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.That I was Beauty Stanton's lover!"34The home to which Allie Lee was brought stood in the outskirts of Omaha uponawooded bank above the river.Page 238 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlAllie watched the broad, yellow Missouri swirling by.She liked best to bealoneoutdoors in the shade of the trees.In the weeks since her arrival there shehadnot recovered from the shock of meeting Neale only to be parted from him.But the comfort, the luxury of her home, the relief from constant dread, suchasshe had known for years, the quiet at night—these had been so welcome,sosaving, that her burden of sorrow seemed endurable.Yet in time she came toseethat the finding of a father and a home had only added to her bitterness.Allison Lee's sister, an elderly woman of strong character, resented thehome-bringing of this strange, lost daughter.Allie had found no sympathy inher.For a while neighbors and friends of the Lees' flocked to the house andwere kind, gracious, attentive to Allie.Then somehow her story, or part ofit,became gossip.Her father, sensitive, cold, embittered by the past, sufferedintolerable shame at the disgrace of a wife's desertion and a daughter'snotoriety.Allie's presence hurt him; he avoided her as much as possible; thelittle kindnesses that he had shown, and his feelings of pride in her beautyandcharm, soon vanished.There was no love between them.Allie had tried hard tocare for him, but her heart seemed to be buried in that vast grave of theWest.She was obedient, dutiful, passive, but she could not care for him.And therecame a day when she realized that he did not believe she had come unscathedthrough the wilds of the gold-fields and the vileness of the constructioncamps.She bore this patiently, though it stung her.But the loss of respect for herfather did not come until she heard men in his study, loud-voiced andfurious,wrangle over contracts and accuse him of double-dealing.Later he told her that he had become involved in financial straits, and thatunless he could raise a large sum by a certain date he would be ruined.And it was this day that Allie sat on a bench in the little arbor and watchedthe turbulent river.She was sorry for her father, but she could not helphim.Moreover, alien griefs did not greatly touch her.Her own grief was deep andall-enfolding.She was heart-sick, and always yearning—yearning for thatshedared not name.The day was hot, sultry; no birds sang, but the locusts were noisy; the airwasfull of humming bees.Allie watched the river.She was idle because her aunt would not let herwork.She could only remember and suffer.The great river soothed her.Where did itcome from and where did it go? And what was to become of her? Almost it wouldhave been better—A servant interrupted her."Missy, heah's a gennelman to see yo'," announcedtheNegro girl.Allie looked.She thought she saw a tall, buckskin-clad man carrying a heavypack.Was she dreaming or had she lost her mind? She got up, shaking in everylimb.This tall man moved; he seemed real; his bronzed face beamed.Heapproached; he set the pack down on the bench.Then his keen, clear eyespiercedAllie."Wal, lass," he said, gently.Page 239 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlThe familiar voice was no dream, no treachery of her mind.Slingerland! Shecould not speak.She could hardly see.She swayed into his arms.Then whenshefelt the great, strong clasp and the softness of buckskin on her face and theodor of pine and sage—and desert dust, she believed in his reality.Her heart seemed to collapse.All within her was riot."Neale!" she whispered, in anguish."All right an' workin' hard.He sent me," replied Slingerland, swift to gethismessage out.Allie quivered and closed her eyes and leaned against him.A beautifulsomethingpervaded her soul.Slowly the tumult within her breast subsided.Sherecovered."Uncle Al!" she called him, tenderly."Wal, I should smile! An' glad to see you—why Lord! I'd never tell you!.You're white an' shaky, lass.Set down hyar—on the bench—besideme.Thar!.Allie, I've a powerful lot to tell you.""Wait! To see you—and to hear—of him—almost killed me withjoy," she panted.Herlittle hands, once so strong and brown, but now thin and white, fastenedtightin the fringe of his buckskin hunting- coat."Lass, sight of you sort of makes me young agin—but—Allie, thoseare not thehappy eyes I remember.""I—am very unhappy," she whispered."Wal, if thet ain't too bad! Shore it's natural you'd be downhearted, losin'Neale thet way.""It's not all—that," she murmured, and then she told him."Wal, wal!" ejaculated the trapper, stroking his beard in thoughtful sorrow."But I reckon thet's natural, too.You're strange hyar, an' thet story willhangover you.Lass, with all due respect to your father, I reckon you'd bettercome back to me an' Neale.""Did he tell you—to say that?" she whispered, tremulously."Lord, no!" ejaculated Slingerland."Does he—care—for me still?""Lass, he's dyin' fer you—an' I never spoke a truer word."Allie shuddered close to him, blinded, stormed by an exquisite bitter-sweetfuryof love.She seemed rising, uplifted, filled with rich, strong joy."I forgave him," she murmured, dreamily low to herself."War, mebbe you'll be right glad you did—presently," said Slingerland,withanimation."'Specially when thar wasn't nothin' much to forgive."Allie became mute.She could not lift her eyes."Lass, listen!" began Slingerland."After you left Roarin' City Neale went athard work.Began by heavin' ties an' rails, an' now he's slingin' asledge.This was amazin' to me.I seen him only onct since, an' thet was the otherday.But I heerd about him.I rode over to Roarin' City several times.An' I madeitmy bizness to find out about Neale.He never came into the town at all.Theysaid he worked like a slave the first day, bleedin' hard.But he couldn't bestopped.An' the work didn't kill him, though thar was some as swore itPage 240 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlwould.They said he changed, an' when he toughened up thar was never but one man ascould equal him, an' thet was an Irish feller named Casey.I heerd it wassomethin' worth while to see him sling a sledge.Wal, I never seen him doit,but mebbe I will yet."A few days back I met him gettin' off a train at Roarin' City.Lord! Ihardlyknowed him! He stood like an Injun, with the big muscles bulgin', an' hisfacewas clean an' dark, his eye like fire.He nearly shook the daylights outofme.'Slingerland, I want you!' he kept yellin' at me [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.That I was Beauty Stanton's lover!"34The home to which Allie Lee was brought stood in the outskirts of Omaha uponawooded bank above the river.Page 238 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlAllie watched the broad, yellow Missouri swirling by.She liked best to bealoneoutdoors in the shade of the trees.In the weeks since her arrival there shehadnot recovered from the shock of meeting Neale only to be parted from him.But the comfort, the luxury of her home, the relief from constant dread, suchasshe had known for years, the quiet at night—these had been so welcome,sosaving, that her burden of sorrow seemed endurable.Yet in time she came toseethat the finding of a father and a home had only added to her bitterness.Allison Lee's sister, an elderly woman of strong character, resented thehome-bringing of this strange, lost daughter.Allie had found no sympathy inher.For a while neighbors and friends of the Lees' flocked to the house andwere kind, gracious, attentive to Allie.Then somehow her story, or part ofit,became gossip.Her father, sensitive, cold, embittered by the past, sufferedintolerable shame at the disgrace of a wife's desertion and a daughter'snotoriety.Allie's presence hurt him; he avoided her as much as possible; thelittle kindnesses that he had shown, and his feelings of pride in her beautyandcharm, soon vanished.There was no love between them.Allie had tried hard tocare for him, but her heart seemed to be buried in that vast grave of theWest.She was obedient, dutiful, passive, but she could not care for him.And therecame a day when she realized that he did not believe she had come unscathedthrough the wilds of the gold-fields and the vileness of the constructioncamps.She bore this patiently, though it stung her.But the loss of respect for herfather did not come until she heard men in his study, loud-voiced andfurious,wrangle over contracts and accuse him of double-dealing.Later he told her that he had become involved in financial straits, and thatunless he could raise a large sum by a certain date he would be ruined.And it was this day that Allie sat on a bench in the little arbor and watchedthe turbulent river.She was sorry for her father, but she could not helphim.Moreover, alien griefs did not greatly touch her.Her own grief was deep andall-enfolding.She was heart-sick, and always yearning—yearning for thatshedared not name.The day was hot, sultry; no birds sang, but the locusts were noisy; the airwasfull of humming bees.Allie watched the river.She was idle because her aunt would not let herwork.She could only remember and suffer.The great river soothed her.Where did itcome from and where did it go? And what was to become of her? Almost it wouldhave been better—A servant interrupted her."Missy, heah's a gennelman to see yo'," announcedtheNegro girl.Allie looked.She thought she saw a tall, buckskin-clad man carrying a heavypack.Was she dreaming or had she lost her mind? She got up, shaking in everylimb.This tall man moved; he seemed real; his bronzed face beamed.Heapproached; he set the pack down on the bench.Then his keen, clear eyespiercedAllie."Wal, lass," he said, gently.Page 239 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlThe familiar voice was no dream, no treachery of her mind.Slingerland! Shecould not speak.She could hardly see.She swayed into his arms.Then whenshefelt the great, strong clasp and the softness of buckskin on her face and theodor of pine and sage—and desert dust, she believed in his reality.Her heart seemed to collapse.All within her was riot."Neale!" she whispered, in anguish."All right an' workin' hard.He sent me," replied Slingerland, swift to gethismessage out.Allie quivered and closed her eyes and leaned against him.A beautifulsomethingpervaded her soul.Slowly the tumult within her breast subsided.Sherecovered."Uncle Al!" she called him, tenderly."Wal, I should smile! An' glad to see you—why Lord! I'd never tell you!.You're white an' shaky, lass.Set down hyar—on the bench—besideme.Thar!.Allie, I've a powerful lot to tell you.""Wait! To see you—and to hear—of him—almost killed me withjoy," she panted.Herlittle hands, once so strong and brown, but now thin and white, fastenedtightin the fringe of his buckskin hunting- coat."Lass, sight of you sort of makes me young agin—but—Allie, thoseare not thehappy eyes I remember.""I—am very unhappy," she whispered."Wal, if thet ain't too bad! Shore it's natural you'd be downhearted, losin'Neale thet way.""It's not all—that," she murmured, and then she told him."Wal, wal!" ejaculated the trapper, stroking his beard in thoughtful sorrow."But I reckon thet's natural, too.You're strange hyar, an' thet story willhangover you.Lass, with all due respect to your father, I reckon you'd bettercome back to me an' Neale.""Did he tell you—to say that?" she whispered, tremulously."Lord, no!" ejaculated Slingerland."Does he—care—for me still?""Lass, he's dyin' fer you—an' I never spoke a truer word."Allie shuddered close to him, blinded, stormed by an exquisite bitter-sweetfuryof love.She seemed rising, uplifted, filled with rich, strong joy."I forgave him," she murmured, dreamily low to herself."War, mebbe you'll be right glad you did—presently," said Slingerland,withanimation."'Specially when thar wasn't nothin' much to forgive."Allie became mute.She could not lift her eyes."Lass, listen!" began Slingerland."After you left Roarin' City Neale went athard work.Began by heavin' ties an' rails, an' now he's slingin' asledge.This was amazin' to me.I seen him only onct since, an' thet was the otherday.But I heerd about him.I rode over to Roarin' City several times.An' I madeitmy bizness to find out about Neale.He never came into the town at all.Theysaid he worked like a slave the first day, bleedin' hard.But he couldn't bestopped.An' the work didn't kill him, though thar was some as swore itPage 240 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlwould.They said he changed, an' when he toughened up thar was never but one man ascould equal him, an' thet was an Irish feller named Casey.I heerd it wassomethin' worth while to see him sling a sledge.Wal, I never seen him doit,but mebbe I will yet."A few days back I met him gettin' off a train at Roarin' City.Lord! Ihardlyknowed him! He stood like an Injun, with the big muscles bulgin', an' hisfacewas clean an' dark, his eye like fire.He nearly shook the daylights outofme.'Slingerland, I want you!' he kept yellin' at me [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]