Part 14 (1/2)
Peter Junior made no attempt the next day to speak further to his father about his plans. It seemed to him better that he should wait until his wise mother had talked the matter over with the Elder.
Although he put in most of the day at the studio, painting, he saw very little of Betty and thought she was avoiding him out of girlish coquetry, but she was only very busy. Martha was coming home and everything must be as clean as wax. Martha was such a tidy housekeeper that she would see the least lack and set to work to remedy it, and that Betty could not abide. In these days Martha's coming marked a semimonthly event in the home, for since completing her course at the high school she had been teaching in the city. Bertrand would return with her, and then all would have to be talked over,--just what he had decided to do, and why.
In the evening a surprise awaited the whole household, for Martha came, accompanied not only by her father, but also by a young professor in the same school where she taught. Mary Ballard greeted him most kindly, but she felt things were happening too rapidly in her family. Jamie and Bobby watched the young man covertly yet eagerly, taking note of his every movement and intonation. Was he one to be emulated or avoided? Only little Janey was quite unabashed by him, and this lightened his embarra.s.sment greatly and helped him to the ease of manner he strove to establish.
She led him out to the sweet-apple tree, and introduced him to the calf and the bantams, and invited him to go with them nutting the next day. ”We're all going in a great, big picnic wagon. Everybody's going and we'll have just lots of fun.” And he accepted, provided she would sit beside him all the way.
Bobby decided at this point that he also would befriend the young man.
”If you're going to sit beside her all the way, you'll have to be lively. She never sits in one place more than two minutes. You'll have to sit on papa's other knee for a while, and then you'll have to sit on Peter Junior's.”
”That will be interesting, anyway. Who's Peter Junior?”
”Oh, he's a man. He comes to see us a lot.”
”He's the son of Elder Craigmile,” explained Martha.
”Is he going, too, Betty?”
”Yes. The whole crowd are going. It will be fun. I'm glad now it rained Thursday, for the Deans didn't want to postpone it till to-morrow, and then, when it rained, Mrs. Dean said it would be too wet to try to have it yesterday; and now we have you. I wanted all the time to wait until you came home.”
That night, when Martha went to their room, Betty followed her, and after closing the door tightly she threw her arms around her sister's neck.
”Oh, Martha, Martha, dear! Tell me all about him. Why didn't you let us know? I came near having on my old blue gingham. What if I had?
He's awfully nice looking. Is he in love with you? Tell me all about it. Does he make love to you? Oh, Martha! It's so romantic for you to have a lover!”
”Hush, Betty, some one will hear you. Of course he doesn't make love to me!”
”Why?”
”I wouldn't let him.”
”Martha! Why not? Do you think it's bad to let a young man make love to you?”
”Betty! You mustn't talk so loud. Everything sounds so through this house. It would mortify me to death.”
”What would mortify you to death: to have him make love to you or to have someone hear me?”
”Betty, dear!”
”Well, tell me all about him--please! Why did he come out with you?”
”You shouldn't always be thinking about love-making--and--such things, Betty, dear. He just came out in the most natural way, just because he--he loves the country, and he was talking to me about it one day and said he'd like to come out some Friday with me--just about asked me to invite him. So when father called at the school yesterday for me, I introduced them, and he said the same thing to father, and of course father invited him over again, and--and--so he's here. That's all there is to it.”
”I bet it isn't. How long have you known him?”
”Why, ever since I've been in the school, naturally.”
”What does he teach?”
”He has higher Latin and beginners' Greek, and then he has charge of the main room when the princ.i.p.al goes out.”
Betty pondered a little, sitting on the floor in front of her sister.