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When Jane came to that side of the fire twenty minutes later, none of the crabs were cleaned, and the ham and stick burned black together while Neckart held them in the fire. "I ought not to have allowed two men to sit together: I might have known they would gossip," she said. Mr.
Neckart vaguely remembered the jargon of sentimental novels, the heroines of which always keep their heads on Nature's breast. He did not mean to chaff any woman, but he would gladly have proved this one sentimental and weak to explain his strong antipathy to her. "No, I never thought of those things. But one grows tired in town housekeeping, models and all of it.
Why should she be hampered with these thousand meaningless, sham duties? She was fit for but one purpose to serve two men whom she loved. Her father was ill, and he pushed her from him into Society; and Bruce Neckart was alone, and with a worse fate than death creeping on him, and he "Why does not Mr. Neckart come to us?" she asked abruptly. "It is months since I have seen him."
The smell of the broiling ham in the salt air suddenly brought back to Neckart a day when he had gone fishing with his mother in the old place in Delaware. How happy and hungry they were! "Give me your stick, captain. You are burning up," he said, sitting down on the log beside him. "You've been on this beach afore, sir?" said Sutphen, who was his neighbor, and felt it his duty to play host.
But the power of her womanhood was upon him, a something which Neckart had never felt before a terrible, pure passion. "Give me the oars," he said. "Let me help you," reaching forward to take them. His hand rested on hers accidentally: he did not remove it. Now did she understand? His mouth was closed.
I'm not strong. It is not death that is coming to you, but a good husband. You need not turn so white." "And Mr. Neckart planned this for me?" "N-no. I can't say 'planned, to be accurate. But he agreed in our plan. Why, Bruce has common sense.
The captain and us won't disagree, I reckon." "I never do business in that way. Bring out your boat and put a price on it." "Come, Neckart," said the captain, rising hastily, "we will walk up the beach a bit. I'll see you about the boat presently, Sutphen. You don't know these fellows, Bruce," when they had passed out of hearing and found a seat in the thin salt grass.
Usually, while the captain took his after-dinner nap, she rowed along the shore, and Neckart, when he was there, would sit in the stern reading or scribbling his next leader, but oftener leaning back, his hands clasped behind his head, listening with half-closed eyes to her chatter. It is significant to note the occasion on which a silent woman has a flux de bouche.
She was sitting on a log, the dog asleep at her feet, her hands clasped about her knees, looking out to sea, and he could swear she had sat there motionless as the stretch of gray sand about her for an hour. Such torpidity revolted Neckart.
I told you why my father needs the money all that he told to Mr. Neckart. Surely, you don't understand?" "Oh, I understand your father very well," smiling dryly. It suited him just now to consider the captain a shrewd humbug, and his mysterious ailment the last dodge to raise money and sympathy.
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