Girl to Come Home To (17 page)

Into the silence that followed this brief prayer came Rodney’s ringing “Amen!” And after a moment of silence, he reached over and took her hand in a strong, firm clasp.

“Welcome into the family, little sister!” he said tenderly. She looked up into his eyes, and her own were filled with tears of joy, and there was a smile on her lips.

They lingered for some time in the quiet retreat, talking over what the Christian life meant, what it was going to mean to her, and to him now that he had come back to his own country and had to live with a world that hadn’t been to war and hadn’t met Christ in the clouds above death.

Then suddenly Rodney looked at his watch. “Say, our two hours are more than up! What do you know about that? How fast time can go in a place like this, the two of us alone with God.”

Diana looked up at him, her eyes full of gratitude. “I shall never forget it,” she said. “It’s been the most wonderful two hours of my life.”

Rodney smiled down at her. “I’m glad,” he said. “And I’m greatly glad that you know my Lord. For now, you see, we have much in common. I had begun to think there were no Christian girls except my sister in the world. I’m awfully delighted that I know you.”

“And if I hadn’t met you,” said Diana fervently in a soft little voice, “I probably never would have been saved.”

“I don’t know about that,” said Rodney with a smiling acknowledgment of her words as he caught her hand and pressed it gently. “I’m glad to have had the privilege of leading you to know my Savior, but, you know, the Lord isn’t dependent on my services for bringing souls to know Him. He has other servants who know and love Him as well as I do.”

“Yes? But I’m glad He sent you.”

“Yes, so am I,” he said, and this time he caught her hand again and drew it within his arm, helping her over the rough ground as they slowly made their way back toward the rendezvous.

And at that, they got back to the car before the other two wanderers had come yet and, climbing into it, resumed their talk.

“How much longer are you going to be in this vicinity?” asked Diana suddenly. “I do so wish it would be long enough for me to ask a lot of questions that I know will come to me when I get by myself and try to read the Bible alone. You’re supposed to read the Bible, aren’t you, when you are a saved person?”

“It’s the best way,” Rodney answered with a smile. “Prayer and Bible reading are the great helps to knowing God and living as He would like to have you live.”

“Yes, well, I never could make anything out of the Bible. I tried several times to read it by myself, and it didn’t mean a thing. Then someone told me it was only tradition and wasn’t meant to be read literally. Is that so?”

Rodney grinned. “That’s what unbelievers tell you, and many college professors, when they even mention it at all. But there are wonderful Bible schools, of course, in almost every region. I certainly would enjoy introducing you to Bible study if it might be my privilege. I’m not a Bible teacher, and only know my Bible as my mother taught me long ago when I wasn’t paying much attention, and as the Lord has taught me to live it since I met Him. I’ll be pleased to tell you what I know while we are together, but there is a better teacher than I am, one whom it is every Christian’s privilege to study under, the Holy Spirit. Christ promised He would come and ’guide you into all truth.’ Reading your Bible with the help of the Holy Spirit makes all the difference in the world. Even with no earthly teacher, men have found the way to understand. But to answer your question, I’m not sure just how long I can stay here. I may get orders to report in Washington soon, or at the hospital for examination.”

“Oh, will you have to go back overseas?”

“That isn’t settled definitely yet. Perhaps not, and then again, perhaps yes. I ought to know in a short time. In any case, I’m glad I found you. I shall always feel glad. And I wonder if I may have the privilege of getting you a Bible? Or have you one already that is precious to you?”

“Oh, no,” laughed Diana. “Not precious. I have a tiny red leather one with gold lettering on the back and very fine print, which I won in the primary class in Sunday school when I was five years old for the perfect attendance for one year. But I have never even tried to read it. Only its red cover ever appealed to me. But I shall treasure a Bible that you gave me, because you are the one who helped me get acquainted with Jesus Christ.”

“Thank you,” he said. “I am proud to have you feel that way. And I shall always remember this day, even if orders come to move on at once. I should never forget the sweet converse we have had today. But there! Look ahead! Isn’t that my dallying brother and your friend, Beryl? I guess our talk is at an end for the time. But, I’m going to be praying for you. Do you mind?”

“Oh,
will
you? That will be wonderful! And I’ll pray for you, too,” Diana said shyly, “though I don’t suppose my prayers will do you much good, I’m so new at it.”

“Thank you. Yes, they will. The Lord is ready to answer even the newest of His children.” The look he gave her seemed afterward as she remembered it to be almost like a caress, or maybe a better word would be
blessing
, she decided as she thought it over.

T
hat was the beginning of ten days of delightful fellowship between the four young people, with sometimes the addition of Kathie and her special army chaplain, John Brooks. They all fit together beautifully and had many grand rides and walks and picnics and meetings together. And then there was the day that they planned to run down to the shore for a few hours for a dip in salt water. They were to go down on the train, and they had taken special pains to keep Cousin Louella from knowing their plans, lest she might want to go along.

For Jessica was still in town, hobnobbing with Louella constantly and very subtle in her methods. They thought they had been very clever in their plans, but when they were waiting for their train at the station, Jessica and Louella came walking down the platform together. They were obviously not planning to take the train, for they were wearing house dresses and no hats. It was of course quite early in the morning, and Jessica had come out to hunt up Louella and ask if there was any news of what the young naval officers were going to do. They had walked together down to the station to mail an important letter Jessica had just written her husband—demanding money—on the early train, and there they were waiting for the train to come in.

“Can you beat that?” said Jeremy under his breath as the two came in sight. “Such luck! Come on around the other end of the station, over in the edge of the meadow, as if we were picking violets.”

Rodney seized Diana’s arm and propelled her swiftly out of sight behind a lilac bush. And the two conspirators walked on slowly down the platform, without seeing them, while the travelers scuttled down to the other end of the station and bore up against the wall, with a kindly shrub sheltering them.

“Isn’t this too ridiculous!” Kathie said with a giggle. “I hate to be always on the sly.”

“How could you help it with a cousin such as we possess?” Jeremy said, grinning. “She’s got eyes like a gimlet that would go through a steel helmet, and a tongue that can talk faster telling gossip than an electric fan. I hate to say it about anyone who is somewhat related to my revered father, even if only by marriage, but it is the truth. And as for that other person, we certainly want no part with her. She’s deadly.”

“Yes,” said Beryl sympathetically, “I always did dread it when she came around. But wasn’t she once pretty intimate with your brother?”

“Oh yes, she tried to be when Rod was a mere kid, but that’s all off. She’s married now. Married some rich old guy and took herself out of the picture for a while, though it looks as though she’s trying to get in the spotlight again, but I guess she won’t make it. Rod is pretty fed up with her. She isn’t exactly his kind, you know. Listen! There comes the train now. Skim across behind the shrubbery to the last car. The enemy is up front mailing a letter.”

When they were safely seated in the train, Jeremy returned to the subject.

“I wondered,” said Beryl, “I never could feel quite comfortable in her company. She always managed to say something catty. Well, that’s not the way to talk about a former classmate, is it? And it certainly isn’t the kind of thing your Christian principles advocate.”

“No,” said Jeremy with a wry grin, “it isn’t. But it always makes me furious to see that girl barge into the scene, just to annoy my brother! Well, maybe there’s some reason why he needed this, so I guess we better take it smiling, keep our eyes on the Lord, and let Him work it out. It’s curious sometimes, to watch how He does that, and remember that He is both omniscient and omnipotent. He knows all and has power to do anything that needs doing.”

“I guess you’re right, Jeremy. But you didn’t always feel this way about Christian things, did you? I remember thinking you were a keen scholar, but I did not know you were interested in religious things. Oh I knew you were upright and all that, but nobody ever told me you went to church much or cared for things like that.”

Jeremy answered her soberly, after a moment’s pause. “Well, I always went to church. It was the rule of our house. And I always believed the main things about the Bible that I was taught, but I didn’t waste much time over doctrines and things like that till I really knew the Lord. It was probably my mother’s prayers that followed me and kept me, laid me open to meet the Lord when I got frightened and didn’t know where to turn.”

“Oh,” said Beryl, “I suppose any of us might feel that way if we were suddenly confronted by death. But isn’t it odd we feel so easy about things like that when we all know everybody has to die, and it may come suddenly to any of us.”

“Yes,” said Jeremy, “it is. And there’s another strange thing, and that is how much we miss while living an indifferent life like that. You know I’ve never been so happy in my life as I have been since I found the Lord and was sure that I knew Him forever!”

She looked at him wistfully. “You know, Jeremy, you’re rather wonderful.”

“Oh, no,” said Jerry, shaking a decided head. “I’m not wonderful at all. I’ve just got my eyes open suddenly. Do you know I found myself described wonderfully in the Bible the other day when I was reading about that fool guy Balaam, the fellow who had the wonderful privilege of being God’s prophet and didn’t know any better than to use his great gift of divination for his own glory and personal aggrandizement. And then after he had missed a lot of chances to make good in God’s sight, God had to send a poor old donkey and an angel to teach him. He knew what God wanted, but he wanted to serve himself. He hedged and hedged trying to get God to give in, until the Lord finally got his eyes open, and then he saw. And after that he called himself the man ’whose eyes are open.’ That’s me, now, I hope. I’m the man whose eyes are open, opened by the Lord, and I pray that no more I shall go around equivocating, and viewing questions from this mountain peak and that one, trying to get God to agree with me. I pray that I may always be the man ’whose eyes are open’ to what God wants me to do.”

“Oh, Jeremy! Is that what the story about Balaam and the ass means? I always wondered why that was put in the Bible.”

Just then two seats in front of them were vacated, and the young people moved together. Then they had a jolly time and almost forgot for a while that there was a war on the other side of the world and the servicemen might have to return to it. The day was bright and the water just right. By the end of the day all felt rested and had got to know one another wonderfully well.

Back at Riverton there was gloom.

“Whatever becomes of those two navy men?” asked Jessica impatiently. “They never seem to be anywhere, and I really can’t waste my time hanging around for them. I’ve got an order for some writing, but I simply must have a few facts, and I’m dead sure I can get better ones if I could just once get Rod talking. I always used to be able to do that in the old days, and if I had a good chance at him all by himself I’m sure I could again. You promised to make this possible, you know, Louella. And you haven’t even found out yet what service those boys are likely to be called into when their leave is up. By the way, isn’t it almost up?”

“Why, yes, I’m sure it is,” said Louella. “Their mother was sighing the other day that she might soon have to be saying good-bye to them again, for they were sure to be going away somewhere.”

“Well, Louella, I’ve promised my husband to get some really authentic news from my old friends who have been all sorts of places and will be able to tell me lots of stories about the enemy and their plans.”

Then Louella, interestedly said, “Why that sounds wonderful, Jessica. It sounds like your old self, and I’m sure you are on your way to fame. But don’t get impatient, dear. I’m doing my best for you. I’m almost sure I’m on the right track. I was over at the house yesterday morning, and I happened to mention a phrase or two I had heard, and I was sure Margaret Graeme pricked up her ears and gave a swift look toward Kathie. I didn’t say anything more about it just then, because I didn’t want them to know I was getting on to any of their secrets, for then I know from past experience that they would shut right up. But I’ll be mentioning it again, and then I expect to have a more enlightening report to give you.”

“What were the phrases you mentioned, Louella? You haven’t forgotten them already, have you?”

“Why of course not. Did you ever hear of a place in the city called Bankers’ Security, Jessica? I think it’s a whole building somewhere. But I wasn’t quite sure what it had to do with the other phrase.”

“How aggravating you are, Louella! What was the other phrase? How can I make head or tail out of the things you say if you can’t be a little bit more explicit in telling me?”

“Now, Jessica, that’s very rude of you. I don’t know at all why I take all this bother for you when you are so cross and unpleasant about it.”

“Oh, well, Louella, you’re very trying. But what was the other phrase?”

“Well, the other phrase was Naval Intelligence. Does that mean anything at all to you? And I’m quite sure it’s something very secret, for the way they guard their looks shows that they are really afraid I’ll find out something.”