Part 30 (1/2)

She colored, and her eyes drooped beneath his fixed gaze.

”Yes,” she said, ”I will go with you.”

”Thank you, Colette,” he answered gently, realizing what a surrender this was, and deeming it wise not to follow up his victory immediately.

And at his reticence Colette was conscious of a shade of disappointment.

She began to feel an uncomfortable atmosphere in the silence that ensued, so she broke it, speaking hastily and confusedly.

”Oh, John, there is something else they want of you. The request is made by unanimous desire that you wear their surplice--that awful surplice!”

A shadow not unlike a frown fell athwart John's brow, and he made no immediate reply.

The introduction of the unfortunate topic made them both self-conscious, and for the first time Colette acknowledged to herself that she had been in the wrong in the matter of the surplice. John, misinterpreting her constraint, and fearing that the reference to the garment had revived all her old resentment, arose to depart.

”I will wear it if they wish,” he said stiffly.

”I, too, wish you would wear it,” she said in a voice scarcely audible.

He looked at her in surprise, hope returning.

”To please them,” she added, coloring.

”Colette!” There was a pleading in his voice that told her all she longed to know. ”Colette, don't you think I have been patient? Won't you be friends again?”

”I will,” she said, ”after--the Boarder's and Lily Rose's wedding!”

CHAPTER XXII

Work on the Boarder's Annex was begun with frantic zeal, each and every member of the Jenkins family lending a helping hand. The Boarder, as boss carpenter, worked after switching hours until it grew dark; then the children took turns, in holding a lantern for him. The savings of the Boarder being taxed by the trip to ”Niagry” and the furnis.h.i.+ng of the apartment, great economy had to be exercised in the erecting of the Annex. He strictly adhered to his determination not to touch the ”rainy day fund.”

Amarilly pleaded for a bay window, but the Boarder felt this ornamentation to be quite beyond his means, so they finally compromised on a small and simple porch on which Lily Rose could sit of a summer night while the Boarder smoked by her side. Mrs. Jenkins, moved to memories long dormant of the home of her youth, suggested blinds instead of window-shades, but the Boarder after much figuring proved adamantine in resistance to this temptation.

Lily Rose was the only one who made no suggestions. Anything the Boarder might construct in the way of a nesting place was beautiful in her eyes.

”She'd be too sorter modist-like to tell me if she was sot on any perticler thing about the new place,” he confided wistfully to Amarilly, ”You're so sharp I wish you'd kinder hint around and find out what she wants. Jest put out some feelers.”

Amarilly diplomatically proceeded to put out ”feelers,” and after much maneuvering joyously imparted to the Boarder the information that Lily Rose loved to look at the one solitary tree that adorned the Jenkins lot, because to her it meant ”the country.”

”So that's the way she loves to look out,” informed Amarilly, ”and, you see there isn't any window on that side of your rooms.”

”There shall be one,” declared the Boarder firmly.

”Couldn't you make it a bay?” again coaxed Amarilly, ”It's on the side the sun comes in most, and the doctor said Lily Rose should get all the sunlight she could. If she could sit in that bay window sunny days next winter it would be better than medicine for her.”

The Boarder sighed.

”Don't tempt me, Amarilly. There ain't a cent more I kin squeeze out.”

”I'll think out a way,” thought Amarilly confidently.