samantha at saratoga-第57章

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n。　Josiah　Allen　looked　all　around　the　room；　and　down　on　the　grass；　as　if　trying　to　find　a　good　reasonable　excuse　a　layin'　round　loose　somewhere；　so's　he　could　get　holt　of　it。　〃You'd　better　go；〃　sez　I；　〃I　love　to　see　you　happy；　Josiah　Allen。〃　〃Yes；　you'd　better　go；〃　sez　the　man。　〃No！〃　sez　Josiah；　still　a　lookin'　round　for　a　excuse；　up　into　the　heavens　and　onto　the　horizon。　　And　at　last　his　face　kinder　brightenin'　up；　as　if　he　had　found　one：　〃No；　it　looks　so　kinder　cloudy；　I　guess　I　won't　go。　　I　think　we　shall　have　rain　between　now　and　night。〃　　And　so　we　said　no　more　on　the　subject　and　sot　out　homewards。　Ardelia　wrote　a　poem　on　the　occasion；　wrote　it　right　there；　with　rapidity　and　a　lead　pencil；　and　handed　it　to　me；　before　I　left　the　room。　　I　put　it　into　my　pocket　and　didn't　think　on　it；　for　some　days　afterwards。　That　night　after　we　got　home　from　the　Roller　Coaster；　I　felt　dretful　sort　a　down　hearted　about　Abram　Gee；　I　see　in　that　little　incident　of　the　day；　that　Bial；　although　I　couldn't　like　him；　yet　I　see　he　had　his　good　qualities；　I　see　how　truthful　he　wuz。　　And　although　I　love　truth　　I　fairly　worship　it　　yet　I　felt　that　if　things　wuz　as　he　said　they　wuz；　he　would　more'n　probable　get　Ardelia　Tutt；　for　I　know　the　power　of　Ambition　in　her；　and　I　felt　that　she　would　risk　the　chances　of　happiness；　for　the　name　of　bein'　a　Banker's　Bride。　So　I　sat　there　in　deep　gloom；　and　a　chocolate　colored　wrapper；　till　as　late　as　half　past　nine　o'clock　P。　M。　　And　I　felt　that　the　course　of　Abram's　love　wuz　not　runnin'　smooth。　　No；　I　felt　that　it　wuz　runnin'　in　a　dwindlin'　torrent　over　a　rocky　bed；　and　a　precipitus　one。　　And　I　felt　that　if　he　wuz　with　me　then　and　there；　if　we　didn't　mingle　our　tears　together　we　could　our　sithes；　for　I　sithed；　powerful　and　frequent。　Poor　short…sighted　creeter　that　I　wuz；　a　settin'　in　the　shadow；　when　the　sun　wuz　jest　a　gettin'　ready　to　shine　out　onto　Abram　and　reflect　off　onto　my　envious　heart。　　Even　at　that　very　time　the　hand　of　righteous　Retribution　had　slipped　its　sure　noose　over　Bial　Flamburg's　neck；　and　wuz　a　walkin'　him　away　from　Ardelia；　away　from　happiness　（oritory）。　At　that　very　hour；　half　past　nine　P。　M。；　Ardelia　Tutt　and　Abram　Gee　had　met　agin；　and　rosy　love　and　happiness　wuz　even　then　a　stringin'　roses　on　the　chain　that　wuz　to　bind　'em　together　forever。　The　way　on't　wuz：　It　bein'　early　when　Ardelia　got　here；　Bial　proposed　to　take　her　out　for　a　drive　and　she　consented。　　He　got　a　livery　horse；　and　buggy；　and　they　say　that　the　livery　man　knew　jest　what　sort　of　a　creeter　the　horse　wuz；　and　knew　it　wuz　liable　to　break　the　buggy　all　to　pieces　and　them　to；　and　he　let　'em　have　it　for　goin。'　　But　howsumever；　whether　that　is　so　or　not；　when　they　got　about　five　or　six　milds　from　Saratoga　the　horse　skeert　out　of　the　road；　and　throwed　'em　both　out。　It　wuz　a　bank　of　sand　that　skeert　it；　a　high　bank　that　wuz　piled　up　by　a　little　hovel　that　stood　by　the　side　of　the　road。　　The　ground　all　round　the　hut　wuz　too　poor　to　raise　anything　else　but　sand；　and　had　raised　sights　of　that。　A　man　and　woman；　dretful　shabby　lookin'；　wuz　a　standin'　by　the　door　of　the　hut；　and　the　man　had　a　shovel　in　his　hand；　and　had　been　a　loadin'　sand　into　a　awful　big　wheelbarrow　that　wuz　a　standin'　by　　seemin'ly　ready　to　carry　it　acrost　the　fields；　to　where　some　man　wuz　a　mixin'　some　motar；　to　lay　the　foundations　of　a　barn。　Wall；　the　old　man　stood　a　pantin'　by　the　side　of　the　wheelbarrow；　as　if　he　had　indeed　got　on　too　heavy　a　load。　　It　wuz　piled　up　high。　　The　horse　shied；　and　Ardelia　wuz　throwed　right　out　onto　the　bank　of　sand；　Bial　by　the　side　of　her。　　And　the　old　man　and　woman　came　a　runnin'　up；　and　callin'　out；　〃Bial；　my　son；　my　son；　are　you　wounded？〃　And　there　it　all　wuz。　　Ardelia　see　the　hull　on　it。　　The　Banker　wuz　before　her；　and　she　wuz　a　layin'　on　the　bank。　　And　the　banker　wuz　a　doin'　a　heavy　business；　if　anybody　doubted　it；　let　'em　take　holt　and　cart　a　load　on　it　acrost　the　fields。　Wall；　Ardelia　wuz　jarred　fearful；　in　her　heart；　her　ambition；　her　pride；　and　her　bones。　　And　as　the　horse　wuz　a　fleein'　far　away；　and　no　other　conveyance　could　be　found　to　transport　her　to　the　next　house　（Ardelia　wouldn't　go　into　his'n）；　and　night　wuz　approachin'　with　rapid　strides；　the　old　Banker　jest　unloaded　the　load　of　sand　（good　old　creeter；　he　would　have　to　load　it　all　over　agin）；　and　took　Ardelia　into　the　wheelbarrow；　and　wheeled　her　over　to　the　next　house　and　unloaded　her。　The　old　Banker　told　Ardelia　that　when　his　neighbor　got　home　he　would　take　her　back　to　Saratoga；　which　he　did。　　He　had　been　to　the　village　for　necessaries；　but　he　turned　right　round　and　carried　her　back　to　Mr。　Pixleyses。　　And　I　s'pose　Ardelia　paid　him；　mebby　as　high　as　75　cents。　　As　for　Bial；　he　tramped　off　into　the　house；　and　she　didn't　see　him　agin；　nor　didn't　want　to。　Wall；　I　s'pose　it　wuz　durin'　that　ride　on　the　wheelbarrow；　that　Ardelia's　ambition　quelled　to　softer　emotions。　　I　s'pose　so。　　She　never　owned　it　right　up　to　me；　but　I　s'pose　so。　Bial　Flamburg　hadn't　lied　a　word　to　her。　　In　all　her　agony　she　realized　that。　　But　she　had　built　a　high　towerin'　structure　of　ambition　on　what　he　said；　and　it　had　tottered。　　And　as　is　natural　in　times　of　danger；　the　heart　turns　instinctively　to　its　true　love；　she　thought　of　Abram　Gee；　she　wanted　him。　　And　as　if　in　answer　to　her　deep　and　lovin'　thought；　who　should　come　out　to　the　buggy　to　help　her　out　at　Mr。　Pixleyses　gate；　but　Abram　Gee？　　He　had　come　unexpected；　and　on　the　eight　o'clock　train；　and　wuz　there　waitin'　for　her。　If　Bial　Flamburg　had　been　with　her；　he　wouldn't　have　gone　a　nigh　the　buggy；　but　he　see　it　was　a　old　man；　and　he　rushed　out。　Ardelia　couldn't　walk　a　step　on　her　feet　（owin'　to　bein　shaken　up；　in　bones　and　feelin's）；　and　Abram　jest　took　her　in　his　strong　lovin'　arms　and　carried　her　into　the　house；　and　she　sort　a　clung　round　his　neck；　and　seemed　tickled　enough　to　see　him；　But　she　wuz　dretful　shook　up　and　agitated；　and　it　wuzn't　till　way　along　in　the　night　some　time；　that　she　wuz　able　to　write　a　poem　called；　〃a　lay　on　a　wheelbarrow；　or；　the　fallen　one。〃　Which　I　thought　when　I　read　it；　wuz　a　good　name　for　it；　for　truly　she　had　fell；　and　truly　she　had　lay　on　it。　　Howsumever；　Ardelia　wrote　that　jest　because　it　wuz　second　nater　to　write　poetry　on　every　identical　thing　she　ever　see　or　did。　She　wuz　glad　enough　to　get　rid　of　Bial　Flamburg；　and　glad　enough　to　go　back　to　her　old　love。　　Abram　wuz　too　manly　and　tender　to　say　a　word　to　Ardelia　that　night　on　the　subject　nearest　to　his　heart。　　No；　he　see　she　needed　rest。　　But　the　next　day；　when　they　wuz　alone　together；　I　s'pose　he　put　the　case　all　before　her。　　All　his　warm　burnin'　love　for　her；　all　his　jealousy；　and　his　wretchedness　while　she　wuz　a　waverin'　between　Banks　and　Bread；　how　his　heart　had　been　checked　by　the　thought　that　Bial　would　vault　over　him；　and　in　the　end　hold　him　at　a　discount。　Why；　I　s'pose　he　talked　powerful　and　melted　Ardelia's　soft　little　heart　till　it　wuz　like　the　softest　kind　of　dough　in　his　hands。　And　then　he　went　on　tenderly　to　say；　how　he　needed　her；　and　how　she　could　mould　him　to　her　will。　　I　s'pose　he　talked　well；　and　eloquent；　I　s'pose　so。　　Anyhow　she　accepted　him　right　there　in　full　faith　and　a　pink　and　white　cambric　dress。　And　they　came　over　and　told　me　about　it　in