"And what a mother! I--well, you know, Mother, I am not engaged to Judy--not exactly, that is. She knows how I feel about her and somehow--I can't say for sure--but I almost know she feels the same way about me, at least, feels somehow about me."

"Of course she does! How could she help it?"

"You see, I knew it would be some time before I could make a decent living, and it did not seem fair to Judy to tie her down when maybe she might strike some fellow who would be so much more worth while than I am----"

"Impossible!"

"I used to think maybe Pierce Kinsella would be her choice, when they painted together so much."

"That boy! Why, Kent, how could you?"

"Well, he was a very handsome and brilliant boy and is pretty well fixed by his uncle's generosity and bids fair to make one of the leading portrait painters of the day. His portrait of you has made every lady who has seen it want him to do one of her. Of course, he can't make all of 'em look like you, but he does his best."

"It may have been wise of you not to settle this little matter with Judy, son, but somehow--I wish you had."

"It was hard not to, but I felt she was so far away from her parents. I thought she would be back in America in a month, at least. I wanted her to come with me, but she felt she must wait for them, and of course, I had to hurry back because of the possible job in New York. I am afraid that I will lose that now, but there will be others, and I just can't think of the things that might happen to my Judy--she is my Judy, whether we are engaged or not."

"When will you start, son?"

"Why, to-night, if you don't mind."

"Certainly to-night! I have money for you."

"Oh, Mother, the money part is the only thing worrying me. I have a little left, but not enough to get me over and back. I must have enough to bring Judy back, too. You see, a letter of credit now in Paris is not worth the paper it is on."

"No, I did not know. That is the one part of Judy's letter that put me at ease about her. I thought she had plenty of money, and money certainly does help out."

"Well, that is the part of her letter that made me know I must go get her. The Americans who are abroad simply can't get checks cashed. She might even be hungry, poor little Judy."

"Thank goodness, I have some money--all owing to Judy's father, too! If he had not seen the bubbles on that puddle in the rocky pasture, we would never have known there was oil there. What better could we do with the money that Mr. Kean got for us than use it to succor his daughter?"

"Oh, Mother, you are so--so--bully! I know no other word to express what you are. I am going to pay back every cent I borrow from you. Thank goodness, I saved a little from the money I made on the architectural sketches I did for the article d.i.c.kson wrote on the French country homes. I'm going over steerage."

"You are going over in the first cla.s.s cabin! Steerage, indeed! I lend no money for such a trip."

"All right, Mother! You are the boss. And now, don't you think I'll have time to go see Aunt Mary a few minutes?"

"Of course you must go see the poor old woman. She has been afraid she would not live until you got home. She is very feeble. Dear old Aunt Mary!"

They had reached the Chatsworth garden and Kent noticed with delight the hollyhocks that had flourished wonderfully since he had dug them up that moonlight night more than three years ago and transplanted them from the chicken yard, where no one ever saw them, to the beds in the garden, and all because Miss Julia Kean had regretted that they were not there to make a background for the bridal party, after they had determined to have Mildred's wedding out of doors.

"Haven't they come on wonderfully? I know Judy would like to see how well they have done. I think hollyhocks are the most decorative of all flowers. I wonder we never had them in the garden before, Mother."

Both of them were thinking of Mildred's wedding on that rare day in June. Kent remembered with some satisfaction that in the general confusion that ensued after Mildred and Crit were p.r.o.nounced, by Dr.

Peters, to be man and wife, and everybody was kissing everybody else, he had had presence of mind to take advantage of the license accorded on the occasion of a family wedding and had kissed his sister Molly's college friend, Miss Julia Kean.

"By Jove! I think war ought to give a fellow some privilege, too," he declared to himself. "I think I'll do the same when I see the young lady in France."

They found Aunt Mary lying in state in a great four poster bed, while her meek half-sister, Sukey Jourdan, administered to her wants, which were many and frequent.

"Lawsamussy, if that ain't that there Kent! Whar you come from, son? I done got so old an' feeble I can't say mister ter n.o.body. You alls is all Ernest and Sue and Paul and John and Mildred and Kent and Molly ter me. Cepn Molly is Molly Baby. I still got strenth fer that. Law, Miss Milly, ain't he growed?"

"Yes, Aunt Mary, he is looking so well, and now he is going to turn right around and go back to France to-night."

"Don't say it! Lawsamussy, Miss Milly, did he fergit somethin'?"

"Well, not exactly," laughed Kent, "but I didn't bring something with me that I should have."

"Well, you be sho ter make a cross an' spit in it. If'n you fergits somethin' er fin's you has ter tu'n aroun' an' go back 'thout res'in' a piece, if'n you makes a cross an' spits in it, you is sho ter have good luck. Here you, Sukey, set a better cheer for Miss Milly. Wherfo' you done give her sich a straight up'n down cheer?"

"Oh, this will do very well, Sukey," said Mrs. Brown.

"You bring another, Sukey. I don' see what makes you so keerless. I low if'n 'twar that no count Buck Jourdan, you'd be drawin' up the sofy fer his triflin' bones."

Poor Sukey had no easy job to keep Aunt Mary satisfied. The old woman, having been a most energetic and tireless person in her day, could not understand that the whole world of darkeys could not be as she had been.

Sukey's son Buck, the apple of her mild eye, was the bane of Aunt Mary's existence. She never missed a chance to make her younger half-sister miserable on his account. Indeed, Sukey, mild as she was, would not have stayed with Aunt Mary except for the fact that Aunt Mary had insured her life for her with the understanding that she was to minister to her to the end. It was dearly paid for, this service, as the old woman was most exacting. Lenient to a degree of softness with white folks, she was adamant with those of her own race.

"How do you feel, Aunt Mary?" asked Kent, looking with sorrow on the wasted features of the beloved old woman.

"Well, I'm a feelin' tolerable peart this mornin' although endurin' of the night I thought my hour had struck. I got ter dreamin' 'bout my fun'ral, an' I got so mad cause Sis Ria Bowles done brought a fun'ral zine like one she done tuck ter Brer Jackson's orgies! An' dead or not, I wa'nt gonter stan' fer no sich monkey shines over me."

"Why, what did she take to Brother Jackson's funeral?" laughed Kent.

"Ain't you heard tel er that? She cut a cross outn that there sticky tangle yo' foot fly paper en' she kivered it all over with daisy haids an' call herse'f bringing a zine. I riz up an' spoke my mind in my dream an' I let all these here n.i.g.g.e.rs in Jeff'son County know that if they don't see that I gits a fust cla.s.s fun'ral, I gonter rise up when I ain't a dreamin' an' speak my min'."

Sukey Jourdan listened to this tirade with her eyes bulging out of her head, much to Aunt Mary's satisfaction, as she very well knew that the way to manage her race was to intimidate them.

"I done been carryin' insuriance in two clubs an' a comp'ny, an' betwixt 'em I's ent.i.tled ter seventeen hacks. I'm a trustin' ter Miss Milly an'

that there Paul ter make 'em treat me proper. Paul done say he will black list 'em in his newspaper if'n they leave off one t.i.t or jottle from the 'greement. I sho would like ter see my fun'ral. I low it's a goin' ter be pretty stylish. I done pinted my pall buriers an' bought they gloves an' I low ter be laid out myself in my best black silk what Miss Milly done gimme goin' on sixteen year, come nex' Christmas. I ain't a wo' it much, as I had in min' ter save it fer my buryin'. Some of the mimbers gits buried in palls made er white silk. They do look right han'some laid out in 'em, but then palls is made 'thout a piece er back an' I has a notion that when Gabrel blows his trump on that great an' turrerble day that ole Mary Morton ain't a goin' ter be caught without no back ter her grabe clothes. It mought make no diffrunce if'n Peter will let me pa.s.s on in, 'cause I low that the shining robes will be a waitin' fer me--but sposin'--jes' sposin'----" and the dear old woman's face clouded over with anguish, "jes' sposin' Peter'll say: 'You, Mary Morton, g'long from this here portcullis. You blongs in the tother d'rection,' an' I'll hab ter tun 'roun' an' take the broad road ter h.e.l.l! What'll I feel like, if'n I ain't got no back ter my frock?

No, sir! I's a goin' ter have on a dress complete. It mought be that Peter'll think better er me if I shows him sech a spectful back."

"You not get in Heaven!" exclaimed Kent. "Why, Aunt Mary, there wouldn't be any Heaven for all of us bad Brown boys if you weren't there."

"Well, now them is words of comfort what beats the preacher's. I done always been b'lievin' in 'fluence an' I mought er knowed my white folks would look arfter me on the las' day jes as much as ever. I kin git in as Miss Milly's cook if'n th'aint no other way. I been a 'lowing whin I gits ter Heaven I wouldn't have ter work no more, but sence I been a laid up in the baid so long I gin ter think that work would tas'e right sweet. Cookin' in Heaven wouldn't be so hard with plenty of 'gredients ter han' and no scrimpin' and scrougin' of 'terials. A lan' flowin' with milk an' honey mus' have aigs an' b.u.t.ter. Here you, Sukey Jourdan! Whar you hidin'?"

"Here I is, Sis Ma'y, I jes' stepped in the shed room ter men' the fire ginst 'twas time ter knock up a bite er dinner fer you."

"Well, while I's a thinkin' of it, I want you to git my bes' linen ap.r.o.n outn the chist--the one with the insertioning let in 'bove the hem, an'

put it in the highboy drawer with my bes' black silk. I low I'll be laid out in a ap.r.o.n, 'cause if'n I can't git inter Heaven no other way, I am a thinkin' with a clean white ap.r.o.n on I kin slip in as a good cook."

"Dear Aunt Mary, you have been as good as gold all your life," declared Mrs. Brown, wiping a tear from her eye, but smiling in spite of herself at Aunt Mary's quaint idea of a way to gain an entrance through the pearly gates.

Aunt Mary had had many doubts about her being saved and had spent many weary nights, terrified at the thought of dying and perhaps not being fit for Heaven, but now that she had thought of wearing the ap.r.o.n, all doubts of her desirability were set at rest; indeed, her last days were filled with peace since she felt now that even Peter could not turn back a good cook.

"I must be going, Aunt Mary," said Kent, taking the old woman's withered hand in his strong grasp. "I'll be home again in a few weeks, I fancy, maybe sooner."

"They's one thing I ain't arsked you yit: whar's that there Judy gal?

I been a dreamin' you would bring her back with you."