Speaker 1: Chapter twenty seven of Cloudy Jewel. This is a LibriVox recording.
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Speaker 1: by Tera Mendoza. Cloudy Jewel by Grace livingstone Hill, Chapter
Speaker 1: twenty seven. Clive Terrance hung around. He calmly took it
Speaker 1: for granite that the Clouds wanted him as long as
Speaker 1: he condescended to stay. In fact, it wouldn't have troubled
Speaker 1: him whether they wanted him or not if he wanted
Speaker 1: to stay. He had discovered that Leslie was the very
Speaker 1: same kind of a peach which her younger days had
Speaker 1: promised her to be, and there was plenty of good fun,
Speaker 1: so he stayed. He said he wanted to see what
Speaker 1: the college was like before he made his decision, and
Speaker 1: day after day went by with apparently no plans whatever
Speaker 1: for leaving in the near future. Julia Cloud didn't like him.
Speaker 1: She had admitted that much to herself the very first evening,
Speaker 1: and for that reason she was vices cordial to him,
Speaker 1: as she might have been if she had liked him better.
Speaker 1: She reasoned that it was unfair to take a sudden
Speaker 1: dislike that way, and perhaps it was only a sign
Speaker 1: he needed a bit of their home. All the more
Speaker 1: so she made him welcome and treated him as she
Speaker 1: did any other boys who came. But more and more,
Speaker 1: as the days slipped by, she did not like him.
Speaker 1: At first, she was a bit worried about his influence
Speaker 1: on Allison, till she saw that he merely annoyed Allison.
Speaker 1: Then she began to be annoyed by his constant attendance
Speaker 1: on Leslie, And finally she grew exceedingly restless and anxious.
Speaker 1: This day succeeded day, and Howard came no more. Finally,
Speaker 1: one evening, just before dinner, she went to the phone
Speaker 1: and called up the college. It happened that she caught
Speaker 1: Howard just as he was going down to dinner. She
Speaker 1: told him they were homesick for him, and there was
Speaker 1: roast lamb and green peas and strawberry shortcake for dinner.
Speaker 1: Wouldn't he come? He came? Who could refuse Julia Cloud?
Speaker 1: But the face of Clive Terence was a study. When
Speaker 1: unannounced Howard entered the living room, Julia had seen him
Speaker 1: coming and quietly opened the door. Such a storm of
Speaker 1: delighted welcome as met him, warmed his heart and dispelled
Speaker 1: the evil spirits that had haunted him during the week.
Speaker 1: In the chatter of talk while they were being seated
Speaker 1: at the dinner table, the visitor was almost forgotten, and
Speaker 1: he sat watching them glumly while Allison and Leslie eagerly
Speaker 1: discussed plans for some society in which they seemed to
Speaker 1: be interested. At last, he grew weary of being ignored,
Speaker 1: and then the first pause, he languidly drawled Leslie, I
Speaker 1: think you and I'll take the ca and go in
Speaker 1: town to show this evening. I'm bored to death. Leslie
Speaker 1: looked at him with flashing eyes and then extinguished him
Speaker 1: with her cool tone, do you well think again, I'm
Speaker 1: having a lovely time, and went on talking to Howard
Speaker 1: about the senior play that was to come off the
Speaker 1: next week. It did not suit Clive in the least
Speaker 1: to be ignored, so he started in to tell about
Speaker 1: other senior plays in other colleges where he had been,
Speaker 1: and quite made himself the center of the stage, laughing
Speaker 1: at as jokes and addressing all his remarks to Leslie
Speaker 1: until her cheeks grew hot with annoyance. She wanted so
Speaker 1: to hear what Howard and Allison were talking about. In
Speaker 1: low grave tones. She watched the strong, fine face of
Speaker 1: Howard Letchworth, and it suddenly came over her that he
Speaker 1: seemed very far away from her, like a friend who
Speaker 1: used to be but had moved away. Something in her
Speaker 1: throat hurt, and a sinking feeling came in her heart.
Speaker 1: Like a flash. It came to her that Howard Letchworth
Speaker 1: would be graduated in three more weeks, and perhaps would
Speaker 1: go away then, and they would see him no more.
Speaker 1: She caught a word or two now and then as
Speaker 1: he talked to Allison that indicated that he was seriously
Speaker 1: contemplating such a possibility. Yet he had not said a
Speaker 1: word to her about it, and they had been such
Speaker 1: good friends. A grieved look began to grow around her
Speaker 1: expressive little cupid's bow of a mouth, and her big
Speaker 1: eyes grew sorrowful. As she watched the two. She was
Speaker 1: not listening to Clive, who drawled on unaware of her inattention.
Speaker 1: Suddenly Leslie became aware that Clive had risen and was
Speaker 1: standing over her with something in his hand. She had
Speaker 1: taken from his vest, something small and shining, and he
Speaker 1: was saying, one aware it last here, I'll put it
Speaker 1: on you. Then everybody will think we are engaged. It
Speaker 1: was his fraternity pin he was holding out with smiling assurance,
Speaker 1: and the significance of his words came over her as
Speaker 1: a sentence read without comprehension, will suddenly recall itself and
Speaker 1: pierce into the realization. With a stifled cry, she sprang
Speaker 1: away from him. Mercy, no, Clive, I didn't know you
Speaker 1: were so silly. I never wear boys fraternity pins. I
Speaker 1: think such things are too sacred to be trifled with.
Speaker 1: This was what she said, but she was miserably aware
Speaker 1: that Howard had turned away and picked up his hat
Speaker 1: just as Clive had leaned over her with the pin,
Speaker 1: and almost immediately he left. He had been so engrossed
Speaker 1: with his talk with Allison that he had not seemed
Speaker 1: to see her repulsion of Clive and his manner toward
Speaker 1: her as he bade her good night was cool and distant.
Speaker 1: All the pleasant intimacy of all the months together seemed
Speaker 1: suddenly wiped out, and Howard a grown up stranger. She
Speaker 1: felt herself a miserably unhappy little girl. Julia Cloud from
Speaker 1: the advantage of the dining room, where she was doing
Speaker 1: little things for the next day, watched the drama with
Speaker 1: a heavy heart. What had come between her children and
Speaker 1: what could she do about it? The only comfortable thing
Speaker 1: about it seemed to be that each was as unhappy
Speaker 1: as the other. Could it be that Howard Letchworth was
Speaker 1: jealous of his small, souled, spoiled son of fortune who
Speaker 1: was visiting them? Surely not yet what made him act
Speaker 1: in this ridiculous fashion? She felt like shaking him even
Speaker 1: while she pitied him. She half meditated calling him back
Speaker 1: and trying to find out what was the matter, but
Speaker 1: gave it up. After all, what could she do? Leslie.
Speaker 1: As the door closed behind Howard turned with one dagger,
Speaker 1: look at Clive, and dashed upstairs to her room, where
Speaker 1: she locked herself in and cried till her eyes were
Speaker 1: too swollen for steady. But she only told Julia Cloud
Speaker 1: when she came up gently to inquire, that she had
Speaker 1: a bad headache and wanted to go to bed. Julia Cloud,
Speaker 1: kneeling beside her gray couch a little later, laying all
Speaker 1: her troubles on the one who was her strength, found
Speaker 1: it hard not to emphasize her dislike even in prayer
Speaker 1: towards the useless little excuse for a young man who
Speaker 1: was lolling downstairs reading a novel and smoking innumerable cigarettes
Speaker 1: in spite of her expressed wish to the contrary. The
Speaker 1: first Sunday after Young Terence's arrival, it rained and was
Speaker 1: very dismal and cold for spring. Howard had been asked
Speaker 1: to go to a near by reform school for the
Speaker 1: afternoon and speak to the boys, and Jane was caring
Speaker 1: for a little child whose mother was ill in the hospital.
Speaker 1: Leslie was unhappy and restless, wandering from window to window
Speaker 1: looking out. Their guest had chosen to remain in bed
Speaker 1: that morning, so relieving them from the necessity of trying
Speaker 1: to get him to go to church. But he was
Speaker 1: on hand for lunch in immaculate attire, apparently ready for
Speaker 1: a holiday. There was a cozy fire on the hearth,
Speaker 1: and he lulled luxuriously in an arm chair, seemingly well
Speaker 1: pleased with himself and all the world. Julia Cloud wondered
Speaker 1: just what she would better do about the afternoon hour
Speaker 1: with this uncongenial guest on hand. But Leslie and Allison,
Speaker 1: after a hasty, whispered consultation in the dining room, with
Speaker 1: numerous dubious glances towards the guest, ending in wry faces,
Speaker 1: came and settled down with their bibles. As usual, there
Speaker 1: was a loyalty in the quiet act that almost brought
Speaker 1: the tears to Julia Cloud's eyes, and she rewarded them
Speaker 1: with a loving, understanding smile. But when the guest was
Speaker 1: asked to join the little circle, he only stared in amazement.
Speaker 1: He had no idea of trying to conform to their habits. Thanks, No,
Speaker 1: I hate reading aloud. Books always bore me anyway. The Bible,
Speaker 1: oh heck, no, count me out. And he swung one
Speaker 1: leg over the arm of his chair and picked up
Speaker 1: the Sunday Illustrated Supplement, which he had gone out and purchased,
Speaker 1: and which was now strown all about the floor. He
Speaker 1: continued for some time to rattle the paper and whistle
Speaker 1: in a low tone rudely, while the reading went on.
Speaker 1: Then he threw down his paper and lighted a cigarette,
Speaker 1: But that did not seem to soothe his nerves sufficiently,
Speaker 1: so he strolled over to the piano and began to
Speaker 1: drum bits of popular airs and sing in a high
Speaker 1: nasal tone that he was pleased to call Whiskey tinor
Speaker 1: Julia Cloud, with a despairing glance at him, finally closed
Speaker 1: her book and suggested that they had read enough for
Speaker 1: that day, and the little audience drifted away unhappily to
Speaker 1: their rooms. Leslie did not come down again all the
Speaker 1: afternoon until just time for Christian Endeavor. Young Terrence, by
Speaker 1: this time was reduced to almost affability, and looking up hopefully,
Speaker 1: he was about to propose a game of cards, but
Speaker 1: when he saw Leslie, attired in raincoat and hat, he stared, Great, Scott,
Speaker 1: you don't have to go up to college tonight, do you?
Speaker 1: It's raining cats and dogs. Alison and I are going
Speaker 1: to Christian Endeavor, answered Leslie quietly. Would you like to go?
Speaker 1: She had been trying to school herself to give this
Speaker 1: invitation because she thought she ought to, but she hoped
Speaker 1: sincerely it would not be accepted. It seemed as if
Speaker 1: she could not bear to have the whole day spoiled
Speaker 1: for answer. Young Terence laughed extravagantly, Christian Endeavor, what's the
Speaker 1: little old idea? Better come and find out, said Allison,
Speaker 1: coming downstairs just then, Ready Leslie, we'll have to hustle.
Speaker 1: It's gettin late. In alarm at the idea of spending
Speaker 1: any more time alone, the young man arose most unexpectedly,
Speaker 1: Oh sure, I'll go anything for a little fun, and
Speaker 1: he joined them in a moment, more clad in rubber
Speaker 1: coat and storm hat, Leslie could scarcely keep back the
Speaker 1: tears as she walked beside him through the dark street,
Speaker 1: not listening to his boasting about riding the waves in Hawaii.
Speaker 1: Suppose Howard was at the meeting, he would think, what
Speaker 1: would he think? And of course Howard was at the
Speaker 1: meeting that night, for he happened to be the leader.
Speaker 1: Leslie's cheeks burned as she sat down and saw that
Speaker 1: Clive had maneuvered to sit beside her. She tried to
Speaker 1: catch Howard's eyes and fling a greeting tune, but he
Speaker 1: seemed not to see his old friends and to be
Speaker 1: utterly absorbed in hunting up hymns. The first song had
Speaker 1: scarcely died away before Clive began a conversation with a
Speaker 1: low growl, making remarks of what he apparently considered a
Speaker 1: comic nature about everything and everybody in the room, with
Speaker 1: a distinctness that made them entirely audible to those seated
Speaker 1: around them. Leslie's cheeks flamed and her eyes flashed angrily,
Speaker 1: but he only seemed to enjoy it. The morning kept
Speaker 1: on with his running commentary. For pity's sake, Clive keeps, still,
Speaker 1: can't you, whispered Leslie anxiously. They will think you never
Speaker 1: had any bringing up, I should worry, shrugged the amiable
Speaker 1: Clive comically with a motion of his handsome shoulders that
Speaker 1: sent two susceptible young things near him into a series
Speaker 1: of poorly suppressed giggles. Clive looked up and gravely winked
Speaker 1: at them, and the two bent down their heads in sudden,
Speaker 1: hopeless mirth. Clive was delighted. He was having a grand time.
Speaker 1: He could see that the leader was annoyed and disgusted.
Speaker 1: This was balm to his bored soul. He made more
Speaker 1: remarks under cover of a bowed head during the prayer
Speaker 1: and stole glances at the two giggling neighbors. Then he
Speaker 1: nudged Leslie and endeavored to get her to join in
Speaker 1: the mirth. Poor Leslie, with her burning cheeks, her brimming eyes,
Speaker 1: and her angry heart, her last vision of the as
Speaker 1: she bowed her head, had been a haughty, annoyed glance
Speaker 1: in their direction as he said, let us pray. She
Speaker 1: felt that she could not stand another minute of this torture.
Speaker 1: Almost she felt she must get up and go out,
Speaker 1: and she made a hasty little movement to carry out
Speaker 1: the impulse. And then suddenly it came to her that
Speaker 1: if she went, Clive would follow her, and it would
Speaker 1: look to Howard as if she had created the disturbance,
Speaker 1: and they had gone off together to have a good time.
Speaker 1: So she settled down to endure the rest of the meeting,
Speaker 1: lifting miserable eyes of appeal to Allison as soon as
Speaker 1: the prayer was ended. If only there had been a
Speaker 1: seat bacon up front somewhere, a single seat with no
Speaker 1: other near it, where her tormentor could not follow, she
Speaker 1: would have gone to it swiftly. But the seats were
Speaker 1: all filled, and there was nothing to do but sit
Speaker 1: still and frown her disapproval. Perhaps Allison might have done
Speaker 1: something to quiet the guest if he had noticed, but
Speaker 1: Allison was at the moment of Leslie's appeal, deeply wrapped
Speaker 1: in setting down a few items which must be announced
Speaker 1: and He almost immediately arose and went forward with it
Speaker 1: slip of paper, and held a whispered converse with Howard
Speaker 1: Letchworth during the hymn that followed, afterwards taking a chair
Speaker 1: down from the platform and placing it beside the chairman
Speaker 1: of an important committee, that he might consult with him
Speaker 1: about something. During this sudden move on the part of Allison,
Speaker 1: Clive Terence did have his attention turned aside somewhat from
Speaker 1: his mischief making, for he was watching Allison with an
Speaker 1: amazed expression. Not anything that he had seen since coming
Speaker 1: to the town had so astonished him as to see
Speaker 1: this young man of wealth and position, an undoubted strength
Speaker 1: of will and purpose, get up in a church and
Speaker 1: go forward as if he had some business in the affair.
Speaker 1: He sat up with his loose, handsome underlip half dropped
Speaker 1: in surprise, and watched Allison with a curious, startled expression.
Speaker 1: And when a moment later the leader said quietly, our
Speaker 1: president has a message for us, and Allison arose and
Speaker 1: faced the crowded room with an eager, spirited, interested look
Speaker 1: on his face, and began to talk earnestly, outlining a
Speaker 1: plan for a deeper spiritual life among the members his
Speaker 1: expression and was one of utter bewilderment, as if he
Speaker 1: suddenly saw trees walking about the streets or inanimate objects
Speaker 1: beginning to show signs of intellect. He was thinking that
Speaker 1: Alice and Cloud certainly had changed, and was wondering what
Speaker 1: on earth had brought it about. It couldn't be any
Speaker 1: line that his guardian had on him, for he was
Speaker 1: a thousand miles away. Was it that little quiet and
Speaker 1: sipid mouse of an ant that had done it? She
Speaker 1: must be rich or something, the way the brother and
Speaker 1: sister seemed to be tied to her ape and stream.
Speaker 1: Where did al Cloud get that line of talk he
Speaker 1: was handing out? Anyway? Why he talked about God as
Speaker 1: if he were an intimate friend of his, and spoke
Speaker 1: of prayer and Bible reading in the way common ordinary
Speaker 1: people talked of going to breakfast or eating candy, as
Speaker 1: if they were necessary and pleasurable acts. Why it was inconceivable?
Speaker 1: What was he doing it? For? There must be a reason.
Speaker 1: For fully five minutes he sat quiet and puzzled thought
Speaker 1: watching this strange gathering, gradually taking it in that they
Speaker 1: were all taking part in the proceedings, and that they
Speaker 1: seemed interested and eager. Why even those two giggling girls
Speaker 1: who had fallen so readily for his nonsense, had sobered down,
Speaker 1: and one read a verse from the Bible, while the
Speaker 1: other repeated a verse of poetry. He turned and blinked
Speaker 1: at them in wonder. What had so influenced them that
Speaker 1: they all fell in line and performed their part as
Speaker 1: if it were being rehearsed for his benefit? What was
Speaker 1: the motive power? The query interested him to the point
Speaker 1: of good behavior all through the remainder of the meeting,
Speaker 1: And while he was standing waiting for Allison and Leslie
Speaker 1: at the close, it seemed that somehow there was a
Speaker 1: real interest, for they lingered as if there were vital
Speaker 1: matters to discuss, and Leslie was the center of a
Speaker 1: group of quite common looking girls. It must be some
Speaker 1: sort of social settlement work or other connected with the church,
Speaker 1: and some one had induced these two, who were, to
Speaker 1: his thinking of a higher order of being by right
Speaker 1: of wealth and social position, to take an interest and
Speaker 1: run this society or whatever it was. He could not
Speaker 1: make it out at all. He was much discussed that
Speaker 1: the young people insisted on staying to church and had
Speaker 1: a bad hour living through it, although he was surprised
Speaker 1: to find it as interesting as it was. The minister
Speaker 1: seemed quite human, and they had a great deal of singing.
Speaker 1: Still it was all a bore, of course. He found
Speaker 1: a great many things in life to bore him. As
Speaker 1: soon as he and Allison were out on the street,
Speaker 1: he broached the subject, what's the little old idea, old man,
Speaker 1: are you a sort of grand mogul or high priest
Speaker 1: or something to this mob? And what do you get
Speaker 1: out of it? Alison turned and looked solemnly at him
Speaker 1: through the dark, and answered with a kind of glow
Speaker 1: in his voice that seemed to lighten his face and
Speaker 1: puzzle the question in more than all that had gone before.
Speaker 1: I'm just one of them's son, and it happens to
Speaker 1: be my turn just now to be presiding officer. But
Speaker 1: I get out of it more than I ever got
Speaker 1: out of anything in life before. Oh, said Clive inanely,
Speaker 1: quite at a loss to know what he meant. I
Speaker 1: never knew before that people could know God personally, be
Speaker 1: his pal sort of, you know, and work with him.
Speaker 1: And it's been great, added Allison. Oh, said Clive once more,
Speaker 1: quite weakly, not knowing what else to say, and they
Speaker 1: walked on for almost a block without speaking another word.
Speaker 1: Clive was thinking that certainly Allison had changed, as that
Speaker 1: an mannerly chump on the train had said changed most
Speaker 1: perplexingly and peculiarly. But Allison had forgotten almost that Clive
Speaker 1: was there. He was thinking over some good news he
Speaker 1: had to tell Jane about a protegee of hers who
Speaker 1: had taken a shy part in the meeting, and wondering
Speaker 1: if he could get away for a few minutes to
Speaker 1: run up and tell her, or if it would be
Speaker 1: better to call her up on the phone. Howard Letchworth
Speaker 1: had not come home with them. He had whispered a
Speaker 1: hurried excuse to Allison about some one he had to
Speaker 1: see up at college before they left for the city,
Speaker 1: and hurried away at the close of the meeting, and Leslie,
Speaker 1: with a choking feeling in her throat and burning tears
Speaker 1: held back from her eyes by mighty effort, announced to
Speaker 1: Allison that she wasn't coming home just now, that she
Speaker 1: was going to stay for a little after the prayer
Speaker 1: meeting the Lookout Committee were having. She would walk with
Speaker 1: the Martins, who went right by their door for Leslie
Speaker 1: was done with Clive Terence, and she wanted him to
Speaker 1: understand it. So Clive was landed at home with Julia Cloud,
Speaker 1: her companion, who had not gone to church on account
Speaker 1: of staying to nurse Cherry, who had taken a bad
Speaker 1: cold in need of medicine. Alison hurried away to give
Speaker 1: Jane her message, and there was nothing for Clive to
Speaker 1: do but to go to bed and resolve never to
Speaker 1: spend another Sunday in such boredom, for he couldn't see
Speaker 1: hob nobbing with an old woman, as he called Julia
Speaker 1: Cloud the way the others seemed entirely willing to do.
Speaker 1: What was she anyway, but some poor relation, likely who
Speaker 1: was acting as housekeeper. But at least, for once in
Speaker 1: his life, Clive Terrence realized that there was such a
Speaker 1: thing in the world as a live religion and a
Speaker 1: few people who held to it and loved it and
Speaker 1: enjoyed it. He couldn't understand it, but he had to
Speaker 1: admit it, although he was convinced that behind it all
Speaker 1: there must be some ulterior motive, or those people would
Speaker 1: never bother themselves to that extent. But Leslie came home
Speaker 1: from church with a heavy heart and crept up to
Speaker 1: her room with bravely cheerful smiles to deceive Julia cloud
Speaker 1: and then cried herself to sleep, while Julia Cloud wise eyed,
Speaker 1: kept her own counsel and carried her perplexities to the
Speaker 1: throne of God. End of Chapter twenty seven. Recording by
Speaker 1: Terra Mendoza, Phoenix, Arizona, April two thousand eleven.