Indiana -- Fiction; Orphans -- Fiction; People with disabilities -- Fiction; Swamps -- Fiction
“Yes,” said the Angel; “I am. But there is a good deal of it. I have to
put in your house and country, so that you will feel located.”
“Me house?” marveled Freckles.
“Of course,” said the Angel. “Your uncle says your grandmother left your
father her dower house and estate, because she knew his father would cut
him off. You get that, and all your share of your grandfather's property
besides. It is all set off for you and waiting. Lord O'More told me so.
I suspect you are richer than McLean, Freckles.”
She closed his fingers over the slip and straightened his hair.
“Now you are all right, dear Limberlost guard,” she said. “You go to
sleep and don't think of a thing but just pure joy, joy, joy! I'll keep
your people until you wake up. You are too tired to see anyone else just
now!”
Freckles caught her skirt as she turned from him.
“I'll go to sleep in five minutes,” he said, “if you will be doing just
one thing more for me. Send for your father! Oh, Angel, send for him
quick! How will I ever be waiting until he comes?”
One instant the Angel stood looking at him. The next a crimson wave
darkly stained her lovely face. Her chin began a spasmodic quivering and
the tears sprang into her eyes. Her hands caught at her chest as if she
were stifling. Freckles' grasp on her tightened until he drew her beside
him. He slipped his arm around her and drew her face to his pillow.
“Don't, Angel; for the love of mercy don't be doing that,” he implored.
“I can't be bearing it. Tell me. You must tell me.”
The Angel shook her head.
“That ain't fair, Angel,” said Freckles. “You made me tell you when it
was like tearing the heart raw from me breast. And you was for making
everything heaven--just heaven and nothing else for me. If I'm so much
more now than I was an hour ago, maybe I can be thinking of some way to
fix things. You will be telling me?” he coaxed, moving his cheek against
her hair.
The Angel's head moved in negation. Freckles did a moment of intent
thinking.
“Maybe I can be guessing,” he whispered. “Will you be giving me three
chances?”
There was the faintest possible assent.
“You didn't want me to be knowing me name,” guessed Freckles.
The Angel's head sprang from the pillow and her tear-stained face flamed
with outraged indignation.
“Why, I did too!” she cried angrily.
“One gone,” said Freckles calmly. “You didn't want me to have relatives,
a home, and money.”
“I did!” exclaimed the Angel. “Didn't I go myself, all alone, into the
city, and find them when I was afraid as death? I did too!”
“Two gone,” said Freckles. “You didn't want the beautifulest girl in the
world to be telling me.----”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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