The Witness by Grace Livingston Hill Lutz (mobi reader android TXT) 📕

The Day Again. He Hadn't Expected Her To Go. Now She Was Going,  He Was

Very Sure He Didn't Want Her.

"I Warn You That It Is Among Very Common People In The Lower Part Of The

City," He Said,  Almost Severely.

"Oh,  That's All Right!" She Declared,  Graciously. "I'm Sure It Will Be

Dandy! I Certainly Do Enjoy New Experiences!"

He Hung Up The 'Phone With Far Greater Misgivings Than He Had Felt When

He Asked Her To Call On Bonnie.

Bill Ward Was Called Out Of The Dining-Room To The Telephone Almost As

Soon As Courtland Got Down To The Table.

It Was Gila On The Phone: "Is That You Bill? Well,  Bill,  This Is Gila.

Say,  What In The Name Of Peace Have You Let Me In For Now? I Hope To

Goodness Mamma Won't Find It Out. She'd Have A Pink Fit! Say! Is This A

Joke,  Or What? I Believe You're Putting One Over On Me!"

"Search Me,  Gila! I'm All In The Dark! Give Me A Line On It And I'll

Tell You."

"Well,  What Do You Think That Crazy Nut Has Pulled Off Now? Wants Me To

Go To Church With Him! Of All Things! And Down In Some Queer Slum Place,

Too! If I Get Into A Scrape You'll Have To Promise To Help Me Out,  Or

Mamma'll Never Let Me Free From A Chaperon Again. And I Had To Make

Artley Guelpin,  And Turner Bailey Sore,  Too,  By Telling Them I Was Sick

And They Couldn't Come And Try Over Those New Dance-Steps To-Night As

I'd Promised. If I Get Into The Papers Or Anything I'll Have A Long

Score To Settle With You."

"Oh,  Cut That Out,  Gila! You'll Not Get Into Any Scrape With Court. He's

All Right. He's Only Nuts About Religion Just Now,  And Seems To Be Set

On Sampling All Kinds Of Churches. Say! That's A Good One,  Though,  For

You To Go To Church With Him! I Must Tell The Fellows. Keep It Up,

Guile,  Old Girl! You'll Pull The Fat Out Of The Fire Yet. You're Just

The One To Go Along And Counteract The Pious Line. You Should Worry

About Artley Guelpin And Turner Bailey! You Can't Keep Either Of Them

Sore; They Haven't Got Back Bone Enough To Stay So. If It's The Same

Dump Court Took Tennelly To This Morning You'll Get Your Money's Worth,

All Right. Nelly Said It Was A Scream."

Bill Ward Came Back,  Grinning From Ear To Ear. Every Few Minutes During

The Rest Of The Meal He Broke Out In A Broad Grin And Looked At

Courtland,  Who Was Absorbed In His Own Thoughts; And Then He Would Slap

Tennelly On The Shoulder And Say: "Ho! Boy! It's A Rare One!" But It Was

Not Until Courtland Had Hurried Away After His Lady That Bill Gave Forth

His Information.

"Oh,  Nelly!" He Burst Forth. "Court's Going To Take Gila To Church! You

Don't Suppose He'll Take Her To That Dump Where He Led You This Morning,

Do You? I Can See Her Nose Go Up Now. I Thought I'd Croak When She Told

Me! Wait Till You Hear Her Call Me Up On The 'Phone When She Gets Home!

She'll Give Me The Worst Balling Out I Ever Had! And Aunt Nina Would

Have Apoplexy If She Knew Her 'Darlin' Pet' Was Going Into That Part Of

Town! Oh,  Boy! Set Me On My Feet Or I'll Die Laughing!"

Tennelly Regarded Bill Ward With Solemn Consternation. "Do You Mean To

Tell Me That Court Has Asked Your Cousin To Go To That Camp-Meeting Hole

Where He Took Me This Morning? Cut Out The Kidding And Tell Me Straight

Well,  Then,  Bill,  It's Serious,  And We've Got To Do Something! We Can't

Have A Fellow Like Court Spoiled For Life. He's Gone Stale,  That's

What's The Matter; He's Gone Stale! He's Got To Have Strenuous Measures

To Pull Him Up."

"He Sure Has!" Said Bill Ward,  Soberly,  Getting Up From The Couch Where

He Had Been Rolling In His Mirth. "What Can We Do? What About These

Business Ambitions Of His? Couldn't We Work Him That Way? For Court's

Got A Great Head On Him,  You Know! I Thought Gila Would Do The Business,

But If He's Rung In Religion On Her It's All Up,  I'm Afraid. But

Business Is A Different Thing. Not Even Court Could Mix Business And

Religion,  For They Won't Fit Together!"

"That's The Trouble," Said Tennelly,  Thoughtfully. "If It Gets Out

What's The Matter With Court He Won't Stand Half A Chance. I Was

Thinking Of My Uncle Ramsey,  Out In Chicago. He Has Large Financial

Interests In The West; He Often Wants Promising Men To Take Charge Of

Some Big Thing,  And It Means A Dandy Opening; Big Money And No End Of

Social And Political Pull To Get Into One Of His Berths. He's Promised

Me One When I'm Done College,  And I Was Going To Talk To Him About

Court. He's Twice The Man I Am And Just What Uncle Ramsey Wants. He's

Coming On East Next Week,  And Likely To Stop Over. I Might See What I

Can Do."

"That's Just The Thing,  Nelly. Go To It,  Old Man! Write Unc. A Letter

To-Night. Nothing Like Giving A Lot Of Dope Beforehand."

"That's An Idea! I Will!" And Tennelly Went To His Desk And Began To

Write.

Meantime Gila Awaited Courtland's Coming,  Attired In A Most Startling

Costume Of Blue Velvet And Ermine,  With High Laced White Kid Boots,  And

A Hat That Resembled A Fresh,  White Setting-Hen,  Tied Down To Her Pert

Little Face With A Veil Whose Large-Meshed Surface Was Broken By A

Single Design,  A Large Black Butterfly Anchored Just Across Her Dainty

Little Nose. A Most Astonishing Costume In Which To Appear In The Rev.

John Burns's Unpretentious Little Church Crowded With The Canaille Of

The City!

It Was The First Time That Courtland Had Ever Felt That Gila Was A

Little Loud In Her Dress!

Mother Marshall Got Strenuously To Her Feet From The Low Hassock On

Which She Had Been Sitting To Sew The Carpet,  And Trotted To The Head Of

The Stairs.

"Father!" She Called,  Happily. "Oh,  Father! It's All Done! I Just Set

The Last Stitch. You Can Bring Your Hammer And Tacks. Better Bring Your

Rubbers,  Too. You'll Need Them When You Come To Stretch It."

Father Hurried Up So Quickly It Was Clear He Had The Hammer And Rubbers

All Ready.

"You'll Need A Saucer To Put The Tacks In!" And Mother Marshall Hustled

Away To Get It. When She Came Back The Carpet Was Spread Out Smoothly

And Father Stood Surveying The Effect.

"Say,  Now,  It Looks Real Pretty,  Don't It?" He Said,  Looking Up At The

Walls And Down To The Floor.

"It Certainly Does!" Declared Mother Marshall. "And I'm Real Glad The

Man Made Us Take This Plain Pink Paper. It Didn't Look Much To Me When

He First Brought It Out,  I Must Confess. I Had Set My Heart On Stripes

With Pink Roses In It. But When He Said 'Felt,' Why That Settled It

Because That Article In The Magazine Said Felt Papers Were The Best For

General Wear And Satisfaction. And Then When He Brought Out That Roll

With The Cherry Blossoms On It For A Stripe Around The Top,  I Was Just

All Happy Down My Spine,  It Did Look So Kind Of Bridey And Pretty,  Like

Our Cherry Orchard On A Spring Evening When The Pink Is In The Sky. And

That White Molding Between 'Em Is Going To Be Real Handy To Hang The

Pictures On. The Man Gave Me Some Little Brass Picture-Hooks. See,  They

Fit Right Over The Molding. Of Course,  There Isn't But One Picture,  But

She'll Maybe Have Some Of Her Own And Like It All The Better If The Wall

Isn't All Cluttered Full. You Know The Magazine Said Have 'A Few Good

Pictures.' I Mean To Hang It Up Right Now And See How It Looks! There!

Doesn't That Look Pretty Against The Pink? I Wasn't Sure About The White

Frame,  It Was So Plain,  But I Like It. Those Apple Blossoms Against That

Blue Piece Of Sky Look Real Natural,  Don't They. You Like It,  Don't You,

Father?"

"Well,  I Should Say I Did," Said Father,  As He Scuffed A Corner Of The

Carpet Into Place With His Rubbered Feet. "Say,  This Carpet Is Some

Thick,  Mother,  As I Guess Your Fingers Will Testify,  Having Sewed All

Those Long Seams. 'Member How Stevie Used To Sit On The Carpet Ahead Of

Your Seams When He Was A Baby,  And Laugh And Clap His Hands When You

Couldn't Sew Any Further Because He Was In The Way?"

"Yes,  Wasn't He The Sweetest Baby!" Said Mother Marshall,  With A Bright

Tear Glinting Suddenly Down Her Cheek. "Why,  Father,  Sometimes I Can't

Really Make It Seem True That He's All Done With This Life And Gone

Ahead Of Us Into The Next One. It Won't Be Hard Dying,  For Us,  Because

He's There,  And We Sha'n't Have To Think Of Leaving Him Behind To Go

Through A Lot Of Trials And Things."

"Well,  I Guess He's Pretty Happy Seeing You Chirk Up So,  Mother. You

Know What He'd Have Thought Of All This! Why He'd Have Just Rejoiced In

It! He Hated So To Have You Left Alone All Day. Don't You Mind How He

Used To Wish He Had A Sister? Say,  Mother,  You Just Stand On That

Corner There Till I Get This Tack In Straight. This Edge Is So Tremenjus

Thick!