下载辰思小说免费APP
HowcouldItellherthatNate’sdeathwasthebestendthatcouldhavecometohim？ButIsaid：“Youknowyoudon’tthinkitwasyourfault。Youknowyouwoulddothesameagain。“Shelistenedtome，buthereyeshadnointerestinthem。“Heneverknewpain，“Ipursued，“andhedieddoingthethinghelikedbestintheworld。Hewashappyandenjoyinghimself，andyougavehimthat。It’sbadonlyforyou。Somewouldtalkreligion，butIcan’t。“
“Yes，“sheanswered，“Icanthinkofhimsogladtobefree。Thankyouforsayingthataboutreligion。Doyouthinkit’swickednottowantit——
tohateitsometimes？Ihopeit’snot。Thankyou，truly。“
Duringourjourneyshesummonedhercheerfulness，andallthatshesaidwaswholesome。Intherobust，coarsesoundnessofherfibre，thewoundsofgriefwouldhealandleavenosickness——perhapsnohighersensitivenesstohumansufferingsthanherbroadnativekindnessalreadyheld。Wetoucheduponreligionagain，andmyviewsshockedherKentuckynotions，forItoldherKentuckylockeditsreligioninanironcagecalledSunday，whichmadeitverysavageandfondofbitingstrangers。
NowandagainIwouldrunuponthatveinofdeep-seatedprejudicethatwasinhercharacterlikesomefinewire。Inshort，ourdisagreementsbroughtustotermsmorefamiliarthanwehadreachedhitherto。ButwhenatlastSeparcame，wherewasI？TherestoodMr。McLeanwaiting，andatthesuddennessofhimshehadnotimetorememberherself，butsteppedoutofthestagewithsuchasmilethattheardentcow-puncherflushedandbeamed。
“SoIwentawaywithouttellingyougoodbye!“hebegan，notwisely。“Mrs。
Piercehasbeencirculatingwartalkaboutme，youbet!“
ThemaideninJessaminespokeinstantly。“Indeed？Therewasnospecialobligationforyoutocallonme，orhertonoticeifyoudidn’t。“
“Oh!“saidLin，crestfallen。“Yu’suredon’tmeanthat？“
Shelookedathim，andwascompelledtomelt。“No，neighbor，Idon’tmeanit。“
“Neighbor!“heexclaimed；andagain，“Neighbor，“muchpleased。“Nowitwouldsoundkindo’pleasantifyou’dcallmethatforasteadything。“
“Itwouldsoundkindofodd，Mr。McLean，thankyou。“
“BlamedifIunderstandher，“criedLin。“BlamedifIdo。Butyou’regoingtounderstandmesurequick!“Herushedinsidethestation，spokesharplytotheagent，andreturnedinthesametremorofelationthathadpushedhimtoforwardnesswithhisgirl，andwithwhichheseemednearbursting。“I’vebeenherethreedaystomeetyou。There’saletter，andI
expectIknowwhat’sinit。Tuberclehasgotithere。“HetookitfromthelesshastyagentandthrustitinJessamine’shand。“Youneedn’ttofear。Pleaseopenit；it’sgoodnewsthistime，youbet!“HewatcheditinherhandastheboyofeightwatchesthestringofaChristmasparcelhewisheshisfatherwouldcutinsteadofsocarefullyuntie。“Openit，“
heurgedagain。“Keepingmewaitingthisway!“
“Whatintheworlddoesallthismean？“criedJessamine，stoppingshortatthefirstsentence。
“Read，“saidLin。
“You’vedonethis!“sheexclaimed。
“Read，read!“
Sosheread，withbigeyes。Itwasanofficialletteroftherailroad，writtenbythedivisionsuperintendentatEdgeford。IthopedMissBucknermightfeelliketakingthepositionofagentatSepar。Ifshewaswillingtoconsiderthis，wouldshestopoveratEdgeford，onherwayeast，andtalkwiththesuperintendent？IncasethedutiesweremorethanshehadbeenaccustomedtoontheLouisvilleandNashville，shecouldcontinueeastwiththelossofonlyaday。Thesuperintendentbelievedthesalarycouldbearrangedsatisfactorily。EnclosedpleasetofindanorderforafreeridetoEdgeford。
JessamineturnedherwonderingeyesonLin。“Youdiddothis，“sherepeated，butthistimewithextraordinaryquietness。
“Yes，“saidhe。“AndIamplumbproudofit。“
Shegavearichlaughofpleasureandamusement；alonglaugh，andstopped。“Didanybodyever!“shesaid。
“Wecancalleachotherneighborsnow，yu’see，“saidthecow-puncher。
“Ohno!ohno!“Jessaminedeclared
