Engineers -- Fiction; United States -- Fiction; Western stories; Young men -- Fiction
The automobile drew into the station with the train and Uncle Denny,
with Henderson, helped embark poor Sara on his last ride, while Jim put
Pen aboard the train. Pen followed Jim back onto the train platform. Jim
shook hands with her and stood on the lower step waiting for the train
to start. His face in the dawn light was very wistful. Suddenly Pen's
lips quivered. Just as the train began to move, "Jim!" she whispered.
And she leaned over and caught his face between her hands and kissed him
quickly on the lips. Then she slipped into the coach. Jim dropped off
the train and stood staring unseeingly at Uncle Denny and Henderson. A
to-hee sang its morning song from a nearby cactus:
"O yahee! O yahai!
Sweet as arrow weed in spring!"
"Put your hat on, me boy," said Uncle Denny, who had not seen the little
episode, "and come on." He led the way to the machine and climbed in
beside Jim. "Well, Still, she's gone!"
Jim turned and looked at his Uncle Denny. "She's not gone for long. When
I have finished the Project fight I shall go after her."
"Did she agree?" asked Uncle Denny eagerly.
"No," said Jim serenely. "She's in the frame of mind that's to be
expected after the life she's lived with Sara. She is afraid of
everything. After the election, I shall go to her. She and I have missed
enough of each other."
Dennis brought his fist down on his knee. "Then that's settled right,
thank God!" he said to the dawn at large.
The next day Mrs. Ames came up to the dam. She was inconsolable that she
had not been sent for, to help Pen and Mrs. Flynn's air of superiority
was not soothing. Uncle Denny took to Mrs. Ames at once.
"I've done nothing but gad for Mr. Manning, lately," she said.
"How are things going?" asked Mrs. Flynn. "Has Bill Evans got all the
money yet?"
"Eh? What's this?" exclaimed Uncle Denny.
"Mrs. Pen thought it would do a lot of good if we could get the
farmers' wives to working against Fleckenstein," said Jane. "I've been
calling on a lot of them. Bill Evans takes me in his auto."
"Who pays Bill?" asked Uncle Denny. "Ames?"
"He does not, though he honestly offered to," said Jane. "This is a
woman's job. Mrs. Flynn is paying for it. And don't you tell Mr.
Manning. So far he hasn't asked any questions. Oscar says he's too
worried over other things."
"Bless us!" cried Uncle Denny. "That won't do! You must let me
straighten it up."
Mrs. Flynn rapped on the table with the dripping mixing spoon with which
she had followed Jane in from the kitchen. "Michael Dennis! You will
not! What's me money for if it ain't for him? Ain't he all I've got in
the wide world and you grutch me that? God knows I never thought I'd
come to this to be told I couldn't do for him! If God lets me live to
spare my life I hope to spend every cent I've got back on the Boss."
Uncle Denny nodded. "All right! You're a good woman, Mrs. Flynn. How is
your campaign going, Mrs. Ames?"
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