The Desired Woman(Fiscle Part-3 Of 2) by Will N. Harben (e book reader pdf TXT) 📕

Moment; Then She Gave Him A Glance Full Of Perturbation,  Laying Her

Hand On His Arm Impulsively. "Jarvis--Oh,  I Didn't Mean To Call You

That!" The Color Ran In A Flood To Her Face. "It Was A Slip Of The

Tongue. I _Do_ Call You That In My Thoughts,  For--For So Many At Home

Do,  You Know."

"I Should Like Nothing Better Than To Have You Do It Always," He Heard

Himself Saying; But The Sight Of Her Clouded Face Checked The Words

Which Packed Upon His Utterance.

"Oh,  I Could Never Be As Bold As That," She Put In Quickly. "You Said

You Would Like To Go To The Meeting. It _Is_ Public,  But I Am Going To

Ask You A Favor,  And I Never Was So Much In Earnest In My Life. Do You

Know,  I Think I Could Get Through That Speech Better If Not A Soul Was

In The Audience That I Ever Saw Before. I Would Rather Have You There

Than Any One Else,  For I Know You Would Be Sympathetic,  But I Want To

Face It Absolutely Alone. I Can't Tell Why I Feel So,  But It Is A

Fact."

"I Can Understand It," Saunders Answered. "I Had To Make A Speech At A

Convention Of Bankers Once,  And The Fact That I Was A Total Stranger

To Them All Made The Task Easier. But When Are You Going Back Home?"

"To-Morrow At Twelve," She Said.

"And This Evening?" He Inquired.

"There Is To Be A Reception Given Us At The Governor's Mansion." Dolly

Shrugged Her Shoulders. "Somebody Is To Take Us All From The Hotel In

A Bunch. I Have A New Dress For It. That Will Be Another Experience,

But,  As It Comes After My Speech,  I Am Not Even Thinking Of It."

"Then I'll See You At The Train In The Morning," Saunders Said. "I

Want To Get The News Of Your Speech. I Am Confident That You Will

Acquit Yourself Beautifully. You Can't Fail. It Isn't In You."

They Had Reached The Steps Of The Capitol. A Number Of Women And Men

Were Entering,  And Dolly Turned To Join Them.

"That's Some Of My Crowd," She Smiled. "Can't You Tell By The Way They

Stare And Blink,  Like Scared Rabbits? The Men's Clothes Look As If

They Still Had The Price-Tags On Them--Regular Hand-Me-Downs. Good-By;

I'll See You At The Train."

That Afternoon,  In Coming From A Lawyer's Office,  Saunders Saw Tom

Drake Standing In The Crowd Which Was Always Gathered At The

Intersection Of Whitehall And Marietta Streets. Falling Back

Unobserved Into A Tobacconist's Shop On The Corner,  The Young Man

Looked Out And Watched The Mountaineer. With Hands In His Pockets,

Drake Stood Eying The Jostling Human Current,  A Disconsolate Droop To

His Lank Form,  A Far-Off Stare In His Weary Eyes.

"He Has Tried And Given Up Already," Saunders Reflected. "Dolly Knows

Him Better Than He Knows Himself. This Is No Place For A Man Like Him.

He Is Homesick,  Poor Chap! He Counts Himself The Most Unfortunate Man

On Earth,  And Yet He Is The Most Blessed,  For He Is Her Father. How

Can He Look At Her,  Hear Her Voice,  And Not Burn With Triumphant

Pride? Her Father! If I Only Dared,  I'd Treat Him As I'd Treat My Own

Father,  But She Would Resent It. It Would Hurt Her Feelings. I Have To

Consider Her. She Didn't Quite Like What I Did For George; But,  No

Matter,  I'm Going To Speak To Him."

Therewith Saunders Skirted The Thickest Part Of The Surging Mass And

Suddenly Came Upon Drake,  Who,  In Order To Be Out Of The Way Of

Pedestrians With More Purpose Than Himself,  Had Stepped Back Against

The Wall Of The Building. Their Eyes Met. Drake's Wavered Sheepishly,

But He Took The Hand Cordially Extended,  And Made An Effort To Appear

At Ease.

"I Saw Dolly This Morning," Saunders Began. "She Told Me You Came Down

With Her."

"Yes,  I Thought--I Thought I Might As Well." Drake's Lips Quivered. "I

Reckon She Told You That I Am Sorter Strikin' Out On A New Line?"

"She Said Something About It." Saunders Felt That The Topic Was A

Delicate One. "I Hope You Are Finding An--An Opening To Your Liking."

Drake Was Chewing Tobacco,  And He Spat Awkwardly Down At His Side.

There Was A Certain Timidity In The Man For One So Bold As He Had Been

In His Own Field Of Life Among Rough Men Of Crude Acts And Habits.

"I've Looked About Some," He Said,  A Flush Creeping Into His Tanned

Cheeks. "I've Been To The Machine-Shops And To Two Or Three

Contractin' Carpenters. They All Said They Was Full Up With Hands--Men

Waitin' On Their Lists For Times To Improve. Buildin' Is Slow Right

Now,  An' Expert Hands Already On The Spot Get The Pick Of The Jobs.

Machinery Is Stealin' The Bread Out Of The Workin'-Man's Mouth. A

Machine Takes The Place Of Twenty Men In Many Cases."

"I See,  I See," Saunders Said. "The Country,  After All,  Is The Best

Place For A Man Brought Up On A Farm."

Drake,  Thrown Off His Guard,  Sighed Openly. "I Reckon You Are Right,"

He Agreed. "To Tell You The Truth,  Saunders,  I Don't Think I'm Goin'

To Land Anything On This Trip,  And It Makes A Feller Feel Sorter

Sneakin' To Go Back Empty-Handed. I Put My Judgment Up Against All The

Rest. George,  Dolly,  And Her Mother,  An' Even John Webb,  Tried To Get

Me To Listen To Their Advice,  But Not Me! Oh No,  I Was Runnin' It! I

Reckon I'm Bull-Headed. Le'me Tell You Some'n'. I'd Go Back An' Hire

Out To George As A Day-Laborer If I Didn't Have More Pride Than

Brains. He Needs Hands. He Told Me So. You Are Makin' A Man Out O'

Him,  Saunders,  An' I Want To Thank You."

"What Have You Got To Do Just Now?" Saunders Asked. "Couldn't You Go

To The Bank With Me?"

Drake Hesitated. His Color Deepened. He Avoided Saunders's Tentative

Gaze. "I Reckon I Won't,  To-Day,  Anyway," He Faltered. "I Never Was

Much Of A Hand To Hang About Big Places O' Business."

"Then Suppose We Step Into The Lobby Of The Kimball House; It Is Close

By," Saunders Suggested. "There Are Some Seats There,  And We Could Sit

Down For A Few Minutes. The Truth Is,  I Want To Ask Your Advice About

My Plantation. You Are Better Posted Up There Than I Can Be,  Staying

Here As Much As I Do."

"Oh,  That's Different!"

A Look Of Relief Swept Over The Rugged Face. "I Only Wish I Could Help

You Some,  No Matter How Little. You Did Me The Biggest Favor Once That

Ever One Man Did Another. When You Jerked Me Back From The Train That

Night And Forced Me To Behave Myself You Saved Me From No End O' Shame

An' Trouble. La,  Me! I've Thought Of That A Thousand Times."

"Don't Mention It." Saunders Was Touched By The Deep Surge Of

Gratitude In The Despondent Voice. "If I Had Not Been A Great Friend

Of Yours And Of Your Family,  I Would Not Have Dared To Act As I Did.

But That Is Past And Gone."

"Not With Me--A Thing Like That Never Passes With Me," Drake Answered,

As They Crossed The Street And Entered At The Side Door Of The Hotel.

They Found Some Unoccupied Chairs In A Quiet Part Of The Big Office.

The Clerks Behind The Counter Were Busy Assigning Rooms To A Throng Of

Passengers From An Incoming Train. A Dozen Negro Porters And Bell-Boys

Were Rushing To And Fro. The Elevators Were Busy. The Tiled Floor

Resounded With The Scurrying Of Active Feet. Saunders Saw The

Mountaineer Watching The Scene With The Lack-Luster Stare He Had

Caught In His Eyes A Few Minutes Before.

"You Said You Wanted To Ask Me Something About Your Place," Drake

Suddenly Bethought Himself To Say.

"Yes,  It Is Like This. You Know My Manager,  Hobson,  Of Course?"

"Yes,  Pretty Well," Drake Made Reply,  Slowly. "That Is,  As Well As Any

Of Us Mountain Men Do. He Never Has Been Much Of A Chap To Mix With

Other Folks. To Tell You The Truth,  Most Of Us Think He Is Stuck Up.

Well,  I Reckon He Has A Right To Be. He Gets Darn Good Wages. Nobody

Knows Exactly What He Makes,  But It Is Reported That You Give 'Im

Fifteen Hundred A Year. He Has Saved Most Of It,  And Has Turned His

Pile Over Till There Isn't Any Telling How Much The Feller Is Worth."

"Yes,  I Am Paying Him Fifteen Hundred," Saunders Said,  Lowering His

Voice Into One Of Confidential Disclosure. "I Want To Talk To You

About Him,  And I Know You Will Help Me If You Can. He Has,  As You Say,

Laid Up Money,  And He Has Recently Established A Warehouse Business At

Ridgeville. For The Last Month He Has Scarcely Been At My Plantation

Half A Dozen Times."

"I Noticed That," Drake Said,  "But He Told Me That He Had It Fixed So

That He Could Be At Both Places Often Enough To Keep Things In Shape.

He Is A Good Business Man,  And I Reckon He Will Do What He Contracts."

"But I Am Not At All Satisfied As It Is," Saunders Answered. "I Am

Thinking Of Disposing Of My Bank Interest And Settling Down Up There

For Good,  And I'd Like To Have A Manager With Whom I Can Be In Touch

Every Day. I Am Interested In Farming Myself,  And