She placed the little gold frame on her bureau, sat down before it and poured out her heart in silly speeches of love, pausing to laugh and kiss the glass that saved the miniature from ruin. The portrait was an exquisite1 work of art on ivory which the father had commisioned a painter in New York to do in celebration of Tom's coming of age. The artist had caught the boy's spirit in the tender smile that played about his lips and lingered in the corners of his blue eyes, the same eyes and lips in line and color in the dainty little mother's portrait over the mantel.
"Oh, you big, handsome, brave, glorious boy!" she cried in ecstasy2. "My sweetheart--so generous, so clean, so strong, so free in soul! I love you--I love you--I love you!"
She fell asleep at last with the oval frame clasped tight in one hand thrust under her pillow. A sound sleep was impossible, the busy brain was too active. Again and again she waked with a start, thinking she had heard his swift footfall on the stoop.
[Pg 341]
At daybreak she leaped to her feet and found herself in the middle of the room laughing when she came to herself, the precious picture still clasped in her hand.
"Oh, foolish heart, wake up!" she cried with another laugh. "It's dawn, and my lover is coming! It's his day! No more sleep—it's too wonderful! I'm going to count every hour until I hear his step—every minute of every hour, foolish heart!"
She looked out the window and it was raining. The overhanging boughs3 of the oaks were dripping on the tin roof of the bay window in which she was standing4. She had dreamed of a wonderful sunrise this morning. But it didn't matter—the rain didn't matter. The slow, familiar dropping on the roof suggested the nearness of her lover. They would sit in some shadowy corner hand in hand and love all the more tenderly. The raindrops were the drum beat of a band playing the march that was bringing him nearer with each throb5. The mocking-bird that had often waked her with his song was silent, hovering6 somewhere in a tree beneath the thick leaves. She had expected him to call her to-day with the sweetest lyric7 he had ever sung. Somehow it didn't matter. Her soul was singing the song that makes all other music dumb.
"My love is coming!" she murmured joyfully8. "My love is coming!"
And then she stood for an hour in brooding, happy silence and watched the ghost-like trees come slowly out of the mists. To her shining eyes there were no mists. The gray film that hung over the waking world was a bridal veil hiding the blushing face of the earth from[Pg 342] the sun-god lover who was on his way over the hills to clasp her in his burning arms!
For the first time in her memory she was supremely9 happy.
Every throb of pain that belonged to the past was lost in the sea of joy on which her soul had set sail. In the glory of his love pain was only another name for joy. All she had suffered was but the preparation for this supreme10 good. It was all the more wonderful, this fairy world into which she had entered, because the shadows had been so deep in her lonely childhood.
There really hadn't been any past! She couldn't remember the time she had not known and loved Tom. Love filled the universe, past, present and future. There was no task too hard for her hands, no danger she was not ready to meet. The hungry heart had found its own.
Through the long hours of the day she waited without impatience11. Each tick of the tiny clock on the mantel brought him nearer. The hands couldn't turn back! She watched them with a smile as she sat in the gathering12 twilight13.
She had placed the miniature back in its place and sat where her eye caught the smile from his lips when she lifted her head from the embroidery14 on her lap.
The band was playing a stirring strain in the Square. She could hear the tumult15 and the shouts of the crowds about the speaker's stand as they read the bulletins of the election. The darkness couldn't hold him many more minutes.
She rose with a soft laugh and turned on the lights, walked to the window, looked out and listened to the roar of the cheering when Norton made his appearance.[Pg 343] The band struck up another stirring piece. Yes, it was "Hail to the Chief!" He had come.
She counted the minutes it would take for him to elude16 his father and reach the house. She pictured the smile on his face as he threaded his way through the throng17 and started to her on swift feet. She could see him coming with the long, quick stride he had inherited from his father.
She turned back into the room exclaiming:
"Oh, foolish heart, be still!"
She seated herself again and waited patiently, a smile about the corners of her lips and another playing hide and seek in the depths of her expressive18 eyes.
Tom had entered the house unobserved by any one and softly tipped into the library from the door directly behind her. He paused, removed his hat, dropped it silently into a chair and stood looking at the graceful19, beautiful form bending over her work. The picture of this waiting figure he had seen in his day-dreams a thousand times and yet it was so sweet and wonderful he had to stop and drink in the glory of it for a moment.
A joyous20 laugh was bubbling in his heart as he tipped softly over the thick yielding rug and slipped his hands over her eyes. His voice was the gentlest whisper:
"Guess?"
The white figure slowly rose and her words came in little ripples21 of gasping22 laughter as she turned and lifted her arms:
"It's—it's—Tom!"
With a smothered23 cry she was on his breast. He held her long and close without a word. His voice had a queer hitch24 in it as he murmured:[Pg 344]
"Helen—my darling!"
"Oh, I thought you'd never come!" she sighed, looking up through her tears.
Tom held her off and gazed into her eyes:
"It's been a century since I've seen you! I did my level best when we got into these nearby counties again, but I couldn't shake Dad once this week. He watched me like a hawk25 and insisted on staying out of town till the very last hour of the election to-day. Did old Andy find out I slipped in last week?"
"No!" she laughed.
"Did Cleo find it out?"
"No."
"You're sure Cleo didn't find out?"
"Sure—but Aunt Minerva did."
"Oh, I'm not afraid of her—kiss me!"
With a glad cry their lips met.
He held her off.
"I'm not afraid of anything!"
With an answering laugh, she kissed him again.
"I'm not afraid of Dad!" he said in tones of mock tragedy. "Once more!"
She gently disengaged herself, asking:
"How did you get away from him so quickly?"
"Oh, he's making a speech to the crowd in the Square proclaiming victory and so"—his voice fell to a whisper—"I flew to celebrate mine!"
"Won't he miss you?"
"Not while he's talking. Dad enjoys an eloquent26 speech—especially one of his own——"
He stopped abruptly27, took a step toward her and cried:
"Say! Do you know what the Governor of North[Pg 345] Carolina said once upon a time to the Governor of South Carolina?"
Helen laughed:
"What?"
He opened his arms:
"'It strikes me,' said he, 'that it's a long time between drinks!'"
Again her arms flashed around his neck.
"Did you miss me?"
"Dreadfully!" she sighed. "But I've been happy—happy in your love—oh, so happy, dearest!"
"Well, if Dad wins this election to-night," he said with a boyish smile, "I'm going to tell him. Now's the time—no more slipping and sliding!"—he paused, rushed to the window and looked out—"come, the clouds have lifted and the moon is rising. Our old seat among the roses is waiting."
With a look of utter happiness she slipped her arm in his and they strolled across the lawn.
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收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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2
ecstasy
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| n.狂喜，心醉神怡，入迷 | |
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3
boughs
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| 大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
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4
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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5
throb
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| v.震颤，颤动；(急速强烈地)跳动，搏动 | |
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6
hovering
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| 鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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7
lyric
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| n.抒情诗，歌词；adj.抒情的 | |
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8
joyfully
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| adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地 | |
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9
supremely
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| adv.无上地，崇高地 | |
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10
supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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11
impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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12
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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13
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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14
embroidery
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| n.绣花，刺绣；绣制品 | |
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15
tumult
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| n.喧哗；激动，混乱；吵闹 | |
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16
elude
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| v.躲避，困惑 | |
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17
throng
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| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
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18
expressive
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| adj.表现的，表达…的，富于表情的 | |
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19
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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20
joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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21
ripples
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| 逐渐扩散的感觉( ripple的名词复数 ) | |
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22
gasping
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| adj. 气喘的, 痉挛的 动词gasp的现在分词 | |
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23
smothered
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| （使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制 | |
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24
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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25
hawk
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| n.鹰，骗子；鹰派成员 | |
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26
eloquent
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| adj.雄辩的，口才流利的；明白显示出的 | |
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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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