anne of the island-第46章

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the　rack　the　last　turn　of　possible　endurance。　She　felt　sure　he

must　be　ill　and　hurried　poor　blushing　Janet　away。



〃Isn't　old　Mrs。　Douglas　a　sweet　woman？〃　asked　Janet；　as　they

went　down　the　road。



〃M　　m；〃　answered　Anne　absently。　　She　was　wondering　why　John

Douglas　had　looked　so。



〃She's　been　a　terrible　sufferer；〃　said　Janet　feelingly。

〃She　takes　terrible　spells。　　It　keeps　John　all　worried　up。

He's　scared　to　leave　home　for　fear　his　mother　will　take　a

spell　and　nobody　there　but　the　hired　girl。〃









Chapter　XXXIII



〃He　Just　Kept　Coming　and　Coming〃





Three　days　later　Anne　came　home　from　school　and　found　Janet　crying。

Tears　and　Janet　seemed　so　incongruous　that　Anne　was　honestly　alarmed。



〃Oh；　what　is　the　matter？〃　she　cried　anxiously。



〃I'm　　I'm　forty　today；〃　sobbed　Janet。



〃Well；　you　were　nearly　that　yesterday　and　it　didn't　hurt；〃

comforted　Anne；　trying　not　to　smile。



〃But　　but；〃　went　on　Janet　with　a　big　gulp；　〃John　Douglas　won't

ask　me　to　marry　him。〃



〃Oh；　but　he　will；〃　said　Anne　lamely。　　〃You　must　give　him　time；　Janet



〃Time！〃　said　Janet　with　indescribable　scorn。　　〃He　has　had　twenty　years。

How　much　time　does　he　want？〃



〃Do　you　mean　that　John　Douglas　has　been　coming　to　see　you　for

twenty　years？〃



〃He　has。　　And　he　has　never　so　much　as　mentioned　marriage　to　me。

And　I　don't　believe　he　ever　will　now。　　I've　never　said　a　word　to

a　mortal　about　it；　but　it　seems　to　me　I've　just　got　to　talk　it

out　with　some　one　at　last　or　go　crazy。　　John　Douglas　begun　to　go

with　me　twenty　years　ago；　before　mother　died。　　Well；　he　kept

coming　and　coming；　and　after　a　spell　I　begun　making　quilts　and

things；　but　he　never　said　anything　about　getting　married；　only

just　kept　coming　and　coming。　　There　wasn't　anything　I　could　do。

Mother　died　when　we'd　been　going　together　for　eight　years。

I　thought　he　maybe　would　speak　out　then；　seeing　as　I　was　left

alone　in　the　world。　　He　was　real　kind　and　feeling；　and　did

everything　he　could　for　me；　but　he　never　said　marry。　　And　that's

the　way　it　has　been　going　on　ever　since。　　People　blame　ME　for　it。

They　say　I　won't　marry　him　because　his　mother　is　so　sickly　and　I

don't　want　the　bother　of　waiting　on　her。　　Why；　I'd　LOVE　to　wait　on

John's　mother！　　But　I　let　them　think　so。　　I'd　rather　they'd　blame

me　than　pity　me！　　It's　so　dreadful　humiliating　that　John　won't

ask　me。　　And　WHY　won't　he？　　Seems　to　me　if　I　only　knew　his　reason

I　wouldn't　mind　it　so　much。〃



〃Perhaps　his　mother　doesn't　want　him　to　marry　anybody；〃　suggested　Anne。



〃Oh；　she　does。　　She's　told　me　time　and　again　that　she'd　love　to　see

John　settled　before　her　time　comes。　　She's　always　giving　him　hints　

you　heard　her　yourself　the　other　day。　　I　thought　I'd　ha'　gone　through

the　floor。〃



〃It's　beyond　me；〃　said　Anne　helplessly。　　She　thought　of　Ludovic　Speed。

But　the　cases　were　not　parallel。　　John　Douglas　was　not　a　man　of

Ludovic's　type。



〃You　should　show　more　spirit；　Janet；〃　she　went　on　resolutely。

〃Why　didn't　you　send　him　about　his　business　long　ago？〃



〃I　couldn't；〃　said　poor　Janet　pathetically。　　〃You　see；　Anne；　I've

always　been　awful　fond　of　John。　　He　might　just　as　well　keep　coming

as　not；　for　there　was　never　anybody　else　I'd　want；　so　it　didn't　matter。〃



〃But　it　might　have　made　him　speak　out　like　a　man；〃　urged　Anne。



Janet　shook　her　head。



〃No；　I　guess　not。　　I　was　afraid　to　try；　anyway；　for　fear　he'd

think　I　meant　it　and　just　go。　　I　suppose　I'm　a　poor…spirited

creature；　but　that　is　how　I　feel。　　And　I　can't　help　it。〃



〃Oh；　you　COULD　help　it；　Janet。　　It　isn't　too　late　yet。　　Take　a

firm　stand。　　Let　that　man　know　you　are　not　going　to　endure　his

shillyshallying　any　longer。　　I'LL　back　you　up。〃



〃I　dunno；〃　said　Janet　hopelessly。　　〃I　dunno　if　I　could　ever　get　up

enough　spunk。　　Things　have　drifted　so　long。　　But　I'll　think　it　over。〃



Anne　felt　that　she　was　disappointed　in　John　Douglas。　　She　had

liked　him　so　well；　and　she　had　not　thought　him　the　sort　of　man　who

would　play　fast　and　loose　with　a　woman's　feelings　for　twenty　years。

He　certainly　should　be　taught　a　lesson；　and　Anne　felt　vindictively

that　she　would　enjoy　seeing　the　process。　　Therefore　she　was　delighted

when　Janet　told　her；　as　they　were　going　to　prayer…meeting　the　next　night；

that　she　meant　to　show　some　〃sperrit。〃



〃I'll　let　John　Douglas　see　I'm　not　going　to　be　trodden　on　any　longer。〃



〃You　are　perfectly　right；〃　said　Anne　emphatically。



When　prayer…meeting　was　over　John　Douglas　came　up　with　his　usual　request。

Janet　looked　frightened　but　resolute。



〃No；　thank　you；〃　she　said　icily。　　〃I　know　the　road　home　pretty　well　alone。

I　ought　to；　seeing　I've　been　traveling　it　for　forty　years。　　So　you　needn't

trouble　yourself；　MR。　Douglas。〃



Anne　was　looking　at　John　Douglas；　and；　in　that　brilliant　moonlight；

she　saw　the　last　twist　of　the　rack　again。　　Without　a　word　he　turned

and　strode　down　the　road。



〃Stop！　　Stop！〃　Anne　called　wildly　after　him；　not　caring　in　the　least

for　the　other　dumbfounded　onlookers。　　〃Mr。　Douglas；　stop！　　Come　back。〃



John　Douglas　stopped　but　he　did　not　come　back。　　Anne　flew　down

the　road；　caught　his　arm　and　fairly　dragged　him　back　to　Janet。



〃You　must　come　back；〃　she　said　imploringly。　　〃It's　all　a　mistake；

Mr。　Douglas　　all　my　fault。　　I　made　Janet　do　it。　　She　didn't

want　to　　but　it's　all　right　now；　isn't　it；　Janet？〃



Without　a　word　Janet　took　his　arm　and　walked　away。　　Anne　followed

them　meekly　home　and　slipped　in　by　the　back　door。



〃Well；　you　are　a　nice　person　to　back　me　up；〃　said　Janet　sarcastically。



〃I　couldn't　help　it；　Janet；〃　said　Anne　repentantly。　　〃I　just　felt

as　if　I　had　stood　by　and　seen　murder　done。　　I　HAD　to　run　after　him。〃



〃Oh；　I'm　just　as　glad　you　did。　　When　I　saw　John　Douglas　making

off　down　that　road　I　just　felt　as　if　every　little　bit　of　joy　and

happiness　that　was　left　in　my　life　was　going　with　him。　　It　was　an

awful　feeling。〃



〃Did　he　ask　you　why　you　did　it？〃　asked　Anne。



〃No；　he　never　said　a　word　about　it；〃　replied　Janet　dully。









Chapter　XXXIV



John　Douglas　Speaks　at　Last





Anne　was　not　without　a　feeble　hope　that　something　might　come　of

it　after　all。　　But　nothing　did。　　John　Douglas　came　and　took　Janet

driving；　and　walked　home　from　prayer…meeting　with　her；　as　he　had

been　doing　for　twenty　years；　and　as　he　seemed　likely　to　do　for

twenty　years　more。　　The　summer　waned。　　Anne　taught　her　school　and

wrote　letters　and　studied　a　little。　　Her　walks　to　and　from　school

were　pleasant。　　She　always　went　by　way　of　the　swamp；　it　was　a

lovely　place　　a　boggy　soil；　green　with　the　greenest　of　mossy

hillocks；　a　silvery　brook　meandered　through　it　and　spruces　stood

erectly；　their　boughs　a…trail　with　gray…green　mosses；　their　roots

overgrown　with　all　sorts　of　woodland　lovelinesses。



Nevertheless；　Anne　found　life　in　Valley　Road　a　little　monotonous。

To　be　sure；　there　was　one　diverting　incident。



She　had　not　seen　the　lank；　tow…headed　Samuel　of　the　peppermints

since　the　evening　of　his　call；　save　for　chance　meetings　on　the　road。

But　one　warm　August　night　he　appeared；　and　solemnly　seated　himself

on　the　rustic　bench　by　the　porch。　　He　wore　his　usual　working

habiliments；　consisting　of　varipatched　trousers；　a　blue　jean　shirt；

out　at　the　elbows；　and　a　ragged　straw　hat。　　He　was　chewing　a　straw

and　he　kept　on　chewing　it　while　he　looked　solemnly　at　Anne。　　Anne

laid　her　book　aside　with　a　sigh　and　took　up　her　doily。　　Conversation

with　Sam　was　really　out　of　the　question。



After　a　long　silence　Sam　suddenly　spoke。



〃I'm　leaving　over　there；〃　he　said　abruptly；　waving　his　straw　in

the　direction　of　the　neighboring　house。



〃Oh；　are　you？〃　said　Anne　politely。



〃Yep。〃



〃And　where　are　you　going　now？〃



〃Wall；　I've　been　thinking　some　of　gitting　a　place　of　my　own。

There's　one　that'd　suit　me　over　at　Millersville。　　But　ef　I　rents

it　I'll　want　a　woman。〃



〃I　suppose　so；〃　said　Anne　vaguely。



〃Yep。〃