He says they're great on turkeysthere. I should think they would be, shouldn't you?"
This was a long speech for Narcissa, and she relapsed into silence andthe picture.
"And you live all alone here with a deef old man who don't talk?"said Romulus Patten. "Excuse _me_, Miss--well, you haven't told meyour name, have you?" and he laughed a little.
"Narcissa," was the reply. "Narcissa White."
"Thank you!" said the well-mannered Romulus. "You live all alone withhim, and don't see no company? It's lonesome for you, ain't it?"
"I--don't--know," Narcissa answered thoughtfully. "I never thoughtmuch about it's bein' lonesome. I have the turkeys, and they're a gooddeal of company: and I--I think about things." A faint color stoleinto her clear white cheek, as she remembered the velvet gown. Shesupposed a man would consider such thoughts "triflin'."
"Don't you see anything of the neighbors?" the young man persisted."There's a young lady down at the next house, half a mile belowhere,--wide-awake looking girl, with yeller hair and red cheeks, lookssome like a geranium; don't you know her?"
"That's Delilah Parshley!" said Narcissa. "She's real handsome, don'tyou think so? No, I don't see her, only to meetin' sometimes. I guessshe don't care to go much with folks up this way. Her friends ismostly the other way, on the Tupham road. Their house sets on thecorner, you know."
Narcissa did not know--how should she?--that Delilah Parshley and theother girls of her sort considered her "a little wanting," because shewas silent, and never seemed interested in the doings of theneighbors, or of such stray travellers as came along the road to Rome.She felt kindly toward the Parshleys, as toward all the "meetin'folks;" but she rarely held speech with them, and was "gettin' as dumbas the old man was deef," the neighbors were beginning to say.
"But haven't you got any folks of your own?" this persistent young manwent on. "I--I hope I'm not too forth-puttin', Miss White, but I'dlike to know."
"I'm sure you're real kind to ask!" replied Narcissa, who was not usedto having any one care to ask her questions.
"Yes, I've got _some_ folks. Father's livin', but he's married again,and there's more children, and he was glad to have me find a chance;and it was so that I was glad, too," she added, with no resentment inher tone, but a touch of sadness, which made the ready color come intothose tell-tale cheeks of Romulus Patten.
"It ain't right," he said hotly. "I'll be switched if it's right.Ain't there a better chance you could get, somewheres round here, ifyou don't feel to go fur away? If you did feel to make a change,there's lots of chances down our way. I'd be real pleased to be ofassistance, if there was any ways I could; I would, now, Miss White."
Narcissa looked a little alarmed.
"You're real good," she said. "But I ain't thinkin' of any change.Uncle Pinker means well by me, and the work ain't too hard, 'cept comehayin' time, and along through the spring, sometimes, when I have tohelp in the gardin. I'm sure I'm obliged to _you_!" she addedgratefully, with a shy, sweet look in her eyes that made Romulus feelas if the day had grown suddenly warm again.
"Well!" he said, with an effort, "I reely must be going, I suppose.I've had a good rest, and I must be getting on."
But Narcissa was not ready to have him go now. Her heart had beenstirred by the unwonted kindness, the interest which this handsomestranger with the kind eyes had shown in her, Narcissa White, who wasof no account to any one in the world. Her heart was stirred, and nowshe must show her gratitude in such simple wise as she could. She madehim sit down at the table, and brought him doughnuts and milk, and theprettiest apples she could find in the cellar. In fear and tremblingshe took from the cupboard a tumbler of apple jelly, wondering as shedid so what Uncle Pinker would say, and whether he would call itstealing. She had made the sweetmeat herself, and had earned the moneyto buy a half-dozen tumblers, by braiding rugs for Mrs. Parshley. Shehad picked the apples, too. Altogether, she thought she had a right tooffer the jelly to the kind stranger.
He was delighted with his little feast, and pronounced the jelly thebest he had ever tasted. She made it herself? he wanted to know! girlswere smart on the road to Rome, he guessed. He drank her health fromthe brown mug, and again she apologized for not having a glass to givehim. "There is good glasses," she said with a blush, "but Uncle Pinkerkeeps 'em locked up. I broke one when I first come here, two yearsago, and he's never let me touch one sence."
Romulus Patten muttered something in confidence to the brown mug, butNarcissa did not hear it. She was too happy to think that other peoplemight consider Uncle Pinker a mean old curmudgeon. She felt a warmthabout the heart, wholly strange to her starved and barren life. It hadbeen dear and precious to dream, oh, yes! but here was reality. Herewas some one like the people she dreamed about, only real flesh andblood, instead of shadows. He cared, this wonderful person, reallycared, to be kind to her, to say pleasant words, and smile, and lookat her with his bright, gentle eyes. And he was going to Rome! thatwas almost the best part of all, for now she could fancy him there,and would have some one to speak to, when she made her shadowyjourneys to the Dream City.
She was hardly sorry when, the simple feast over, her new friend roseto go. It could not last forever, and Uncle Pinker would be waking upsoon, and was apt to be "a little set," as she charitably expressedit, when he first woke. She made apologies for not having roused theold man, and was sure he would have been "real pleased" to see Mr.Patten, if it had been any other time of the day. She was a littlestartled when Romulus held out his hand at parting. She had an ideathat people only shook hands at funerals; but she laid her littlebrown palm in the warm, strong one held out to her, and felt a cordialpressure that brought the tears to her eyes,--the sweet, forlorn grayeyes that never guessed at their own sweetness or sadness! RomulusPatten looked long into them before he let the little hand go.
"I sha'n't forget you, Miss White," he cried. "You may be sure ofthat; and I hope you won't forget me, either, for a spell. I maystop on my way back, if I don't have to go round another way when Ileave Rome. I'll try my best to fix it so as I can come back thisway, and then--then perhaps you'll let me call you Narcissa.Good-by--Narcissa!"
"Good-by!" echoed Narcissa; and then she stood on the doorstep andwatched him, her new friend, the first friend she had ever had, aslooking back often, and waving his hand once and twice in sign offarewell, he passed along down the road to Rome.