Grace Poole

“ Eleanor had in the past proved anything but tractable.
"I'll go to-night," decided Grace. "I'm not afraid of the dark. If mother objects, I'll take Bridget along for protection, although she's the greatest coward in the world."
Grace giggled a little as she thought of Bridget in the role of protector.
That night she hurried through her supper, and, barely tasting her dessert, said abruptly:
"Mother, may I go to Eleanor Savelli's this evening?"
"Away out to 'Heartsease,' Grace? Who is going with you?"
"No one," replied Grace truthfully. "Mother, please don't say no. ”

“ I am going to follow out this trail a little way. Perhaps I may discover something," said Grace.
Hippy said he would accompany her, but Grace shook her head.
"Please stay here and look out for the camp. If I need you I will shoot three times."
"I wish you would not go out," urged Elfreda. "What is to be gained? Nothing, and there may be much to lose."
"Grace has made up her mind to go, so you might as well save your breath, J. Elfreda," said Anne.
"Some persons are so stubborn," murmured Emma.
Grace smiled and nodded, then parted the bushes and stepped in. ”

“ No one ever understood him. He could have done great things if—if—some one had looked after him a little. But he hadn't any one. That was my fault. I didn't want you and Paul to think I don't blame myself. I do all the time. I can't promise to be better in the future because I've promised so often and I never am. But I am sorry."
Grace said nothing for a moment. Her hands trembled more than ever. Then, without looking up, she murmured as though to her sewing:
"Oh no. Maggie ... no one blames you, I'm sure." ”

“ Then motioning her to hold up the back end, he started on a run down the bank.
"The poor soul thinks he's a horse, I suppose," she said to herself, "but what difference does it make, if we can only get the plank to Tom and Julia?"
Grace soon saw, however, that the idea was not entirely idiotic. Later she was to offer up a prayer of thanks for that same child's wagon. The deaf and dumb man was wearing heavy Arctic rubbers, which kept him from slipping; while Grace, whose soles were as smooth as glass, kept her balance admirably by means of the other end of the plank. ”

“ Lulu whispers again in her loving tone, "and, Gracie," with a fluttering sigh. "I have been so happy in anticipating your happiness!"
Touched to the depths of her warm heart Grace bends to leave a tender kiss on the pale brow, and promising to come again, goes out. Her adieus are hastily made to the rest, and once more in the little pony phaeton she skims over the miles between her and home. The bright roses that blossom on her cheeks are sources of undisguised admiration to Norah, who opines that Mrs. Winans ought to drive every evening. ”

“ These had been very pleasant days, and their lingering memories came hovering round Grace as she stood once again among the familiar haunts, after an absence of years. Echoes of merry ringing tones, in which her own mingled, seemed to resound through the wooded paths, where only the parching wind whistled shrilly to-day, and a boyish voice seemed still to call impatiently under the lozenge-paned window of the old school-room, "Gracie, Gracie, are you not done with lessons yet? Do come out and play." ”

“ The four chums held more than one anxious discussion as to the advisability of even attending the ball.
"I think we ought to go, just to show those girls that we are impervious to their petty insults," declared Grace. "We have as much right there as any one else, and I am sure the boys we know will dance with us whether the rest of the girls like it or not. Besides, Mrs. Gray will be there, and she will expect to see us. She doesn't know anything about this trouble, and I don't want her to know. It would only grieve her. She is so fond of Anne. By all means we must go to the ball. ”

“ I love her dearly, and I wish she was perfectly happy."
"I think she is a dear old thing," answered Grace; "but she always puts me in mind of some ivy or creeper that the wind has blown away from its support. She is one of the women who must have somebody to cling to, even if that somebody be tyranical and harsh like her brother."
"Yet, in his own way, he has been kind to us."
"Very much in his own way," said Grace, resentfully.
"I have a fancy about Mr. Sandford," Margaret said rather dreamily.
"You have generally nice fancies about most people, darling; tell your fancy to me." ”

“ You know she hates me, and will disgrace me in the eyes of the girls."
"And you richly deserve it, Eleanor," replied Grace, "but if you produce Anne's costumes at once, I'll agree to say nothing. Hurry, for every second is precious."
"I can't get them," wailed Eleanor. "What shall I do?"
"Where are they?" asked Grace, with compressed lips.
"At—'Heartsease,'" said Eleanor, and burst into tears.
"Oh, what a mess," groaned Grace. "It will take an hour to go there and back. Oh, I must act quickly. Let me think. Mrs. Gray's coachman would drive me out, but those horses are so slow. ”

“ Deborah cried.
"It's already settled," he answered. "I've talked to Edith and she has agreed. She has always loved the farm, and it will be good for her children. In the meantime I've been talking to George. 'George,' I told him, 'I'm going to talk to you, man to man, about a man's job I want you to tackle.'"
"The farm? But, dearie! He's only a boy!"
"He's nearly seventeen," said Roger, "and a young moose for his age. And old Dave Royce will still be there. It's the work George has been dreaming about ever since he was a child. ”

“ Perhaps the panic of 1907 was to blame, or a decrease in the visible gold supply; perhaps the trouble was in that hard saying of the Redmantlers, that Love was going out. At any rate, here hung Miss Grace on the parent stem in Washington Street, a Waiting Woman: the non-understanding and unaccounted-for Anomaly in a disordered social system; an adult human being thirty-two years old, with nothing upon earth to do.
Miss Grace's subjects were Sociology and the History of the World. An agreeable soul herself, she noted that her tutor's manner this afternoon was taciturn and distrait. ”

“ Blaisdell, the investigator, then write to your friends and let them know the exact circumstances."
"It breaks my heart to hear you say such things of yourself," was Grace's passionate cry. Springing to her feet she knelt before the older woman and wrapped two shielding arms about her. "You've always thought of others. I won't let you say that you are selfish, or that your life has been almost lived. You've been as brave as a lion ever since this terrible trouble came to us. ”

“ Elwood, Elfreda climbed the stairs to the room at the end of the hall, where she received a most vociferous welcome from Kathleen and Patience. But the moment they settled down to conversation Elfreda said solemnly, “Girls, something is breaking Grace Harlowe’s proud heart. Emma knows, but she is Grace’s only confidante. I asked Grace point blank, this afternoon, to tell me, but she wouldn’t. It has something to do with that Miss Wharton, the new dean. Whatever it is, you know, as well as I, that Grace isn’t likely to be in the wrong. ”

“ Now they were young again in the house. They were eating their suppers, three small girls, chattering like magpies. From her end of the table their mother smiled quietly across at him. "Come children," she was saying, "that will do for a little while." But Roger said, "Oh, let them talk."... Then he saw new-comers. Bruce came in with Edith, and George and young Elizabeth, and Allan came with Deborah who had a baby in her arms, and Laura stood beside them. ”

“ One of the girls was caught with the other one's man," said Grace, as she threw her whiskey down, "I'm glad to have met you, Pearl. If I can be of any help to you any time, don't be afraid to call on me. So long, Ev," and with that Grace disappeared in the crowd.
"Say, Ev, I like that old dame."
"I knew you would—she's a pip—that is, as long as you don't cross her. Well, let's shove off [Pg 12] from here. There's a lot of bars over on Lysol Lane we ain't been into yet." ”

“ As he turned and went down the walk whistling shrilly, Grace stared at the yellow envelope, hardly daring to open it.
In the same instant she felt Elfreda Briggs' reassuring arm about her. From the veranda the stout girl "could see" and had acted accordingly.
With a quick gasping breath Grace tore open the envelope, her trembling fingers fumbling at its contents. Then the world seemed suddenly to recede, leaving her alone with the unbelievable information: "Tom found. O.K. Sends love. Coming home Tuesday. Will wire train. David." ”

“ Oh, how she would feel when Gracie was lifted up into Edward’s hands, and then he would toss her up and say:
“‘What’s the difference? She’s only made of rags. Why do you care? Gracie doesn’t.’ One day he left the doll high up in a tree out in the yard, and Grace was afraid that more snow would come in the night and that it would spoil her beloved Gracie, for there had been a late snow-storm that day. ”

“ Nora, Jessica, Miriam and Eva Allen entered the senior locker-room together.
"Where's Marian?" asked Grace.
"You'd never guess if we told you," exclaimed Nora. "I never was more surprised in my life."
"Why? What's the matter?" asked Anne and Grace together.
"Who is the last person you'd expect to see her with?" asked Jessica.
"I don't know," said Grace. "Edna Wright?"
"Worse," was Nora's answer. "She's up in the study hall with Eleanor Savelli."
"Eleanor Savelli?" echoed Grace. "Why she is Marian's pet aversion."
"Past history," said Miriam Nesbit. "They appear to be thicker than thieves." ”

“ I heard the bell ring and the big key turn, and the little portress gurgle in her glee at seeing Grace. She likes my big sister; every one does. Then Grace told the portress she would go and find me, and she came swinging along the hall in a very debonair fashion, but when I met her she looked frightened. She said: "You monkey, I'm afraid you're making a lot of trouble for us all." She hadn't time to say more, for I pulled her into the music-room, and there was Sister Chrysostom, and Grace became the woman of the world at once. ”

“ Grace's eyes were large with terror. "You're ashamed at nothing. You've made every one in the place laugh at us. You've ruined Paul's life here—yes, you have. But you don't care. Do you think I mind for myself? But I love Paul, and I've looked after him all his life, and he was happy until you came—yes, he was. You've made us all laughed at. You're bad all through, Maggie, and the laws of the Church aren't anything to you at all."
There was a pause. Maggie, a little calmer, realised Grace, who had sunk into a chair. ”

“ You can't always judge a man by his looks."
"You can this man," asserted Grace. "He is a polite villain of the deepest dye, and I know it."
It was after eleven o'clock when the train pulled into Oakdale. Mrs. Gibson's chauffeur awaited them with the big touring car, in which there was ample room for all of them.
"Keep a sharp lookout for that man," whispered Grace to Miriam. "I want to see if Oakdale is his destination."
The two girls lagged behind the others, eagerly scanning the platform.
"I think he must have gone on," said Miriam. "I don't see him. Don't worry any more about him, Grace." ”

“ Again she drew out her watch. Then her eye rested for a second on the little key that hung on her watch chain. It was the key to the lean-to in which David kept his aëroplane. Like a flash the way was revealed to her. But would she be able to carry out the daring design that had sprung into her mind? She would try, at any rate. With an unconcern that she was far from feeling, Grace walked carelessly toward the door of the lean-to.
The demented man was beside her in a twinkling He clutched Grace by the arm with a force that made her catch her breath. ”

“ Guido Savelli had been purposely placed last on the programme. "No one will care for anything else after he plays. The audience will have the memory of his music to take away with them," Grace had said wisely. Knowing the musician's horror of being lionized, Grace had confided the secret to no one except Miriam, Anne, Mabel Ashe and Elfreda, who, in company with her and Eleanor, had met him at the train and dined with him at the "Tourraine." It had been arranged that at half-past nine o'clock Anne and Elfreda should go for him and escort him to Music Hall. ”

“ Grewe came up in her mind: "You can get out whenever you choose." She frowned. "But there are the children. And besides, I love you, Joe—yes, more than ever, and in a queer way! I'm fighting for what I love in you, but at the same time I love you all—every bit of you!" Breathing quickly now, she sank back on her pillow, and there she soon grew quiet again. "So we'll fight it out once and for all. You've got to drop this plan of yours." One evening that same week when Nourse had come to dinner, she led the talk by slow degrees to that other plan of Joe's—the one with terrace gardens. ”

“ God had granted her the priceless boon of a true man's true love. Though she and Tom had but briefly glimpsed their Golden Summer, the remembrance of his unselfish devotion would keep it alive forever.
CHAPTER XIV THE BEGINNING OF THE END
Two days elapsed, following the call of the belligerent Stanley Forde, before Arline ended her visit to Grace. Once she had departed, Grace missed her sorely. Her coming had been a timely break in the now sad routine which Grace daily pursued. Many of her Oakdale acquaintances and friends were still vacationing at the seashore or in the mountains. ”