In the marsh she knew the Harvester was reaping queen-of-the-meadow,
and around the high borders, elecampane and burdock. She could hear his
voice in snatches of song or cheery whistle; notes that she divined
were intended to keep her from worrying. Intermingled with them came the
dog's bark of defiance as he digged for an escaping chipmunk, his note
of pleading when he wanted a root cut with the mattock, his cry of
discovery when he thought he had found something the Harvester would
like, or his yelp of warning when he scented danger. The Girl looked
down the drive to the lake and across at the hedge. Everywhere she saw
glowing colour, with intermittent blue sky and green leaves, all of it a
complete picture, from which nothing could be spared. She turned slowly
and looked toward the marsh, trying to hear the words of the song above
the ripple of Singing Water, and to see the form of the man. Slowly
she lifted her handkerchief and pressed it against her lips, as she
whispered in an awed voice,
“My gracious Heaven, is THAT the kind of a kiss he is expecting me to
give HIM? Why, I couldn't----not to save my life.”
She placed her brushes in water, set the colour box on the paper, and
went to the kitchen to prepare the noon lunch. As she worked the soft
colour deepened in her cheeks, a new light glowed in her eyes, and she
hummed over the tune that floated across the marsh. She was very busy
when the Harvester came, but he spoke casually of his morning's work,
ate heartily, and ordered her to take a nap while he washed roots and
filled the trays, and then they went to the woods together for the
afternoon.
In the evening they came home to the cabin and finished the day's
work. As the night was chilly, the Harvester heaped some bark in the
living-room fireplace, and lay on the rug before it, while the Girl sat
in an easy chair and watched him as he talked. He was telling her about
some wonderful combinations he was going to compound for different
ailments and he laughingly asked her if she wanted to be a millionaire's
wife and live in a palace.
“Of course I could if I wanted to!” she suggested.
“You could!” cried the Harvester. “All that is necessary is to combine
a few proper drugs in one great remedy and float it. That is easy! The
people will do the remainder.”
“You talk as if you believe that,” marvelled the Girl.
“Want it proven?” challenged the Harvester.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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