Phoebe Deane (Romance Classic). Grace Livingston Hill

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СКАЧАТЬ baby was just dropping asleep and roused of course at Alma's boisterous tone. Phoebe nodded, and shoved the child from the room, keeping the cradle going all the time. The naughty little girl delighted to have authority behind her evil doing, and called loudly:

      " Well, ma wants you RIGHT OFF, so, and I don't care!" as she thumped down stairs with her copper-toed shoes.

      The baby gave a crow of glee and arose to the occasion in his cradle, but Phoebe resolutely disregarded the call below, and went on rocking until the little restless head was still on its pillow again. Then she stole softly down to the sitting room, her eyes blinded by the darkness where she had been sitting, and explained quietly as she entered the room, " I couldn't come sooner. Alma woke the baby again."

      Hiram, quite mollified by the gentle tone of explanation, arose, blandly answering: "Oh, that's all right. I'm glad to see you now you're here," and went forward with the evident intention of taking both her hands in his.

      Phoebe rubbed her blinded eyes and looked up in horror! Knowing Alma stood behind the crack of the door and watched it all with wicked joy.

      " I beg your pardon, Mr. Green, I thought Emmeline was in here. She sent for me. Excuse me, I must find her."

      " Oh, that's all right!" said Hiram, easily, putting out his hand and shutting the door sharply in Alma's impudent face, thereby almost pinching her inquisitive nose in the crack. " She don't expect you, Emmeline don't. She sent for you to see me. I asked her could I see you alone. She understands all about us, Emmeline does. She won't come in here for a while. She knows I want to talk to you."

      Cold chills crept down Phoebe’s nerves and froze her heart and finger-tips. Had the horror returned upon her with redoubled vigor, and with her family behind it? Where was Albert? Would he not help her? Then she realized that she must help herself and at once, for it was evident that Hiram Green meant to press his suit energetically. He was coming towards her with his hateful, confident smile. He stood between her and the door of retreat. Besides, what good would it do to run away? She had tried that once and it did not work. She must speak to him decidedly and end the matter. She summoned all her dignity and courage and backed over to the other side of the room, where a single chair stood.

      " Won't you sit down, Mr. Green ? " she said, trying to get the tremble out of her voice.

      " Why, yes, I will; let's sit right here together," he said, sitting down at one end of the couch and making room for her. " Come, you sit here beside me, Phoebe, and then we can talk better. It's more sociable."

      Phoebe sat down on the chair opposite him.

      " I would rather sit here, Mr. Green," she said.

      " Well, of course, if you'd rather," he said, reluctantly, " but it seems to be kind of onsociable. And say, Phoebe, I wish you wouldn't ' mister' me any more. Can't you call me Hiram ? "

      "I would rather not."

      " Say, Phoebe, that sounds real unfriendly," blamed Hiram, in a tone which suggested he would not be trifled with much longer.

      " Did you wish to speak to me, Mr. Green ? " said Phoebe, her clear eyes looking at him steadily over the candle-light, with the bearing of a queen.

      " Well, yes," he said, straightening up, and hitching a chair around to the side nearer to her. "I thought we better talk that matter over a little that I was mentioning to you several nights ago."

      " I don't think that is necessary, Mr. Green," answered Phoebe, quickly; " I thought I made you understand that that was impossible."

      " Oh, I didn't take account of what you said that night," said Hiram. " I saw you was sort of upset, not expecting me out there in the dark, so I thought I better come round again after you had plenty chance to think over what I said."

      " I couldn't say anything different if I thought over it a thousand years," declared Phoebe, with characteristic emphasis. Hiram Green was not thin-skinned, and did not need saving. It was just as well to tell the truth and be done with it.

      But the fellow was in no wise daunted. He rather admired Phoebe the more for her vehemence, for here was a prize that promised to be worth his winning. For the first time as he looked at her he felt his blood stir with a sense of pleasure such as one feels in a well matched race, where one is yet sure of winning.

      " Aw, git out! " scouted Hiram, pleasantly. " That ain't the way to talk. Course you're young yet, and ain't had much experience, but you certainly had time enough to consider the matter all this year I been comin' to see you."

      Phoebe arose with two red spots burning on her cheeks.

      " Coming to see me! " she gasped. " You didn't come to see me! "

      " Aw, git out now, Phoebe. You needn't pretend you didn't know I was comin' to see you. Who did you s'pose I was comin' to see, then ? "

      " I supposed of course you were coming to see Albert," said Phoebe, her voice settling into that deep calm that betokened she was overwhelmed.

      "Albert! You s'posed I was comin' to see Albert every night! Aw, yes, you did a whole lot! Phoebe, you're a sly one. You must of thought I was gettin' fond of Albert! "

      " I did not think anything about it," said Phoebe, haughtily, " and you may be sure, Mr. Green, if I had dreamed of such a thing I would have told you it was useless."

      There was something in her tone and manner that ruffled the self-assurance of Hiram Green. Up to this minute he had persuaded himself that Phoebe was but acting the part of a coy and modest maiden who wished to pretend that she never dreamed that he was courting her. Now a suspicion began to glimmer in his consciousness that perhaps, after all, she was honest, and had not suspected his attentions. Could it be possible that she did not care for them, and really wished to dismiss him? Hiram could not credit such a thought. Yet as he looked at the firm set of her lips he was bewildered.

      " What on the earth makes you keep sayin' that ?" he asked, in an irritated tone. " What's your reason for not wantin' to marry me ? "

      " There are so many reasons that I wouldn't know where to begin," answered the girl, shortly.

      Hiram gave his shoulders a little shake, as if to rouse himself. Had he heard her words aright?

      " What reasons ? " he growled, frowning. He began to feel that Phoebe was trifling with him. He would make her understand that he would not endure much of that.

      Phoebe looked troubled. She wished he would not insist on further talk, but she was too honest and too angry not to tell the exact truth.

      " The first and greatest reason of all is that I do not love you, and never could," she said, vehemently, looking him straight in the eyes.

      " Shucks!" said Hiram, laughing. " I don't mind that a mite. In fact, I think it's an advantage. Folks mostly get over it when they do feel that sentimental kind of way. It don't last but a few weeks, anyhow, and it's better to begin on a practical basis I think. That was the trouble with Annie, she was so blamed sentimental she hadn't time to get dinner. I think you an' I'd get along much better. You're practical and a good worker. We could make things real prosperous over to the farm——"

      Phoebe arose quickly and interrupted him.

      " Mr. Green, you must please stop talking this way. It is horrible! I don't want to listen to any more СКАЧАТЬ