登陆注册
14717100000073

第73章

"Hello, Debby!" hailed the former. "What's the matter? Hurt, be you?"Mrs. Beasley, whether she heard or not, did not deign to reply.

"Get my horn out of that carriage," she ordered. "Don't stand there gapin'. Get it."The ear trumpet was resurrected from the interior of the vehicle.

The widow adjusted it with dignity.

"Had a spill, didn't you, Debby?" inquired the blacksmith. "Upset, didn't you?"Debby glared at him.

"No," she replied with sarcasm. "Course I didn't upset! Just thought I'd roll round in the road for the fun of it. Smart question, that is! Where's that Bailey Bangs gone to with the rest of my carriage?"The blacksmith pointed to his shop in the hollow. Before it stood Mr. Bangs, holding Henry by the bridle, and staring in their direction.

"He's all right," volunteered the "helper." "The horse stopped runnin' soon's he got to the foot of the next hill."Mrs. Beasley was not, apparently, overjoyed at the news.

"Humph!" she grunted. "I 'most wish he'd broke his neck! Pesky, careless thing! gettin' us run away with and upset. Who's goin' to pay for fixin' my sulky, I want to know?""Mr. Bangs will pay for it, I'm sure," said Phoebe soothingly. "If he doesn't, I will. Oh, Mrs. Beasley! did you find the diary?""Diary? No, no! I told you I was afraid I'd burnt it up. Well, Ihad, and a whole lot more of them old ones. But I did get all them Arizona papers, and took the trouble to tote 'em all the way here so's you could look at 'em. And now"--she shook with indignation and waved her hand toward a section of horizon where little white dots indicated the whereabouts of the Couriers--"now look where they be! Blowed from Dan to Beersheby! Come on to the house and let me set down. I been standin' on my head till I'm tired. Here, Jabez," to the blacksmith, "you tend to that carriage, will you?"She stalked off down the hill. The schoolmistress turning to follow her, caught a glimpse of the "helper" doubled up with silent laughter, and the blacksmith grinning broadly as he stooped toward the capsized sulky.

Phoebe was downcast and disappointed. She was convinced, in her own mind, that the Honorable Atkins had some hidden motive for his espousal of the Thomas cause. Asaph's fruitless quest in Orham had not shaken her faith. Captain Cy had refused to seek Debby Beasley for information concerning the Thayers, and so she, on her own responsibility, had done so. And this was the ridiculous ending of her journey. The diary had been a forlorn hope; now that was burned. Poor Bos'n! and poor--some one else!

Debby marching down the hill, continued to sputter about the lost weeklies.

"It's an everlastin' shame!" she declared. "I'd just found the one with that advertisement in it and was readin' it. I remember the part I read, plain as could be. While we're eatin' dinner I'll tell you about it."But Miss Dawes did not care for dinner. Like Mr. Tidditt and the captain, she had had about all the Debby Beasley she wanted.

"Yes, yes, you will stop, too," affirmed the widow. "I want to tell you more about Blazeton. I can see that advertisement this minute, right afore my eyes--'Information wanted of my husband, Edward Higgins. Five foot eight inches tall, sandy complected, brown hair, and yellowish mustache; not lame, but has a peculiar slight limp with his left foot--'""What?" asked the schoolmistress, stopping short.

"Hey? 'Has a peculiar limp with his left foot.' I remember how Desire used to talk about that limp. She said 'twas almost as if he stuttered with his leg. He hurt it when he was up in Montana, and--""Oh!" cried Miss Dawes. The color had left her face.

"Yes. You see he used to be a miner or somethin' up there. He'd never say much about his younger days, but one time he did tell that. I'd just got as far as that limp when the sulky upset. Talk about bein' surprised! I never was so surprised in my life as when that horse critter rared up and--"Phoebe interrupted. Her color had come back, and her eyes were shining.

"Mrs. Beasley," she cried, "I think I shall change my mind. Ibelieve I will stay to dinner after all. I'm EVER so much interested in Arizona."Bailey and the teacher began their long drive home about four o'clock. The buggy axle had been fixed, and the wind was less violent. Mr. Bangs was glum and moody. He seemed to be thinking.

"Say, teacher," he said at length, "I'd like to ask a favor of you.

If it ain't necessary, I wish you wouldn't say nothin' about that upsettin' business to the folks to home. It does sound so dum foolish! I'll never hear the last of it."Miss Dawes, who had been in high spirits, now took a moment for reflection.

"All right!" she said, nodding vigorously. "We won't mention it, then. We won't tell a soul. You can say that I called at the Atwoods', if you want to; that will be true, because I did. And we'll have Mrs. Beasley for our secret--yours and mine--until we decide to tell. It's a bargain, Mr. Bangs. We must shake hands on it."They shook hands, and Bailey, looking in her face, thought he never saw her look so well or as young. She was pretty, he decided.

Then he thought of his own choice of a wife, and--well, if he had any regrets, he hasn't mentioned them, not even to his fellow-member of the Board of Strategy.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 斗气大陆之绝世斗皇

    斗气大陆之绝世斗皇

    在数百年前的一次穿越,斗气大陆中出现一个出生在小家族的“斗帝”强者,自从他种种事迹改变了斗气大陆的许多事物的发展,他也是斗气大陆中不少少年少女的偶像,他号称“炎帝”,他名为“萧炎”!而这次时空再次错乱,又有一位穿越者来到斗气大陆,不知这次又会发生什么。
  • 咒戒

    咒戒

    元锦大神的修仙日常故事!凑字数的我们路过~~
  • 我们仍未知道的花

    我们仍未知道的花

    当初你给了我希望,我重拾信心,后来,呵呵,原来只是一种同情。我不需要!!!我胖怎么了?总有一天你会拜倒在我的石榴裙下!!等着吧!!
  • 网游之时光王者

    网游之时光王者

    一位少年拿着七星琉璃剑,身怀七星续命灯,身骑鬼域紫雷龙,怀揣着理想与抱负,最终踏上了《时光》这款游戏的顶峰,喊着“一生戎马,只为时光”的旗号。站在了王者之位.
  • 校园上空的人皮风筝

    校园上空的人皮风筝

    人皮风筝发现在校园风筝比赛会上,为一变态凶杀案,凶手的父亲被这个被杀者在20年前杀害,凶手在列车上剥了他的皮做成风筝.人皮风筝神奇般丢失又失而复得.就在凶手正准备在宿舍剥另一同学皮时,被擒获.作品题材新鲜,故事情节曲折,开始象灵异小说,后来才知道是现实侦探小说.只在幻剑书盟贴文,少男少女编辑看后,要求我再写一篇类似文章.已又写了<狼祸>
  • 我在情川守着你

    我在情川守着你

    一切的一切源于一次幂幂之中的意外死亡,使得原本对生活极具抱怨的现代女子蓝伊荫在黑无常清风的帮助下穿越到神魔异世界。种种奇幻让她对这个未知的异世界产生了触摸。其中奇遇樱花丛林中的银发仙术师、传说能与上古神龙达成协议的紫眸契约者、掌握生命残留的黑白无常、传说中的血之魔凤……前世的爱恋,情莫过撕心裂肺、爱永远无法触摸。来自于神对于紫眸契约者的掠杀预言:永恒之紫十九倾容颜,魅世之御遗爱忘情川。久而久之,忆起被封印在忘情川的誓言……—————————————————————————(御梦殿文学交流群:57932517御华宫)
  • 难道我比不上你几个月的男朋友

    难道我比不上你几个月的男朋友

    1996年2月14日这一天是情人节,天空飘着沉甸甸的雪······
  • TFBOYS与富家千金的爱恋

    TFBOYS与富家千金的爱恋

    在这里TFBOYS和三位富家千金发生了感情事件,具体事件就自己去看吧......我是不会透剧的,谢谢合作
  • 微观修真

    微观修真

    这个世界中有一类人,被称为觉醒者。常人只能宏观的控制自己的身体和四肢,但觉醒者却可以微观的感知并控制自己的肌细胞和骨细胞,爆发出百千倍的战斗力。而由于意外事故瘫痪,成为史无前例的第一个神经细胞觉醒者的主角,又会书写怎样的传奇呢?当突破下一个微观级别,能进行分子层面的控制时,汪洋、大地都能随觉醒者心意而动,这时是否应该称之为神?而更近一步,原子层面的控制,则可以创造出新的物质,这岂非造物主的能力?而悟道没有极限,当突破了维度的限制,时间空间被玩弄于掌心之时,那又是怎样不可理解的存在?让我们和主角一起,探索这个充满无限可能的世界!
  • 奶敢与君绝

    奶敢与君绝

    本名《乃敢与君绝》,结果早被人注册,所以改成《奶敢与君绝》。是一个短篇的,并不算唯美的,带着一点点悲剧色彩的,恶搞喜剧故事。预计字数,2万2到2万5。