Читать книгу Fighting Stars - H. A. Cody - Страница 12
ОглавлениеTHE "TWINS"
Supper was ready, and Ada Karsall had called her brother three times. When at last he did appear, he apologized for his tardiness.
"But I called you three times, Lemuel," his sister reminded.
"Is that so? Why, I heard you only once. But I was so taken up with several new specimens that I was completely lost. They are valuable, and we found them right at the Falls. They will prove a valuable addition to my collection of stones. I must go there again just as soon as I get time."
"And Miss Rivers will go, too, I suppose? She seems to be interested in such stupid things."
"Very much so, Ada. It was she who discovered a number of the finest. Miss Rivers is a keen student and knows a great deal about rocks, flowers, trees, and birds. She also paints and draws wonderfully well."
"She must certainly be a marvel, Lemuel. Have you just found out her remarkable attainments?"
"Oh, no. I have known for some time that she is interested in such things, but only lately have I learned how much she really knows. It was a great pleasure to talk with her to-day, and I enjoyed myself thoroughly."
"Did you intend to go to the Falls when you left home this morning, Lemuel?"
"I did."
"And you deceived me by saying that you were going to work in the back field. Why was that?"
Lemuel laid down the knife with which he had been buttering a piece of bread, and looked intently at his sister.
"I acknowledge that I told you a lie, Ada," he confessed. "But I shall never do such a thing again."
"H'm, do you think I shall ever believe you after this? I did give you credit for some sense, but I have now come to the conclusion that you have lost what little you had."
"Perhaps you are right, Ada. I may not have had much sense in the past, but I have recently found some of a different nature."
"What do you mean?"
"In the way I have acted, especially this morning when I deceived you. But I shall never do so again, as I told you. I am old enough to know my own mind, so when I want to go to the Falls, or anywhere else for that matter, I shall not lie about it."
Ada looked at her brother in astonishment. So long had she ruled him, that she could only consider his words as signs of open rebellion. Never before had he spoken in such a manner. Her face flushed, and the expression in her eyes told of her anger. Her authority over Lemuel was now at an end, and it was due to the influence of the school teacher. She had a suspicion of this before, but believed that she had her brother so much under her control that he would hardly dare to speak to Miss Rivers, let alone go to the Falls with her. It was a terrible dilemma in which she was placed.
Ada was two years older than her brother, and they had lived together on the farm since their father's death. They were commonly known as "the twins," being so much alike in manner. Some referred to them as "Lem an' Ada," and this at last was changed to "lemonade" by a parish wit. So "the lemonade twins" was at last generally used when reference was made to them. Ada was a good housekeeper, and looked after her brother's interest with a watchful eye. If the thought of marriage ever entered her mind, she never mentioned it. She was good-looking, bright, capable and intelligent. Several young men were more than anxious to win her, especially Joe Rundell. People said she would never marry owing to the peculiar clause in her father's will. She had no fear about herself, but the idea that Lemuel might some day fall in love with a girl filled her soul with a nameless dread. Hitherto he had given her no cause for worry, but had appeared perfectly satisfied with his manner of living. But now what she had feared had come to pass, for she was certain that he was in love with the teacher.
Lemuel went on with his supper, and paid no heed to his sister. If he noticed her agitation he gave no sign, so deeply engrossed was he with his own thoughts. This added to Ada's annoyance. She longed to do something desperate, to shake him in order to arouse him from his indifference. When supper was over, she rose from the table and began to clear away the dishes. Lemuel did not leave his seat, but sat gazing steadily before him, lost in thought. This was more than Ada could stand.
"Miss Rivers must have affected your mind to-day," she began. "Or is that you are so lifted up to heaven that you cannot come down to earth?"
"It is neither," Lemuel laughingly replied. "I was thinking about those specimens and longing to have an expert's opinion as to their value."
"Doesn't the teacher know, Lemuel? She's such a wonder in your eyes that she should be able to tell you all about them."
"We both think the same about them, Ada. But we may be wrong."
"I don't care how wrong you are about those pieces of old stone. I wouldn't worry one bit if you never found out. But what does worry me is the way you and that teacher are acting."
"Why, for pity's sake, what have we been doing?"
"Acting like two fools. You know as well as I do what will be the outcome of all this. That girl will get you so entrapped that you'll have to marry her, and then what's to become of us? Have you thought of that?"
"I haven't bothered my head one bit about it."
"I thought so. But you should think of me even if you don't think about yourself. Isn't it stated in father's will that if either of us get married the money will cease?"
"I know that, all right, Ada. You have drilled it into my head ever since father died. I know it by heart."
"And what good has my teaching been when you begin now to flirt with a designing girl?"
"That's enough, Ada. I don't want you to use the word 'flirt' again. Miss Rivers is not that kind of a girl. And why do you call her 'designing'?"
"Because she knows you have money, and is anxious to marry you for that very reason."
"I don't believe she knows anything about it. And nine hundred dollars, which is my share, is not such an alluring sum, after all."
"But it is for a poor school teacher. It must seem a fortune to her."
"You are a good woman, Ada, but you look at things in a wrong light," Lemuel quietly replied. "Miss Rivers is no more to me than a friend interested in my special studies. There is nothing, I assure you, that should cause you any worry."
"I don't know about that. Judging from what has taken place to-day I have much reason to worry. You have begun the road all lovers travel, meeting each other through deception, and both interested in the same things. I see the end of my money."
"You think more of money, Ada, than of anything else."
"And why shouldn't I when I have nothing else upon which to depend? If that goes, I shall be destitute. Father never taught me to do anything but housework, and I suppose I can fall back upon that if necessary. He gave you an education, but he never thought about me."
"Yes, he sent me to college, Ada, if that is what you mean by an education. But what good has it done me in the way of earning a living? I learned nothing of any practical value."
"It spoiled you, that's what it did."
"I wouldn't like to say that. Although I studied many things which are of no practical use to me now, yet they helped to develop my mind, and for that I am thankful."
"It taught you to waste your time with a whole lot of nonsense. Look at the trash you have gathered in The Loft. And think how much it cost you to build that place. You might have used the money to a far better advantage."
"Money is not everything, remember, Ada. I get a great deal of pleasure out of my study of Nature. Men of great wealth are not always happy."
"But they have made a good living, Lemuel, and have everything they need."
"So do we, Ada. We have what we need, although we may not have all we want. We never will, I suppose, in this life. We have our comfortable home, and you look well after the house as I do the farm. We are not in debt, and we are able to pay for everything we buy, and put away a little in the bank each year."
"But how long will we be able to do so if you marry that teacher? If you bring her here, where am I to go? To the Poor House, for I won't have a cent to my name."
"I don't know what father was thinking about to put that strange clause in his will," Lemuel replied. "He was such a sensible man in other ways. But why he should not wish us to marry is more than I can understand."
"And the Trust Company has full charge of the money. We have not a word to say about it, and don't even know how much father was worth. He left everything for the Company to manage."
"That is so, Ada. We were not of age when he died, and did not trouble our heads about the will. We have always been satisfied to get our money twice a year."
"But don't you think it is time we should know more? We are over age now, so I think we should have a complete knowledge about father's business and how much he was really worth."
"We have talked about this before, Ada, and have often wondered what we could do about it."
"Have you ever tried?"
"No, I have not. I have often intended to go to the Trust Company when in the city to make some inquiries, but so far I have put it off."
"Well, I think that would pay you better than spending so much of your time upon useless stones, flowers, roots, and such things. If we don't look after our own interests no one else will."
"Suppose you, go, Ada," Lemuel suggested. "You can talk much better than I can. What a fine lawyer you would make. You have the spunk, all right."
"If I didn't have more than some men I know, I'd be ashamed of myself," Ada retorted.
Lemuel made no reply, but rising from the table, left the room. His sister continued her dish-washing and tidied up the kitchen. She was annoyed at her brother, but more so at Miss Rivers, whom she blamed for all the trouble. Until she came to the place, life had gone along very smoothly. But now all was changed. Lemuel was slipping from her grasp, and she would lose her father's money. What could she do to check her brother and bring him to his senses? She needed advice, and her thoughts naturally turned to Mrs. Winters. She was a woman to be trusted with her secret, and she would sympathize with her, at any rate, even though she might not be able to assist her in solving the problem. Yes, she would go to her at once.
