II
The young lord of Leesville was too much occupied with his own
affairs to notice the look on the face of the yokel before him; or
perhaps he was so used to being recognized, and to being stared at
by yokels. He looked about the room and saw a stove. "Can you get us
a fire, so this lady can get dry?"
"Y--yes," said Jimmie. "I--I suppose so." But he made no move; he
stood rooted to the spot.
"Lacey," put in the woman, "don't stop for that. Get the car
started, or get another." And Jimmie looked at her; she was rather
small, and very beautiful--quite the most beautiful human creature
that Jimmie had ever looked at. One could see that she was
expensively dressed, even though everything she had on was soaked
with rain.
"Nonsense!" exclaimed Lacey. "You can't travel till you get
dry--you'd be ill." And he turned upon Jimmie. "Get a fire, won't
you?" he exclaimed. "A big fire. I'll make it worth while to you for
whatever you do. Only don't stand there gaping all night," he added
impatiently.
Jimmie leaped to obey; partly because he had been in the habit of
leaping to obey all his life--but also partly because he was sorry
for the beautiful wet lady, and because, if he stood and stared any
longer, Lacey Granitch might recognize him. The moment when Jimmie
had been singled out in the herd of strikers and cursed by the young
master of the Empire Machine Shops was one of the most vivid
memories of Jimmie's rebellious life, and it did not occur to him
that the incident might not have equally impressed the other
participant.
In a few minutes the stove was hot; and urged by her escort, the
lady took off her driving-coat and hat, and hung them over a chair.
Everything underneath was wet, and the man urged her to take off her
skirt and blouse. "What does he matter?" he argued, referring to
Jimmie; but the lady would not do it. She stood by the stove,
shivering slightly, and pleading with her escort to make haste, to
find some way to get the car running again. They might be followed--
"Oh, nonsense, Helen!" cried Lacey. "You are tormenting yourself
with nightmares. Be sensible and get dry." He piled the wood into
the stove, and ordered Jimmie to get another armful; and Jimmie
obeyed with his hands and feet--but meantime his rebellious little
brain was taking in every detail of the situation, putting this and
that together.
The talking had waked up Lizzie, so Jimmie rushed into the next room
and whispered, "Lacey Granitch is here!" If he had told her that the
Angel Gabriel was there, or Jehovah with all his thunders and his
retinue of seraphim, poor Lizzie could not have been more stunned.
Jimmie ordered her to get up, and get on her dress and shoes, and
get a cup of coffee for the lady; the dazed woman obeyed--though
she would rather have crawled under the bed than face the celestial
personages who had taken possession of her home.
