When Jim was alone, he stood irresolute for a time, then, taking his own hat and coat, followed John’s example.
In the street, Jim took the first surface car, without even noticing the destination indicated on the front, and he did not reappear at the office until late that evening.
Nannie did not return to Rosedene until nearly five o’clock in the afternoon. She came at once, through the dining room, into the kitchen where Lucy was making a dessert.
“Just look at my clothes! I have little enough without having this ruined.” Mrs. Merwent held out her linen skirt which was ripped at the hem and had a small tear suggestive of the imprint of a man’s boot heel. “The cars were so crowded! It was so hot standing there and I missed the first train. Miss Powell had an engagement and couldn’t wait with me. If I had only known I was going to be so late I could have gone to John’s office. Hasn’t he come yet?” Nannie’s air was injured.
“No, he hasn’t come yet.” Lucy bent over her work.
“Why, I already told Katy to have peaches and cream!” Mrs. Merwent’s eye took in Lucy’s preparations and her voice rose irritably.
Lucy made no response.
“Did you fix the celery soup?” Mrs. Merwent asked the negress.
“No, Miss Nannie. You see Miss Lucy wanted me to have—”
“You needn’t bother about the dinner. Everything is ready,” interrupted Lucy, looking full at her mother.
“Now, Lucy, there was no need for your working in the kitchen. I had instructed Katy about everything, and two heads only make confusion.”
“There’s only one head,” replied Lucy.
“Of course I know that you are the mistress, but I have taken things over for you, and it only mixes things up—”
“You haven’t taken things over,” Lucy interrupted. “I don’t need your help any longer.”
“Why, Lucy—”
“From now on I shall attend to my own household. There is absolutely nothing for you to do.”
“Why, Lucy, what has happened?” demanded Nannie in a voice in which was mingled astonishment and alarm.
“A lot of things have happened, but suppose we don’t talk them over before the servant.” Katy had gone into the dining room.
“Well! When John comes home I think I’ll ask about this!”
“Do,” advised Lucy as Katy returned to the kitchen.
Nannie left the room and went upstairs to experiment with a new device for curling the hair, one of the day’s purchases.
“Hello, Mamma!” shouted Dimmie shortly afterward, coming in from the back yard.
“Hello, Sonny,” beamed Lucy. “Here, let me get you ready for dinner. Papa will be home soon.”
“Has Nannie come?” inquired Dimmie.
“Yes,” answered Lucy, washing his face and hands.
“Where is she?” he insisted. “Don’t wash so hard, Mamma. It hurts.”
“Oh, she’s upstairs, I think. Now come let me brush your hair.”
“I’m goin’ upstairs to see what Nannie’s got for me!” Dimmie was impatient.
John’s key was heard in the latch.
“There’s Papa!” exclaimed Lucy. “Let’s run to meet him.” And catching Dimmie’s hand, she ran with him into the hall.
Smiling uneasily, she waited for John. She wore a blue muslin dress and had fastened a half opened white rose in her hair.
“Well, dear,” she greeted him.
His glance passed abstractedly over the dress and the rose. He kissed her forehead but said nothing. He seemed worried and depressed.
“Is anything the matter, John?” she asked, regarding him timidly.
“No‑o,” he responded indefinitely.
“I’m here, Papa,” called Dimmie who had not been kissed.
“Yes?” John noticed absently.
“Get washed, dear. Dinner is all ready to put on the table,” said Lucy.
“Has Nannie come back yet?” He avoided Lacy’s gaze as he spoke.
“Yes. She’s in her room.”
John’s frown deepened. He mounted the stairs.
Lucy superintended the placing of the meal on the table and John reappeared almost immediately.
“Isn’t she coming down to dinner?” he inquired nervously.
“Go and call Mrs. Merwent, Katy,” Lucy bade the servant.
Nannie followed Katy downstairs and entered the dining room. Her hair was beautifully curled and as she came in she put her hand to her head with a self conscious gesture.
“Why, how are you, John?” she began. “I didn’t know you had come home.”
The meal proceeded in constrained silence.
“Miss Powell and I had such a nice day,” remarked Nannie at length, “but this evening I got into a jam on the car. I did so wish you had been with me, John. The most insulting man! He crowded me so I almost ruined my dress. But that’s the way with these Chicagoans. If you had been around he would have behaved mighty differently.”
John smiled slightly but kept his eyes on his plate. Neither he nor Lucy replied to the remark.
“We thought of coming past your office but we were afraid you might be busy.”
“I’ve been very busy today,” said John.
“Then I’m glad we didn’t. And John, sometime next month I want you to take me up the lake. Miss Powell says it’s such a lovely trip in the early summer. You will, won’t you?”
John fidgeted uncomfortably and Lucy attended assiduously to Dimmie’s wants.
“Why—of course,” John agreed after some hesitation. “That is, so far as I know now.” He laughed uneasily and added, “We may all be dead by that time.”
Silence hovered over the group once more.
“You look frightfully glum, John. I’m almost afraid of you tonight,” observed Mrs. Merwent after some minutes. She, too, laughed rather forcedly as she spoke.
“I didn’t know I was glum,” apologized John. “I’m rather tired. I’ve had a hard day.” It was obvious that he talked with an effort.
“I’m through,” Dimmie announced with a sigh of satisfaction.
“Are you, Son?” Lucy untied his bib.
“Yes, and I want you to tell me stories like you promised to.”
“All right,” Lucy consented brightly. “Come on. Get down from your chair and kiss Papa good night, and we’ll go upstairs and I’ll tell you ever so many stories till you’re ready to go to bed.”
“Will you sing, too?” stipulated Dimmie.
“Yes, I’ll sing too,” she promised.
“I want to kiss
