These residences, all having ample grounds and facing the creek on either side, were sufficiently6 scattered7 to be secluded8, and it was to one of the most imposing9 of these that Uncle Eben guided the automobile10. He crossed the creek on a primitive11 but substantial bridge, turned to the right, and the first driveway led to the house that was to be Mary Louise's temporary home.
"This is lovely!" exclaimed the girl, as they rolled up a winding12 drive edged by trees and shrubbery, and finally drew up before the entrance of a low and rambling13 but quite modern house. There was Aunt Polly, her round black face all smiles, standing14 on the veranda15 to greet them, and Mary Louise sprang from the car first to hug the old servant—Uncle Eben's spouse—and then to run in to investigate the establishment, which seemed much finer than she had dared to imagine it.
The main building was of two stories, but the wings, several of which jutted16 out in various directions, were one story in height, somewhat on the bungalow17 plan. There was a good-sized stable in connection—now used as a garage—and down among the oaks toward the river an open pavilion had been built. All the open spaces were filled with flowers and ferns, in beds and borders, and graveled paths led here and there in a very enticing18 way. But the house was now the chief fascination19 and the other details Mary Louise gleaned20 by sundry21 glances from open windows as she rambled22 from room to room.
At luncheon23, which Aunt Polly served as soon as her young mistress could be coaxed24 from her tour of inspection25, the girl said:
"Gran'pa Jim, who owns this place?"
"A Mrs. Joselyn," he replied.
"A young woman?"
"I believe so. It was built by her mother, a Mrs. Kenton, some fifteen years ago, and is still called 'the Kenton Place.' Mrs. Kenton died and her daughter, who married a city man named Joselyn, has used it as a summer home until this year. I think Mrs. Joselyn is a woman of considerable means."
"The furnishings prove that," said Mary Louise. "They're not all in the best of taste, but they are plentiful26 and meant to be luxurious27. Why doesn't Mrs. Joselyn occupy her home this summer? And why, if she is wealthy, does she rent the place?"
"Those are problems I am unable to solve, my dear," replied the Colonel with a smile. "When old man Cragg, who is the nearest approach to a real estate agent in the village, told me the place was for rent, I inquired the price and contracted to lease it for the summer. That satisfied me, Mary Louise, but if you wish to inquire into the history and antecedents of the Kenton and Joselyn families, I have no doubt there are plenty of village gossips who can fill your ears full of it."
"Dar's one thing I foun' out, seh," remarked Uncle Eben, who always served at table and was not too diffident to join in the conversation of his betters, at times; "dis Joselyn man done dis'pear—er run away—er dig out, somehow—an' he missus is mos' plumb28 crazy 'bout29 it."
"When did that happen?" asked Mary Louise.
"'Bout Chris'mas time, de stoahkeepah say. Nobody don't like him down heah, 'cause he put on a 'strord'nary 'mount o' airs an' didn't mix wid de town people, nohow. De stoahkeepeh t'inks Marse Joselyn am crooked-like an' done squandeh a lot o' he wife's money befoh he went."
"Perhaps," said Mary Louise musingly30, "that is why the poor woman is glad to rent this house. I wish, however, we had gotten it for a more pleasant reason."
"Don't pay attention to Eben's chatter31, my dear," advised her grandfather. "His authority seems to be the ancient storekeeper, whom I saw but once and didn't fancy. He looks like an old owl32, in those big, horn-rimmed spectacles."
"Dat stoahkeepeh ain' no owl, Kun'l," asserted Uncle Eben earnestly. "He done know all dey is to know 'roun' dese diggin's, an' a lot moah, too. An' a owl is a mighty33 wise bird, Kun'l, ef I do say it, an' no disrespec'; so what dat stoahkeepeh say I's boun' to take notice of."
Mary Louise spent the afternoon in examining her new possession and "getting settled." For—wonder of wonders!—Joe Brennan arrived with the trunks at three o'clock, some nine hours before the limit of midnight. The Colonel, as he paid the man, congratulated him on making such good time.
"Ya-as," drawled Joe; "I done pretty well, considerin'. But if I hadn't hired out by the day I'd sure be'n a loser. I've be'n a good ten hours goin' fer them trunks, fer I started at five this mornin'; so, if I'd tooken a doller fer the job, I'd only made ten cents a hour, my price bein' twenty-five. But, as it is," he added with pride, "I git my reg'lar rate of a dollar 'n' a quarter a day."
"Proving that it pays to drive a bargain," commented the Colonel.
Mary Louise unpacked34 Gran'pa Jim's trunk first and put his room in "apple-pie order," as Aunt Polly admiringly asserted. Then she settled her own pretty room, held a conference with her servants about the meals and supplies, and found it was then time to dress for dinner. She was not yet old enough to find household duties a bore, so the afternoon had been delightfully35 spent.
Early after breakfast the next morning, however, Mary Louise started out to explore the grounds of her domain36. The day was full of sunshine and the air laden37 with fragrance38 of flowers—a typical May morning. Gran'pa Jim would, of course, read for an hour or two and smoke his pipe; he drew a chair upon the broad veranda for this very purpose; but the girl had the true pioneer spirit of discovery and wanted to know exactly what her five acres contained.
The water was doubtless the prime attraction in such a neighborhood. Mary Louise made straight for the river bank and found the shallow stream—here scarce fifty feet in width—rippling along over its stony39 bed, which was a full fifty feet wider than the volume of water then required. When the spring freshets were on perhaps the stream reached its banks, but in the summer months it was usually subdued40 as now. The banks were four feet or more above the rabble41 of stones below, and close to the bank, facing the river on her side, Mrs. Kenton had built a pretty pavilion with ample seats and room for half a dozen wicker chairs and a table, where one could sit and overlook the water. Mary Louise fervently42 blessed the old lady for this idea and at once seated herself in the pavilion while she examined at leisure the scene spread out before her.
Trees hid all the neighboring residences but one. Just across the river and not far from its bank stood a small, weather-beaten cottage that was in sharp contrast with the rather imposing Kenton residence opposite. It was not well kept, nor even picturesque43. The grounds were unattractive. A woodpile stood in the front yard; the steps leading to the little porch had rotted away and had been replaced by a plank—rather unsafe unless one climbed it carefully, Mary Louise thought. There were time-worn shades to the windows, but no curtains. A pane44 of glass had been broken in the dormer window and replaced by a folded newspaper tacked45 over it. Beside the porch door stood a washtub on edge; a few scraggly looking chickens wandered through the yard; if not an abode46 of poverty it was surely a place where careless indifference47 to either beauty or the comfort of orderly living prevailed.
So much Mary Louise had observed, wondering why Mrs. Kenton had not bought the cottage and torn it down, since it was a blot48 on the surrounding landscape, when she saw the door open and a man come out. She gave a little gasp49 of astonishment50 as her eyes followed this man, who slowly took the path to the bridge, from whence the road led into the village.
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1
creek
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| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
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halfway
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| adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途 | |
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rivulet
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| n.小溪，小河 | |
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brook
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| n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让 | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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8
secluded
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| adj.与世隔绝的；隐退的；偏僻的v.使隔开，使隐退( seclude的过去式和过去分词) | |
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9
imposing
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| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
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automobile
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| n.汽车，机动车 | |
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primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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rambling
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| adj.[建]凌乱的，杂乱的 | |
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14
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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veranda
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| n.走廊；阳台 | |
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16
jutted
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| v.（使）突出( jut的过去式和过去分词 )；伸出；（从…）突出；高出 | |
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17
bungalow
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| n.平房，周围有阳台的木造小平房 | |
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18
enticing
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| adj.迷人的；诱人的 | |
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fascination
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| n.令人着迷的事物，魅力，迷恋 | |
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20
gleaned
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| v.一点点地收集（资料、事实）( glean的过去式和过去分词 )；（收割后）拾穗 | |
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sundry
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| adj.各式各样的，种种的 | |
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rambled
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| （无目的地）漫游( ramble的过去式和过去分词 )； （喻）漫谈； 扯淡； 长篇大论 | |
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luncheon
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| n.午宴，午餐，便宴 | |
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24
coaxed
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| v.哄，用好话劝说( coax的过去式和过去分词 )；巧言骗取；哄劝，劝诱 | |
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inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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plentiful
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| adj.富裕的，丰富的 | |
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luxurious
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| adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的 | |
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plumb
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| adv.精确地，完全地；v.了解意义，测水深 | |
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bout
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| n.侵袭，发作；一次(阵，回)；拳击等比赛 | |
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musingly
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| adv.沉思地，冥想地 | |
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chatter
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| vi.／n.喋喋不休；短促尖叫；(牙齿)打战 | |
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owl
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| n.猫头鹰，枭 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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34
unpacked
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| v.从（包裹等）中取出（所装的东西），打开行李取出( unpack的过去式和过去分词 )；拆包；解除…的负担；吐露（心事等） | |
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35
delightfully
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| 大喜，欣然 | |
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domain
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| n.(活动等)领域，范围；领地，势力范围 | |
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laden
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| adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的 | |
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38
fragrance
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| n.芬芳，香味，香气 | |
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39
stony
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| adj.石头的，多石头的，冷酷的，无情的 | |
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40
subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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41
rabble
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| n.乌合之众，暴民；下等人 | |
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42
fervently
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| adv.热烈地，热情地，强烈地 | |
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43
picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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44
pane
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| n.窗格玻璃，长方块 | |
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45
tacked
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| 用平头钉钉( tack的过去式和过去分词 )； 附加，增补； 帆船抢风行驶，用粗线脚缝 | |
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46
abode
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| n.住处，住所 | |
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47
indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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48
blot
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| vt.弄脏（用吸墨纸）吸干；n.污点，污渍 | |
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49
gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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50
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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