Jonathan?"
she demanded. "Abel, have you heard anything about it?"
The men glanced at each other with uneasy eyes, while they worked
nervously at the shucking, for the question had been in the air from the
moment of Abel's entrance, though none of them had been bold enough
to speak it aloud. And now a woman, with characteristic feminine
recklessness, had uttered the thought which had been revolving in each
mind for ten minutes--yet nothing had happened!
Old Adam, pausing for the first time in his work, glanced with
ungrudging respect at the short, lumpy figure in the black calico dress.
Her face was still comely, and there was the mild mulishness in
her expression that is seen in the countenances of many amiable yet
obstinate persons.
"No, I haven't heard," replied Abel, and he added a moment later, "What
do they say?"
"Well, Mr. Halloween had it from a man in Applegate who had it from a
man in Petersburg who had it from a man in Richmond."
"Had what?"
"That Mr. Jonathan had been waitin' on her steady for some months, an'
'twas mo' likely than not to end in marriage. She's a good girl, is
Molly.
Pages:
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382