Part 25 (2/2)
WALKER DEPARTS
However, it was Bess who sought Nan out, and that before Grace had barely had time to finish divulging her bit of news.
”What did I tell you?” Bess greeted Nan as soon as she could find her.
”What do you mean?” Nan retorted.
”I mean that talk we had some time ago up in your room.”
”What talk?” Nan pretended to have forgotten.
”You know as well as I,” Bess responded impatiently. ”I mean that talk about Walker and Alice. It was nice, but it's all over now.”
”What do you mean?”
”I mean that Walker talked to your cousin sometime yesterday, that your cousin was simply furious, and that Walker Jamieson has left, never to return!”
”Oh, Bess, don't get romantic about it,” Nan said abruptly. ”Now get your breath and tell me actually what you know.”
”I have,” Bess insisted. ”Walker wanted to marry Alice and Adair MacKenzie said 'no!' Walker left without saying goodby to anyone and n.o.body knows when he is going to return if at all. Alice has gone to her room, and everybody in the house is all broken up, except the old housekeeper. All she does is shake her head and say 'You just wait. This will all be all right in the end. Young people are too hasty.'
”Imagine that!” Bess ran on indignantly. ”She says young people are too hasty, when all the trouble here is caused by Mr. MacKenzie and he certainly isn't young!”
”Elizabeth Harley, you be careful!” Nan warned her friend. ”You don't know for sure whether what you are saying is true or not. You'll have everybody in trouble if you don't watch out.”
”But Nan, I could just cry,” Bess protested. ”He is such a nice person and so is she. And now it's all spoiled.”
”Hush, Bess,” Nan spoke more softly now. Then she looked over at Walter as though begging him to leave them for a few moments which he did.
”Now, see here,” she spoke sternly to Bess when he disappeared. ”If there is anything at all in what you say, and I doubt it, there is nothing in the world to be gained by crying and talking and interfering.”
”I'm not interfering!” Bess was indignant.
”Well, then talking about it,” Nan corrected herself. ”We can't do anything about it except sit around and wait. I don't believe that Walker has gone away for the reason you say he has at all, and if he has, he'll be back.”
”Well, if he hasn't gone away for that reason, why has he gone at all?”
Bess demanded.
”You can't tell,” Nan answered lamely. Why was it, she thought, that she was forever running into the secret that she had promised Walker she would keep. She had done the same thing ten minutes ago with Walter. Now she was doing it with her best friend. ”You've just got to wait and find out,” she added.
”Come on, Bess,” she made a decided effort to change the subject, ”let's go in and get the camera. I want to take some pictures of the boys.
Anyway we are neglecting them by staying out here like this.”
”Neglecting them!” Bess exclaimed. ”They've done nothing all day but sit around and loaf. They're a lazy bunch, and we all had such high hopes.”
She let her sentence die away tragically.
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