“Small black hat, very plain. Gray jacket and skirt, neat as a flower.”
“What you'd call expensively dressed?”
The Harvester hesitated.
“What I'd call carefully dressed, but----but poverty poor, if you will
have it, Doc.”
Doctor Carey's lips closed and then opened in sudden resolution.
“David, I don't like it,” he said tersely.
The Harvester met his eye and purposely misunderstood him.
“Neither do I!” he exclaimed. “I hate it! There is something wrong with
the whole world when a woman having a face full of purity, intellect,
and refinement of extreme type glances around her like a hunted thing;
when her appearance seems to indicate that she has starved her body to
clothe it. I know what is in your mind, Doc, but if I were you I
wouldn't put it into words, and I wouldn't even THINK it. Has it been
your experience in this world that women not fit to know skimp their
bodies to cover them? Does a girl of light character and little brain
have the hardihood to advance a foot covered with a broken shoe? If I
could tell you that she rode in a Pullman, and wore exquisite clothing,
you would be doing something. The other side of the picture shuts you up
like a clam, and makes you appear shocked. Let me tell you this: No
other woman I ever saw anywhere on God's footstool had a face of more
delicate refinement, eyes of purer intelligence. I am of the woods, and
while they don't teach me how to shine in society, they do instil always
and forever the fineness of nature and her ways. I have her lessons so
well learned they help me more than anything else to discern the
qualities of human nature. If you are my friend, and have any faith at
all in my common sense, get up and do something!”
The doctor arose promptly.
“David, I'm an ass,” he said. “Unusually lop-eared, and blind in the
bargain. But before I ask you to forgive me, I want you to remember two
things: First, she did not visit me in my dreams; and, second, I did not
see her in reality. I had nothing to judge from except what you
said: you seemed reluctant to tell me, and what you did say
was----was----disturbing to a friend of yours. I have not the slightest
doubt if I had seen her I would agree with you. We seldom disagree,
David. Now, will you forgive me?”
The Harvester suddenly faced a window. When at last he turned, “The
offence lies with me,” he said, “I was hasty. Are you going to help me?”
“With all my heart! Go home and work until your head clears, then come
back in the morning. She did not come from Chicago for a day. You've
done all I know to do at present.”
“Thank you,” said the Harvester.
He went to Betsy and Belshazzar, and slowly drove up and down the
streets until Betsy protested and calmly turned homeward. The Harvester
smiled ruefully as he allowed her to proceed.
“Go slow and take it easy,” he said as they reached the country. “I want
to think.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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