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Updated: June 5, 2025
Old Conboy, tall as Mark Hammar, wide-shouldered, shambling like a bear, but a fine figure of an old fellow for all that; Mark Hammar, heavy and splendid in his sinister fashion; and between them Deolda with her big, red mouth and her sallow skin and her eyes burning as they did when she was excited.
Deolda got up and began padding up and down the floor, back and forth, like a soul in torment. About ten o'clock old Conboy came in. "I got the license, Deolda," he said. "All right," said Deolda, "all right go away." And she kept on padding up and down the room like a leopard in a cage. Conboy beckoned my aunt out into the entry. I followed. "What ails her?" he asked.
So I just thought I'd come and run in on Deolda before I left, seeing as I'm going to marry her when I get back." Johnny Deutra undid his long length from the chair. He was a tall, heavy boy, making up in looks for what he lacked in head. He came and stood over Mark Hammar. He said: "I've had enough of this. I've had just enough of you two hanging around Deolda.
He's not got enough to marry; any girl who married him would have to live with the old folks. Look where you're going, Deolda." There was silence, and I heard their footsteps going to their rooms. The next day Deolda went to walk, and back she came, old Conboy driving her in his motor. Old Conboy was rich; he had one of the first motors on the Cape, when cars were still a wonder.
It was a strange thing to see Deolda after having known her as I did. There she was, with her delight of life all changed into youngsters and fat. There she was, heavy as a monument, and the devil in her divided among her children though Deolda had plenty of devil to divide. My first thought was: "Here's the end of romance.
"I'll meet you down at the wharf, Johnny, in a half hour. I'll leave you to say good-by to Deolda." They went out, the wind blowing the door shut behind them. Deolda got up and so did Johnny. They stood facing each other in the queer yellow light of the coming storm. They didn't notice my aunt or me. "You going?" asked Deolda.
They looked into each other's eyes, and he answered so I could barely hear: "Sure." "You know what he's thinking about?" said Deolda. Again Johnny waited before he answered in a voice hardly above a whisper: "I can guess." Deolda went up slowly to him and put one of her long hands on each of his shoulders. She looked deep into his eyes. She didn't speak; she just looked.
You know that crew couldn't have made port in fair weather together. The strongest man won that's all!" "Then you believe " my aunt began. "Hush!" he said, and put his hand over her mouth. Then he laughed suddenly and slapped his thigh. "God!" he said. "Deolda Can you beat her? She's got luck by gorry, she's got luck! You got a pen and ink?" "What for?" said my aunt.
Then suddenly she flung her arms around my aunt and kissed her. "Oh," she cried, "kiss me, Auntie, kiss me! He's not dead, my Johnny not dead!" "Go up to your room, Deolda," said my aunt, "and rest." She patted her shoulder just as though she were a little girl, for all the thoughts that were crawling around our hearts. When later in the day Conboy came, "Where's Deolda?" he asked.
"I guess she thinks she sent Johnny Deutra to his grave," said my aunt. Conboy peered in the door at Deolda. Her face looked like a yellow mask of death with her black hair hanging around her. "God!" he said, in a whisper. "She cares!" I don't believe it had dawned on him before that she was anything but a wild devil. All that day the Anita wasn't heard from.
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