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For two years, in the solidly built colonial dwelling, with its low ceilings and ample fireplaces, where once the minute-men had swung their kettles, Laura, alone, thought it all over. Mother and father were dead; even the Boston aunt was dead. Of all her relations, Aunt Wess' alone remained. The Cresslers were the dearest friends of the orphan girls.
The Cresslers' invitation to join the theatre party at the Auditorium had fallen inopportunely enough, squarely in the midst of the ordeal of moving in. Indeed the two girls had already passed one night in the new home, and they must dress for the affair by lamplight in their unfurnished quarters and under inconceivable difficulties.
He even had the Cresslers and Laura over to his mission Sunday-school for the Easter festival, an occasion of which Laura carried away a confused recollection of enormous canvas mottoes, that looked more like campaign banners than texts from the Scriptures, sheaves of calla lilies, imitation bells of tin-foil, revival hymns vociferated with deafening vehemence from seven hundred distended mouths, and through it all the disagreeable smell of poverty, the odor of uncleanliness that mingled strangely with the perfume of the lilies and the aromatic whiffs from the festoons of evergreen.
She waited three minutes, and the Cresslers still failing to appear, temporised yet further, for the twentieth time repeating: "I don't see I can't understand." Then, abruptly drawing her cape about her, she crossed the vestibule and came up to Jadwin. As she approached she saw him catch her eye.
Cressler, who had been almost a second father to her, was in business, and had once lost a fortune by a gamble in wheat; and there was Mr. Curtis Jadwin, whom she had met at the opera with the Cresslers. Mrs. Cressler had told Laura, very soon after her arrival in Chicago, that Mr. Jadwin wanted to marry her. "I've known Curtis Jadwin now for fifteen years nobody better," said Mrs. Cressler.
It was at the Cresslers, and we just said 'How do you do. And then maybe it isn't Mr. Jadwin." "Oh, I wouldn't bother, girls," said Mrs. Wessels. "It's all right. They'll be here in a minute. I don't believe the curtain has gone up yet." But the man of whom they spoke turned around at the moment and cast a glance about the vestibule.
The Cresslers and the Gretrys were invited, together with Sheldon Corthell and Landry Court. Jadwin brought up some of the horses and a couple of sleighs. On Christmas night they had a great tree, and Corthell composed the words and music for a carol which had a great success.
Then all at once she uttered a joyful exclamation: "At last, at last," she cried, "and about time, too!" Cressler a fine old lady, in a wonderful ermine-trimmed cape, whose hair was powdered exclaim at the top of her voice, as if the mere declaration of fact was final, absolutely the last word upon the subject, "The bridge was turned!" The Cresslers lived on the North Side.
"Would you like to have a drink of water, too?" She shook her head, and while he disappeared in the direction of the Cresslers' dining-room, she stood alone a moment in the darkened room looking out into the street. She felt that her cheeks were hot. Her hands, hanging at her sides, shut themselves into tight fists. "What, you are all alone?" said Corthell's voice, behind her.
I happened to stand between two sets of circumstances, and they made me do what I've done. I couldn't get out of it now, with all the good will in the world. Go to the theatre to-night with you and the Cresslers? Why, old girl, you might as well ask me to go to Jericho. Let that Mr. Corthell take my place." And very naturally this is what was done. The artist sent a great bunch of roses to Mrs.
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