登陆注册
4707000000021

第21章

Martha wouldn't of took anything fur being around Miss Hampton, she said.

Miss Hampton was kind of quiet and sweet and pale looking, and nobody ever thought of talking loud or raising any fuss when she was around. She had enough money of her own to run herself on, and she kep' to herself a good deal.

She had come to that town from no one knowed where, years ago, and bought that place. Fur all of her being so gentle and easy and talking with one of them soft, drawly kind of voices, Martha says, no one had ever dared to ast her about herself, though they was a lot of women in that town that was wishful to.

But Martha said she knowed what Miss Hamp-ton's secret was, and she hadn't told no one, neither.

Which she told me, and all the promising I done about not telling would of made the cold chills run up your back, it was so solemn. Miss Hampton had been jilted years ago, Martha said, and the name of the jilter was David Armstrong. Well, he must of been a low down sort of man. Martha said if things was only fixed in this country like they ought to be, she would of sent a night to find that David Armstrong. And that would of ended up in a mortal combat, and the night would have cleaved him.

"Yes," says I, "and then you would of married that there night, I suppose."She says she would of.

"Well," says I, "mebby you would of and mebby you wouldn't of. If he cleaved David Armstrong, that night would likely be arrested fur it."Martha says if he was she would wait outside his dungeon keep fur years and years, till she was a old woman with gray in her hair, and every day they would give lingering looks at each other through the window bars. And they would be happy that-a-way. And she would get her a white dove and train it so it would fly up to that window and take in notes to him, and he would send notes back that-a-way, and they would both be awful sad and ro-manceful and contented doing that-a-way fur ever and ever.

Well, I never took no stock in them mournful ways of being happy. I couldn't of riz up to being a night fur Martha. She expected too much of one.

I thought it over fur a little spell without saying anything, and I tried to make myself believe I would of liked all that dove business. But it wasn't no use pertending. I knowed I would get tired of it.

"Martha," I says, "mebby these here nights is all right, and mebby they ain't. I never seen one, and I don't know. And, mind you, I ain't saying a word agin their way of acting. I can't say how I would of been myself, if I had been brung up like them. But it looks to me, from some of the things you've said about 'em, they must have a dern fool streak in 'em somewheres."I was kind of jealous of them nights, I guess, or I wouldn't of run 'em down that-a-way behind their backs. But the way she was always taking on over them was calkelated to make me see Iwasn't knee-high to a duck in Martha's mind when one of them nights popped into her head.

When I run 'em down that-a-way, she says to the blind all things is blind, and if I had any chivalry into me myself I'd of seen they wasn't jest dern fools, but noble, and seen it easy. And she sighed, like she'd looked fur better things from me. When I hearn her do that I felt sorry I hadn't come up to her expectances. So I says:

"Martha, it's no use pertending I could stay in one of them jails and keep happy at it. I got to be outdoors. But I tell you what I can do, if it will make you feel any better. If I ever happen to run acrost this here David Armstrong, and he is anywheres near my size, I'll lick him fur you.

And if he's too hefty fur me to lick him fair," Isays, "and I get a good chancet I will hit him with a piece of railroad iron fur you."Of course, I knowed I would never find him. But what I said seemed to brighten her up a little.

"But," says I, "if I went too fur with it, and was hung fur it, how would you feel then, Martha?"Well, sir, that didn't jar Martha none. She looked kind of dreamy and said mebby she would go and jine a convent and be a nun. And when she got to be the head nun she would build a chapel over the tomb where I was buried in. And every year, on the day of the month I was hung on, she would lead all the other nuns into that chapel, and the organ would play mournful, and each nun as passed would lay down a bunch of white roses onto my tomb. I reckon that orter made me feel good, but somehow it didn't.

So I changed the subject, and asts her why I ain't seen Miss Hampton around the place none. Martha says she has a bad sick headache and ain't been outside the house fur four or five days. I asts her why she don't wait on her. But she don't want her to, Martha says. She's been staying in the house ever since we been in town, and jest wants to be let alone. I thinks all that is kind of funny. And then I seen from the way Martha is answering my questions that she is holding back something she would like to tell, but don't think she orter tell. I leaves her alone and purty soon she says:

"Do you believe in ghosts?"

I tell her sometimes I think I don't believe in 'em, and sometimes I think I do, but anyhow I would hate to see one. I asts her why does she ast.

"Because," she says, "because--but I hadn't ought to tell you.""It's daylight," I says; "it's no use being scared to tell now.""It ain't that," she says, "but it's a secret."When she said it was a secret, I knowed she would tell. Martha liked having her friends help her to keep a secret.

"I think Miss Hampton has seen one," she says, finally, "and that her staying indoors has something to do with that."Then she tells me. The night of the day after we camped there, her and Miss Hampton was out fur a walk. We didn't have any show that night.

同类推荐
  • 太上三洞传授道德经紫虚箓拜表仪

    太上三洞传授道德经紫虚箓拜表仪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说四辈经

    佛说四辈经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 憨休禅师敲空遗响

    憨休禅师敲空遗响

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 疯门全书

    疯门全书

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 王弼老子注

    王弼老子注

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 圣经故事:爱的胜利

    圣经故事:爱的胜利

    《爱的胜利》分册,是《圣经故事》的第五分册,本卷回顾了基督教会一千九百年来的历史,讲述了基督教历史上重要的人物和事件,并在卷末复述了《圣经》最后一卷《启示录》中的故事。
  • 英雄联盟之奇异战队

    英雄联盟之奇异战队

    网吧大神,实力主播,恩爱情侣,手残教练……再加上江楚这样一个“废柴”ADC。在某“脑残”富豪二代的资助下,奇异战队进入了职业圈,开启了非凡的电竞之路。
  • 最强火箭兵

    最强火箭兵

    顽劣而又酷爱研究发明的丁晓军,梦想做出直升机,竟将他老子的摩托车发动机给拆了!愤怒的丁父一怒之下将他送入军营……在藏龙卧虎的军营里,丁晓军才发现自己的平凡,为追上他人的脚步,不被淘汰,丁晓军苦练军事技能,努力学习装备知识……其实这是一个火箭军技术营士兵一步步成长为“一级军士长”的故事。 《最强火箭兵》读者群:517288438
  • 爱情是毒,甘之如饴

    爱情是毒,甘之如饴

    “唐曼柔,我们离婚。你净身出户!”“不可能!”“没想到你这么恶毒,我当初真是看错你了。我和她已经有孩子了,需要用钱,如果你还有点同情心,就应该理解我的辛苦。”婚内出轨喜当爹,让我净身出户养你和小三的孩子,我拒绝就是我恶毒?三观这么歪真的能做人?既然如此,那我就教你做人!
  • 佛教故事选萃

    佛教故事选萃

    本书选取的佛教故事包括:鹦鹉救火、女颜象、弟兄俩、看远不看近、火灾、摩诃罗学祝词、牛奶变醋等。
  • 快穿女配:攻略男神爽翻天

    快穿女配:攻略男神爽翻天

    【女主(女配+反派+反派光环!)男主这个嘛说不定】作为新21世纪的美少女林秣,身世地位人气美貌样样俱全。可惜天公不做美,林秣还没来得及享受就被自己从未过面的未婚夫和小三设计陷害而死。怎么可以!关键是命也丢了!什么都没有了!但是这莫名其妙的东西是什么?【系统大人】:伟大的宿主666,下个位面即将开始,请系好垃圾桶安全带,准备发射!“……”被丢出系统空间的某女。
  • 穿越之公主小婢

    穿越之公主小婢

    她现代的一个千金悄小姐竟不幸跌入时空隧道,成了东国公主的贴身小婢。这被称为洛辰的皇帝却单单注视她这么一个小婢?她不过是随便唱了首流行歌曲,却又被皇帝的兄弟,湛王爷向太后讨去做妃?这下死翘翘了……
  • 异域镇魂曲

    异域镇魂曲

    当他从太平间醒来,他不知道自己是谁?寻找到了曾经的爱人,可惜,带来的却是更多的未知和迷惑,还有朦胧的将来。这是一个城市,被称为诸界的中心——众门之城。过去的记忆渐渐浮现,而现在的威胁也渐渐靠近了。行走在路上,找不到方向。当无名氏真正看到了解谜者。却带来了更多的谜团。没有了后路,最后的征程。不朽,即将腐朽。永恒,即将破碎。终结,也是开始。
  • 爆笑穿越:宝式讨债项目组

    爆笑穿越:宝式讨债项目组

    【N年前旧坑,慎入!】讲述一活宝级小妞穿越时空,把假性植物人、严重自闭的男主活活气醒过来,乃至发展成一段伟大耐情的传奇故事。此文类属:【恶搞型爆笑文】后续发展且看各位看倌之反馈,如果实在不好笑以至冷场,就让主角通通死掉,改走古装青春爆痛路线--|||
  • 网游之忆茗惊人

    网游之忆茗惊人

    小时候的一面之缘,他从未在意,她毫不知情。彼此都是歌坛独当一面的新秀,却从来关系浅浅。隔着一层网络,换了一个身份。直到在网游里相识、相知、相恋,她才后知后觉——原来,自己的第六感没出错,你们真是同一个人啊!--情节虚构,请勿模仿