 | V.
P. GREEN. Coupon bonds, and other stories |  |
5. V.
P. GREEN.
“Come in, Peleg,” said Mrs. Thornton. “Mr. Blazay,
this is our neighbor, Mr. Green.”
Mr. Green made an extravagant flourish, shook my
hand very hard, bowed extremely low, and remarked,
through his nose, that he was most happy.
“Did n't know, though, ye had company,” he said apologetically.
He looked around for a seat, and finally, parting
his coat-tails, sat down near Susie. “Fine weather
now we 're having, Mr. Blazaway.”
“Mrs. Thornton and I were just remarking that the
weather was fine,” I answered, dryly.
Mrs. Thornton looked disconcerted by the neighbor's
appearance, and after fidgeting a minute left the room.
“Grand good weather for hay,” said Mr. Green. “Brings
out the rakes — hem!”
Susie looked slyly at him, as if to see whether he meant
that for a hit at me. I was n't sure about it, so I kept still.
“Smashing good crop o' hay this season; beats everything!”
said Mr. Green, lifting his left foot and holding
it with his hand over the instep across his right knee.
“Grass look well where you 've been, Mr. Blazaway? or
don't you notice much about grass?”
I replied that, wherever I had taken the pains to observe,
everything looked to me exceedingly Green, keeping
my eyes fixed steadily on him as I spoke.
“Sho!” said Mr. Green, looking at me steadily in return,
and scratching his chin. Then he turned and said
in a hoarse whisper to Susie, “What an all-fired wen that
gentleman has got over his left eye! ye noticed it?”
A wen? that was the bee-sting! All-fired? it was all-fired!
Had Susie noticed it? In turning my face in
order to stare down the insolent intruder who called me
Mr. Blazaway, I had exposed the swelling, and Susie, who
stole a glance at me just then, must also have seen it.
Mr. Green reached deep into a pocket of his light summer
trousers, brought out a jack-knife, and commenced
honing it on his shoe.
“Traded horses agin, Susie.”
“What a hand you are to swap horses, Peleg!” she
said, thawing into conversation under his genial influence.
“Put off the colt; got a four-year-old chestnut; nice,
tell yeou! Bring him round and let ye ride after him to-morrer.”
“Who did you trade with?” said Miss Thornton.
“Stranger. Do'no' his name. Stumped him in the road.
Says I, `I got the mate to that beast you 're drivin', friend,'
says I. `Hev ye?' says he. `Better hitch,' says I, `and
jest step over in the lot here and see,' says I. He said he
did n't object if I had anything to show; so he tied to the
fence, — mighty slick critter that of hisn! `Yes,' says I,
`either you want my animil, or I want yourn, do'no' which
till we talk,' says I. Wa'al, we made a dicker,” added Peleg
Green, shutting his knife with a loud click, and winking
significantly.
He was going on to expatiate on the merits of the four-year-old
came to the door and called him out.
“I 'd like to speak with you a minute, Peleg.” And
Peleg, though with visible reluctance, withdrew.
I arose, walked straight to Susie, and frankly took her
hand. She looked up with a frightened, inquiring glance,
afraid, as I afterward learned, that I was going to propose
to her on the spot.
“I am very glad,” I said, “to have formed your acquaintance.
I shall always remember you with interest,
and if I ever come this way again I shall certainly do myself
the pleasure of visiting you.”
She appeared quite bewildered a moment, then a gleam
of intelligence brightened her face.
“Are you going, sir?” And, as I was hurt to observe,
the gleam became a gleam of delight.
“I have a call to make,” said I; “and after what is
past we may as well be frank with each other. I think it
is quite evident to us both that —”
“That you don't like me,” she said, while I was stammering.
“That 's it; and you need n't take the trouble
of putting it in some more polite way.”
She laughed as she spoke; all her embarrassment had
vanished; she looked radiant, even charming; and altogether
such a change had come over her that I was astonished.
“Rather say that you have not fallen in love with me,”
I answered.
“That 's true, I have n't!” she confessed, with refreshing
naïveté. “And do you blame me? I was almost
frightened to death when I heard you were coming. And
it was so odd, — just as Peleg would go and look at a colt
he thought of buying!”
I sincerely entreated her pardon for the affront.
“O, no affront. I don't care now, since you don't want
to marry me.” And she appeared quite joyous.
“You are glad of that. Peleg will be glad too,” I
could not help saying.
“Yes, I suppose he will,” she confessed, gayly.
“You like Mr. Green?”
“O yes; he amuses me ever so much. You don't know
how funny he can be. But you must n't go now, sir,” she
cried, taking my hat from me. “Stay to tea, won't you?”
I hardly know how it was; but she had her way, and I
stayed.
“You must forgive me for laughing,” said Susie, only
half penitently; “but you can't guess how glad I was
that you got stung. Don't you think it was a judgment
upon you?”
“You knew it?” I said, putting my hand to my egg; for
the swelling had about reached that size.
“Of course I did; and that was the reason I could n't
look at you. But I am very sorry now, — indeed I am,”
she added, compassionately, seeing how bad a sting it was.
“And to think Peleg took it for a wen!”
At that she had to laugh again. But, on the whole,
she manifested a good deal of true womanly sympathy for
my suffering, and went out to prepare some salt and vinegar,
which she said was her mother's remedy for stings.
She did not return. But presently Mrs. Thornton came
in, bringing a saucer with some liquid and a rag in it,
dressed my brow, and took me out to tea.
| V.
P. GREEN. Coupon bonds, and other stories | |