United States or Israel ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Zoeth waved him to silence. "Sshh! sshh!" he pleaded in a whisper. "Don't holler so; she'll hear you. Shadrach, I I " "What IS it?" broke in his friend. "What's the matter, Zoeth? Shall I fetch the doctor?" "No, no. I'm I'm all right, Shadrach. I've just had had a kind of shock a surprise, that's all. I ain't very strong yet and it it kind of upset me. But, Shadrach, I want to talk to you.
Marcellus poor?" cried Shadrach. "Why why, what kind of talk's that? He didn't have no more than the rest of us when " he hesitated, glanced at Zoeth, and continued, "when the firm give up business back in '79; but he went to sea again and made considerable, and then he made a whole lot in stocks. I know he did. You know it, too, Zoeth. How could he be poor?"
He put his finger beneath her chin and lifted her head to look down into her face. The face was crimson. "Do you, Mary-'Gusta?" he asked. Mary looked up, wet-eyed but smiling. "Yes, Uncle Shad," she said, "I think I do." "And you want to cruise in his company all your life, eh?" "Yes, Uncle Shad; but not unless you and Uncle Zoeth are willing." He bent and kissed her.
"Bless your heart, dearie," he said, "it's all right. Zoeth and me were talkin' about this very thing a little while ago. And do you know what he said? He said: 'What wrecked all our lives thirty-five year ago shan't wreck these two, if I can help it. If Mary-'Gusta cares for him and he for her they shall have each other and be happy.
Shadrach strode to the mantel, took from it a hand-lamp, lighted the lamp and with it in his hand walked from the room and ascended the stairs. Zoeth called after him, but he did not answer. He entered Mary-'Gusta's room. The child was in bed, the dolls beside her. She was not asleep, however.
"Just a minute, please, I have a letter here which he wrote at the time he made his will. It is addressed to both of you. Here it is. Shall I read it to you, or had you rather read it yourselves?" Zoeth answered. "I guess maybe you'd better read it, Judge," he said. "I don't cal'late Shadrach nor me are capable of readin' much of anything just this minute. You read it.
Shadrach had not entirely recovered from the surprise, but now he could think and speak more coherently, although the wonder of it all was overpowering. "It seems as if the hand of the Lord was in it," he declared. "It is," agreed Zoeth, with absolute conviction. "See how it worked out accordin' to His promise. The wicked flourished for a time, but God sent the punishment in due season, didn't He?
He seemed to catch the significance of the remark, for he looked frightened, whereas Shadrach was only puzzled. "You you know what, Mary-'Gusta?" faltered Zoeth. "You mean " "I mean," went on Mary, "that I know where the money came from which has paid my school bills and for my clothes and my traveling things and all the rest.
Summarized in chronological order, they were these: First, the lengthy discussions between the partners concerning Miss Pease's plan, discussions which ended by Zoeth, as senior partner, writing Miss Pease: Shadrach and I say yes. We ought to have said it afore but flesh is weak and we found it kind of hard to make up our minds to spare our girl all summer.
Mary's answers were still disappointingly vague. Before she could tell just what she meant to do, she said she must be sure, and she was not sure yet. A great deal would depend upon her Boston trip. They must be patient until she returned from that. So they were patient that is to say, Zoeth was really so and Captain Shadrach was as patient as it was his nature to be.
Word Of The Day