登陆注册
5243000000031

第31章 CHAPTER VII(4)

"It isn't so hard to understand you now, my boy," he said. "Shades of Diana, but she'll be a beauty when she gets a little more flesh and colour. She came out of Whitlaw's and walked right to the crossing. I almost could have touched her, but I didn't notice. Two girls passed before me, and in hurrying, a tall, dark one knocked off one of your bunches of yellow violets. She glanced at it and laughed, but let it lay. Then your girl hesitated stooped and picked it up. The crazy policeman yelled at me to clear the crossing and it didn't hit me for a half block how tall and white she was and how dark her eyes were. I was just thinking about her picking up the flowers, and that it was queer for her to do it, when like a brick it hit me, THAT'S DAVID'S GIRL! I tried to turn around, but you know what Main Street is in the middle of the day. And those idiots of policemen!

They ordered me on, and I couldn't turn for a street car coming, so I called to one of them that the girl we wanted was down the street, and he looked at me like an addle-pate and said, `What girl? Move on or you'll get in a jam here.' You can use me for a football if Idon't go back and smash him. Paid him five dollars myself less than two weeks ago to keep his eyes open.

`TO KEEP HIS EYES OPEN!' " panted the doctor, shaking his fist at David. "Yes sir! `To keep his eyes open!'

And he motioned for things to come along, and so Ilost her too."

"I think we had better go back to the street," said the Harvester.

"Oh, I'd been back and forth along that street for nearly an hour before I gave up and came here to see if I could find you, and we've hunted it an hour more!

What's the use? She's gone for this time, but by gum, I saw her! And she was worth seeing!"

"Did she appear ill to you?"

The doctor dropped on a chair and threw out his hands hopelessly.

"This was awful sudden, David," he said. "I was going along as I told you, and I noticed her stop and thought she had a good head to wait a second instead of running in before me, and there came those two girls right under the car from the other side. I only had a glimpse of her as she stooped for the flowers. I saw a big braid of hair, but I was half a block away before I got it all connected, and then came the crush in the street, and I was blocked."

The doctor broke down and wiped his face and expressed his feelings unrestrainedly.

"Don't!" said the Harvester patiently. "It's no use to feel so badly, Doc. I know what you would give to have found her for me. I know you did all you could.

I let her escape me. We will find her yet. It's glorious news that she's in the city. It gives me heart to hear that. Can't you just remember if she seemed ill?"

The doctor meditated.

"She wasn't the tallest girl I ever saw," he said slowly, "but she was the tallest girl to be pretty. She had on a white waist and a gray skirt and black hat. Her eyes and hair were like you said, and she was plain, white faced, with a hue that might possibly be natural, and it might be confinement in bad light and air and poor food. She didn't seem sick, but she isn't well. There is something the matter with her, but it's not immediate or dangerous. She appeared like a flower that had got a little moisture and sprouted in a cellar."

"You saw her all right!" said the Harvester, "and I think your diagnosis is correct too. That's the way she seemed to me. I've thought she needed sun and air.

I told the South Wind so the other day."

"Why you blame fool!" cried the doctor. "Is this thing going to your head? Say, I forgot! There is something else. I traced her in the store. She was at the embroidery counter and she bought some silk. If she ever comes again the clerk is going to hold her and telephone me or get her address if she has to steal it. Oh, we are getting there! We will have her pretty soon now.

You ought to feel better just to know that she is in town and that I've seen her."

"I do!" said the Harvester. "Indeed I do!"

"It can't be much longer," said the doctor. "She's got to be located soon. But those policemen! I wouldn't give a nickel for the lot! I'll bet she's walked over them for two weeks. If I were you I'd discharge the bunch. They'd be peacefully asleep if she passed them.

If they'd let me alone, I'd have had her. I could have turned around easily. I've been in dozens of closer places."

"Don't worry! This can't last much longer. She's of and in the city or she wouldn't have picked up the flowers. Doc, are you sure they were mine?"

"Yes. Half the girls have been tricked out in yours the past two weeks. I can spot them as far as I can see."

"Dear Lord, that's getting close!" said the Harvester intensely. "Seems as if the violets would tell her."

"Now cut out flowers talking and the South Wind!" ordered the doctor. "This is business. The violets prove something all right, though. If she was in the country, she could gather plenty herself. She is working at sewing in some room in town, either over a store or in a house. If she hadn't been starved for flowers she never would have stopped for them on the street.

同类推荐
  • 宗玄先生文集

    宗玄先生文集

    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。
  • 神童诗

    神童诗

    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。
  • 道门语要

    道门语要

    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。
  • 乐府指迷

    乐府指迷

    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。
  • 金刚经感应传

    金刚经感应传

    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
  • Sir Nigel

    Sir Nigel

    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。
  • 美女私房菜

    美女私房菜

    私房秘技,绝味佳肴,极度挑逗你的味蕾。本书全面系统地介绍了美女私房菜的做法,每道菜都有原料详情与详细的做法,内容丰富,科学实用,制作过程详细,语言通俗易懂,书后附带厨房小常识,如海鲜的保险等等。
  • 一生要为孩子做的50件事

    一生要为孩子做的50件事

    亲爱的家长朋友,我们的希望都寄托在了孩子身上。我们的心血都倾注在了对孩子的教育上,我们都明白作为父母的责任。然而,你是否真正想过孩子到底需要什么?究竟怎样的教育方法才能让孩子成才?怎样才能把孩子培养成为真正对社会有用的人?也许你初为人父、初为人母,不知道怎样了解孩子的心态;也许你的孩子天资聪颖、冰雪聪明,而你却不知道怎么实施教育。那么,请你打开《一生要为孩子做的50件事》吧。它将告诉你答案!
  • 女高怪谈

    女高怪谈

    那一天,她死了。那一夜,她又活过来了。但是她的灵魂却是寄居在别人的身体里,这难道就是人们常说的借尸还魂?对那些曾经伤害过自己的人,她会如何疯狂地报复?这一切诡异人生的开始,源自于她所遇到的那个神秘少女。
  • 精准表达

    精准表达

    为什么有的人讲话别人不爱听?为什么有的人谈判常常失利?掌握说话的本领,世界必将被你征服。精准的表达就能在让你职场中能言善辩,应付自如;在交际中幽默诙谐,备受关注;在商场中妙语连珠,左右逢源,把不可能的事变成可能,从而达到人生目的。本书内容古今鉴用,中外融通,知识面广、可读性强,旨在让读者在最短的时间内用最少的精力,做到把话说到心坎上,为成功插翅,为事业奠基,为幸福添彩。在工作和生活中无往而不利,无战而不胜。
  • 诛锦

    诛锦

    三年前,楚丞相家的嫡长女,因克死生母被送入尼姑庵。三年后,她让楚家人不得不接她回府。步步为谋,步步杀机,她楚姒要做的,就是用上辈子她们教的阴谋阳谋,来报上一世的恶果!
  • 通天六道

    通天六道

    一个少年的修仙路记述。(暂停写作,在修改和补足之前的章节。)1群:561169730
  • 北大情绪掌控课

    北大情绪掌控课

    在现代社会,学子面临着前所未有的挑战与机遇,对人才的要求也达到了一个前所未有的高度:智商、情商、财商、逆商……其实,归根究底,除了具有先天性因素的智商外,其余的都是人对自己的情绪的掌控。卡耐基说:“如果一个人是对的,他的世界就是对的。”充分说明了情绪对我们的影响有多大。《北大情绪掌控课》详细阐述了情绪掌控的必要性与方法,所举的例子大部分都是闻名中国乃至世界的北大人的故事,而另一部分则来自北大学子亲身经历。
  • 守夜者

    守夜者

    一桩离奇越狱案,22个逃犯流入街头。这些穷凶极恶的逃犯之中,有人杀过人,有人饮过血,还有人放火专烧新娘……他们随时都可能再度作案,成为南安市居民难以入眠的噩梦。重重压力之下,一个尘封已久的神秘组织“守夜者”获得重启。机敏顽劣的萧朗,冷峻寡言的凌漠,天才少女唐铛铛阴差阳错成为首批见习学员。守夜者淘汰机制残酷,每周都有新人出局。然而更残酷的是,冥冥中似乎有人在与他们赛跑,每当他们接近逃犯时,他们最终追捕到的,都只是一具尸体……3个月,22个逃犯,1个神秘杀手,在这场倒计时的追捕游戏中,谁才会笑到最后?书中藏有重磅彩蛋,找到游戏规则,你也可以成为守夜者的外援!
  • 惊天逆修

    惊天逆修

    一个整日在大陆上最大禁区魂兽森林边缘磨砺己身的林姓少年,为了想要成为一名像爷爷一样的猎魂手,融合了变异的荆棘异兽,万道寒光闪现,刺破长空,可杀万物。可上九天之上斋月,可下九幽之地镇魔,神秘而强大的玄术。