Partners (24 page)

"Yes," said Dale thoughtfully, "I remember hearing a preacher say once that one of the necessities of the Christian life was that the Christian should walk 'in the light.' I remember the verse he quoted: 'If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.' I think it was that verse that was somewhat responsible for my finding our minister and the little chapel. I was very blue one night, and I realized that I had got away from the path my mother taught me, so I started out to find some Christian fellowship, and God led me to the chapel. How surprised I would have been if I had been told that very soon after I would be married in that same chapel. I found Christian fellowship that night and went home with a lighter heart to bear the loneliness. I realized at least to a certain extent, that I had been starving my spirit by staying away from Christian fellowship and the message of God."

"It seems," said Rand seriously, "that there are a great many things
I
have to learn. I can see it is going to make a big difference in my life. It was a great thing God did for me when I had been so indifferent to Him, sending you two into my life. I wouldn't think I would have been worth it to Him. He took a lot of trouble for me, and I've got to bear that in mind all my life, and walk softly before Him. Isn't that a phrase from the Bible? I seem to remember hearing it somewhere. I know when I heard it read in church I always used to think of the times when I had sneaked off to go skating without permission and had to sneak in again and get my wet stockings and shoes changed, and came in clean and innocent looking to 'walk softly' before my mother so she wouldn't know I had gone off without telling her. But now I can see a different thought. It has more the idea of trying to please, doesn't it, because of all He has done for us? But say, oughtn't we to be getting settled for the night so this little chap won't be disturbed?"

***

It was the next morning just before Rand left for the office that they spoke about the new apartment.

"I suppose we could get along here all right for a while, and not worry about moving until the baby is well beyond any question," said Dale. "Wouldn't that be better? We are fairly comfortable here."

"We
could
," said Rand, thoughtfully, "but I believe he would get well quicker over there, and it would be a hundred percent easier for you. The rooms are large and have lots of sunshine, and there is a tiny laundry beside the bathroom. The kitchen is larger, too. There's a sunny alcove for the baby where he wouldn't hear every noise and be disturbed while he is sleeping, although goodness knows he seems to be able to sleep through anything. But I'd like you to see it as soon as we can manage to get out together, for I think you'd like it, and I don't want to run any risk of losing it. It seems to me the right place for the present, and the price is right, too."

"Oh, well," laughed Dale, "we don't need to worry about price just now, as long as my miraculous fortune lasts. That's probably what it was sent for."

"Is
that so
?" laughed Rand. "Think again! I'm the man of this house, not my wife, and it is my fortune that pays for where we live, not your private money!"

"But I thought we were partners," said Dale, with wistfulness in her eyes. "It's just my dowry that I brought with me. Isn't that what you call it? My share of the general fund?"

"Well, of course we're partners, but there are some things a man ought to look out for, and besides, if we're partners, we've got to agree on what the monies under our control shall be spent for, haven't we?"

"Yes," said Dale, smiling back. "All right, go ahead and get the most expensive mansion you can find. I'm satisfied!"

He grinned back.

"That's all right, Dale. I don't want to be extravagant, even if we have got more money in the offing than we ever expected to have. I've been saving too many years and going without things to get a home for my mother to want to blow it all now. You needn't worry about me. I'll be amenable to reason when we get you and the kid fixed in comfort. Now, is there anything else before I go? Sometime you and I have got to get out and do a little Christmas shopping. So if the doctor knows of a safe nurse who could look after the kid for a couple of hours now and then, tell him to send her."

"Christmas shopping!" said Dale laughing. "I guess we could skip that this year, couldn't we? We've got enough else to do. And the baby is far too young to expect it."

"No,
ma'am
! I'm not going to have that kid remember that the first Christmas we didn't provide him any presents or a tree or anything! You wouldn't want that, would you?"

"Don't be silly!" said Dale, with twinkling eyes. "We'll get up a Christmas he will like, without shopping for it. Don't be in such a hurry to rush the season."

"Okay!" said Rand, coming back to kiss her again before he finally took his leave.

"Something to come home to!" he murmured, looking down into her eyes. "This is going to be great!"

It was a busy, happy morning for Dale. The baby was awake and smiling, actually smiling, and he greeted her with a genuine crow, louder and sweeter than any he had yet given.

"You darling!" she said as she stood over him for an instant looking down.

Then he crowed again and beat a quick little tattoo with both small first. But she noticed with joy that the fists were no longer actually scrawny. They were not exactly chubby yet, but they were shaped and graceful, and it was noticeable that he was much stronger and more energetic than he had been the day before.

She prepared for the baby's bath and breakfast much as if it had been a birthday party she was expecting, and as she went about assembling bathtub, towels, washcloths, soap, and lovely-smelling powder she chirruped to the baby, till he entered into the spirit of the thing himself and began to crow back to her and flap his little hands in joy. It was as if he knew that he had passed from the hands of the hospital nurse into the loving hands of a mother.

It was beautiful to her to hold him on the blanket on her lap. It reminded her of the days when she was playing dolls. She exulted in each tiny gain in flesh, and touched the roseleaf skin delicately. It seemed as if the baby enjoyed it, too, and looked up to her face and cooed and gurgled at her, and once again he smiled, just a little wavering smile. His two dimples flashed out and disappeared and gave his face a lovely expression, with a dawning beauty of form that filled her with delight.

When the doctor came she had him snug in his crib, fed and happy, gurgling softly to himself, while she went swiftly around the room gathering up the towels and soap and putting things to rights.

"Well, I should say you're doing very well," announced the doctor as he stood looking down at the fragile little child. "He looks as if he really might grow up to be a solid bit of humanity after all."

Then he asked keen questions and finally sat back as if entirely satisfied.

"Well, I've found a woman I think may be a help to you, if you want her. She's been a practical nurse in her time, and I used to say I'd rather have her than any modern trained nurse. She really has a knack with her, and she loves babies. She isn't very strong, can't lift heavy patients anymore. And has to take it a little easy. By rights she ought to be in her daughter's home being taken care of, but her son-in-law is rather a wild number and doesn't want her around, and she's too proud to stay around and be a burden, so she's looking for a quiet place where she can be of use and earn at least her board. I think she'd be all right. At least, you could try her out for a few days and see what you think. I know she's a good faithful woman, and you can depend on whatever she says. She knows a lot about nursing, and you'd find she'd be glad to take hold in the kitchen, too. She can cook a tasty meal when she tries."

"Why, that sounds wonderful!" said Dale. "Where can we see her?"

"Oh, I'll send her over this evening if that will be convenient for you. She's calling me up around seven. She's coming off the case of an old lady who broke her arm, tonight, and I happen to know she's no place to go, so it will be all right if you want her to begin at once."

"Thank you so much, Doctor. That sounds good. We'll be looking for her. It will be a great help. You think it would be safe to leave the baby with her in a day or two when he has had a chance to get used to her?"

"Oh, yes, there's nothing she couldn't manage. She's brought up seven children of her own, besides a lot more of other people's children. They only thing is she's a bit lame herself and won't make much of a showing if you want to doll her up and send her out in the park with the baby next summer."

"Oh, we wouldn't want that!" laughed Dale.

"I thought you were too sensible for that," twinkled the doctor. "She's Scotch, and I think you'll like her."

"I feel sure we will," said Dale. "It's going to be very convenient to have someone to stay with the child when I have to run out on errands, you know."

"I thought you'd find that out. Well, I'll be going on. You won't be needing me here very much longer. I guess that kid'll be able to be taken out, with care, by the end of this week, if you don't go more than a block. But put some protection over his face, a light wool veil or something. Good afternoon! I'll be sending Mrs. Morton around this evening. Her name is Sarah."

When Rand came home the sound of his step along the hall thrilled Dale with a strange new delight. This was being married! To have someone in whom you delighted come back to you at night. It was wonderful! And to think that only a few short weeks ago she was in Mrs. Beck's rooming house, glooming sorrowfully by herself, thinking there was nobody in the world who cared whether she existed. Well, of course that had been Dinsmore, and Sam, and that poor old fool Arliss. But somehow they had never counted with her. She couldn't ever have been glad to have any one of them coming back.

She was at the door before George could get his key into the lock. She met him with a happy face lifted for his kiss. He drew her quickly inside, shut the door, and gathered her into his arms. Wonderful refuge! Oh, it was good to have her husband come home!

He dropped his hat on the table by the door and plunged his hand deep in his pocket.

"I've got something for you," he said eagerly, like a boy with a new toy.

He tossed her a tiny white box.

"Open it," he said, and stood beside her, watching her face.

"Oh, but it isn't Christmas yet," she said. "Don't you want me to put it away and save it until Christmas?"

"No!" he said with a grin. "It isn't a Christmas present. There's something that comes ahead of that. Open it!"

With trembling, eager fingers, she opened the box and found inside another box wrapped in tissue paper, a little box of white velvet with a bit of a pearl knob to touch the spring that opened it, and there inside sparkled two rings. One a simple circlet of platinum, the wedding ring, and the other a gorgeous sparkling diamond set in platinum also.

"Oh! My
dear
!" she murmured, her voice full of wonder. "And you said you were not going to be extravagant!"

"It's not extravagant to buy a wedding ring!"

"But such a glorious wedding ring! It's fit for a princess!" said Dale, drawing in her breath, her eyes shining like two stars.

"It is for a little princess!" he said, and drew her close into his arms. "Now, put them on, the wedding ring first and then the diamond."

Dale looked at them in wonder, then she handed the little velvet box over to Rand.

"You must put them on me, you know!"

"Oh, is that the way of it? Why, sure, I'll love to do that. Now, put out your hand! Is this the finger? One, two, three! Now, first I must kiss the finger!"

He laid a tender kiss in the rosy palm of her hand, and then touched with a butterfly kiss each fingertip and then the rings. With a little ceremony of his own he slipped the rings on, with tender words of love, and then folded her close again and laid his lips upon hers.

"A-h-h-h!" interrupted the baby.

Rand looked up and grinned.

"Now, sir, that'll be about all from
you
just now!" he ordered firmly. "This may be something
you
brought about, but you needn't think that gives you the right to horn in on every minute, and we want just a few minutes to ourselves, if you don't mind."

"O-o-o-o!" said the baby calmly.

"Do they fit?" asked the lover, gathering his laughing bride back into his arms. "I had to snitch one of your gloves to get the size. The man said it was next to the smallest size."

"Is that where my other glove went?" said Dale. "I thought I had lost it, and it was still a good glove!"

"Well, here it is, but I think you'd better put that pair of gloves away in mothballs, because that is sort of sacred, having performed the ceremony of getting the size for your wedding ring. My, how good that smells. Is it something you are cooking? Can you really cook?"

"It's just a kettle of soup," said Dale. "I thought maybe we could eat our dinner up here tonight, if you don't mind."

"I should say I don't mind! Why, that will be heavenly!"

"No, not heavenly," said Dale. "It's only a very common kind of vegetable soup!"

"That's great! I love vegetable soup. Can the little guy have some, too?"

"No, not yet. He has had his own little soup and is quite content with it. Shall we sit down? It's all ready. And there's a woman coming to interview us afterward."

"A
woman
! What kind of a woman?
You're
the only woman
I
want."

"It's a woman the doctor is sending. She's a Scotch woman. Sit down and eat your supper and I'll tell you all about it."

"Now, lady, don't you go getting dictatorial on me! I've been through a great deal of excitement the last few days, and it might give me heart failure. I want to take these things one at a time, with great deliberation, and be sure I don't get a shock!"