Part 7 (1/2)

”Of course, she's not nineteen, and I don't believe it's ever crossed her mind,” Wolf said. ”I don't think Norma ever had a real affair--just kid affairs, like Paul Harrison, and that man at the store who used to send her flowers. But I don't believe those count.”

”I don't think she ever has,” Kate said, heavily getting to her feet, and beginning to pour her custard slowly through the packed bread.

Presently she stopped, and set the saucepan down, her eyes narrowed and fixed on s.p.a.ce. Then Wolf saw her press the fingers of one hand upon her mouth, a sure sign of mental perturbation.

”I know I'm not worthy to tie her little shoes for her, Mother,” he said, suddenly, and very low.

”There's no woman in the world good enough for you,” his mother answered, with a troubled laugh. And she gave the top of his head one of her rare, brisk kisses as she pa.s.sed him, on her way out of the room.

Wolf was sufficiently familiar with the domestic routine to know that every minute was precious now, and that she was setting the table. But his heart was heavy with a vague uneasiness; she had not encouraged him very much. She had not accepted this suggestion as she did almost all of the young people's ideas, with eager cooperation and sympathy. He sat brooding at the kitchen table, her notable lack of enthusiasm chilling him, and infusing him with her own doubts.

When she came back, she stood with her back turned to him, busied with some manipulation of platters and jars in the ice-box.

”Wolf, dear,” she said, ”I want to ask you something. The child's too young to listen to you--or any one!--now. Promise me--_promise me_, that you'll speak to me again before you----”

”Certainly I'll promise that, Mother!” Wolf said, quickly, hurt to the soul. She read his tone aright, and came to lay her cheek against his hair.

”Listen to me, Son. Since the day her mother gave her to me I've hoped it would be this way! But there's nothing to be gained by hurry.

You----”

”But you would be glad, Mother! You do think that she might have me?”

poor Wolf said, eagerly and humbly. He was amazed to see tears br.i.m.m.i.n.g his mother's eyes as she nodded and turned away.

Before either spoke again a rush in the hall announced the home-coming girls, who entered the kitchen gasping and laughing with the cold.

”Whew!” panted Norma, catching Wolf's hands in her own half-frozen ones.

”I'm dying! Oh, Wolf, feel my nose!” She pressed it against his forehead. ”Oh, there's a wind like a knife--and look at my shoe--in I went, right through the ice! Oh, Aunt Kate, let me stay here!” and locking both slender arms about the older woman's neck, she dropped her dark, s.h.i.+ning head upon her breast like a storm-blown bird. ”It's four below zero in Broadway this minute,” she added, looking sidewise under her curling lashes at Wolf.

”Who said so?” Wolf demanded.

”The man I bought that paper from said so; go back and ask him. Oh, joy, that looks good!” said Norma, eyeing the pudding that was now being drawn, crackling, bubbling, and crisp, from the oven. ”Rose and I fell over the new lineoleum in the hall; I thought it was a dead body!” she went on, cheerfully. ”I came _down_ on my family feature with such a noise that I thought the woman downstairs would be rattling the dumb-waiter ropes again long before this!” She stepped to the dumb-waiter, and put her head into the shaft. ”What is it, darling?” she called.

”Norma, behave yourself. It would serve you good and right if she heard you,” Mrs. Sheridan said, in a panic. ”Go change your shoes, and come and eat your dinner. I believe,” her aunt added, pausing near her, ”that you _did_ skin your nose in the hall.”

”Oh, heavens!” Norma exclaimed, bringing her face close to the dark window, as to a mirror. ”Oh, say it will be gone by Friday! Because on Friday I'm going to have tea with Mrs. Liggett--her husband came in to-day and asked me. Oh, the darling! He certainly is the--well, the most--well, I don't know!----His voice, and the quiet, _quiet_ way----”

”Oh, for pity's sake go change your shoes!” Rose interrupted. ”You are the biggest idiot! I went into the store to get her,” Rose explained, ”and I've had all this once, in the subway. How Mr. Liggett picks up his gla.s.ses, on their ribbon, to read the t.i.tles of books----”

”Oh, you shut up!” Norma called, departing. And unashamed, when dinner was finished, and the table cleared, she produced a pack of cards and said that she was going to play _The Idle Year_.

”... and if I get it, it'll mean that the man I marry is going to look exactly like Chris Liggett.”

She did not get it, and played it again. The third time she interrupted Wolf's slow and patient perusal of the _Scientific American_ to announce that she was now going to play it to see if he was in love with Mary Redding.

”Think how nice that would be, Aunt Kate, a double wedding. And if Wolf or Rose died and left a lot of children, the other one would always be there to take in whoever was left--you know what I mean!”

”You're the one Wolf ought to marry, to make it complete,” Rose, who was neatly marking a cross-st.i.tch ”R” on a crash towel, retaliated neatly.