising in a panic and glancing out the window at the Min as if she feared it were already too late to catch the boat; "I've got to get back to Phoebe Deane. She won't eat, an' she's just fadin' away. There might not be any bride by time you got there. 'Sides, she can't git your letter till I get back no how. I'll hev to go home on the boat to-night, an' you come to-morrow. You see, ef there's goin' to be a weddin' I'd like real well to git my balzarine made 'n time to wear to it. That'll give me plenty time, with Mis' Spafford to he'p cut 't out Do you s'pose there's time fer me to go to a store? It took a long time to git up here from the river."

Nathaniel arose.

" You have plenty of time, and if you'll wait ten minutes I will go with you. We can get some dinner, and go to the store, and we can arrange things on the way."

Miranda settled down in the great office chair and watched Nathaniel's white fingers as they wrote on the legal paper. When it was finished and folded he took another piece of paper and wrote:

"My Darling:

" I have just received your letter, and I am coming to you as quickly as I can arrange my business to get away. Miranda will bring you this and will tell you all I have said. I will be there in time for the wedding morning, and if you will have me instead of Hiram Green I shall face the whole world by your side, and tell them they are liars. Then I will bring you back with me to stay with me always. My heart is longing to see you and comfort you, but I must not write any more for I have a great deal to do before I go. Only this I must say, if you do not feel you love me, and do not want to marry me, I will help you some other way to get free from this trouble, and to have it all explained before the world. There is just one thing I am resolved upon, and that is that you shall be guarded and loved by me, whether you will marry me or not. You are too precious to suffer. " Yours with more love than you can ever fathom,

" Nathaniel."

He sealed, addressed it, and handed it to Miranda, who took it with a gleam of satisfaction in her honest eyes. She was almost willing to run home without her balzarine now that she had that letter. She did not know what he had written, of course, but she knew it was the right thing and would bring the light of hope again to Phoebe's eyes.

Then they went out into the bustling, strange streets of the city.

Miranda was too excited to eat much, though Nathaniel took her to his own boarding-place and tried to make her feel at home. She kept asking if it wasn't almost time for the boat to leave, until he had to explain to her just how much time there was, and how quickly they could get to the wharf.

They went to a store, and Miranda did not take long to pick out her frock. It seemed as if the very one she had always longed for most lay draped upon the counter, and with quick decision she bought it. It had great stripes of soft colors in palm-leaf pattern, blended into harmony in oriental manner, in the exquisite fabric. It seemed to her almost too fine to go with red hair, but she bought it with joyous abandon. The touch of rich blue and orange and crimson with the darker greens and browns stood out against the delicate whiteness of the background and delighted her eye. She bought a dainty ruffled muslin shoulder cape to wear with it, and a great shovel bonnet with a white veil tossed hilariously back from its cumbersome shirred depths. Then Nathaniel added a parasol with a pearl handle that would unhinge and fold up, and Miranda climbed into the coach and rode off to the evening boat feeling that she had had the greatest day of her life. She looked about her on the interesting sights of the city, with a kind of pity that they had to stay there and not go with her to the wedding.

CHAPTER XXVIII

Miranda reached home on the afternoon coach and bounced into the house with a face full of importance.

" Wai, I'm glad to git back. Did you find the blueberry pies? I put 'em out the pantry winder to cool, an' fergot 'em. I thought of 'em when I was on the boat, but 'twas mos' too late to come back then, so I kep' on.

" Here's my balzarine. Do yeh like it ? " and she tossed the bundle into Marcia's lap. "I'm goin' right at it when I git the work done in the mornin' fer I want to hev it t' wear at Phccbe Deane's weddin'. Did yeh know she was goin' to marry Nathaniel Graham ? Say, where's that Rose ? I'm most starved fer a sight o' her little sweet face. Yer lookin' real good yerself. All's well ? "

Marcia listened smilingly to Miranda's torrent of words, and gradually drew the whole story from her handmaid, laughing heartily over the various episodes of Miranda's journey and gravely tender over what Nathaniel had said. Then Miranda heard about Marcia's call on Phoebe, and how she had written Phrcbe a letter asking what she could do to help her, and inviting her to come at once to them, but had received no answer.

" An' yeh won't, neither," said Miranda, decidedly. " She'll never git no letter, I'm sure o' that. Ef that old skunk of a Hiram Green don't git it fust, Mis' Deane'll ferret it out an' keep it from her. She's the meanest thing in the shape of a woman I've seen yit, an' I've lied some experience."

Then Miranda rapidly sketched her plan of procedure, and Marcia added some suggestions. Together they prepared the supper, with the single object of getting Miranda off to Phcobe as soon as the darkness should come.

It was quite dark and Phoebe was lying in a still white heap upon her bed when Miranda stole softly in. By her side lay a long white package she had taken from her little trunk in the closet, and on it was pinned a note. " Dear Miranda, if I die, please take this, from Phoebe."

She had not lighted her candle, and she had not eaten a mouthful all day. The terrible faintness and weakness were becoming constant now. She could only lie on her bed and wait. She could not even think any more. The enemies all about her with their terrible darts had pierced her soul, and her life seemed ebbing away. She felt it going, and did not have the desire to stop it. It was good to be at rest.

Miranda stole in softly, and began to move quietly about the room, finding the candle and softly striking the flint and tinder. Phoebe became gradually conscious of her presence, as out of the midst of a misty dream. Then Miranda came and looked down tenderly into her face.

" Eaise yer head up, you poor little thing, an' drink this," whispered Miranda, putting a bottle of strong cordial to her lips, that she had taken the precaution to bring with her. " I've got two o' the nicest letters fer yeh that ever was writ, an' another one from my Mrs. Marcia, an' ef yeh don't git some color into them cheeks, an' some brightness into them eyes now, my name ain't Mirandy."

Miranda handed out the letters one at a time, in their order.

She brought the candle, and Phoebe with her trembling hands opened the first, recognizing the handwriting, and tfien sat up and read with bated breath.

" Oh, Miranda," she said, looking up with a faint color in her cheeks, " he has asked me to marry him. Wouldn't it be beautiful! But he didn't know when he wrote it "

and the brown head went down as if it were stricken like a lily before a fierce blast.

" Shucks!" said Miranda, dabbing away the mistiness from her eyes. "Yes, he did know, too. His cousin wrote him. Here, you read the other one."

Again Phoebe sat up and read, while Miranda held the candle and tried not to seem to look over her shoulder at the words she could feel in her soul if she could not see with her eyes.

" Oh, it can't be true!" said Phoebe, with face aglow with something that almost seemed the light of another world. " And I mustn't let him, of course. It wouldn't be right for him to have a wife like this "

" Shucks! " said Miranda again. " Yes, 'tis true, too, and right an' all the rest, an' you've got to set up and get spry, fer there's a sight to do, an' I can't stay much longer. That weddin' 's comin' off on Monday morning'—time set fer it. 'Tain't good luck to put off weddin's an' this one 's goin' to go through all right."

" Mr. Nathaniel, he's goin' to bring his cousin an' the Jedge, an' my Mr. David an' Mrs. Marcia's comin' wether they're ast er not, 'cause they knew 'twant no use fer um to wait fer an invite from that sister-in-law of yourn, so they're comin' anyway. Mr. Nathaniel said as how you weren't to worry. He'll git here Saturday night sure, an' ef there was any other 'rangement you'd like to make he was ready, an' you could send your word by me, but he 'greed with me 'twould make less talk ef the weddin' come off at your home where 'twas to be in the fust place, an' then you could go right away from here an' never come back no more. Say, hev ye got anythin' thet's fit to wear? 'Cause ef yeh ain't I'll let yeh have my new balzarine to wear. I'll hev it all done by Sat'day night. Mrs. Marcia's goin' to help me."

Between tears and smiles Phoebe came to herself. Miranda fed her with some strong broth which she had brought along and which she managed to heat after laboriously holding the pail over the candle name. Then together in the dim candle-light the two girls opened the great white box that lay on the floor beside the bed.

" It's my wedding dress, Miranda. Mother made it for me long ago, before she died, and put it in my trunk to keep for me. It was marked, ' For my little girl when she is going to be married.'

" I opened it and found the letter on the top, for I thought I was going to die, and I wanted to read mother's last letter, but I did not take the frock out because I thought I would never wear it, and it made me feel so bad that I left it in its wrappings. I thought if I died I would like to have you have it, because it is the most precious thing I have and you have done more for me than anybody else ever did, but mother."

Miranda gulped a sudden unexpected sob at this tribute, and it was some time before she could recover her equanimity, though she said " Shucks!" several times.

They took the white bridal garment out of its wrappings and Phoebe tried it on, there in the dimness of the room. It was thin white book-muslin, all daintily embroidered about the neck and sleeves by the dead mother's hand. It fell in soft sheer folds about the white-faced girl, and made her look as if she were just going to take her flight to another world.

In another paper was the veil of fine thread lace, simple and beautiful, and a pair of white gloves which had been the mother's, both yellow with age, and breathing a perfume of lavender. A pair of dainty little white slippers lay in the bottom of the box, wrapped in tissue paper also. Miranda's eyes shone.

" Now you look like the right kind of a bride," she said, standing back and surveying her charge. " That's better 'n all the balzarines in New York."

" You shall wear the balzarine and stand up with me, Miranda," whispered Phoebe, smiling.

" No, sir! We ain't goin't to hev this here weddin' spoiled by no red hair an' freckles, even if 't has got a balzarine. Janet Bristol's got to stan' up. She'll make a picter fer folks to talk 'bout. Mr. Nathaniel said he'd manage his cousin all right, an' 'twould quiet the talk down ef his folks took sides along of you. No, sir, I ain't goin' to do no standin' in this show. I'm goin' to set, an' take it all in. Come now, you get into bed, an' I'll blow out the light an' go home. I reckon I'll be back to-morrer night to take any messages you want took. They'll be plenty o' chance fer you to rest 'fore Monday. Don't say nothin' to yer folks. Let 'em go on with their plans, an' then kinder s'prise 'em."