Part 24 (1/2)
”It is wretchedly dull at home now you're away, Bess. I do wish you would come back!”
”Not if I know it!” answered that young lady. ”I know when I'm well off.
Besides, I thought you would get on like the steam out of Watts' kettle with me away!”
”Yes, that's just it, I'm always in hot water,” he replied in a doleful voice.
”Well, what if you are? Isn't hot water better than black beetles? Hot water is a splendid thing to drink, but it would give you the creeps to have to eat beetles! Ugh!”
”What a stupid you are, Bess, and just when a fellow wants to be serious!”
Bessie had it on her lips to say, ”Wonders will never cease!”--she had already raised her hands in a tragic style, but something in Phill's manner checked her. ”What was it you wanted to say, Phill?” she asked quite kindly, suddenly dropping her hands.
The lad looked up at her, struck with the change in her voice, and was silent for a moment or so. ”Tell me, Bessie, what it is that makes Mrs.
Waring so different to mother?” The sentence was quite shot out.
”How did you find out there was any difference?”
”Find out? It don't take long to find that out! Mrs. Waring don't worry and fl.u.s.ter like mother does, and yet I should think she's got more to worry about.”
”You're right there.”
”Well, what is the difference? I can hear you all laughing like anything sometimes.”
Bessie knew well enough what the difference was, but did not like to put it into words.
”I wish I could come into Mrs. Waring's of an evening!” went on Phill.
”Well, do,” a.s.sented Bessie eagerly, ”and then you can find out for yourself what the difference is. I am sure Mrs. Waring will be pleased for you to come. I'll ask her.” Bessie was quite relieved by this way of avoiding the explanation of ”the difference.”
Thus it came to pa.s.s that another member was added to ”Love's Hospital.”
Many a bright, merry hour did the lad spend there.
”Have you found it out?” Bessie ventured to ask him after a while.
”Of course I have, and you are pretty dense if _you_ haven't! Why, a mole could see it!”
”Well, what is it?”
”I believe you know as well as I do.”
”Of course I do; I haven't lived with her all these months for nothing.”
”Then you tell me,” said Phill.
”It is that G.o.d counts for something in Mrs. Waring's life,” was the girl's straight answer.
”H'm,” said Phill, ”I suppose that's it.”