Part 25 (1/2)
”You'll always be Marta. But it makes no difference; you'll soon be changing your name for keeps. You can't ever lose me, now, and love has Mrs. Kingdon and all the rest of them beat for what you call reforming.”
”If I had only known long ago that there were folks like you and Mrs.
Kingdon and--”
”Never mind long ago. There's nothing to it. Let's talk about the little shack we are going to put up in these hills somewhere. Like it?”
”It seems like a beautiful dream up here, Jo. Too good for me.”
He looked down into the kitten face with its eyes of Irish blue.
”Nothing in the world is too good for you, my Marta.”
”Miss Lamont said I could play I had died and been born again. She said it was a good way to turn over a new leaf.”
”You will be born again as Mrs. Jo Gary.”
Time went very swiftly then, and it was Marta who realized Pen might be expecting to see her.
”Please start me in the right direction, Jo.”
”I'll take you to the house myself,” said Jo protectingly.
As they came around a curve in the road that wound its way upward and downward, they encountered Kurt.
”This is Miss Sills, Mr. Walters,” introduced Jo proudly--”the little girl I told you about when I came from Chicago. We are engaged.”
She looked up a little fearfully at the stern-looking young foreman. She was surprised and relieved at the kindly look in the steel-gray eyes. He took one of her little hands in his strong brown ones. He was ashamed that his instinct told him it was the typical hand of a thief, slim, smooth and deft-fingered.
”Let me congratulate you, Jo, and you, too, Marta. Jo is my friend.”
Tears came into her eyes and her little mouth puckered pathetically.
”Say, Kurt, you're a brick!” exclaimed Jo heartily. ”I was afraid--you know you said--”
He stopped in confusion.
”Forget everything I said, old man. I was a grouch then and I didn't know--anything. I know better now. But Marta, why did you tell me your name was Bobbie Burr.”
”Mrs. Kingdon told me to use that name until--”
”Until she has her right name, Marta Gary,” finished Jo.
Kurt smiled condoningly.
”Mrs. Kingdon always knows what is best.”
”That is what Miss Lamont said. She said that with Jo to love me and Mrs.
Kingdon to advise me I couldn't help but be--what I want to be.”