登陆注册
5215500000059

第59章

But Ruff had found her a lie.She invited what she did not want.And his scorn had been commensurate with the falsehood of her.So might any man have been justified in his insult to her, in his rejection of her.Haze Ruff had found her unfit for his idea of dalliance.Virgil Rust had found her false to the ideals of womanhood for which he had sacrificed all but life itself.What then had Glenn Kilbourne found her? He possessed the greatness of noble love.He had loved her before the dark and changeful tide of war had come between them.How had he judged her? That last sight of him standing alone, leaning with head bowed, a solitary figure trenchant with suggestion of tragic resignation and strength, returned to flay Carley.He had loved, trusted, and hoped.She saw now what his hope had been-that she would have instilled into her blood the subtle, red, and revivifying essence of calling life in the open, the strength of the wives of earlier years, an emanation from canyon, desert, mountain, forest, of health, of spirit, of forward-gazing natural love, of the mysterious saving instinct he had gotten out of the West.And she had been too little too steeped in the indulgence of luxurious life too slight-natured and pale-blooded! And suddenly there pierced into the black storm of Carley's mind a blazing, white-streaked thought--she had left Glenn to the Western girl, Flo Hutter.Humiliated, and abased in her own sight, Carley fell prey to a fury of jealousy.

She went back to the old life.But it was in a bitter, restless, critical spirit, conscious of the fact that she could derive neither forgetfulness nor pleasure from it, nor see any release from the habit of years.

One afternoon, late in the fall, she motored out to a Long Island club where the last of the season's golf was being enjoyed by some of her most intimate friends.Carley did not play.Aimlessly she walked around the grounds, finding the autumn colors subdued and drab, like her mind.The air held a promise of early winter.She thought that she would go South before the cold came.Always trying to escape anything rigorous, hard, painful, or disagreeable! Later she returned to the clubhouse to find her party assembled on an inclosed porch, chatting and partaking of refreshment.Morrison was there.He had not taken kindly to her late habit of denying herself to him.

During a lull in the idle conversation Morrison addressed Carley pointedly.

"Well, Carley, how's your Arizona hog-raiser?" he queried, with a little gleam in his usually lusterless eyes.

"I have not heard lately," she replied, coldly.

The assembled company suddenly quieted with a portent inimical to their leisurely content of the moment.Carley felt them all looking at her, and underneath the exterior she preserved with extreme difficulty, there burned so fierce an anger that she seemed to have swelling veins of fire.

"Queer how Kilbourne went into raising hogs," observed Morrison."Such a low-down sort of work, you know.""He had no choice," replied Carley."Glenn didn't have a father who made tainted millions out of the war.He had to work.And I must differ with you about its being low-down.No honest work is that.It is idleness that is low down.""But so foolish of Glenn when he might have married money," rejoined Morrison, sarcastcally.

"The honor of soldiers is beyond your ken, Mr.Morrison."He flushed darkly and bit his lip.

"You women make a man sick with this rot about soldiers," he said, the gleam in his eye growing ugly."A uniform goes to a woman's head no matter what's inside it.I don't see where your vaunted honor of soldiers comes in considering how they accepted the let-down of women during and after the war.""How could you see when you stayed comfortably at home?" retorted Carley.

"All I could see was women falling into soldiers' arms," he said, sullenly.

"Certainly.Could an American girl desire any greater happiness--or opportunity to prove her gratitude?" flashed Carley, with proud uplift of head.

"It didn't look like gratitude to me," returned Morrison.

"Well, it was gratitude," declared Carley, ringingly."If women of America did throw themselves at soldiers it was not owing to the moral lapse of the day.It was woman's instinct to save the race! Always, in every war, women have sacrificed themselves to the future.Not vile, but noble!...You insult both soldiers and women, Mr.Morrison.I wonder--did any American girls throw themselves at you?"Morrison turned a dead white, and his mouth twisted to a distorted checking of speech, disagreeable to see.

"No, you were a slacker," went on Carley, with scathing scorn."You let the other men go fight for American girls.Do you imagine one of them will ever marry you?...All your life, Mr.Morrison, you will be a marked man--outside the pale of friendship with real American men and the respect of real American girls."Morrison leaped up, almost knocking the table over, and he glared at Carley as he gathered up his hat and cane.She turned her back upon him.From that moment he ceased to exist for Carley.She never spoke to him again.

Next day Carley called upon her dearest friend, whom she had not seen for some time.

"Carley dear, you don't look so very well," said Eleanor, after greetings had been exchanged.

"Oh, what does it matter how I look?" queried Carley, impatiently.

"You were so wonderful when you got home from Arizona.""If I was wonderful and am now commonplace you can thank your old New York for it.""Carley, don't you care for New York any more?" asked Eleanor.

"Oh, New York is all right, I suppose.It's I who am wrong.""My dear, you puzzle me these days.You've changed.I'm sorry.I'm afraid you're unhappy.""Me? Oh, impossible! I'm in a seventh heaven," replied Carley, with a hard little laugh."What 're you doing this afternoon? Let's go out--riding--or somewhere.""I'm expecting the dressmaker."

"Where are you going to-night?"

同类推荐
  • 碧苑坛经

    碧苑坛经

    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。
  • 幼科发挥

    幼科发挥

    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。
  • 太上通灵八史圣文真形图

    太上通灵八史圣文真形图

    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。
  • Democracy An American Novel

    Democracy An American Novel

    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。
  • 佛说除盖障菩萨所问经

    佛说除盖障菩萨所问经

    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。
热门推荐
  • 夜班惊魂

    夜班惊魂

    有一次,我路上遇到一个算卦的老头,看到我说,让我少干点伤天害理的事情,不然会遭报应,然而我的工作根本就是很正常的事情,我压根就没往心里去,可是自从那一次……
  • 十里桃夭

    十里桃夭

    她,本是月老庙前的一颗桃花树上的万花中的一朵,因长期受人类香火和祈愿,终以化形成妖。他,是九重天上有着至高无上的权利,有着双重身份。他用他邪魅的容颜撩她,结果,肉没吃到,自己还惹了一身火。
  • 机遇的把握(优秀人才成长方案)

    机遇的把握(优秀人才成长方案)

    机遇对于人的成功非常重要,但是机遇来了的时候,如果我们还没有做好准备,这时机遇只会让我们悔恨。为了等待机遇,我们应该有足够的诚心去做好准备。作
  • 绝世冰妃

    绝世冰妃

    本文已入半折书库。人若无心,便什么都不放在心上,周围的一切都入不了她的眼;一切声音都入不了她的耳;即使哪里死了几百人几万人,也都入不了她的心底。常欢就是这样的一个人,她短暂的一生是如此悲哀,即使死了也要被人利用。‘如果无心就能避免这样的伤害,那我愿生生世世不再有心!’这是常欢临死前唯一的愿望,从此她只沉浸在自己的虚无牢笼里。阎王殿上,小阎王命她投胎转世,她不理会望乡台上唯一的依恋,毅然喝下孟婆汤,却仍化不去她心中的怨气。某个朝代鲜花满布的山谷里,她出生了,接生婆在她的臀上拍了数十下,她没有哭;面对这一世的娘亲因产后出血芳魂故去,她没有哭;看着父亲殉情跟随,只给她留下一个冷若尘的名字,她仍没有留下一滴眼泪。此后,跟着姐姐过的她,每天的任务只是望着天空发呆,不会哭、不会笑,就连人最基本维持生命的吃饭,她也毫不在乎。三岁前,她是最没有存在感的存在;三岁后,因为前尘旧怨,引来灭门之祸,姐姐、姐夫为了保护她和两个年幼的双胞胎,死了。看着尚在襁褓的两个因为失去父母而哭泣的小侄女,三岁的小女孩毅然从自己的虚无世界中醒来,从此只为了这一对儿小侄女而活。嗨,从9月14号起,《相见不相识》改名为《绝世冰妃》,还望大家多多照顾新人我的文章!
  • 三爷夫人又作妖

    三爷夫人又作妖

    面对前世的仇人,苏清漓杀伐决断,毫不留情。可面对自己的金光闪闪的帅气老公时,诶嘿嘿嘿嘿,苏清漓擦擦口水。“来嘛来嘛,别怕别怕。”看我扮猪吃老虎,轻松拿下冷面阎王~
  • 重生世子妃

    重生世子妃

    前世,亲娘被害,亲弟被杀,就连她也沦落成家人争权夺利的工具,一朝重生,她发誓要狠狠地报复,离家出走救娘亲,顺带拐走亲爹唯一的子嗣,若干年后,卷土重来,前世欺她之人统统给我去下地狱。只不过——“那谁,你离姐远点,姐跟你不熟。”“媳妇,你是我未婚妻,咱们得相亲相爱!”“滚,未婚妻就是还没成亲,男女授受不亲!”“媳妇,那啥,我昨天晚上打劫来着……”“允许你摸摸小手,抢了多少?统统上交,敢留私房钱你就死定了!”
  • 度过星海

    度过星海

    不过一场度过星海,我在下或在上所遥望的,都是我曾经正在度过星海
  • 前世咒-姐妹争皇后

    前世咒-姐妹争皇后

    第一卷:(完结)她每日梦见自己出现在不同的年代。下场都是一样,身怀有孕的她被各种酷刑折磨至死。她怨气很重,很重。不甘心面前的男人温柔的抱着另一个女人,怒目看着她。女儿依偎在男人怀里,诡异的笑容看着她,那是胜利的笑容,那是嘲笑。她,琏,每次都从噩梦里惊醒,她害怕那梦里的九世诅咒,“我要九生九世纠缠在你们中间”。那胜利的女人今世居然是妹妹。还好妹妹被选秀进宫了,她松口气。妹妹母凭子贵被封贵人,可以见家人一面。她被御招进宫见贵人妹妹。那皇帝妹夫不是别人,是那梦里的男人。琏惊的说不出话,直觉告诉她,逃…。第二卷:她水伊琏来到了蛇界,她见到了云妃,了解到了一切。她最后被存封了所有的记忆;来到了九世前,发咒的那一世;她仙琏儿是清水湾卖艺不卖身的舞妓;她陆紫菱是清水湾卖艺不卖身的琴妓;她们都很特别;仙琏儿的舞优如飞蝶,能让百兽共舞;陆紫菱的琴优如甘泉,能让百花争艳;她们姐妹相称,她们情同姐妹;直到他的出现;他贵为王爷;更是无出的帝王哥哥的百年之后的继承人;他喜欢收集特殊的东西和甚至是人;于是她们都成了他的收集;她们开始了…………………………她仙琏儿是否能够扭转乾坤,改变九世纠缠的命运;她陆紫菱是否能够寻到真爱,改变九世被缠的命运;骏王爷、琴魔、歇门门主,谁才是她们的归宿?------------------------------------------------------------------------------视频:http://m.wkkk.net/p_m.wkkk.net(第一卷)视频:http://m.wkkk.net/p_m.wkkk.net(第二卷)-------------------------------------------------------------------------------饫儿其他的文:堡主的外来妻:对总裁下手:弃妃泪:妃媚:恶魔老公,拜拜:夜欲:公子嫁到:
  • 璀璨的中国

    璀璨的中国

    全书介绍了我们伟大的祖国,总共分七章:华夏民族的起源、东方巨龙长城、敦煌岁月、汉诗鉴赏、魏诗鉴赏、唐诗鉴赏、宋词鉴赏。
  • 女扮男装:极品三少爷

    女扮男装:极品三少爷

    慕清风——博览群书,文武全才,空难身死,灵魂坠入异世。再次醒来,却穿越到东祥国第一草包美男的身上,传言他懦弱胆小,胸无点墨,手无缚鸡之力。一朝穿越,迷乱世人。第一杀手“废话真多,我就是断袖了,你不从也得从!”天水族少主“一直以为我能走进你的心里,没想到却是你赖在我的心里不出去了!”妖孽太子“你如果不把他们都甩了,我就死给你看!”纨绔公子“谁叫你在我面前洗澡了,就要对我负责!”女主晕倒.【片段】“娘亲,爹爹说因为娘亲太懒了,所以小宝才没有妹妹的,小宝想要妹妹,娘亲你要勤快一点!”某小宝一脸义正言辞的站在沐清风面前。女主“……”回头一看某男正在角落里偷笑。