CHAPTER XII
PROGRESS
THEY were on the way to the Eagle’s Nest to celebrate the first anniversary of their union by the new free ceremony of the waterfalls when it happened--the discovery of their secret.
Lucy Sheldon had not suspected the truth. She had mildly reproached her nephew for his slow love-making. She had broadly hinted to Ellen her opinion of a woman who dallied so long with a man and never landed the game, but the self-poised young leader of the new revolution never batted an eye. The subject was dismissed without discussion.
It was at Manning’s urgent request she had not made his aunt a confidant. He knew with instinctive dread that such a revelation would bring an estrangement beyond repair. He loved her devotedly and shrank from facing her over such an issue. It would be cowardly to plead that he was not responsible. By the old code man is always responsible. The simplest thing was to keep a close mouth with Lucy Sheldon. This they had carefully done.
The drive had been delightful. A thousand tender memories crowded each turn of the beautiful road. The year had been an inspiring one for Ellen and yet she had completely lost her impulse to creative thinking. Her happiness was so deep, so full, so soul-absorbing it had been impossible to do serious work. She had basked in the sun. She had strolled in the parks and listened to the chirp of birds and watched with lazy joy the foolishness of young lovers. Her work was a farce.
“What a wonderful year it has been, dear man!” she exclaimed after a long silence.
“Wonderful.”
“Have you any regrets?”
“Only that the year had so few days in it!”
“That can be remedied--we’ll enlarge the calendar by adding another, shall we not?”
“And another.”
“And another!”
“Keep your hand off this wheel while I’m driving!” she sternly commanded while the blood rushed in waves to her beautiful face.
“I didn’t touch you!” he declared.
“No, but you were going to if I hadn’t stopped you.”
“Let’s take a cup of tea at Bear Mountain--we stopped there a minute on that first drive--don’t you remember?”
“And watched the droves of silly lovers pour across the road. All right, we’ll stop.”
She swung the little roadster into line with the cars in the reservation for motor vehicles and they walked up to the restaurant.
The usual Saturday crowd thronged the place. Most of the seats were taken, but they found a table at last beside the windows overlooking the river. And as luck would have it they could talk without fear of being overheard. A family party had annexed the tables nearby and their noisy chatter gave the solitude they wished. “Aren’t you happy, my love-man?” she asked tenderly.
“As a grinning idiot,” he laughed.
“Don’t you begin to see now that marriage is merely the established legal bond between the owner and the bought, the keeper and the kept?”
“Whatever you say goes,” he parried.
“But don’t you see it and feel it as I do now?”
“I suppose I must. If I got any more joy out of the old-fashioned marriage I would be reduced to a state of idiocy.”
He didn’t try to argue. She was doing it for both and he saw it clearly. Her mind was busy summing up the year’s joys and the spell could not be broken. Her tones were a half-dreaming, half-waking ecstacy.
“I hated submission, and now that I know I’m free, I love to submit to your will, don’t I?”
He nodded approval.
“I said I’d be your comrade and companion or nothing. I’ve proven that it’s possible, haven’t I?”
“You have.”
“The moment I had been your slave this would not have been possible, now would it?”
“Certainly not!”
“A womanhood free, strong, tender, fearless----”
She paused and flushed scarlet. Her eyes were fixed in a speechless stare across the crowded room.
Manning turned quickly and saw Edwin Brown approaching their table, a broad smile on his handsome face.
His heart gave a thump and he felt it was going to stop. He knew that Brown had been really in love with Ellen. He had dreaded to face the day of his discovery of their relations. It might open ugly possibilities in more ways than one. If he should be vindictive, he could smash his career at a blow. If he turned out to be the scoundrel the world believed him, his determination to win her might be more grim than ever, and his methods without a scruple. Perhaps Brown wouldn’t leap at conclusions after all.
But Manning didn’t like the curious smile that played about the corners of his expressive mouth as he came nearer. He liked still less the mask that followed the smile as he reached their table.
He rose to greet him and met the extended hand with casual politeness.
“Sit down, governor, and have a bite, won’t you?” he said politely.
“Yes, do,” Ellen urged.
“Thank you,” he answered, promptly taking the proffered seat.
He held Ellen’s gaze for an instant and she blushed.
“Well, children,” he began gravely, “I’ve certainly caught you----”
“Really!” Ellen exclaimed.
“Surest thing you know,” he went on half-humorously, half-seriously. “I caught a glimpse of that little roadster twice before on this drive to Bear Mountain, caught a glimpse of the woman in the case, but couldn’t make out the man--well, well, well!”
He folded his arms and surveyed the pair.
Manning flushed and moved uneasily.
Ellen laughed outright.
“I suppose you’ll report us to the grand jury?” she asked in mock fear.
“It’s probably my duty as a law-abiding citizen--but I hate duties.”
He paused and smiled curiously at Ellen.
Manning’s blood began to boil.
“So this is why I haven’t had a ghost of a chance the past year, eh?”
“Yes.”
“Couldn’t even get a telephone message through to you--well, well; what’s the use of a man having money if it don’t get what he wants!”
“It will be distressing if woman ever emerges from the age of barter and sale, won’t it?” Ellen broke in.
He ignored the interruption.
“You know, you’re the first woman who ever threw me flat, without even a passing ‘excuse me’ as you walked over my prostrate form.”
“And I’m not to be forgiven?”
“On the other hand, my admiration has increased. I’ll get over the hurt. Men of my egotistical make-up always recover--but tell me something----”
He stopped short and searched Ellen’s eyes.
“Yes?”
“You look radiant; more beautiful than ever.”
Manning stirred uneasily.
“Keep still, young man,” he growled. “You’re more beautiful than ever,” he went on, “but you’ve written very little the past year--why?”
“I’ve been too happy, I suppose,” was the frank confession.
“That’s it, beyond a doubt,” he mused. “And the funny thing is that it’s the contradiction of all your pet theories of self-development!”
“Nonsense!” she protested.
“It certainly is,” he affirmed. “By every article of your creed your mind should be blossoming as your radiant body. You have attained woman’s supreme dream--the love of the man you love--and instead of writing a great book, you’ve stopped work!”
“I’ve a right to my year of jubilee!”
“Granted, but look at this youngster by your side.”
Manning’s heart gave another thump, but he faced his superior boldly.
“And what of him?” Ellen asked in low tones.
“Well,” he continued musingly, “my managing editor has been telling me for some time that he’s doing the best work of his life. He has recommended him for city editor. A rank amateur for such a job, but I’ve a notion to take a chance. Can’t help a friendly interest in two cheerful idiots who have set out on so perilous a journey----”
He paused and laid his hand on Manning’s arm.
“You can go on Monday morning, son; your salary’s ten thousand a year!”
He rose and extended his hand to Ellen.
“Good-bye and good luck!”
Manning pushed his chair aside, sprang to his feet and grasped Brown’s hand.
“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it, sir; I can’t thank you!”
“You don’t need to. You’ve earned your promotion. You’re worth every dollar of your salary to my paper, or you wouldn’t get it.”
With a wave of his long arm and a smile he was gone.
“By Jove, that’s great!” Manning whispered; “isn’t it?”
“Wonderful,” she responded abstractedly.
“I was scared one minute and ready to choke him the next when he was devouring you with his eyes, but, by George, he got my goat! To think of his doing this on the spur of the minute.”
He stopped and thought.
“And it was on the level. It was a square business proposition. He knows you too well to have any sinister purpose in the back of his head.”
He looked at Ellen and caught the expression of brooding antagonism.
“For heaven’s sake, what’s the matter?” he asked nervously.
“Nothing.”
It was past the ken of mere man to know that she had felt the first pang of jealousy as his rival in the world’s work. He had passed her on the road to fame and fortune. His salary was nearly double the one she was receiving. Hers would probably remain at six thousand for the next ten years. There was hardly a limit to the possibilities of his advancement in the next decade.
She lay awake for hours that night in the cabin on the cliff brooding over the sinister suggestions which her foolish jealousy had roused.