Part 12 (1/2)

”I left the bacon for her to cook for your breakfasts,” she said. ”I can't cook bacon fit to eat. Neither can you.”

”We've had our breakfasts,” Ina escaped from this dilemma.

”Had it up in the city, on expense?”

”Well, we didn't have much.”

In Mrs. Bett's eyes tears gathered, but they were not for Lulu.

”I should think,” she said, ”I should think Lulie might have had a little more grat.i.tude to her than this.”

On their way to church Ina and Dwight encountered Di, who had left the house some time earlier, stepping sedately to church in company with Bobby Larkin. Di was in white, and her face was the face of an angel, so young, so questioning, so utterly devoid of her sophistication.

”That child,” said Ina, ”_must_ not see so much of that Larkin boy.

She's just a little, little girl.”

”Of course she mustn't,” said Dwight sharply, ”and if _I_ was her mother--”

”Oh stop that!” said Ina, sotto voce, at the church steps.

To every one with whom they spoke in the aisle after church, Ina announced their news: Had they heard? Lulu married Dwight's brother Ninian in the city yesterday. Oh, sudden, yes! And ro_man_tic ... spoken with that upward inflection to which Ina was a prey.

V

AUGUST

Mrs. Bett had been having a ”tantrim,” brought on by nothing definable.

Abruptly as she and Ina were getting supper, Mrs. Bett had fallen silent, had in fact refused to reply when addressed. When all was ready and Dwight was entering, hair wetly brushed, she had withdrawn from the room and closed her bedroom door until it echoed.

”She's got one again,” said Ina, grieving; ”Dwight, you go.”

He went, showing no sign of annoyance, and stood outside his mother-in-law's door and knocked.

No answer.

”Mother, come and have some supper.”

No answer.

”Looks to me like your m.u.f.fins was just about the best ever.”

No answer.

”Come on--I had something funny to tell you and Ina.”

He retreated, knowing nothing of the admirable control exercised by this woman for her own pa.s.sionate satisfaction in sliding him away unsatisfied. He showed nothing but anxious concern, touched with regret, at his failure. Ina, too, returned from that door discomfited. Dwight made a gallant effort to retrieve the fallen fortunes of their evening meal, and turned upon Di, who had just entered, and with exceeding facetiousness inquired how Bobby was.