Farm life -- Fiction; Farmers' spouses -- Fiction; Kansas -- Fiction; Married women -- Fiction; Psychological fiction
What she thought was never recorded in words, for Elizabeth was out of the
house like a flash, calling to John Hunter as she ran down the road after
him. It was a surprised John who took her message.
"Yes, I'll tell him, but I don't see what you want of that Swede--he
always seems to cut such a figure in everything you do," John said
discontentedly.
"Well, just tell him that ma sends the invitation, will you?" was all
Elizabeth could say.
It was John's first contemptuous remark about Luther, and it disturbed
her. They were to live closer to Luther Hansen than any other neighbour
and it was essential that they be on friendly terms. She had hoped it
might be that John would appreciate the good things in Luther which even
his nationality could not spoil. Dear old Luther! In spite of the
observation she had seemed to resent the night before, Elizabeth loved
him--loved him all the more because she had been obliged to hurt him. It
suddenly occurred to her that John might not deliver her message. She put
the thought away from her instantly, saying aloud:
"He'd do anything he knew I wanted him to do," and then was struck with
the doubtful tone in which it was said.
"What did you say?" her mother asked, for Elizabeth had just entered the
door.
"Nothing. I hate this wedding!"
"Well, now, I like that, after all I've done to give you a good time," the
mother said angrily.
"No, ma; you mean to give yourself a good time. You make me come home when
I don't want to, and you ask people I hate to have, and then you leave out
the people I want most. It isn't my wedding. I'm going to stand up and be
married so as to get rid of it all, but John won't have the minister I
want, you won't have the people I want, I'm most sure pa 'll kick up some
kind of a row about it--and--and I was so happy till you came and made me
consent to it. What did you do it for?"
"Do it for? You ungrateful child! What did I do it for? I'll tell you,"
Mrs. Farnshaw's eyes hardened into momentary coals of fire. "I did it
because I don't like your whole goings on. Minister? Why don't you say
preacher, like the rest of your folks? It's that Hornby woman. She made
you talk of divorces----" At thought of all her supposed wrongs at the
hand of Susan Hornby Mrs. Farnshaw broke into a half scream and ended by
throwing herself into a chair by her daughter's side and clinging to her
hand with her upturned face streaming over with tears, her mouth convulsed
with pain till speech was impossible.
Moved to repentance at the sight of the pang she had caused, Elizabeth
fell on her knees by her mother's side, and with her arms encircling her,
cried contritely:
"I didn't mean it, ma, really--that is, I didn't mean it that way. Don't
mind what I said. I do love you."
Mrs. Farnshaw clung to her, so shaken by sobs that she still could not
speak, and the penitent daughter soothed and comforted her with her own
heart breaking at the thoughtlessness of her speech.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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