mother-第7章

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〃Some　of　the　young　people　in　the　pew　now　came　along　the　path。　'The

grandchildren；'　said　Ethel。　'She　is　probably　too　old　to　come　to　church。

Or　she　is　in　Europe。'〃



〃The　young　people　had　brought　a　basket　with　flowers　from　their　place；　and

now　laid　them　over　several　of　the　grassy　mounds。　'Give　me　some　of　yours；'

said　one　to　the　other；　presently；　'I've　not　enough　for　grandmother's。'〃



〃Ethel　took　me　rather　sharply　by　the　arm。　'Did　you　hear　that？'　she　asked。〃



〃'It　can't　be　she；　you　know；'　said　I。　'He　would　have　come　back　from

Europe。'〃



〃But　we　found　it　out　at　lunch。　It　was　she；　and　she　had　been　dead　for

fifteen　years。〃



〃Ethel　and　I　talked　it　over　in　the　train　going　up　to　town　on　Monday

morning。　We　had　by　that　time　grown　calmer。　'If　it　is　not　false

pretences；'　said　she；　'and　you　cannot　sue　him　for　damages；　and　if　it　is

not　stealing　or　something；　and　you　cannot　put　him　in　prison；　what　are　you

going　to　do　to　him；　Richard？'〃



〃As　this　was　a　question　which　I　had　frequently　asked　myself　during　the

night；　having　found　no　satisfactory　answer　to　it；　I　said：　'What　would　you

do　in　my　place；　Ethel？'　But　Ethel　knew。〃



〃'I　should　find　out　when　he　sails；　and　meet　his　steamer　with　a　cowhide。'〃



〃'Then　he　would　sue　me　for　damages。'〃



〃'That　would　be　nothing；　if　you　got　a　few　good　cuts　in　on　him。'〃



〃'Ethel；'　I　said；　'please　follow　me　carefully。　I　should　like　dearly　to

cowhide　him。　and　for　the　sake　of　argument　we　will　consider　it　done　Then

comes　the　lawsuit。　Then　I　get　up　and　say　that　I　beat　him　because　he　made

me　buy　Standard　Egg　at　63　by　telling　me　that　his　mother　had　some；　when

really　the　old　lady　had　been　dead　for　fifteen　years。　When　I　think　of　it

in　this　way；　I　do　not　feel'〃



〃I　know；'　interrupted　Ethel；　'you　are　afraid　of　ridicule。　All　men　are。'〃



〃Had　Ethel　insisted；　I　believe　that　I　should　have　cowhided　Mr。　Beverly

for　her　sake。　But　before　his　return　our　destinies　were　brightened。　Copper

had　been　found　near　Ethel's　waste　lands　in　Michigan；　and　the　family

business　man　was　able　to　sell　the　property　for　seven　hundred　thousand

dollars。　He　did　this　so　promptly　that　I　ventured　to　ask　him　if　delay

might　not　have　brought　a　greater　price。　'Well'；　he　said；　'I　don't　know。

You　must　seize　these　things。　Blake　and　Beverly　might　have　got　tired

waiting。〃



〃'Blake　and　Beverly！'　I　exclaimed　'So　they　made　the　purchase。　It　Mr。

Beverly　back？'〃



〃'Just　back。　To　tell　the　truth　I　don't　believe　they're　finding　so　much

copper　as　they　hoped。'〃



〃This　turned　out　to　be　true。　And　I　am　not　sure　that　the　business　man　had

not　known　it　all　the　while。　'We　looked　over　the　property　pretty

thoroughly　at　the　time　of　the　Tamarack　excitement；'　he　said。　And　in　a　few

days　more；　in　fact；　it　was　generally　known　that　this　land　had　returned　to

its　old　state　of　not　quite　paying　the　taxes。〃



〃Then　I　paid　my　visit　to　Mr。　Beverly；　but　with　no　cowhide。　'Mr。　Beverly；'

said　I；　'I　want　to　announce　to　you　my　engagement　to　Miss　Ethel　Lansing；

whose　Michigan　copper　land　you　have　lately　acquired。　I　hope　that　you

bought　some　for　your　mother。'〃



〃Those；〃　concluded　Mr。　Richard　Field；　〃are　the　circumstances　attending　my

engagement　which　I　felt　might　interest　you。　And　now；　Ethel；　tell　your

story；　if　they'll　listen。〃



〃Richard；〃　said　Ethel；　〃that　is　the　story　I　was　going　to　tell。〃











End