The Witness by Grace Livingston Hill Lutz (best fiction novels of all time .txt) 📖

Began In Tennelly's Room After Supper,  When Courtland

Courteously And Firmly Thanked Uncle Ramsey,  But _Declined_ The Offer!

 

Uncle Ramsey Grew Apoplectic In The Face And Glared At The Young Man,

Finally Bringing Out An Explosive: "What! You _Decline_?"

 

Uncle Ramsey Spluttered And Swore. He Tore Up And Down The Small

Confines Of The Room Like An Angry Bull,  Bellowing Forth Anathemas And

Arguments In A Confused Jumble. He Enlarged On The Insult He Had Been

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Given,  And The Opportunity That Was Being Lost Never To Be Offered

Again. He Called Courtland A "Trifling Idiot," And A Few Other Gentle

Phrases,  And Demanded Reasons For Such An Unprecedented Decision.

 

Courtland's Only Answer Was: "I Am Afraid It Isn't Going To Fit In With

My Views Of Life,  Mr. Thomas. I Have Thought It Over Carefully And I

Cannot Accept Your Offer."

 

"Why Not? Isn't It Enough Money?" Roared The Mad Financier. "I'll Double

Your Salary!"

 

"Money Has Nothing To Do With It," Said Courtland,  Quietly. "That Would

Make No Difference." He Was Sorry For This Scene For Tennelly's Sake.

 

"Well,  Have You Something Else In View?"

 

"No,  Not Definitely."

 

"Then You're A Fool!" Said Uncle Ramsey,  And Further Stated What Kind

Of A Fool He Was,  Several Times,  _Vigorously_. After Which He Mopped His

Beaded Brow With Trembling,  Agitated Hands,  And Sat Down. The Old Bull

Was Baffled At Last.

 

Uncle Ramsey Blustered All The Way To The Train With His Nephew. "I've

Got To Have That Young Man,  Thomas. There's No Two Ways About It. A

Fellow That Can Stand Out The Way He Did Against Ramsey Thomas Is Just

The Man I Want. He's Got Personality. Why,  A Man Like That At Work For

Us Would Be Worth Millions! He Would Give Confidence To Every One! Why,

We Could Make Him A Senator In A Few Years,  And There's No Telling Where

He Wouldn't Stop! He's The Kind Of A Man Who Could Be Put In The White

House If Things Shaped Themselves Right. I've _Got_ To Have Him,  Thomas,

And No Mistake! Now,  I'm Going To Put It Up To You To Find Out The

Secret Of This Thing. You Just Get His Number And We'll Meet Him On Any

Reasonable Proposition He Wants To Put Up. Say,  Thomas,  Isn't There A

Girl Anywhere That Could Influence Him?"

 

"Yes,  There's A Girl!"

 

"The Very Thing! You Put Her Wise About It,  And When I Come Back Next

Week I'll Stop Off Again And See What I Can Do With Her? You Can Take Me

To Call On Her,  You Know. Can You Work It,  Thomas?"

 

Tennelly Said He'd Try,  And Went Around To See Gila On His Way Back To

The University.

 

Gila Listened To The Story Of Uncle Ramsey's Offer With Bated Breath And

Averted Gaze. She Would Not Show Tennelly How Much This Meant To Her.

But In Her Eyes There Grew A Determination That Was Not To Be Denied.

 

She Planned A Campaign With Tennelly,  Coolly,  And With A Light Kind Of

Glee That Fooled Him Completely. He Saw That She Was Entering Into The

Spirit Of The Thing And Had No Idea She Had Any Other Interest Than To

Please Her Cousin,  And Achieve A Kind Of Triumph Herself In Making

Courtland Do The Thing He Had Vowed Not To Do.

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Was Off In The Machine Arranging For A Man To Do The Spring Plowing. She

Knew It By Heart Before He Got Back,  And Stood At Her Trysting Window

With Her Cheek Against The Old Hat,  Watching The Sunset And Thinking It

Over When The Car Came Chugging Contentedly Down The Road.

 

Father Waved His Hand Boyishly As He Turned In At The Big Gate,  And

Mother Was Out On The Side Door-Step Waiting As He Came To A Halt.

 

"Heard Anything Yet?" He Asked,  Eagerly.

 

"Yes. A Nice,  Dear Letter!" Mother Held It Up,  "Hurry Up And Come In And

I'll Read It To You."

 

But Father Couldn't Wait To Put Away The Machine. He Bounded Out Like A

Four-Year-Old And Came Right In Then,  Regardless Of The Fact That It Was

Getting Dark And He Might Run Into The Door-Jamb Putting Away The

Machine Later.

 

He Settled Down,  Overcoat And All,  Into The Big Chair In The Kitchen To

Listen; And Mother Put On Her Spectacles In Such A Hurry That She Got

Them Upside Down And Had To Begin Over Again.

 

     You Dear Mother Marshall! [The Letter Began.]

     And Dear Father Marshall,  Too!

 

     I Think It Is Just The Most Wonderful Thing That I Ever

     Heard Of That You Are Willing To Invite A Stranger Like Me

     To Visit You! At First I Thought It Wasn't Right To Accept

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     Such Great Kindness From People I Never Saw,  And Who Didn't

     Know Whether They Could Even Like Me Or Not. But Afterward

     Mr. Courtland Told Me About Your Stephen And That You Had

     Suffered,  Too! And Then I Knew That I Might Take You At Your

     Word And Come For A Little While To Get The Comfort I Need

     So Much! Even Then I Couldn't Have Done It If Mr. Courtland

     And My Nurse Hadn't Told Me They Were Sure I Could Get

     Something To Do And So Be Able To Repay You For All This

     Kindness. If I Can Really Be Of Any Comfort To You In Your

     Loneliness I Shall Be So Glad. But I'm Afraid I Could Never

     Even Half Fill The Place Of So Fine A Son As You Must Have

     Had. Mr. Courtland Has Told Me How Grandly He Died. He Saw

     Him,  You Know,  At The Very Last Minute,  And Saw All He Did

     To Save Others. But If You Will Let Me Love You Both I Shall

     Be So Grateful. All That I Had On Earth Are Gone Home To God

     Now,  And The World Looks So Long And Hard And Sad To Me! I

     Do Hope You Can Love Me A Little While I Stay,  And That You

     Will Not Let Me Make You Any Trouble. Please Don't Go To Any

     Work To Get Ready For Me. I Will Gladly Do Anything That Is

     Necessary When I Get There. I Am Quite Able To Work Now; And

     If I Have A Place Where I Can Feel That Somebody Cares

     Whether I Live Or Die It Will Not Be So Hard To Face The

     Future. A Great,  Strange City Is An Awful Place For A Girl

     That Has A Heavy Heart!

 

     I Am So Glad That You Know Jesus Christ. It Makes Me Feel At

     Home Before I Get There. My Dear Father Was A Minister.

 

     They Wouldn't Let Me Go And Pack Up,  So I Had To Do The Best

     I Could With Directing The Kind Friends Who Did It For Me. I

     Have Taken You At Your Word And Had Mother's Sewing-Machine

     And A Box Of My Little Brother's Things Sent With My Trunk.

     But If They Are In The Way I Can Sell Them Or Give Them

     Away. And I Don't Want You To Feel That I Am Going To

     Presume Upon Your Kindness And Settle Down On You

     Indefinitely. Just As Soon As I Get A Chance To Work I Must

     Take It,  And I Shall Want To Repay You For All You Have Done

     For Me. You Have Sent Me A Great Deal More Money Than I

     Need.

 

     I Start Wednesday Evening On The Through Express. I Have

     Marked A Time-Table And Am Sending It Because We Are Unable

     To Find Out Just What Time I Can Make Connections From

     Grant's Junction,  Where They Say I Have To Change. Perhaps

     You Will Know. But Don't Worry About Me; I'll Find My Way To

     You As Soon As I Can Get There. I Am Praying All The Time

     That I Shall Not Disappoint You. And Now Till I See You,

 

                   Sincerely And Gratefully,

                                     Rose Bonner Brentwood.

 

"It Couldn't Be Improved On," Declared Mother,  Beamingly. "It's Just

What I'd Have Wanted Her To Say If I'd Been Planning It All Out,  Only

More So!"

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Forgot. We'd Ought To Have Sent Her Word We Would Meet Her At The

Station,  And What Time The Train Left Grant's Junction,  And All! Now

That's Too Bad!"

 

"Now Don't You Worry,  Father. She'll Find Her Way. Like As Not The

Conductor Will Have A Time-Table And Be Able To Tell Her All About The

Trains. But I Certainly Do Wish We Had Let Her Know We Would Meet Her."

 

They Were Still Worrying About It That Night At Nine O'clock While

Father Wound The Kitchen Clock And Mother Put A Mackerel Asoak For

Breakfast. Suddenly The Telephone In The Next Room Gave A Whir,  And Both

Father And Mother Jumped As If They Had Been Shot,  Looking At Each Other

In Bewildered Question As They Hastened To The 'Phone.

 

It Was Father Who Took Down The Receiver. "A Telegram? For Mr. Seth

Marshall! Yes,  I'm Listening! Write It Down,  Mother! A Telegram!"

 

"Mercy! Perhaps She Wasn't Well Enough To Start!" Gasped Mother,  Putting

Her Pencil In Place.

 

     Miss Brentwood Left To-Night At Nine-Fifteen On Express

     Number Ten,  Car Alicia Lower Berth Number Eight. Please Let

     Me Know If She Arrives Safely.

 

                                             Paul Courtland.

 

"Now Isn't That Thoughtful Of Him!" He Said,  As He Hung Up The Receiver.

"He Must Have Sensed We Wanted To Send