Part 24 (2/2)

He saw her enter the house. In a moment he heard her talking in her sweet voice to one of the servants before she mounted the stairs to her own room. She would then, Graham knew, be in the hands of her maid for a long time, since she was giving a formal dinner party that evening.

When the shadows were lengthening Graham left his room and wandered aimlessly around the house. Finally he reached the kitchen, where he sat for a time, watching the imported French chef's n.o.ble efforts for the coming dinner, efforts that must result in the wide proclamation of Mrs.

Graham Woods Bartlett as an original hostess. But in the kitchen it was made manifest that Graham's presence was not welcome. At last, feeling this truth, he left.

The maid, coming from his mother's room and meeting him in the hall, told him that his dinner was to be served at six in his own room. ”Your mother thought you'd like that,” she finished.

Graham nodded without speaking and went on once more to his own room. He felt lonely, dispirited. Old Nancy, to whom he might have turned, had gone to her old home to visit some grandchildren. David, he knew, would be very busy.

At six the boy's dinner was brought, and with the hearty appet.i.te of boyhood he ate. Afterwards he read a little, and then, feeling tired, he concluded to retire. But he did not go to sleep at once. Occasionally he heard interesting sounds from below, music from a string orchestra, laughter of women, and the ba.s.s voices of men.

At nine o'clock he was still lying awake when he heard a little running step outside his door. Out of an impulse he called softly, ”Mother.”

Mrs. Graham Woods Bartlett, on her way to her private safe for a piece of jade she wished to show one of her guests, paused at the call. Then she pushed open Graham's door, which was slightly ajar, and went in.

Graham sat up. By the glow of a small electric light near his bed he could plainly see his mother. She was a beautiful vision in her soft white gown, quite untouched by any color, her hair piled high upon her small, finely shaped head.

”Did you call me, Graham?” she asked.

”Yes,” he said, ”I wanted to see you all dressed.”

She went quickly and sat on the edge of the bed. ”Did they serve you a nice dinner, Graham?” she asked.

He nodded. ”Very nice,” he answered.

”I thought you'd be asleep long ago,” she said. ”Otherwise I should have looked in on you.”

”I couldn't sleep,” he answered. Then impulsively: ”Mother, I know you have to go downstairs again soon, but I've been thinking so much of grandmother. Wouldn't it be possible to have her come to live here with us? We've got such a big house, and she must be very lonely.”

She drew herself a little away from him. ”Perhaps I haven't explained to you, Graham,” she said, ”that your grandmother is given to periods of hallucinations. That is, she has peculiar fancies, one of them being that she thinks herself a queen.”

”Well, does it hurt if she does think she's a queen?” asked the boy.

”In this way it does. It's not pleasant to have in close proximity one who isn't what is called just normal. I think she is much better cared for as she is and in her own home. You'll admit it would be very unpleasant if she lived here, and appeared before guests in one of her unnatural moods.”

”But she is lonely,” persisted the boy, sticking to the one line of thought that had remained with him all afternoon, and had aroused his mind to dwell insistently upon his grandmother. ”You don't mind, mother, do you, then since she can't come here, if I go to see her often?” He hesitated before continuing: ”Father told me he wished I would, as he hasn't the time to do so.”

”Of course, you may go to see her, Graham, if you like. I didn't know you cared so much.”

She rose from the bed and walked away to the window, looking through its leaded panes to where she knew lay the broad road leading out into the country with farm houses and plowed fields. After a moment she turned to gaze at the little lad who still sat up in his bed; who still regarded her with wide eyes very much like her own, but holding a depth and a promise that hers did not seem to hold.

”Perhaps it's not the proper time to tell you now, Graham,” she said, ”but I think I might as well do so. I'm making arrangements to leave for Italy some time soon.”

”To be gone long, mother?” asked the boy.

”Well, for three months anyway. I met some interesting people there on my last trip and they have invited me to pay them a prolonged visit,”

she said.

Graham did not answer at first. Then: ”I suppose you'd better go downstairs now, mother,” he said.

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