a girl of the limberlost-第75章

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this；〃　she　said。　　〃Miss　Carr　wishes　to　speak　with　me。〃



〃Don't　you　pay　the　least　attention　to　anything　she

says；〃　cried　Polly。　　〃Tom　and　I　didn't　come　here　because

we　wanted　to。　　We　only　came　to　checkmate　her。　　I　hoped

I'd　get　the　opportunity　to　say　a　word　to　you；　and　now　she

has　given　it　to　me。　　I　just　want　to　tell　you　that　she　threw

Phil　over　in　perfectly　horrid　way。　　She　hasn't　any　right

to　lay　the　ghost　of　a　claim　to　him；　has　she；　Tom？〃



〃Nary　a　claim；〃　said　Tom　Levering　earnestly。　　〃Why；　even

you；　Polly；　couldn't　serve　me　as　she　did　Phil；　and

ever　get　me　back　again。　　If　I　were　you；　Miss　Comstock；

I'd　send　my　mother　to　talk　with　her　and　I'd　stay　here。〃



Tom　had　gauged　Mrs。　Comstock　rightly。　　Polly　put　her

arms　around　Elnora。　　〃Let　me　go　with　you；　dear；〃　she　begged。



〃I　promised　I　would　speak　with　her　alone；〃　said　Elnora；

〃and　she　must　be　considered。　　But　thank　you；　very　much。〃



〃How　I　shall　love　you！〃　exulted　Polly；　giving　Elnora

a　parting　hug。



The　girl　slowly　and　gravely　walked　back　to　the　willow。　

She　could　not　imagine　what　was　coming；　but　she　was　promising

herself　that　she　would　be　very　patient　and　control　her　temper。



〃Will　you　be　seated？〃　she　asked　politely。



Edith　Carr　glanced　at　the　bench；　while　a　shudder　shook　her。



〃No。　　I　prefer　to　stand；〃　she　said。　　〃Did　Mr。　Ammon

give　you　the　ring　you　are　wearing；　and　do　you　consider

yourself　engaged　to　him？〃



〃By　what　right　do　you　ask　such　personal　questions　as

those？〃　inquired　Elnora。



〃By　the　right　of　a　betrothed　wife。　　I　have　been　promised

to　Philip　Ammon　ever　since　I　wore　short　skirts。　　All　our

lives　we　have　expected　to　marry。　　An　agreement　of　years

cannot　be　broken　in　one　insane　moment。　　Always　he　has

loved　me　devotedly。　　Give　me　ten　minutes　with　him　and　he

will　be　mine　for　all　time。〃



〃I　seriously　doubt　that；〃　said　Elnora。　　〃But　I　am

willing　that　you　should　make　the　test。　　I　will　call　him。〃



〃Stop！〃　commanded　Edith　Carr。　　〃I　told　you　that　it　was

you　I　came　to　see。〃



〃I　remember；〃　said　Elnora。



〃Mr。　Ammon　is　my　betrothed；〃　continued　Edith　Carr。　

〃I　expect　to　take　him　back　to　Chicago　with　me。〃



〃You　expect　considerable；〃　murmured　Elnora。　　〃I　will

raise　no　objection　to　your　taking　him；　if　you　canbut；　I

tell　you　frankly；　I　don't　think　it　possible。〃



〃You　are　so　sure　of　yourself　as　that；〃　scoffed　Edith　Carr。　

〃One　hour　in　my　presence　will　bring　back　the　old　spell；

full　force。　　We　belong　to　each　other。　　I　will　not　give　him　up。〃



〃Then　it　is　untrue　that　you　twice　rejected　his　ring；

repeatedly　insulted　him；　and　publicly　renounced　him？〃



〃That　was　through　you！〃　cried　Edith　Carr。　　〃Phil　and

I　never　had　been　so　near　and　so　happy　as　we　were　on

that　night。　　It　was　your　clinging　to　him　for　things　that

caused　him　to　desert　me　among　his　guests；　while　he　tried

to　make　me　await　your　pleasure。　　I　realize　the　spell　of

this　place；　for　a　summer　season。　　I　understand　what　you

and　your　mother　have　done　to　inveigle　him。　　I　know　that

your　hold　on　him　is　quite　real。　　I　can　see　just　how　you

have　worked　to　ensnare　him！〃



〃Men　would　call　that　lying；〃　said　Elnora　calmly。　

〃The　second　time　I　met　Philip　Ammon　he　told　me　of

his　engagement　to　you；　and　I　respected　it。　　I　did　by　you

as　I　would　want　you　to　do　by　me。　　He　was　here　parts

of　each　day；　almost　daily　last　summer。　　The　Almighty

is　my　witness　that　never　once；　by　word　or　look；　did　I　ever

make　the　slightest　attempt　to　interest　him　in　my　person

or　personality。　　He　wrote　you　frequently　in　my　presence。　

He　forgot　the　violets　for　which　he　asked　to　send　you。　

I　gathered　them　and　carried　them　to　him。　　I　sent　him　back

to　you　in　unswerving　devotion；　and　the　Almighty　is　also

my　witness　that　I　could　have　changed　his　heart　last　summer；

if　I　had　tried。　　I　wisely　left　that　work　for　you。　　All　my

life　I　shall　be　glad　that　I　lived　and　worked　on　the　square。　

That　he　ever　would　come　back　to　me　free；　by　your　act；

I　never　dreamed。　　When　he　left　me　I　did　not　hope　or　expect

to　see　him　again；〃　Elnora's　voice　fell　soft　and　low；〃

and；　behold！　　You　sent　himand　free！〃



〃You　exult　in　that！〃　cried　Edith　Carr。　　〃Let　me　tell

you　he　is　not　free！　　We　have　belonged　for　years。　

We　always　shall。　　If　you　cling　to　him；　and　hold　him　to　rash

things　he　has　said　and　done；　because　he　thought　me　still

angry　and　unforgiving　with　him；　you　will　ruin　all　our　lives。　

If　he　married　you；　before　a　month　you　would　read　heart…hunger

for　me　in　his　eyes。　　He　could　not　love　me　as　he　has　done；

and　give　me　up　for　a　little　scene　like　that！〃



〃There　is　a　great　poem；〃　said　Elnora；　〃one　line　of　which

reads；　‘For　each　man　kills　the　thing　he　loves。'　　Let　me

tell　you　that　a　woman　can　do　that　also。　　He　did　love　you

that　I　concede。　　But　you　killed　his　love　everlastingly；

when　you　disgraced　him　in　public。　　Killed　it　so　completely

he　does　not　even　feel　resentment　toward　you。　　To…day；

he　would　do　you　a　favour；　if　he　could；　but　love　you；　no！　

That　is　over！〃



Edith　Carr　stood　truly　regal　and　filled　with　scorn。　

〃You　are　mistaken！　　Nothing　on　earth　could　kill　that！〃

she　cried；　and　Elnora　saw　that　the　girl　really　believed

what　she　said。



〃You　are　very　sure　of　yourself！〃　said　Elnora。



〃I　have　reason　to　be　sure；〃　answered　Edith　Carr。



〃We　have　lived　and　loved　too　long。　　I　have　had　years

with　him　to　match　against　your　days。　　He　is　mine！　

His　work；　his　ambitions；　his　friends；　his　place　in

society　are　with　me。　　You　may　have　a　summer　charm　for　a

sick　man　in　the　country；　if　he　tried　placing　you　in

society；　he　soon　would　see　you　as　others　will。　　It　takes

birth　to　position；　schooling；　and　endless　practice　to　meet

social　demands　gracefully。　　You　would　put　him　to　shame　in

a　week。〃



〃I　scarcely　think　I　should　follow　your　example　so　far；〃

said　Elnora　dryly。　　〃I　have　a　feeling　for　Philip　that

would　prevent　my　hurting　him　purposely；　either　in　public

or　private。　　As　for　managing　a　social　career　for　him　he

never　mentioned　that　he　desired　such　a　thing。　　What　he

asked　of　me　was　that　I　should　be　his　wife。　　I　understood

that　to　mean　that　he　desired　me　to　keep　him　a　clean　house；

serve　him　digestible　food；　mother　his　children；　and　give

him　loving　sympathy　and　tenderness。〃



〃Shameless！〃　cried　Edith　Carr。



〃To　which　of　us　do　you　intend　that　adjective　to　apply？〃

inquired　Elnora。　　〃I　never　was　less　ashamed　in　all　my　life。　

Please　remember　I　am　in　my　own　home；　and　your　presence　here

is　not　on　my　invitation。〃



Miss　Carr　lifted　her　head　and　struggled　with　her　veil。　

She　was　very　pale　and　trembling　violently；　while　Elnora

stood　serene；　a　faint　smile　on　her　lips。



〃Such　vulgarity！〃　panted　Edith　Carr。　　〃How　can　a

man　like　Philip　endure　it？〃



〃Why　don't　you　ask　him？〃　inquired　Elnora。　　〃I　can

call　him　with　one　breath；　but；　if　he　judged　us　as　we　stand；

I　should　not　be　the　one　to　tremble　at　his　decision。　

Miss　Carr；　you　have　been　quite　plain。　　You　have　told　me

in　carefully　selected　words　what　you　think　of　me。　

You　insult　my　birth；　education；　appearance；　and　home。　

I　assure　you　I　am　legitimate。　　I　will　pass　a　test　examination

with　you　on　any　high　school　or　supplementary　branch；

or　French　or　German。　　I　will　take　a　physical　examination

beside　you。　　I　will　face　any　social　emergency　you　can

mention　with　you。　　I　am　acquainted　with　a　whole　world

in　which　Philip　Ammon　is　keenly　interested；　that　you

scarcely　know　exists。　　I　am　not　afraid　to　face　any

audience　you　can　get　together　anywhere　with　my　violin。　

I　am　not　repulsive　to　look　at；　and　I　have　a　wholesome　regard

for　the　proprieties　and　civilities　of　life。　　Philip　Ammon

never　asked　anything　more　of　me；　why　should　you？〃



〃It　is　plain　to　see；〃　cried　Edith　Carr；　〃that　you　took

him　when　he　was　hurt　and　angry　and　kept　his　wound　wide　open。　

Oh；　what　have　you　not　done　against　me？〃



〃I　did　not　promise　to　marry　him　when　an　hour　ago　he

asked　me；　and　offered　me　this　ring；　because　there　was　so

much　fe