“Why, you have just given me to understand that he is very angry with me and doesn’t want to see me. I don’t see anything hopeful about that.”
“Then you can’t know Rodney very well. Don’t you understand that the very fact that he is angry at you and doesn’t want to see you shows that he is still deeply in love with you, and you will have no trouble at all in getting back his admiration when once you get really face-to-face with him and have a good talk? I’d be willing to wager that you with your beautiful face and your graceful ways can easily win him back to love you more than he ever did before.”
It was then that Emma Galt plunged into the conversation. “But Jess is married, Mrs. Chatterton. You forget that. And Rod was brought up with very strong moral ideas about the sanctity of marriage.”
“Fiddlesticks for any moral ideas nowadays,” said Louella grandly, as if she were empowered to speak with authority on the new moral standards of the present day.
“But you don’t realize at all, Mrs. Chatterton, how intensely those Graemes feel on moral questions. Those boys have very strong ideals and real conscientious scruples about things. They were brought up that way, and it has taken deep root in them,” said Marcella.
Louella smiled. “Piffle for their conscientious scruples! You seem to have forgotten that those boys have been to war. You will probably find that out when you come in closer contact with them. I don’t fancy many conscientious scruples can outlive a few months in the company of a lot of wild young soldiers or sailors off on their own. And remember
Rodney
has been away from his hampering, narrow-minded parents for at least three years!”
Then up spoke Marcella Ashby again. “I think that is perfectly terrible, Mrs. Chatterton, for you to call those dear people narrow-minded. All the years while we were growing up, they have been the dearest people to us all. Their house was always open to give us all good times, and they never showed a bit of narrow-mindedness. They were ready to laugh and joke with us all and spend money freely to give us enjoyment.”
“Oh yes, children’s stuff, picnics and little silly games and nice things to eat, of course, but did they ever have dances for us or cards or take us to the theater or even let us play kissing games?” spoke up Jessica. “No, indeedy. Everything was very discreet and prim, and of course we are no longer children and times have changed. You couldn’t expect people like the dear old Graemes to be up to date. They are old people and can’t understand the present-day needs of young folks. But I think myself that it is quite possible that the boys may have changed. They’ve been out in the world and seen what everybody is doing. I don’t believe for a minute that Rodney would be shocked at all if I told him I’d made a big mistake in marrying a man so much older than myself, and that I was going to Reno to get a divorce as soon as I’ve finished up a few matters of business here in town. Isn’t that what your idea was, Mrs. Chatterton?”
“Well, yes, I think myself you’ll find those boys, at least Rodney, is much more worldly than his folks give him credit for, and I feel sure Jessica, if you give your mind to it, that you can win him back.”
And then they went into a huddle to plan a campaign against Rodney Graeme.
And even as they plotted, with the devil whispering advice secretly to them and only Marcella Ashby of their number protesting at their plans, the Graeme family was kneeling in a quiet circle about the fire in the library. Father Graeme thanked God for the return of his children and petitioned that they might be guided aright in the days that were ahead, that none of them should be led astray from the way in which the Lord would have them go, and that His will might be done through them all, to the end that they might become changed into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ, and be fit messengers
“Then you can’t know Rodney very well. Don’t you understand that the very fact that he is angry at you and doesn’t want to see you shows that he is still deeply in love with you, and you will have no trouble at all in getting back his admiration when once you get really face-to-face with him and have a good talk? I’d be willing to wager that you with your beautiful face and your graceful ways can easily win him back to love you more than he ever did before.”
It was then that Emma Galt plunged into the conversation. “But Jess is married, Mrs. Chatterton. You forget that. And Rod was brought up with very strong moral ideas about the sanctity of marriage.”
“Fiddlesticks for any moral ideas nowadays,” said Louella grandly, as if she were empowered to speak with authority on the new moral standards of the present day.
“But you don’t realize at all, Mrs. Chatterton, how intensely those Graemes feel on moral questions. Those boys have very strong ideals and real conscientious scruples about things. They were brought up that way, and it has taken deep root in them,” said Marcella.
Louella smiled. “Piffle for their conscientious scruples! You seem to have forgotten that those boys have been to war. You will probably find that out when you come in closer contact with them. I don’t fancy many conscientious scruples can outlive a few months in the company of a lot of wild young soldiers or sailors off on their own. And remember
Rodney
has been away from his hampering, narrow-minded parents for at least three years!”
Then up spoke Marcella Ashby again. “I think that is perfectly terrible, Mrs. Chatterton, for you to call those dear people narrow-minded. All the years while we were growing up, they have been the dearest people to us all. Their house was always open to give us all good times, and they never showed a bit of narrow-mindedness. They were ready to laugh and joke with us all and spend money freely to give us enjoyment.”
“Oh yes, children’s stuff, picnics and little silly games and nice things to eat, of course, but did they ever have dances for us or cards or take us to the theater or even let us play kissing games?” spoke up Jessica. “No, indeedy. Everything was very discreet and prim, and of course we are no longer children and times have changed. You couldn’t expect people like the dear old Graemes to be up to date. They are old people and can’t understand the present-day needs of young folks. But I think myself that it is quite possible that the boys may have changed. They’ve been out in the world and seen what everybody is doing. I don’t believe for a minute that Rodney would be shocked at all if I told him I’d made a big mistake in marrying a man so much older than myself, and that I was going to Reno to get a divorce as soon as I’ve finished up a few matters of business here in town. Isn’t that what your idea was, Mrs. Chatterton?”
“Well, yes, I think myself you’ll find those boys, at least Rodney, is much more worldly than his folks give him credit for, and I feel sure Jessica, if you give your mind to it, that you can win him back.”
And then they went into a huddle to plan a campaign against Rodney Graeme.
And even as they plotted, with the devil whispering advice secretly to them and only Marcella Ashby of their number protesting at their plans, the Graeme family was kneeling in a quiet circle about the fire in the library. Father Graeme thanked God for the return of his children and petitioned that they might be guided aright in the days that were ahead, that none of them should be led astray from the way in which the Lord would have them go, and that His will might be done through them all, to the end that they might become changed into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ, and be fit messengers
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