登陆注册
5169000000062

第62章

The latter wandered slowly down the charming driveways of the little western town.The broad dusty street was brown with sprinkling from numberless garden hose.A double row of big soft maples met over it, and shaded the sidewalk and part of the wide lawns.The grass was fresh and green.Houses with capacious verandas on which were glimpsed easy chairs and hammocks, sent forth a mild glow from a silk-shaded lamp or two.Across the evening air floated the sounds of light conversation and laughter from these verandas, the tinkle of a banjo, the thrum of a guitar.Automatic sprinklers whirled and hummed here and there.Their delicious artificial coolness struck refreshingly against the cheek.

Thorpe found the Hughes residence without difficulty, and turned up the straight walk to the veranda.On the steps of the latter a rug had been spread.A dozen youths and maidens lounged in well-bred ease on its soft surface.The gleam of white summer dresses, of variegated outing clothes, the rustle o frocks, the tinkle of low, well-bred laughter confused Thorpe, so that, as he approached the light from a tall lamp just inside the hall, he hesitated, vainly trying to make out the figures before him.

So it was that Helen Thorpe saw him first, and came fluttering to meet him.

"Oh, Harry! What a surprise!" she cried, and flung her arms about his neck to kiss him.

"How do you do, Helen," he replied sedately.

This was the meeting he had anticipated so long.The presence of others brought out in him, irresistibly, the repression of public display which was so strong an element of his character.

A little chilled, Helen turned to introduce him to her friends.In the cold light of her commonplace reception she noticed what in a warmer effusion of feelings she would never have seen,--that her brother's clothes were out of date and worn; and that, though his carriage was notably strong and graceful, the trifling constraint and dignity of his younger days had become almost an awkwardness after two years among uncultivated men.It occurred to Helen to be just a little ashamed of him.

He took a place on the steps and sat without saying a word all the evening.There was nothing for him to say.These young people talked thoughtlessly, as young people do, of the affairs belonging to their own little circle.Thorpe knew nothing of the cotillion, or the brake ride, or of the girl who visited Alice Southerland;all of which gave occasion for so much lively comment.Nor was the situation improved when some of them, in a noble effort at politeness, turned the conversation into more general channels.

The topics of the day's light talk were absolutely unknown to him.

The plays, the new books, the latest popular songs, jokes depending for their point on an intimate knowledge of the prevailing vaudeville mode, were as unfamiliar to him as Miss Alice Southerland's guest.

He had thought pine and forest and the trail so long, that he found these square-elbowed subjects refusing to be jostled aside by any trivialities.

So he sat there silent in the semi-darkness.This man, whose lightest experience would have aroused the eager attention of the entire party, held his peace because he thought he had nothing to say.

He took Helen back to Mrs.Renwick's about ten o'clock.They walked slowly beneath the broad-leaved maples, whose shadows danced under the tall electric lights,--and talked.

Helen was an affectionate, warm-hearted girl.Ordinarily she would have been blind to everything except the delight of having her brother once more with her.But his apparently cold reception had first chilled, then thrown her violently into a critical mood.His subsequent social inadequacy had settled her into the common-sense level of everyday life.

"How have you done, Harry?" she inquired anxiously."Your letters have been so vague.""Pretty well," he replied."If things go right, I hope some day to have a better place for you than this."Her heart contracted suddenly.It was all she could do to keep from bursting into tears.One would have to realize perfectly her youth, the life to which she had been accustomed, the lack of encouragement she had labored under, the distastefulness of her surroundings, the pent-up dogged patience she had displayed during the last two years, the hopeless feeling of battering against a brick wall she always experienced when she received the replies to her attempts on Harry's confidence, to appreciate how the indefiniteness of his answer exasperated her and filled her with sullen despair.She said nothing for twenty steps.Then:

"Harry," she said quietly, "can't you take me away from Mrs.

Renwick's this year?"

"I don't know, Helen.I can't tell yet.Not just now, at any rate.""Harry," she cried, "you don't know what you're doing.I tell you I can't STAND Mrs.Renwick any longer." She calmed herself with an effort, and went on more quietly."Really, Harry, she's awfully disagreeable.If you can't afford to keep me anywhere else--" she glanced timidly at his face and for the first time saw the strong lines about the jaw and the tiny furrows between the eyebrows."Iknow you've worked hard, Harry dear," she said with a sudden sympathy, "and that you'd give me more, if you could.But so have I worked hard.Now we ought to change this in some way.I can get a position as teacher, or some other work somewhere.Won't you let me do that?"Thorpe was thinking that it would be easy enough to obtain Wallace Carpenter's consent to his taking a thousand dollars from the profits of the year.But he knew also that the struggle in the courts might need every cent the new company could spare.It would look much better were he to wait until after the verdict.If favorable, there would be no difficulty about sparing the money.If adverse, there would be no money to spare.The latter contingency he did not seriously anticipate, but still it had to be considered.

同类推荐
  • 太上元宝金庭无为妙经

    太上元宝金庭无为妙经

    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。
  • 佛说譬喻经

    佛说譬喻经

    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。
  • 详刑公案

    详刑公案

    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。
  • 紫阳真人悟真篇注疏

    紫阳真人悟真篇注疏

    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。
  • 龙飞录

    龙飞录

    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
  • 智慧比拼(智商总动员)

    智慧比拼(智商总动员)

    《智商乐园》是智商总动员系列丛书,智商总动员系列丛书让你在开心中学习,在学习中益智,在益智中快乐,永远是老师、学生和家长的共同追求。本系列丛书是一片快乐的阅读天地,童趣但不幼稚,启智却不教条,它能让你开心一刻,思考一回。在开心中学习,在学习中益智,在益智中快乐,永远是老师、学生和家长的共同追求。翻开《智商总动员》——轻轻松松让你踏上寓学于乐的智慧之旅!
  • 彪悍农家炮灰媳

    彪悍农家炮灰媳

    一觉醒来,冯兰花发现又回到被婆婆逼供,被亲生母亲打骂的农家小院里,好吃懒做的弟弟想法设法坑她钱,最好的闺蜜处心积虑的陷害她外遇,勾引她老公……叔可忍婶不可忍,冯兰花一咬牙一跺脚,老娘今天跟你们拼了!
  • 气御天下

    气御天下

    一段气贯苍穹的灵魂征程。一场才御诸天的寻芳之旅。气御群芳,九州清晏。
  • 蛇妖青离

    蛇妖青离

    目睹了父母人妖殊途的一场苦恋,青离对情之一事唯恐避之不及。虽定下心来不去触碰,可冥冥中早有安排,在他遇到毕落后,才理解父亲所说的那句:“情不知所起,一往而深”为何意。
  • 如果清风不自来

    如果清风不自来

    原来人与人之间,相遇,相知,相爱,相离,一切都那么容易发生。不同的只是,一种分离,有两种解释……
  • 天桥上的邱弟

    天桥上的邱弟

    马季设座本期“大家雅座”依旧由著名评论家马季先生设座,邀请的“在座作家”是谁?曾以“北北”等笔名发表一系列引人注目的小说的著名女作家林那北是也。林女士近来创作走向若何?文学思索的兴奋点何在?列位有心的看官仔细了。一邱弟非常不喜欢一个叫开喜的人。开喜年轻时很结实,肌肉一块块东垒西鼓。过了五十岁他开始胖,最重要的标志就是他头与肩的距离越来越短,直至现在,圆滚滚的脑袋直接粘到肉乎乎的肩膀上,中间缺了一截竖立的脖子。
  • 婚深情长,陆先生很缠人

    婚深情长,陆先生很缠人

    出国在外的男友一回国竟成了闺蜜的未婚夫!闺蜜还空降成了她的顶头上司,处处给她使绊子!她咽不下这口气,转身投向名声赫赫的他的怀抱。全世界都在骂她是劈腿的贱货,他却将她护在身后对抗全世界。为何?原来,他们之间竟有这般千丝万缕的关系!--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 白衣胜雪(中国好小说)

    白衣胜雪(中国好小说)

    一部《白衣胜雪》,就将医疗界的江湖恩怨写得是风生水起、栩栩如生,就将让人头疼的医患关系写得那么透彻、那么精准,就将医生的那些心思写得那么细腻、那么刻骨,将患者的情绪发泄写得是那么入情、入理,将手术的具体情节描绘得是那么有声有色、津津有味。不仅如此,我们还看到了希望,医患关系改善的希望,医生职业后继有人的希望。应该说,没有深入的体验生活,没有细致的观察留意,没有深刻的琢磨体味,是写不出如此小说的,是写不得如此精彩的。
  • 我的性感女总裁

    我的性感女总裁

    太阳神的后人,神帝之子,未来的救世主。。。种种身份,灌于一身。林一凡不知自己是谁,也不知自己的责任是什么。他只知道,为爱,他可以付出一切;为爱,他可以破天而出,屠杀那诸天星辰。。。
  • 吸血鬼之吻(吸血鬼系列)

    吸血鬼之吻(吸血鬼系列)

    血鬼之父的扛鼎之作,吸血鬼文化的开山鼻祖!《吸血鬼之吻》是一本令整个欧洲为之癫狂惊悚的惊世骇俗的魔幻小说!年轻的英国律师乔纳森·哈克乘车从伦敦出发,来到偏僻神秘的德古拉城堡,受德古拉伯爵所托,哈克办理房产交易事宜。但接下来发生的一连串怪异事件让他毛骨悚然、不寒而栗。空气中飘散着茫茫的白雾,城堡又黑又高的窗户透不出一丝光亮,丛林里传来凄厉的狼嚎,蝙蝠发出怪异的声音拍打窗户,墓地闪烁着飘忽游移的鬼影……城堡被阴郁、诡异和死亡编织的巨网笼罩。