blue her eyes were and how they matched the dress. And she would be there, at the Shambleys, and perhaps go back with him at noon. If not, he would certainly be driving out that way that evening to see how his invalid had made out after the strenuous day.
But he must not let himself venture on any more serious topics until he had thought his way all out and knew just what to expect of himself. June was too keen-minded a person to be deceived by his uncertainties. And yet, he did not want to be seen in her eyes as an indifferent Christian.
So he dropped to sleep and passed again before a tribunal of angels looking down upon his thoughts, and awoke sometime in the night to find himself dissatisfied with his own conclusions. He had to spend time, when he ought to have been sleeping, working back again through his reasonings to his own comfortable conclusions.
Paige awoke early in the morning, his subconscious mind probably telling him that he had important work to do that day, and it must all dovetail in, just exactly, or it wouldn’t work.
To his mother’s distress, he wasted very little time on breakfast, although he usually loved to linger with her over it. But he told her that he had promised to take June to the sick child, as her father had to use his car in another direction, and he must go to the bank on the way.
Mrs. Madison had learned well through the years that when her menfolk said something
must be
, with a certain set of lips and jaw, it would be of no further use to argue. So she made the most of the brief time allowed her and thanked the Lord that it was June and not Reva that Paige was taking on his morning drive.
The morning was bright and fresh, and the two young people hurried away eagerly, looking forward to bringing help and joy to that poor discouraged family.
June had on another blue dress, this time with little pink rosebuds on the blue cotton background, and a decorous little white panama sailor on her head. She was taking no more chances in casual garb.
She hurried into the house and came out to report.
“Nannie slept well all night, and her temperature is almost down to normal this morning. The nurse is going to sleep now and says she will be ready to take over by lunchtime, or later in the afternoon. I’ll tell you at noon when you return. There comes Mr. Shambley! He looks like a different man already. He walks almost steadily. I wonder if the doctor gave him some medicine to take if he feels faint or dizzy in town.”
“Yes, he gave it to him last night.”
“Well, brother, how are you feeling this morning?”
“Fine, I thank you. Did you succeed in getting the loan, Mr. Madison?”
“Oh yes, of course,” said Paige. “Here, let me help you into the car, and then I’ll hand it over. There, are you comfortable? Now, in this envelope is the interest, plus the next to the last installment on your principal. Put that in your pocket where you can get it out easily as soon as you get to the office where you pay it. And don’t worry about the last installment. When it comes due, I think I know where I can get it for you till you get on your feet. And now this other envelope has money you can put in your bank. For use right along till you get going on your job. You have a bank, haven’t you? Because it isn’t wise to carry much money around these days. There are too many crooks abroad. You have a bank?”
“I used to have,” said the man with a shamefaced droop of his head, “but when we got in all this trouble, I had to draw the money all out.”
“Oh well, it will be easy enough to open another account. Is it far from where you pay your mortgage?”
“No, just a few doors down the street.”
“Well, is there someplace there where you can sit while you wait for me? You know this will be rather tiresome, all this business, and you’ve been a sick man.”
“Why, there’s a drugstore nearby. I could get a glass of water if I feel faint.”
“That’s it! The very
But he must not let himself venture on any more serious topics until he had thought his way all out and knew just what to expect of himself. June was too keen-minded a person to be deceived by his uncertainties. And yet, he did not want to be seen in her eyes as an indifferent Christian.
So he dropped to sleep and passed again before a tribunal of angels looking down upon his thoughts, and awoke sometime in the night to find himself dissatisfied with his own conclusions. He had to spend time, when he ought to have been sleeping, working back again through his reasonings to his own comfortable conclusions.
Paige awoke early in the morning, his subconscious mind probably telling him that he had important work to do that day, and it must all dovetail in, just exactly, or it wouldn’t work.
To his mother’s distress, he wasted very little time on breakfast, although he usually loved to linger with her over it. But he told her that he had promised to take June to the sick child, as her father had to use his car in another direction, and he must go to the bank on the way.
Mrs. Madison had learned well through the years that when her menfolk said something
must be
, with a certain set of lips and jaw, it would be of no further use to argue. So she made the most of the brief time allowed her and thanked the Lord that it was June and not Reva that Paige was taking on his morning drive.
The morning was bright and fresh, and the two young people hurried away eagerly, looking forward to bringing help and joy to that poor discouraged family.
June had on another blue dress, this time with little pink rosebuds on the blue cotton background, and a decorous little white panama sailor on her head. She was taking no more chances in casual garb.
She hurried into the house and came out to report.
“Nannie slept well all night, and her temperature is almost down to normal this morning. The nurse is going to sleep now and says she will be ready to take over by lunchtime, or later in the afternoon. I’ll tell you at noon when you return. There comes Mr. Shambley! He looks like a different man already. He walks almost steadily. I wonder if the doctor gave him some medicine to take if he feels faint or dizzy in town.”
“Yes, he gave it to him last night.”
“Well, brother, how are you feeling this morning?”
“Fine, I thank you. Did you succeed in getting the loan, Mr. Madison?”
“Oh yes, of course,” said Paige. “Here, let me help you into the car, and then I’ll hand it over. There, are you comfortable? Now, in this envelope is the interest, plus the next to the last installment on your principal. Put that in your pocket where you can get it out easily as soon as you get to the office where you pay it. And don’t worry about the last installment. When it comes due, I think I know where I can get it for you till you get on your feet. And now this other envelope has money you can put in your bank. For use right along till you get going on your job. You have a bank, haven’t you? Because it isn’t wise to carry much money around these days. There are too many crooks abroad. You have a bank?”
“I used to have,” said the man with a shamefaced droop of his head, “but when we got in all this trouble, I had to draw the money all out.”
“Oh well, it will be easy enough to open another account. Is it far from where you pay your mortgage?”
“No, just a few doors down the street.”
“Well, is there someplace there where you can sit while you wait for me? You know this will be rather tiresome, all this business, and you’ve been a sick man.”
“Why, there’s a drugstore nearby. I could get a glass of water if I feel faint.”
“That’s it! The very
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