第96章

THE WAITING GAME

Brown was early astir.He knew that he could not keep Shock so fully employed as to prevent his going home long before ten o'clock, and it was part of his plan that Shock's first meeting with Helen should take place in his own mother's house.

"The first thing we must do," he announced, "is to see a tailor.If you are going to address the General Assembly you have got to get proper togs.And anyway, you may as well get a suit before you go West again.I know a splendid tailor--cheap, too.""Well, he will need to be cheap," said Shock, "for I cannot aford much for clothes.""Well, I will see about that," said Brown.So he did, for after some private conversation with the tailor, the prices quoted to Shock were quite within even his small means.

It was half-past nine before they reached Shock's home.Brown took the key out of his pocket, opened the door, and allowed Shock to enter, waiting outside for a few moments.

When he followed Shock in he found him still standing in the centre of the little room, looking about upon the familiar surroundings, the articles of furniture, the pictures on the wall, his mother's chair beside the table, with her Bible and glasses at hand.

As Brown came in Shock turned to him and said, "Is this some more of your kindness, Brown? Have you taken this care of everything?""No," said Brown, "that is not my work.Every, week since the house was closed Helen has come over and kept things right."Without any reply Shock passed into his mother's room, leaving Brown alone.

When half an hour had passed, Brown, glancing out of the window, saw Helen approaching.

"Thank goodness!" he exclaimed, "here she is at last."He opened the door for her.

"Oh, good morning," she exclaimed in surprise."I am sure this is very kind of you.""Yes, I thought I would help," said Brown in a loud voice."You see, Shock was anxious to come, and I thought I would come up with him.

He is in the next room.He will be out in a minute.We were coming up last night, but could not get away.The Superintendent dropped in, and we talked till it was too late." Brown kept the stream of his remarks flowing as if he feared a pause.

Helen laid the bunch of flowers she was carrying in her hand upon the table.

"Oh, Brown," she exclaimed, "how could you! This is very unkind."She turned to go.

"Hold on," said Brown in a loud voice."Shock will be here in a minute.He'll be sorry to miss you, I am sure."For a moment Helen stood irresolute, when the door opened and Shock, pale, but quiet and self-controlled, appeared.He had just been face to face for the first time with his great grief.The thought that filled his mind, overwhelming all others, was that his mother had passed forever beyond the touch of his hand and the sound of his voice.Never till that moment had he taken in the full meaning of the change that had come to his life.

During the minutes he had spent in his mother's room he had allowed his mind to go back over the long years so full of fond memory, and then he had faced the future.Alone henceforth he must go down the long trail.By his mother's bed he had knelt, and had consecrated himself again to the life she had taught him to regard as worthy, and with the resolve in his heart to seek to be the man she would desire him to be and had expected him to be, he rose from his knees.

When he opened the door the dignity of his great grief and of a lofty purpose was upon him, and he greeted Helen unembarrassed and with a serene consciousness of self-mastery.

"I am glad to see you, Miss Fairbanks," he said, taking her hand."Iam glad that we meet here, for it was here, in this house, that you gave such loving and tender care to my dear mother.However long Imay live, whatever may come to me, I shall never forget what you did for her through all the year, and at the last."His quiet dignity restored to Helen her self-possession.

"I did all I could for her.I was glad to do it, because I loved her.But she did more for me than ever I could have done for her.

Her last illness was very brief, and her death was full of peace.""Tell me," said Shock, placing a chair for her."I want to know all."With gentle, sweet sympathy the story was told in all its beautiful details, till the very end.Instinctively Helen seemed to know the points that Shock would desire to hear, and he listened to her with his heart shining through his eyes.

"Thank you, thank you," he said."Never can thank you enough for all that you have done.And you, too, have had your great sorrow.Brown told me about it all."At this Brown rose hastily, and looking out of the window, exclaimed, "I say, there's Boyle.Wait for me.""Yes," said Helen, when Brown had gone, "it was a terrible grief, and mother has never recovered from it, nor will she.Betty was the life of our house.She was so bright.""Oh, bright, indeed.How well I remember her brightness that night in your home.""I remember," said Helen."And Mr.Balfour," she continued, "The Don.He has been with you?""Yes, indeed, poor chap.And nobly he has done," and Shock told of The Don and of his work in the Pass.

"How good you have been," exclaimed Helen, "and how much you have done.I am so thankful, and so proud.We are all so proud of you.""No," said Shock gravely, "that is not the word, Miss Fairbanks.

There is no room for pride."

"Well, we think so," replied Helen."You will come to see us? Mother will be so glad."Helen was wondering at her own calmness.She could hardly make herself believe that she was talking to Shock, and so quietly, in this room where so short a time ago he had held her in his arms.