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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1937-12-23, Page 11• WINGHAM ADVANCE-TIMES PAGE THREE off to join her friends, CHAPTER V\ Thanksgiving Day was a perfect Indian Summer day. A thin fine frost that was visible in. the first down light had vanished before the march of the ‘sun and wthin an hour after sunrise not a trace of it, "except for a slight dampness beneath the trees, remain­ ed, The sky was so deep a blue that it held the eye enchanted. Not a cloud disturbed its serenity. The sun was a brassy fire ball, thinning to pale gold as it rose higher but without warmth enough to steal the faint, winy tang from the air. Shortly after breakfast a big car turned into the driveway and came to a halt at the steps, Out of it tumb­ led Gran’s niece, Marth, and her brood, Five children, the oldest fif­ teen, the youngest five. Martha was pleasantly, comfortably fat and con­ tentedly forty-five. She prided her­ self on being perfectly honest and had a scathing disgust for * anyone who was even faintly hypocritical. There­ fore she spoke her mind quite frank­ ly and cared not a whit that she left a trail of bruised egos and resent­ ment behind her. “My, my, but you look peaked, my child. Nothing but skin and bones!” she told Chloe frankly. “Have you been sick? I hear those northern peo­ple don’t know the first tiling about ably dull and gloomy, She cold creamed her face, dusted it with powder, left off both rouge and lip-stick and, in the severely util­ itarian bathroom, washed her hands and was ready for dinner — or the. old-fashioned supper that Melissa called it. Melissa looked at her shrewdly as she came into the diping room and said to Howell severely; “That child’s too pale. Better leave her down her for a month or two and let- us put some flesh on hei bones and. a little eolor in her. face.” ‘SDon’t worry about my pallor, Gran, I’ll get a beautiful winter tan in Bermuda,” said Chloe sweetly as she took her place at the table, “Bermuda?” snapped Melissa Sar- Gent. “Who’s going to Bermuda?” “I am,” answered Chloe sweetly, . waving away the large bowl of soup 'ijLthat Robert, the old butler, was plac- before her, “I’d rather.have a '•.2 .glass of tomato juice, please, Robert.” Gran sniffed delicately. Her eyes, which were shrewd and black, were fastened on Chloe's face as she said mildly, though it was a deceptive mildness, “So you’re going to Ber­ muda? When?” “I’m meeting the Pearsalls *in Mi­ ami on the 18th, and I’ll be gone a month or six weeks,” answered Chloe accepting the tomato juice which Robert offered. “You’re going to be away for Christmas?” insisted the old lady sternly.'/ Chloe" looked up and her blue eyes, stormy and dark, met those of the old lady and for a moment their glances clashed. - “Of course,” said Chloe with a pre­ tense of tranquility. “Why not?” .. Gran broke open a hot roll. Thrust a pat of sweet butter into it and clos­ ed it again, dropping it on her plate with what she wished had been a thud.“No reason, of course, I only thought that naturally since you’d been away so long, you’d be at home for Christmas. In my day, Christmas • was a ‘home-side’ holiday,” she said grimly. Looking at Chloe, Melissa’s heart sank a little at the thought that here was the next mistress of Chinaberry Grove. This young thing with her stormy blue eyes, her round, stubborn *” chin and her “smart” clothes.' How would she rule the domain over which for fifty-fiVe years Melissa Sargent had‘been queen? Would she be able to hold the place together? Melissa thought not — and the thought hurt her. But she voiced no part of her thought, and at ten o’clock they all went upstairs to bed. In her own big, dark, rather gloomy room, Chloe stood looking out into the wind-swept night. Beyond the /road, some little ' distance from the house, the moon- light shimmered warmly on pale ' stones that shone vaguely. The “afm- ily burying ground,” an inalienable every old plantation like ’■whinaberry Grove that had, in its ear­ ly days, been so shut off from the rest of the world that the whole span of birth and living and dying must be ' encompassed within its own boundar- ies. A wide drive led from the box­ wood path of the Big House to that quiet hill beneath whose crape myrtle and magnolias and lovely old yellow Banksia roses those stones glimmer­ ed. A little to One side there were other, smaller stones and on these, Still faintly decipherable after the years, were such names as "Amelia, . faithful slave of Amos and Martha . - • Sargent,” “Joshua, who served faith­ fully and loyally the Sargent family.” Chloe felt the gloom and the op­ pressive stillnesj of this quiet coun­ try place closing in upon her. Almost desperately she threw her thoughts back to a year ago. She had beeh dancing in the great hall of the Pear­ sall place, with Jim Pearsall’s arms close about hejr, his.cheek dgainst her hair. Her heart gave a little lonely throb. Jim and Betty were probably having another of their famous house parties at the Connecticut place this year. Jim would be dancing with some Other girl, his arms close about her, his cheek against her hair. Chloe had felt that if she could be with Jint en­ ough to get really acquainted with him, well, after all, she like him a lot. She even believed that she co’uld love him. And that 'he might love her. Perhaps in Bermuda —‘ a yacht is a very romantic spot, she told herself as she climed into the bed and drew the feather bed close about her. Who could tell what might happen beneath The tropic skies of this midwinter playground? It was a thought that sent her to bed at last, a little com­ forted. After ail it was only for a little while that she must be bored to( tears in Oak’tom just a little more TlBhn two weeks arid then ^ekf he decent cooking. You Stay here where you belong, and put some flesh on your body.” Chloe, her cheeks pink with resent­ ment, her eyes flashing, controlled herself enough to say icily, “Thank you, Cousin Martha, but I’m perfect­ ly satisfied to be slender. I’ve never had any ambition to look like a meal sack tied in the middle.” Gran barely retained a tiny chuckle, and her eyes sparkled. But she pre­ tended not to notice Chloe’s speak­ ing glance that took in Martha’s am­ ple proportions, and as Martha brid­ led indignantly, Melissa said some­ thing soothing and changed the sub­ ject.There were other guests fc-r the day. It seemed to Chloe that they would never stop coming. Although in reality there were only half a doz­ en grown-ups and a dozen or more children, it seemed to the despairing Chloe that the house bulged with them, as_.it truly rang with their noise. It seenied to her that the day was made hideous by the incessant yowl­ ing of some annoyed, or injured, or just' spoiled child, who insisted on running to its mother for comfort and solace at the most unexpected times. Dinner was served at noon. Up until the last Chloe was terrified lest she be made to sit at the children’s table, but at the last moment it was discovered that it would be possible to squeeze another plate in for her between her- father, who obligingly moved down a little, and Aunt Jane, who as obligingly moved up a little. The table for the children had been placed in the breakfast, room and from it there came occasional howls, arguments and raised voices that the grown-ups calmly ignored though they frayed Chloe’s already upset nerves until she set her teeth hard and clenched her hands, while she and Aunt Jane, as nervous as 'Chloe, ex*- changed sympathetic and understand* ing glances. Dinner, in the old fashioned way, was all put on the table at once, with the exception, of course, of dessert* The largest turkey Chloe had ever seen graced the table in front of her father. There was a whole baked ham at Melissa’s place, ready for her to carve it with competent, expert hands, there were vegetables of a bewilder­ ing variety and toothsome array; there were bowls of pickles, relishes, great platters of crisp, cool sliced to­ matoes and hearts of lettuce, straight .out of Melissa’s cherished hothouse. There were mounds of fluffy mashed potatoes. A great crystal bowl of quivering cranberry jelly. Platters of the stuffing from the turkey made from stale cornbread, biscuit and light bread moistened with the stock from the turkey, seasoned with onion and sage and thyme and a bewildering variety of spices, and baked smooth and brown in well-greased pans. Nev­ er, thought Chlioe, as she looked ov­ er the table that litterally groaned beneath its burden, had she seen so much food in one place. There were only ten people about the table. The table, set on the breakfast room porch for the children, held identical plat­ ters and jars and bowls. Melissa folded her gnarled old hands and’ said sociably, “Howell, you ask the blessing,” Howell lowere dhis head. The oth­ ers followed suit. There was a dec­ J flushed and herScott Kelvin bowed and walked away. Chloe’s face was eyes bright as she watched him leave the room. orous silence. Howell said quietly, simply, "Gracious Father, we thank Thee for these and all other blessings Thou has bestowed upon us. Amen.” and forks and dishes as the dinner There was a little clatter of knives began and Cousin Joe, Cousin Mar­ tha's husband said, his eyes glisten­ ing a little, “I always say, Aunt Mel­ issa, nobody in the world sets as good a table as you do. Looks as if you . have enough here for a log-rolling.” Melissa nodded, pleased. She liked having her bountiful table praised. “I know — it’s always been a Sar­ gent boast that no guest ever left a Sargent table with ;in empty stomach. I have no patience with people who dish you up. a little dab o’ this and a little dab o’ that and bring you a plate already served. I like to see my vict­ uals’ all spread about me and I like to make up my own mind.” Chloe looked down at her plate and suddenly disocevercd that she was hungry. She dug* her fork into the savory dressing with its crusty brown top and found it delicious. . No one ate rapidly. That would have been an insult to the quality of the food. Old Emma, out in the kit­ chen, superintending the half dozen girls who scuttled fearfully about the duties assigned to them, would have been outraged beyond words had any one gulped the food she had been at such pains to prepare. It .seemed to Chloe that they ate for hours and hours. It was after three when at last, they finished and could push back their chairs and leave the dining room. In the hall her fa­ ther whispered to her, his eyes twink­ ling a little, “Think you could manage a few steps? I thought I’d like a walk. Care to come along?” “Of course,” said Chloe eagerly. A few minutes later they let them­ selves out of the- side door and went down across the orchard and through the meadow to the. fringe of yellow willows that marked the brook Ac. ross this op stepping stones and into the woods now blazing in a glory of lovely colors, all reds and yellows and incredible purple-blues that flut­ tered lazily down upon them as thev walked, ■ Howell Sargent looked down at the girl who walked beside him, Noting with a keen, poignant pride, the set of her blonde head on her straight young shoulders, the slender, proudly was so disturbingly like that of the he,art,“Shnped face that othei Chloe he had lost and whose loss he would never cease to mourn. •i° ?ne, d ever know how hung­ rily he had looked forward to Chloe’s plans he had made for them both. She return from the North. Or of the She would- make her debut at the wou d settle down at home, of course loveliest party the Country Club had ever seen. 7 here would be a caterer down from Atlanta; an orchestra from New 1 ork. She should choose the one she liked best. She would have the loveliest frock — he would be so proud of her! This lovely thing* who was the living sym­ bol of his love for that other Chloe. The legacy that Chloe had left him. it had hurt him acutely to discov- er. she was restless, dissatisfied with Oakton. That she came home to stay only a brief while until she -could rejoin her friends. Still, he told himself, he should have expected that. He had sent her away, made it im­ possible for her to form friendships to take root here in Oakton. It had been that other Chloe’s wish that her noi them school, the contacts — he daughter have the advantages of the sighed heavily and Chloe looked up at him, bright-eyed, the dull blue of her thin woollen frock, the plaid jac- kett setting off her blonde prettiness to perfection. l,^eiYaiS-a Htirle shy with her. Which he told himself, was of course, ridic­ ulous. Shy of his own child? Find­ ing it awkward to talk to her? Fid­ dlesticks! i‘ni?ei1-§aid-thie tllat Came into Jus mind. You haven’t told me much about these people you’re to visit with for Christmas, who are they’” Chloe looked up at him, astonished, rhe Pearsalls, Father, don’t you remember. I wrote you about them. Cetty and I were roommates the last wo years at school. I’ve spent most of my vacations with her. Her fa­ ther is a banker, you know.” . abol,t young men? Af- gh-1 all'„Chloe; y°u’rc a very pretty i dimpled and answered light­ course” ~~ 1 VG S°me men friends> of CHAPTER VI s, ^rOtIier saw t0 ’t ttat Betty and I met practically every man on the campus or in the build­ ings when we went to the Prom at "ncfet°n th « ?Pfin£ ” said Chloe to hci fathei. And there were other I you know. “This Jim Pearsall, I suppose he will gq,into his father’s business? Fol. IJnsTTfoOlstePs an(1 all that,” suggested Howell, anxious that she Should tell him of her friends, eager that she should not think he was pr.y- ln£ bevond his rights as her father. 1 don t think so. There really is momntlv y°V<m!<noY’” shc answered I>i omptly. 1 here s a tremendous a™°tl1A of money. Jim’s grandmoth- i t<W0‘ ln,1lions when she died, and it s in trust so that he gets the income.of it for life nad his child- nC’Lafte!’n!ln?‘ Aud of course he and BetIV will share equally their father’s estate. Jim. says as they have, more than they can ever possibly il aeemr a b,t silIy for bim to go grubbing after more.” H°we,l didn’t like that. His jaw set a little. But his Voice was care- “Tlipt c?ntf.0,Icd as be said quietly, lif4 "? S,Jecia.1 in,:ercst in 1 ri , hat does he do with his time? !■>«. r h se,nsed the faint censure in feJa?c,rS tone and Sa’d Quickly, Web’ he s not exactly a play boy if that s what you mean, Father He plays polo brilliantly, he’s on the Am cricati team, and his golf score is al- mos professional, it’s so good. And -- well, there are ever so many things that he does with his time. After all bather, you shouldn’t condemn him when youve never even met him.” Howe l flushed a little and said, in­ stantly defensive, "Of course hot, my child, I didn t mean to. I’m sure if you like him he must be a very nice young man. There’s a nice view from here, don’t you think?” he suggested . • thcMaltScd at the top of Jossa- mma Hill and looked down at the broad acres surrounding Chinaberry notv I’! barvest attire be- ueath the descending sun. A lift!©