what diantha did-第29节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


delivery　wagon！〃

That　was　the　universal　comment　in　Orchardina　circles　as　the　months
passed　and　Union　House　continued　in　existence〃I　don't　see　how　she　does
it！〃



WHAT　DIANTHA　DID


CHAPTER　XII

LIKE　A　BANYAN　TREE


The　Earth…Plants　spring　up　from　beneath；
　The　Air…Plants　swing　down　from　above；
　　But　the　Banyan　trees　grow
　　Both　above　and　below；
　And　one　makes　a　prosperous　grove。


In　the　fleeting　opportunities　offered　by　the　Caffeteria；　and　in　longer
moments；　rather　neatly　planned　for；　with　some　remnants　of　an　earlier
ingenuity；　Mr。　Thaddler　contrived　to　become　acquainted　with　Mrs。　Bell。　
Diantha　never　quite　liked　him；　but　he　won　her　mother's　heart　by　frank
praise　of　the　girl　and　her　ventures。

〃I　never　saw　a　smarter　woman　in　my　life；〃　he　said；　〃and　no　airs。　　I　tell
you；　ma'am；　if　there　was　more　like　her　this　world　would　be　an　easier
place　to　live　in；　and　I　can　see　she　owes　it　all　to　you；　ma'am。〃

This　the　mother　would　never　admit　for　a　moment；　but　expatiated　loyally
on　the　scientific　mind　of　Mr。　Henderson　Bell；　still　of　Jopalez。

〃I　don't　see　how　he　can　bear　to　let　her　out　of　his　sight；〃　said　Mr。
Thaddler。

〃Of　course　he　hated　to　let　her　go；〃　replied　the　lady。　　〃We　both　did。　
But　he　is　very　proud　of　her　now。〃

〃I　guess　there's　somebody　else　who's　proud　of　her；　too；〃　he　suggested。　
〃Excuse　me；　ma'am；　I　don't　mean　to　intrude；　but　we　know　there　must　be　a
good　reason　for　your　daughter　keeping　all　Orchardina　at　a　distance。　
Why；　she　could　have　married　six　times　over　in　her　first　year　here！〃

〃She　does　not　wish　to　give　up　her　work；〃　Mrs。　Bell　explained。

〃Of　course　not；　and　why　should　she？　　Nice；　womanly　business；　I　am　sure。　
I　hope　nobody'd　expect　a　girl　who　can　keep　house　for　a　whole　township　to
settle　down　to　bossing　one　man　and　a　hired　girl。〃

In　course　of　time　he　got　a　pretty　clear　notion　of　how　matters　stood；　and
meditated　upon　it；　seriously　rolling　his　big　cigar　about　between　pursed
lips。　　Mr。　Thaddler　was　a　good　deal　of　a　gossip；　but　this　he　kept　to
himself；　and　did　what　he　could　to　enlarge　the　patronage　of　Union　House。

The　business　grew。　　It　held　its　own　in　spite　of　fluctuations；　and　after
a　certain　point　began　to　spread　steadily。　　Mrs。　Bell's　coming　and　Mr。
Eltwood's　ardent　championship；　together　with　Mr。　Thaddler's；　quieted　the
dangerous　slanders　which　had　imperilled　the　place　at　one　time。　　They
lingered；　subterraneously；　of　course。　　People　never　forget　slanders。　　A
score　of　years　after　there　were　to　be　found　in　Orchardina　folk　who　still
whispered　about　dark　allegations　concerning　Union　House；　and　the　papers
had　done　some　pretty　serious　damage；　but　the　fame　of　good　food；　good
service；　cheapness　and　efficiency　made　steady　headway。

In　view　of　the　increase　and　of　the　plans　still　working　in　her　mind；
Diantha　made　certain　propositions　to　Mr。　Porne；　and　also　to　Mrs。　Porne；
in　regard　to　a　new；　specially　built　club…house　for　the　girls。

〃I　have　proved　what　they　can　do；　with　me　to　manage　them；　and　want　now　to
prove　that　they　can　do　it　themselves；　with　any　matron　competent　to
follow　my　directions。　　The　house　need　not　be　so　expensive；　one　big
dining…room；　with　turn…up　tables　like　those　ironing…board　seat…tables；
you　knowthen　they　can　dance　there。　　Small　reception　room　and　office；
hall；　kitchen　and　laundry；　and　thirty　bedrooms；　forty　by　thirty；　with　an
〃ell〃　for　the　laundry；　ought　to　do　it；　oughtn't　it？〃

Mrs。　Porne　agreed　to　make　plans；　and　did　so　most　successfully；　and　Mr。
Porne　found　small　difficulty　in　persuading　an　investor　to　put　up　such　a
house；　which　visibly　could　be　used　as　a　boarding…house　or　small　hotel；
if　it　failed　in　its　first　purpose。

It　was　built　of　concrete；　a　plain　simple　structure；　but　fine　in
proportions　and　pleasantly　colored。

Diantha　kept　her　plans　to　herself；　as　usual；　but　they　grew　so　fast　that
she　felt　a　species　of　terror　sometimes；　lest　the　ice　break　somewhere。

〃Steady；　now！〃　she　would　say。　　〃This　is　real　business；　just　plain
business。　　There's　no　reason　why　I　shouldn't　succeed　as　well　as　Fred
Harvey。　　I　will　succeed。　　I　am　succeeding。〃

She　kept　well；　she　worked　hard；　she　was　more　than　glad　to　have　her
mother　with　her；　but　she　wanted　something　else；　which　seemed　farther　off
than　ever。　　Her　lover's　picture　hung　on　the　wall　of　her　bedroom；　stood
on　her　bureau；　and　（but　this　was　a　secret）　a　small　one　was　carried　in
her　bosom。

Rather　a　grim　looking　young　woman；　Diantha；　with　the　cares　of　the　world
of　house…keepers　upon　her　proud　young　shoulders；　with　all　the　stirring
hopes　to　be　kept　within　bounds；　all　the　skulking　fears　to　be　resisted；
and　the　growing　burden　of　a　large　affair　to　be　carried　steadily。

But　when　she　woke；　in　the　brilliant　California　mornings；　she　would　lie
still　a　few　moments　looking　at　the　face　on　the　wall　and　the　face　on　the
bureau；　would　draw　the　little　picture　out　from　under　her　pillow　and　kiss
it；　would　say　to　herself　for　the　thousandth　time；　〃It　is　for　him；　too。〃

She　missed　him；　always。

The　very　vigor　of　her　general　attitude；　the　continued　strength　with
which　she　met　the　days　and　carried　them；　made　it　all　the　more　needful
for　her　to　have　some　one　with　whom　she　could　forget　every　care；　every
purpose；　every　effort；　some　one　who　would　put　strong　arms　around　her　and
call　her　〃Little　Girl。〃　　His　letters　were　both　a　comfort　and　a　pain。　　He
was　loyal；　kind；　loving；　but　always　that　wall　of　disapproval。　　He　loved
her；　he　did　not　love　her　work。

She　read　them　over　and　over；　hunting　anew　for　the　tender　phrases；　the
things　which　seemed　most　to　feed　and　comfort　her。　　She　suffered　not　only
from　her　loneliness；　but　from　his；　and　most　keenly　from　his　sternly
suppressed　longing　for　freedom　and　the　work　that　belonged　to　him。

〃Why　can't　he　see；〃　she　would　say　to　herself；　〃that　if　this　succeeds；　he
can　do　his　work；　that　I　can　make　it　possible　for　him？　　And　he　won't　let
me。　　He　won't　take　it　from　me。　　Why　are　men　so　proud？　　Is　there　anything
so　ignominious　about　a　woman　that　it　is　disgraceful　to　let　one　help　you？
　And　why　can't　he　think　at　all　about　the　others？　　It's　not　just　us；　it's
all　people。　　If　this　works；　men　will　have　easier　times；　as　well　as
women。　　Everybody　can　do　their　real　work　better　with　this　old　primitive
business　once　set　right。〃

And　then　it　was　always　time　to　get　up；　or　time　to　go　to　bed；　or　time　to
attend　to　some　of　the　numberless　details　of　her　affairs。

She　and　her　mother　had　an　early　lunch　before　the　caffeteria　opened；　and
were　glad　of　the　afternoon　tea；　often　held　in　a　retired　corner　of　the
broad　piazza。　　She　sat　there　one　hot；　dusty　afternoon；　alone　and
unusually　tired。　　The　asphalted　street　was　glaring　and　noisy；　the　cross
street　deep　in　soft　dust；　for　months　unwet。

Failure　had　not　discouraged　her；　but　increasing　success　with　all　its
stimulus　and　satisfaction　called　for　more　and　more　power。　　Her　mind　was
busy　foreseeing；　arranging；　providing　for　emergencies；　and　then　the
whole　thing　slipped　away　from　her；　she　dropped　her　head　upon　her　arm　for
a　moment；　on　the　edge　of　the　tea　table；　and　wished　for　Ross。

From　down　the　street　and　up　the　street　at　this　moment；　two　men　were
coming；　both　young；　both　tall；　both　good　looking；　both　apparently
approaching　Union　House。　　One　of　them　was　the　nearer；　and　his　foot　soon
sounded　on　the　wooden　step。　　The　other　stopped　and　looked　in　a　shop
window。

Diantha　started　up；　came　forward；it　was　Mr。　Eltwood。　　She　had　a　vague
sense　of　disappointment；　but　received　him　cordially。　　He　stood　there；
his　hat　off；　holding　her　hand　for　a　long　moment；　and　gazing　at　her　with
evident　admiration。　　They　turned　and　sat　down　in　the　shadow　of　the
reed…curtained　corner。

The　man　at　the　shop　window　turned；　too；　and　went　away。

Mr。　Eltwood　had　been　a　warm　friend　and　cordial　supporter　from　the　epoch
of　the　Club…splitting　speech。　　He　had　helped　materially　in　the　slow；
up…hill　days　of　the　girl's　effort；　with　faith　and　kind　words。　　He　had
met　the　mother's　coming　with　most　friendly　advances；　and　Mrs。　Bell　found
herself　much　at　home　in　his　liberal　little　church。

Diantha　had　grown　to　like　and　trust　him　much。

〃What's　this　about　the　new　house；　Miss　Bell？　　Your　mother　says　I　may
know。〃

〃Why　not？〃　she　said。　　〃You　have　followed　this　thing　from　the　first。　
Sugar　or　lemon？　　You　see　I　want　to　disentangle　the　undertakings；　set
them　upon　their　own　separate　feet；　and　establish　the　practical　working
of　each　one。〃

〃I　see；〃　he　said；　〃and　'day　service'　is　not　'cooked　food　delivery。'〃

〃Nor　yet　'rooms　for　entertainment；'　she　agreed。　　〃We've　got　them　all
labelled；　mother　and　I。　　There's　the　'd。　s。'　and　'c。　f。　d。'　and　'r。　f。
e。'　and　the　'p。　p。'　　That's　picnics　and　parties。　　And　more　coming。〃

〃What；　more　yet？　　You'll　kill　yourself；　Miss　Bell。　　Don't　go　too　fast。　
You　are　doing　a　great　work　for　humanity。　　Why　not　take　a　little　more
time？〃

〃I　want　to　do　it　as　quickly　as　I　can；　for　reasons；〃　answered　Diantha。

Mr。　Eltwood　looked　at　her　with　tender　understanding。　　〃I　don't　want　to
intrude　any　further　than　you　are　willing　to　want　me；〃　he　said；　〃but
sometimes　I　think　that　even　youstrong　as　you　arewould　be　better　for
some　help。〃

She　did　not　contradict　him。　　Her　hands　were　in　her　lap；　her　eyes　on　the
worn　boards