Part 11

The older boy nodded. “It’s a wonderful place,” he agreed. “I get sort of lonely, sometimes,” he added. “I guess it teaches you to get along with people, though. Maybe when you don’t have anyone you can call your very own, you realize how important people can be.”

Tommy nodded in silent agreement.

Bert hesitated. Then he said, “Tommy, you don’t ... mind about my seeing Doris, do you?”

Tommy made a face. “Why in heck should _I_ mind? Except I kind of wish you’d hang around with us guys for a while. Buzzy Hancock and Billy Ellis and the whole gang are swell guys ... you’d like ’em, I know.”

Bert laughed. “I know I’ll like ’em, Tommy, if you say so. But Doris is a swell girl. I like her a lot. And we’ll be going off to school together, and I sort of want to get acquainted.”

Tommy shrugged. “Sisters can be a pain in the neck, sometimes,” he said.

“So can brothers,” Bert answered. “I know. I’ve got hundreds of ’em.”

Tommy laughed. “Doris is a good kid. I’m really glad you like her. Maybe I was just scared you were going to be ... mushy, or something, about her.”

Bert threw back his head and laughed heartily.

“All the time guys think they have to get sentimental about girls. Boy, a fellow with three sisters knows better!” Tommy cried. “Catch _me_ ever getting moony about a girl!”

“Well, we’ll see,” Bert said. “In two or three years you may change your mind.”

The family was out on the front porch when Tommy and Bert arrived. Mrs. Craig had brought out a tray with lemonade and cookies, and everyone was enjoying refreshments in the heat of the late summer afternoon.

“Enter the victor and the vanquished,” Mr. Craig said, as the two boys came up on the porch. “I hear it was a good game.”

“One of the toughest we ever played, sir,” Bert said.

“Yeah, me too,” Tommy agreed. “Hey, look! Food!” He went over to the tray and poured two glasses of lemonade. “Here you go, Bert.”

“Ralph has been explaining the game to us,” Doris said pertly. “Kit and I didn’t exactly know what was going on till he and Jean got there.”

Tommy looked up in disgust. “You might have asked me! I’d have told you anything you wanted to know.”

“Did you bring your violin, Bert?” Kit asked.

Bert smiled up at her. “Now, just by coincidence, I have it in the car.”

Mrs. Craig got up and picked up the tray. “My goodness, let the poor boy rest! He’s been busy today.”

“After dinner, Kit,” Bert promised. “If Doris wants to play.”

Mr. Craig cleared his throat. “If you young people will scatter, I have some things I want to talk over with Jean and Ralph. Seems there’s going to be a wedding around here soon, and there are some details to discuss.”

Tommy jumped up. “Come on, Bert. I want to take Jack down to the hen house and show him my new improvements. You can have a look, too.”

Kit shook her head. “For heaven’s sake, Tommy. Bert is Doris’s guest tonight!” She got up. “I’m going to write a letter. Holler when you want me to help you with dinner, Mother.”

“Aw, jeepers!” Tommy cried. “Come on, Jack. Let’s go!” He dashed down the steps, Jack in tow.

“Not so fast!” Mrs. Craig called. “Please be careful, Jack. Remember, this is your first day up.”

“If you would like to walk down and see the river, it’s just a little way,” Doris said to Bert.

He smiled and jumped up. “Let’s go,” he said.

They wandered down to the banks of the stream which was flowing with midsummer laziness. “This is our scenic high spot,” Doris explained. “I love it here. Whenever anything goes wrong or I feel out of sorts, I come down here to think things out.”

Bert smiled slowly. “Yes, I can imagine,” he said. “It’s beautiful and restful.”

“For instance, I figured out about trying for the scholarship down here by the water. Somehow things seem clearer here.”

“What do you mean? Were you scared about trying out?” Bert asked.

Doris smiled shyly. “Well, not exactly about trying out. But I was mixed up about whether or not I wanted to leave home, even. I don’t seem to have the spunk that Jean and Kit have. They always go out chasing things. I always kind of liked it at home.”

Bert was a born leader. It was hard for him to understand the fears and doubts which plague the shy personality. But he had learned how real these fears and doubts can be when he had worked with younger and shyer boys at Mercyville.

“But you did decide to try out,” he said, underlining her small triumph over her shyness.

She nodded slowly. “I wanted to go so badly,” she said softly.

“I’m glad you did,” Bert whispered. “I love it when you play. It’s like heaven, somehow.” He blushed. “That’s a dopey way to say it, I guess,” he added. “We’ll have a super time down there, I’ll bet.”

Hand in hand, they walked around the farm. Bert saw Tommy’s chicken house and the berry patches and the small woods which stood near the road. Finally, almost reluctantly, they turned towards the big house.

Dinner was almost ready when they returned. Bert stopped at the car and took out his violin. “We can have a concert after dinner, if they like,” he said.

Doris disappeared into the kitchen to help with the dinner, and Bert took his violin into the parlor. As he laid it on the piano, Mr. Craig came into the room.

“Well, hello there, Bert,” he said. “So we’re having a concert after dinner.”

“If you like, sir,” Bert answered.

“Fine, fine,” Mr. Craig said, rubbing his hands.

“Mr. Craig, there is something I would like to tell you,” Bert said hesitantly.

“Why, go right ahead,” Mr. Craig said.

Bert bent over the piano keys and touched a note lovingly. “I guess you’ll think this is sort of funny to talk about. It’s about Doris.”

“What’s on your mind, son?” Mr. Craig said gently.

Bert reddened. “I think Doris is a wonderful girl,” he said in a low voice. “We’re sort of pals, I mean. I like having her for a friend.”

Mr. Craig smiled. “Why, that’s fine, Bert. I’m glad you do. I’m rather fond of her, myself.”

“But you don’t understand, sir,” Bert continued. “And I want to be sure you _do_ understand how I feel. When I’m with her, I don’t exactly feel like a friend, if you know what I mean.” He hit another key. “She makes me feel as if I’d sort of ... like to take care of her and protect her from things.”

Mr. Craig’s first impulse was to chuckle. But he stopped himself and said seriously, “I’m quite glad that you’re so fond of Doris, son. You see, she’s a great one for hiding her light under a barrel. Someone near her own age can make her see how foolish some of her fears are better than her parents can.”

Bert nodded solemnly.

“But as for you,” Mr. Craig said. “I would say that you have pretty normal feelings for a boy your age. After all, a seventeen-year-old boy is getting to be pretty grown up. Naturally he finds some girls attractive.”

“I’m almost eighteen, Mr. Craig,” Bert said. “I just wanted to be sure you didn’t mind. I mean, with my background, and everything.”

Mr. Craig frowned. “Certainly you’re not ashamed of your background!”

“Oh, no, sir! The only life I remember is life at Mercyville. I could never be ashamed of living there!”

“Then I guess we don’t need to talk about it any more, son,” Mr. Craig said.

“Thank you, Mr. Craig,” Bert said. “I’m glad what I said made you sort of angry. A lot of people don’t ... don’t really understand.”

After dinner, Doris and Bert played together in the parlor. Mr. and Mrs. Craig sat hand in hand on the porch swing listening to the strains of a Haydn sonata.

“It seems to me that I’ve been giving advice to a lot of young men today,” Mr. Craig commented dryly. “Ralph, about to step into matrimony, and Bert, about to hurl himself into his first romance....”

“Then Bert is really interested in Doris?” Mrs. Craig asked.

Mr. Craig chuckled a little. “So he tells me.”

Mrs. Craig grinned. “He certainly is a forthright young man. I like him.”

“Yes, so do I. Well, I hope our young friends will profit by what I had to offer in the way of advice. I never felt less qualified in my life.”

Mrs. Craig squeezed his hand. “I think you’re the most qualified husband in the world!”

20. Sweethearts’ Dance

The ballroom of the Elmhurst Inn was lit by Japanese lanterns which threw soft colored lights down on the dancers, who were swaying dreamily to the music of a local dance band.

The strains of “Stardust” filled the room, and Jean squeezed Ralph’s hand tenderly. “This is perfect,” she whispered. “This is as close to heaven as I’ve ever been!”

Ralph looked down at the girl who was soon to be his wife. Her short dark curls were caught in a white and silver ribbon which matched the net evening frock she wore. Her large dark eyes were sparkling with happiness. Ralph held her close to him.

“This is our party, darling,” he whispered. “The whole town ... the whole world ... is dancing because we are in love.”

“The whole world except Kit and Frank,” Jean giggled. “Goodness, I hope his train is on time.”

“It is,” Ralph laughed. “Kit checked a half dozen times. They should be here in another fifteen minutes.”

They drifted past the bandstand, and the band leader saluted them with his baton.

“Somehow, everything seems so complete,” Jean said. “Look at Father and Mother over there. You’d think this was _their_ wedding party instead of ours.”

Ralph glanced over and smiled. Mr. and Mrs. Craig were lost in each other. Ralph was suddenly struck by a happy thought. Much as the Craigs loved their family, they had had no time for just each other in many, many years. As their children were growing older and preparing to leave home, Mr. and Mrs. Craig seemed to be looking forward eagerly to the day when they could have each other for themselves, alone.

“They’re a handsome couple,” Ralph said. “One reason I picked you, of course. A look at your mother convinced me I’d have a beautiful wife forever.”

“You’re an idiot!” Jean cried as the music came to an end.

“Not at all. That’s very important,” Ralph teased. “Come on, let’s get some punch.”

Eileen and Dr. Benson were at the punch bowl. Jean grinned at them and introduced Gerald to Ralph.

The red-haired doctor studied Ralph for a moment. “So _you’re_ the man our patient Griselda waited for. I’m glad to meet you, MacRae.” He held out his hand.

Ralph grabbed it and shook it warmly. “It’s a pleasure,” he said. “I’ve heard all about you.”

Gerald reddened. “You _are_ a forgiving man, then.”

Ralph slipped an arm around Jean. “She wrote me all about how you drilled her so well before her exams.”

Eileen put down her cup of punch. “It’s a marvelous party,” she said.

“Yes, it is,” Gerald agreed. “And we appreciate it more than we can tell you. On account of the fact that circumstances are holding up our own wedding, we enjoy ourselves cutting in on other people’s celebrations.”

“Eileen!” Jean cried. “You didn’t tell me!”

“She’s spoke fer,” Gerald laughed. “And if I keep up the payments, she can even keep the ring.”

“You goose!” Eileen cried, holding out her hand. “Do you like it?”

Jean examined the ring with squeals of enthusiasm. “Oh, golly,” she sighed. “It’s perfect! But what on earth will Dr. Barsch do ... if you get married?”

“That’s one of the circumstances,” Gerald said. “I’ve a feeling he’d ride me out of town on a rail if I snatched away his second Supervisor of Nurses.”

The music started again, and Ralph set down his cup. “May I borrow your fiancee for a dance, doctor?”

Gerald smiled and nodded. “Take care of her. She’s all I have.” He held out his arms to Jean and whisked her away.

“Happy?” he asked her.

“Oh, yes!” she cried. “I can’t really believe that we’re actually going to be married!”

Gerald smiled wistfully. “He’s a very nice fellow,” he said. “Even now I have a little twinge of conscience when I think about trying to cut in on him.” He laughed. “Guys like me are always the worst. If anyone tried to date Eileen, now, I’d really be sore.”

“She’s a wonderful girl,” Jean agreed. “And I don’t think you have to worry.”

“It still seems too good to be true,” Gerald said.

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, I don’t know. I acted like such a jerk when I first came. Things are different with everyone now. I’ve got my girl, and I’ve made good friends with the doctors at the clinic. You know, I graduate, myself, pretty soon.”

“That’s right,” Jean said. “Your internship is almost over.”

Gerald fought back a lump in his throat. “But the thing that gets me is that they want me to stay on. Dr. Barsch, Ted Loring ... Daley, Jenkins ... all of them. Jean, you know, this is the first time in my life I realize that people like me just because of myself.”

Jean squeezed his hand in quick sympathy.

Gerald cleared his throat. “And that poses a problem,” he said in a very business-like voice. “Dr. Barsch is trying to convince me to go into surgery. I’ve always been interested in psychiatry. But I think I’ll stay on for a while and see what surgery is all about. After all, they’re sort of my family, now. And I’ve been away from home too long.”

Jean was so touched that tears came to her eyes.

“Hey, here’s your sister, Kit,” Gerald said gruffly.

Jean slipped away from him. “And Frank Howard. Come and meet him.”

Kit and Frank were standing in the doorway, arm in arm.

“Is this my party, Jean?” Frank teased as she and Gerald came over to them.

“No, sir, it’s mine,” Jean retorted. “But come in, anyway, and have a good time.”

Frank smiled down at Kit. “It’s not for us,” he said with mock wistfulness. “Shall we stay? Or shall we get up our own party?”

Kit sighed with pretended disappointment. “I guess we’ll have to make the best of it. Let’s stay. It’s the only dance band in town.”

“If you two idiots will stop talking for a minute, I’d like Frank to meet Dr. Gerald Benson,” Jean cried.

The two men shook hands. Before they could get past the door, Eileen and Ralph joined them. Frank and Ralph shook hands.

“Where’re your mother and father, Kit?” Frank asked. “Oh, I see them.” The small crowd made its way across the dance floor to Mr. and Mrs. Craig. Mrs. Craig took both of Frank’s hands in hers and kissed him on the cheek. Mr. Craig shook his hand.

“This is what you call the grand entrance,” Mr. Craig said. “I hope you don’t mind a little dancing after a day of traveling.”

“Not at all,” Frank said, slipping his arm around Kit’s waist. “It’s a fine idea.”

“You’ve got to meet someone else,” Kit whispered as they danced off. “I haven’t told you yet about Doris’s young man, have I?”

Frank looked at her in astonishment. “Doris!” he exclaimed. “That child!”

“Doris is exactly the age I was when I met you,” Kit reminded him.

“Oh, my goodness!” Frank cried. “I forgot what an old woman you are, now.”

“Well, anyhow,” Kit said, ignoring his remark, “they should be around here somewhere.” She scanned the ballroom. “I don’t see them, but they’ll turn up.”

After intermission, the band leader played _Stardust_ again for Jean and Ralph. Then, when the music ended, he held up his hand.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” he said, “I have a real surprise for you tonight. Miss Craig has requested that my boys move over and make room for a duet. Now, these are real musicians. They play classics. And they’ve a number they want to play for the bride tonight.”

Everyone applauded as Doris and Bert came to the stage and prepared to play. In the hush that preceded their opening notes, the outer door to the ballroom banged open. Everyone turned around to look.

“I might have known,” Jean said under her breath to Ralph. “It’s Ted and Ethel. He’s making his usual entrance.”

Ethel, blushing furiously, turned to her husband, who was blithely walking towards Jean and Ralph. “I _told_ you there was something going on!” she hissed.

Ted glanced up at the stage and saw Doris and Bert waiting for the confusion to stop. “I guess I did it again,” he admitted sheepishly. “Hush, everyone,” he said in an ineffectual effort to quiet the crowd.

“Hush, yourself,” Ethel commanded in indignation. She turned to Jean. “How on earth can I apologize?”

Jean laughed. “Don’t try, Ethel,” she giggled. “Someday Ted is going to make a quiet entrance somewhere, and we’ll all pass out from the shock.”

The guests quieted down, and Doris and Bert began to play. Ralph touched Jean’s arm and beckoned to her to follow him to the porch. They stepped through the French windows and stood listening to the music. Ralph put his arm around Jean and she put her head on his shoulder. With reverence he touched a curl on the top of her head. “It wasn’t very polite to sneak away from the concert, was it?” he whispered in her ear.

Jean shook her head. “No,” she whispered back, “it wasn’t.”

“But I wanted to hear them play just with you,” Ralph continued in a whisper.

Jean reached up and squeezed his hand. The soft strains of the violin drifted out to the porch and engulfed them. They listened breathlessly till the last notes died away. Then Ralph leaned over and whispered, “Miss Craig, I love you!”

21. Summer’s End

Mrs. Craig surveyed the chaotic parlor, sighed and sat down. She picked up a small black notebook and a pencil and started to write headings on separate pages. The first page was devoted to Kit and the things she would need before she returned to Hope College. The second page she labeled “Doris.” Then, with a nostalgic sigh, she headed the third page “Jean.” She knew that plans for the wedding would fill the rest of the book.

Two trunks stood near the door to the hall. Two trunks which would go in almost opposite directions. Mrs. Craig smiled as she looked at the two piles of clothes to be packed. One could tell the differences between Kit and Doris just from looking at those piles.

Kit’s was the larger. Her wardrobe was gay, collegiate and nearly complete. Doris’s was much more utilitarian, but at the same time, more feminine. Mrs. Craig shook herself out of her contemplations and got up. Going to the foot of the stairs, she called:

“Kit! Doris! Girls, please come down. Your things are all over the parlor waiting to be packed!”

Arm in arm, Kit and Doris appeared at the top of the stairs.

“Coming, Mother,” Kit called. They scrambled down the stairs.

“Golly, I don’t know where the summer’s gone,” Kit protested. “Here it is August, and Frank has to go back home, and I have to go back to school, and it’s almost time for Jean’s wedding ... and, oh, Mother!” she threw herself into her mother’s arms. “Why does she have to go so far away!”

“Never mind, dear,” Mrs. Craig said.

Doris looked at the mess in the parlor and shook her head. “How’re we going to get everything in?”

Kit shrugged. “We always do,” she said philosophically. “Come on. Let’s get to work.”

As they packed, Mrs. Craig jotted down the errands which must be done in the remaining two months before the wedding. Invitations, lists of bridesmaids and ushers, parties, flowers and decorations for the house....

“Somehow, it hardly seems worthwhile _going_ to school till after the wedding,” Kit said. “I’ll no sooner get settled than I’ll have to turn around and come back.”

“Me, too,” said Doris.

“Is Bert going to drive you down?” Kit asked nonchalantly.

“Great heavens!” Mrs. Craig exclaimed.

“Don’t be silly,” Doris said. “He isn’t even going to drive. He’s afraid to take the car on such a long trip. It’s pretty old, you know.”

“With Jean working so hard,” Mrs. Craig commented, “I’ll have to do all this myself.”

“Well, certainly Becky will help you, Mother,” Kit said.

“Of course she will,” Mrs. Craig said. “But you know Becky. You ask her for an inch, and she gives a mile. Land, she’s busy enough, these days.”

“By the way, where are all the men in this house?” Doris asked.

“Oh, around,” Kit said, jamming her sweaters into a trunk drawer.

“Tommy and Jack are down with the chickens,” Mrs. Craig said. “Your father and Frank are downtown. Ralph is upstairs waiting for Jean to call from the hospital. They have an appointment with Dr. Fisher this afternoon.”

“Dr. who?” Kit asked. “What for?”

“The Reverend Dr. Fisher,” Doris said. “The man who’s going to _marry_ them.”

“Oh,” said Kit. She started to hang her skirts on the trunk’s hangers. “Getting married is an awful nuisance,” she said.

“Why, Kit!” Mrs. Craig cried.

Kit smiled. “I guess I’ll have to elope. Think of all the trouble I’ll save you.”

“You can finish your packing, young lady, and stop talking nonsense if you want to save me trouble,” Mrs. Craig said.

As Kit finished packing her trunk, Frank poked his head in the doorway. “Hi,” he called. “Anyone need any help?”

“Nope,” Doris said. “We’re all through.”

Mrs. Craig laughed helplessly. “Why don’t you young people run along? I want to concentrate.”

Frank grinned. “Come on, Kit. Let’s take a walk.”

“Just a minute,” Kit said. “I’ll meet you down by the mailbox.”

Kit and Doris walked out into the hall.

“Before I go out, Doris, I want to give you something,” Kit said, handing her a small, ugly doll.

Doris took it and looked at it.

“It’s some sort of good luck charm that Uncle Bart and I found in that mummy we were examining together. You know, when I first went up to Hope. I want you to have it.”

Doris’s fingers closed around the doll. “Gee, thanks, Kit,” she said.

“You know why, I guess,” Kit said. “I kept it with me all year at school. And it’s pretty exciting, going away to school for the first time. I guess you know how proud we all are of you.” Kit looked down. “Jean and I ... well, we always have a lot of things going. And of course now Jean has graduated, and that was pretty exciting. But neither of us ever did anything like winning an honest-to-goodness scholarship. Sometimes I think people get the wrong impression. They always think we can do things. But it’s _you_ who can _really_ do _wonderful_ things.”

Doris hugged her sister. “Kit, you shouldn’t talk like that,” she cried. “All in the world I ever want is to live up to you!”

“You’ll do better than that,” Kit said. “And another thing. It was mean of me to tease you about Bert. He’s one of the nicest boys I’ve ever met.”

Doris looked down. “Thanks, Kit,” she said softly. “I think so, too.”

Kit turned and ran out of the front door. Doris watched her as she waved to Frank and dashed down the long driveway.

Frank took her hand, and together they started down towards the river.

“The end of summer,” Kit said moodily. “All year long you live with the hope of the benevolent season, and then it comes and goes.”

“My goodness, but you sound gloomy today,” Frank said, sitting down on the bank of the stream.

“Oh, I’m glad to be going back to college, I guess,” Kit said. “Only I sort of wish this summer hadn’t had such _definite_ results. It makes me feel all empty inside when I think about going away to Wisconsin when you’ll be in Washington.”

Frank lifted her hand and studied her palm. “Empty, Kit?” he asked. “It shouldn’t. You should be fuller than before. Wherever you go, I go,” he said softly.

Kit threw herself into his arms. “Oh, Frank, think about me all the time! Sometimes I think I won’t be so lonely if I know you’ll have me in your thoughts!”

“You know I will, Kit.”

“And next summer will come before we know it,” she said bravely.

Frank nodded. “We’ll both be here for the wedding. And maybe at Christmas time. Kit, the year will go by before you realize it.”

She nestled in his arms. “Oh, look,” she said. “Here comes Jean. She must have changed her mind about calling Ralph from the hospital.”

They watched Jean stroll up the driveway. Then they saw Ralph come out onto the porch. And as they watched, Jean and Ralph ran towards each other, met, and embraced with the tenderness and ardor of a precious and invaluable love.

Transcriber’s Note:

Punctuation has been standardised. Hyphenation has been retained as published in the original publication. Changes have been made as follows:

Page 13 thinking of Jack, the Craig’s _changed to_ thinking of Jack, the Craigs’

Page 14 be at the hopital now _changed to_ be at the hospital now