Stranger within the Gates (14 page)

As if she had spoken her thoughts aloud, suddenly Rance said, "I hope your brothers will be there by the time we get back. I know it's late, but I would like to meet them, if only for a minute."

Sylvia was very still for a minute. She could hear the big flakes of snow still splashing on the window as they drove along. Then she lifted her head and looked toward her escort.

"I think there is something I ought to tell you," she said in a low voice. "I don't like to, because it's something that breaks my heart, but I guess you should know, especially if there is a likelihood that you will meet them."

"Don't tell me anything that gives you distress," said Rance. "We've had such a happy evening, let it go at that."

"No," said Sylvia. "I think I'd better tell you now that I have said so much, and I think perhaps I'd like you to understand. You see, we've been very much worried for three days, ever since Mother had a letter from my brother Rex saying that he had been married and wanted to bring his wife home. My older brother did not know anything about it till he got home last night, and he's been trying ever since to get in touch with him. Rex is only eighteen and just in the middle of his college course. We don't understand it. He never was silly like that. And we don't know anything about the girl, either. But we suppose they are coming home tonight or tomorrow, and I thought if they should be there when we go in, I'd like you to understand the situation. Rex is so young to be married--but he's a dear."

"Oh, you poor child!" said the young man gently. "And you had to go out this evening and try to enjoy a good time with that hanging over you! I'm sorry I caused you that strain."

"Oh, but it was a good thing," said Sylvia, "and I'm so glad I went. It was almost as if God was there. I seemed to get a broader view of the universe and to feel that there is a time surely coming when even such hard troubles as this won't matter anymore, because God is going to wipe all tears away. No, I'm glad I went. But I wanted you to understand if Rex is there."

"Perhaps you'd rather I didn't come in tonight."

"No. I want you to meet my older brother. And Mother will want you to come in, I know."

"Well, I thank you for trusting me with your confidence. I certainly will pray about it tonight and will hope that somehow God will work this out gloriously for you all. I only wish that there were something else that I could do, some way that I could help."

"Thank you," said Sylvia. "You've helped a lot already, taking me away from the thought of it. And there is no help like praying. I'm glad you know how to do that. That will help more than anything else. Rex is a Christian, but I guess somehow he's got away from the Lord, or he wouldn't have done a thing like this to Mother, or to himself, either."

"Well, I'm glad you counted me a friend to tell me, and, of course, it will go no further. I'd like to be a friend you can call upon for help at any time. May I?"

"Why, yes, that would be wonderful," she said softly.

And then the taxi drew up at the Garland home, and their talk was over, but Sylvia was glad that she had told him.

So they went into the house, not knowing what to expect.

There was a light in the big pleasant living room when they entered the door, and they could see Mary Garland sitting there before the open fire with a book in her lap. But she was not reading. Her face had a faraway look as if she were pondering great matters. Even the children were up idly working at a picture puzzle with the air of killing time till something important would happen.

And then Paul got up from the other side of the fireplace and came out in the hall and looked at them.

"Well, if that isn't Rance Nelius!" he said, his big, hearty voice booming out joyously as he came forward to meet the guest. "Upon my word, how did you get away off here? I thought you lived out in the wild woolly West! And how did you get to know my sister? Say, this is great! I didn't know you were within a thousand miles of here, and I wasn't sure I would ever see you again. Man, this is great!"

"Why, Paul, how did you know Rance Nelius?" asked Sylvia, wide-eyed at the revelation. "I didn't think any of the family would know him, not till he came after me tonight and met Mother and the children."

"Why, a couple of years ago, Syl, when I was football manager, Rance's team came out to play our college. We had a great game, and then when it came time for their team to leave, they found there had been a wreck on the railroad that would make them miss their connections for their train home, so they decided to stay over till morning. We parked the team around among our men, and Rance fell to my lot. We were just starting to get acquainted when he had to leave. I've tried to trace him since, hunted among the football news, even wrote out to your college, Rance, but they told me you had moved away, and they didn't have your address. What became of you, man? My, I'm glad you've turned up at last!"

Rance smiled.

"Why, you see, my whole life was upset shortly after I was with you. My mother was taken quite ill, and we had to go farther west for her sake. And when even that didn't do any good, we went to California for a time. I left college, of course, indefinitely, to be with her during her last days. And after she was gone I came east. I've been here in your university for the past year. I graduate in the spring, two years later than I would if I had gone on from the time you knew me. That explains how I came to know your sister." And a pleasant glance passed between him and Sylvia, almost as if they had been friends of long standing. "But I certainly am glad to see you. I didn't know a soul around here. I never connected you with this city. I thought of you as living somewhere near that college where we met. Of course, I've been rather busy, taking a heavy schedule and doing a little coaching besides."

"Football?" asked Paul. "I don't see why I didn't hear of you."

"No, not football," laughed Rance. "I've grown up since I saw you. I haven't any time for that now, though I used to love it. No, I've been using my brains instead of my brawn lately. But, say, I'm glad I've found you! I've often thought of you but couldn't for the life of me remember your name. No wonder Garland sounded so familiar and pleasant to me when I met your sister! Say, this is great!"

"Where are you living?" asked Paul. "You and I have got to have a good talk. I always felt that one night we had wasn't half long enough. You're in the university dorm, I suppose."

"No," said Rance, "I'm on my own. I have a room in an apartment house. That reminds me that I ought to hurry. I'm supposed to be nurse to a reluctant furnace for the next three nights while the janitor is away getting a holiday at his married daughter's, and I'm under oath to see that the apartments are all comfortably warm both night and day."

"But, say, that's no work for you! That furnace won't go out if you stay a little while longer, will it? It's not awfully late. Come on in and sit down. I want Mother to know you."

"I met your mother when I came for your sister earlier this evening. She's worth knowing. And I'm coming to see her again, if I may."

By this time Fae and Stan were clustered around with shining eyes, and their mother had come to the door.

"Of course, you may come whenever you like," said Mary Garland. "You will be twice as welcome since you are Paul's friend as well as Sylvia's. And I was just wondering. Couldn't you have Christmas dinner with us? I know we would all enjoy it very much. Unless, of course, you have other plans."

Sylvia gasped in pleased surprise, and Rance looked eager.

"No, I haven't any other plans except to get dinner in a restaurant and try to forget that it is Christmas."

"Good!" said Paul. "Then you'll eat with us! That will be swell. And by the way, Mother, I asked Marcia Merrill to come over to dinner, too. I told her you would call her and let her know about what time. Her father and mother have gone down to Florida for a couple of months, and she is staying with the housekeeper and a couple of teachers who are there for company. But they are going to a shindig some of their friends are having, and she was going to be alone, so I asked her. I knew you would, Mother, if you knew."

Mary Garland could always be counted on for a thing like that, and now her eyes lit up pleasantly.

"Why, of course! How nice that will be! We'll have a real house party, and I'm so glad your friend Mr. Nelius is free----"

Rance looked troubled. He couldn't help seeing the half-frightened glances Fae gave to Stan, and the sudden lighting of Stan's face as they both gave Sylvia a quick look. He remembered what Sylvia had told him on the way home and realized there were complications that might make his staying hard for these dear people.

"Your house will be full," he said. "Hadn't I better come some other day than Christmas? I don't want to barge in on your family gathering." His eyes sought Sylvia's for understanding, and she smiled, trying to let him know it would be all right.

"No," said Mary Garland earnestly, "you're not to make that excuse. We want you. We'd love to have you. Now come in and sit down by the fire just a few minutes before you go, and let's get the hour settled. Christmas is a time to have a big gathering of dear friends."

Then Paul joined in and urged, and Fae clapped her hands and said, "Yes, that would be wonderful! And I'm glad Marcia is coming, too. She is nice. She always fits in."

For the moment the coming of Rex and his problematic bride was in the background.

They were still standing in the wide hall, Mary Garland just within the living room doorway. Only Stan's alert boy senses heard the soft creak of wheels in the snow outside as a taxi drew up. Stan gave a startled glance toward his mother, darted a warning at Sylvia and Paul, even with that pleased look of eagerness still on his lips.

Simultaneously with the dim slam of the taxi door came the sound of feet stamping snow outside the door then the rattle and click of a key in the lock.

Paul looked up, startled out of his cheerfulness, and Rance glanced toward the door, giving Sylvia a quick look. Her eyes were toward the door, too, and now she gave Rance a fleeting smile as if to signal him that the time she had been telling him about had come. Then the door swung wide, letting in a gust of wild snowy air and two figures--one tall, one small and slight.

That will be Rex
, thought Rance, and he tried to adjust his attitude so that he should not be taken unaware.

Rex lifted a long arm, plucked off his cap, gave it a shake that flicked the snow from it in a shower; tossed back his handsome head and shook it a little to fling the snow from his crisp, dark curly hair; and then cast a quick keen glance over the group at the door. His eyes first lingered on his brother Paul's face, appraising it, then traveled on to the stranger hostilely. Who was this guy barging in on a family scene? It was going to be hard enough without strangers.

But Paul spoke out genially.

"Hello, Rex, you got here at last, didn't you? Took your time, I should say! Mother has been awfully anxious." And then without change of tone, "Rance, this is my brother Rex. You've heard me speak of him. Rex, this is Rance Nelius. I guess you've heard of him before."

Rex was utterly taken off his guard.

"Rance Nelius!" he exclaimed with a sudden flash of interest. "You don't say! Glad to meet you, Mr. Nelius. Paul has had me about worshipping you ever since you played football at the college once." Rex stretched out a long arm and grasped Rance Nelius's hand warmly. "I certainly didn't know we were to have this pleasure!"

Behind Paul, Stan's tense face relaxed, though his watchful eyes were still on the alert. Rance could hear Sylvia draw a quick little catch of breath, as if she were somehow relieved, but he saw that Mary Garland's eyes were still anxious and went beyond the easy figure of her second son to the girl who stood behind him, watchful and belligerent. Rance saw Fae's young hands clutch the pleats in her dress skirt and give a long, unloving look toward the alien girl. Poor little girl! Poor mother! Poor all of them!

The only one who didn't look concerned in the whole group was the alien girl, and she looked angry. She was being ignored, but she didn't intend to stand it long. She stepped up beside Rex and looked at him.

She was very smart looking. They could see that at a glance. And almost pretty, though not according to their standards. Her lips were too red, and her cheeks were not a natural color. Her eyebrows were slender and too high. Her hair was in a long bob, like a page boy of King Arthur's time. It was a sickly gold, dashed with a strange red like nasturtiums, as Paul had said, that gave a weird effect to the whole picture. Her lashes were long and much the same color. She certainly was startling.

She was dressed in a heavy black winter suit--slim skirt and trim jacket banded with gray fur. Her hat was a curious little pillbox affair--a black crown with a band of the fur facing the straight-up brim, and a two-inch strap of the fur around the back of the head over the gold hair holding on the hat. There were gloves, too, quite unusual ones done in black and white with a gauntlet effect. But her eyes were the principal thing. They were long and gray and cold with flecks of steel in their makeup, and when she stepped up and looked at Rex, he seemed almost to wither. Rex! Withering! He didn't seem the type to wither!

"Oh--ah!" he said, stepping back imperceptibly. "Meet my wife----Florimel--everybody!"

Rance Nelius admired the way that Mary Garland arose to the occasion, though he pitied her from the heart. Gently, like a lady born, as she was, she stepped forward to the girl's side.

"Oh," she said sympathetically. "You must be very cold traveling in this awful storm. They tell me it is below zero. And you have no heavy coat! I should think you would have frozen!"

Florimel laughed an ugly little laugh.

"Spare me your sympathy," she clamored out. "We've been in the movies all the evening; I'm not cold. And my coat is outside with the baggage. I didn't think it was worthwhile to bother putting it on; this jacket is warm. But good
night
, I'm thirsty! Haven't you got something to drink?"