samantha at saratoga-第44节
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s？ I don't； nor Josiah don't。 But my pardner wuz a hurryin' me on； so I dropped my revery and my umberell in my haste to foller on after his footsteps。 Josiah picked up my umberell； but he couldn't pick up my soarin' emotions for me。 No； he haint never been able； to get holt of 'em。 But suffice it to say； that soon； preceded by my companion； I found myself a mountin' the nearly precipitus stairs； that led to the Roller Coaster。 And havin' reached the spot； who should we find there but Ardelia Tutt and Bial Flamburg。 They had been on the Roller Coaster seven times in succession； and the car。 And they wuz now a sittin' down to recooperate their energies； and collect their scattered wits together。 The Roller Coaster is very scatterin' to wits that are not collected firm and sound； and cemented by strong common sense。 The reason why the Roller Coaster don't scatter such folkses wits is supposed to be because； they don't go on to it。 Ardelia looked as if her idees wuz scattered to the four pints of the compass。 As for Bial； it seemed to me； as if he never had none to scatter。 But he spoke out to once； and said； he didn't care to ride on 'em。 （Bial Flamburg's strong pint； is his truthfulness； I can't deny that。） Ardelia wouldn't own up but what she enjoyed it dretfully。 You know folks are most always so。 If they partake of a pleasure and recreation that is doubtful in its effects； they will always say； what a high extreme of enjoyment they enjoyed a partakin' of it。 Curius； haint it？ Wall； Josiah had been anticipatin' so much enjoyment from the exercise； that I didn't make no move to prevent him from embarkin' on it though it looked hazardous and dangerous in the extreme。 I looked down on the long valleys； and precipitous heights of the assents and desents； in which my pardner wuz so soon to be assentin' and desentin' and I trembled； and wuz jest about to urge him to forego his diversion； for the sake of his pardner's happiness； but as I turned to expostulate with him； I see the beautiful； joyous； hopeful look on his liniment； and the words fell almost dead on my tongue。 I felt that I had ruther suffer in silence than to say one word to mar that bliss。 Such is the love of pardners； and such is some of the agonies they suffer silently to save from woundin' the more opposite one。 No； I said not a word； but silently sat； and see him makin' his preparations to embark。 He see the expression onto my face； and he too wuz touched by it。 He never said one word to me about embarkin' too； which I laid to two reasons。 One wuz my immovable determination not to embark on the voyage； which I had confided to him before。 And the other wuz； the added expenses of the journey if he took his companion with him。 No； I felt that he thought it wuz better we should part temporarily than that the expenditure should be doubled。 But as the time drew near for him to leave me； I see by his meen that he felt bad about leavin' me。 He realized what a companion I had been to him。 He realized the safety and repose he had always found at my side and the unknown dangers he wuz a rushin' into。 And he got up and silently shook hands with me。 He would have kissed me； I make no doubt； if folks hadn't been a standin' by。 He then embarked； and with lightnin' speed wuz bore away from me； as he dissapeared down the desent； his few gray hairs waved back； and as he went over the last precipitus hill； I heard him cry out in agonizin' axents； 〃Samantha！ Samantha！〃 And I rushed forwards to his rescue but so lightnin' quick wuz their movements that I met my companion a comin' back； and I sez； the first thing； 〃I heard your cry； Josiah！ I rushed to save you； my dear pardner。〃 〃Yes；〃 sez he； 〃I spoke out to you； to call your attention to the landscape； over the woods there！〃 I looked at him in a curious； still sort of a way； and didn't say nothin' only just that look。 Why； that man looked all trembly and broke up； but he kep' on。 〃Yes； it wuz beautiful and inspirin'； and I knew you wuz such a case for landscapes； I thought I would call your attention to it。〃 Sez I； coldly； 〃You wuz skairt； Josiah Allen； and you know it。〃 〃Skairt！ the idee of me bein' skairt。 I wuz callin' your attention to the beauty of the view； over in the woods。〃 〃What wuz it？〃 sez I； still more coldly； for I can't bear deceit； and coverin' up。 〃Oh； it wuz a house； and a tree； and a barn； and things。〃 〃A great seen to scream about；〃 sez I。 〃It would probable have stood there till you got back； but you couldn't seem to wait。〃 〃No； I have noticed that you always wanted to see things to once。 I have noticed it in you。〃 〃I could most probable have waited till you got back； to see a house and a tree。〃 And in still more frigid axents； I added； 〃Or a barn。〃 And I sez； kinder sarkastikly； 〃You enjoyed your ride； I s'pose。〃 〃Immensely； it wuz perfectly beautiful！ So sort a free and soarin' like。 It is jest what suits a man。〃 〃You'd better go right over it agin；〃 sez I。 〃Yes；〃 sez the man who runs the cars。 〃You'd better go agin。〃 〃Oh no；〃 sez Josiah。 〃Why not？〃 sez I。 〃Why not？〃 sez the man。 Josiah Allen looked all around the room； and down on the grass； as if trying to find a good reasonable excuse a layin' round loose somewhere； so's he could get holt of it。 〃You'd better go；〃 sez I； 〃I love to see you happy； Josiah Allen。〃 〃Yes； you'd better go；〃 sez the man。 〃No！〃 sez Josiah； still a lookin' round for a excuse； up into the heavens and onto the horizon。 And at last his face kinder brightenin' up； as if he had found one： 〃No； it looks so kinder cloudy； I guess I won't go。 I think we shall have rain between now and night。〃 And so we said no more on the subject and sot out homewards。 Ardelia wrote a poem on the occasion； wrote it right there； with rapidity and a lead pencil； and handed it to me； before I left the room。 I put it into my pocket and didn't think on it； for some days afterwards。 That night after we got home from the Roller Coaster； I felt dretful sort a down hearted about Abram Gee； I see in that little incident of the day； that Bial； although I couldn't like him； yet I see he had his good qualities； I see how truthful he wuz。 And although I love truth I fairly worship it yet I felt that if things wuz as he said they wuz； he would more'n probable get Ardelia Tutt； for I know the power of Ambition in her； and I felt that she would risk the chances of happiness； for the name of bein' a Banker's Bride。 So I sat there in deep gloom； and a chocolate colored wrapper； till as late as half past nine o'clock P。 M。 And I felt that the course of Abram's love wuz not runnin' smooth。 No； I felt that it wuz runnin' in a dwindlin' torrent over a rocky bed； and a precipitus one。 And I felt that if he wuz with me then and there； if we didn't mingle our tears together we could our sithes； for I sithed； powerful and frequent。 Poor short…sighted creeter that I wuz； a settin' in the shadow； when the sun wuz jest a gettin' ready to shine out onto Abram and reflect off onto my envious heart。 Even at that very time the hand of righteous Retribution had slipped its sure noose over Bial Flamburg's neck； and wuz a walkin' him away from Ardelia； away from happiness （oritory）。 At that very hour； half past nine P。 M。； Ardelia Tutt and Abram Gee had met agin； and rosy love and happiness wuz even then a stringin' roses on the chain that wuz to bind 'em together forever。 The way on't wuz： It bein' early when Ardelia got here； Bial proposed to take her out for a drive and she consented。 He got a livery horse； and buggy； and they say that the livery man knew jest what sort of a creeter the horse wuz； and knew it wuz liable to break the buggy all to pieces and them to； and he let 'em have it for goin。' But howsumever； whether that is so or not； when they got about five or six milds from Saratoga the horse skeert out of the road； and throwed 'em both out。 It wuz a bank of sand that skeert it； a high bank that wuz piled up by a little hovel that stood by the side of the road。 The ground all round the hut wuz too poor to raise anything else but sand； and had raised sights of that。 A man and woman； dretful shabby lookin'； wuz a standin' by the door of the hut； and the man had a shovel in his hand； and had been a loadin' sand into a awful big wheelbarrow that wuz a standin' by seemin'ly ready to carry it acrost the fields； to where some man wuz a mixin' some motar； to lay the foundations of a barn。 Wall； the old man stood a pantin' by the side of the wheelbarrow； as if he had indeed got on too heavy a load。 It wuz piled up high。 The horse shied； and Ardelia wuz throwed right out onto the bank of sand； Bial by the side of her。 And the old man and woman came a runnin' up； and callin' out； 〃Bial； my son； my son； are you wounded？〃 And there it all wuz。 Ardelia see the hull on it。 The Banker wuz before her； and she wuz a layin' on the bank。 And the banker wuz a doin' a heavy business； if anybody doubted it； let 'em take holt and cart a load on it acrost the fields。 Wall； Ardelia wuz jarred fearful； in her heart； her ambition； her pride； and her bones。 And as the horse wuz a fleein' far away； and no other conveyance could be found to transport her to the next house （Ardelia wouldn't go into his'n）； and night wuz ap
