Where Two Ways Met (6 page)

And then he heard his father say, “There comes Paige now. I’m glad he arrived before you left. Come in, Paige. I want you to meet our new minister and his wife.”

The young man turned and came into the room smiling, ready to greet the strangers, and was at once pleasantly impressed by them. A strong, fine-looking man of middle age, with nice dependable lines about his mouth and eyes and hair graying at the temple, and a sweet, quiet little woman with blue eyes and smiling lips—Dr. and Mrs. Culbertson. He was at once glad that his father and mother had such congenial neighbors, and a pastor who looked as if he might be a sensible man and a close friend. Paige, after he had shaken hands, did not carry out his purpose of excusing himself and getting away to his room, but stayed and stood talking with the rest in the genial home atmosphere, feeling that it was good indeed to be at home and enter into the old-time life of family and church and town. For the time his annoyances of the evening were forgotten, his uncertainties faded, his fears allayed. He was, within a few days, to be out of uniform and, like anyone else, a young man starting life with a respectable job and good prospects.

But he was glad that his father said nothing about his present employment, and he need not even think about it tonight. Things would clear up brightly by morning, of course, and he would soon be established in good and regular standing, associated with a firm that, at least in the eyes of the public, had a good name. If he found out later that the facts did not bear out this supposition, he could leave, couldn’t he? Why worry?

It developed that the minister was well acquainted with the chaplain who had been with young Madison’s company, and had a nephew who had for a time been one of Paige’s comrades. The minister stayed a little longer and they all sat down to talk again, so the hectic happenings of the earlier part of the evening were more or less wiped out of the young man’s thoughts. When the callers were gone and they all retired for the night, Paige went whistling up the stairs to his room with the old-time lilt in his voice, and his father said to his mother in the privacy of their room, “Well, Randa, the boy seems to be in good spirits again, sounds like his old self. I guess things must have gone well for him tonight.”

“Yes?” said the mother with a questioning sigh. “Perhaps.”

It was the next morning, about ten thirty, that Mrs. Harmon arrived at the side door of the Madison house, with a handsome bowl of strawberries in her hands, and knocked. Just as if it had been a custom all these years for her to call on Mrs. Madison. Just as if she hadn’t conscientiously treated the Madisons as if they didn’t exist.

Mrs. Madison happened to be near the side door and opened it herself, looking at her caller curiously. Oh, she recognized her, for she had often seen her going by, and once she had narrowly escaped being on her list for a war-drive campaign, but for an instant she wondered if her neighbor had made a mistake and thought she was going to the house on the other side of theirs. Then Mrs. Harmon’s condescending tones voiced her little speech about the strawberries, and she quickly adjusted her own sweet smile to the front.

“Oh, that was very nice of you,” she said. “Of course we like strawberries, and ours haven’t come into bearing yet. It’s early for them, isn’t it? Won’t you come in?”

To her surprise the invitation was accepted.

“Why, yes,” said Mrs. Harmon, “I will for just a minute or two. I’ve really been so busy. These war demands are so strenuous, aren’t they? I suppose you have been just as busy with all these drives and activities. And now your son is home from the war, isn’t he? At least somebody told me he was. Is that right? Has he come to stay, or will he be returning overseas, or to camp, or something?”

“No,” said the mother with a sigh of joy. “He is home now.”

“Oh, then I know you are very happy and feel like celebrating. Will he be staying here, or has he a job in mind off somewhere? That always seems to be the next question.”

“No I think he will be at home for the present,” said the gentle mother voice, but giving no inkling of what he was going to do. And then smilingly commending the display in her neighbor’s garden, “I’ve been admiring your daffodils. They are gorgeous this year. It makes quite a picture for our benefit.”

“Daffodils? Oh, yes, well, they are rather luxuriant this year, aren’t they? But I never care so much for them. They always seemed to me rather common, just daffodils, but Mr. Harmon was always fond of them. He planted them, and we’ve just let them grow. They don’t demand much, and they are soon gone. Me, I rather like hyacinths better, but then one hasn’t had much time during these war years to make changes in the garden. I think next year I’ll try for some more sophisticated flowers. Azaleas are lovely and make such a darling splash of color, especially some of the new shades. Don’t you think so?”

“Yes, azaleas are lovely, too,” said Mrs. Madison, “but while they are here, I enjoy your daffodils.”

“Well, I’m glad somebody gets some good out of them, I’m sure, for frankly, I don’t care for them. But then, dear me, everybody can’t think alike. But I’m forgetting entirely the main thing that I came over for. You see, our Woman’s Club is making a drive for new members, just quietly, you know. Each one of us is trying to bring somebody we think would be an addition to our number, just the right kind of congenial people, you know, and I wanted to ask you if you wouldn’t be my new member. You never have been a member here, have you?”

“Oh, yes,” said Mrs. Madison serenely. “I believe I was one of the original members long ago. But I had to give it up and resign. I really couldn’t spare the time.”

“You mean you were a charter member, and you gave it up?” said the astonished caller, looking at the woman to whom she had been pleased to condescend with new respect. “But I don’t understand. What was wrong with the club? I suppose that must have been in its early days when things were rather crude. I can’t imagine any member being willing to resign now.”

“Oh, there was nothing wrong with the club,” said Mrs. Madison with a smile. “I just didn’t have the time to give to it. I was a young housekeeper with three little children, and my strength and my time were, of course, limited.”

“Oh,” said Mrs. Harmon, “what a pity! But you’re not hampered in that way now. Your daughters are both married, and you have a marvelous maid, I’ve heard.”

“No, I wouldn’t have the same reasons, but you see, other things have come in and taken my time, and my church work really takes all my extra time.”

“Oh, but you don’t know what wonderful times we have,” said the neighbor, waxing eloquent. “We are such a charming group, of the very best people in town, such
delightful
social affairs and marvelous lectures by the greatest men on all the subjects of the day. One gets such a clear idea of all the great themes of the day, political, psychological, literary, stated in such simple terms that the most dense can really understand. It’s wonderful what that club has done for me. They even take up religion now and then, though not too seriously, because there are members from all denominations, and of course we wouldn’t allow anything that would antagonize anyone. But it’s just too delightful. You haven’t attended in some time, I take it.”

“Why no, I haven’t,” admitted the woman gently, “but of course I know a great deal about it, and I often see the notices of your program.”

“Well, since you haven’t been in some time, I don’t think you ought to decide without going again, do you? Why can’t you go over with me tonight and just sample it? You wouldn’t have any trouble getting in, of course, if you find you want to join again, since you were a charter member. They would just jump at the chance of getting you. Can’t you go tonight? Of course, we usually have our club meetings in the afternoon, but this evening, on account of its being an anniversary, we voted to have it in the evening, and they were hoping to get charter members. Will you go with me tonight?”

“Oh, I couldn’t, not tonight,” said Mrs. Madison. “I have another engagement.”

“Oh, break it then, and come with me. Please do!”

Mrs. Harmon was almost surprised at herself, coaxing this hitherto despised neighbor to go to her precious club, but since she had been in the room she had been noting a number of tasteful, expensive things about the house that astonished her. The handsome antique rugs, the tasteful antique furniture, lovely bits of decoration, the china closet through whose glass doors she caught glimpses of priceless dishes and quaint silver such as she had longed in vain to possess. And also, since this woman had been a charter member, why, of course, she must be far more worthwhile than she had ever dreamed.

But Mrs. Madison just smiled and answered quietly.

“I’m sure it is very sweet of you to ask me, but it would be quite impossible for me to go anywhere tonight. We have our Bible study class at the church tonight, and I never miss that.”

“Oh, only a Bible class? Why, of course you can miss a Bible class. You mean you teach a class of children the Bible? How self-sacrificing of you. But surely you could get a substitute to teach them just for once.”

“Oh, I don’t teach,” laughed Mrs. Madison. “We have one of the best-known Bible teachers in the country. He is much sought after and has eighteen Bible classes a week, besides his church, which he serves as pastor on the other side of the city. And it isn’t children. It is grown people. Perhaps you’ll come with me sometime and visit? I assure you, he is interesting!”

“Oh, thank you, but I don’t really think I’d be interested. I always thought the Bible was frightfully dull. I don’t see how you get people out in the evening just for Bible study.”

“Well, we do. Our room is more than full, and it is so interesting we have to turn the lights out to make the people go home.”

“Why, the perfect idea! Perhaps I might come sometime just out of curiosity, if it were in the daytime. But my evenings are always so full. We always go to a play or go dancing, or to some dinner when my husband is at home, and he just doesn’t see having me go off without him. If we don’t have any more exciting engagement, we go to the movies, so I really haven’t any vacant evenings. And besides, this wouldn’t be at all in my line. But I do wish I could persuade you to come with me tonight, just for once. We really have a marvelous program. A star actress from Hollywood, a real star from Hollywood, is going to be present and will say a few words, and that’s something you really can’t afford to miss.”

Again that gentle, quiet smile.

“I’m afraid I’m a good deal like you in my excuse,” she said. “I think your program would be a little out of my line, and I wouldn’t be interested. I am sorry to seem unappreciative of your thoughtfulness, but I really can’t accept your invitation, for I mustn’t miss the class tonight. It’s important. Some questions were asked last week that are to be answered tonight, and I’m anxious to take down the answers. But of course I thank you for your kind thought of me. And if you ever change your mind and would like to try out our Bible study class, just let me know and I’ll be glad to take you with me.”

“Oh, that’s awfully kind I’m sure,” said Mrs. Harmon with a contemptuous toss of her well-groomed head, “but I’m afraid I wouldn’t ever have time for a thing like that. Well, I really must hurry back! I have a very important committee meeting this morning, and I must give my orders for the day before I go.”

She arose with another rather jealous look around the pleasant dining room, and a sudden remembrance that she hadn’t made the slightest advance in the matter for which she really made this visit. She hadn’t found out a thing about Paige Madison’s job and whether he was really linked with the Chalmers Company. Suddenly she swung around.

“Oh, I forgot!” she said pleasantly. “I meant to say that if your son is hunting a good job somewhere, I’m sure my husband will be glad to put in a good word for him.”

“Oh, that’s very kind of you, Mrs. Harmon,” said Mrs. Madison, “but I don’t think my son will need to bother anyone. He has his own ideas of what he’s going to do, you know. Now that the boys are home from service, they seem even more independent than before they went. But I’m sure we thank you for your kindness, and we shall enjoy these strawberries a lot. And when my peas come into bearing I’ll be sending you over some. I believe you said you didn’t have any, and ours have always been very nice and sweet.”

“Why, how perfectly gorgeous. No, we haven’t any peas in our garden, and I just adore them. Thank you so much, and I shall be just waiting eagerly for them to come.”

And so Mrs. Harmon went soberly home, reflecting that she hadn’t gained the least bit of news about the Madison family and hadn’t even a guess coming as to whether young Madison was working for the Chalmers Company or not.

Was that plain, quiet-looking woman so very clever that she could see through what she had been trying to do, to get knowledge from her? And how neatly and coolly she had evaded all the questions! Even when she asked directly and offered to help her son, although heaven knew her husband had never offered to do anything for that next-door neighbor’s son, and he never would. If she suggested it, he would only rage. He didn’t like quiet church people who took their pleasure in studying the Bible. Imagine it! It would seem rank to him even if she ever dared to suggest it to him, and she was really relieved that her offer had not been accepted. Although, of course, she never would have asked him; she would have got around it in some way. There were always pleasant white lies whereby one could get out of careless promises, and she had no conscience against such.

So now she went home, puzzling to know whether Paige Madison really had a distinguished job with aristocratic people, or whether he hadn’t!

Well, anyway, she needn’t worry, for though she had gone as far as possible in offering to sponsor Mrs. Madison in the Woman’s Club, her offer had been firmly, almost amusedly, declined. What was the woman made of? Wasn’t she human? To choose a Bible class in place of the likelihood of being prominent in a flourishing woman’s club! Imagine it! Well, that was that, and she was really glad she was out of it all. It might have been an awful chance she had taken if the woman had decided to go with her and she had been obliged to introduce her to Mrs. Chalmers! For Mrs. Chalmers had a way of making anyone very uncomfortable if they presumed to bring some undesirable to their sacred club, and instead of finding a royal road to the Chalmerses’ favor, she might have brought down retribution upon her aspiring head.