The Witness - Grace Livingston Hill Lutz (top 5 books to read txt) 📗
- Author: Grace Livingston Hill Lutz
Book online «The Witness - Grace Livingston Hill Lutz (top 5 books to read txt) 📗». Author Grace Livingston Hill Lutz
Courteously And Firmly Thanked Uncle Ramsey, But _Declined_ The Offer!
Uncle Ramsey Grew Apoplectic In The Face And Glared At The Young Man,
Finally Bringing Out An Explosive: "What! You _Decline_?"
Uncle Ramsey Spluttered And Swore. He Tore Up And Down The Small
Confines Of The Room Like An Angry Bull, Bellowing Forth Anathemas And
Arguments In A Confused Jumble. He Enlarged On The Insult He Had Been
Chapter 22 Pg 131Given, And The Opportunity That Was Being Lost Never To Be Offered
Again. He Called Courtland A "Trifling Idiot," And A Few Other Gentle
Phrases, And Demanded Reasons For Such An Unprecedented Decision.
Courtland's Only Answer Was: "I Am Afraid It Isn't Going To Fit In With
My Views Of Life, Mr. Thomas. I Have Thought It Over Carefully And I
Cannot Accept Your Offer."
"Why Not? Isn't It Enough Money?" Roared The Mad Financier. "I'll Double
Your Salary!"
"Money Has Nothing To Do With It," Said Courtland, Quietly. "That Would
Make No Difference." He Was Sorry For This Scene For Tennelly's Sake.
"Well, Have You Something Else In View?"
"No, Not Definitely."
"Then You're A Fool!" Said Uncle Ramsey, And Further Stated What Kind
Of A Fool He Was, Several Times, _Vigorously_. After Which He Mopped His
Beaded Brow With Trembling, Agitated Hands, And Sat Down. The Old Bull
Was Baffled At Last.
Uncle Ramsey Blustered All The Way To The Train With His Nephew. "I've
Got To Have That Young Man, Thomas. There's No Two Ways About It. A
Fellow That Can Stand Out The Way He Did Against Ramsey Thomas Is Just
The Man I Want. He's Got Personality. Why, A Man Like That At Work For
Us Would Be Worth Millions! He Would Give Confidence To Every One! Why,
We Could Make Him A Senator In A Few Years, And There's No Telling Where
He Wouldn't Stop! He's The Kind Of A Man Who Could Be Put In The White
House If Things Shaped Themselves Right. I've _Got_ To Have Him, Thomas,
And No Mistake! Now, I'm Going To Put It Up To You To Find Out The
Secret Of This Thing. You Just Get His Number And We'll Meet Him On Any
Reasonable Proposition He Wants To Put Up. Say, Thomas, Isn't There A
Girl Anywhere That Could Influence Him?"
"Yes, There's A Girl!"
"The Very Thing! You Put Her Wise About It, And When I Come Back Next
Week I'll Stop Off Again And See What I Can Do With Her? You Can Take Me
To Call On Her, You Know. Can You Work It, Thomas?"
Tennelly Said He'd Try, And Went Around To See Gila On His Way Back To
The University.
Gila Listened To The Story Of Uncle Ramsey's Offer With Bated Breath And
Averted Gaze. She Would Not Show Tennelly How Much This Meant To Her.
But In Her Eyes There Grew A Determination That Was Not To Be Denied.
She Planned A Campaign With Tennelly, Coolly, And With A Light Kind Of
Glee That Fooled Him Completely. He Saw That She Was Entering Into The
Spirit Of The Thing And Had No Idea She Had Any Other Interest Than To
Please Her Cousin, And Achieve A Kind Of Triumph Herself In Making
Courtland Do The Thing He Had Vowed Not To Do.
Chapter 23 Pg 132Was Off In The Machine Arranging For A Man To Do The Spring Plowing. She
Knew It By Heart Before He Got Back, And Stood At Her Trysting Window
With Her Cheek Against The Old Hat, Watching The Sunset And Thinking It
Over When The Car Came Chugging Contentedly Down The Road.
Father Waved His Hand Boyishly As He Turned In At The Big Gate, And
Mother Was Out On The Side Door-Step Waiting As He Came To A Halt.
"Heard Anything Yet?" He Asked, Eagerly.
"Yes. A Nice, Dear Letter!" Mother Held It Up, "Hurry Up And Come In And
I'll Read It To You."
But Father Couldn't Wait To Put Away The Machine. He Bounded Out Like A
Four-Year-Old And Came Right In Then, Regardless Of The Fact That It Was
Getting Dark And He Might Run Into The Door-Jamb Putting Away The
Machine Later.
He Settled Down, Overcoat And All, Into The Big Chair In The Kitchen To
Listen; And Mother Put On Her Spectacles In Such A Hurry That She Got
Them Upside Down And Had To Begin Over Again.
You Dear Mother Marshall! [The Letter Began.]
And Dear Father Marshall, Too!
I Think It Is Just The Most Wonderful Thing That I Ever
Heard Of That You Are Willing To Invite A Stranger Like Me
To Visit You! At First I Thought It Wasn't Right To Accept
Chapter 23 Pg 133Such Great Kindness From People I Never Saw, And Who Didn't
Know Whether They Could Even Like Me Or Not. But Afterward
Mr. Courtland Told Me About Your Stephen And That You Had
Suffered, Too! And Then I Knew That I Might Take You At Your
Word And Come For A Little While To Get The Comfort I Need
So Much! Even Then I Couldn't Have Done It If Mr. Courtland
And My Nurse Hadn't Told Me They Were Sure I Could Get
Something To Do And So Be Able To Repay You For All This
Kindness. If I Can Really Be Of Any Comfort To You In Your
Loneliness I Shall Be So Glad. But I'm Afraid I Could Never
Even Half Fill The Place Of So Fine A Son As You Must Have
Had. Mr. Courtland Has Told Me How Grandly He Died. He Saw
Him, You Know, At The Very Last Minute, And Saw All He Did
To Save Others. But If You Will Let Me Love You Both I Shall
Be So Grateful. All That I Had On Earth Are Gone Home To God
Now, And The World Looks So Long And Hard And Sad To Me! I
Do Hope You Can Love Me A Little While I Stay, And That You
Will Not Let Me Make You Any Trouble. Please Don't Go To Any
Work To Get Ready For Me. I Will Gladly Do Anything That Is
Necessary When I Get There. I Am Quite Able To Work Now; And
If I Have A Place Where I Can Feel That Somebody Cares
Whether I Live Or Die It Will Not Be So Hard To Face The
Future. A Great, Strange City Is An Awful Place For A Girl
That Has A Heavy Heart!
I Am So Glad That You Know Jesus Christ. It Makes Me Feel At
Home Before I Get There. My Dear Father Was A Minister.
They Wouldn't Let Me Go And Pack Up, So I Had To Do The Best
I Could With Directing The Kind Friends Who Did It For Me. I
Have Taken You At Your Word And Had Mother's Sewing-Machine
And A Box Of My Little Brother's Things Sent With My Trunk.
But If They Are In The Way I Can Sell Them Or Give Them
Away. And I Don't Want You To Feel That I Am Going To
Presume Upon Your Kindness And Settle Down On You
Indefinitely. Just As Soon As I Get A Chance To Work I Must
Take It, And I Shall Want To Repay You For All You Have Done
For Me. You Have Sent Me A Great Deal More Money Than I
Need.
I Start Wednesday Evening On The Through Express. I Have
Marked A Time-Table And Am Sending It Because We Are Unable
To Find Out Just What Time I Can Make Connections From
Grant's Junction, Where They Say I Have To Change. Perhaps
You Will Know. But Don't Worry About Me; I'll Find My Way To
You As Soon As I Can Get There. I Am Praying All The Time
That I Shall Not Disappoint You. And Now Till I See You,
Sincerely And Gratefully,
Rose Bonner Brentwood.
"It Couldn't Be Improved On," Declared Mother, Beamingly. "It's Just
What I'd Have Wanted Her To Say If I'd Been Planning It All Out, Only
More So!"
Chapter 23 Pg 134Forgot. We'd Ought To Have Sent Her Word We Would Meet Her At The
Station, And What Time The Train Left Grant's Junction, And All! Now
That's Too Bad!"
"Now Don't You Worry, Father. She'll Find Her Way. Like As Not The
Conductor Will Have A Time-Table And Be Able To Tell Her All About The
Trains. But I Certainly Do Wish We Had Let Her Know We Would Meet Her."
They Were Still Worrying About It That Night At Nine O'clock While
Father Wound The Kitchen Clock And Mother Put A Mackerel Asoak For
Breakfast. Suddenly The Telephone In The Next Room Gave A Whir, And Both
Father And Mother Jumped As If They Had Been Shot, Looking At Each Other
In Bewildered Question As They Hastened To The 'Phone.
It Was Father Who Took Down The Receiver. "A Telegram? For Mr. Seth
Marshall! Yes, I'm Listening! Write It Down, Mother! A Telegram!"
"Mercy! Perhaps She Wasn't Well Enough To Start!" Gasped Mother, Putting
Her Pencil In Place.
Miss Brentwood Left To-Night At Nine-Fifteen On Express
Number Ten, Car Alicia Lower Berth Number Eight. Please Let
Me Know If She Arrives Safely.
Paul Courtland.
"Now Isn't That Thoughtful Of Him!" He Said, As He Hung Up The Receiver.
"He Must Have Sensed We Wanted To Send
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