samantha at saratoga-第18节

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m　company；　in　a　square　yard　all　dark　and　shady　with　tall　trees。　　And　it　all　looked　kinder　dusky；　and　solemn　like。　　And　a　bystander　a　standin'　by　told　us　that　it　wuz　〃ha'nted。〃　Josiah　pawed　at　it；　and　shawed　at　the　idee　of　a　gost。　But　I　sez；　〃There！　that　is　the　only　thing　Saratoga　lacked　to　make　her　perfectly　interestin'；　and　that　is　a　gost！〃　But　agin　Josiah　pawed　at　the　idee；　and　sez；　〃There　never　wuz　such　a　thing　as　a　gost！　and　never　will　be。〃　　And　sez　he；　〃what　an　extraordenary　idiot　anybody　must　be　to　believe　in　any　sech　thing。〃　And　ag'in　he　looked　very　skernful　and　high…headed；　and　once　ag'in　he　shawed。　And　I　kep'　pretty　middlin'　calm　and　serene　and　asked　the　bystander；　when　the　gost　ha'nted；　and　where？　And　he　said；　it　opened　doors　and　blowed　out　lights　mostly；　and　trampled　up　stairs。　〃Openin'；　and　blowin'；　and　tramplin'；〃　sez　I　dreamily。　〃Yes；〃　sez　the　man；　〃that's　what　it　duz。〃　And　agin　Josiah　shawed　loud。　　And　agin　I　kep'　calm；　and　sez　I；　〃I'd　give　a　cent　to　see　it。〃　　And　sez　I；　〃Do　you　suppose　it　would　blow　out　and　trample　if　we　should　go　in？〃　But　Josiah　grasped　holt　of　my　arm　and　sez；　〃'Taint　safe！　my　dear　Samantha！　don't　le's　go　near　the　house。〃　〃Why？　〃　sez　I　coldly；　〃you　say　there　haint　no　sech　thing　as　a　gost；　what　are　you　afraid　on？〃　His　teeth　wuz　fairly　chatterin'。　　〃Oh！　there　might　be　spiders　there；　or　mice；　it　haint　best　to　go。〃　I　turned　silently　round　and　started　on；　for　my　companion's　looks　was　pitiful　in　the　extreme。　　But　I　merely　observed　this；　as　we　wended　onwards；　〃I　have　always　noticed　this；　Josiah　Allen；　that　them　that　shaw　the　most　at　sech　things；　are　the　ones　whose　teeth　chatter　when　they　come　a　nigh　'em；　showin'　plain　that　the　shawers　are　really　the　ones　that　believe　in　'em。〃　〃My　teeth　chattered；〃　sez　he；　〃because　my　gooms　ache。〃　〃Well；〃　sez　I；　〃the　leest　said　the　soonest　mended。〃　　And　we　went　on　fast　ag'in　by　big　houses　and　little；　and　boardin'　houses；　and　boardin'　houses；　and　boardin'　houses；　and　tavrens；　and　tavrens；　and　he　kept　me　a　walkin'　till　my　feet　wuz　most　blistered。　I　see　what　his　aim　wuz；　I　had　recognized　it　all　the　hull　time。　But　as　we　went　up　the　stairway　into　our　room；　perfectly　tuckered　out；　both　on　us；　I　sez　to　him；　in　weary　axents；　〃That　picture　wuz　cheap　enough；　for　the　money；　wuzn't　it？〃　He　groaned　aloud。　　And　sech　is　my　love　for　that　man；　that　the　minute　I　heard　that　groan　I　immegetly　added；　〃Though　I　hadn't　no　idee　of　buyin'　it；　Josiah。〃　Immegetly　he　smiled　warmly；　and　wuz　very　affectionate　in　his　demeener　to　me　for　as　much　as　two　hours　and　a　half。　　Sech　is　the　might　of　human　love。　His　hurryin'　me　over　them　swelterin'　and　blisterin'　streets；　and　showin'　me　all　the　beauty　and　glory　of　the　world；　and　his　conversation　had　no　effect；　skercely　on　my　mind。　　But　what　them　hours　of　frenzied　effert　could　not　accomplish；　that　one　still；　small　groan　did。　　I　love　that　man。　　I　almost　worship　him；　and　he　me；　vise　versey；　and　the　same。　We　found　that　Ardelia　Tutt　had　been　to　see　us　in　our　absence。　　She　had　been　into　our　room　I　see；　for　she　had　dropped　one　of　her　mits　there。　　And　the　chambermaid　said　she　had　been　in　and　waited　for　us　quite　a　spell　…　the　young　man　a　waitin'　below　on　the　piazza；　so　I　s'posed。　I　expect　Ardelia　wanted　to　show　him　off　to　us　and　I　myself　wuz　quite　anxus　to　see　him；　feelin'　worried　and　oncomfertable　about　Abram　Gee　and　wantin'　to　see　if　this　young　chap　wuz　anywhere　nigh　as　good　as　Abram。　Well　about　a　hour　after　we　came　back；　Josiah　missed　his　glasses　he　reads　with。　　And　we　looked　all　over　the　house　for　'em；　and　under　the　bed；　and　on　the　ceilin'；　and　through　our　trunks　and　bandboxes；　and　all　our　pockets；　and　in　the　Bible；　and　Josiah's　boots；　and　everywhere。　　And　finely；　after　givin'　'em　up　as　lost；　the　idee　come　to　us　that　they　might　possibly　have　ketched　on　the　fringe　of　Ardelia's　shawl；　and　so　rode　home　with　her　on　it。　So　we　sent　one　of　the　office…boys　home　with　her　mit　and　asked　her　if　she　had　seen　Josiah's　glasses。　　And　word　come　back　by　the　boy　that　she　hadn't　seen　'em；　and　she　sent　word　to　me　to　look　on　my　pardner's　head　for　'em；　and　sure　enough　there　we　found　'em；　right　on　his　foretop；　to　both　of　our　surprises。　She　sent　also　by　the　boy　a　poem　she　had　wrote　that　afternoon；　and　sent　word　how　sorry　she　wuz　I　wuzn't　to　home　to　see　Mr。　Flamburg。　But　I　see　him　only　a　day　or　two　after　that；　and　I　didn't　like　his　looks　a　mite。　But　he　said；　and　stuck　to　it；　that　his　father　owned　a　large　bank；　that　he　wuz　a　banker；　and　a　doin'　a　heavy　business。　Wall；　that　raised　him　dretfully　in　Ardelia's　eyes；　she　owned　up　to　me　that　it　did。　　She　owned　to　me　that　she　lead　always　thought　she　would　love　to　be　a　Banker's　Bride。　　She　thought　it　sounded　rich。　She　said；　〃banker　sounded　so　different　from　baker。〃　I　sez　to　her　coolly；　that　〃it　wuz　only　a　difference　of　one　letter；　and　I　never　wuz　much　of　a　one　to　put　the　letter　N　above　any　of　the　others；　or　to　be　haughty　on　havin'　it　added　to；　or　diminished　from　my　name。〃　But　she　kep'　on　a　goin'　with　him。　　She　told　me　it　wuz　real　romanticle　the　way　he　got　aquanted　with　her。　　He　see　her　onbeknown　to　her　one　day；　when　she　wuz　a　writin'　a　poem　on　one　of　the　benches　in　the　park。　〃A　Poem　on　a　Bench！〃　She　wuz　a　settin'　on　the　bench；　and　a　writin'　about　it；　she　was　a　writin'　on　the　bench　in　two　different　ways。　　Curius；　haint　it？　But　to　resoom。　　He　immegetly　fell　in　love　with　her。　　And　he　got　a　feller　who　wuz　a　boardin'　to　his　boardin'　place　to　interduce　him　to　Ardelia's　relative；　Mr。　Pixley；　and　Mr。　Pixley　interduced　him　to　Ardelia。　　He　told　Ardelia's　relatives　the　same　story　…　　That　his　father　wuz　a　banker；　that　he　owned　a　bank　and　wuz　doin'　a　heavy　business。　Wall；　I　watched　that　young　chap；　and　watched　him　close；　and　I　see　there　wuz　one　thing　about　him　that　could　be　depended　on；　he　wuz　truthful。　He　seemed　almost　morbid　on　the　subject；　and　would　dispute　himself　half　a　hour；　to　get　a　thing　or　a　story　he　wuz　tellin'　jest　exactly　right。　　But　he　drinked；　that　I　know　for　I　know　the　symptoms。　Coffee　can't　blind　the　eyes　of　her　that　waz　once　Smith；　nor　peppermint　cast　a　mist　before　'em。　　My　nose　could　have　took　its　oath；　if　noses　wuz　ever　put　onto　a　bar　of　Justice　…　my　nose　would　have　gin　its　firm　testimony　that　Bial　Flamburg　drinked。　And　there　wuz　that　sort　of　a　air　about　him；　that　I　can't　describe　exactly　…　a　sort　of　a　half　offish；　half　familier　and　wholly　disagreeable　mean；　that　can　be　onderstood　but　not　described。　　No；　you　can't　picture　that　liniment；　but　you　can　be　affected　by　it。　Wall；　Bial　had　it。　And　I　kep'　on　a　not　likin'　him；　and　kep'　stiddy　onwards　a　likin'　Abram　Gee。　　I　couldn't　help　it；　nor　did'nt　want　to。　　And　I　looked　out　constant　to　ketch　him　in　some　big　story　that　would　break　him　right　down　in　Ardelia's　eyes；　for　I　knew　if　she　had　been　brought　up　on　any　one　commandment　more'n　another；　it　wuz　the　one　ag'inst　lyin'。　　She　hated　lyin'。　She　had　been　brought　up　on　the　hull　of　the　commandments　but　on　that　one　in　particeler；　she　wuz　brung　up　sharp　but　good。　　But　not　one　lie　could　I　ketch　him　in。　　And　he　stuck　to　it；　that　his　father　wuz　a　banker　and　doin'　a　heavy　business。　Wall；　it　kep'　on；　she　a　goin'　with　him　through　ambition；　for　I　see　plain；　by　signs　I　knoo；　that　she　didn't　love　him　half　as　well　as　she　did　Abram。　　And　I　felt　bad；　dretful　bad；　to　set　still　and　see　Ambition　ondoin'　of　her。　　For　oft　and　oft　she　would　speak　to　me　of　Bial's　father's　bank　and　the　heft　of　the　business　he　wuz　a　doin'。　And　I　finally　got　so　worked　up　in　my　mind　that　I　gin　a　sly　hint　to　Abram　Gee；　that　if　he　ever　wanted　to　get　Ardelia　Tutt；　he　had　better　make　a　summer　trip　to　Saratoga。　　I　never　told　Ardelia　what　I　had　done；　but　trusted　to　a　overrulin'　destiny；　that　seems　to　enrap　babys；　and　lunatiks；　and　soft　little　wimmen；　when　their　heads　get　kinder　turned　by　a　man；　and　to　Abram's　honest　face　when　she　should　compare　it　with　Bial　Flamburg's；　and　to　Abram's　pure；　sweet　breath　with　that　mixture　of　stale　cigars；　tobacco；　beer；　and　peppermint。　But　Abram　wrote　back　to　me　that　his　mother　wuz　a　lyin'　at　the　p'int　of　death　with　a　fever　…　that　his　sister　Susan　wuz　sick　a　bed　with　the　same　fever　and　couldn't　come　a　nigh　her　and　he　couldn't　leave　what　might　be　his　mother's　death…bed。　　And　he　sez；　if　Ardelia　had　forgot　him　in　so　short　a　time；　mebby　it　wuz　the　best　thing　he　could　do；　to　try　and　forget　her。　　Anyway；　he　wouldn't　leave　his　dying　mother　for　anything　or　anybody。　That　wuz　Abram　Gee　all　over；　a　doin'　his　duty　every　time　by　bread　and　humanity。　　But　he　added　a　postscript　and　it　wuz　wrote　in　a　agitated　hand　…　that　jest　as　soon　as　his　mother　got　so　he　could　leave　her；　he　should　come　to　Saratoga。


IX。　JOSIAH　'S　FLIRTATIONS。

They　say　there　is　a　sight　of　flirtin'　done　at　Saratoga。　　I　didn't　hear　so　much　about　it　as　Josiah　did；　naturally　there　are　things　that　are　talked　of　more　amongst　men　than　women。　　Night　after　night　he　would　come　home　and　tell　me　how　fashionable　it　wuz；　and　pretty　soon　I　could　see　that　he　kinder　wanted　to　follow　the　fashion。　I　told　him　from　the　first　on't　that　he'd　better　let　it　entirely　alone。　　Says　I；　〃Josiah　Allen；　you　wouldn't　never　carry　it　through　successful　if　you　should　undertake　it　　and　then　think　of　the　wickedness　on't。〃　But　he　seemed　sot。　　He　said　〃it　wuz　more　fashionable　amongst　married　men　and　wimmen；　than　the　more　single　ones；〃　he　said　〃it　wuz　dretful　fashi