Not that she gave up entirely. She knew the town, and its tendency
toward over-statement. And so she made a desperate attempt, that
afternoon, to tempt Elizabeth. She took her through the greenhouses, and
then through the upper floors of the house. She showed her pictures
of their boat at Miami, and of the house at Marblehead. Elizabeth was
politely interested and completely unresponsive.
"When you think," Mrs. Sayre said at last, "that Wallie will have to
assume a great many burdens one of these days, you can understand how
anxious I am to have him marry the right sort of girl."
She thought Elizabeth flushed slightly.
"I am sure he will, Mrs. Sayre."
Mrs. Sayre tried a new direction.
"He will have all I have, my dear, and it is a great responsibility.
Used properly, money can be an agent of great good. Wallie's wife can be
a power, if she so chooses. She can look after the poor. I have a long
list of pensioners, but I am too old to add personal service."
"That would be wonderful," Elizabeth said gravely. For a moment she
wished Dick were rich. There was so much to be done with money, and
how well he would know how to do it. She was thoughtful on the way
downstairs, and Mrs. Sayre felt some small satisfaction. Now if Wallie
would only do his part-It was that night that Jim brought the tragedy on the Wheeler house that
was to lie heavy on it for many a day.
There had been a little dinner, one of those small informal affairs
where Mrs. Wheeler, having found in the market the first of the broiling
chickens and some fine green peas, bought them first and then sat down
to the telephone to invite her friends. Mr. Oglethorpe, the clergyman,
and his wife accepted cheerfully; Harrison Miller, resignedly. Then Mrs.
Wheeler drew a long, resolute breath and invited Mrs. Sayre. When that
lady accepted with alacrity Mrs. Wheeler hastily revised her menu,
telephoned the florist for flowers, and spent a long half-hour with
Annie over plates and finger bowls.
Jim was not coming home, and Elizabeth was dining with Nina. Mrs.
Wheeler bustled about the house contentedly. Everything was going well,
after all. Before long there would be a car, and Jim would spend more
time at home. Nina and Leslie were happy again. And Elizabeth--not a
good match, perhaps, but a marriage for love, if ever there was one.
She sat at the foot of her table that night, rather too watchful of
Annie, but supremely content. She had herself scoured the loving cup
to the last degree of brightness and it stood, full of flowers, in the
center of the cloth.