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

Customers. It May Interest You To Know,  George,  That Our Bank Lends

That Firm Money At Only Seven Or Eight Per Cent.,  Which They Turn Over

To You At No Less Than Fifty."

"I See," George Sighed; "The Poor Man Has The Bag To Hold. Money Makes

Money."

"I Have A Plan In My Head,  George"--Saunders Was Somewhat Embarrassed,

And Looked Away From The Dejected Face Before Him--"Which,  It Seems To

Me,  Might Help Both You And Me In A Certain Way."

"What Is That?" George Stared,  Wonderingly,  His Fine Lips Quivering.

"To Begin With,  George,  I Think That Your Bad Crop This Season Is Due

Largely To The Poor Land You Rented. I Noticed It Early In The Year

And Was Afraid You'd Not Accomplish Much."

"It Was All I Could Get," George Said. "I Tried All Around,  But Every

Other Small Farm Either Was To Be Worked By The Owner Or Was Rented

Already. It Was Root Hog Or Die With Me,  Mr. Saunders."

"You Have Seen The Warner Farm,  Haven't You?" The Banker Inquired.

"You Bet I Have!" George Responded. "It Is The Prettiest Small Place

In This Valley."

"Well,  I Bought It The Other Day For Two Thousand Dollars," Saunders

Said. "Warner Owed Me Some Money,  And I Had To Take The Farm To Secure

Myself. Things Like That Often Come Up In A Bank,  You Know."

"Well,  You Are Safe In It,  Mr. Saunders," George Said. "You Never

Could Lose In A Deal Like That. It Has A Good House On It,  And Every

Foot Of The Land Is Rich. It Has A Fine Strip Of Woodland,  Too."

"I Really Have No Use For The Place," Saunders Went On,  More

Awkwardly. "If It Adjoined My Plantation I Would Like It Better,  But

It Is Too Far Away For My Manager To See It Often. I Want To Sell It,

And It Struck Me That If You Could Be Persuaded To Give Up This

Western Idea Maybe You Could Take It Off My Hands At What It Cost Me."

"I? Huh! That _Is_ A Joke,  Mr. Saunders," George Laughed. "If Farms

Were Going At Ten Cents Apiece I Couldn't Buy A Pig-Track In A Free

Mud-Hole."

"I Wouldn't Require The Money Down," Saunders Went On,  Still Clumsily.

"In Fact,  I Could Give You All The Time You Wanted To Pay For It. I

Know You Are Going To Succeed--I Know It As Well As I Know Anything;

And You Ought To Own Your Own Place. I Am Willing To Advance Money For

Your Supplies--And Some To Get Married On,  Too. You And Your

Sweetheart Could Be Very Snug In That Little House."

George Stared Like A Man Waking From A Perplexing Dream. His Toil-

Hardened,  Sun-Browned Hands Were Visibly Quivering,  His Mouth Was

Open,  His Lower Lip Twitching.

"You _Can't_ Mean It--You _Can't_ Be In Earnest!" He Gasped,  Leaning

Heavily Against The Door-Jamb,  Actually Pale With Excitement.

"Yes,  I Mean It,  George." Saunders Put His Hand On The Broad Shoulder

Again. "And I Hope You Will Take Me Up. You Will Be Doing Me A Favor,

You See. I Lend Money Every Day To Men I Don't Trust Half As Much As I

Do You."

At This Juncture Dolly Hurried Down The Aisle,  A Look Of Fresh Anxiety

On Her Face. "What Is The Matter,  George?" She Asked,  Eying Her

Brother In Surprise. "What Has Happened?"

Falteringly And With All But Sobs Of Elation,  George Explained

Saunders's Proposition. "Did You Ever In Your Life Think Of Such A

Thing?" He Cried. "Dolly,  I'm Going To Take Him Up. If He Is Willing

To Risk Me I'll Take Him Up. I'll Work My Fingers To The Bone Rather

Than See Him Lose A Cent. I'm Going To Take Him Up--I Tell You,  Sis,

I'm Going To Take Him Up!"

Dolly Said Nothing. A Glow Of Boundless Delight Suffused Her Face,

Rendering Her Unspeakably Beautiful. Her Eyes Had A Depth Saunders Had

Never Beheld Before. He Saw Her Round Breast Quiver And Expand In

Tense Agitation. She Put Her Arm About Her Brother's Neck And Kissed

Him On The Cheek. Then,  Without A Word,  Her Hand On Her Lips As If To

Suppress A Rising Sob,  She Turned Back Into The Schoolhouse And,  With

Head Down,  Went To Her Desk,  Where She Sat With Her Back To The Door.

"She's Gone Off To Cry," George Chuckled. "She's That Way. She Never

Gives Up In Trouble,  But When She Is Plumb Happy Like She Is Now She

Can't Hold In. Look,  I Told You So--She's Wiping Her Eyes,  Dear,  Dear

Old Girl. Now,  I'm Going To Run Over And Tell Ida. Lord,  Lord,  Mr.

Saunders,  She'll Be Tickled To Death! Just This Morning I Told Her I

Was Going Away. Good-By; God Bless You!"

When George Was Gone Saunders Stood At The Door And Wistfully Looked

In At Dolly. An Impulse That Was Almost Overpowering Drew Him To Her,

But He Put It Aside.

"She Wants To Be Alone," He Reflected. "If I Went Now,  Feeling Like

This,  I'd Say Something I Ought Not To Say And Be Sorry I Imposed On

Her At Such A Time. No,  I Will Have To Wait. I Have Waited All These

Years,  And I Can Wait Longer. To Win I Could Wait To The End Of Time."

Turning,  He Strode Into The Wood. Deeper And Deeper He Plunged,  Headed

Toward The Mountain,  Feeling The Cooling Shade Of The Mighty Trees,

Whose Branches Met And Interlaced Overhead. Reaching A Mossy Bank Near

A Limpid Stream,  He Threw Himself Down And Gave Himself Up To

Reveries.

Mostyn Took Long Solitary Walks. His Habit Of Morbid Introspection Had

Grown And Become A Fixed Feature Of His Life. Even While Occupied With

Business His Secret Self Stood Invisible At His Elbow Whispering,  Ever

Whispering Things Alien From Material Holdings Or Profit--Matters

Unrelated To Speculative Skill Or Judgment.

He Had Wandered Into The Suburbs Of The City One Afternoon,  And,

Happening To Pass An Isolated Cottage At The Side Of The Road,  He Was

Surprised To See Marie Winship Coming Out. She Smiled Cordially,

Nodded,  Signaled With Her Sunshade,  And Hurried Through The Little

Gate Toward Him. He Paused,  Turned,  And Stood Waiting For Her. He Had

Not Seen Her,  Even At A Distance,  For Nearly A Year,  And Her Improved

Appearance Struck Him Forcibly. Her Color Was Splendid,  Her Eyes Were

Sparkling And Vivacious. She Was Perfectly Groomed And Stylishly

Attired.

"Why,  What Are You Doing Away Out Here?" He Asked,  Secretly And

Recklessly Soothed By The Sight Of Her,  For In Her Care-Free Way She,

At Least,  Was A Living Lesson Against The Folly Of Taking The Rebuffs

Of Life Too Seriously.

She Smiled,  Holding Out Her Gloved Hand In Quite The Old Way,  Which

Had Once So Fascinated His Grosser Senses. "Mary Long,  My Dressmaker,

Lives Here." She Glanced At Him Half Chidingly From Beneath Her Thick

Lashes. "I Come All The Way Out Here To Save Money. You Think I Am

Extravagant,  Dick,  But That Is The Sort Of Thing I Have To Do To Make

Ends Meet. Mary Is Making Me A Dream Of A Frock Now For One-Fourth Of

What Your High And Mighty _Frau_ Would Pay For It In New York."

"Always Hard Up," Mostyn Said. "You Never Get Enough To Satisfy You."

She Smiled Coquettishly. "I Was Born That Way," She Answered. "My

Brother Sends Me Money Often. He Has Never Forgotten How You And I Got

Him Out Of That Awful Hole. He Has Gone Into The Wholesale Whisky

Business And Is Doing Well. He Paid Me Back Long Ago."

"And You Blew It In,  Of Course?" Mostyn Said,  Lightly.

"Yes,  That's How I Got That Last New York Trip," She Nodded,  Merrily.

"Dick,  That Was One Month When I Really _Lived_. Gee! If Life Could

Only Be Like That I'd Ask Nothing More Of The Powers That Rule; I

Certainly Wouldn't."

"But Life Can't Possibly Be Like That," He Returned,  Gloomily. "Even

That Would Pall On You In Time. I Am Older Than You,  Marie,  And I Know

What I Am Talking About. We Can Go Just So Far And No Farther."

"Poof! Piffle!" It Was Her Old Irresponsible Ejaculation. "Life Is

What You Make It. 'Laugh,  And The World Laughs With You.' Eat,  Drink,

And Be Merry--That Is My Motto. But,  Say,  Dick"--She Was Eying His

Face With Slow Curiosity--"What Is The Matter? You Look Like A

Grandfather. You Are Thin And Peaked And Nervous-Looking. But I

Needn't Ask--I Know."

"You Know!" He Repeated,  Sensitively. "I Am Working Pretty Hard For

One Thing,  And--"

"Poof!" She Snapped Her Fingers. "You Used To Get Fat On Work. It

Isn't That,  Dick,  And You Needn't Try To Fool Me. I Know You From The

Soles Of Your Feet To The End Of The Longest Hair On Your Head."

He Avoided Her Fixed Stare. "I'm Not Making Money As I Did Once. Many

Of My Investments Have Turned Out Badly. I Seem To Have Lost My Old

Skill In Business Matters."

"I Was Sure You Would When You Married," The Woman Said,  Positively;

And He Flinched Under The Words As Under A Lash. "A Man Of Your

Independent Nature Can't Sell Himself And Ever Do Any Good Afterward.

You Lost Your Pride In That Deal,  Dick,  And Pride Was Your Motive

Power. You May Laugh At Me And Think I Am Silly,  But I Am Speaking

Truth."

"You Ought Not To Say Those Things," He Said,  Resentfully.

"I Will Say Exactly What I Like," She Retorted,  Cold Gleams Flashing

From Her Eyes.