CHAPTER VII.
After Scoris and Helen Vivian had returned to the city they were amazed one morning by a letter from their mother, telling them that Mira and Jack Moberly had married and left Lake View, having gone to his uncle somewhere in the far West. Not long afterwards another letter came from Geron, saying that their mother was terribly grieved about Mira and asking them if they remembered to what city Jack had said that he was going, for they had tried in every way to find out something about them.
Neither of them could remember, so they wrote to their mother in sympathy, telling her that they would do all they could to find out about her. Their lives were busy ones, so the time passed quickly. Scoris was an artist, employed by an illustrating firm, and Helen had a position in a large department store. They still lived in the flat they had shared with Tom before his marriage, and were giving all the time they could spare from their employment to the society in the city. The winter had passed, Mira had written to her mother, asking forgiveness, and the depression on her account had ceased, for she had declared that she was happy.
“Well,” Helen remarked one evening, as she and her sister were dressing, “who would have imagined one year ago that we would be benefiting from the society’s industry as soon as this? Do you know, Scoris Vivian, that I used to be actually envious of any one who could ride around leisurely in automobiles?”
“Well, I think if we are to be ready in time for ourride you had better finish lacing that shoe,” Scoris replied. “Do you know that it is only half done?” Helen looked down in surprise, smiled and gave her hair another twist, puffed it out here and there, secured it with hairpins, then sat down leisurely and finished tying her shoe.
Scoris watched her as she started to draw on her gloves.
“Oh, wait till you fasten my waist,” Helen said, backing up to her. “I never can do it alone.”
While Scoris fastened it, Helen said to her: “How quickly you dress. I don’t see how you do it.”
“As I am older than you,” Scoris said, “I suppose I have learned a few things by experience, and one thing I am persistent in, and that is to have my waists fastened in front so I can be independent of every one else. But there they come. Four have passed and are lining up farther down the street. Yes, there is Paul and his sister in a two-seated one. Don’t take time to look, Helen, just hurry.”
“Oh! Scoris, please get my veil and gloves while I pin my hat on.”
“There they are; tie your veil and come. I will let them see that we know that they are here,” Scoris said, as she goes to the door.
“Now come along, you will do, Helen dear; we must not keep them waiting.”
The girls appeared amid smiles of anticipation, while Paul Arling assisted them into the automobile.
As they followed the crowd of automobilists winding in and out of the streets, then out to the country on their way to the Colony, I will tell you something about Paul Arling, for he is one of the members and an interesting one. He first became acquainted with Scoris in the illustrating firm where they were both employed, and when the society was first formed in the Vivian parlors sheasked him to attend the meetings. He did so and soon became an interested and enthusiastic worker. He had supported his widowed mother and young sisters for several years. Now all were doing for themselves but his mother, and the interesting thing about him was his devotion to her. It brought out his sterling worth because he made duty a pleasure to himself as well as to her. This evening Scoris took her seat beside him while Helen sat in the one behind with his sister. It was her first automobile trip in company with a party going to the Colony and she was elated. Presently she remarked:
“How quickly ideas are taken up.”
“Yes,” he answered understanding her, “why wouldn’t they be when our profits and pleasures are combined? These conveyances being owned by the society, it gets the profit, enriching the members by increasing the value of their shares. The trusts have been great educators, the more they have crowded us the quicker we have learned to protect ourselves.”
“Yes,” Scoris replied, “and it has brought out many a hidden talent just by giving it an opportunity to unfold. Ideas are like seeds planted in the ground—they must have a chance to bloom or they are no better than a weed. No one will know the difference.”
Helen called from the back: “What are you two moralizing about? I do believe you two have forgotten how to enjoy yourselves.”
“Oh, no!” Scoris answered. “I am just learning how to appreciate a new way.” Mr. Arling smiled at Helen and the conversation became general.
“Scoris said they had missed the drives around the country so much since they had been in the city,” Miss Arling remarked in a resigned way. “We have never known the pleasure before. The street cars have been our carriages principally. Don’t you think, Paul, that you are going too fast?”
“Why, no; all the rest are ahead of us; does it frighten you? We will go slower if you are uneasy.”
“Just a little,” she gasped. “I suppose I will get used to the speed in time. Oh, look at those trees! How beautiful they are,” she exclaimed, as the machine entered a thickly wooded road.
“The country is always beautiful in June,” Scoris said, “for its young leaves are so fresh and bright, and automobiling is so exhilarating; this is the loveliest ride I have had in years.”
Mr. Arling looked gratified, and while the veils streamed out behind and the girls hung on to their hats, they flew on until they reached the rest of the party and in a short time the Colony also.
It was a lovely evening during the latter part of June. Tom and Nellie had moved into a tent for the summer, as the farm house had been needed for an office.
Their city acquaintances were very curious to see everything and were surprised at the comforts to be had under the circumstances.
The apartment houses were only partly built and some of the factories were actually running, so it was a small town of tents and makeshifts until their permanent homes were ready.
All were glad to see their friends. They were to form a boating party, and before starting to the lake, Paul Arling said to Tom Vivian: “I want to secure four more shares for my mother. You see, we came out here on business as well as pleasure. I want permanent shares and I came direct to you, for I want them to secure the five-year interest, for in that time I hope to have secured her pension as well as her apartments, so that she may feel safe for life. It is better than an insurance policy, for nothing can be lost here, and in case of my death she is not competent to invest money left in that way. Besides, if I survive her, which I will in all probability, I will have the benefit of the permanent shares. There is a young millionaire in our crowd to-night, did you know, Vivian? He seems to be interested in some of the ventures that have been taken in starting the factories. I don’t suppose he will invest in them. He never earned a dollar in his life, knows nothing about the distress of the struggling classes, just has some friends who are members; that is how he happened to come. He wanted to know why we started before we had more capital. I told him five hundred members now constituted a market, for all farm produce to commence with, made the transaction a good and sufficient reason for securing a farm. A second reason, that being near the city the president secured work for the unemployed. The society having secured transportation by manufacturing enough automobiles during the first summer that the society was forming to take the toilers to the land independent of the railroads, was the means of starting enough laborers to grow the food and dig the foundations of the buildings.Many people said at the time, ‘But how can you find enough land near the city to make it pay?’ he asked.
“‘Our owning automobiles solved that difficulty,’ I told him, ‘as long as we had land to build upon and raise garden truck the first few years. We only secured as much land as we could pay rent for by the membership fee.’ There he is now, he evidently knows Birch, for they have recognized each other.”
Yes, he knew him, for at one time he and Birch were rivals. As they looked at each other, he exclaimed:
“Why, what are you doing here?”
“I am living here,” replied Birch.
“What!” he said, in surprise, “living in this slow place where there is nothing to be seen, and you a graduate of the first college in the country? Well, if I had passed with the honors that you did, I would have been in some city practicing law. We all thought you intended to.”
“No, sir,” Birch replied, “no profession for me in these days. I want freedom. Hundreds of our fellows are scattered among our cities with their shingles out to practice on the helpless sick, so I am doing what I can for others who are not even as fortunate, by giving them something to do in my restaurant. I have two learning to cook. You see they want a good living and know they will be as much respected as cooks as poverty-stricken doctors and lawyers who fill up the offices in the down-town buildings. This society, you know, honors all labor, and the higher the education the better the prospects will be, for those who are on the spot to take what comes.”
“But I don’t see how you can ever become rich.”
Young Birch answers, “To become rich in these days is to usually become a gigantic swindler or pirate. I don’t care to be either. I want to be aself-respecting man and expect to be honored as a man of the best class, not necessarily rich. I do intend to be a man of means and prosperous. This society protects the people of small means and those who have talent. But here is my wife, you know her.”
Yes, he knew her for she had been the one in all the world to him, only two years before, but young Birch had been preferred to him; he had never known why. Most girls are foolish, he had thought, and now he knew it.
The whole party filled the boats and were enjoying the fun, singing and telling funny stories; in one boat, some were making love and the others having a good time watching them. Then one boat would get away from the others and some would start singing, another would answer, and all the boats would take it up until it was time to start for the shore. When they returned to the tents the city friends were deeply interested in the supper when they learned it had been cooked by college men.
“You see we have our meals here,” Tom explained, “and the one dining room answers for all. Mr. and Mrs. Birch have charge of this building and they attend to all the tables and cooking.”
Mrs. Birch remarked, “Yes, we even did the work until there were enough to cook for to enable us to pay for having it done, and I am proud of my accomplishments in that line, I can assure you.”
“You may be sure we all appreciate your talent not only in that line, but in many others besides,” said Tom gallantly.
Mr. Birch had ordered the supper to be ready and all sat down to do justice to the luscious strawberries and good rich cream, hot biscuits and other delicaciesof the farm. Then all the city guests said “good night” and went back, spinning along in their automobiles and enjoying the cool air while they talked over the possibilities of the Colony and their interest in it.