Part 24 (2/2)
After waiting patiently, Marta concluded Pen's plans had miscarried, so she started for the house, but becoming confused as to turns, she went toward the barracks.
To a little girl whose life had been spent in slums and reformatories, the big s.p.a.ces and silences were more appalling than the wildest hours of traffic on misguided State Street. She had a strange inclination to walk down hill backward that she might not see what other ascension must be made.
”If I'd only been born as high up as this, maybe I'd never have got down so low,” she philosophized.
She came around a bend in the road. A man was approaching. He looked up.
”Marta, oh, Marta!”
”Jo!” she cried wildly, looking about for retreat.
Another second, in his arms, she thought no longer of flight.
”Marta, how did you ever get here?” Wild astonishment was visible in Jo's eyes.
”Mrs. Kingdon sent for me. I've been killed with kindness ever since that night I saw you, Jo. I didn't know you were here. Miss Lamont told me to stay in that place where the vines are until a man came, and to give him this note; but that was long ago. I came out and lost my way. Are you the man she meant?”
”I must be.”
”Does she know that you--that we--”
”Sure she knows. Give me the note.”
He removed the little folded paper from the envelope and read it aloud:
”DEAR JO: Here is your heart-ease. Don't let doubt kill your love.
Just take Marta. A woman loves an audacious lover.
”Yours, ”PENNY ANTE.”
”I feel sort of crazy. Gee, Marta, but it's great to be crazy! Let's sit down here and talk about it. You don't need to tell me much. She told me.
Why didn't you let me hear from you?”
”I wanted to be sure, Jo. I'm not going to make excuses for myself, but I had it handed to me hard. Whenever I thought I'd like to be like other folks, some one would give me a shoveback, and then I felt cornered and that it was no use. Sometimes--most always--I was down and out. Then I'd hit a little lucky wave and go up. It was one of those times I saw you in that dance hall.”
”That was _my_ lucky wave. I can see you now as you sat away from the rest--so little and so different-looking from those tough ones.”
”And I can see you--alone, by yourself; you looked different from anyone I'd ever seen, so healthy and jolly and kind. I saw you looking at me and knew right off what you thought--that I was straight and had got in the wrong place by mistake. And I let you think so and let you get to know me.
And we danced and talked till near sunrise. That lovely day over at St.
Joe! I thought I was in Heaven until we were in that little park and you asked me to marry you. First time a real man ever asked me that. I wasn't low enough to fool you then. When you said it made no difference, I knew you were too good for me, and it made me love you so much that I had to run away.”
”It was sure great in you to tell me, Marta.”
”You know how I got help and hope; but I'm not Marta now, Jo. Not any more. I'm Bobbie Burr.”
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