Heimweh; The siren; The loaded gun; Liebereich; "Iupiter Tonans;" "Sis;" Thor's emerald; GuileLong, John Luther
General
Heimweh; The siren; The loaded gun; Liebereich; "Iupiter Tonans;" "Sis;" Thor's emerald; Guile
Long, John Luther
American fiction -- 20th century; Short stories, American
After a week of unrest, which he blamed upon the dulness of the practice
of medicine, he remembered the roll of music which she had carried under
her arm, and since it happened to be the same day of the week, to give
nepenthe to his dulness he took the train down town which they had both
taken that other day. She was there, and he fitted himself into the seat
at her side with the utmost assurance of a welcome. She bubbled with
laughter.
“Suppose I had told thee it was taken?”
“Impossible—for you,” he laughed.
“Why?”
“You are a Quaker, and Quakers always tell the truth.”
“I do not,” she said.
“It was really the only vacant seat in the car.”
“I am glad,” she laughed, and knew that there were many others, “that
thee does not.”
“Oh! Glad?” But he was not sure. “Then that is not the truth, I
suppose?”
“If there had been another seat, thee would have taken it.”
“More prevarication!” he laughed.
“Wouldn’t thee?”
“No,” he said. “If you knew what a villain I am, you would shun me—”
“I have not been permitted to shun thee,” she interrupted.
He persisted.
“I deliberately selected this day and this train to go down town because
I knew that you would be on it. Now, then, what is my punishment?”
“I thank thee.”
“What?”
Though it was all persiflage, he could not believe his ears.
She went on gravely, now, in quite a Quakerish fashion:
“I have desired to thank thee for thy assistance to me a week ago
to-day. There is no telling where such injuries may end if they do not
receive prompt attention at the beginning. On that day—I was so—so—full
of pain—that I forgot to thank thee. Now, at last, I do. It was very
thoughtless, and I have looked for thee every day with the purpose of
thanking thee—I had even thought of writing thee a note.”
Rem laughed with real embarrassment—a new emotion to him.
“I don’t believe that I am awake,” he said.
She turned her head away, and the long bonnet hid her face from him.
“The pain was so great that I forgot—”
In reaching for something—perhaps a handkerchief—Rem did not know where
such a thing might be concealed in such a toilette—her hand came in
contact with his, and his pounced upon it instinctively. For a moment it
struggled and then was regretfully released.
“The pain was—so great—” she was repeating dreamily, and Rem could see a
part of one cheek now. It bloomed with the very roses of June.
“The—pain—was—so—great—”
“There was no pain,” laughed brutal John Rem. “And it couldn’t have hurt
after the first minute.”
She suddenly faced him, and he was altogether bewildered by the smiling
happiness in her eyes.
“Then I thank thee for that. It is much better to be thankful that there
was no hurt—than that there was—does thee not think so?”
He did.
And he followed that wandering, fluttering, little hand until it again
came under the dominion of his, and was again—a trifle more slowly
now—withdrawn.
“My hand is not hurt,” she said.
“Heavens! I believe my heart is,” he laughed.
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