Christian fiction; Domestic fiction; Families -- Fiction; Man-woman relationships -- Fiction; Young women -- Fiction
“Haven’t we had a beautiful time?” said Grace Kendall, putting an
intimate arm around her as they reached the top of the stairs. “I
think they’re just charming people. Do you know you have a lovely
alto voice? Do you live near here? We’d love to have you in our young
people’s choir if you don’t belong somewhere else.”
“Where is’t?” asked Clytie casually, half suspiciously. She was
surprised that there was no look of rivalry in the face of the
girl who had obviously carried off both the younger men from her
following; but it seemed as if this strangely sweet girl did not
realize that she had done such a thing, did not even seem to have
wanted to do it. Clytie suddenly smiled, and showed the first glimpse
of real simplicity and childlikeness that had been visible that
evening. She was little more than a child, anyway, and perhaps would
not have gone in her present ways if any other that promised a little
pleasure had been opened to her.
“No, I don’t b’long nowheres,” she giggled, “not since I was a kid. I
useta go ta two er three Sunday schools, but I cut ’em all out after
I grew up. Took too much time. I like my Sundays fer fun. That’s when
you get the most auto rides, you know. But I wouldn’t mind singing
sometime, mebbe.”
When they came downstairs, they were arm in arm and chatting quite
pleasantly. Grace had promised to come and see her, and take her to
Christian Endeavor the next Sunday night and introduce her to the
leader of the young people’s choir; and Cornelia, waiting to receive
her guests’ farewell, wondered and was thankful.
They all went out together, talking a bit loudly and hilariously,
Clytie’s voice now raised in her old shrill, uncultured clang.
Maxwell lingering for a moment in the doorway, spoke to Cornelia.
“I want to thank you for letting me come.”
She turned to him with a look of suffering in her eyes.
“I don’t know what you must think of us,” she said in a low tone,
“having that impossible girl here! An invited guest!”
He looked down at her, smiling with a hint of tenderness in his look,
for he saw that she was very tired.
“I think you are a brave girl,” he said earnestly. “And I think your
experiment was a success. May I come back a few minutes, and help
wash dishes? I’m taking your young brother Harry with me, and shall
have to bring him back, you know. We’ll talk it all over then.”
He touched his hat, and vanished into the starlit night.
Cornelia flushed, wondering, half dismayed, ready to drop with
fatigue, yet strangely elated. She stood a moment in the doorway,
looking after the two cars as they whirled away down the street, and
letting the cool evening breeze blow on her hot forehead, then turned
back to the bright, pretty room, somehow soothed and comforted. A
thought had come to her. She had prayed for help, and God had sent
it; right into the midst of her consternation He had sent that young
man to help! And how he had helped! What a tower of strength he had
been all the awful evening!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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