Part 11 (1/2)
”Do you remember when we were in Arizona, the picnic we had at Hole-in-the-rock, and the story that that old Norwegian told about Alaka, the gambling G.o.d, who lost his string of precious turquoises and even his eyes?”
”Yes.”
Mary looked up from her book, listening alertly. The mystery of years was about to be explained.
”Well, do you remember a conversation you had with Joyce about it afterward, in which you called the turquoise the 'friends.h.i.+p stone,'
because it was true blue? And you said it was a pity that some people you knew, not a thousand miles away, couldn't go to the School of the Bees, and learn that line from Watts about Satan finding mischief for idle hands to do. And Joyce said yes, it was too bad for a fine fellow to get into trouble just because he was a drone, and had no ambition to make anything of himself; that if Alaka had gone to the School of the Bees he wouldn't have lost his eyes. And then you said that if somebody kept on he would at least lose his turquoises. Do you remember all that?”
The screw in the post stopped creaking as Lloyd sat straight up in the hammock to exclaim in astonishment: ”Yes, I remembah, but how undah the sun, Phil Tremont, do _you_ happen to know anything about that convahsation? You were not there.”
”No, but little Mary Ware was. She didn't have the faintest idea that you meant me, and that Sunday morning when I called at the Wigwam for the last time to make my apologies and farewells, and you were not there, she told me all about it like the blessed little chatterbox that she was. Then, when I saw plainly that I had forfeited my right to your friends.h.i.+p, I did not wait to say good-by, just left a message for you with Mary. I knew she would attempt to deliver it, but I have wondered many times since if she gave it in the words I told her. Of course I couldn't expect you to remember the exact words after all this time.”
”But it happens that I do,” answered Lloyd. ”She said, 'Alaka has lost his precious turquoises, but he will win them back again some day.'”
”Did you understand what I meant, Lloyd?”
”Well, I--I guessed at yoah meaning.”
”Mary unwittingly did me a good turn that morning. She was an angel unawares, for she showed me myself as you saw me, a drone in the hive, with no ambition, and the gambling fever in my veins making a fool of me. I went away vowing I would win back your respect and make myself worthy of your friends.h.i.+p, and I can say honestly that I have kept that vow. Soon after, while I was out on that first surveying trip I came across some unset stones for a mere song. This little turquoise was among them.” He took the tiny stone from his pocket and held it out on his palm, so that the light streaming out from the library fell across it.
”I have carried it ever since. Many a time it has reminded me of you and your good opinion I was trying to win back. I've had lots of temptations to buck against, and there have been times when they almost downed me, but I say it in all humility, Lloyd, this little bit of turquoise kept me 'true blue,' and I've lived straight enough to ask you to take it now, in token that you do think me worthy of your friends.h.i.+p. When I heard Eugenia talking about wearing something blue at the wedding, I had a fancy that it would be an appropriate thing for the maid of honor to do, too.”
Lloyd took the little stone he offered, and held it up to the light.
”It certainly is true blue,” she said, with a smile, ”and I'm suah you are too, now. I didn't need this to tell me how well you've been doing since you left Arizona. We've heard a great deal about yoah successes from Cousin Carl.”
”Then let me have it set in a ring for you,” he added. ”There will be plenty of time before the wedding.”
”No,” she answered, hastily. ”I couldn't do that. Papa Jack wouldn't like it. He wouldn't allow me to accept anything from a man in the way of jewelry, you know. I couldn't take it as a ring. Now just this little unset stone”--she hesitated. ”Just this bit of a turquoise that you say cost only a trifle, I'm suah he wouldn't mind that. I'll tell him it's just my friends.h.i.+p stone.”
”What a particular little maid of honor you are!” he exclaimed. ”How many girls of seventeen do you know who would take the trouble to go to their fathers with a trifle like that, and make a careful explanation about it? Besides, you can't tell him that it is _only_ a friends.h.i.+p stone. I want it to mean more than that to you, Lloyd. I want it to stand for a great deal more between us. Don't you see how I care--how I must have cared all this time, to let the thought of you make such a difference in my life?”
There was no mistaking the deep tenderness of his voice or the earnestness of his question. Lloyd felt the blood surge up in her face and her heart throbbed so fast she could hear it beat. But she hastily thrust back the proffered turquoise, saying, in confusion:
”Then I can't wear it! Take it back, please; I promised Papa Jack--”
”Promised him what?” asked Phil, as she hesitated.
”Well, it's rathah hard to explain,” she began in much confusion, ”unless you knew the story of 'The Three Weavahs.' Then you'd undahstand.”
”But I don't know it, and I'd rather like an explanation of some kind. I think you'll have to make it clear to me why you can't accept it, and what it was you promised your father.”
”Oh, I can't tell it to make it sound like anything,” she began, desperately. ”It was like this. No, I can't tell it. Come in the house, and I'll get the book and let you read it for yoahself!”
”No, I'd rather hear the reason from your own lips. Besides, some one would interrupt us in there, and I want to understand where I'm 'at'
before that happens.”
”Well,” she began again, ”it is a story Mrs. Walton told us once when our Shadow Club was in disgrace, because one of the girls eloped, and we were all in such trouble about it that we vowed we'd be old maids.
Afterward it was the cause of our forming another club that we called the 'Ordah of Hildegarde.' I'll give you a sawt of an outline now, if you'll promise to read the entiah thing aftahward.”