登陆注册
5236800000119

第119章 CHAPTER XXIV THE MAJOR AND THE MAJOR'S WIFE(5)

"The officers, from the Colonel down, have been so good to me," she said. "They have told me so many things about Harry. And the Sergeants and the Corporals, every one in his company, have written me. They are beautiful letters. They make me laugh and cry, but Ilove them. Dear boys, how I love them, and how I love to work for them!" She showed Larry a thick bundle of letters. "And they all say he was so jolly. I like that, for you know, being a Y. M. C. A. man in college and always keen about that sort of thing--I am afraid I did not help him much in that way--he was not so fearfully jolly. But now I am glad he was that kind of a man, a good man, Imean, in the best way, and that he was always jolly. One boy says, 'He always bucked me up to do my best,' and another, a Sergeant, says, 'He put the fear of God into the slackers,' and the Colonel says, 'He was a moral tonic in the mess,' and his chum officer said, 'He kept us all jolly and clean.' I love that. So you see Isimply have to buck up and be jolly too."

"Helen, you are wonderful," said Larry, who was openly wiping away his tears. "Scuddy was a big man, a better man I never knew, and you are worthy of him."They were passing out of the room when Helen pulled Larry back again. "Larry," she said, her words coming with breathless haste, "don't wait, oh, don't wait. Marry Jane before you go. That is my great regret to-day. Harry wanted to be married and I did too.

But father and mother did not think it wise. They did not know.

How could they? Oh! Larry," she suddenly wrung her hands, "he wished it so. Now I know it would have been best. Don't make my mistake, don't, Larry. Don't make my mistake. Thank you for coming to see me. Good-bye, Larry, dear. You were his best friend. He loved you so." She put her arms around his neck and kissed him, hastily wiped her eyes, and passed out to Jane with a smiling face.

They hurried away, for the hours in Winnipeg were short and there was much to do and much to say.

"Let her go, Jane," said Larry. "I am in a deuce of a hurry.""Why, Larry, what is the rush about just now?" said Jane in a slightly grieved voice.

"I have something I must attend to at once," said Larry. "So let her go." And Jane drove hard, for the most part in silence, till they reached home.

Larry could hardly wait till she had given her car into the chauffeur's charge. They found Dr. Brown and the Colonel in the study smoking.

"Dr. Brown," said Larry, in a quick, almost peremptory voice, "may I see you for a moment or two in your office?""Why, what's up? Not feeling well?" said Dr. Brown, while the others looked anxiously at him.

"Oh, I am fit enough," said Larry impatiently, "but I must see you.""I am sure there is something wrong," said Jane, "he has been acting so queer this evening. He is so abrupt. Is that the military manner?""Perhaps so," said the Colonel. "Nice chap, Larry--hard worker--good soldier--awfully keen in his work--making good too--best officer I've got. Tell you a secret, Jane--expect promotion for him any time now."Meantime Larry was facing Dr. Brown in his office. "Doctor," he said, "I want to marry Jane.""Good heavens, when did this strike you?"

"This evening. I want to marry her right away.""Right away? When?"

"Right away, before I go. To-night, to-morrow.""Are you mad? You cannot do things like that, you know. Marry Jane! Do you know what you are asking?""Yes, Doctor, I know. But I have just seen Helen Brookes. She is perfectly amazing, perfectly fine in her courage and all that, and she told me about Scuddy's death without a tear. But, Doctor, there was a point at which she broke all up. Do you know when?

When she told me of her chief regret, and that was that she and Scuddy had not been married. They both wanted to be married, but her parents were unwilling. Now she regrets it and she will always regret it. Doctor, I see it very clearly. I believe it is better that we should be married. Who knows what will come? So many of the chaps do not come back. You are going out too, I am going out.

Doctor, I feel that it is best that we should be married.""And what does Jane think about it?" enquired the Doctor, gazing at Larry in a bewildered manner.

"Jane! Good Lord! I don't know. I never asked her!" Larry stood gaping at the Doctor.

"Well, upon my word, you are a cool one!"

"I never thought of it, Doctor," said Larry.

"Never thought of it? Are you playing with me, boy?" said the Doctor sternly.

"I will go and see her," said Larry, and he dashed from the room.

But as he entered the study, dinner was announced, and Larry's question perforce must wait.

Never was a meal so long-drawn-out and so tedious. The Colonel and Jane were full of conversation. They discussed the news from the West, the mine and its prospects, the Lakeside Farm and its people, the Colonel's own family, the boys who had enlisted and those who were left behind, the war spirit of Canada, its women and their work and their heroism (here the Colonel talked softly), the war and its prospects. The Colonel was a brilliant conversationalist when he exerted himself, and he told of the way of the war in England, of the awakening of the British people, of the rush to the recruiting offices, of the women's response. He had tales, too, of the British Expeditionary Force which he had received in private letters, of its glorious work in the Great Retreat and afterwards.

同类推荐
  • 诗镜总论

    诗镜总论

    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。
  • 禹贡

    禹贡

    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。
  • 黄帝内经素问集注

    黄帝内经素问集注

    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。
  • The Belgian Twins

    The Belgian Twins

    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。
  • 海忠介公全集

    海忠介公全集

    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
  • 时空旅行之遇见你

    时空旅行之遇见你

    深夜的一次散步,遇见一次关于穿梭时空的实验,将我们带进了另一个时空……
  • 做了这些事,人生就会不一样2

    做了这些事,人生就会不一样2

    我为什么总是在乎别人对自己的评价?妈妈为什么总爱唠叨?初恋为什么是美好的?为什么第一印象很重要?怎么样才能看懂别人的身体语言?优秀的同学为什么总是知而不言?什么是习得性无助?这些都是与心理相关的常识。余苗编着的《做了这些事人生就会不一样》主要是从心理学的角度,告诉中学生如何认识自己、如何处理好人际关系、如何战胜困难、如何获取成功、如何摆脱心理困惑等等。这本书就是苗苗姐送给初中生的一把钥匙,这把钥匙能让我们打开心灵之锁。《做了这些事人生就会不一样》中引用了大量心理学理论、原理、效应和案例等,不仅让内容具有一定深度,更是增加了阅读的趣味性。
  • 进击吧,魔法师

    进击吧,魔法师

    自从被莫名其妙的寻魔师堵了,杜晓最近有点小不幸……怪物倒挂房梁把她吓个走光、吸血鬼吓精灵用鸡骨头砸了她的地板、拇指姑娘吓她……大boss和她直接对话了,“杜晓,来克里斯魔法学院,你想知道的黎明,就会到来……”--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 司马天下

    司马天下

    古代中国改朝换代的根本性内幕、情由,也许可以被浓缩到晋朝这一百多年里。从公元260年司马昭弑杀魏主“受禅”,到420年刘裕逼东晋恭帝“禅位”,从曹魏到两晋,从司马到刘宋,160年的弑篡轮回,折射了封建中国2000余年的踽踽蚁行。王族与皇族、奸佞与贤良、权谋与血腥、诡异与清朗,司马家族统御天下的历史遗痕及其文化逻辑,被这部精彩纷呈的小说生动可感、淋漓尽致地展现出来……
  • 湘雨情缘

    湘雨情缘

    再一个与世隔绝山清水秀的大山里面,有一个小村庄这里的村民世代守护着上古时期的血玲珑,唐门门主秦天明为了夺得血玲珑便带人灭了刘家村,刘云天带着痛苦和悲伤下山寻找其余的七位武林豪杰..
  • 狄青演义

    狄青演义

    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。
  • 农民父亲

    农民父亲

    父亲喘息一会,终于开口了:有句话,我得说出来心里才好过。从给天津写信让他二叔回来的那天起,我就时刻盼望着这一天。爹、娘都过世以后,我这个长兄就是家长了,不管他叔有什么不对之处,我都不该到今年才和他们联系,不然前几年大家伙可能就早些团聚了,他叔、他婶子,我这个当哥的也没有完全尽到责任啊……父亲还没说完,叔叔就踉踉跄跄地扑上舞台抱住他哭声雷动,一发不可收拾,惹得服务小姐们都跟着掉泪。父亲把叔叔扶住,帮他擦眼泪,可叔叔的眼泪怎么也擦不干,而且越擦越奔流不息,滔滔不止。父亲摇着叔叔,叔叔抱着父亲,老哥俩扭成一团……
  • 锦绣农女王爷好好说

    锦绣农女王爷好好说

    白领一朝穿越成了农家女,家徒四壁,还有一个弟,没事,没事…心里自我安慰着…山上救回来一个爷,可是爷这是怎么回事?“这位爷,别过来咱有话好好说…”“过来说,,”某女……(本文前部分大修,可能有看过的小伙伴,大部分内容变了,主线情节没有变哦,^O^,想接着看的接着看。)
  • 全宋文

    全宋文

    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。
  • 无量寿如来观行供养仪轨

    无量寿如来观行供养仪轨

    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。