II
Leila was an impossible young democrat, utterly devoid of the sense of social values. He must make an ally of Constance. Connie always wanted something; it was one of Connie’s weaknesses to want things. Connie’s birthday falling in the second week in December gave him a hint. Leila had mentioned the anniversary and reminded her father that he usually made Connie a present. Connie expected presents and was not satisfied with anything cheap.
Mills had asked a New York jeweler to send out some pearls from which to make a selection for a Christmas present for Leila. They were still in his vault at the office. He chose from the assortment a string of pearls with a diamond pendant and bestowed it upon his daughter-in-law on the morning of her birthday. He had made her handsome presents before, but nothing that pleased her so much as this.
While Connie’s gratitude was still warm, Mills found occasion to mention Millicent one evening when he was dining at Shepherd’s. Leila had been asked to some function to which Millicent was not bidden. Mills made the very natural comment that it was unfortunate that Millicent, intimate as she was with Leila, could not share all her pleasures; the discrimination against the Hardens’ daughter was unjust. Quick to see what was expected of her, Constance replied that it was Millicent’s own fault that she hadn’t been taken up more generally. It was perhaps out of loyalty to her parents that she had not met more responsively the advances of women who, willing to accept Millicent, yet couldn’t quite see her father and mother in the social picture. Now that she thought of it, Constance herself had never called on Mrs. Harden, but she would do so at once. There was no reason at all why Millicent shouldn’t be admitted to the Dramatic Club; she would see to that. She thought the impression had got around that Millicent was, if not Bohemian in her sympathies, at least something of a nonconformist in her social ideas. It was her artistic nature, perhaps.
“That’s nonsense,” said Mills. “There isn’t a better bred girl in town. She’s studious, quite an intellectual young woman—but that’s hardly against her. I always feel safe about Leila when I know she and Millicent are together. And her father and mother are really very nice—unpretentious, kindly people. Of course the patent medicine business isn’t looked on with great favor—but——”
“But—it’s about as respectable as canning our native corn or cutting up pigs,” Constance suggested.
She was bewildered to find Mills, who had looked askance at her own claims to social recognition because her father’s real estate and insurance business was rather insignificant, suddenly viewing the asthma cure so tolerantly. However, a father-in-law who gave her valuable presents must be humored in his sudden manifestation of contempt for snobbery. This was the first time Mills had ever shown any disposition to recognize her social influence. No matter what had caused his change of heart, it was flattering to her self-esteem that he was, even so indirectly, asking her aid. She liked Millicent well enough and gladly promised to help her along.
When Mills left she asked Shepherd what he thought was in the wind; but he failed to be aroused by the suggestion that his father might be thinking of marrying Millicent. His father would never marry again, Shepherd insisted; certainly not unless he found a woman of suitable age, for companionship and to promote his comfort when Leila was settled.
“You don’t know your father any better than I do, Shep. He always has a motive for everything he does—you may be sure of that!”
“Father means to be just and kind,” said Shepherd, half-heartedly, as if he were repeating a formula in which he didn’t believe.
“When he’s moved to be generous he certainly lets go with a free hand,” Constance remarked. “That necklace wasn’t cheap. I’m afraid it wasn’t just a spontaneous outburst of affection for me. I think I owe it to Millicent!”
“Oh, father likes you, Connie. You’re foolish to think he doesn’t,” Shepherd replied defensively.
“I think your father’s getting nervous about Leila. He’s set his heart on having Carroll in the family. But Arthur’s too old. Leila ought to marry a younger man. Your father’s been suspecting me of promoting her little affair with Freddy Thomas—I’ve seen it in his eye. But I don’t think she’s serious about that. She says she’s crazy about him, but as she tells everyone, it doesn’t mean anything.”
“Thomas—no,” Shepherd replied slowly. “I shouldn’t be for that myself. I don’t like the idea of her marrying a divorced man. Arthur would be quite fine, I think. He’s a gentleman and he understands Leila. The man who marries her has got to understand her—make a lot of allowances.”
Constance smiled her amusement at his display of sagacity.
“Wrong again, Shep! Leila will settle down and be the tamest little matron in town. She seems to have cut out her drinking. That was more for effect than anything else. She’s got about all the fun to be had out of making people think her a perfect little devil. By the way, speaking of marrying men, that young Storrs is a nice fellow—rather impressive. I think Leila’s a little tempted to try her hand at flirting with him. She was at the Henderson’s yesterday afternoon and Bud was shaking up some cocktails. Mr. Storrs came in and Leila refused to drink. She joked about it, but said he had made her promise to quit. He’s not a prig, but he knows the danger line when he sees it.”
“Yes—yes,” Shepherd assented eagerly. “He’s one of the most attractive men I ever met. He’s the kind of fellow you’d trust with anything you’ve got!”
“Yes—and be safe,” Constance replied. “He’s hardly likely to do anything rash.”
They came again, as they often did, to a discussion of Franklin Mills.
“Your father’s the great unaccountable,” sighed Constance. “I long since gave up trying to understand him. He’s a master hand at dodging round things that don’t strike him just right. The way he turned down your clubhouse scheme was just like him; and the way he spurned my little suggestion about buying a summer place. By the way, what are you doing about the clubhouse? I thought you were selling your Rogers Trust stock to get money to build it. You haven’t weakened, have you, Shep?”
“No! certainly not. I’m going ahead as soon as the weather opens up. I sold my stock yesterday and I mean to do the thing right. When I was in Chicago last week I looked at a number of community houses and got a lot of ideas.”
“Well, don’t get cold feet. That thing has worried you a lot. I’d do it or I’d forget it.”
“Oh, I’m going to do it all right!” Shepherd replied jauntily. He greatly wished her to think him possessed of the courage and initiative to carry through large projects no matter how formidable the opposition.