stories by modern american authors-第10节

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fair　forehead；　between　the　pretty　rippling　curves　of　her　auburn

hair。



〃Did　youhear　anything？〃　she　asked　in　a　low　voice　with　a　glance

toward　the　door。



〃I　was　just　across　the　hall　in　the　south　parlor；　and　that　door　was

open　and　this　door　ajar；〃　replied　Rebecca　with　a　slight　flush。



〃Then　you　must　have〃



〃I　couldn't　help　it。〃



〃Everything？〃



〃Most　of　it。〃



〃What　was　it？〃



〃The　old　story。〃



〃I　suppose　Henry　was　mad；　as　he　always　was；　because　Edward　was

living　on　here　for　nothing；　when　he　had　wasted　all　the　money　father

left　him。〃



Rebecca　nodded　with　a　fearful　glance　at　the　door。



When　Emma　spoke　again　her　voice　was　still　more　hushed。　　〃I　know　how

he　felt；〃　said　she。　　〃He　had　always　been　so　prudent　himself；　and

worked　hard　at　his　profession；　and　there　Edward　had　never　done

anything　but　spend；　and　it　must　have　looked　to　him　as　if　Edward　was

living　at　his　expense；　but　he　wasn't。〃



〃No；　he　wasn't。〃



〃It　was　the　way　father　left　the　propertythat　all　the　children

should　have　a　home　hereand　he　left　money　enough　to　buy　the　food

and　all　if　we　had　all　come　home。〃



〃Yes。〃



〃And　Edward　had　a　right　here　according　to　the　terms　of　father's

will；　and　Henry　ought　to　have　remembered　it。〃



〃Yes；　he　ought。〃



〃Did　he　say　hard　things？〃



〃Pretty　hard　from　what　I　heard。〃



〃What？〃



〃I　heard　him　tell　Edward　that　he　had　no　business　here　at　all；　and

he　thought　he　had　better　go　away。〃



〃What　did　Edward　say？〃



〃That　he　would　stay　here　as　long　as　he　lived　and　afterward；　too；　if

he　was　a　mind　to；　and　he　would　like　to　see　Henry　get　him　out；　and

then〃



〃What？〃



〃Then　he　laughed。〃



〃What　did　Henry　say。〃



〃I　didn't　hear　him　say　anything；　but〃



〃But　what？〃



〃I　saw　him　when　he　came　out　of　this　room。〃



〃He　looked　mad？〃



〃You've　seen　him　when　he　looked　so。〃



Emma　nodded；　the　expression　of　horror　on　her　face　had　deepened。



〃Do　you　remember　that　time　he　killed　the　cat　because　she　had

scratched　him？〃



〃Yes。　　Don't！〃



Then　Caroline　reentered　the　room。　　She　went　up　to　the　stove　in

which　a　wood　fire　was　burningit　was　a　cold；　gloomy　day　of　fall

and　she　warmed　her　hands；　which　were　reddened　from　recent　washing

in　cold　water。



Mrs。　Brigham　looked　at　her　and　hesitated。　　She　glanced　at　the　door；

which　was　still　ajar；　as　it　did　not　easily　shut；　being　still

swollen　with　the　damp　weather　of　the　summer。　　She　rose　and　pushed

it　together　with　a　sharp　thud　which　jarred　the　house。　　Rebecca

started　painfully　with　a　half　exclamation。　　Caroline　looked　at　her

disapprovingly。



〃It　is　time　you　controlled　your　nerves；　Rebecca；〃　said　she。



〃I　can't　help　it；〃　replied　Rebecca　with　almost　a　wail。　　〃I　am

nervous。　　There's　enough　to　make　me　so；　the　Lord　knows。〃



〃What　do　you　mean　by　that？〃　asked　Caroline　with　her　old　air　of

sharp　suspicion；　and　something　between　challenge　and　dread　of　its

being　met。



Rebecca　shrank。



〃Nothing；〃　said　she。



〃Then　I　wouldn't　keep　speaking　in　such　a　fashion。〃



Emma；　returning　from　the　closed　door；　said　imperiously　that　it

ought　to　be　fixed；　it　shut　so　hard。



〃It　will　shrink　enough　after　we　have　had　the　fire　a　few　days；〃

replied　Caroline。　　〃If　anything　is　done　to　it　it　will　be　too　small；

there　will　be　a　crack　at　the　sill。〃



〃I　think　Henry　ought　to　be　ashamed　of　himself　for　talking　as　he　did

to　Edward；〃　said　Mrs。　Brigham　abruptly；　but　in　an　almost　inaudible

voice。



〃Hush！〃　said　Caroline；　with　a　glance　of　actual　fear　at　the　closed

door。



〃Nobody　can　hear　with　the　door　shut。〃



〃He　must　have　heard　it　shut；　and〃



〃Well；　I　can　say　what　I　want　to　before　he　comes　down；　and　I　am　not

afraid　of　him。〃



〃I　don't　know　who　is　afraid　of　him！　　What　reason　is　there　for

anybody　to　be　afraid　of　Henry？〃　demanded　Caroline。



Mrs。　Brigham　trembled　before　her　sister's　look。　　Rebecca　gasped

again。　　〃There　isn't　any　reason；　of　course。　　Why　should　there　be？〃



〃I　wouldn't　speak　so；　then。　　Somebody　might　overhear　you　and　think

it　was　queer。　　Miranda　Joy　is　in　the　south　parlor　sewing；　you

know。〃



〃I　thought　she　went　upstairs　to　stitch　on　the　machine。〃



〃She　did；　but　she　has　come　down　again。〃



〃Well；　she　can't　hear。〃



〃I　say　again　I　think　Henry　ought　to　be　ashamed　of　himself。　　I

shouldn't　think　he'd　ever　get　over　it；　having　words　with　poor

Edward　the　very　night　before　he　died。　　Edward　was　enough　sight

better　disposition　than　Henry；　with　all　his　faults。　　I　always

thought　a　great　deal　of　poor　Edward；　myself。〃



Mrs。　Brigham　passed　a　large　fluff　of　handkerchief　across　her　eyes；

Rebecca　sobbed　outright。



〃Rebecca；〃　said　Caroline　admonishingly；　keeping　her　mouth　stiff　and

swallowing　determinately。



〃I　never　heard　him　speak　a　cross　word；　unless　he　spoke　cross　to

Henry　that　last　night。　　I　don't　know；　but　he　did　from　what　Rebecca

overheard；〃　said　Emma。



〃Not　so　much　cross　as　sort　of　soft；　and　sweet；　and　aggravating；〃

sniffled　Rebecca。



〃He　never　raised　his　voice；〃　said　Caroline；　〃but　he　had　his　way。〃



〃He　had　a　right　to　in　this　case。〃



〃Yes；　he　did。〃



〃He　had　as　much　of　a　right　here　as　Henry；〃　sobbed　Rebecca；　〃and　now

he's　gone；　and　he　will　never　be　in　this　home　that　poor　father　left

him　and　the　rest　of　us　again。〃



〃What　do　you　really　think　ailed　Edward？〃　asked　Emma　in　hardly　more

than　a　whisper。　　She　did　not　look　at　her　sister。



Caroline　sat　down　in　a　nearby　armchair；　and　clutched　the　arms

convulsively　until　her　thin　knuckles　whitened。



〃I　told　you；〃　said　she。



Rebecca　held　her　handkerchief　over　her　mouth；　and　looked　at　them

above　it　with　terrified；　streaming　eyes。



〃I　know　you　said　that　he　had　terrible　pains　in　his　stomach；　and　had

spasms；　but　what　do　you　think　made　him　have　them？〃



〃Henry　called　it　gastric　trouble。　　You　know　Edward　has　always　had

dyspepsia。〃



Mrs。　Brigham　hesitated　a　moment。　　〃Was　there　any　talk　of　an

examination？〃　said　she。



Then　Caroline　turned　on　her　fiercely。



〃No；〃　said　she　in　a　terrible　voice。　　〃No。〃



The　three　sisters'　souls　seemed　to　meet　on　one　common　ground　of

terrified　understanding　through　their　eyes。　　The　old…fashioned

latch　of　the　door　was　heard　to　rattle；　and　a　push　from　without　made

the　door　shake　ineffectually。　　〃It's　Henry；〃　Rebecca　sighed　rather

than　whispered。　　Mrs。　Brigham　settled　herself　after　a　noiseless

rush　across　the　floor　into　her　rocking…chair　again；　and　was　swaying

back　and　forth　with　her　head　comfortably　leaning　back；　when　the

door　at　last　yielded　and　Henry　Glynn　entered。　　He　cast　a　covertly

sharp；　comprehensive　glance　at　Mrs。　Brigham　with　her　elaborate

calm；　at　Rebecca　quietly　huddled　in　the　corner　of　the　sofa　with　her

handkerchief　to　her　face　and　only　one　small　reddened　ear　as

attentive　as　a　dog's　uncovered　and　revealing　her　alertness　for　his

presence；　at　Caroline　sitting　with　a　strained　composure　in　her

armchair　by　the　stove。　　She　met　his　eyes　quite　firmly　with　a　look

of　inscrutable　fear；　and　defiance　of　the　fear　and　of　him。



Henry　Glynn　looked　more　like　this　sister　than　the　others。　　Both　had

the　same　hard　delicacy　of　form　and　feature；　both　were　tall　and

almost　emaciated；　both　had　a　sparse　growth　of　gray　blond　hair　far

back　from　high　intellectual　foreheads；　both　had　an　almost　noble

aquilinity　of　feature。　　They　confronted　each　other　with　the

pitiless　immovability　of　two　statues　in　whose　marble　lineaments

emotions　were　fixed　for　all　eternity。



Then　Henry　Glynn　smiled　and　the　smile　transformed　his　face。　　He

looked　suddenly　years　younger；　and　an　almost　boyish　recklessness

and　irresolution　appeared　in　his　face。　　He　flung　himself　into　a

chair　with　a　gesture　which　was　bewildering　from　its　incongruity

with　his　general　appearance。　　He　leaned　his　head　back；　flung　one

leg　over　the　other；　and　looked　laughingly　at　Mrs。　Brigham。



〃I　declare；　Emma；　you　grow　younger　every　year；〃　he　said。



She　flushed　a　little；　and　her　placid　mouth　widened　at　the　corners。

She　was　susceptible　to　praise。



〃Our　thoughts　to…day　ought　to　belong　to　the　one　of　us　who　will

NEVER　grow　older；〃　said　Caroline　in　a　hard　voice。



Henry　looked　at　her；　still　smiling。　　〃Of　course；　we　none　of　us

forget　that；〃　said　he；　in　a　deep；　gentle　voice；　〃but　we　have　to

speak　to　the　living；　Caroline；　and　I　have　not　seen　Emma　for　a　long

time；　and　the　living　are　as　dear　as　the　dead。〃



〃Not　to　me；〃　said　Caroline。



She　rose；　and　went　abruptly　out　of　the　room　again。　　Rebecca　also

rose　and　hurried　after　her；　sobbing　loudly。



Henry　looked　slowly　after　them。



〃Caroline　is　completely　unstrung；〃　said　he。　　Mrs。　Brigham　rocked。　A

confidence　in　him　inspired　by　his　manner　was　stealing　over　her。　Out

of　that　confidence　she　spoke　quite　easily　and　naturally。



〃His　death　was　very　sudden；〃　said　she。



Henry's　eyelids　quivered　slightly　but　his　gaze　was　unswerving。



〃Yes；〃　said　he；　〃it　was