Part 19 (2/2)
And it was then that the fire that had been lighted in the heart of Phoebe in her night watch blazed up into her face as she held out her arms to him! And in the twinkle of a fire-spark David found himself on his knees, with Phoebe, the low chintz-covered chair and the two kiddies clasped to his heart.
For a glorious moment he held them all close and his head rested on Phoebe's shoulder just opposite that of Mistake, while Crimie squirmed between them. Then he discovered that he was gazing under her chin into the wide-open, slightly resentful orbs of Big Brother, who eyed him a moment askance, then, feeling it time to a.s.sert himself, reached up and landed a plainly proprietary and challenging kiss against the corner of his lady's mouth.
David laughed delightedly and embraced the trio with greater force as he said propitiatingly, ”Good snugglings, isn't it, old man?”
But at this exact moment Crimie took the situation into his own hands, slipped his cable, grabbed the book as he went and rolled over a couple of yards with a delighted giggle. Billy Bob, seeing his treasure captured, instantly followed and there forthwith ensued a tussle that was the height of delight to the two good-natured youngsters.
And Phoebe's arms closed around David more closely as she held him embraced against her shoulder, her soft cheek on his.
”Dave,” she whispered, ”you know I really don't care at all, don't you?”
”What?” demanded David with alarm in his voice as he raised his head and looked at her in consternation.
”The election makes no--”
”Oh, _that_--I'd forgotten all about it! Don't scare me like that any more, peach-bud, please,” he besought and he took her chin in the hollow of his hand as she leant to him, her eyes looking into his, level and confident but glorious with bestowal. For a long minute he gazed straight into their dawn-gray depths then he said gently, the caress suspended:
”Woman, if you are ever going to take any of this back, do it now!”
”Never,” she answered and clasped her hands against his breast.
”It's still the loafer out of a job--just Dave-do-nothing,” he insisted, a new dignity in his voice that stirred her pride.
”Please!” she closed her eyes as she entreated.
”It's for a long time--_always_.” His voice was heaven-sweet with its note of warning and he laid his other strong warm hand on her throat where a controlled sob made it pulse.
”I'm being very patient,” she whispered and her lips quivered with a smile as two tears jeweled her black lashes.
But David had made his last stand--he folded her in, locked his heart and threw away the key.
”Love,” he whispered after a long time, ”I know this is just a dream--I've had 'em for ten years--but don't let anybody wake me!”
To which plea Phoebe was making the tenderest of responses, when the door burst open and Billy Bob shot into the room.
”Hip! hip!” he yelled at the top of his voice, ”six hundred and ten plurality and all from the two c.o.o.n wards--count all in and verified--no difference now how the others go and--” He paused and the situation dawned upon him all in a heap as Phoebe hid her head against David's collar. ”Davie,” he remarked in subdued tones, ”you're 'lected, but I don't s'pose you care!”
”Go away, Billy Bob, don't you see I'm busy?” answered David as he rose to his feet, keeping Phoebe still embraced as she stood beside him.
”Jerusalem the Golden! Have you cornered heaven, David?” gasped Billy Bob again rising to the surface. ”Help, somebody, help!” At which exact minute Mistake succeeded in dispossessing Crimie of the last tatters of the adventures of the bears and thus bringing down upon them all a tumult of distraction.
Billy Bob caught up the roarer and threw him almost up to the ceiling.
”Hurrah for Dave!” he said, and to the best of his ability Crimie ”hurrahed” while Mistake joined in enthusiastically. The hubbub at last penetrated the slumbers of the twins, who added to the uproar to such an extent that Mammy Betty hurried to the scene of action and cleared the deck without further delay.
”And,” continued Billy Bob to Milly and the pair of serene and only slightly attentive young people, ”you should have seen Jeff, dressed in Dave's last year frock coat and high hat, whizzing around the c.o.o.n haunts in Caroline's gray car handing out invitations to the Chocolate Country Club jamboree! They put the bottle and the dimes completely out of business and he voted the whole gang straight. They tried hard to fix up the returns but Hob and I were at the count and we saw it clean. Holy smoke, what a sell for the machine! Slipped a cog on the n.i.g.g.e.r vote that they have handled for years!”
”And not a dollar spent!” said David with pride. Which goes to show that at times women keep their own counsels, for Phoebe ducked her head to hide a smile.
<script>