Read Online The Two Mrs. Abbotts by D. E. Stevenson - Free Book Online

sleepless nights worrying about the war and the farms and the bog…two people seemed to be quarrelling inside him, he was swayed first one way and then the other. At last he could bear it no longer and he decided to consult someone else, some unprejudiced person who could see both sides of the question and settle it once and for all. I shall ask Arthur Abbott, thought Archie. He’s thoroughly sound. I shall leave it to him and do whatever he says is right.
    Archie rode over to Wandlebury the same day—it was a Sunday—and, finding Arthur alone in his study he explained the whole thing. “Am I to go or not?” inquired Archie. “Is it my duty to go or to stay and get on with the work?”
    â€œStay where you are,” replied Arthur without a moment’s hesitation.
    â€œBut look here.”
    â€œYou’re a specialist,” said Arthur. “You’re a valuable person.”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œOh, I don’t mean valuable in yourself, but valuable to the country. You’re getting twice as much out of the land as an ordinary farmer, aren’t you?”
    â€œA third more, perhaps.”
    â€œWe shall need it.”
    â€œBut look here, I’m perfectly fit.”
    â€œI tell you we need our farmers. Just wait till the U boats get into their stride. We shall need every ounce of food that this country is capable of producing.”
    â€œI hoped you’d say I should go,” said Archie, who had just discovered this interesting fact.
    â€œWell, I don’t say anything of the kind,” replied Arthur flatly.
    Arthur had been right, of course—time had proved him right—but it had not been easy for Archie to take his advice and stay at home. All his friends had joined the forces; many of them had been killed. There had been a certain amount of unpleasantness to bear—hints and innuendos that had found their way to Archie’s ears—but the fields had been his comfort for they had burgeoned and filled his barns to overflowing.
    As for the house, Archie shut up the best part of it and retired to the gun room with his personal belongings. The house was unsuitable for a hospital or for evacuees so he was left to his own devices…he cooked his own breakfast and made his own bed and the wife of his head cowman came in daily and “did” for him. He was perfectly satisfied with Mrs. Frith and with her arrangements for his comfort, nor did he mind being alone at night for if there were ghosts at Chevis Place they did not show themselves to Archie.
    The following morning, when Barbara was listening to the American news, which she always found extremely interesting, she was interrupted by the entrance of Lancreste Marvell. It was a pity Sarah was not here to talk to Lancreste, for Sarah was so good at talking to people, but Sarah had gone to Wandlebury to do some shopping and could not be expected back for some little time. Barbara turned off the wireless regretfully and welcomed Lancreste as warmly as she could.
    â€œI don’t know if you really meant me to come,” said Lancreste doubtfully. “I mean sometimes people say ‘come’ and they don’t really want you to come at all.”
    â€œOf course I wanted you to come,” declared Barbara.
    She disliked telling lies—even very white ones like this—but Lancreste looked so dejected.
    â€œI meant to bring Pearl, of course,” added Lancreste, who seemed to have got hold of the erroneous idea that he would have been more welcome if he had brought her.
    â€œIt doesn’t matter,” said Barbara hastily—and, before he could say any more upon the subject, she changed it by inquiring how he had got on at the bazaar.
    â€œThe bazaar?” said Lancreste, looking at his feet.
    â€œYou were going to have tea with Miss Walters, weren’t you?” Barbara inquired.
    â€œYes,” said Lancreste.
    â€œDidn’t you have tea with