In this hour of deepest humility, recollections of his wife and the far away days of his married life came to him. Sweet and tender memories these, of occurrences almost forgotten. He softened to them, and moments followed when it was as if the spirit of Elinor Dale had crossed the span of years and labored with the troubled soul of the selfish, obstinate, purse-proud old rich man until at last, Obadiah--slept in peace.

When he appeared in the morning, a change had taken place in him. There was strength and decision in his face; but it seemed as if the lines of cruelty and obstinacy were altered and smoothed away as the ruts and tracks upon a sandy beach after a great storm.

CHAPTER XX

HIS JOURNEY'S END

Excitement prevailed in the home of Aunt Kate in Old Rock. There was a soft sound of feminine feet rushing about. Much searching for mislaid articles of apparel was taking place and those hastening made nervous demands for a.s.sistance upon those hurrying.

The disturbance in this peaceful household was due to the receipt of knowledge that Charles Augustus and his mother had returned from New York during the preceding night. Preparations were now in progress for the departure of Virginia and Helen to greet the returned ones in a fitting manner.

At last the two girls were appropriately garbed and Aunt Kate kissed them good bye at the front door and, with a kindly smile upon her face, watched them run across the meadow towards the pond, making farewell signals with their canoe paddles.

An hour later there was a sharp rap of the old fashioned knocker on the front door. "Mercy sakes upon us," muttered Aunt Kate. "What business has anybody coming here at this time of day?" A look of aversion crept over her face. "I'll bet my boots it is an agent or a peddler. I'll send him packing pretty quick with a flea in his ear." Apparently bent upon carrying out this peculiar attention she hurried into the hall.

Bending low, she pulled aside the curtain of a side light and peered out. The feet and legs before her advertised their owner as a man.

"It is a peddler," she murmured. Her gentle face a.s.sumed a stern and forbidding aspect. Suddenly, she jerked the door open and, glowering at the intruder, cried, "Go away! I don't want--"

The victim of this unusual reception was her brother Obadiah.

"Land o' Goshen, how you frightened me, Obadiah Dale," Aunt Kate reproached him as soon as she recovered from her surprise. "Don't you know any better than to scare a body half to death?"

"I didn't intend to frighten you, Kate," Obadiah protested, when he got over his own astonishment.

"The bad place is paved with good intentions," she quoted with sternness and, as her brother hesitated upon the porch, puzzled at his extraordinary greeting, she commanded, "Come in. What are you waiting out there for? Must I lead you in?" Giving him a ceremonious kiss, she ushered him into the large back room where the table prepared for luncheon reminded her to be hospitable. "Have you had breakfast, Obadiah? I'll fix you something in a minute."

"Yes, on the train. I don't want anything to eat, Kate."

Satisfied that her brother was not starving, she gazed at him over the tops of her spectacles with a humorous twinkle in her eyes. "This _is_ a surprise. It is the first time that you have visited me since--" She paused in sudden indignation. "Obadiah Dale," she went on sharply, "you have never deigned to honor me with a visit in my own home."

He was nervous and ill at ease as he answered, "I know, Kate, but I'm a very--"

She interrupted him, in a gentler mood. "Yes, I know, Obadiah. The years have run swiftly. Yesterday we were boy and girl together at the old home. Today we are old folks, the best part of our lives spent. The page of our earthly hour is nearly written and there is only room for a few more sentences." She glared at him with great severity and sniffed, "At least, we'd better see that these lines have something good about us."

"Yes, Kate," he agreed meekly.

"I know that you want to see--Virginia. She's not here, Obadiah. She has gone up to the head of the pond to see Charles Augustus, the lame boy who was operated upon," she told him.

Obadiah nodded. "How far is that from here? Can I walk it?"

Aunt Kate considered. "It's about three miles by road. You will get lost and never find the place. The girls will be back by two or three o'clock. Can't you make yourself comfortable and visit with me until then?"

"I do want to see Virginia. She has been away a long time." He jumped to his feet and moved nervously about. "I think that I shall walk there, if you don't mind, Kate."

His anxiety awakened the sympathy of his sister. "You are not used to strolls like that. I am afraid that it will not be good for you. I have a horse that is old and fat and slow but he can haul us there if you can hitch him up."

"That will do." Obadiah was much relieved. "I'll drive your horse. I used to do it when I was a boy."

"That was a long time ago. You may have forgotten." An idea struck her.

"Do fashions change in harness? If so, you won't know a thing about it and it won't be safe to trust you."

The employer of hundreds was disgusted at his sister's display of lack of confidence in his abilities. "Harnesses haven't changed," he insisted, dryly.

At the barn, Archimedes was brought forth and Obadiah Dale, millionaire manufacturer, essayed to harness the steed to the family vehicle. He displayed great energy and his enthusiasm increased with the pa.s.sage of time. Archimedes was an ideal animal for the mill owner's experimentations. In all of his impressive dignity of weight and size, the animal waited motionless while Obadiah buckled and unbuckled straps in the making and correction of his errors. Minutes pa.s.sed and disaster threatened only when, in slipping the bit between the ma.s.sive teeth, a couple of the manufacturer's fingers inadvertently attended the linked metal. Being asleep, the animal failed to take advantage of it.

At last, Obadiah, viewing his handiwork with pride, signified that all things were in readiness for the journey. Aunt Kate had noted his prolonged efforts with grave suspicion. She now approached Archimedes in the critical mood of an irritated C. O. at Sat.u.r.day morning inspection.

Obadiah took humble position, two paces to her right and rear.

"That trace is twisted. Straighten it!" she commanded.

He corrected this oversight.

She surveyed the bridle and whirled upon him, horror depicted in her eyes. "Obadiah Dale," she exclaimed, "haven't you any better sense than to take your own sister driving without buckling the reins to the bit. Lands sakes, I might have been dragged to a terrible death."

Strange to relate, when this grave mistake had been overcome and all things were in order; in spite of the conclusive evidences of Obadiah's incompetence, Aunt Kate permitted him to drive. As she climbed into the surrey, she announced, "I'll sit back here where I can get out if anything goes wrong."

This precaution as well as the general att.i.tude of his sister towards Archimedes, had persuaded Obadiah that he had to do with a fractious steed, notwithstanding that all outward appearances justified the conclusion that Archimedes was a cow in soul and action.

The mill owner shoved open the sliding door of the barn with an anxious eye upon the fat back as if fearful that he might gallop wildly forth even as a fire horse leaving a truck house in response to an alarm.

Archimedes never budged.

Obadiah climbed clumsily over the front wheel, the reins hanging loosely from his hands. Seating himself, he promptly drew them taut, prepared for any emergency.

"Be careful, Obadiah," Aunt Kate warned him from the back seat.

"Gid-ap!" Obadiah spoke in a soothing voice suitable to a high strung animal.

Archimedes held his ground.

Obadiah raised his voice in some degree, "Gid-ap!" he exclaimed.

Archimedes might have been cast in a supporting part in an equestrian statue for all the notice he took of what transpired about him.

In vain Obadiah amplified his efforts. "This fool horse is balky," he grumbled to Aunt Kate.

"Archimedes balky, fiddle-de-dee," she answered. "Maybe he's tied."

Past experience caused her to examine the vicinity to be a.s.sured that through inadvertence they were not made fast to anything by chains or cables. Suddenly, she became aware of Obadiah's firm rein. "No wonder!" she cried, "You are holding him too tight. You don't know how to drive. Give me the lines." Leaning forward over the back of the front seat Aunt Kate seized the reins and gave three or four swinging pulls as a conductor signaling to the engineman ahead. Simultaneously she made clicking sounds with her lips reminiscent of swine enjoying a milky repast.

Archimedes responded readily to this treatment and moved slowly forward.

"There," Aunt Kate said with great satisfaction as she returned the reins to Obadiah. "That's the way to drive a horse." As they turned out of the driveway into the road, she warned him, "Do be careful of the automobiles."

"Why should I be careful of them? Can't they take care of themselves up here?" he demanded, meanwhile tugging at the reins, and then, "Who broke this fool horse?"

Aunt Kate leaned forward. "Where?" she asked with great anxiety only to quickly drop back into her seat with a suppressed, "Oh!"