He handed Stuart the order with a hearty2 laugh.
"It's all right, my boy. I've been young myself. Good luck."Stuart's laughter rang clear and hearty.
"Thank you, Colonel. You had me scared."He had just turned to leave the room when a messenger handed Sumner atelegram.
Stuart paused to hear the message.
"Bad news, Lieutenant3.""What, sir?""An attack has been made on the Southern settlement on thePottawattomie.""A drunken fight--""No. Wilkinson, the member of the Legislature from Miami County, wastaken from his house in the night and murdered.""The story's a fake," Stuart ventured.
"The man who sent this message doesn't make such mistakes."He paused and studied the telegram.
"No. This means the beginning of a blood feud4. The time's ripe for it.""We'll have better news to-morrow," Stuart hoped.
"We'll have worse. I've been looking for something like this since theday I heard old Brown harangue5 a mob at Lawrence."He stopped short.
"You'll have to give me back that order, my boy."Stuart's face fell.
"Colonel, I've just got to see that girl, if it's only for a day--"He slowly handed the order back to the Commandant. Sumner watched thered blood mount to Stuart's face with a look of sympathy.
"Is it as bad as that, boy?""It couldn't be worse, sir," Stuart admitted in low tones. "I'm agoner.""All right. You've no time to lose, I'll give you three days--""Thank you!""This regiment6 will be on the march before a week has passed or I missmy guess.""I'll be here, sir!" was the quick response.
Stuart grasped the leave of absence and hurried out before anothermessenger could arrive.
He reached Fort Riley the following day and had but twenty-four hours inwhich to crowd the most important event of his life.
He paced the floor in Colonel Cooke's reception room awaiting Flora7'sappearance with eager impatience8. What on earth could be keeping her? Heasked himself the question fifty times and looked at his watch a dozentimes before he heard the rustle9 of organdy on the stairs.
A vision of radiant youth! She had taken time to make her beauty stillmore radiant with the daintiest touches to her blonde hair.
The simple dress she wore was a poem. The young cavalier was stunnedanew. There was no doubt about the welcome in her smile and voice. Itthrilled him to his fingertips. He held her hand until she drew it awaywith a little self-conscious laugh that was confusing to Stuart's planof direct action.
There was a touch of the Southern girl's conscious poise10 and coquetry inthe laugh. There was something aloof11 in it that meant trouble. He feltit with positive terror. He didn't have time to fence for position. Hewas in no mood for a flirtation12. He had come to speak the deep things.
She led him to a seat with an air of dignity and reserve that alarmedhim still more. He had taken too much for granted perhaps. There mightbe another man. Conceited13 fool! He hadn't thought it possible. Hermanner had been so frank, so utterly14 sincere.
She sat by his side smiling at him in the bewitching way so many prettygirls had done before, when they merely wished to play with love.
He spoke15 in commonplaces and studied her with increasing panic. Hertactics baffled him. Until at last he believed he had solved the riddle16!
She had suddenly waked to the fact, as he had, that she had met herfate. She was drawing back for a moment in fright at the seriousness ofsurrender.
"Yes, that's it!" he murmured half aloud.
"What did you say?" she asked archly.
And his heart sank again. She asked the question with a tone of teasingthat made him blush in spite of himself.
With sudden resolution he decided17 to make the plunge18. He seized herhand and spoke with a queer hitch19 of awkwardness in his voice.
"Miss Flora, I've just twenty-four hours to be here. Every one of themis precious. I want to make them count. Don't you know that I love you?"The little mouth twitched20 with a smile.
"I've heard that you're very fickle21, Mr. Jeb Stuart. Isn't this allvery, very sudden, to be so serious?"She was still smiling and her eyes were twinkling, but her hand wasnot trembling. She was complete mistress of her emotions.
Stuart felt his heart pounding. He couldn't keep his hand fromtrembling, nor his voice from quivering slightly.
"I know I've been a little quick on the trigger, Miss Flora. But itcame to me in a flash, the moment I saw you. I've had a good time withpretty girls--yes. But I never felt that way when I met one of theothers. And now I'm stammering22 and trembling and I don't know how totalk to you. I can't rattle23 on like I've done so many times.
You--you've got me, dear honey girl, for life, if you wantme--please--be good to me."She laughed a joyous24, girlish peal25 that disconcerted him completely.
"My daddy's been warning me against you, sir!"Stuart suddenly caught a note in her laughter that gave him courage.
She was not laughing at him but with him.
"He did not," he protested solemnly. "Colonel Cooke was just as niceto me as he could be--""Certainly. He's an Old Virginia gentleman. Behind your back he toldme confidentially26 what he thought of you.""All right. I dare you to cross your heart and tell me what he said.""Dare me?""Dee double dare you.""He said that you're a sad product of Sir Walter Scott's novels, asinging, rollicking, flirting27, lazy young cavalier.""Didn't say lazy.""No.""I thought not.""I added that for good measure.""I thought so.""And he warned me that there might be a streak28 of the old Stuart purpleblood in your veins29 that might make you silly for life--""Didn't say silly.""No, I added that, too."Stuart again seized the hand she had deftly30 withdrawn31. He pressed ittenderly and sought the depths of her blue eyes.
"Ah, honey girl," he cried passionately32, "don't tease me any more,please! I've got to leave you in a few hours. My regiment is going tomarch. It may be a serious business. You're a brave soldier's daughterand you're going to be a soldier's bride."The girl's lips quivered for the first time and her voice trembled theslightest bit as she fought for self-control.
"I'll never marry a soldier.""You will!""My daddy's never at home. I promised my mother never to look at asoldier.""You're looking at me, dear heart!"She turned quickly.
"I won't--"Stuart drew her suddenly into his arms and kissed her.
"I love you, Flora! And you're mine."She looked into his eyes, smiled, slipped both arms around his neck andkissed him.
"And I love you, my foolish, singing, laughing boy!""Always?""Always.""And you'll marry me?""You couldn't get away from me if you tried."She drew him down and kissed him again.
"The shadow will always be in my heart, dear soldier man. The shadow ofthe day I shall lose you! But it's life. I'll face it with a smile."Through the long, sweet hours of the day and deep into the night theyheld each other's hand, and talked and laughed and dreamed and planned.
What mattered the shadow that was slowly moving across the sunlit earth?
It _was_ the morning of life!
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收听单词发音
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1
gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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2
hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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3
lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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4
feud
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| n.长期不和；世仇；v.长期争斗；世代结仇 | |
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5
harangue
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| n.慷慨冗长的训话，言辞激烈的讲话 | |
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regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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7
flora
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| n.(某一地区的)植物群 | |
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8
impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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9
rustle
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| v.沙沙作响；偷盗(牛、马等)；n.沙沙声声 | |
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10
poise
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| vt./vi. 平衡，保持平衡；n.泰然自若，自信 | |
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11
aloof
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| adj.远离的；冷淡的，漠不关心的 | |
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flirtation
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| n.调情，调戏，挑逗 | |
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13
conceited
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| adj.自负的，骄傲自满的 | |
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14
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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15
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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16
riddle
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| n.谜，谜语，粗筛；vt.解谜，给…出谜，筛，检查，鉴定，非难，充满于；vi.出谜 | |
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17
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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18
plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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19
hitch
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| v.免费搭(车旅行)；系住；急提；n.故障；急拉 | |
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20
twitched
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| vt.& vi.（使）抽动，（使）颤动（twitch的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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21
fickle
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| adj.(爱情或友谊上)易变的，不坚定的 | |
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stammering
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的现在分词 ) | |
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23
rattle
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| v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓 | |
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24
joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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peal
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| n.钟声；v.鸣响 | |
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26
confidentially
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| ad.秘密地，悄悄地 | |
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flirting
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| v.调情，打情骂俏( flirt的现在分词 ) | |
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28
streak
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| n.条理，斑纹，倾向，少许，痕迹；v.加条纹，变成条纹，奔驰，快速移动 | |
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29
veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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30
deftly
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| adv.灵巧地，熟练地，敏捷地 | |
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31
withdrawn
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| vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出 | |
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32
passionately
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| ad.热烈地，激烈地 | |
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