National Avenue Booth Tarkington (best e reader for academics .txt) đ
![](/uploads/posts/books/2/6/1/4/0/kniga-national-avenue.jpg)
- Author: Booth Tarkington
Book online «National Avenue Booth Tarkington (best e reader for academics .txt) đ». Author Booth Tarkington
âNo?â she said, and looked at him with a gravity in which there was a slight apprehension. âPerhaps you might like a little artificiality, though, just for a change. A moment ago you said you thought your New York habits would wear off, and youâd get more natural, if you stay here. What did you mean?â
âMe not natural?â he asked, surprised. âWhy, donât I seem natural?â
âYes, of course. You wouldnât know how not to be. You meant about your clothes. You said youâd probably get over wearing so much finery as a daily habit, if you stay here. Arenât you going to stay here, Dan?â
Her sidelong glance at him took note of a change in his expression, a perplexity that was faintly troubled, whereupon the hint of apprehension in her own look deepened. âDonât tell me youâre not!â she exclaimed suddenly, and as he failed to respond at once, she repeated this with emphasis so increased that it seemed a little outcry: âDonât tell me youâre not!â
âI certainly hope to stay here,â he said seriously. âI didnât realize how much I hoped to until I got back. I certainly would hate to leave this good old place where I grew up.â
âBut why should you leave it? Your mother told me the other day you expected to go into business here as soon as you get your grandfatherâs estate settled.â
âYes, I know,â he returned, and she observed that his seriousness and his perplexity both increased. âItâs always been my idea to do that,â he went on, âand I still hope to carry it out. At any rate Iâm goinâ to try to.â
âThen why donât you? What on earth could prevent you?â
Upon this, he seemed to take a sudden resolution. âMartha,â he said, âIâve got a notion to tell you about something;â âitâs something beautiful thatâs happened to me. I havenât told anybody yet. I wanted to tell my father and mother last night; but Harlan kept sittinâ around where they were, until they went to bed; and somehow I didnât like to talk about it before himâ âanyway not at first. And today I havenât had a chance to tell âem; fatherâs been down at his office and mother had two charity board meetings. So youâll be the first person to know it.â
âWill I?â Martha said in a low voice.
But he did not notice its altered quality; he was too much preoccupied with what he was saying; and he still looked forward into the perplexing distance. His companionâs gaze, on the contrary, was turned steadily upon him; and the sunniness that had been in her eyes had vanished, the colour of her cheeks was not so brave in the cold air. âIâm a little afraid to hear it, Dan,â she said. âIâm afraid youâre going to say you got engaged to someone in New York. You are?â
âYes,â he answered gravely. âThatâs what Iâm just on the way to tell my grandmother.â
âI guessed it,â Martha said quietly; and was silent for a moment;â âthen she laughed. âI might have guessed it from your clothes, Dan. You got all dressed up like this just to talk about her! And to your grandmother!â
A little hurt by her laughter, he turned his head to look at her and saw that there were sudden bright lines along her eyelids. âWhy, Martha!â he cried. âWhy, whatâ ââ
âIsnât it natural?â she asked, smiling at him to contradict the testimony offered by her tears. âIâve always had you for a next-door neighbour; youâve always been my best friend among the boys I grew up with;â âIâm afraid Iâll lose you if you get married. Everybody likes you, Dan; I think everybodyâll feel the same way. Weâll all be afraid weâll lose you.â
âWhy, Martha!â he exclaimed again, but he had difficulty in misrepresenting a catch in his throat as a cough. âI didnâtâ âI didnât expect youâd think of it like this. I do hope it doesnât mean that Iâll have to live in New York. I still hope to get her to come here. Iâ âIâd certainly hate to lose you more than you would to lose me. Iâve always thought of you as my best friend, too, and I couldnât imagine anything making that different. Iâd hopedâ âI do hopeâ ââ
âWhat, Dan?â
âI hope youâ âI hope youâll like her, if we come home to live. I hope youâll be her friend, too.â
âIndeed I will!â she promised so earnestly that her utterance was but a husky whisper. âIâm glad Iâm the first you told, Dan. Thank you.â
âNo, no,â he said awkwardly. âIt just happened that way.â
âWell, at least Iâm glad it did,â she returned, and brushing her eyes lightly with the back of a shapely hand, showed him a cheerful countenance. âSee! you had just time to tell me.â
IVShe nodded to where before them a long wooden picket fence outlined the street boundary of Mrs. Savageâs lawn. Here was an older quarter than that upper reach of National Avenue whence the two young people had come; the houses here and southward were most of them substantial and ample, but not of the imposing spaciousness prevailing farther up the avenue. Three or four of them had felt the seventies so deeply as to adopt the mansard roof in company with one or two parasite slate turrets; but in the main the houses were without pretentiousness; and among them it was curious and pleasant to see lingering two or three white, low-gabled cottages of a single story.
In the summertime old-fashioned flowers grew in the yards of these, and there might be morning-glories climbing
Comments (0)