The Desired Woman(Fiscle Part-3 Of 2) - Will N. Harben (books to read romance TXT) 📗

 

 

Saunders Spent The End Of That Week On His Plantation In The

Mountains. On Saturday Morning He Dropped In At Drake's To See Dolly.

John Webb Came To The Door In Response To His Rap. He Was Quite

Unchanged. Even The Clothes He Was Wearing Had The Same Look As Those

He Wore Five Years Before.

 

"She Ain't Here," He Said. "I Seed 'Er,  With Some Books An' Papers

Under 'Er Arm,  Headed For The Schoolhouse Just After Breakfast. I

Reckon She's Got Some Examples To Work Or Compositions To Write. They

Are Fixin' For A' Exhibition Of Some Sort For The Last Friday In This

Month. Dolly Writes A Big Part O' The Stuff The Scholars Read In

Public,  An' You Bet Some Of It Is Tiptop. When She Is In A Good Humor

She Can Compose A' Article That Will Make A Dog Laugh. She Is Out O'

Sorts To-Day."

 

"Oh,  Is That So?" Saunders Was Moving Toward The Gate. "Has Anything

Gone Wrong?"

 

"She Is Bothered About George," Webb Answered. "It Is First One Thing

And Then Another With Her. George's Crop Is A Failure This Year And He

Is Up To His Neck In Debt. On Top O' That He Wants To Get Married. You

Know Him An' Ida Benson Are Crazy To Get Tied,  And It Was To Come Off

In The Fall,  But George Won't Be Able To Buy A New Shirt,  To Say

Nothin' Of A Whole Outfit. The Boy Is Awful Downhearted,  And So Is His

Gal. Dolly Busted Out An' Cried Last Night While George Was A-Talkin'.

She Says Ida Will Be The Makin' Of The Boy,  But They Can't Stir A Peg

As It Is,  For They Hain't Got A Dollar Betwixt 'Em."

 

"Well,  I'll Walk By The Schoolhouse And See If Dolly Is There,"

Saunders Remarked. "It Is On My Way Home."

 

As He Drew Near The Little Building At The Roadside He Noticed That

The Front Door Was Open,  And,  Peering In,  He Saw Dolly At Her Desk.

She Was Not At Work; Indeed,  She Seemed Quite Preoccupied With Her

Thoughts,  For She Was Staring Fixedly At An Open Window,  A Troubled

Part 2 Chapter 4 Pg 18

Frown On Her Sweet Face. She Heard Saunders's Step At The Door,  And,

Seeing Him Enter,  She Began To Smile.

 

"You Caught Me," She Laughed,  Impulsively. "I Was Having One Of My

Silly Fits Of Blues. I Am Glad You Came In. You Always Make Me Ashamed

Of My Despondency."

 

"You Are Freer From It Than Any Human Being I Ever Saw," He Declared,

As He Shook Hands With Her. "I Seldom Have The Blues; But If I Did,

One Thought Of Your Wonderful Patience Would Knock Them Higher Than A

Kite."

 

She Laughed Merrily,  Her Eyes Twinkling,  The Warm Color Flushing Her

Face,  As Was Always The Case When She Was Animated. "I Suppose It Is

Generally Due To One's Point Of View," She Said. "When It Concerns

Myself I Can Manage Very Well,  But If It Is Any One Else--"

 

"A Dear Brother,  For Instance," Saunders Put In,  Sympathetically,  "And

His Laudable Desire To Marry A Worthy Girl."

 

She Looked At Him Steadily In Mild Surprise. "I See You Know," She

Nodded. "I Suppose Half The County Are Sorry For That Pair. George

Does Try So Hard,  And Yet Everything The Poor Boy Touches Goes The

Wrong Way. It Is Not His Fault. He Is Young And Inexperienced And So

Full Of Hope. He Is So Downhearted To-Day That He Wouldn't Go To Work.

He Got A Letter From Cross & Mayhew Last Night. You Know They Advanced

Him His Supplies For This Season And Took A Mortgage On His Crop As

Security. It Seems That They Sent A Man Out Here The Other Day To See

How He Was Getting On. The Man Reported The Condition Of George's

Crop,  And They Wrote Him That They Would Not Credit Him For His

Supplies Next Season. That Was The Last Straw. I Found Him Actually

Crying Down At The Barn. He Had Gone Into The Stall Where His Horse

Was Feeding And Had His Arms Around The Animal's Neck. Mr. Saunders,

You Can't Imagine My Feelings. I Love My Brother With All My Heart. I

Offered To Help Him With Part Of My Wages,  But He Was Too Proud To

Accept A Cent. That Letter From Cross & Mayhew Humiliated Him Beyond

Description. It Bowed Him Down; Young As He Is,  He Is Actually

Crushed. He Is Coming Here This Morning To Talk To Me. He Wants To Go

West With The Hope That He May Get Started There And Come Back For

Ida. I Can't Bear To Have Him Go--I Simply Can't Stand It. I Want Him

To Stay Here At Home. It Is The Place For Them Both."

 

"I Think So,  Too," Saunders Said,  Sympathetically. "There Is No Better

Spot On Earth For A Young Farmer."

 

"I Am Glad You Agree With Me"--Dolly Brightened A Little--"And If You

Should Get A Chance I Wish You Would Advise Him To Stay. You Have

Wonderful Influence,  With Both Him And My Father."

 

"I Didn't Know That," Saunders Said,  Modestly.

 

Dolly Smiled,  A Far-Off Expression In Her Deep Eyes. "They Think You

Are The Best And Wisest Man In The World. And As For Ann,  Do You Know

You Did Me A Wonderful Favor In Regard To Her?"

Part 2 Chapter 4 Pg 19

 

"You Surprise Me." Saunders Flushed Red. "I Didn't Know That I Had

Ever--I Don't Remember-"

 

"No,  I'm Sure You Don't,  And I Didn't Mention It,  But I'm Going To

Tell You Now,  For I Am Very,  Very Grateful. You Know,  Perhaps,  That

Ann Used To Care A Good Deal For That Reckless Fellow Abe Westbrook?"

 

"Yes,  I Remember Seeing Them Together Frequently," Saunders Answered.

 

"Well,  He Became More And More Dissipated And So Bold And Ill-Bred

That He Even Came To See Her When He Was Intoxicated. I Was Afraid To

Call Father's Attention To It For Two Reasons--First,  Father's Temper,

And Then The Fear I Had That Ann Might Elope With The Fellow. So I Had

To Be Very,  Very Cautious. I Tried Talking To Ann,  But It Went In At

One Ear And Out At The Other. Nothing I Said Had The Slightest Effect

On Her. Then She Got To Meeting Him At Different Places Away From

Home,  And I Was Almost Crazy. Then You,  As You Always Have Done,  Came

To My Aid."

 

"I? Why,  Dolly,  I Am Sure That I Have Never--"

 

"You Don't Remember It"--Dolly's Voice Shook,  And A Delicate Glow

Suffused Her Face--"But I'll Remind You. You Recall The Picnic Over

The Mountain Last Spring?"

 

"The Day You Didn't Go," Saunders Nodded. "I Remember Looking For You

Everywhere."

 

"Well,  That Day,  When All The Girls Felt So Highly Honored By Your

Presence,  And You Were So Nice To Them,  You Paid A Good Deal Of

Attention To Ann,  Asking Her To Drive Home With You."

 

"Of Course I Remember That," Saunders Said; "I Enjoyed The Drive Very

Much."

 

"It Wasn't Anything You Said,  Exactly," Dolly Went On,  "But You May

Remember That Abe Was Drinking That Day And Misbehaved Badly Before

Every One,  Even When They Were All Eating Lunch Together. Ann Told Me

All About It. She Came To My Bed Away In The Night And Waked Me. She

Told Me She Had Made Up Her Mind Never To See Westbrook Again. In

Contrasting Him With You She Saw What A Failure He Was. She Said She

Had Never Before So Plainly Seen Her Danger. She Saw The Look Of

Disgust In Your Face While Abe Was Acting So Badly,  And Your Failure

To Refer To The Incident On The Way Home Impressed Her. That Happening

Completely Turned Her Round,  Opened Her Eyes,  And Already She Has

Stopped Thinking Of Him."

 

Saunders Was Modestly Trying To Formulate Some Protest When,  Looking

Toward The Door,  Dolly Suddenly Exclaimed: "Oh,  There Is George Now!

Don't Leave," For Saunders Was Rising. "I Can See Him At Home."

 

"I Must Be Going,  Anyway," Saunders Said,  Rather Nervously,  "But If

You Will Let Me I'd Like To Take You For A Drive This Afternoon. We

Part 2 Chapter 4 Pg 20

Could Pass The New Schoolhouse And See How It Is Coming On."

 

"I'll Be Glad To Go," Dolly Answered. "I Understand The Men Are Making

Fine Progress."

 

Seeing Saunders Coming Out,  George Stepped Aside Just Outside The Door

To Let Him Pass,  And They Met Face To Face. The Banker's Sympathies

Were Deeply Touched By The Dejected Mien Of The Courageous Young Man,

Whom He Had Always Liked.

 

"Hello,  George," He Greeted Him,  Cordially. "Your Sister Tells Me You

Are Thinking Of Pulling Up Stakes And Moving West."

 

"Yes,  I Think It Is About The Best Thing For Me,  Now,  Mr. Saunders,"

George Answered,  Gloomily. "I've Given This Thing A Fair Test. Perhaps

Out There Among Strangers I May Have A Change Of Luck. I Can't Make It

Go Here. I'm A Drawback To Myself And Everybody Else. Even Dolly Is

Upset By My Troubles,  And When She Gives Up Things Are Bad,  Sure

Enough. You Can't Imagine How A Fellow Feels In My Fix."

 

"I Think I Can,  George." Glancing Back,  Saunders Noted That Dolly Was

Looking Straight At Them. He Put His Hand On The Young Man's Shoulder

And Let It Rest There Gently While He Went On: "Still,  George,  I Would

Not Advise You To Leave Home. You See,  Here You Are Surrounded By Old

Friends And Relatives. Among Total Strangers The Fight For Success

Would Be Even Harder,  And I Am Afraid You'd Be Homesick For These Old

Mountains. I Have Met A Good Many Who Have Come Back After A Trial At

Farming Out There. They All Say This Country Is As Good As Any."

 

"But I Am Actually At The End Of My Rope." George's Voice Shook

Afresh,  And The Shadow About His Eyes Deepened. "Has Dolly Told You

About Cross & Mayhew?"

 

"Yes,  And I'm Sorry You Ever Got In With Them. George,  They Are

Nothing More Nor Less Than Licensed Thieves. Have You Ever Calculated

How Much They Make Out Of You?"

 

"Oh,  I Know Their Profit Is Big," George Sighed,  "But Men Of My Stamp

Have To Go To Them When They Need A Stake To Pull Through On."

 

"I Have Figured On Their Method," Saunders Said,  "And I Am Quite Sure

That They Get As