An Unwilling Guest (20 page)

And so she lay down with her aching, lonely heart, while once more a train flew through the night bearing one from her who prayed for her every waiting moment.

I
t was late in the autumn before Mr. Worthington ventured to call upon Miss Rutherford. In the meantime he cultivated Miss
Bashford
. Evelyn had introduced him to Jane. Jane had approved of her friend's admiration of him during the first of their acquaintance. She managed to help it along by invitations and in one way and another. Evelyn had often met him at her friend's home. J
ane rather enjoyed inviting any
one who was tabooed by the exclusive people. She liked a little dash of spice in her life. The two girls had decided at the outset that there was no real harm in a young man just because he had been wild. Just what the terms "wild" and "fast" conveyed
to these two is somewhat uncer
tain. They had been quite young, and enjoyed the company of one who was master of the delicate art of flattery; and they had come to think him unusually brilliant and wealthy. As a matter of fact he scarcely owned the clothes on his back, and lived from day to day by gambling.

To Evelyn, who was two years the senior of Jane, this was all in the past. If she had been confronted at this juncture with the things she had said and thought about this young man less than a year ago, she would have said, "How could I?" But Ja
ne was still living the same il
lusions, and now that Evelyn had
somewhat withdrawn, she was hav
ing a great deal more of that young man's society than was good for her.

Evelyn Rutherford felt as though she had passed through years of experience during the last few months. She seemed to be a
nother per
son. She had seen very little of Jane lately, and had almost forgotten their common interests in the absorption of her own sorrow. She had
spent the summer months in travel with her brother, but had come home feeling like the preacher of old, that all was "vanity and vexation of spirit."

But Mr. Harold Worthington was not one to easily give up a prize he had come to consider his own. The
re was something the matter evi
dently. He did not understand it, therefore he went t
o Miss Ruther
ford's friend, with whom he had whiled
away the time
in a mild flirta
tion. She surely would understand. He told Jane that Miss Rutherford was offended about something, and asked her intercession and advice. Jane gladly understood the office of peacemaker.

There were some private theatricals fo
r a charity in process of devel
opment. Miss Rutherford had been assigned a prominent part, and had declined to take it, or in fact to have anything to do with the affair. They would go and argue the matter out with her. Jane had heard some remarks about her ability which she felt sure would touch her friend's vanity. She thought she knew how to reach her and bring her to reason. They would go that very evening. It suited
Jane very well to carry out any scheme of Mr. Worthington's. She was not so sure she cared to have Evelyn change her attitu
de altogether, but it was pleas
ant at least to be made a confidante. So they went.

Jane was wily enough to send only her own card to Evelyn, and to tell John she wished to see her but a few minutes. In case John or the maid mentioned the presence of
her companion, Evelyn would sup
pose she had stopped on her way to some other place.

Evelyn sighed as she received the card. She felt almost like declining to see any one that night. If it had been any one but Jane she thought she would have done so, but Jane was so old a friend. However, she did not feel at all in the mood for Jane's light chatter, and wondered how she ever cared for it. How little would she care to confide to this girl all that was now in her heart!

Over and over again she had turned the last few words Doctor Grey had spoken to her, as one will turn the last sentence of the dear dead over and over until every word becomes a precious dagger with which to stab the heart that loves, and until
every wish the words convey be
comes a treasured command to be obeyed at all costs.

She knew that the man who had gone out from her life probably wanted for her above all things that she belong to Jesus Christ in some peculiar sense which she did not understand. That he wanted this for her was not enough. She wished it for herself. It was with her as it is with one who grows to love the Lord Jesus with all his heart, whatever the Christ would have him do, that is joy indeed. And so through this sad love of hers the answer to her pr
ayer had come, and she was will
ing to be made Christ's.

The young missionary, starting out to foreign lands in the service of his Master, knew not that he was leaving behind one whom he might have helped to the light, who was almost as ignorant of the way to find C
hrist as if she had been born in
China, and who would have to grope along in the darkness and stumble many times ere she at last reached the foot of the cross. But he did not dream of this. Such ignorance in our dear civilized land is hard to be understood by those who have grown accustomed to think that everybody who is civilized is not a heathen.

And so Evelyn braced herself for going down to her frie
nd, expect
ing to be bored with gossip of their petty world which had come to seem to her so small and insignificant. Strange how one can change in less than a year and not know it!

She felt indignant at Jane as well a
s at Mr. Worthington for the in
trusion. She knew that he understood his last dismissal, and he had no right to force himself into her privacy in this way. She barely greeted him civilly, and was not herself even to Jane. This action on her part was calculated to make Jane more of a partisan for Mr. Worthington than ever, and she warmed up to her subject and made a most winning little speech in behalf of the theatricals, telling how
disappointed Mr. Worthington was that she would not act, as he was to have had a part near to her, and did not like the proposed substitute.

But to all of this eloquent appeal Evelyn merely answered: "I really cannot do it, Jane. I don't feel in the least like it, and I don't care for some of the participants. I have not
been feeling well. You must ex
cuse me."

"But," said Jane, nothing daunted, "it will do you good, and get you
out of yourself. I heard you were m
oping. You'll have nervous pros
tration if you keep on. It's just the dull weather that ails you. Come, you simply must. This will probably be one of the best things of the season. It is early, I know, but we are counting on enough being in town to make it a success. The
Bartl
eys
are coming up from the coun
try early, and so are the
Lexingtons
, just especially for this performance."

Then Evelyn heard the opening of the outer door, and a strident voice, that somehow was familiar and awakened memories which set her heart beating faster, she knew not why, inquired:

"Does Miss Rutherford live here?"

Perhaps even the loud voice would not have been heard so clearly had not Evelyn's ears been quickened
by a desire to have some inter
ruption to this conversation which merely wearied her. She could not place it instantly, but it somehow spoke to her of freedom and interest and things in her life which awakened the sense of pleasure. There seemed to be a quiet parley between the stately John and the caller, whose voice perhaps held a dash of impudence in the tone, and then the dignified butler, with a deprecating air, appeared at the door:

"Miss Rutherford," he began in a distressed tone, "there's a young — ah — person at the door who insists - "

"Just tell any
one she's very much engaged, John. She can't possibly be spared now. I have come to see her on very important business!" broke in Jane impatiently, with an apologetic laugh.

"Perhaps your business is just as important as mine, but I'll bet a two-dollar dog you
ain't
come so far to
transact it," broke in the stri
dent voice, and the impudence strongly marked, from behind John's liveried shoulder. "How
d'ye
do, Miss
Rutherford. I told this gentle
man here you'd want to see me, but he didn't seem to recognize his friends," this with a wink at the much scandalized John. "A mighty hard time I've had to find your place, but I got here, I did. Didn't I say I would?"

There had been no time for any
one to speak, but Evelyn had arisen and come forward with her hand outstretched exclaiming: "Why, Bert, where did you come from?"

"Oh, I just dropped down," went on the irrepressible youth sliding into a small gilt chair covered in pale pink satin and tilting it back on its hind legs. Then he suddenly rose and clapped his hands to either overcoat pocket

"Oh, here! Got
somethin
' for
you." He threw down on a small fl
ower-stand a large bunch of sweet English violets and tossed a box of bonbons beside them. " 'Sweets to the sweet,' as the saying is," he went on, "and here," handing her a crumpled envelope, "here's her letter."

Evelyn took the envelope eagerly, but just at this point Mr. W
orth
ington decided it was time for him to act

"Miss Rutherford," he said, with his most superior and English manner, and abhorrence in his every feature, "would you like this— person removed?"

Then suddenly Evelyn remembered that what she had once dreaded had come to pass. Two at least of her New York friends had heard Bert
Judkins
talk to her. She realized at once that she did not care now, and wondered why it was. She felt an irresistible desire to laugh and another almost as sudden and astonishing desire to tell the whole thing to Doctor Grey. How was it she felt so sure that Doctor Grey would enjoy an account of the scene?

It took no time for all this to flash through her mind. She did not give way to any of her feelings, but was studying the address on her letter with a perfectly collected mann
er, while with much the same as
surance the irrepressible Bert was studying his opponent. He had not seemed to see him before, and he felt sure he could look him out of countenance, but he preferred to take neutral ground till he saw how the land lay. His glance was somewhat disconcerting to the city young man, however. Evelyn did not seem to notice him at all. She looked at Jane with a pleasant smile, quite as if she were doing an accustomed thing, and said: "Jane dear, please excuse me a moment. I must see what message this letter has from
Hillcroft
. Bert, will you come up to the library with me? My brother is there and he wants very much to know you."

She led the way and Bert followed, having first turned on his heel
toward Mr. Worthington with a smile accompanied by a very amusing grimace,

"
By
-bye," he said, blowing an imaginary kiss, and disappeared up the stairs, three steps at a time, and then had to wait for Evelyn to mount the last one.

It may be that Miss Rutherford would have severely deprecated this action on the part of Bert had she seen it—he took good care that she should not—but she was in a state of mind to sympathize with him in spite of his manners.

She was glad to find that her brother was in the library.

"Richard," she said, "this is Bert
J
udkins
, of
Hillcroft
. You remem
ber him, do you not? I want you to entertain him till I get rid of some callers."

She waited a moment to glance over the note from Allison, and then seeing that it was of a nature that made her heart throb with longing, she put it back in the envelope for further perusal when she should be alone. She came back to the drawing room as coolly as if nothing had happened, and said as she took her seat once more:

"He is an odd boy, a
protégé
of a friend of mine in
Hillcroft
, where I visited last fall. He is quite a musical genius in his way."

"I think he is a rude, bad boy," said Jane crossly, for her companion was in a hopelessly bad humor. "I think he ought to be arrested."

"He really does not mean to be rude. It is just his way," laughed Evelyn; and then she was dignity itself and no one cared to say any more about the matter.

The callers did not stay long. They saw it was of no use. Evelyn would not take part in the theatricals and she would not talk about them. The topics she continually started were not in their line and so it came about that the hostess was soon free to go upstairs, giving strict command to John that she shoul
d not be called down to see any
one else that evening.

As she entered the library her brother was laughing loud and long, with his head thrown back against the big leather chair.

Bert sat in another chair, which he occupied with every bit the air of ownership the other gentleman wore, topped off by a well-pleased
smile at himself for the impression he was making. He had but that moment completed a detailed account of the encounter downstairs, with the anti-climax which Evelyn had not seen. It must be confessed that Mr. Richard Rutherford enjoyed it If Bert
Judkins
' teacher had been present she would have been tried in her soul that he should show no better breeding than this. Allison was trying to elevate Bert in manners as well as morals, but she found it still harder to do.