第82章 CHAPTER XVII(1)
WHEREIN MRS.COMSTOCK DANCES IN THE MOONLIGHT,AND ELNORA MAKES A CONFESSIONBilly was swinging in the hammock,at peace with himself and all the world,when he thought he heard something.
He sat bolt upright,his eyes staring.Once he opened his lips,then thought again and closed them.
The sound persisted.Billy vaulted the fence,and ran down the road with his queer sidewise hop.
When he neared the Comstock cabin,he left the warm dust of the highway and stepped softly at slower pace over the rank grasses of the roadside.He had heard aright.The violin was in the grape arbour,singing a perfect jumble of everything,poured out in an exultant tumult.The strings were voicing the joy of a happy girl heart.
Billy climbed the fence enclosing the west woods and crept toward the arbour.He was not a spy and not a sneak.
He merely wanted to satisfy his child-heart as to whether Mrs.Comstock was at home,and Elnora at last playing her loved violin with her mother's consent.
One peep sufficed.Mrs.Comstock sat in the moonlight,her head leaning against the arbour;on her face was a look of perfect peace and contentment.As he stared at her the bow hesitated a second and Mrs.Comstock spoke:
"That's all very melodious and sweet,"she said,"but Ido wish you could play Money Musk and some of the tunes I danced as a girl."Elnora had been carefully avoiding every note that might be reminiscent of her father.At the words she laughed softly and began "Turkey in the Straw."An instant later Mrs.Comstock was dancing in the moon light.Ammon sprang to her side,caught her in his arms,while to Elnora's laughter and the violin's impetus they danced until they dropped panting on the arbour bench.
Billy scarcely knew when he reached the road.His light feet barely touched the soft way,so swiftly he flew.
He vaulted the fence and burst into the house.
"Aunt Margaret!Uncle Wesley!"he screamed."Listen!
Listen!She's playing it!Elnora's playing her violin at home!And Aunt Kate is dancing like anything before the arbour!I saw her in the moonlight!I ran down!
Oh,Aunt Margaret!"
Billy fled sobbing to Margaret's breast.
"Why Billy!"she chided."Don't cry,you little dunce!
That's what we've all prayed for these many years;but you must be mistaken about Kate.I can't believe it."Billy lifted his head."Well,you just have to!"he said.
"When I say I saw anything,Uncle Wesley knows I did.
The city man was dancing with her.They danced together and Elnora laughed.But it didn't look funny to me;I was scared."
"Who was it said `wonders never cease,'"asked Wesley.
"You mark my word,once you get Kate Comstock started,you can't stop her.There's a wagon load of penned-up force in her.Dancing in the moonlight!Well,I'll be hanged!"Billy was at his side instantly."Whoever does it will have to hang me,too,"he cried.
Sinton threw his arm around Billy and drew him closely.
"Tell us all about it,son,"he said.Billy told."And when Elnora just stopped a breath,`Can't you play some of the old things I knew when I was a girl?'said her ma.
Then Elnora began to do a thing that made you want to whirl round and round,and quicker 'an scat there was her ma a-whirling.The city man,he ups and grabs her and whirls,too,and back in the woods I was going just like they did.Elnora begins to laugh,and I ran to tell you,cos I knew you'd like to know.Now,all the world is right,ain't it?"ended Billy in supreme satisfaction.
"You just bet it is!"said Wesley.
Billy looked steadily at Margaret."Is it,Aunt Margaret?"Margaret Sinton smiled at him bravely.
An hour later when Billy was ready to climb the stairs to his room,he went to Margaret to say good night.
He leaned against her an instant,then brought his lips to her ear."Wish I could get your little girls back for you!"he whispered and dashed toward the stairs.
Down at the Comstock cabin the violin played on until Elnora was so tired she scarcely could lift the bow.
Then Philip went home.The women walked to the gate with him,and stood watching him from sight.
"That's what I call one decent young man!"said Mrs.Comstock."To see him fit in with us,you'd think he'd been brought up in a cabin;but it's likely he's always had the very cream o'the pot.""Yes,I think so,"laughed Elnora,"but it hasn't hurt him.I've never seen anything I could criticise.
He's teaching me so much,unconsciously.You know he graduated from Harvard,and has several degrees in law.
He's coming in the morning,and we are going to put in a big day on Catocalae.""Which is----?"
"Those gray moths with wings that fold back like big flies,and they appear as if they had been carved from old wood.Then,when they fly,the lower wings flash out and they are red and black,or gold and black,or pink and black,or dozens of bright,beautiful colours combined with black.No one ever has classified all of them and written their complete history,unless the Bird Woman is doing it now.She wants everything she can get about them.""I remember,"said Mrs.Comstock."They are mighty pretty things.I've started up slews of them from the vines covering the logs,all my life.I must be cautious and catch them after this,but they seem powerful spry.
I might get hold of something rare."She thought intently and added,"And wouldn't know it if I did.
It would just be my luck.I've had the rarest thing on earth in reach this many a day and only had the wit to cinch it just as it was going.I'll bet I don't let anything else escape me."Next morning Philip came early,and he and Elnora went at once to the fields and woods.Mrs.Comstock had come to believe so implicitly in him that she now stayed at home to complete the work before she joined them,and when she did she often sat sewing,leaving them wandering hours at a time.It was noon before she finished,and then she packed a basket of lunch.