The Courtship of Susan Bell | Page 6

the stocking she was mending.
"Perhaps you don't wish to take winter boarders, ma'am?" said Aaron
Dunn.
"We never have done so yet, sir," said Mrs. Bell timidly. Could she let
this young wolf in among her lamb-fold? He might be a wolf;-- who
could tell?
"Mr. Bell seemed to think it would suit," said Aaron.
Had he acquiesced in her timidity and not pressed the point, it would
have been all up with him. But the widow did not like to go against the
big uncle; and so she said, "Perhaps it may, sir."
"I guess it will, finely," said Aaron. And then the widow seeing that the
matter was so far settled, put down her work and came round into the
passage. Hetta followed her, for there would be housework to do.
Aaron gave himself another shake, settled the weekly number of
dollars--with very little difficulty on his part, for he had caught another
glance at Susan's face; and then went after his bag. 'Twas thus that
Aaron Dunn obtained an entrance into Mrs. Bell's house. "But what if
he be a wolf?" she said to herself over and over again that night, though
not exactly in those words. Ay, but there is another side to that question.
What if he be a stalwart man, honest-minded, with clever eye, cunning
hand, ready brain, broad back, and warm heart; in want of a wife
mayhap; a man that can earn his own bread and another's;--half a dozen
others' when the half dozen come? Would not that be a good sort of

lodger? Such a question as that too did flit, just flit, across the widow's
sleepless mind. But then she thought so much more of the wolf!
Wolves, she had taught herself to think, were more common than
stalwart, honest-minded, wife-desirous men.
"I wonder mother consented to take him," said Hetta, when they were
in the little room together.
"And why shouldn't she?" said Susan. "It will be a help."
"Yes, it will be a little help," said Hetta. "But we have done very well
hitherto without winter lodgers."
"But uncle Bell said she was to."
"What is uncle Bell to us?" said Hetta, who had a spirit of her own.
And she began to surmise within herself whether Aaron Dunn would
join the Baptist congregation, and whether Phineas Beckard would
approve of this new move.
"He is a very well-behaved young man at any rate," said Susan, "and he
draws beautifully. Did you see those things he was doing?"
"He draws very well, I dare say," said Hetta, who regarded this as but a
poor warranty for good behaviour. Hetta also had some fear of
wolves--not for herself perhaps; but for her sister.
Aaron Dunn's work--the commencement of his work--lay at some
distance from the Springs, and he left every morning with a lot of
workmen by an early train--almost before daylight. And every morning,
cold and wintry as the mornings were, the widow got him his breakfast
with her own hands. She took his dollars and would not leave him
altogether to the awkward mercies of Kate O'Brien; nor would she trust
her girls to attend upon the young man. Hetta she might have trusted;
but then Susan would have asked why she was spared her share of such
hardship.
In the evening, leaving his work when it was dark, Aaron always
returned, and then the evening was passed together. But they were
passed with the most demure propriety. These women would make the
tea, cut the bread and butter, and then sew; while Aaron Dunn, when
the cups were removed, would always go to his plans and drawings.
On Sundays they were more together; but even on this day there was
cause of separation, for Aaron went to the Episcopalian church, rather
to the disgust of Hetta. In the afternoon, however, they were together;
and then Phineas Beckard came in to tea on Sundays, and he and Aaron

got to talking on religion; and though they disagreed pretty much, and
would not give an inch either one or the other, nevertheless the minister
told the widow, and Hetta too probably, that the lad had good stuff in
him, though he was so stiff-necked.
"But he should be more modest in talking on such matters with a
minister," said Hetta.
The Rev. Phineas acknowledged that perhaps he should; but he was
honest enough to repeat that the lad had stuff in him. "Perhaps after all
he is not a wolf," said the widow to herself.
Things went on in this way for above a month. Aaron had declared to
himself over and over again that that face was sweet to look upon, and
had unconsciously promised to himself certain delights in talking and
perhaps walking with the owner of