Chapter V: Impulse Versus Prudence

TWO hours passed. Hiram had gone to attend his young mistress home as usual, when, Hannah, whose anxiety was almost more than she could endure, heard Gertrude's step on the piazza.

"Are you alone and in the dark?" the young girl asked petulantly. "Well I must say, I do like people to keep their promises. Where are all the people?"

In the moonlight Hannah could see that her darling wore an ugly pout and that her cheeks were crimson. Trying to steady her voice, she answered:

"Edward and Mr. Dudley went out together, directly after you did, and I have not seen them since."

"Did you find Mr. Monroe, as agreeable a teacher as usual?" she added presently, as the young girl threw herself listlessly into a chair.

There was no answer, to this; but after a few moments' silence, a sob was heard.

"What is the matter, my poor child?" exclaimed the kind woman, approaching her darling and kissing her forehead. "You're like a child to me, you know; and you wont keep any thing back from one, who loves you better than herself."

Gerty sprang up and threw her arms around Hannah's neck.

"I do believe you love me," she sobbed, clinging to her oldest friend, "and you wont let Ned be cross now when—"

"Don't be afraid to tell your own Hannah all that's in your heart, my dear child."

"Well—well, Paul—Mr. Dudley, I mean, wants me to go and live with him in Chicago; and I'm almost sure Ned will—will say I'm too young."

"But darling there'll be time enough to talk about that, when you have finished your education. You're getting on so finely now; and Mr. Monroe is so earnest to help you along, that in a few years you'll be like your own blessed mother. Then if Mr. Dudley and you are agreed, I don't think Edward will refuse his consent."

"Chicago is so far away I should not be happy any more. He wants me to go now: he says he is sure of being successful. Oh, Hannah, I love him so dearly!"

"Well, well, child!" said the woman resolutely checking back a sob. "I'd go to bed now. Why you're nothing but a baby; old Hannah's baby. I don't see how I can give you up yet."

"I shall miss you terribly I know," urged the child impulsively. "Paul, he says I'm to call him Paul, now, thinks we had better board at first till he earns a little money; but I shall go to house keeping very quick, and then you'll come and be my dear good Hannah, wont you?"

"Oh, my pet!" cried the woman, overcome at last, "I can't give you up to a stranger. I can't! I can't! I've had the care of you sixteen years next Christmas; and I wouldn't know how to live without my darling girl."

"I've made you a great deal of trouble," murmured the child, kissing the woman's cheek. "You must think of that."

"'Tisn't for myself alone, I'm grieving dear. I'd try to bear it, praying God to help me; but it's for you, Gerty. You're too young; and it can't be expected a stranger will have the patience with your faults which those have, who've known you longer."

"Not if the stranger is my husband? You don't know how he loves me, Hannah."

The woman shook her head; but instantly added; "If I could be sure 'twas for your good; and that your mother in heaven would approve; I'd hide all my own grief at the parting, so far down in my own heart, that you would never know it; but I can't be sure and so—"

The sound of hasty steps on the gravelled path checked her words. Gertrude started to her feet, and seemed about to dart away; but like a frightened bird, not knowing from which direction the enemy would appear.

The young men came in together. It was a relief to all that in the moonlight the traces of emotion could be but dimly observed. Edward advanced at once to his sister and put his arm around her.

"Come with me a moment," he said softly.

"I have heard Paul's confession," he began abruptly. "I would give all I am worth if he never had come to Rose Cottage; or that, having come, he had shown the honor of a man. He says you have engaged to be his; to leave your home in a month and go with him to Chicago where he may, or may not, succeed."

"Yes, I told him so; and I shall keep my word." Gertrude held up her head and looked her brother proudly in the face.

"Not with my consent," was the firm response. "Nor with the consent of your guardian. Why, Gerty, you are only a child; not half educated; totally unfit for the cares of a family."

"Paul has promised to teach me; to overlook all my deficiencies, if I will be his wife."

He groaned, aloud. "I know Paul better than you do," he urged in a bitter tone. "I know him better in the last hour, than in the six years which have preceded it. Oh, Gerty, cannot you understand that it is solely for your good, I urge you to pause before you bind yourself! Wait only one year. If your attachment continues, it will be time enough then, and Paul will have established himself in business."

"He says his success is in a great measure dependent on me," she answered in a pleading tone; "that a gentleman with a family can gain access to society where another would be excluded. I gave him my promise freely, and unless he releases me I shall hold myself bound to keep it."

"Just the words he uses," muttered Edward angrily.

"If he isn't good, and all that, why did you bring him here?" she asked in a triumphant tone.

"I considered him a gentleman; and as I had paid repeated visits to his house, I wished to return his hospitality. To-morrow morning I shall go to New York for an interview with your guardian. You must promise me that this foolish affair shall proceed no farther until you have his sanction."

"I have already given promises enough for one day," was her evasive answer, "besides, his opinion will have no weight with me. I know what is necessary for my own happiness."

"The law gives him power, Gertrude."

"Over my property," she rejoined laughing; "but not over my person."

"Paul has an apt scholar, I see," he remarked bitterly.

"He only taught me how to defend my rights; but seriously Ned, I wish you would tell me whether I have any money. I must buy wedding clothes, you know."

"I have already enlightened Paul on that subject."

Mr. Van Husen, Gertrude's guardian, was shocked at the intelligence Edward communicated; and declared up and down that the foolish child should not be allowed to throw herself away; that the wild scheme must be checked in some manner. But after the young lawyer had repeated his conversation with Dudley;—the cool determination of the lover to carry his point;—and the self-will which he was obliged to confess was a prominent trait in Gertrude's character, the white-haired old gentleman shook his head gravely.

It is not necessary at present to state all that passed on this occasion, Mr. Wallingford returned to Rose Cottage with a heavy heart, resolved, however, to effect a compromise if possible; and on the plea of time to prepare a trousseau for his sister, to postpone the time of marriage until her sixteenth birthday, which would be a week before Christmas.

Three days later Mr. Dudley had taken his leave, intending to make a hasty trip to Philadelphia; inform his parents of his new plans; and then proceed to Chicago, to establish himself in business.

Through the aid of a relative, Mr. Lancester, one of the monied men of that rising city, he was enabled to write his old chum that his prospects were of the most flattering kind. He took an office with a popular lawyer, with the understanding, that if agreeable to both parties, they would eventually enter into a partnership.

In October he wrote Edward again, (his letters to Gertrude were of weekly occurrence,) saying:

"Every body is congratulating me on coming here exactly at the right time. I have had such a successful practice so far, and am so confident of being able to support my family even in the style I used to talk about in the good college days; that if I could feel your consent to our marriage was willingly bestowed, I should have no more favors to ask of fortune. Dear Ned, any thing else under heaven that you could have asked me, except that I would resign the dear hand so confidingly trusted to my keeping, would have been granted without a word of dissent. I mean to prove myself such a model husband; and withal to act as teacher, that in time your prejudices, and those of that prim old maid will be disarmed."

Finding it useless longer to resist, Edward paid several visits to New York for the purpose of consulting Mr. Van Husen in regard to finances. The old gentleman had a few thousand dollars which he had carefully hoarded for the education of his ward; and as she was still under age, he refused to give up more than was absolutely necessary for her fitting out.

Rose Cottage was given by will to Edward; and he had heretofore refused to sell a foot of land, even when somewhat pressed for money; but he now resolved to part with a valuable house-lot rather than have his sister go penniless to her new home. He knew enough of Paul to be sure that in a house of his own, well furnished, he would be a more considerate husband than if the inmate of a fashionable hotel.

With a definite purpose in view he made a journey to Chicago late in the month of November, and was so fortunate as to find a new house in a handsome block, on one of the main streets, which he immediately secured, and furnished; using for the latter purpose, a thousand dollars he had persuaded Mr. Van Husen to advance, from his sister's fund.

Having accomplished his object, he returned home without having once met his old chum. He was delighted, however, to tell Gertrude and Hannah, that rumor spoke highly of the young attorney; who was bending the whole force of his mind to his business.

Nor was the wardrobe of the child-bride so neglected as might have been supposed. Among Miss Goldby's relatives was a widow who kept a fashionable mantua-maker's establishment in the Empire city. To this place was conveyed a large, old fashioned camphor-wood trunk, in which Hannah had hoarded some articles formerly belonging to her mistress. There was a large velvet cloak, bought when Mrs. Wallingford had plenty of money; several dress patterns of muslin and gauze not made up; a lilac satin with abundance to make it into the present mode, beside shawls and laces in variety, and some valuable jewelry.

Several entire days were devoted to shopping in search of more common articles, bed and table linen, etc., etc., so that when Mr. Dudley came on for his wife, he found five immense trunks marked Chicago, packed and ready for transportation.