"Hello! That is news. And a fortune! The Haynes are looking up. Well, I suppose Norman is so Frenchified and full of airs that he will give Chicago the go-by. No word of his marrying? Mother doesn't seem to accumulate daughters-in-law very fast."
Father was interested as well. When Dan rose to go he said pleasantly, with what sounded like desire in his voice—
"Ruth, don't you want to go out for a drive this afternoon? There's such a fine breeze and the sun isn't over hot."
Was there really a smile on his face? My heart leaped up in gladness and I answered joyfully.
Father and I talked quite a while afterward. He was glad to see Dan so cordial. I could not tell him what I had heard. And yet might it not have been mere gossip?
He had made several ill-natured flings about the house, but no real complaint again. I do not suppose he knew about the will. I was glad and thankful to have him pleasant, and to ask me to go out with him.
And yet as I sat there waiting, so as not to detain him, my heart went down again and I questioned his motive, feeling that it was terrible for a wife to do that. How had I lost faith? How had I come to have this mysterious outlook so dark and full of fear?
He was bright and smiling when he came. It was a perfect summer afternoon and the air was fragrant with the growing crops, beautiful and peaceful too. A golden light hovered over all, making subtle waves in the air, and then followed the rose-colored suggestion of coming sunset, as if to herald the brighter glow. Dan had been very pleasant, jolly, finding so many amusing incidents. To me there was a sort of sweetening of perceptions, a sense down deep in my consciousness that matters would go better. What if he had taken Polly out to ride one night, what if he had called there occasionally? I was his wife, and if he had been vexed about things he must love me, since we were to go on to our life's end. And no matter how hard it was, I must love him. It seemed as if I had never known how high and solemn a thing love was until now.
When Dan lifted me out of the buggy he kissed me and said, "Have you had a nice time, Little Girl?"
"Oh, Dan!" I hugged his arm. There didn't seem any word in my vocabulary strong enough to express my satisfaction.