It was the eighteenth of June. The roses were out in Rose River, the air was golden and sweet and the sun was warm and pleasant overhead. It had been an eventful month for the district—what will the engagements of Norma Dark and Paul Penhallow, and Minnie Penhallow and Cliff Dark—not to mention Alexandra Margoldsby and her beau in St. John's. Oh, Nan had sent them all formal announcements for that—engraved, even! Such extravagance! As if anyone cared what that branch of the family did.
Hugh Dark was seriously considering running for Premier. Margaret Penhallow had taken up her poetry again and had had a series of sonnets published in a Yankee newspaper. Brain Dark's wife had had not twins, but triplets! The Dark and Penhallow environs were an eventful place that time of year.
But hardly anyone noticed. They were all too busy speculating.
Stanton Grundy met Rebecca Penhallow on the road and stopped her. "You've got to make your choice, soon," he told her gleefully. "I suppose it's not going to be Young Sam after all, is it? He's still crazy about that little cat, Nelle. But I put ten dollars on him away back in April—won't you reconsider him after all?"
Rebecca said nothing. She looked very sick and green about the gills as she hurried home to Beechurst. She locked herself in her room for the whole of Friday night and would not come out, not even for dinner. In two days she would have to stand up before the whole of her clan and declare her choice. She felt ill just thinking about it!
Roger tapped on his daughter's door. He felt badly for the child. What he had wanted to be a lighthearted romp was obviously wearing on her tender spirit. Why, he wanted Becky to get married—but not at this cost! She was thin as a rail, and her eyes were large and worried.
"You don't have to go through with it, 'Becca," he told her. "Why, we'll just tell everyone the bet is off. They're sure to understand."
But Rebecca did not think that they would understand. If she refused to state a name on Sunday there would almost certainly be riot and bedlam throughout the clan. They would never forgive her.
"And I would never forgive myself," she said piteously. "I promised, Father, after all. I shall just have to stand up and say something."
There were a good many members of the clan who did not frequent the church as often as they should, but that morning, all were in attendance. The little Presbyterian church was crammed to bursting with Darks and Penhallows in their finery. Even Drowned John was there, his hands folded over his large belly. He looked content—he was sure that Rebecca would pick Neil Penhallow, and his certainty surprised the members of his family. Why, as far as they knew, Rebecca had never said word one to Neil, who lived thirty miles away at Tigny and was almost forty to boot. But Drowned John was certain, for reasons that eluded them.
Brian Dark was there, and he looked sympathetic. He said to anyone who would listen that he thought it was a hard situation for poor Becky. The others glared at him. Why would he take the fun out of the situation by being understanding?
Paul Penhallow was sitting with his arm around Norma in the David Dark pew. Every so often he would lean in to whisper against her ear and she would let loose with a peal of laughter that rose high and bright over the din. They shook their heads at them. Many of the clan still believed that Paul should be Rebecca's choice; the other half thought it was positively indecent too look so in love—and in a church, too!
Minnie was looking adoringly up at Cliff. Gladys Penhallow was applying a generous coat of pink to her lips. Nelle Dark was avoiding looking at Young Sam and he at her. Jasper Dark alone was sitting quietly, a small rueful sort of smile playing at his lips. No one thought to notice Jasper in all the storm and fury of the occasion—but Gladys, looking up, caught sight of him and thought again what a pity it was he was so ugly!
The doors were suddenly thrown open to a burst of sunlight and there—there—was Rebecca, looking paler and frailer than they had ever expected she might look. Thekla Dark thought for the first time that Rebecca really resembled poor Gay. She had thought the child was all Roger—but how wan and consumptive she looked now!
The organist left off in the middle of 'Nearer My God to Thee' and even the reverend looked interested as Becky walked up the aisle alone and climbed the steps to the pulpit. She was wearing a new green suit and a delightful little hat—"I'll buy you twelve hats just like it," Paul whispered to Norma. Rebecca took her place and looked out for a moment over the congregation.
Her eyes were fearful and she chewed her lips nervously. "Won't she speak?" wondered Uncle Pippin. "What's the matter, child—cat got your tongue?"
That caused a sudden flush of color to spring to Rebecca's cheeks but she refused to be baited. She did not meet Uncle Pippin's eyes. Instead she stared straight ahead and said something in a low tone.
"Speak up, darn it!" cried Drowned John, who was sitting toward the back. They all clucked at him. It wasn't swearing, of course, but it was close—and in a church, too!
Rebecca clasped her hands at her waist to stop them shaking and began again.
"One year ago I told all of you that today I would choose from among our Dark and Penhallow boys who it was I wanted to marry," she began primly, as if she were reciting a lesson. "And so, I suppose I shall have to, for I mean to keep my word."
She paused and an electric thrill went through the listeners. There had never been anything like this before in the history of the clan—not even Aunt Becky's jug had come close. They leaned forward, rapt with interest.
"I have gotten the chance to become acquainted with a good many of you," said Rebecca, addressing the row of potential suitors at the front of the church. They all looked at one another—the moment of reckoning was almost upon them. "I have found out a good many things. The first is that though some of you are handsome, most of you are very stupid in one way or another."
William Y. Penhallow guffawed. It was true enough, he thought.
"Even so," Rebecca went on, "I could see myself marrying a few of you—except that—oh, I don't love you! There is only one person I have ever loved, and I am sure—sure—that he has never thought of me!"
The church was so still you could hear a pin drop.
"He has never come to visit me, not once," said Rebecca in a low voice. Two spots of color had come out on her cheeks. "He never made any overtures toward me—he never tried to make love to me at all. But he is the man for me. I shan't keep quiet about it any longer! Jasper! Jasper Dark! Oh, darling, I love you—can't you love me, too?"
All heads turned to look at Jasper, who had half-risen from his seat at the sound of his name and then frozen at the declaration of love. He looked so ridiculous—his mismatched eyes wide with disbelief, his ugly mouth agape. But—Becky—Roger's Becky—had chosen him? No one knew quite what to think.
"It's got to be a joke," said Stanton Grundy quite clearly.
But Rebecca looked earnest. She found Jasper and beseeched him with her eyes.
"We used to be such friends, when we were young," she said, and it was as though the rest of them had faded away, and she was speaking only to him. "You would come to Beechurst and we would read out under the beeches. I was just a little girl, Jasper, but I loved you then. And you have never showed me any love—because you don't love me! Oh, my darling, say you do! I shall be the happiest girl on earth! It's you I want, Jasper—you, and no other!"
"DAMMIT!" roared Drowned John in shock. He had thought to the end that it would be Neil, and now, thwarted, he could not suppress his roar. But no one paid him any mind—not even the minister. They were all watching to see what Jasper would do next.
He stood—pulling himself to his full height—and pushed his way past the knees of the others in his pew until he had reached the aisle. Rebecca implored him with her eyes. He began to limp up to the altar and when he had reached it she came down from the pulpit to meet him. Jasper held out his hand and Rebecca took it.
"I never tried to love you because I supposed it would be in vain," he told her. "Rebecca—darling—I have loved you all my life. But I never supposed that you would—that you could—love me back."
"I do—I do—I do!" cried Rebecca shamelessly. And then Jasper drew her near and kissed her in front of the whole stunned congregation.
"Who would have thought it would have been Jasper?" asked Uncle Pippin sadly to Drowned John.
"Not me," whispered Drowned John back.
The other were too surprised to do anything much. They opened their hymnbooks and the service began. Roger seemed bemused but good-natured about it. Thekla Dark wept openly at the thought of her son being married. Norma smiled at Paul.
"I hope they will be as happy as we are," she said.
"They will," Paul promised. "Jas is a good sort."
Only old Junius Penhallow was perfectly happy in the result. He had put all of his money on Jasper long ago, when the odds were 100 to 1 in his favor. He looked down at his threadbare suit and congratulated himself on his good luck. At that moment, he thought he was quite the luckiest man in the world.
"But he's not," whispered Jasper to Rebecca. "I am."
Her eyes shone up at him. She could not speak for joy.