The Bell-Ringer of Angel's by Bret Harte
page 15 of 222 (06%)
page 15 of 222 (06%)
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came to the Bar. She fell into the water last week, and I swam out and
dragged her ashore. We talked and spoke of the past." "She fell in," echoed McGee. Wayne hesitated; then a murky blush came into his face as he slowly repeated, "She FELL in." McGee's eyes only brightened. "I have been too hard on her. She might have drowned ef you hadn't took risks. You see? You understand what I mean? And she never let out anything about it--and never boasted o' YOU helpin' her out. All right--you'll come along and see her agin'." He turned and walked cheerfully away. Wayne re-entered the cabin. He sat for a long time by the window until the stars came out above the river, and another star, with which he had been long familiar, took its place apparently in the heart of the wooded crest of the little promontory. Then the fringing woods on the opposite shore became a dark level line across the landscape, and the color seemed to fade out of the moist shining gravel before his cabin. Presently the silhouette of his dark face disappeared from the window, and Mr. McGee might have been gratified to know that he had slipped to his knees before the chair whereon he had been sitting, and that his head was bowed before it on his clasped hands. In a little while he rose again, and, dragging a battened old portmanteau from the corner, took out a number of letters tied up in a package, with which, from time to time, he slowly fed the flame that flickered on his hearth. In this way the windows of the cabin at times sprang into light, making a somewhat confusing beacon for the somewhat confused Arthur Wayne, who was returning from a visit to Angel's, and who had fallen into that slightly |
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