That Printer of Udell's: A Story of the Middle WestWright, Harold Bell
General
That Printer of Udell's: A Story of the Middle West
Wright, Harold Bell
Christian fiction; Middle West -- Fiction; Printers -- Fiction; Young men -- Fiction
She was sitting at dinner, when Whitley entered the dining room with
two traveling men who seemed to be well acquainted with him. The trio,
laughing and talking boisterously, seated themselves at a table behind
her. Recognizing Whitley's voice, she lifted her eyes to a mirror
opposite, and to her horror, distinctly saw him point her out to his
friends.
Amy's dinner remained untasted, and hiding her confusion as best she
could, she rose to leave the room. As she passed the table where Whitley
and the men were eating, the two drummers looked at her in such a way
that the color rushed to her pale cheeks in a crimson flame. Later,
at the depot, she saw them again, and was sure, from Whitley's manner,
that he had been drinking.
Once more aboard the train, the girl gave herself up to troubled
thought. Worn out by the long journey under such trying circumstances,
and the lonely hours among strangers at the hotels, and now thoroughly
frightened at the possible outcome when they reached New York, the
poor child worried herself into such a state that when they left the
cars at Buffalo, Whitley became frightened, and in spite of her.
protests, registered at the hotel as her brother and called in a
physician.
The doctor at once insisted that she be removed to a boarding place,
where she could have perfect rest and quiet, and with his help, such
a place was found; Whitley, as her brother, making all arrangements.
For three weeks the poor girl lay between life and death, and strangely
enough, in her delirium, called not once for father or mother or
brother, but always for Dick, and always begged him to save her from
some great danger. Whitley was at the house every day, and procured
her every attention that money could buy. But when at last she began
to mend, something in her eyes as she looked at him, made him curse
beneath his breath.
Day after day she put him off when he urged marriage, saying "When we
get to New York." But at last the time came when she could offer no
excuse for longer delay, and in a few firm words she told him that she
could not keep her promise, telling him why and begging his forgiveness
if she wronged him.
Then the man's true nature showed itself and he cursed her for being
a fool; taunted her with using his money, and swore that he would force
her to come to him.
That afternoon, the landlady came to her room, and placing a letter
in her hand, asked, "Will you please be kind enough to explain that?"
Amy read the note, which informed the lady of the house that her boarder
was a woman of questionable character, and that the man who was paying
her bills was not her brother. With a sinking heart, Amy saw that the
writing was Jim Whitley's. Her face flushed painfully. "I did not know
that he was paying my bills," she said, slowly.
"Then it is true," exclaimed the woman. "He is not your brother?"
Amy was silent. She could find no words to explain.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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