Just Around the Corner: Romance en casserole
She cried and laughed her relief and dragged him across the sidewalk;
and every step up the two flights she struggled to keep her hysterical
voice within the veil of a whisper.
"Just say everythin' right after me. You--you're my young man and real
sweet on me; and we're going to get--you know; everythin' is goin' to be
fine, and my little brother's going to the Electric Institute, and
everythin's goin' to be swell. Be right lovin' to her, sir--she's so
sick. Oh, Gawd, I--"
"Don't cry, little girl."
"I ain't cryin'."
"Careful; don't stumble."
"Don't _you_ stumble. Can you see? The landing's so dark."
"Yes; I can see by the shine of your hair, little lady."
"'Sh-h-h-h!"
The door stood open at the angle she had left it, and by proxy of the
slab of mirror over the mantelpiece she could see her mother's head
propped against her brother's gold-braided shoulder, and the bright eyes
shining out like a gazelle's in the dark.
"Essie?"
"We are here, ma--me and Joe." She threw a last appeal over her shoulder
and led the way into the bedroom; her companion followed, stooping to
accommodate his height to the doorway.
"Ma dearie, this is Joe."
"Joe! It ain't like me, Joe, not to get up; but I just ain't got the
strength--to-night, Joe."
He bent his six-feet-two over the bed and smiled at her from close
range.
"Well, well, well! So this is ma dear, dearie?"
"That's her, Joe."
"This won't do one bit, ma. Me and the little lady's got to get you
cured up in a hurry--don't we, little lady?"
"Ma dearie, Joe's been wantin' and wantin' to come for so long."
"For so long I been wantin' to come, ma dearie; but--"
"But he's so bashful. Ain't you, Joe? Bashful as a banshee."
"Bashful ain't no name for me, ma. I'd shy at a baby."
"Honest, ma dearie, he's as shy as anything."
"If I wasn't, wouldn't I have been up to see my little lady's mother
long ago--wouldn't I? Ain't you going to shake hands with me, ma
dearie?"
She held up a hand as light as a leaf, and he took it in a wide, gentle
clasp that enveloped it.
"Ma dearie!"
Her violet lids fluttered, and she lay back from the gold-braided
shoulder to her pillow, but smiling.
"I like your hand, Joe; I like it."
"I want you to, ma."
"We--I was afraid, Joe, I wouldn't, you never comin' at all. Shake it,
Jimmie, and see."
"Aw!"
"It's a strong hand, like your papa's was, Essie. Shake it, Jimmie. I
feel just like cryin', it's so good. Shake it, Jimmie."
Across the chasm of youth's prejudice Jimmie held out a reluctant hand.
"And this is the big brother, is it, little lady?"
"That's what he calls hisself, Joe--he calls me his little sister."
"He's gotta be a big brother to her, Joe; she's so--so little."
"Shake, old man; and take off that grouch. Over where I live a fellow'd
be fined ten cents for that scowl. If we got anything to square, you and
me'll square it outside after school. What do you say to that, ma
dearie? Ain't it right?"
"Jimmie's tired out, Joe."
"Like fun I am!"
"He's been proppin' me up all these hours so I could breathe
easier--plunkin' and doin' all his funny kid stunts for his old ma,
Essie--plunkin' like a banjo, and plunkin'. I liked it. Sometimes it was
like I was floatin' in a skiff with your papa on Sunday afternoons in
the park, Essie. I liked it. He's all tired out--ain't you, Jimmie, my
boy?"
"Naw!"
"He's sore at his sister, Joe. But he's a good boy and _smart_; you
wouldn't believe it, Joe, but when it comes to mechanics he--he's just
grand."
"Aw, cut it, ma! I ain't strikin' to make a hit."
"He's only tired, Joe, and don't mean nothin' he says."
"Naw; I'm only tryin' my voice out for grand opery!"
"You're a regular sorehead with me, ain't you, old man?"
"Aw!"
"He ain't easy at makin' up with strangers, Joe; but he's a smart one.
See that on the table? That's his self-chargin' dynamo; it's a great
invention, Joe, the janitor says. You tell him about it, Jimmie."
"There ain't nothin' to tell."
"Don't believe it, Joe; the janitor's a electrician, and he says--"
"Aw!"
"See! There it is, Joe."
"Aw, I don't want everybody pokin' and nosin'!"
"Lemme have a look at it, old man. I know something about dynamos
myself. Say, that looks like a neat little idea. How does she work?"
"See--you generate right down in here. See? She worked that time, ma."
"Jimminycracks! Where'd you get your juice and--Well, well! Whatta you
know about that? Don't even have to reverse. I guess that storage down
there ain't some stunt!"
"See, Jimmie, my boy! I told you it was a grand invention. Hear what Joe
says?"
"Say, kid, you bring that--take that over to the Institute to-morrow. I
know a fellow over there'll protect your rights and work that out with
you swell."
"See, Jimmie, your--your old ma was right!"
"Aw, the generator don't always work like that--only about four times
out of six. I'm kinda stuck on the--"
"Say, kid, what you wanna do is protect your rights on that, and--and
bring it over--take it over to the Institute. You'll give 'em the jolt
of their lives over there. I know a fellow's been chasin' this idea ten
years, and you're fifty per cent. closer to the bull's-eye than he is."
"Hear, Jimmie! Hear, Essie! Just like I been sayin'. I been beggin' and
beggin' him, Joe, but he--he's so stubborn; and--"
"Aw, ma, cut it, can't you?"
"He's so stubborn about it, Joe."
"There's no use tryin' to force him, ma; but he's gotta good idea there
if he handles it right."
"Aw, she ain't finished yet--she don't spark right."
"That what I'm telling you, kid. What you need is a laboratory, where
you've got the stuff to work with and men who can give you a steer where
you need it, and--"
"Aw!"
"I'll go over with you. I know a fellow over there--he's the guy that
helped Kinney win his transmitter prize. You'll give him the jolt of his
life, old man. Huh, kid? Wanna go over?" He placed his hand on the
gold-braided shoulder and smiled down. "Huh? You on, old man?"
"Aw, I ain't much for buttin' in places."
"Are you on, Jimmie? It's your chance, old man."
"Aw!"
"Jimmie! Jimmie, my boy, I--"
"Aw, I said I was on, didn't I, ma?"
"Sure, he said he was on, ma dearie. Shake on it, old man!"
"Jimmie! Jimmie, my boy--honest!--it's just like your papa was talkin'!
Don't leggo my hand, Joe. Layin' here with my eyes shut, it's just like
he was talkin' hisself. He's--he's like your papa was, Essie, big and
strong."
"Yes, darlin'."
"Is that the doctor? Is Lizzie Marks come back? Is that--"
"No; not yet, ma."
"You're all tired out, Essie baby. Look at your little face! Go wash it,
baby, and cool it off before old man Gibbs comes."
"It ain't hot, ma."
"He brought you into the world, Essie baby, and I don't want him to see
it--to see it all--all--"
"I'm all right, ma. Lemme stay by you."
"Go wash your face, Ess. Ma says go wash your face."
"You shut up, Jimmie Birdsong--it ain't your face!"
"You know all righty, missy, why she wants you to wash it--you know--"
"Ma, he keeps fussin' with me! Jimmie, please don't."
"Aw, I ain't, neither, ma. She's always peckin' at me. I--I ain't mad at
her; but I want her to wash that--that stuff off her face."
"Jimmie!"
Her lips quivered, and she glanced toward the stranger, with her lips
drooping over her eyes like curtains to her shame; and he smiled at her
with eyes as soft as spring rain, his voice a caress.
"Go, little lady. You're all tired out and too pretty and too sweet not
to wash your face and--cool it off."
"She's gotta go, or I'll get her in a corner and rub--"
"I'm goin', ain't I, Jimmie? Honest, the minute we make up you begin
pickin' a fuss again."
"Oh, my children!"
"Oh, Gawd, there she goes off again! Why don't old man Gibbs come? Lay
her down, Joe; she can't breathe that way. Look! Her hands are all
blue-like. Hold her up, Joe! Oh, Gawd, why don't old man Gibbs come?
She's all shakin'--all shakin'!"
"No, I ain't. What you cryin' there at the foot of the bed for, Essie?
It ain't no time to cry now, darlin'. It's like it says on the crocheted
lamp-mat your papa's aunt did for us--'God is Good!' Where is that mat,
Essie? I--I ain't seen it round for--so--long. God is good!
God--is--good! Where is that mat, Essie?"
"It's round somewheres, ma. It's old and worn out--in the rag-bag,
maybe."
"Well get it out, Essie."
"Yes, ma."
"Promise, Essie!"
"Sure, ma; we'll get it out and keep it out."
"Oh, Joe, why did you keep us waitin' and waitin'? She's so little and
pretty. Look at her dimples, Joe, even when she's cryin'. The prettiest
girl in the notions, she was; and I--I been so scared for her, Joe. Why
did you keep us waitin' and waitin'?"
"Me and the little girl was slow in getting here, ma; but we--we're here
for good now--ain't we, little lady? Little lady with the hair just like
ma's!"
"She gets it from me, Joe. Her papa used to say her hair was like the
copper trimmings of his machines. Such machines he kept, Joe! His boss
told me hisself they were just like looking-glasses, Essie, come closer,
darlin'. You won't forget the lamp-mat, will you, darlin'--the
lamp-mat?"
"Oh no, ma. Oh, Gawd! Ma, you ain't mad at me? Please--please! Honest,
ma, your little Essie didn't know."
"Ma knows we didn't know, little lady. She ain't mad at us. She's glad
that everything's going to be all right now; and you and her and Jimmie
and me are--"
"Oh, my children!"
She smiled and slipped her fingers between her daughter's face and the
coverlet.
"Look up, Essie! I feel so light! I feel so light! It's like it says on
the lamp-mat--just like it says, Essie."
"Ma! Ma darlin', open your eyes!"
"Ma!"
"Here, Jimmie, lend a hand! Lemme hold her up--so! No; don't give her
any more of that black stuff, Jimmie, old man. Wait till the doctor
comes. Let her lie quiet on my arm--just like that; and hand me that
ammonia-bottle there, Essie, like a sweet little lady. See there! She's
coming round all right. Who says she ain't coming to? Now, ma--now!"
"Joe, don't leggo me!"
"Sure I won't, ma dearie."
She warmed to life slightly, and the tears seeped through her closed
eyes, and she felt of his supporting arm down the length of his sleeve.
"Joe! Essie, that you?"
"Ma darlin', we're all here."
"Don't cry, little lady. See, she's coming out of it all right. Here,
gimme a lift, Jimmie. See there! She's got her breath all right again."
They laid her back on the pillow, and she folded her hands lightly, ever
so lightly, like lilies, one atop the other.
"Children! Children, I'm ready."
"Ready for what, ma? Some more black medicine?"
"Just _ready_, Jimmie, my boy! Here, Joe; hold my hand. It's like his
was, children--big and strong."
"Aw, ma! Come on! Perk up!"
"I am, Jimmie, my boy."
"Perk up for sure, I mean. Gee, ain't there enough to perk about? Look
at Joe and Ess--enough to give a fellow the Willies, pipin' at each
other like sugar'd melt in their mouths!"
"My Jimmie's a great one for teasin' his sister, Joe."
"And look at me, ma--ain't I going to take my dynamo over to the
Institute? And ain't the whole bunch of us right here next to your bed?
And just look, ma--look at the two of 'em turning to sugar right this
minute from lovin' each other! Ain't it the limit? Look at us, ma--all
here and fine as silkworms."
"Yes, yes, Jimmie; that's why I feel so light. I never felt so light
before. It's like it says on the lamp-mat, Jimmie--just like it says.
I'm ready for sure, my darlin's."
"Oh, Gawd, ma--ready for what? Look at us, ma dearie--all three of us