Rose O'Paradise Part 33

"I wish now," he said, smiling, "I had sent for you to come here before. It was such a treat!"

Jinnie shrank away as he offered her a roll of bills. An unutterable shyness crept over her.

"I don't want it," she said, gulping hard. "I'd love to fiddle for you all day long."

"But you must take it," insisted King. "Now then, I want to know where you live. I'm coming to see your uncle very, very soon."

Lafe and his wife were waiting for the girl, and the cobbler noticed Peggy's eyes were misty as Jinnie gave her the money. Over and over she told them all about it.

"And he's coming to see you, Lafe," she cried with a tremulous laugh.

"Mr. King says some day I'll be a great player. Will I, Lafe? Will I, Peggy?"

"You may," admitted Peggy, "but don't get a swelled head, 'cause you couldn't stop fiddlin' any more'n a bird could stop singin'.... Go to bed now, this minute."

And as Jinnie slept her happy sleep in Paradise Road, another woman was walking to and fro with a tall man under the trees at Theodore King's home.

"I thought I'd scream with laughter when she came in," said Molly the Merry. "If it hadn't been for Theo's warning, I'm sure most of us would.... Did you ever see such a ridiculous dress, Jordan?"

The man was quiet for a meditative moment. "I forgot about the dress when she began to play," he mused. "The sight of her face would drive all thoughts of incongruity out of a man's mind."

"Yes, she's very pretty," admitted Molly, reluctantly. "And Jordan, do you know there's something strangely familiar about her face?... I can't tell where I've seen her."

"Never mind. The important thing to me is I must have money. Can't keep up appearances on air."

"You know I'll always help you when I can, Jordan."

"Yes, I know it, and I'll not let you forget it either."

The woman gave him a puzzled look and the man caught her meaning.

"You're wondering why I don't open offices here, aren't you? Well, a person can't do two things at once, and I've been pretty busy tracing Virginia Singleton. And when I find her, you know very well I will return every penny I've borrowed."

And later, when Molly went to her room, she walked up and down thoughtfully, trying to bring to her mind the familiar violet eyes and the ma.s.s of purple black curls which were the crowning glory of Jinnie Grandoken.

CHAPTER XX

THE COBBLER'S SECRET

One Sunday morning, Jinnie sat with Lafe in the shop. In hours like these they thoroughly enjoyed themselves. The quietude of these precious Sabbath moments made the week, with its arduous tasks, bearable to the sensitive girl.

For several days past Jinnie had noticed Lafe had something on his mind, but she always allowed him to tell her everything in his own good time. Now she felt the time had come. His gray face, worn with suffering, was s.h.i.+ning with a heavenly light as he read aloud from a little Bible in his hand. To-day he had chosen the story of Abraham and Sarah. When he came to the part where Abraham said:

"Lord, if now I have found favor in Thy sight, pa.s.s not away, I pray Thee, from Thy servant," he p.r.o.nounced the last word with sobbing breath. One quick glance was enough for Jinnie's comprehension.

She leaned forward breathlessly.

"What is it, Lafe?... Something great?"

"Yes, something great, la.s.sie, and in G.o.d's name most wonderful."

Before Jinnie's world of imagery pa.s.sed all the good she had desired for Lafe. His softly spoken, "In G.o.d's name most wonderful," thrilled her from head to foot.

"And you've been keeping it from me, Lafe," she chided gently.

"Please, please, tell me."

Lafe sat back in the wheel chair and closed his eyes. "Wait, child,"

he breathed hesitatingly. "Wait a minute!"

As Jinnie watched him, she tried to stifle the emotion tugging at her heart--to keep back the tears that welled into her eyes. Perhaps what he had to tell her _would_ make her cry. Jinnie hoped not, for she disliked to do that. It was so childlike, so like Blind Bobbie, who always had either a beatific smile on his pale lips, or a mist s.h.i.+ning in his rock-gray eyes.

At length Lafe sighed a long, deep-drawn sigh, and smiled.

"Jinnie," he began----

"Yes, Lafe."

"I've been wonderin' if you remember the story of the little feller G.o.d sent to Peg an' me--the one I told you would a been six years old."

"Yes, I remember, Lafe."

"An' how good Peggy was----"

"Oh, how good Peggy always is!" interjected Jinnie.

"Yes," breathed Lafe, dreamily. "May G.o.d bless my woman in all her trials!"

Jinnie hitched her chair nearer his and slipped her arm about his neck soothingly.

"She doesn't have trials you don't share, Lafe," she declared.

Lafe straightened up.

"Yes, Peg has many, la.s.sie, I can't help 'er with, an' she'll have a many more. To get to tell you something, Jinnie, I asked Peg to take Bobbie out with 'er. We can't turn the little feller from the club room when he ain't out with Peg; can we, Jinnie?"

"Of course not," agreed Jinnie, nodding.

"So when Peg said she was goin' out," proceeded Lafe, gravely, "I says, thinkin' of the things I wanted to say to you, I said to Peggy, 'Take the little blind chap along with you, Peggy dear,' an' without a word she put the youngster into his clothes an' away they went."

Jinnie's curiosity was growing by the minute.

"And you're going to tell me now, Lafe?"

"An' now I'm goin' to tell you, Jinnie."

But he didn't tell her just then. Instead he sat looking at her with luminous eyes, and the expression in them--that heavenly expression--compelled Jinnie to kneel beside him, and for a little while they sat in silence.