登陆注册
5243000000041

第41章 CHAPTER IX(2)

The Girl was leaning toward him, watching his face, and hers was slowly changing. She was deeply interested, much impressed, and more at ease. When the Harvester saw he had talked her into confidence he crossed the leaves, and sitting on the log beside her, picked up the books and opened one.

"Oh I will be careful," said the Girl. "If you will trust me to collect for you, I will undertake only what I am sure I know, and I'll do exactly as you tell me."

"There are a dozen things that bring a price ranging from three to fifteen cents a pound, that are in season just now. I suppose you would like to begin on some common, easy things, that will bring the most money."

Without a breath of hesitation she answered, "I will commence on whatever you are short of and need most to have."

The heart of the Harvester gave a leap that almost choked him, for he was vividly conscious of a broken shoe she was hiding beneath her skirts. He wanted to say "thank you," but he was afraid to, so he turned the leaves of the book.

"I am working just now on mullein," he said.

"Oh I know mullein," she cried, with almost a hint of animation in her voice. "The tall, yellow flower stem rising from a circle of green felt leaves!"

"Good!" said the Harvester. "What a pretty way to describe it! Do you know any more plants?"

"Only a few! I had a high-school course in botany, but it was all about flower and leaf formation, nothing at all of what anything was good for. I also learned a few, drawing them for leather and embroidery designs."

"Look here!" cried the Harvester. "I came with an arm load of herbs and expected to tell you all about foxglove, mullein, yarrow, jimson, purple thorn apple, blessed thistle, hemlock, hoarhound, lobelia, and everything in season now; but if you already have a profession, why do you attempt a new one? Why don't you go on drawing? I never saw anything so stupid as most of the designs from nature for book covers and decorations, leather work and pottery. They are the same old subjects worked over and over. If you can draw enough to make original copies, I can furnish you with flowers, vines, birds, and insects, new, unused, and of exquisite beauty, for every month in the year. I've looked into the matter a little, because I am rather handy with a knife, and I carve candlesticks from suitable pieces of wood. I always have trouble getting my designs copied; securing something new and unusual, never! If you can draw just well enough to reproduce what you see, gathering drugs is too slow and tiresome.

What you want to do is to reproduce the subjects Iwill bring, and I'll buy what I want in my work, and sell the remainder at the arts and crafts stores for you.

Or I can find out what they pay for such designs at potteries and ceramic factories. You have no time to spend on herbs, when you are in the woods, if you can draw."

"I am surely in the woods," said the Girl, "and Iknow I can copy correctly. I often made designs for embroidery and leather for the shop mother and I worked for in Chicago."

"Won't they buy them of you now?"

"Undoubtedly."

"Do they pay anything worth while?"

"I don't know how their prices compare with others.

One place was all I worked for. I think they pay what is fair."

"We will find out," said the Harvester promptly.

"I----I don't think you need waste the time," faltered the Girl. "I had better gather the plants for a while at least."

"Collecting crude drug material is not easy," said the Harvester. "Drawing may not be either, but at least you could sit while you work, and it should bring you more money. Besides, I very much want a moth copied for a candlestick I am carving. Won't you draw that for me? I have some pupae cases and the moths will be out any day now. If I'd bring you one, wouldn't you just make a copy?"

The Girl gripped her hands together and stared straight ahead of her for a second, then she turned to him.

"I'd like to," she said, "but I have nothing to work with. In Chicago they furnished my material at the shop and I drew the design and was paid for the pattern.

I didn't know there would be a chance for anything like that here. I haven't even proper pencils."

"Then the way for you to do this is to strip the first mullein plants you see of the petals. I will pay you seventy-five cents a pound for them. By the time you get a few pounds I can have material you need for drawing here and you can go to work on whatever flowers, vines, and things you can find in the woods, with no thanks to any one."

"I can't see that," said the Girl. "It would appear to me that I would be under more obligations than Icould repay, and to a stranger."

"I figure it this way," said the Harvester, watching from the corner of his eye. "I can sell at good prices all the mullein flowers I can secure. You collect for me, I buy them. You can use drawing tools; I get them for you, and you pay me with the mullein or out of the ginseng money I owe you. You already have that coming, and it's just as much yours as it will be ten days from now. You needn't hesitate a second about drawing on it, because I am in a hurry for the moth pattern. I find time to carve only at night, you see.

As for being under obligations to a stranger, in the first place all the debt would be on my side. I'd get the drugs and the pattern I want; and, in the second place, Ipositively and emphatically refuse to be a stranger.

It would be so much better to be mutual helpers and friends of the kind worth having; and the sooner we begin, the sooner we can work together to good advantage.

Get that stranger idea out of your head right now, and replace it with thoughts of a new friend, who is willing"--the Harvester detected panic in her eyes and ended casually--"to enter a partnership that will be of benefit to both of us. Partners can't be strangers, you know," he finished.

"I don't know what to think," said the Girl.

"Never bother your head with thinking," advised the Harvester with an air of large wisdom. "It is unprofitable and very tiring. Any one can see that you are too weary now. Don't dream of such a foolish thing as thinking. Don't worry over motives and obligations.

同类推荐
  • 佛古闻禅师语录

    佛古闻禅师语录

    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。
  • 避暑录话

    避暑录话

    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。
  • 曾文正公年谱

    曾文正公年谱

    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。
  • 金箓十回度人晚朝开收仪

    金箓十回度人晚朝开收仪

    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。
  • 佛说鹹水喻经

    佛说鹹水喻经

    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。
热门推荐
  • 八卦鸳鸯魂

    八卦鸳鸯魂

    张宝瑞,笔名磐石、秋凉、雨亭等。著名文学家,书画家,社会活动家,中国作家协会会员,悬疑推理小说代表作家之一。1982年毕业于中国人民大学新闻系,历任新华社北京分社总编辑,高级记者,新华出版社副总编辑。中国纪实文学研究会理事,中国武侠文学学会副会长,金蔷薇文化沙龙主席。1971年开始从事长篇小说和影视剧本创作。
  • 第一义女

    第一义女

    ◆大郢王朝凤丞相之义女,一无是处、臭名昭著。因为一场赐婚风波,终于在‘有心人’的算计暗害中魂归九天了。凤落,二十一世纪的极品特工,一个戴着小白兔面具的恶魔,看似纯良无害,实则危险至极。一朝穿越,竟成了个浑身是伤、惨死荒野的小丫头。野种?废物?讥笑?凌虐?谋杀?抛尸荒野?一连串混乱的画面涌入脑海,很好很好,凤落干白的嘴角勾起一抹恶魔的微笑。凤凰涅槃,凤落回归。一袭惊艳长裙,狂傲张扬;一双冷漠犀利的瞳眸,睿智幽深;疏离的微笑始终挂在嘴角;“伤我者必杀之,杀我者必让其求生不得、求死不能!”当被天下耻笑的无能蠢女人华丽翻身,惊艳重生,那些曾经欺辱鄙视她的人,纷纷傻了眼、失了魂儿......★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★◆皇商少主【肖倾尘】————白衣胜雪、清贵无暇,惊才绝艳、天下无双,待人接物温雅谦和、谦恭有礼,本性却是遗世独立、淡漠疏离。桃花树下的邂逅,惊鸿一瞥,那沉睡千年的淡漠孤寂的心却烙上了毕生不可磨灭的倩影,此情,上穷碧落下黄泉......◆大郢御王【百里御】————睿智深沉、铁血腹黑,当那一纸婚约终于被废,这才发现原本那弃之如弊履的白痴小姐竟是如此光芒万丈、风华绝代!望着曾经痴缠自己的女子翩然转身,深沉的心却陡然刺痛!幡然醒悟,原来,我百里御等待的那个能与我并肩睥睨天地的女子——竟是她!◆太傅公子【段逸风】————风流不羁、玩世不恭的表面下隐藏着一颗沉稳玲珑的心。庶子的尴尬身份,使他尝尽家族的冷血残酷。以山水诗酒风花雪月韬光养晦掩藏锋芒,处处隐忍谨慎的他,却甘愿为她摒弃面具放手一搏,只为换取红颜一笑!◆幻剑少主【凌之寒】————世人皆知幻剑少主嗜血残忍、狠辣无情。素来我行我素、唯我独尊的夺命阎罗,却三番两次隐忍某个女人的放肆和挑衅。自从遇到她之后,那双习惯了见血杀戮的寒冰妖眸却总能不经意间流露出宠溺和柔情,冰封已久的心正在逐渐似火燃烧......◆此文,女强、男强,强强碰撞,PK不断!各色型男、美男缤纷登场,YY无限,炮灰无限!◆清依的读书群【澜沧*依依】:110337462欢迎亲们加入闲聊!◆喜欢本文的亲们请【收藏】、【投票】、【留言】,亲们懂得,嘿嘿…清依长揖及地,“多谢多谢!”【注】:清依本人懒,很懒,码字喜欢字字斟酌,所以龟速。亲们看文要有耐心,依不能保证速度但绝对保证质量,绝无烂尾太监之恶习。
  • 爱你还是爱自己

    爱你还是爱自己

    成年人的爱情应该是怎样的还是说,只是互相陪伴而牺牲爱情我以为,我已经足够成熟我以为,我只是需要做出一个恰当的选择而已可原来,我还是误会了自己从来,我都是一个爱情的信仰者。
  • 重生之八福晋的奋斗

    重生之八福晋的奋斗

    生长在福利院她忍了,死于飞机失事她认了。可为什么老天就是不放过她。她居然赶时髦,赶上清穿了!赶上清穿也就算了,为什么分给她的是八福晋?天哪!地啊!有没有天理啊!那个被挫骨扬灰的大清第一妒妇,她可不可以再死一次?她的丈夫漂亮到人见人爱,她的婆婆美到艳冠紫禁城,可这些和她全无关系,她就是一只扔在灰堆里的丑小鸭,为了不悲剧,为了能善终,她要奋斗,要加油,要反转,历史神马的都是浮云!新鲜出炉的书友群,欢迎大家来敲门:114017185
  • 喀什的魅惑

    喀什的魅惑

    温亚军,现为北京武警总部某文学杂志主编。著有长篇小说伪生活等六部,小说集硬雪、驮水的日子等七部。获第三届鲁迅文学奖,第十一届庄重文文学奖,《小说选刊》《中国作家》和《上海文学》等刊物奖,入选中国小说学会排行榜。中国作家协会会员。
  • 失忆侠女养成记

    失忆侠女养成记

    桃疆知道自己忘掉了很多很多东西,她却从未想过为何支离破碎的记忆里满是美好幸福,幸福得有一种诡谲的气息。她不知道自己那些大段大段的空白里是不是有很重要的东西,更没想到有一天会循着仇人的回忆去找寻自己丢失的时光。当真相随着记忆的推移一点点揭开,到最后才明白,一切恩怨纠葛,或许皆是命中注定,无关爱恨,无关风月。而她和楚凉之间,究竟是爱情,是亲情抑或只是依赖,谁能说得清呢。也许不过是如人饮水冷暖自知,千言万语实不足为外人道。--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 王子与贫儿(语文新课标课外读物)

    王子与贫儿(语文新课标课外读物)

    现代中、小学生不能只局限于校园和课本,应该广开视野,广长见识,广泛了解博大的世界和社会,不断增加丰富的现代社会知识和世界信息,才有所精神准备,才能迅速地长大,将来才能够自由地翱翔于世界蓝天。否则,我们将永远是妈妈怀抱中的乖宝宝,将永远是温室里面的豆芽菜,那么,我们将怎样走向社会、走向世界呢?
  • 倾城女帝 傲娇归来

    倾城女帝 傲娇归来

    世人皆不知,她本是“女娲娘娘”最小的女儿,凤凰一族,乃上古时期女娲娘娘的护卫,女娲和自己的贴身护卫,也就是凤凰一族的族长“凤苶”相爱,有了她,同时她也是凤凰一族的长老们,选中的下一届“凤神”,真可谓是,集万千宠爱于一身的幸运儿,可就在她刚刚接任“凤神”之位,即将迎来千岁生辰的前夕,却被最信任的朋友和亲人背叛,一位“天之骄女”骤然间经历了一场"天翻~地覆"的变化,从天堂坠入地狱,受过脱去“仙胎神识”的酷刑后,被打下了“仙神台”,坠入了永世的轮回。他,轩辕云,当世最神秘的的家族,轩辕一族的少主,也是当今宇国之帝王,神界尊主,为了她,前世甘愿坠入无边黑暗,只为等待她的转世;他,完颜楚,东秦大皇子,为了她,甘愿行使逆天大法;他,纳兰若瑾,当今武林的暗帝,为了她,不惜挑起武林浩劫;他,南怀钰,魔界之王,为了她,最终魂飞湮灭;他,涅梵音,“幻羽国”最年轻的少年将军,原为龙族太子,为她,甘愿承受剥皮抽筋之刑;一场婚礼,十里红妆,举国震动,各偏安小国纷纷前来恭贺,当世最大的国家“幻羽国”倾全国之力给他们的公主“轩辕霄玥”办婚礼,本应是何等的隆重和盛大,可是观礼的众臣和百姓,却都是一副哀戚的神情,“幻羽国”公主“轩辕霄玥”,今天本该是她一生中最重要的日子,却成了她这一生中最大的梦魇;涅槃重生,倾城绝世,转世归来,凤眸一抬,唇角一杨,搅动的天下归一。一只要成精了的呆萌‘红眼狐狸’小萌宠,加上一个更加呆萌到瞬间要融化了你的心的,人称‘傻白甜’但却精明到“天~怒人怨”的主子,一个外表似仙人,又近乎妖孽的,儒雅的,俊逸的,但却满肚子阴谋诡计,阴险腹黑,外加极度无赖的‘一国帝王’,与两个集所有大人的优点于一身的,四五岁的小萌宝,为争夺一个傲娇到不行了的,容颜绝世的,女帝的宠爱,见天滴!!!互相扯后腿儿,那画面,瞬间美醉了你我,美醉了天下。。。
  • 剑落苍茫

    剑落苍茫

    新书,我真的不是败家子已签约,老程败家教科书!欢迎种草。 人活于世,各行其道,为人间道。天道茫茫,人间明明。天道何人掌控,命运若何发展,谁又知晓……脚下征途,道在前方……为爱,为情,为权,为苍生,为生存……雷剑现世,天下又如何!
  • 左右成败的十种关键思维

    左右成败的十种关键思维

    你是一个不甘平庸,渴望成功的人吗?在通往梦想的路上,你是否有失去方向的感觉?你是否正在为面对的困难而犹豫不决?你是否渴望有一种力量能支撑你走到成功的尽头,欣赏到最美丽的风景?成功没有定式,优秀可以复制。从思维入手,你可以找到改变自己人生和命运的终极力量!本书将为您揭开通往成功之路的十大必备思维:正面思维、行动思维、速度思维、结果思维、财富思维、多赢思维、换位思维、创新思维、成人思维和升级思维。这里没有空泛枯燥的大道理,却有浅显易懂而又意义深刻的故事。在这里你将有一种与良师益友进行心与心交流的感觉,下面就进入你的思维之旅吧!