He Fell In Love With His Wife by Edward Payson Roe (best books to read for students TXT) đ
- Author: Edward Payson Roe
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neednât think you can tell this story to Holcroft and that he can protect you
and himself. Iâm here under an assumed name and have seen no one who knows
me. I may have to disappear for a time and be disguised when I come again,
but I pledge you my word heâll never be safe as long as you are under his
roof.â
âThen I will sacrifice myself for him,â she said, pallid even to her lips. âI
will go away. But never dream that you can come near me againâyou who
deceived and wronged me, and now, far worse, threaten the man I love.â
âWeâll see about that,â he replied cynically. âAt any rate, you will have left
him.â
âGo!â she said imperiously.
âIâll take a kiss first, sweetheart,â he said, advancing with a sardonic
smile.
âJane!â she shrieked. He paused, and she saw evidences of alarm.
The girl ran lightly out of the dairy room, where she had been a greedy
listener to all that had been said, and a moment later appeared in the yard
before the house. âYesâm,â she answered.
âBe careful now, sir,â said Alida sternly. âThereâs a witness.â
âOnly a little idiotic-looking girl.â
âSheâs not idiotic, and if you touch me the compactâs broken.â
âVery well, my time will come. Remember, youâve been warned,â and he pulled
his hat over his eyes and strode away.
âBah!â said Jane with a snicker, âas if I hadnât seen his ugly mug so Iâd know
it âmong a thousand.â
With a face full of loathing and dread, Alida watched her enemy disappear down
the lane, and then, half fainting, sank on the lounge.
âJane!â she called feebly, but there was no answer.
Chapter XXXII. Jane Plays Mouse to the Lion
It can well be understood that Jane had no disposition to return to Mrs.
Holcroft and the humdrum duties of the house. There opened before her an
exciting line of action which fully accorded with her nature, and she entered
upon it at once. Her first impulse was to follow the man of whom she had
learned so much. Not only was she spurred to this course by her curiosity,
but also by her instinctive loyalty to Holcroft, and, it must be admitted, by
her own interests. Poor little Jane had been nurtured in a hard school, and
had by this time learned the necessity of looking out for herself. This
truth, united with her shrewd, matter-of-fact mind, led her to do the most
sensible thing under the circumstances. âI know a lot now that heâll be glad
to know, and if I tell him everything heâll keep me always. The first thing
heâll want to know is whatâs become of that threateninâ scamp,â and she
followed Ferguson with the stealth of an Indian.
Ferguson was not only a scamp, but, like most of his class, a coward. He had
been bitterly disappointed in his interview with Alida. As far as his selfish
nature permitted, he had a genuine affection for her, and he had thought of
little else besides her evident fondness for him. He was so devoid of moral
principle that he could not comprehend a nature like hers, and had scarcely
believed it possible that she would repulse him so inflexibly. She had always
been so gentle, yielding, and subservient to his wishes that he had thought
that, having been assured of his wifeâs death, a little persuasion and perhaps
a few threats would induce her to follow him, for he could not imagine her
becoming attached to such a man as Holcroft had been described to be. Her
uncompromising principle had entered but slightly into his calculations, and
so, under the spur of anger and selfishness, he had easily entered upon a game
of bluff He knew well enough that he had no claim upon Alida, yet it was in
harmony with his false heart to try to make her think so. He had no serious
intention of harming Holcroftâhe would be afraid to attempt thisâbut if he
could so work on Alidaâs fears as to induce her to leave her husband, he
believed that the future would be full of possibilities. At any rate, he
would find his revenge in making Alida and Holcroft all the trouble possible.
Even in the excitement of the interview, however, he realized that he was
playing a dangerous game, and when Jane answered so readily to Alidaâs call he
was not a little disturbed. Satisfied that he had accomplished all that he
could hope for at present, his purpose now was to get back to town unobserved
and await developments. He therefore walked rapidly down the lane and pursued
the road for a short distance until he came to an old, disused lane, leading
up the hillside into a grove where he had concealed a horse and buggy. Unless
there should be necessity, it was his intention to remain in his hiding place
until after nightfall.
Jane had merely to skirt the bushy hillside higher up, in order to keep
Ferguson in view and discover the spot in which he was lurking. Instead of
returning to the house she kept right on, maintaining a sharp eye on the road
beneath to make sure that Holcroft did not pass unobserved. By an extended
detour, she reached the highway and continued toward town in the hope of
meeting the farmer. At last she saw him driving rapidly homeward. He was
consumed with anxiety to be at least near to Alida, even if, as he believed,
he was no longer welcome in her presence. When Jane stepped out into the road
he pulled up his horses and stared at her. She, almost bursting with her
great secrets, put her finger on her lips and nodded portentously.
âWell, what is it?â he asked, his heart beating quickly.
âIâve got a lot to tell yer, but donât want no one to see us.â
âAbout my wife?â
The girl nodded.
âGood God! Speak then. Is she sick?â and he sprung out and caught her arm
with a grip that hurt her.
âPlease, sir, Iâm doinâ all I kin for yer andâand you hurt me.â
Holcroft saw the tears coming to her eyes and he released his hold as he said,
âForgive me, Jane, I didnât mean to; but for mercyâs sake, tell your story.â
âItâs a long âun.â
âWell, well, give me the gist of it in a word.â
âI guess sheâs goinâ to run away.â
Holcroft groaned and almost staggered to his horsesâ heads, then led them to
the roadside and tied them to a tree. Sitting down, as if too weak to stand,
he buried his face in his hands. He could not bear to have Jane see his
distress. âTell your story,â he said hoarsely, âquick, for I may have to act
quickly.â
âGuess yer will. Did yer know she was married?â
âCertainlyâto me.â
âNo, to another manâmarried by a minister. Heâs been there with her.â She
little foresaw the effect of her words, for the farmer bounded to his feet
with an oath and sprang to his horses.
âStop!â cried Jane, tugging at his arm. âIf you go rushinâ home now, youâll
show youâve got no more sense than mother. Youâll spoil everything. She aint
goinâ to run away with HIMâshe said she wouldnât, though he coaxed and
threatened to kill yer if she didnât. âFiâs a man I wouldnât act like a mad
bull. Iâd find out how to get ahead of tâother man.â
âWell,â said Holcroft, in a voice that frightened the child, âshe said she
wouldnât run away with this scoundrelâof course notâbut you say sheâs going
to leave. Sheâll meet him somewhereâgood God! But how should you
understand? Come, let me get home!â
âI understand a sight moreân you do, and you go on so that I canât tell you
anything. If you showed sense, youâd be glad I was lookinâ out for you so I
could tell you everything. Whatâs the good of goinâ rampaiginâ home when, if
youâd only listen, you could get even with that scoundrel, as yer call âim,
and make all right,â and Jane began to cry.
âOh, thunder!â exclaimed the chafing man, âtell me your story at once, or
youâll drive me mad. You donât half know what youâre talking about or how
much your words meanâhow should you? The thing to do is to get home as soon
as possible.â
âYou aint no reason to be so mad and glum all the while,â cried Jane, smarting
under a sense of injustice. âHere Iâm a-tryinâ to do for you, and youâll be
sorry ernuff if you donât stop and listen. And sheâs been a-tryinâ to do for
you all along, and sheâs been standinâ up for you this afternoon, and is goinâ
to run away to save your life.â
âRun away to save my life? Are you crazy?â
âNo, but you be,â cried the girl, excited and exasperated beyond restraint.
âIf she IS your wife Iâd stand up for her and take care of her, since she
stands up for you so. âStead of that, you go round as glum as a thundercloud
and now want to go raginâ home to her. Dunno whether sheâs your wife or not,
but I DO know she said she loved you and âud die for you, and she wouldnât do
a thing that man asked but go away to save your life.â
Holcroft looked at the girl as if dazed. âSaid she LOVED me?â he repeated
slowly.
âOf course! You knowed that all âlongâanybody could see itâanâ you donât
treat her much betterân you did mother.â Then, with an impatient gesture, she
asked, âWill you sit down and listen?â
âNo, I wonât!â he cried, springing toward his horses. âIâll find out if your
words are true.â
âOh, yes!â said Jane contemptuously; ârun right to her to find out somethinâ
as plain as the nose on her face, and run right by the man that was
threateninâ her and you too.â
Wheeling round, he asked, âWhere is he?â
âI know, but I wonât say ânuther word till you stop goinâ on. âFiâs a man Iâd
find out what to do âfore I did anythinâ.â
Jane had little comprehension of the tempest she had raised in Holcroftâs soul
or its causes, and so was in no mood to make allowances for him. By this
time, the first gust of his passion was passing and reason resuming its sway.
He paced up and down in the road a moment or two, and then sat down as he
said, âI donât half understand what youâve been talking about and I fear you
donât. Youâve evidently been listening and watching and have got hold of
something. Now, Iâll be as patient as I can if youâll tell me the whole story
quickly,â and he turned his flushed, quivering face toward her.
âThen I sâpose youâll scold me for listeninâ and watchinâ that scamp,â said
the girl sullenly.
âNo, Jane, not in this case. Unless your impressions are all mistaken I may
have to thank you all my life. Iâm not one to forget those who are true to
me. Now, begin at the beginning and go right through to the end; then I may
understand better than you can.â
Jane did as she was told, and many âsays heâsâ and âsays sheâsâ followed in
her literal narrative. Holroft again dropped his face into his hands, and
before she was through, tears of joy trickled through his fingers. When she
finished, he arose, turned away, and hastily wiped his eyes,
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