登陆注册
5170900000106

第106章

"You are not going to forget it now.That evening is going to mark the beginning of--oh, Curtis, it is going to be a new beginning of everything.You'll see.I'm going to manage it.I don't know how, but you are going to love me so that nothing, no business, no money, no wheat will ever keep you from me.I will make you.And that evening, that evening of June thirteenth is mine.The day your business can have you, but from six o'clock on you are mine." She crossed the room quickly and took both his hands in hers and knelt beside him."It is mine," she said, if you love me.Do you understand, dear? You will come home at six o'clock, and whatever happens--oh, if all La Salle Street should burn to the ground, and all your millions of bushels of wheat with it--whatever happens, you--will--not--leave--me--nor think of anything else but just me, me.That evening is mine, and you will give it to me, just as I have said.I won't remind you of it again.I won't speak of it again.I will leave it to you.But--you will give me that evening if you love me.Dear, do you see just what I mean?..._If you love me...._ No--no don't say a word, we won't talk about it at all.No, no, please.Not another word.Idon't want you to promise, or pledge yourself, or anything like that.You've heard what I said--and that's all there is about it.We'll talk of something else.By the way, have you seen Mr.Cressler lately?""No," he said, falling into her mood."No haven't seen Charlie in over a month.Wonder what's become of him?""I understand he's been sick," she told him."I met Mrs.Cressler the other day, and she said she was bothered about him.""Well, what's the matter with old Charlie?""She doesn't know, herself.He's not sick enough to go to bed, but he doesn't or won't go down town to his business.She says she can see him growing thinner every day.He keeps telling her he's all right, but for all that, she says, she's afraid he's going to come down with some kind of sickness pretty soon.""'Say," said Jadwin, "suppose we drop around to see them this afternoon? Wouldn't you like to? I haven't seen him in over a month, as I say.Or telephone them to come up and have dinner.Charlie's about as old a friend as I have.We used to be together about every hour of the day when we first came to Chicago.Let's go over to see him this afternoon and cheer him up.""No," said Laura, decisively."Curtis, you must have one day of rest out of the week.You are going to lie down all the rest of the afternoon, and sleep if you can.I'll call on them to-morrow.""Well, all right," he assented."I suppose I ought to sleep if I can.And then Sam is coming up here, by five.He's going to bring some railroad men with him.

We've got a lot to do.Yes, I guess, old girl, I'll try to get forty winks before they get here.And, Laura," he added, taking her hand as she rose to go, "Laura, this is the last lap.In just another month now--oh, at the outside, six weeks--I'll have closed the corner, and then, old girl, you and I will go somewheres, anywhere you like, and then we'll have a good time together all the rest of our lives--all the rest of our lives, honey.Good-by.Now I think I can go to sleep."She arranged the cushions under his head and drew the curtains close over the windows, and went out, softly closing the door behind her.And a half hour later, when she stole in to look at him, she found him asleep at last, the tired eyes closed, and the arm, with its broad, strong hand, resting under his head.She stood a long moment in the middle of the room, looking down at him; and then slipped out as noiselessly as she had come, the tears trembling on her eyelashes.

Laura Jadwin did not call on the Cresslers the next day, nor even the next after that.For three days she kept indoors, held prisoner by a series of petty incidents; now the delay in the finishing of her new gowns, now by the excessive heat, now by a spell of rain.By Thursday, however, at the beginning of the second week of the month, the storm was gone, and the sun once more shone.Early in the afternoon Laura telephoned to Mrs.Cressler.

"How are you and Mr.Cressler?" she asked."I'm coming over to take luncheon with you and your husband, if you will let me.""Oh, Charlie is about the same, Laura," answered Mrs.

Cressler's voice."I guess the dear man has been working too hard, that's all.Do come over and cheer him up.If I'm not here when you come, you just make yourself at home.I've got to go down town to see about railroad tickets and all.I'm going to pack my old man right off to Oconomowoc before I'm another day older.Made up my mind to it last night, and I don't want him to be bothered with tickets or time cards, or baggage or anything.I'll run down and do it all myself.You come right up whenever you're ready and keep Charlie company.How's your husband, Laura child?""Oh, Curtis is well," she answered."He gets very tired at times.""Well, I can understand it.Lands alive, child whatever are you going to do with all your money? They tell me that J.has made millions in the last three or four months.A man I was talking to last week said his corner was the greatest thing ever known on the Chicago Board of Trade.Well, good-by, Laura, come up whenever you're ready.I'll see you at lunch Charlie is right here.He says to give you his love." An hour later Laura's victoria stopped in front of the Cressler's house, and the little footman descended with the agility of a monkey, to stand, soldier-like, at the steps, the lap robe over his arm.

Laura gave orders to have the victoria call for her at three, and ran quickly up the front steps.The front entrance was open, the screen door on the latch, and she entered without ceremony.

"Mrs.Cressler!" she called, as she stood in the hallway drawing off her gloves."Mrs.Cressler!

Carrie, have you gone yet?"

But the maid, Annie, appeared at the head of the stairs, on the landing of the second floor, a towel bound about her head, her duster in her hand.

"Mrs.Cressler has gone out, Mrs.Jadwin," she said.

"She said you was to make yourself at home, and she'd be back by noon."Laura nodded, and standing before the hatrack in the hall, took off her hat and gloves, and folded her veil into her purse.The house was old-fashioned, very homelike and spacious, cool, with broad halls and wide windows.In the "front library," where Laura entered first, were steel engravings of the style of the seventies, "whatnots" crowded with shells, Chinese coins, lacquer boxes, and the inevitable sawfish bill.

The mantel was mottled white marble, and its shelf bore the usual bronze and gilt clock, decorated by a female figure in classic draperies, reclining against a globe.

An oil painting of a mountain landscape hung against one wall; and on a table of black walnut, with a red marble slab, that stood between the front windows, were a stereoscope and a rosewood music box.

The piano, an old style Chickering, stood diagonally across the far corner of the room, by the closed sliding doors, and Laura sat down here and began to play the "Mephisto Walzer," which she had been at pains to learn since the night Corthell had rendered it on her great organ in the art gallery.

But when she had played as much as she could remember of the music, she rose and closed the piano, and pushed back the folding doors between the room she was in and the "back library," a small room where Mrs.Cressler kept her books of poetry.

As Laura entered the room she was surprised to see Mr.

Cressler there, seated in his armchair, his back turned toward her.

"Why, I didn't know you were here, Mr.Cressler," she said, as she came up to him.

She laid her hand upon his arm.But Cressler was dead;and as Laura touched him the head dropped upon the shoulder and showed the bullet hole in the temple, just in front of the ear.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 这些年,我浪荡过活

    这些年,我浪荡过活

    欧阳玉林是一个标准的小讲迷,就爱看小讲,无论是任何的小讲都喜欢看,于是爱幻想,也成为了欧阳玉林的一个特征,但是欧阳玉林但有些不以为然,认为这没什么大不了的,爱幻想怎么了,爱幻想也是蛮好的嘛。
  • 花亦未落

    花亦未落

    一生有盛有衰,花亦有开有谢
  • 茶油时代

    茶油时代

    民以食为天,但今天的人们往往忽略了食的奥妙和讲究。就拿食用油来说,您肯定会有诸多误区。它与健康之间的关系您知道多少?您知道当前国际上最流行的食用油时尚吗?您对新兴的“土食主义”了解多少?不看不知道,一看吓一跳。本期推出的李青松的报告文学《茶油时代》所展现的出乎意料的食油健康知识和新的健康理念,或许将预示一次新生活方式的到来?健康是人生最大的财富。——题记。你也许没有吃过茶油,但你一定跟油茶发生过关系。只要你嚼过木糖醇。乔丹一上场,嘴里准是吧唧吧唧。
  • 萧红作品集(1)(中国现代文学名家作品集)

    萧红作品集(1)(中国现代文学名家作品集)

    “中国现代文学名家作品集”丛书实质是中国现代文学肇基和发展阶段的创作总集,收录了几乎当时所有知名作家,知名作品的全部。
  • 朱颜祸妃

    朱颜祸妃

    自小在战场上凌厉狠辣的亲王郡主,一夜间父王失踪、亲弟昏迷,自己沦为异国质子,且看她如何在逆境之中搅动风云。慕修薄唇紧抿,鲜血溅在他的面上还未来得及擦去,本就生的清冷入骨,如此更显出几分邪魅,夕阳的余晖将他的身形勾勒的颀长而孤寂,仿佛上古的杀戮之神,遗世独立。
  • 王爷的吃货农家妃

    王爷的吃货农家妃

    天启四年,永和村玉家三代男丁,终于迎来了一个女娃,取名玉瑶。瑶,取石之美者。二十三世纪,隐士家族玉家继承人玉瑶,在继任家主之位一月后,以绝对的强势压倒众长老,将自己培养的继承人扶上家主之位,然后不知所踪。毫不相干的两个人,因机缘巧合之下成为了一个人。永和村玉瑶因不慎落水未能及时救起而夭折。换来了二十三世纪吃火锅因桌子爆炸没能及时逃生而被炸死的玉瑶的灵魂。“这个不能吃!”“可以”“不可以”“我说可以就可以,究竟谁懂得比较多!”“你”玉景廷郁闷道。成功争赢的玉瑶把发现的花椒给全部洗劫了回去。没事打打架,虐虐渣,踩踩白莲花。上山抓个鸡,下河摸条鱼,做个美食开个店,带领全村发家致富乐无边。
  • 最前线:另一种篮球

    最前线:另一种篮球

    《NBA最前线》是一档由CCTV5与NBA联合打造的NBA专题节目,本书由节目组各位主持人所著,向你揭示NBA最炙手可热的明星、最火热的话题以及最不为人知的幕后故事。
  • 最强小农民

    最强小农民

    一个山村小农民,驰骋都市,走上人生巅峰的故事。
  • 影后嫁到:总裁专宠百分百

    影后嫁到:总裁专宠百分百

    沈萧萧,十八线外的小艺人,闪婚娱乐圈最权贵的大总裁顾霆堔。她提出隐婚,三年协议,婚后互不干涉。然而……他说:八年前,她就成了他的心尖宠!也是后来,她才知道,她不过是那人的替身……
  • 狷介与风流:蒋百里传

    狷介与风流:蒋百里传

    他是清末秀才,也是传说中五百年才出现的军事奇才。他受袁世凯器重,被钦点为军官学校校长,他是蔡锷的密友,梁启超的学生,张学良、蒋介石等都要尊他一声“先生”,他有一个愿意陪他坐牢的朋友叫徐志摩,曾有一个副官叫蒋纬国,还有一个女婿叫钱学森……而他真正的传奇之处在于,仅以一人之力两次打败整个日本陆军。早年,他以步兵科第一名毕业于日本士官学校,中日朝野均为之震动,此为其一。其二便是他对中日之战的言论——“胜也罢,败也罢,就是不要同它讲和”,初次形成了抗战持久论的思想。可是,为何终其一生他也只被称作军事学家,而非军事家?