Read Ebook: Wanderings of French Ed by Ren J Adelard Joseph Adelard

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Ebook has 271 lines and 17038 words, and 6 pages

Edward was thoughtful for a minute, and then said: "I will stop anyway, Ben--I have made up my mind to.

"Well, if you have, I will also stop; but Edward, look out, it is dangerous to get acquainted too quick with a girl, especially a Chicago girl," he added.

This last remark made Edward angry, and he was tempted to take offense, but he knew that his friend had no intention but to give him good advice, and then they were to stop in Chicago--that was what he wanted.

When they arrived at the great metropolis of the West, Edward offered to see Miss King to her home, while the Russian was to wait at the station until his return.

When Edward came back, his friend asked him: "Did she cry when you left her?"

"Ben, I don't like to hear you speak this way about her. No; I won't permit any joking about it."

"All right, Ed, but what do you know about her?"

"I know that she is a good girl, and that she is not making sport of me."

"How do you know it?"

"She told me so."

"Oh! la! la! la! She told you so, eh? Don't you know that women can say anything?"

"Never mind, Ben, you are not my keeper. This is a personal matter."

Edward knew that his friend was an enemy of womankind, and therefore he saw fit to close the discussion as soon as possible.

They left their baggage in the check-room and went to a cheap hotel where they had lunch, and afterward the Russian asked Edward about the program for the afternoon.

"My program is already made," said Edward. "I shall call on Miss King." They walked together in the direction of her home, where they parted, after having agreed to meet later at the hotel.

When Edward rang the doorbell his heart was beating so hard that he could bear it, and when the colored servant came to take his card, he felt as if walking in a dream. The servant led him into a beautiful boudoir, where he sat waiting for Miss King, ho soon came in.

"I am so happy you came," she said as she entered.

Edward murmured something about being very happy himself, as he held her hand in his. Everything in the room was exceedingly rich and artistic. In one corner a Venus de Milo seemed to be smiling at him, while from another corner a Cupid was apparently ready to shoot at him. It was more luxury than Edward had ever thought of, and the whole thing was like a dream.

"Where are her father and mother?" he asked himself, and she seemed to guess his thoughts, and said: "I am Chez-moi, not Chez-nous; my family lives in Montreal, and I must tell you I am an actress."

"An actress!" he repeated, stupefied.

"Yes, an actress, and my name is not Nellie King; but I will tell you all about this later."

"How can you be an actress and live like this?" asked Edward, in his simplicity, looking around.

"Oh--I make lots of money--I have been successful," and then she told him her life.

Stage-struck, she had left her home three years before, and her parents knew not where she went. Her voice bad won great success for her from the beginning, but when the excitement of the first success had passed, she found herself lonesome, unhappy, craving for some one to love, some one who would care for her, and not for her success. She spoke of the men who sent her baskets of flowers and begged to be her slave; these men she despised, she said, "because they care for me only on account of my success--let my voice fail and they will stop sending flowers. It flatters them to be seen with me, because I am a success; but when I have grown old, and my voice will be gone, what will they care for me then?" and tears came to her eyes when she said these last words.

"Why don't you go back to your home in Canada?" asked Edward, feelingly.

"My mother has died since I left, and how I have cried! I have felt that I was the cause of her death, and I know that my father would never forgive me."

"Poor Nellie," Edward said, holding her hand, tempted to kiss it.

"Oh! Edward, motherless, and without any real true friends, don't you pity me? The only time I am happy is when I look back to the days of my childhood; then I smile as one must when dreaming a happy dream in the quiet of the night."

During all this time Edward had listened with tears in his eyes. His sympathetic nature had thrown open the doors of his heart and soul; he was enraptured, and it was all he could do not to fall at her feet and tell her of his love. He wanted to live his life with hers; he felt drawn toward that strange nature, and loved her intensely, as he sat there holding and pressing her hand. There seemed to be an established current of a mysterious magnetic fluid that drew his whole life to her.

"Have you ever loved any one, Edward?" she asked him, looking him in the eyes.

For an instant the name of Marie Louise fluttered in his mind, and then he said: "I don't believe I have until now."

She did not appear to take any notice of his last words, but a satisfied look came over her face. She changed the subject and asked him if he was going to St. Paul on the morrow.

"I will have to--my friend will not want to wait any longer."

"Let him go alone," she suggested.

"But what will I do here?"

"What will you do in St. Paul?"

"Well, I do not know--but we will likely go into some kind of business, my friend and I, and then I can come back and see you."

She looked at Edward for an instant, and a queer light came in her eyes, as she said: "You will not go; you can do just as well here as in St. Paul. As to your friend, let him go; or, if he will remain here, I will help him to find something to do."

Not go! It was a new turn of things, and Edward did not know what to say.

"Tell me that you are willing to remain in Chicago, Edward, and I will arrange the rest with your friend," pleaded Nellie.

"All right," said Edward, "if only you can induce him to stay, I will be glad."

It was decided that they should both walk to the hotel where Ben was waiting, and talk the matter over. Nellie went into the next room, and coming back in her street costume, they started at once to meet the Russian.

Edward was dubious. He feared that his friend would think him crazy, and he felt keenly the injustice of compelling him to remain in Chicago on his account, but love was in his heart, and he would have done anything rather than displease Nellie; in fact, he was no longer his own master--she held full sway over his mind.

When they arrived at the hotel, the Russian was much surprised to see Edward with a lady, and he was really embarrassed when Edward presented him to Miss King. Nellie sat in front of the Russian, and after a few moments of conventional talk the main subject was touched. At first the Russian could hardly grasp the idea. Why should they stop in Chicago, when they had taken their tickets for St. Paul?

"You can sell your tickets at a broker's office, at a small loss," said Nellie, "and the chances of finding employment are just as good here as in St. Paul, in fact, better, because I can help you here."

"You can help us? How?" asked the Russian.

"If you tell me what you expected to do in St. Paul, I will answer your question," said Nellie, while Edward followed the debate between the two without saying a word.

"Well, so far as I am concerned I am willing to do anything honorable and earn good wages," said Benjamin.

"All right; remain here, and I will see that you get an offer of a position before to-morrow night. Will you stay?" and she looked him straight in the eyes, until the Russian said "Yes."

Edward walked back to Nellie's home leaving his friend wondering what in the world was to happen next. In the evening when Edward came back he hardly dared to look his friend in the face. He felt guilty in compelling Ben to stay in Chicago, and felt that if misfortune was to result, he would be responsible; but to his surprise his friend seemed perfectly pleased and said that if things did not go well in Chicago it would always be time to go further West.

The next day when the two friends were coming out of the dining room, a letter was handed to them addressed:

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