Susan Clegg and Her Love Affairs Page 3

  III

  SUSAN CLEGG SOLVES THE MYSTERY

  Susan Clegg and Mrs. Macy walked down to Mrs. Lathrop's gate, and out ofher gate and to Miss Clegg's gate; the whole in a silence deadly andimpressive. Mrs. Macy paused there.

  "I don't believe I'll come in," she said doubtfully.

  "I don't blame you," said Susan, "I wouldn't if it was me. Jathrop'sboy, indeed! What kind of a man is it as'll have a Chinese family and goforcing them onto the true and long-tried friends of his one and onlymother!"

  "I can't see why he didn't leave the boy in the Klondike," said Mrs.Macy slowly and reflectively. "I thought men always left their Chinesefamilies just where they found 'em. It's strange Jathrop brought himhome with him."

  "You see now what my dream meant," said Susan darkly, "a cat, indeed.It's small wonder I knew the cat was Jathrop Lathrop. Of all the mean,sly, creeping creatures that ever come up against the back of your legssudden a cat is the worst. A snake is open and aboveboard beside a cat.You can see a snake. You don't see 'em often around here, thank heaven."

  "Well, we haven't seen Jathrop often around here for a long time," saidMrs. Macy, whose mind was as given to easy logical deduction as many ofher mental caliber, "and we do see a lot of cats--you know that, Susan."

  "'How's Susan Clegg?'" quoted Susan in a tone of reflective wrath. "Idon't know whether you know it or not, Mrs. Macy, but Jathrop askedafter me in his letter to his mother, and him with a Chinese wife.'How's Susan Clegg?' What did he write that for if he was married, I'dlike to know."

  "Maybe he wanted to know how you were," suggested Mrs. Macy.

  The look she received in recognition of this offered explanation led toher immediately proposing to go on home. "You've got the Chinaman tolook after, anyhow," she added.

  "You'd better come in while I go up and look at him again," said Susanshortly. "It's a very strange sensation to be alone in your house withwhat you fully and freely take to your dead father's bed and board,supposing it's a wife, and then find out as it's her son instead. Comeon in."

  Mrs. Macy was easily persuaded, and they thereupon went up the walk. "Iguess I'll go see if he's still asleep," Susan said when they reachedthe piazza, and Mrs. Macy forthwith sat down to await what might come ofit.

  Susan was absent but a few minutes; she returned with a fresh layer ofdisapproval upon her face.

  "Is he still sleeping?" Mrs. Macy asked.

  "Yes, he's still sleeping," Miss Clegg replied, jerking a chair forwardfor herself. "You'd know he was Jathrop Lathrop's child just by the wayhe sleeps. You remember what a one Jathrop always was for sleeping. Idon't know as I remember Jathrop's ever being awake till he was fairlygrown. Whatever you set him at always just made him more sleepy. Youknow yourself, Mrs. Macy, as he wouldn't be no grasshopper with Mrs.Lathrop for his mother, but a cocoon is a comet beside what JathropLathrop always was. I don't know whether he's rich or not, but I do knowthat heathen Chinee is his son, and I know it just by the way hesleeps."

  "And so Jathrop's rich," said Mrs. Macy, rocking agreeably to and fro,and evidently striving toward more pleasant conversation.

  "Yes," said Susan darkly, "rich and with a Chinese wife somewhere. Justas often as I think of Jathrop Lathrop writing, 'How's Susan Clegg,'with a Chinese wife I feel more and more tempered, and I can't concealmy feelings. I never was one to conceal anything; if I had a Chinesewife the whole world might know it."

  Just here Gran'ma Mullins hove in sight, coming slowly and laboriouslyup the street.

  "Why, there's Gran'ma Mullins!" Mrs. Macy exclaimed. "She's surelycoming to see you, too."

  Both ladies remained silent, watching the progress of Gran'ma Mullins.

  Gran'ma Mullins arrived a good deal out of breath. Susan brought a chairout of the house for her.

  "I come to--tell you," panted the new visitor as soon as she hadattained unto the chair, "that Jathrop's--things is--coming."

  "What things?" asked Susan.

  "They all come on--the ten o'clock--from the junction; Hiram is helpingunload."

  "What's he brought?" Susan asked.

  "Well, he's brought an automobile," said Gran'ma Mullins, "and a lot ofother trunks and boxes."

  "An automobile!" exclaimed Mrs. Macy, "well, he _is_ rich then!"

  "I wouldn't be too sure of that," said Susan, "some very poor folks isriding that way nowadays."

  "And he brought three trunks and seventeen big wooden boxes," continuedGran'ma Mullins, "big boxes."

  "Three trunks and sev-en-teen--Three trunks and sev-en--" Susan's voicefaded into nothingness.

  "Goodness knows what's in them," said Gran'ma Mullins. "Hiram wasgetting so hot unloading that I wanted him to stop and let me fan him,but he wouldn't hear to it. Hiram's so brave. If he said he'd unloadsomething, he'd unload it if he dropped dead under it and was smashed tonothing."

  There was a pause of unlimited bewilderment while Mrs. Macy and Susanraised Jathrop upon the pedestal erected by his three trunks, seventeenboxes and the automobile.

  "And to think of his having a Chinese wife," Susan exclaimed, the keenedge of sorrow cutting crossways through all her words.

  It was just here that Mrs. Lupey now appeared, approaching at a goodpace. Mrs. Lupey was a large, imposing woman and wore a silk dolman withfringe. It was immediately necessary for the party to adjourn to thesitting-room, as the piazza was strictly limited.

  It was Mrs. Lupey who without loss of time did away with the Lathropparentage of the young Chinese.

  "Why, he's his servant, of course," she said in a lofty scorn. "I'msurprised you didn't know that by his age."

  "I did think of his age," Susan said, "but I read once in some paper asthe women in China get married when they're four years old, so you'dnever be able to tell nothing by the age of no one there. Well, well,and so she isn't his wife, nor yet his son. Well, I'm glad--for Mrs.Lathrop's sake."

  "But if Jathrop's really got a automobile and seventeen trunks, he_must_ be awful rich," said Mrs. Macy. "It'll be a great thing for thistown if Jathrop's rich. He'd ought to be very grateful to the placewhere his happy childhood memories run around barefoot."

  "Oh, he'll remember," said Gran'ma Mullins, "it's easy to remember whenyou've got the money to do it. But I hope to heaven he won't set Hiramoff on that track again. Hiram does so want to go away and make afortune; I'm worried for fear he will all the time. And Lucy wants himto, too. I can't understand a woman as wants a fortune worse than shewants Hiram. Lucy doesn't seem to want Hiram 'round at all any more. Ifhe's asleep, she starts right in making the bed the same as if he wasn'tin it, and if she's sewing, he don't dare go within the length of herthread.

  "Life has come to a pretty pass when a wife'll run a needle into ahusband just for the simple pleasure of feeling him go away when shesticks him." Gran'ma Mullins sighed.

  "I wonder what they're doing now!" Mrs. Macy said.

  All four turned at this and looked toward the Lathrop house together. Itwas quiet as usual.

  "I d'n know as it changes my opinion of Jathrop much, that being hisservant," said Miss Clegg suddenly. "It's kind of different, his handinghis wife or his son over to me; but his heathen Chinee servant! I don'tknow as I'm very pleased."

  "Pleased!" said Mrs. Lupey. "Why, in San Francisco they make 'em liveunderground like rats."

  "Maybe that was why you dreamed he was a cat, Susan?" suggested Mrs.Macy, whose brain seemed to grasp at the subject under considerationwith special illumination.

  Susan rose. "I think you'd better go," she said abruptly, "I've got toget dinner. My mind's in no state to deal with all these sides ofJathrop and his Chinaman just now."

  What the day brought up the street and in and around Mrs. Lathrop'shouse would take too long to catalogue. Suffice it to say that poor Mrs.Lathrop, who had been for long years the veriest zero in the life of thecommunity, became suddenly its center and apex.

  When Jathrop went to New York at the end of the week, he left his mothernot only sitting, but ro
cking in the lap of luxury, with her headleaning back against more luxury and her feet braced firmly on yet moreluxury. Even her friend over the way was rendered utterly content.

  And the pleasantest part of it all was the way that it affected SusanClegg. As Susan sat by Mrs. Lathrop and turned upon her that tender gazewhich one old friend may turn on another old friend when the latter'sson has suddenly bloomed forth golden, her full heart found utterancethus:

  "Well, Mrs. Lathrop--well, Mrs. Lathrop, I guess no one will ever doubtanything again. Talk about dreams, _now_! I dreamed Jathrop was a cat,and the reason was that it's a well-known fact that cats _always_ comeback. Why, Mrs. Macy told me once how she chloroformed a cat, and put itin a flour sack with a stone, and put the sack in a hogshead of water,and put the cover on the hogshead, and put a stone--another stone--onthat, and went to church to hear the minister preach on 'Do unto othersas you do unto others,' and when she came back, the cat was asleep ontop of the hogshead, and Mrs. Macy got the worst shock she ever got. Soyou can easy see why I dreamed Jathrop was a cat; and he _did_ comeback.

  "I declare that'll always be the pleasantest recollection of my life,how I met him at the station and how we came chatting up the streettogether. How he has improved, Mrs. Lathrop--not but what he was alwayshandsome! There was always something noble about Jathrop. Gran'maMullins said yesterday as he made her think of a man she saw in a playonce as stood on his crossed legs in front of a fire and smoked. Socareless.

  "And then his bringing Mrs. Macy that polar-bear skin! Mrs. Macy says ifthere was one spot in the whole wide world where she never expected toset foot it was on top of a polar bear, and now she can stand on herhead on one if the fancy takes her. I saw the minister when I was downin the square to-night, and he told me not to speak of it, but hethought a service of prayer for any stocks and mines as Jathrop haswould be the only fitting form of gratitude which a reverent andaffectionate congregation might offer to the great and gloriousgenerosity of him who is going to give us a steeple after all theseyears of finishing flat at the top. Mr. Kimball came out to tell me toask you if you'd like some one to come regularly for your order, and hesays he'll keep caviare from now on, just on the chance of Jathrop'sbeing here to eat it; he says why he didn't keep it before was hethought it was a kind of chamois skin.

  "It's beautiful to see the faces down-town, Mrs. Lathrop; you never sawnothing like it. Everybody's just so happy. Hiram is grinning from earto ear over being took to the Klondike, and everybody is swore to notlet Gran'ma Mullins know he's going. He's going to climb out of thewindow at night and get away that way, and Gran'ma Mullins won't mindwhat she feels when he really does come back a millionaire, too. She'llbe just like you, Mrs. Lathrop; no one minds anything once it's over.Little misunderstandings are easy forgot.

  "And to think there's been a blue automobile puffing at these verykitchen steps! To think you and me was over to Meadville and backbetween dinner and supper one day! I guess Mrs. Lupey never got such astart. She'd been all the morning getting home on the train and was onlyjust putting her bonnet away in its box when we rolled up. I neverenjoyed nothing like that roll up in all my life! I never seeautomobiles from the automobile's side before, but now I can. When aautomobile goes over a duck it makes all the difference in the worldwhether it's your automobile or your duck.

  "And then Jathrop's generosity! Not but what he was always generous.Deacon White says he will say that for Jathrop, he was always generous.And look what he brought home. Every child in town is just about out oftheir senses. Felicia Hemans is crazy about the earrings, and 'LizaEm'ly won't never take off the bracelet. Mr. Shores can't keep the tearsback when he looks at his watch charm. I think it was so kind ofJathrop. But Jathrop was always kind; you know yourself that a kindercreature never lived than Jathrop. I always said that for him.

  "And then his having a new fence built around the cemetery. It wasthoughtful, and Judge Fitch says nobody can't say more. But Judge Fitchsays Jathrop was always thoughtful; he says he's been interested in himalways just for that very reason. Judge Fitch says Jathrop's nature wasalways that deep kind that's easy overlooked. He says he'll have toconfess to his shame that some of the time he overlooked him himself. Hesays it's very difficult to understand a deep nature, because if a deepnature don't make money, there's hardly any way of ever knowing that itreally was deep; people just think you're a fool then--like we alwaysthought Jathrop was. You know, nobody ever thought he ever could amountto nothing. You know that yourself, Mrs. Lathrop. But making money letsyou see just what a person's got in 'em and see it plain.

  "I'm sure for all I've loved Jathrop as if he was going to be my own,for years and years and years, still I never credited him with being theman he is. I supposed he was a tramp somewhere--yes, I really did, Mrs.Lathrop, you may believe me or not, but that's just what I thought whenI thought anything at all about him--which wasn't often.

  "Everybody in the whole place is busy remembering pleasant things abouthim now. The minister's wife remembers his coming to a Christmas treeonce a long time ago when they both was little; she says she hasn'tthought of it in thirty years, but she remembers it as plain as daynow,--he had on a coat and a little tie.

  "And Gran'ma Mullins says she never will forget the day before he wasborn, for she went to town and dropped her little bead bag, and you knowhow much she thinks of her little bead bag now when the beads is allworn off, so you can think what store she set by it when the beads werestill on, and so she was all back and forth along the road hunting forit the whole blessed afternoon, and when she found it and went home, she_was_ tired, and she slept late next morning because her husband was outvery late the night before, and when he slept late she always sleptlate, 'cause she said sleeping late was almost the only treat he evergive her, and, anyhow, when they did wake up and get up and get out,there was Jathrop, and she says she shall never forget her joy overhaving found the bead bag again.

  "Mrs. Macy says she remembers the day he hid, and you thought he was inthe cistern, and you was kneeling down looking in when he jumped outfrom behind the stove and give you such a start you went in head first.

  "I remember that day myself, too--father was insisting he was paralyzedthen, and mother and me wouldn't take his word for it, and we fullyexpected he'd race over and help haul you out, but all he said was,'She'll have to manage the best she can--I'm paralyzed,' and we reallybegan to believe him from then on.

  "The minister says he shall always remember how well he looked when heput on long trousers; the minister's preparing a little paper on Jathropto read at the Sunday-school annual, and he says he shall begin with theday he put on long trousers and then mark his rise step by step. Theminister's so pleased over Jathrop's patting Brunhilde Susan on thehead; he says there are pats and pats, but that pat that Jathrop giveBrunhilde Susan was what he calls, in pure and Biblical simplicity, _a_pat."

  Susan paused. Mrs. Lathrop just felt her diamond solitaires, glanced atthe new kitchen range, and was silent.

  "And then, Mrs. Lathrop, that dear blessed little Chinese angel--I tellyou I shall never forget that boy. I liked his face when I first laideyes on him, and when I thought he was Jathrop's lawful wife, I lovedhim as I'd loved even a Chinaman if he was your daughter; but when I sawhim cleaning up my sink, polishing my pans, washing out my cupboards andall that, just the same as yours, _then_ was when I see that a heathenChinee has just the same right to go to heaven that anybody else has,and from then on I just trusted him completely and let him do every bitof the work till he left.

  "I see now why everybody's so happy being a missionary if you can justget away and live with the Chinee. I'd have kept that boy if Jathrophadn't wanted him--I'd have been very glad to; and it's awful to thinkwe're keeping quiet, lovable natures like his from settling here. A girlmight do much worse than marry that Chinese--_very_ much worse. A verygreat deal worse. Though I suppose many would hesitate."

  Mrs. Lathrop rose, went to the cupboard, took out a bottle of homemadegooseberry wine, poured
out a little, and took a sip. She did not offerany to Susan.

  "It'll do you good," said Susan encouragingly. "I don't like the tastemyself, but it'll do you good. Besides, Mrs. Lathrop, you must begin toget used to it. When you go around with Jathrop in his private car,you'll have to drink wine, and if I was you, I'd stop tying a stockingaround your neck nights, for you'll have to wear a very different cut ofgowns soon. If Jathrop buys that yacht he's gone to look at, you'll haveto wear a sailor blouse."

  "Oh," said Mrs. Lathrop faintly, "oh, Susan, I--" Miss Clegg put herhastily back into her chair.

  "Never mind if it does make your head go 'round a little, Mrs. Lathrop;you must learn how. It may be hard, but it'll make Jathrop happy, andnow he's come back rich, that's what everybody wants to do.

  "Mrs. Brown says next time he comes she's going to make him a jet-blackpound-cake, and Mrs. Allen says she's going to work him a pincushion.She says it'll be a plain, simple token of affection, but those whomFortune smiles on soon learn to know the true worth of a simple gift ofpurest love. She says no one has ever known how she loved Jathrop,'cause she kept it to herself for fear you'd think she was after him forPolly."

  Mrs. Lathrop rocked dreamily.

  Susan rose to go.

  "Don't--" said Mrs. Lathrop.

  "I must," said Susan. "Oh, Mrs. Lathrop, think of his giving me thosefifty shares of stock just on account of my long-suffering friendshipfor you. I declare he's a great character--that's all I can say.

  "I always had a feeling he'd end in some unusual way; when they startedto lynch him, I thought that was the way, but now I see that this wasthe way, and I thank heaven that I wasn't right the other time and amright this time. For human nature is human nature, Mrs. Lathrop, andpeople are always kinder to a woman whose son comes home from theKlondike a millionaire than they are if they had the bother of lynchinghim, no matter how much he may have deserved it."

  Mrs. Lathrop continued to finger her solitaire earrings in happysilence. Miss Clegg, who never exhibited any tenderness toward anything,went over and arranged the fold-over of her friend's gold-embroidered,silk-quilted kimono.

  "I'll be glad when your new hair gets here, Mrs. Lathrop," she saidtenderly, "it'll make a different woman of you. It's astonishing what alittle extra hair can do; I always feel that when I put on my wave.

  "You and me will have to be getting used to all kinds of new things now.And that beautiful dream of mine letting us know he was coming. Mrs.Brown says Amelia says the Egyptians worshipped cats and used to picklethem when they died.

  "It's astonishing how, if you know enough, you can see how any dream isfull of meaning. There's Jathrop so fond of pickles, and you and meworshipping him. And he writing in every letter he has time to getsomebody to write for him, 'How's Susan Clegg?'"

  Mrs. Lathrop lapsed into beatific slumber. Susan Clegg went quietlyhome.