第22章

guessIam。IknowIam。ButyouaretheonlyoneIcantalktointhiswayabout——abouthim。AllMawantstotalkaboutnowistheweddingandclothesandsuch，andPaalwaystreatsmeasifI

wasachild。IfeelalmostasifyouweretheclosestfriendI

have，andIknowGeorgefeelsthesame。Hesaysyouhavehelpedhimoutofhistroubles。Iwassureyouwould；thatiswhyIwroteyouthatletter。WearebothSOgratefultoyou。"

Theirgratitudeandtheknowledgeoftheirhappinessweremysoleconsolationsinthistryingtime。TheykeptmefromrepentingwhatIhaddone。Itwashardnottorepent。IfColtonhadonlymadeknownhispurchaseandclosedtheLaneatonce，whilemyresolutionwasredhot，Icouldhavefacedthewrathofthevillageanditsinevitableconsequencesfairlywell，Ibelieved；buthestillkeptsilentandmadenomove。Isawhimonceortwice；ononeoccasionhecameintothebank，buthecameonlytocashacheckanddidnotmentionthesubjectoftheLane。HedidnotlookwelltomeandI

heardhimtellTaylorsomethingabouthis"damneddigestion。"

Theweddingdaycame。I，asbestman，wasbusyandthankfulforthebustleandresponsibility。Theyoccupiedmymindandkeptitfromdwellingonotherthings。Georgeworkedatthebankuntilnoon，gettingreadytoleavetheinstitutioninmychargeandthatofDickSmall，Henry’sbrother，whohadreportedfordutythatmorning。Themarriagewastotakeplaceathalfpastoneintheafternoonandthebridalcoupleweretogoawayonthethreeo’clocktrain。Thehoneymoontripwastobeabriefone，onlyaweek。

Everyable—bodiednativeofDenboro，man，womanandchild，attendedthatwedding，Ihonestlybelieve。ItwasthebestsortofadvertisingforOlindaCahoonandSimeonEldredge，forOlindahadmadethegownswornbythebrideandthebride’smotherandanumberoftheyoungerfemaleguests，andSimhadsoldinnumerablebottlesofapeculiarlypenetratingperfume，alargesupplyofwhichhehadbeentalkedintopurchasingbyaBostontravelingsalesman。

"Smellit，Ros，doye？"whisperedSim，grinningtriumphantlybetweenthepointsofa"stand—up"collar。"Igiveyoumywordwhenthatslick—talkin’drummersoldmeallthatperfumery，I

thoughtIwasstucksureandsartin。ButthenIhadanidee。

Everytimewomenfolkscomeintothestoreandcommencedtotalkabouttheweddin’Isaysto’em，saysI，’Can’tsellyouacoupleofhandkerchiefstocryon，canI，MissSo—and—so？Weddin’saregreatplacesforsheddin’tears，youknow。’IfIsold’emthehandkerchiefsallwellandgood；butiftheylaughedandsaidtheyhadaplenty，Igotoutmysamplebottleof’MayLilock’，that’sthenameofthecologne，andasked’emtosmellofit。’Ifyoucrywiththatonyourhandkerchief，’saysI，’allhandswillbegladtohaveyoudoit。Andonlytwentycentsabottle！’Youwouldn’tbelievehowmuchIsold。Youcansmellthisweddin’aforeyoucomeinsightofthehouse，can’tyenow。"

Youcould，andyoucontinuedtosmellitlongafteryouleft。Mybestsuitreekedof"MayLilac"weekslaterwhenItookitoutofthecloset。

Dorindawasthere，garbedinrustlingblackalpaca，herSundaygownfortenyearsatleast，andmadeoverand"turned"fourorfivetimes。Lutewasondeck，cutawaycoat，"highwater"trousersandpurpletie，grandtolookupon，AlvinBakerandElnathanMulletandAlonzoBlackandThophNewcombandZebKendrickwere，astheItemwouldsay，"amongthosepresent"andifZeb’sblackcutawaysmelledslightlyoffishitwas，atleast，achangefromthepervading"MayLilac。"

CaptainJedstruttedpompouslyabout，monarchoftheday。Hegreetedmegenially。

"Hello，Ros！"hesaid。"Yououthere？Thoughtyou’dbebusyoverhaulin’George’srunnin’riggin’andmakin’surehewasallreadytoheavealongsidetheparson。"

"Ihavebeen，"Ianswered。"Iamonmywaybacktherenow。"

"Allright，allright。Matildygivemefitsfornotstayin’

upstairsuntilthestartin’gunwasfired，butItoldherthat，betweenherwithhereyesfulloftearsandOlindyCahoonwithhermouthfullofpins，’twasnoplaceforamaleman。SoIclearedouttilleverythingwasshipshape。Say，Ros，"helaidhishandonmyshoulderandbenttowhisperinmyear："Say，Ros，"hesaid，"I’mgladtoseeyou’retakin’myadvice。"

"Takingyouradvice？"Irepeated，puzzled。

"Yes；aboutnotplayin’withfire，youknow。Iain’theardofyouandthePrincesscruisin’togetherforthepastweek。Thought’twasbestnottobetoofamiliarwiththeR’yalfamily，didn’tyou？That’sright，that’sright。Wecan’ttakechances。We’vegotDenboroandtheShoreLanetothinkabout，ain’twe？"

Ididnotanswer。Ididnotrisklookinghimintheface。

"She’sliabletobeheremostanytime，Ical’late，"hewenton。

"Nelliewouldinsistoninvitin’her。AndImustsaythat，tobehonest，thepresentshesentisthefinestthat’scomeaboardyet。

TheonlythingI’vegotagainstherisherbadjudgmentinpickin’

afather。If’twan’tforthatI——hello！Who——Why，Ibelieve——"

Therewasacommotionamongtheguestsandheadswereturnedtowardthedoor。Thecaptainstartedforward。Istartedback。Shehadenteredtheroomandwasstandingthere，lookingaboutherwithsmilinginterest。Ihadforgottenthat，consideringherfriendshipwithNellie，shewascertaintobeinvited。

Shewasdressedinasimple，butwonderful，whitegownandworeabunchofliliesofthevalleyatherbosom。Thedoorwaywasdecoratedwithspraysofhoneysuckleandgreenboughsandagainstthisbackgroundshemadeapicturethatbroughtadmiringwhispersfromthepeoplenearme。ShedidnotnoticemeatfirstandI

thinkIshouldhaveescapedbythesidedoorifithadnotbeenforSimEldredge。Simeonwasjustbehindmeandhedartedforwardwithoutstretchedhand。

"Why，howd’yedo，MissColton！"exclaimedSim。"You’rejustintime，ain’tye！Letmegetyouachair。Alvin，"toMr。Baker，who，perspiringbeneaththeunaccustomeddignityofastarchedshirtfront，occupiedafrontseat，"getupandletMissColtonsetdown。"

ShelookedinSim’sdirectionandsawme，standingbesidehim。I

hadnoopportunitytoavoidherlooknow，asIhaddonewhenwemetinthestreet。ShesawmeandIcouldnotturnaway。Ibowed。

Shedidnotacknowledgethebow。Shelookedcalmlypastme，throughme。Isaw，orfanciedthatIsaw，astonishmentonthefacesofthosewatchingus。CaptainJedsteppedforwardtogreetherandIwentintotheadjoiningroom，whereGeorgewasanxiouslyawaitingme。

"Goodland，Ros！"heexclaimed，withasighofrelief，"Iwasbeginningtobeafraidyou’dskippedoutandleftmetogothroughitallalone。Saysomethingtobracemeup，won’tyou；I’mscaredtodeath。Say，"withawonderingglanceatmyface，"what’sstruckYOU？YoulookmoreupsetthanIfeel。"

IbelieveIorderedhimnottobeanidiot。IknowIdidnot"bracehimup"toanyextent。

Itwasaveryprettywedding。Atleasteveryonesaiditwas，althoughtheysaythesameofallweddings，Iamtold。PersonallyIwasverygladwhenitwasover。NelliewhisperedinmyearasI

offeredhermycongratulations，"Weoweitalltoyou，Roscoe。"

Georgesaidnothing，butthelookhegavemeashewrungmyhandwassignificant。ForamomentIforgotmyself，forgottobeenviousofthosetowhomthedoorforhappinesswasnotshut。

AfterallIhadopenedthedoorforthesetwo，andthatwassomething。

IwalkedasfarasthecornerwithLuteandDorinda。Dorinda’seyeswereredandherhusbandcommenteduponit。

"Ithoughtaweddin’wassupposedtobeajoyfulsortofthing，"hesaid，disgustedly。"It’susuallycal’latedtobe。Yetyouandtherestofthewomenfolkssetandcriedthroughthewholeofit。

Whatintimewastheretocryabout？"

"Oh，Idon’tknow，Luther，"repliedDorindain，forher，anunusuallytoleranttone。"Perhapsit’sbecausewe’veallbeenyoungonceandcan’tforgetit。"

"Idon’tforget，nomore’nyoudo。Iain’tsooldthatIcan’trememberthatfurback，Ihope。Butitdon’tmakemefeellikecryin’。"

"Well，allright。Wewon’targueaboutit。Let’sbepleasantaswecan，foronce。"

NowthatiswhereLuteshouldhavetakenthehintandremainedsilent。Atleastheshouldhavechangedthesubject。Buthewashotanduncomfortableand，Isuspect，hisSundayshoesweretight。

Hepersisted。

"Huh！"hesniffed；"Idon’tsee’syou’vegivenmenosensiblereasonforcryin’。IfIrecollectrightyoudidn’tcryatyourownweddin’。"

Hiswifeturnedonhim。Shelookedhimoverfromheadtofoot。

"Didn’tI？"shesaid，tartly。"Well，maybenot。ButifI’drealizedwhatwashappenin’tome，Ishould。"

"Lute，"saidI，asIpartedfromthematthecorner，"Iamgoingtothebankforalittlewhile。ThenIthinkIshalltakeashortrundownthebayintheComfort。DidyoufillhertankwithgasoleneasIaskedyouto？"

Lutestoppedshort。"There！"heexclaimed，"Iknewtherewassomethin’Iforgot。I’lldoitsoon’severIgethome。"

"Whenyougethome，"observedDorinda，firmly，"you’llwashthathenhousewindow。"

"Now，Dorinda，ifthatain’tjustlikeyou！Don’tyouhearRoscoeaskin’meaboutthatgas？I’vehadthatgasinmyheadeversinceyesterday。"

"Um—hm，"wearily。"Well，Ishouldn’tthinkalittleextrymoreorlesswouldmakemuchdifference。Nevermind，don’twasteanymoreonme。Getthegasoutofyourhead，ifRoscoewantsyouto。Youcanwashthewindowafterward。"

Lute’sparti

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