"Yes--he said that--and a whole lot more. Said I've eternally
disgraced him and dragged him down and will land him in jail or the
poorhouse. And I guess maybe it's so. Only all the time he was
talking I kept thinking how he teased me to marry him. I really liked
Bud Willis over in Elmwood better, in a way, than I did John. And I
meant to marry Bud. He wasn't as good a boy as John, but he was so
jolly and we'd have had such a good time together that I'd never have
got mixed up in any mess like this. Maybe we would have ended in the
poorhouse but we'd have had a good time going, and I bet Bud and I
would have found something to laugh at even when we got there. Oh, I'm
glad it's over. Don't think I'm afraid to die. I kind of hate to
leave Robbie. Robbie's like me. And some day somebody'll tell him
what a fool he is--like they told me. I wish I could warn him or learn
him not to care. But, barring Robbie, I'm not afraid to go. But I'd
be afraid to live. To live all the rest of my days on my back or in a
chair--I--who was made to go? John can't abide me well and able to
work. He'd hate the sight of me useless. No, sir! There's nothing
nor nobody I'd sit in a chair for all the rest of my life."
"Yes, there is--Peggy.
Pages:
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338