betty zane-第32章

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ng　mean　or　cruel。　It　is　just　sheer　love　of　fighting。〃

〃Ha！　Ha！　I　fear　you　will　not　break　him　of　that；〃　answered　Col。　Zane。　〃It　is　a　good　joke　to　say　he　gets　it　all　from　the　Zanes。　How　about　the　McCollochs？　What　have　you　to　say　of　your　father　and　the　Major　and　John　McColloch？　They　are　not　anything　if　not　the　fighting　kind。　It's　the　best　trait　the　youngster　could　have；　out　here　on　the　border。　He'll　need　it　all。　Don't　worry　about　him。　Where　is　Betty？〃

〃I　told　her　to　take　the　children　out　for　a　sled　ride。　Betty　needs　exercise。　She　stays　indoors　too　much；　and　of　late　she　looks　pale。〃

〃What！　Betty　not　looking　well！　She　was　never　ill　in　her　life。　I　have　noticed　no　change　in　her。〃

〃No；　I　daresay　you　have　not。　You　men　can't　see　anything。　But　I　can；　and　I　tell　you；　Betty　is　very　different　from　the　girl　she　used　to　be。　Most　of　the　time　she　sits　and　gazes　out　of　her　window。　She　used　to　be　so　bright；　and　when　she　was　not　romping　with　the　children　she　busied　herself　with　her　needle。　Yesterday　as　I　entered　her　room　she　hurriedly　picked　up　a　book；　and；　I　think；　intentionally　hid　her　face　behind　it。　I　saw　she　had　been　crying。〃

〃Come　to　think　of　it；　I　believe　I　have　missed　Betty；〃　said　Col。　Zane；　gravely。　〃She　seems　more　quiet。　Is　she　unhappy？　When　did　you　first　see　this　change？〃

〃I　think　it　a　little　while　after　Mr。　Clarke　left　here　last　fall。〃

〃Clarke！　What　has　he　to　do　with　Betty？　What　are　you　driving　at？〃　exclaimed　the　Colonel；　stopping　in　front　of　his　wife。　His　faced　had　paled　slightly。　〃I　had　forgotten　Clarke。　Bess；　you　can't　mean〃

〃Now；　Eb；　do　not　get　that　look　on　your　face。　You　always　frighten　me；〃　answered　his　wife；　as　she　quietly　placed　her　hand　on　his　arm。　〃I　do　not　mean　anything　much；　certainly　nothing　against　Mr。　Clarke。　He　was　a　true　gentleman。　I　really　liked　him。〃

〃So　did　I；〃　interrupted　the　Colonel。

〃I　believe　Betty　cared　for　Mr。　Clarke。　She　was　always　different　with　him。　He　has　gone　away　and　has　forgotten　her。　That　is　strange　to　us；　because　we　cannot　imagine　any　one　indifferent　to　our　beautiful　Betty。　Nevertheless；　no　matter　how　attractive　a　woman　may　be　men　sometimes　love　and　ride　away。　I　hear　the　children　coming　now。　Do　not　let　Betty　see　that　we　have　been　talking　about　her。　She　is　as　quick　as　a　steel　trap。〃

A　peal　of　childish　laughter　came　from　without。　The　door　opened　and　Betty　ran　in；　followed　by　the　sturdy；　rosy…checked　youngsters。　All　three　were　white　with　snow。

〃We　have　had　great　fun；〃　said　Betty。　〃We　went　over　the　bank　once　and　tumbled　off　the　sled　into　the　snow。　Then　we　had　a　snow…balling　contest；　and　the　boys　compelled　me　to　strike　my　colors　and　fly　for　the　house。〃

Col。　Zane　looked　closely　at　his　sister。　Her　cheeks　were　flowing　with　health；　her　eyes　were　sparkling　with　pleasure。　Failing　to　observe　any　indication　of　the　change　in　Betty　which　his　wife　had　spoken；　he　concluded　that　women　were　better　qualified　to　judge　their　own　sex　than　were　men。　He　had　to　confess　to　himself　that　the　only　change　he　could　see　in　his　sister　was　that　she　grew　prettier　every　day　of　her　life

〃Oh；　papa。　I　hit　Sam　right　in　the　head　with　a　big　snow…ball；　and　I　made　Betty　run　into　the　house；　and　I　slid　down　to　all　by　myself。　Sam　was　afraid；〃　said　Noah　to　his　father。

〃Noah；　if　Sammy　saw　the　danger　in　sliding　down　the　hill　he　was　braver　than　you。　Now　both　of　you　run　to　Annie　and　have　these　wet　things　taken　off。〃

〃I　must　go　get　on　dry　clothes　myself；〃　said　Betty。　〃I　am　nearly　frozen。　It　is　growing　colder。　I　saw　Jack　come　in。　Is　he　going　to　Fort　Pitt？〃

〃No。　He　has　decided　to　wait　until　good　weather。　I　met　Mr。　Filler　over　at　the　garrison　this　afternoon　and　he　wants　you　to　go　on　the　sled…ride　to…night。　There　is　to　be　a　dance　down　at　Watkins'　place。　All　the　young　people　are　going。　It　is　a　long　ride；　but　I　guess　it　will　be　perfectly　safe。　Silas　and　Wetzel　are　going。　Dress　yourself　warmly　and　go　with　them。　You　have　never　seen　old　Grandma　Watkins。〃

〃I　shall　be　pleased　to　go；〃　said　Betty。

Betty's　room　was　very　cozy；　considering　that　it　was　in　a　pioneer's　cabin。　It　had　two　windows；　the　larger　of　which　opened　on　the　side　toward　the　river。　The　walls　had　been　smoothly　plastered　and　covered　with　white　birch…bark。　They　were　adorned　with　a　few　pictures　and　Indian　ornaments。　A　bright　homespun　carpet　covered　the　floor。　A　small　bookcase　stood　in　the　corner。　The　other　furniture　consisted　of　two　chairs；　a　small　table；　a　bureau　with　a　mirror；　and　a　large　wardrobe。　It　was　in　this　last　that　Betty　kept　the　gowns　which　she　had　brought　from　Philadelphia；　and　which　were　the　wonder　of　all　the　girls　in　the　village。

〃I　wonder　why　Eb　looked　so　closely　at　me；〃　mused　Betty；　as　she　slipped　on　her　little　moccasins。　〃Usually　he　is　not　anxious　to　have　me　go　so　far　from　the　fort；　and　now　he　seemed　to　think　I　would　enjoy　this　dance　to…night。　I　wonder　what　Bessie　has　been　telling　him。〃

Betty　threw　some　wood　on　the　smouldering　fire　in　the　little　stone　grate　and　sat　down　to　think。　Like　every　one　who　has　a　humiliating　secret；　Betty　was　eternally　suspicious　and　feared　the　very　walls　would　guess　it。　Swift　as　light　came　the　thought　that　her　brother　and　his　wife　had　suspected　her　secret　and　had　been　talking　about　her；　perhaps　pitying　her　With　this　thought　came　the　fear　that　if　she　had　betrayed　herself　to　the　Colonel's　wife　she　might　have　done　so　to　others。　The　consciousness　that　this　might　well　be　true　and　that　even　now　the　girls　might　be　talking　and　laughing　at　her　caused　her　exceeding　shame　and　bitterness。

Many　weeks　had　passed　since　that　last　night　that　Betty　and　Alfred　Clarke　had　been　together。

In　due　time　Col。　Zane's　men　returned　and　Betty　learned　from　Jonathan　that　Alfred　had　left　them　at　Ft。　Pitt；　saying　he　was　going　south　to　his　old　home。　At　first　she　had　expected　some　word　from　Alfred；　a　letter；　or　if　not　that；　surely　an　apology　for　his　conduct　on　that　last　evening　they　had　been　together。　But　Jonathan　brought　her　no　word；　and　after　hoping　against　hope　and　wearing　away　the　long　days　looking　for　a　letter　that　never　came；　she　ceased　to　hope　and　plunged　into　despair。

The　last　few　months　had　changed　her　life；　changed　it　as　only　constant　thinking；　and　suffering　that　must　be　hidden　from　the　world；　can　change　the　life　of　a　young　girl。　She　had　been　so　intent　on　her　own　thoughts；　so　deep　in　her　dreams　that　she　had　taken　no　heed　of　other　people。　She　did　not　know　that　those　who　loved　her　were　always　thinking　of　her　welfare　and　would　naturally　see　even　a　slight　change　in　her。　With　a　sudden　shock　of　surprise　and　pain　she　realized　that　to…day　for　the　first　time　in　a　month　she　had　played　with　the　boys。　Sammy　had　asked　her　why　she　did　not　laugh　any　more。　Now　she　understood　the　mad　antics　of　Tige　that　morning；　Madcap's　whinney　of　delight；　the　chattering　of　the　squirrels；　and　Caesar's　pranks　in　the　snow。　She　had　neglected　her　pets。　She　had　neglected　her　work；　her　friends；　the　boys'　lessons；　and　her　brother。　For　what？　What　would　her　girl　friends　say？　That　she　was　pining　for　a　lover　who　had　forgotten　her。　They　would　say　that　and　it　would　be　true。　She　did　think　of　him　constantly。

With　bitter　pain　she　recalled　the　first　days　of　the　acquaintance　which　now　seemed　so　long　past；　how　much　she　had　disliked　Alfred；　how　angry　she　had　been　with　him　and　how　contemptuously　she　had　spurned　his　first　proffer　of　friendship；　how；　little　by　little；　her　pride　had　been　subdued；　then　the　struggle　with　her　heart。　And；　at　last；　after　he　had　gone；　came　the　realization　that　the　moments　spent　with　him　had　been　the　sweetest　of　her　life。　She　thought　of　him　as　she　used　to　see　him　stand　before　her；　so　good　to　look　at；　so　strong　and　masterful；　and　yet　so　gentle。

〃Oh；　I　cannot　bear　it；〃　whispered　Betty　with　a　half　sob；　giving　up　to　a　rush　of　tender　feeling。　〃I　love　him。　I　love　him；　and　I　cannot　forget　him。　Oh；　I　am　so　ashamed。〃

Betty　bowed　her　head　on　her　knees。　Her　slight　form　quivered　a　while　and　then　grew　still。　When　a　half　hour　later　she　raised　her　head　her　face　was　pale　and　cold。　It　bore　the　look　of　a　girl　who　had　suddenly　become　a　woman；　a　woman　who　saw　the　battle　of　life　before　her　and　who　was　ready　to　fight。　Stern　resolve　gleamed　from　her　flashing　eyes；　there　was　no　faltering　in　those　set　lips。

Betty　was　a　Zane　and　the　Zanes　came　of　a　fighting　race。　Their　b