stories of a western town-第12章

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ney；　too。〃　〃You？〃　　Miss　Brown　involuntarily　took　a　business　attitude；　with　her　arms　akimbo；　and　eyed　the　boy。　〃Yes；　ma'am；　me。　　I　ain't　so　very　old；　but　I　know　all　about　the　business。　I　got　all　the　figures　downhow　much　we　raise　and　what　we　got　last　year。　I　can　fetch　them　to　you　so　you　can　see。　　He　is　a　good　farmer；　and　he　will　catch　on　to　the　melons　pretty　quick。　　We'll　do　better　next　year；　and　I'll　try　to　keep　him　from　belonging　to　things　and　spending　money；　and　if　he　won't　lend　to　anybody　or　start　in　raising　a　new　kind　of　crop　just　when　we　get　the　melons　going；　he　will　make　money　sure。　He　is　awful　good　and　honest。　　All　the　trouble　with　him　is　he　needs　somebody　to　take　care　of　him。　　If　Aunt　Lizzie　had　been　alive　he　never　would　have　lent　that　dead…beat　Richards　that　money。　He　ought　to　get　married。〃　Miss　Brown　did　not　feel　called　on　to　say　anything。　Tim　continued　in　a　judicial　way：　　〃He　is　awful　good　and　kind；　always　gets　up　in　the　morning　to　make　the　fire　if　I　have　got　something　else　to　do；　and　he'd　think　everything　his　wife　did　was　the　best　in　the　world；　and　if　he　had　somebody　to　take　care　of　him　he'd　make　money。　　I　don't　suppose　YOU　would　think　of　it？〃　This　last　in　an　insinuating　tone；　with　evident　anxiety。　〃Well；　I　never！〃　said　Miss　Brown。　Whether　she　was　more　offended　or　amused　she　couldn't　tell；　and　she　stood　staring　at　him　by　the　electric　light。　To　her　amazement　the　hard　little　face　began　to　twitch。　　〃I　didn't　mean　to　mad　you；〃　Tim　grunted；　with　a　quiver　in　his　rough　voice。　〃I've　been　listening　to　every　word　you　said；　and　I　thought　you　were　so　sensible　you'd　talk　over　things　without　nonsense。　Of　course　I　knew　he'd　have　to　come　and　see　you　Saturday　nights；　and　take　you　buggy　riding；　and　take　you　to　the　theatre；　and　all　such　thingsfirst。　　But　I　thought　we　could　sorter　fix　it　up　between　ourselves。　　I've　taken　care　of　him　ever　since　Aunt　Lizzie　died；　and　I　did　my　best　he　shouldn't　lend　that　money；　but　I　couldn't　help　it；　and　I　did　keep　him　from　marrying　a　widow　woman　with　eight　children；　who　kept　telling　him　how　much　her　poor　fatherless　children　needed　a　man；　and　I　never　did　see　anybody　I　was　willingbeforeand　it's　it's　so　lonesome　without　Aunt　Lizzie！〃　　He　choked　and　frowned。　Poor　Tim；　who　had　sold　so　many　melons　to　women　and　seen　so　much　of　back　doors　and　kitchen　humors　that　he　held　the　sex　very　cheap；　he　did　not　realize　how　hard　he　would　find　it　to　talk　of　the　one　woman　who　had　been　kind　to　him！　He　turned　red　with　shame　over　his　own　weakness。　〃You　poor　little　chap！〃　cried　Miss　Brown；　〃you　poor　little　sharp；　innocent　chap！〃　　The　hand　she　laid　on　his　shoulder　patted　it　as　she　went　on：　　〃Never　mind；　if　I　can't　marry　your　uncle；　I　can　help　you　take　care　of　him。　You're　a　real　nice　boy；　and　I'm　not　mad；　don't　you　think　it。　There's　your　uncle　now。〃　Nelson　found　her　so　gentle　that　he　began　to　have　qualms　lest　his　carefully　prepared　speech　should　hurt　her　feelings。　But　there　was　no　help　for　it　now。　　〃I　have　thought　over　your　kind　offer　to　me；　ma'am；〃　said　he；　humbly；　〃and　I　got　a　proposition　to　make　to　you。　　It　is　your　honest　due　to　have　your　farm；　yes；　ma'am。　Well；　I　know　a　man　would　like　to　buy　it；　I'll　sell　it　to　him；　and　pay　you　your　money。〃　〃But　that　wasn't　my　proposal。〃　〃I　know　it；　ma'am。　I　honor　you　for　your　kindness；　but　I　can't　risk　what　what　might　be　another　person's　idea　of　duty　about　Richards。　Our　consciences　ain't　all　equally　enlightened；　you　know。〃　Miss　Brown　did　not　answer　a　word。　They　drove　along　the　streets　where　the　lanterns　were　fading。　Tim　grew　uneasy；　she　was　silent　so　long。　　On　the　brow　of　the　hill　she　indicated　a　side　street　and　told　them　to　stop　the　horse　before　a　little　brown　house。　　One　of　the　windows　was　a　dim　square　of　red。　〃It　isn't　quite　so　lonesome　coming　home　to　a　light；〃　said　Miss　Brown。　As　Nelson　cramped　the　wheel　to　jump　out　to　help　her　from　the　vehicle；　the　light　from　the　electric　arc　fell　full　on　his　handsome　face　and　showed　her　the　look　of　compassion　and　admiration；　there。　〃Wait　one　moment；〃　she　said；　detaining　him　with　one　firm　hand。　〃I've　got　something　to　say　to　you。　　Let　Richards　go　for　the　present；　all　I　ask　of　you　about　him　is　that　you　will　do　nothing　until　we　can　find　out　if　he　is　so　bad　off。　　But；　Mr。　Forrest；　I　can　do　better　for　you　about　that　mortgage。　　Mr。　Lossing　will　take　it　for　three　years　for　a　relative　of　his　and　pay　me　the　money。　I　told　him　the　story。〃　〃And　YOU　will　get　the　money　all　right？〃　〃Just　the　same。　　I　was　only　trying　to　help　you　a　little　by　the　other　way；　and　I　failed。　　Never　mind。〃　〃I　can't　tell　you　how　you　make　me　feel；〃　said　Nelson。　〃Please　let　him　bring　you　some　melons　to…morrow　and　make　a　stagger　at　it；　though；〃　said　Tim。　〃Can　I？〃　　Nelson's　eyes　shone。　〃If　you　want　to；〃　said　Miss　Brown。　　She　laughed；　but　in　a　moment　she　smiled。　All　the　way　home　Nelson　saw　the　same　face　of　Failure　between　the　old　mare's　white　ears；　but　its　grim　lineaments　were　softened　by　a　smile；　a　smile　like　Miss　Brown's。

TOMMY　AND　THOMAS　IT　was　while　Harry　Lossing　was　at　the　High　School　that　Mrs。　Carriswood　first　saw　Tommy　Fitzmaurice。　　He　was　not　much　to　see；　a　long　lad　of　sixteen　who　had　outgrown　his　jackets　and　was　not　yet　grown　to　his　ears。　At　this　period　Mrs。　Fitzmaurice　was　his　barber；　and　she；　having　been　too　rash　with　the　shears　in　one　place；　had　snipped　off　the　rest　of　his　curly　black　locks　〃to　match；〃　until　he　showed　a　perfect　convict's　poll；　giving　his　ears　all　the　better　chance；　and　bringing　out　the　rather　square　contour　of　his　jaws　to　advantage。　He　had　the　true　Irish…Norman　face；　a　skin　of　fine　texture；　fair　and　freckled；　high　cheekbones；　straight　nose；　and　wide　blue　eyes　that　looked　to　be　drawn　with　ink；　because　of　their　sharply　pencilled　brows　and　long；　thick；　black　lashes。　But　the　feature　that　Mrs。　Carriswood　noticed　was　Tommy's　mouth；　a　flexible　and　delicately　cut　mouth；　of　which　the　lips　moved　lightly　in　speaking　and　seldom　were　quite　in　repose。　〃The　genuine　Irish　orator's　mouth；〃　thought　Mrs。　Carriswood。　Tommy；　however；　was　not　a　finished　orator；　and　Mrs。　Carriswood　herself　deigned　to　help　him　with　his　graduating　oration；　Tommy　delivering　the　aforesaid　oration　from　memory；　on　the　stage　of　the　Grand　Opera　House；　to　a　warm…hearted　and　perspiring　audience　of　his　towns…people；　amid　tremendous　applause　and　not　the　slightest　prod…dings　of　conscience。　Really　the　speech　deserved　the　applause；　Mrs。　Carriswood；　who　had　heard　half　the　eloquence　of　the　world；　spent　three　evenings　on　it；　and　she　has　a　good　memory。　Her　part　in　the　affair　always　amused　her；　though；　in　fact；　it　came　to　pass　easily。　　She　had　the　great　fortune　of　the　family。　Being　a　widow　with　no　children；　and　the　time　not　being　come　when　philanthropy　beckons　on　the　right　hand　and　on　the　left　to　free…handed　women；　Mrs。　Carriswood　travelled。　As　she　expressed　it；　she　was　searching　the　globe　for　a　perfect　climate。　　〃Not　that　I　in　the　least　expect　to　find　it；〃　said　she；　cheerfully；　〃but　I　like　to　vary　my　disappointments；　when　I　get　worn　out　being　frozen；　winters；　I　go　somewhere　to　be　soaked。〃　　She　was　on　her　way　to　California　this　time；　with　her　English　maid；　who　gave　the　Lossing　domestics　many　a　jolly　moment　by　her　inextinguishable　panic　about　red　Indians。　Mrs。　Derry　supposed　these　savages　to　be　lurking　on　the　prairie　outside　every