Sentimental Tommy: The Story of His BoyhoodBarrie, J. M. (James Matthew)
History
Sentimental Tommy: The Story of His Boyhood
Barrie, J. M. (James Matthew)
London (England) -- History -- 19th century -- Fiction
So Tommy and Elspeth, holding each other's hands, took the short cut and
they came to the far end of Caddam, and Elspeth thought they had better
say it here before the cart came; but Tommy said he would walk back with
her through the wood as far as the Toom Well, and they could say it
there. They tried to say it at the Well, but--Elspeth was still with him
when he returned to the far corner of Caddam, where the cart was now
awaiting him. The carter was sitting on the shaft, and he told them he
was in no hurry, and what is more, he had the delicacy to turn his back
on them and struck his horse with the reins for looking round at the
sorrowful pair. They should have said it now, but first Tommy walked
back a little bit of the way with Elspeth, and then she came back with
him, and that was to be the last time, but he could not leave her, and
so, there they were in the wood, looking woefully at each other, and it
was not said yet.
They had said it now, and all was over; they were several paces apart.
Elspeth smiled, she had promised to smile because Tommy said it would
kill him if she was greeting at the very end. But what a smile it was!
Tommy whistled, he had promised to whistle to show that he was happy as
long as Elspeth could smile. She stood still, but he went on, turning
round every few yards to--to whistle. "Never forget, day nor night, what
I said to you," he called to her. "You're the only one I love, and I
care not a hair for Grizel."
But when he disappeared, shouting to her, "I'll find a wy, I'll find a
wy," she screamed and ran after him. He was already in the cart, and it
had started. He stood up in it and waved his hand to her, and she stood
on the dyke and waved to him, and thus they stood waving till a hollow
in the road swallowed cart and man and boy. Then Elspeth put her hands
to her eyes and went sobbing homeward.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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