HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1940-12-19, Page 20PAGE TWELVE WINGHAM ADVANCE-TIMES
"i
And then she said without meaning
to, "uncle Ed sent us a silver platter
for a—”
Joel’s eyes turned toward hers,
away . rfoin the gray sky with its
whisking clouds.' Her eyes were dark
and wiue and her face was pale and
sad. “Jinny, are you sure you don t
wan’t to go through with it?”
The train rumbled on the uneven
roadbed and the cinders settled light
ly over everything with the finality of
the despair that closed around Jinny’s
heart as she bit her lips. Then she
said, "Marriages can be happy, 1 guess
-—at least they can be successtul, even
if both sides aren’t in love, Only —
it seems to me that is being satisfied
with second best. And for us, Joel,”
her voice was very low, “I would
want the best.”
Life stretched before Joel, suddenly
bleak and gray. He said, “Dusty’ll
have to carry on the Paine tradition,
I guess.”
Jinny’s breath stopped as suddenly
everything became clear. How could
she have been so blind as not'to know
what was in Joel’s mind! It all fitted
perfectly. Of course it had been Sue ■
Garland all the time. When the bob
sled-tipped over, hadn’t Joel rushed
for Sues’ Hadn’t Dusty done the same
thing? Hadn’t she seen Sue in Joel's
arms? Hadn’t there always been a
wistful, restrained note in Joel’s voice
when he spoke to Sue?
Jinny said, “Joel, are you in love
with Sue?’’
Joel turned his head. “Yes,” he said
miserably, “so what?”
“Oh!” 'Jinny’s voice was cold and
• frightened. Though she had not ad
mitted it, all this time she had clung
to the faint hope that something else
had occupied and disturbed Joel. This
was the end. “But she’s engaged to-
Dusty!”
Joel was as glad as Jinny when they
reached Brattleboro and Jinny had to
get Off. Joel was going on to Green
field to keep an appointment with the
toy people. The silence between them
had grown significantly uncomfort
able.
“Be seein’ you,” Joel said as he
went with her to the vestibule of the
car, “before I go tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow!” echoed Jinny. “Be
fore Christmas!”
“Well, yes. Thought I would. Good
luck! Of course you’ll get the job.”
Jinny’s hands were wet with nerv
ousness and her heart beat rat-a-tat-
tat in her breast as she climbed the
steps of the brick building. “I mUsn’t
, let him know how frightened I aitt. 1
^mustn’t let him see if X don’t get this
■—there is nothing. I must be calm
land relaxed and tell him exactly what
[?I cah do.”
The waiting was the worst. Jinny
clasped and unclasped her hands and
swallowed. It was much like waiting
in a dentist’s office when you know
you need a nasty filling. Afterwards
she knew it was even worse than the
interview which was so painfully and
quickly over.
Even worse than when she heard
the cold words in her ears. “We-ell,
you say yourself that you haven’t had
any experience in handling young
sters.’
When she left, hardly conscious of
what she was doing, she walked down
to the station, sat up on a high stool
and ordered a cup of coffee. Now it
was under her nose, the steam rising.
She hadn’t had the right courses for
what he wanted. She hadn’t had any
experience. He would keep her appli
cation on. file and if anything else
came up — but that was riothing. It
was just politely glossing over the fact
that this particular job Was not for
Jinny.
She kept thinking, "I must have
some time alone., I must get things
straight. I must‘think them through.”
But her mind went round and round
and she kept hearing first the super
intendent’s cold words, and then Joel’s
as he had ended things for good and
all on the train.
He was going away tomorrow.
“Tf.I took poison, or jumped out of
the window, I’d probably make a mess
of that. I just haven’t that kind of
courage. And I can’t help thinking
what that would da to Mother and
Father. If I were only alone and no
body cared — I could just end it all.”
And then she thought, “Sue Garland
hasn’t any right at all to both Dusty
and Joel. A black chill shook her.
“She doesn’t care a peanut for Joel.
She hasn’t any right to make him so
Unhappy. He would be a lot happier
With me—”
The train whistled. Jinny paid for
Tier coffee and left it on the counter.
CHAPTER XXI
“Grari,” said Sue, “what is the use
of Hyihg fho piano tuned? If it’s
you happy. Say something. Jinny,
-please say something!”
Jinny shook her head sadly,
don’t know what to say,”
CHAPTER XX
Jinny Ransom had been doing some
good hard thinking. She had come to
the conclusion that whatever had hap
pened to Joel, had happened on his
trip to New York. Even though he
had actually proposed after he came
back, he had 'been curiously restless
and unlike himself. She had supposed,
of course, that it was because he had
failed to get Dusty to invest in his
plan for the mills. But her instinct
told her that somewhere there must
be another girl.
Jinny thought of * all this as she'
stood before the hall mirror and put
on her hat. She heard her mother’s
voice. “Jinny, you’ll miss the train, if
you don’t hurry.” Less distinctly, “I
can’t understand you, Jinny. Last
week you were all excited over being
married. Whatever in the world Joel’s
going to think when you go traipsing
off to teach, I can’t help wondering.
I don’t know whether you know it or
not — but marriage isn’t a thjng you
can put .on and take off like your coat
and hat.”“Oh, Mother 1” Jinny said it to the
white-faced image in the mirror.
“Please stop it. If I don’t get this
job, I’ll certainly die. Joel doesn’t
want to marry me — and at this mo
ment I certainly don’t want him to —
if he doesn’t want to. I’ve always
known how he felt, and because we
sort of drifted into this, there isn’t
any reason why we should go on with
it, is there?” Jinny knew her mother
couldn’t hear.
Mrs. Ransom came out of the din
ing room. “I 'thought maybe you’d
want the letter, Jinny.” Her kind blue
eyes were bewildered as she looked
at her daughter. “Jinny — I -— I only
want you to be happy, dear.”
“I know it, Mother.” Jinny threw
' her arms warmly around Mrs. Ran
som. “Don’t worry. I’m screamingly
happy at this moment, and if; you’ll
do a little concentrated thinking on
the bent who is to interview me at
eleven o’clock in battleboro, it’s all
. I want.”
“There’s your father with the car.
I do hope he has his chains on. Good
bye, dear.”
The nine fifty-five was whistling as
the Ransom car drew up at the old
. brown station and Jinny dashed out
to get a ticket. For a second she
doubted the familiarity of the tweed
coat in front of her at the window.i
“Joel!” she gasped. |
He turned around, incredulous.
“Jinny!”
And then it was all confusion as the
train, breathing out a white plume of
smoke, its wheels turning furiously,
came into the station. Joel took Jin
ny’s arm and- they dashed up just as
the conductor leaned down the plat
form and yelled, “All aboard!”
“Well,” said Joel casually, after he
hung up their coats 'and they had set
tled back in the green plush seat, “I
am about to lease the mills to a toy
manufacturer.”
“Oh!” asid Jinny. She drew off her
gloves and rolled them with meticu
lous care into a little ball. “Oh! A
toy factory.” She was thinking, “He
wouldn’t do that if he weren’t simply
desperate.”
But now he was asking her what
she was doing on the early train.
“Christmas shopping?”
“No. It’s about a teaching job. One
of the teachers is quite ill and they
need someone to start the second sem
ester. After New Year’s.”
Joel was thoughtful as the white
fields edged with ‘dark green pines
flew by. “It isn’t exactly as we plan
ned, is it Jinny?”
“No, it isn’t, But we can be friends,
Joel. And if it wasn’t going to work
I guess it’s better to know right now,
before we messed up things. What
are you going to do after you lease
the mills?” *
“Oh, I’m going to bum around a
while and see America. A college
chum of mine has a car and we think
we’ll see what the west coast looks
like. I’ve just come to the conclusion
if you don’t see a little'of what the
world is like when you’re young, you
just never do.”
As' if Jinny couldn’t hear the ache
in his voice under the casual inflec
tion!
“That sounds swell,” she managed.
“And then, eventually, I may go in
to advertising. Dusty’s firm. Settle
down, you know.”
Jinny thought, “I don’t care what
happens to me, ever, if Jbel can be
happy. But I can’t help him either if
J don’t know what’s wrong, can I?”
tuned I’ll play it, and then I’ll try to
sing and then—" . .
“Mebbe you’d rather 1 hioveti it out
to the carriage house,” shapped Gran.
“No-o, I didn’t meat!, that.” .
“AH right. Then wC'll have it .tim
ed. Conte Christmas', it’s nice to have
a little music. You might as well get
used to the fact that yours wasn’t the
only voice in the world. Mebbe if you
could shake off this hangdog look of
yours and limber up your fingers on
some of them Christmas hymns, we’d
all have „ii .merrier Christmas. And
tiOw that I think of it, to me you don’t
exactly act' like an engaged, girl.”.
The morning sun cast bright lights
in Sue’s hair. She wore a blue Angora
Sweater and a dark blue skirt as she
carefully watered Gran’s numerous
red-leaved plants. “Gran’s soul is as
mellow as an old apple, but you’d
never know it from her tongue. But
she-’s right. I won’t get my voice, back
by staying away from the piano.”
Aloud she said, “I don’t feel awfully
engaged right now. Since you insist
that I‘ can’t get married until June, it
seems forever.”
“June,” said Gran crisply, “is. as
good a month as any to 'be married.
Now will you get Jinny Ransom on
the phone?”
She spilled a little water on the
table as she put. down the crackled
brown pitcher. Jinny’s name brought
back the recollection of the bright
laughter in her voice, and the answer
ing gayety in Joel’s. Jinny,” she said,
“is a lucky girl.”
“Just what,” asked Gran, peering
Up sharply, “do you mean by that?”
She felt the warm confusion on her
cheeks as she said . hesitatingly,. “I
mean she Is simple — .instinctive.
What she wants most in life is a neat
little house,.a nice husband and some
children, with their faces washed,
their hair combed.” Sue’s voice was
carefully light and casual.
“And that’s all you know about it.
One person knows mighty little what’s
going on in another person’s mind. You don't live this life smoothly,
Susie. If you get to lookin’ around
in other people’s affairs, you’ll find
troubles, my words.”
In 'all the years Gran had had it,
she had never become quite used to
the phone. To her it was a contrap
tion, and she held the receiver far
.away from her ear and talked into it
in an unnaturally loud voice. ^Now
she said, “This you, Tinny? Drop in
this afternoon.” Wliicli had the sohnd
dr a curt command Und was.not as
Gran meant it — a simple and pleas
ant invitation.
When Jinny arrived late in the
snowy afternoon, Sue was gone, load
ed with the details of one of Gran’s
extensive shopping lists. Gran sat be
side a bright grate fire and a well
laden tea tray.
. Jinny pressed the point of the thin
silver spoon, against the lemon, and
its sharp spicy, fragrance wafted up.
She had never in her life known any
one like Gran. It was incredible that
her hair should still be more dark
than gray; that she should be so vig
orous. The only signs of age, al
though her face was set into number
less wrinkles, were being slow on her
feet and dependence on a cane. But
she had more clear-headed vision,
more knowledge of present-day con
ditions and more energy than Jinny’s
own mother. Who was scarcely half
her age and whose hair was as white
as snow.
Gran’s purpose in asking Jinny to
come this afternoon, she explained as
she passed a plate of lacy cookies, was
to give Jinny the mittens for the
newsbovs. She had made tweny-four
pairs. She didn’t say she had tucked a
dollar bill into the palm of each mit
ten.
“And now, Jinny,” said Gran, “do
you think your ma and pa could spare
you Christmas Eve to help us with
the tree-trimmin’? We’re havin’ a
party and then we’re a-goin’ to Eph-
riam Jones’ Christmas service at nine
o’clock.”
Jinny hesitated. “I guess Joel
hasn’t told you, Gran, but he won’t
be here.”.
Gran sipped her tea noisily. “Non
sense. Of, course he’s a-goin’ to be
here.”
“No, he isn’t. I saw him vesterdav
and he’s leaving for good. He’s going
tonight. And—” Jinny’s face twisted
wrvly “—Gran, he has leased the
mills to a toy manufacturer. Gran —
I wouldn’t care to come — anywav —
you see — we’re riot to be married af
ter all.”
“Well, now,” said Gran in a voice
unusually tender, “I’m sorry about
that, Jinny.” I’m sorry about both
things you told me. Openin’ the mills,
even if it didn’t make a great amount
of money, would bq $ goof| thji^g for
ub here, as well as for Joei. Why, the
last time I saw him, he was all afire
to do it. Gome to think of it, he has
not been around much lately.”
Jinny put down her cup:of tea and
clasped both hands over her knee;
“Gran; what shall I do?” And she
went on and related her talk with Joel,
and the interview the day before.
Gran was very quiet. .Then she said,
“Jinny, nobody can tell you what to
do. Sometimes things look pretty
dark, I’ve lived eighty-one years and
I’ve seen some mighty dark places in
that time. I remember once — well,
it don’t matter now — but Dexter, he
was my husband, did something pret
ty foolish, and right on top of that
there was a fire which burned about
half the town and our property and
’twas just time for Sue’s mother to be
born, and I couldn’t think of a way to
turn. And another time — well, we ’
won’t go into it — but when Sue’s
mother died after her brother a few
years before her, I just couldn’t think
there was anything in life for me. But
there was. I’ve been happy. There
was Sue, who was just another dau
ghter, and there was Dot, who was
very close, too, although not like Sue,
because Dot still had her own mother.
There was a great 'deal. There always
is something to hang on to, my dear.
Ohly you have to look for it. It never
comes to you. You’re too young to
know it, but whatever happens is Us
ually for. the best. The things you
push tod hard are the ones that won’t
come right.- If yoU cati ever let go,
sometimes they Come back to you.”
Gran sighed. The doorbell rang
sharply. “Now, Jiiitty, you come to this tree trimmin’. And hly stars!
You’d better skip ihtb the lavatory
dnd Wash yotir face, .of sOhtcbody Will
think you’ve been d-cryitl’.- It’s the
door on yotir fight.”Jinny skipped gratefully into the
darkness of the little room to an aii-
cient marble-topped washstand with
thin copper spigots and above it a
wavy mirror. There was the scent of
fragrant soap, a bar of immaculate
fringed towels. Outside, she could
hear Gran’s slow steps growing' faint
er as she went into the front hall.
“Why, Joey,” called Gran, “ain’t it
a beauty? I never saw such a tree.
Never in all my life. You can drag it
right into the parlor, snow and all.
Theres a sheet down all ready for it.”
Joel tugged and strained and pres
ently one of the largest hemlock trees
ever raised in White Creek, lifted its
proud tip to the Very ceiling.. Par
ticles of ice and StiOW' Which CiUtig to
it loosened, melted and. dripped, 83 it
filled the house with it$s spicy Odor,
the very essence of Christmas .
Joel said apologetically, “I almost
forgot the tree, Gran. Then at the last
minute I remembered.”
“At the last miniite?” repeated
Gran.
“Yes,” said Joel hurriedly. “I’m
leaving -tonight. By the way, Gran,
I've leased the mills.”
“Who to?”
Joel told her and she sniffed, loud
ly. “And now what are you going to
do?”
“See the world for a while. Prob
ably end up with Dusty.”
“Joel,” said Gran sharply, “not so
long as I’m able to speak are. you a-
goin’ to run away from a situation
which isn’t to your likin’. I knew your
father and grandfather and they were
men who stood and faced whatever
they had to. You’re being selfish and
loutish and weak. I’m ashamed of
you.”
Joel averted his eyes and grinned
sheepishly to cover his embarrass
ment.
"I mean it — every word,” said
Gran. "Another thing, Joey,” Gran’s
voice had. changed, I’m an old wo
man. I ain’t a-goin’ to have many
more Christmases and I’ve counted on
a real one this time. With all of you.
It wouldn’t be Christmas without you,
Joey.”
“All right, Gran, you win. Christ
mas, but no longer.”
A, Jittle later, as they walked down
the path., Joel took Jinny’s arm. He
leaned his head toward her with a lit
tle of his old intimacy.
. In the silence of the dark street,
Jinny’s voice floated back happily.
“Gran was right,” she was thinking.
“If you can only let things go—sottie-
times they come back to you.”
Sue, her arms laden with packages,
opened the gate soon after Joel and
Jinny had closed it. She watched the
two dim figures until they merged
with the darkness, and stood motioti-
less a long time, staring after them.
I ain’t a-goin’ to have many
CHAPTER XXII
Stephen’s secretary took the receiv
er off tjie Ipoft paid that she Was,