Part 30 (1/2)
”That's true. I except that.”
”And you can't say you haven't been interested in our selling this farm, and getting Mr. and Mrs. Ranny fixed up, and all that.”
”Of course I've been interested in that; it's been no end of fun.”
”And then,” Quin pursued his point quite brazenly, ”there's me. I hope you are a little bit interested in me?”
She tried to take it lightly. ”Interested in you? Why, of course I am. We all are. Uncle Ranny was saying only this morning----”
”I don't care a hang what he said. It's _you_ I'm talking about. Do you like me any better than you did in the spring?”
”You silly boy, I've always liked you.”
”But I told you I wanted a lot. Have I made any headway?”
”Headway? I should say you have. I never saw such improvement! If the university cla.s.ses have done this much for you in four months, what will you be by the end of the year?”
”That's right,” said Quin bitterly. ”Open the switch and sidetrack me!
But just tell me one thing: is there anybody you _are_ interested in?”
”Now, see here, Quin,” said Eleanor peremptorily, ”you haven't any right to ask me questions like that. All I promised was that you could be my chum.”
”Yes; but I meant a chum plus.”
”Well, you'd better look out or you will be a chum minus.” Then she caught sight of his eyes, and leaned forward in sudden contrition. ”I'm sorry to hurt you, Quin, but you must understand----”
”I do,” he admitted miserably. ”Only this week out here together, and the way you've looked at me sometimes, made me kind of hope----” His voice broke. ”It's all right. I'll wait some more.”
This was the time Eleanor should have carried out her intention of going back to the house. Instead, she sat on in the deepening twilight under the feminine delusion that she was being good to the miserable youth who sat huddled close to her knees on the step below her.
Through his whole big being Quin was quivering with the sense of her nearness, afraid to move for fear something stronger than his will would make him seize her slender little body and crush it to him in an agony of tenderness and yearning.
”How beautiful it is out here now!” she said softly. ”Don't you love the feel of wings everywhere? Little flying things going home? Everything seems to be whispering!”
Quin did not answer. He sat silent and immovable until the light in the valley had quite faded, and the twitter of the birds had been superseded by the monotonous, mournful plaint of a whip-poor-will in a distant tree.
Then he stirred and looked up at Eleanor with a rueful smile.
”I know what's the matter with that d.a.m.ned old bird,” he said. ”He's in love!”
CHAPTER 19
Notwithstanding the fact that the sale of the Martels' house was averted and Rose's affair with Harold Phipps successfully terminated, catastrophe, which was evidently due the family, arrived before the summer had fairly begun. The irrepressible Claude had no sooner weighed the anchor of responsibility than he set sail for New York to embark once more on dramatic waters. He had secured a small part in a summer stock company which would leave him ample time to work on ”Phantom Love,” which he confidently counted upon to retrieve his fortunes. The withdrawal of even his slender contribution to the household expenses made a difference, especially as Edwin came down with the measles early in July.
Before the boy had got the green shade off his afflicted eyes, Ca.s.s was laid low with typhoid fever.
No other event in the family could have wrought such disastrous results.
Rose was compelled to give up her position to nurse him, and while the income ceased the expenses piled up enormously.