第23章

Afterallthat，whenItriedtotellLeonhowitfelt，hejustcriedlikeababy，andhewouldn’tlistentoaword，evenwhenhe’dwantedtoknowsobadly。HesaidifIhadn’tcomeback，he’dhavegonetothebarnandusedtheswingropeonhimself，soitwasagoodthingIdid，foronefuneralwouldhavecostenough，whenweneededmoneysobadly，nottomentionhowmotherwouldhavefelttohavetwoofusgoatonce，likeshehadbefore。Andanyway，itdidn’tamounttosoawfulmuch。Itwasprettybadatfirst，butitdidn’tlastlong，andthenextdaymyneckwasonlyalittleblueandstiff，andinthreedaysitwasallover，onlyaroughplacewheretheropegrainedtheskinasI

wentdown；butInevergottotellLeonhowitfelt；Ijustcouldn’ttalkhimintohearing，anditwasquiteinterestingtoo；

butstillIeasilysawwhythemaninthepaperwouldobjecttodyingtwice，topayforkillinganothermanonce。

Whentheappleswerepickedandthecabbage，beets，turnips，andpotatoeswereburied，somecorndriedinthegarretfornewmeal，pumpkinsputinthecellar，thefieldcornallhusked，andthebutcheringdone，fathersaidtheworkwasinsuchfineshape，withLaddietohelp，andtherewassomuchmorecornthanheneededforus，andthepricewassohigh，andtheturkeysdidsowell，andeverything，thathecouldpaybackwhatmotherhelpedhim，andhavequiteasumover。

ItwasThanksgivingbythattime，andallofWinfield’s，Lucy’s，SallyandPeter，andourboyscamehome。Wehadabigtime，allbutShelley；itwastooexpensiveforhertocomesofarforoneday，butmothersentheraboxwithawholeturkeyforherselfandherfriends；andcake，popcorn，nuts，andjusteverythingthatwasn’ttoodrippy。Shelleywrotesuchlovelylettersthatmothersavedthemandafterwehadeatenasmuchdinneraswecould，shereadthembeforeweleftthetable。

Ihadheardmostofthem，butIlikedtolistenagain，becausetheysoundedsohappy。YoucouldhearShelleylaughoneverypage。ShetoldabouthowPeter’scousinwaswaitingwhenthetrainstopped。Theycouldn’troomtogetherrightaway，buttheyweregoingtothefirstchancetheyhad。Shelleyfeltbadlybecausetheyweresofarapart，butshewasinaniceplace，whereshecouldgowithothergirlsoftheschooluntilshelearnedtheway。Shetoldaboutherroomandthewomansheboardedwithandwhatshehadtoeat；shewrotemothernottoworryaboutclothes，becausemostoftheotherswerefromthecountry，orsmalltowns，andgettingreadytoteach，andlotsofthemdidn’thaveNEARLYasmanyorasprettydressesasshedid。

Shetoldaboutthebigbuilding，theclasses，theprofessors，andofgoingtopublicrecitalswheresomeofthepupilswhoknewenoughplayed；andshewasworkingherfingersalmosttothebone，soshecouldnextyear。Shetoldofpeopleshemet，andhowoneoftheteacherstookanumberofgirlsinhisclasstoseeagreatpicturegallery。ShewrotepagesaboutayoungChicagolawyershemetthere，andonlyafewlinesaboutthepictures，sofathersaidasthatwasthebestcollectionofartworkinChicago，itwaseasyenoughtoseethatShelleyhadbeenfarmoreimpressedwiththemanthanshehadbeenwiththepictures。Mothersaidshedidn’tseehowhecouldsayathinglikethataboutthechild。Ofcourseshecouldn’ttellinaletterabouthundredsofpictures，butitwaseasyenoughtotellallaboutaman。

Fathergotsortofspunkyatthat，andhesaiditwasmightylittlethatmatteredmost，thatcouldbetoldaboutaChicagolawyer；andmotherhadbettercautionShelleytothinkmoreaboutherwork，andwritelessoftheman。Mothersaidthatwouldstopthechild’sconfidencescompletelyandshe’dthinkallthetimeabouttheman，andnevermentionhimagain，soshewouldn’tknowwhatWASgoingon。ShesaidshewasgladShelleyhadfoundpleasing，refinedfriends，andshe’dencourageherallshecouldincultivatingthem；butofcourseshe’dcautionhertobecareful，andshe’dtellherwhatthedangerwas，andafterthatShelleywroteandwrote。Motherdidn’talwaysreadtheletterstous，butsheansweredeveryoneshegotthatsamenight。

Sometimesshepushedthepensoshejabbedthepaper，andoftenshesmiledorlaughedsoftly。

IlikedThanksgiving。Wealwayshadahousefullofcompany，andtheydidn’tstayuntilweweretiredofthem，astheydidatChristmas，andtherewasasmuchtoeat；theonlydifferencewasthattherewerenopresents。Itwasn’tnearlysomuchworktofixforonedayasitwasforaweek；soitwasn’tsohardonmotherandCandace，andfatherdidn’thavetospendmuchmoney。

Wewerewearingallourclothesfromlastfallthatwecould，andourcoatsfromlastwintertohelpout，butwedidn’tcare。Wehadalotoffun，andwewantedSallyandShelleytohavefinedresses，becausetheywereinbigcitieswheretheyneededthem，andindueseason，nodoubt，wewouldhavemuchmorethanthey，because，asMayfiguredit，therewouldbeonlyafewofusbythattime，sowecouldhavemoretospend。Thatlookedsensible，andIthoughtitwouldbethatway，too。Weweretalkingitovercomingfromschooloneevening，andwhenwehadsettl

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