Deficient Saints: A Tale of MaineSaunders, Marshall
General
Deficient Saints: A Tale of Maine
Saunders, Marshall
Maine -- Fiction
Justin took off his glasses and passed his handkerchief over his
troubled eyes. "I do not know, but I am sure he solemnly promised my
father that after his escapade here it would be an honest one. Knowing
his family's wealth, I have thought that possibly he might be receiving
money from them--"
"There is not a Gastonguay that would throw him a dime if he were
starving," she said, with disdain.
"But his daughter," said Justin, and his whole face glowed with such
sincerity of love that his companion turned her head away, "the
innocent, beautiful girl whom I married in haste, partly because my
whole soul was bound up in her, and partly because I wished to snatch
her while still young and docile from an environment that might at some
future day mean--"
"Disgrace," supplied Miss Gastonguay, when he hesitated, "bald, black,
nasty disgrace that you wish now to attach to my unspotted name,--or,"
she went on, irrelevantly, "is it the money you are after? We rich
people can see snares and pitfalls where you poor ones would not
suspect them. We are so beset and encompassed by sticky fingers that
would make some of our gold pieces adhere to them that we walk with
garments drawn gingerly aside. What looks to you a very pretty and
flattering appeal from youth to old age, may to me look no better than
one of the cunningly adjusted gins your Bible speaks of. I have the
honour to wish you good afternoon, young man," and she rose from her
seat and made him a low, old-fashioned courtesy.
Justin rose too, and respectfully prepared to open the door for her.
"May God bless you, Miss Gastonguay. My heart is lighter now that I
have committed my darling's interests to you,--you know that I am not
thinking solely of material interests. If I am cut off suddenly you
will see that a woman's love and tenderness are not wanting. And I have
a token for you from that brother. I will not offer it to you now, but
when you are ready to receive it, I have it here--" and he pointed
toward a safe in a corner.
Miss Gastonguay rushed by him and out of the bank like a flash, so that
even the clerks who were used to her odd ways followed her with a smile.
An hour later, when Justin had his key in the lock of the outer door,
she came back. Her face was calm now, and she spoke politely. "Give me
that token, or whatever it is. No, I will not go in your office. Go get
it, I will wait here," and she stepped inside the door.
Justin looking over his shoulder, to keep a watchful eye on the
entrance door, hastened to his room, unlocked his safe, withdrew a
small parcel and came back.
Miss Gastonguay tore off the folds of tissue-paper. There was nothing
but a little shoe inside,--a little shoe of white velvet ornamented
with gilt buttons.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account