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11 - The Warrior Queen · Queen Hildegarde

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  Speaker 1: Chapter eleven of Queen Hildegard by lour Elizabeth Harvey Richards,
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  Speaker 1: Miss Slippery Vox. According is in the public domain. Chapter
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  Speaker 1: eleven The Warrior Queen Happily, Happily, the days and weeks
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  Speaker 1: slept by a curtly palm, And now September was half gone,
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  Speaker 1: and in two weeks more Hilda's parents would return. The
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  Speaker 1: letter had just arrived, which fixed the date of their homecoming,
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  Speaker 1: and Hildegard had carried it upstairs to fist on it.
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  Speaker 1: In her own room. She sat by the window in
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  Speaker 1: the little white rocking chair and read the words over
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  Speaker 1: and over again. In two weeks, really, in two weeks
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  Speaker 1: she should see her mother again. It was too good
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  Speaker 1: to be true. Dragons, do you hear, she cried, turning
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  Speaker 1: towards the wash, and standed. You have seen my mother, dragons,
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  Speaker 1: and she has washed her little blessed fast in your bowl.
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  Speaker 1: I should think that might have stopped your ramping, if
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  Speaker 1: anything could, Or have you been waving your pause for
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  Speaker 1: joy ever since? I may have been unjust to you, dragons.
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  Speaker 1: The blue dragons, as usual, refused to commit themselves, and
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  Speaker 1: as usual, the gilt cher roots round the looking glass
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  Speaker 1: were shocked at their rudeness, and tried to atone for
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  Speaker 1: it by smiling as hard as they possibly could. Such
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  Speaker 1: dear sympathetic cher rooms, said the happy girl, bending forward
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  Speaker 1: to kiss one of them as she was brushing her hair.
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  Speaker 1: Do not ramp and glow when one tells you that
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  Speaker 1: one's mother is coming home. I know you're glad, you
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  Speaker 1: dear old things. And then, suddenly, even while she was
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  Speaker 1: laughing at the cherobs, her thought struck her, which sent
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  Speaker 1: upon through her heart. The Cheroks would still smile just
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  Speaker 1: the same when she was gone. Ah, it was not
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  Speaker 1: all delight, this great news. There was sorrow mingled with
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  Speaker 1: the rapture. Her heart was with her parents. Of course,
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  Speaker 1: the more thought of seeing her mother's face, fearing her
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  Speaker 1: father's voice sent the blood dancing through her veins. And
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  Speaker 1: yet she must leave the farm. She must live Nurse
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  Speaker 1: Lucie and the farmer, and they would miss her. They
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  Speaker 1: loved her. How could they help it when she loved
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  Speaker 1: them so much? And the pain came again as a
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  Speaker 1: heart as she recalled the sad smile with which the
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  Speaker 1: farmer had handed her this letter. Good news for you, Haldy,
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  Speaker 1: he said, but bad for the rest of us, I reckon.
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  Speaker 1: Had he had ward also, or did he just know
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  Speaker 1: that this was about the time they had meant to return. Oh,
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  Speaker 1: but she will come out so often to the farm.
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  Speaker 1: Papa Mamma will be willing, would wish her to come,
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  Speaker 1: And she could not live long at a time in
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  Speaker 1: town without refreshing herself with a breath of real air,
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  Speaker 1: country air. She might have wilted along somehow for sixteen years,
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  Speaker 1: but she had never been really alive, had she till
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  Speaker 1: this summer. Pink and Bubble too, the old miss are
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  Speaker 1: almost as much. But that did not trouble her, for
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  Speaker 1: she had a plan in my head for Pink and Bubble,
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  Speaker 1: a great plan which was to be whispered to Papa
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  Speaker 1: almost the very moment she saw him, Not quite the
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  Speaker 1: very moment, but the next thing to eat. The plan
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  Speaker 1: would please mass Lucian the farmer, true, would please them
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  Speaker 1: almost as much as he delighted her to think about it.
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  Speaker 1: Happy thought, she will go down now and tell the
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  Speaker 1: farm about it. Miss Lucy was lying down with bad headache,
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  Speaker 1: she knew, But the farmer was still in the kitchen.
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  Speaker 1: She heard him moving about now. Oh, he had said
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  Speaker 1: he was going off to the orchard. She would steal
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  Speaker 1: in softly and startle him. And then, full of happy
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  Speaker 1: and loving thoughts, Hintergard slipped quietly down the stairs and
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  Speaker 1: across the hall and peeped in at the kitchen door
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  Speaker 1: to see what the farmer was doing. He was at
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  Speaker 1: the further end of the room, with his back turnds
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  Speaker 1: to her, rooping down over his desk. What was he doing?
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  Speaker 1: What a singular attitude he was in? Then, all in
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  Speaker 1: a moment, Hilda's heart seemed to stop beating, and her
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  Speaker 1: breath came thick and short, for she saw that this
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  Speaker 1: man before her was not the farmer. The farmer had
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  Speaker 1: not long elf, locks of black hair struggling over his
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  Speaker 1: coat collar. He was not round shouldered or bow legged.
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  Speaker 1: Above all, he will not be picking the lock of
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  Speaker 1: his own desk, for this was what the man before
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  Speaker 1: I was doing. Silent as her own shadow, Hildergard slipped
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  Speaker 1: back into the hall and stood still a moment, collecting
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  Speaker 1: her thoughts. What should she do? Call them? Hardly, poor
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  Speaker 1: dear was suffering much, and why should she be disturbed?
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  Speaker 1: Ran to find the farmer, she might have to run
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  Speaker 1: all over the farm. No, she would attend to this herself.
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  Speaker 1: She was not in the list of red. She knew
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  Speaker 1: pretty well what ugly face would look up at her
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  Speaker 1: when she spoke, for she felt sure that the slouching
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  Speaker 1: and gainly figure was that of Simon Hartley. Her heart
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  Speaker 1: burned with indignation against the graceless, thankless child who could
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  Speaker 1: rob the man whose charity he had been leaving for
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  Speaker 1: two years. She made a step forward with words of
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  Speaker 1: rightious wrath on her lips, then paused as a new
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  Speaker 1: thought struck her. This man was an absolute ruffian, and
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  Speaker 1: though she believed him to be an absolute coward, also
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  Speaker 1: still he must know what she and the Martley were
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  Speaker 1: alone in the house. He must know also that the
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  Speaker 1: farmer was at some distance, else you would not have
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  Speaker 1: ventured to do this. What should she do, she asked
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  Speaker 1: herself again. She looked round her, and her eyes fell
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  Speaker 1: upon the old horse pistol, which rested on a couple
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  Speaker 1: of hooks over the door. The farmer had taken it
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  Speaker 1: down only a day or two before to show it
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  Speaker 1: to her un tell her its story. It was not loaded,
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  Speaker 1: but Simon did not know that. She stepped lightly upon
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  Speaker 1: a chair, and in a moment had taken the pistol down.
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  Speaker 1: It was a formidable looking weapon, and Hildergard surveyed it
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  Speaker 1: with much satisfaction as she turned once more to enter
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  Speaker 1: the kitchen. Unloaded as it was, it gave her feeling
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  Speaker 1: of entire confidence, and her voice was quite steady, and
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  Speaker 1: she said, simon, hartly, what are you doing to your
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  Speaker 1: uncle's desk? The man started violently and turned round his
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  Speaker 1: handful of papers, which he had taken from one of
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  Speaker 1: the drawers. He changed color when he saw the city girl,
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  Speaker 1: as he invariably termed Hilda, and he had said, salmly
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  Speaker 1: eating something for uncle. That is not true, said Hildegard quietly.
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  Speaker 1: I have heard your uncle expressly forbid you to go
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  Speaker 1: near that desk. Put those papers back. The man hesitated,
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  Speaker 1: his little ferret eyes shifting uneasily from her to the
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  Speaker 1: desk and back again. I guess I am going to
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  Speaker 1: take orders from no girl, muttered huskily. Put those papers back,
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  Speaker 1: repeated Hildegard, standing with a sudden light in her gray eyes.
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  Speaker 1: She made a rascal step backward and thrust the papers
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  Speaker 1: hurriedly into the drawer, after which she began to blust,
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  Speaker 1: as if the manner of cowards. Put his thing. City girls,
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  Speaker 1: come in towing proud with the ears, and shut the drawer,
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  Speaker 1: said Hildergard quietly. But Simon's luggish blood was warmed by
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  Speaker 1: his little bluster, and he took courage as he reflected
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  Speaker 1: that this was only a slight girl, and that no
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  Speaker 1: one else was in the house except old ma'am, and
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  Speaker 1: that many broad meadows into avened between him and the
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  Speaker 1: farmer's out arm would frighten her bit anger the money.
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  Speaker 1: After all, we'll see about that, he said, taking a
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  Speaker 1: step towards Hilda with an evil look in his red eyes.
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  Speaker 1: I'll settle a little account with you first, my fine lady.
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  Speaker 1: I'll teach you to come spying round on me this way. Yet,
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  Speaker 1: ain't give me a civil word. Sence, she come here
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  Speaker 1: and i'll here. Simon stopped suddenly, for without a word,
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  Speaker 1: hilder Gadad raised the pistol, which he had not seen
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  Speaker 1: before as her hands was behind her, and leveled it
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  Speaker 1: full at his head, keeping her eyes steadily fixed on him.
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  Speaker 1: With a howl of terror. A rered staggered back, putting
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  Speaker 1: up his hands toward off the expected shot. Don't shoot,
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  Speaker 1: he gasped, while his color changed to a livid green. Aye,
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  Speaker 1: I didn't mean nothing I saw. I didn't miss Graham.
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  Speaker 1: I was only fully and he tried to smile, a
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  Speaker 1: sickly smile, but his eyes fell before the stern glance
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  Speaker 1: of that gray eyes fixed so unwevering on him. Go
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  Speaker 1: to your room, said Hilda briefly. He hesitated, The log clicked,
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  Speaker 1: and the girl took deliberate to him. I'm going, shrieked
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  Speaker 1: the rascal and began backing toward the door, while Hinda
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  Speaker 1: followed step by step, still covering him with her deadly weapon.
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  Speaker 1: Acrossed the kitchen and the back hole in the way,
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  Speaker 1: and Simon stumbled against the narrow stairs which led to
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  Speaker 1: his garret room. I doesn't turn round to go up,
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  Speaker 1: he wind, he'll shoot me in the back. No answer,
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  Speaker 1: but the lock loiked again more ominously than before. He
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  Speaker 1: turned and flagged up the stairs, muttering cursses under his breath.
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  Speaker 1: Hildegard closed the door at the foot of the stairs,
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  Speaker 1: which generally stood open, bolted it and pushed a heavy
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  Speaker 1: table against it. Then she went back into the kitchen,
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  Speaker 1: sat down in her own little chair and laughed, Yes, laughed.
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  Speaker 1: The absurdity of the whole episode, the ruffian quaking and
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  Speaker 1: fleeing before the empty pistol, Her own martial, fierceness and
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  Speaker 1: sanguinary determination struck her with irresistible force, and peel after
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  Speaker 1: peal of silvery laughter rang through the kitchen. Perhaps it
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  Speaker 1: was partly hysterical, for her nerves were unconsciously strung to
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  Speaker 1: a high pitch, but she was still laughing, and still
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  Speaker 1: holding the terrible pistol in her hand. When Dame Hartley
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  Speaker 1: entered the kitchen, looking startled and uneasy, Dear Hilda said,
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  Speaker 1: the good woman, what has been going on? I thought,
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  Speaker 1: surely I heard a man's voice here, And why, good
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  Speaker 1: gracious child, what are you doing with that pistol? Hildegard
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  Speaker 1: saw that there was nothing for it but to tell
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  Speaker 1: the simple truth, which she did in as few words
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  Speaker 1: as possible, trying to make light of the whole episode.
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  Speaker 1: But Dame Hartley was not to be deceived, and so
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  Speaker 1: at once the whole significance of what had happened. She
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  Speaker 1: was deeply moved. My dear brave child, she said, kissing
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  Speaker 1: Hilda warmly, to think of you facing that great Vilaine
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  Speaker 1: and driving him away. The courage of you, though, to
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  Speaker 1: be sure, any one could see it in your eyes,
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  Speaker 1: and your father a soldier so many of your days too.
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  Speaker 1: Oh it was not I who frightened him, said ernest
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  Speaker 1: Tilda to the old pistol. But Nurse Lucie only shook
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  Speaker 1: her head and kissed her again. The thought of Simon's
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  Speaker 1: gratitude and treachery next absorbed her mind, and tears of
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  Speaker 1: anger stood him her kind blue eyes. It was a
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  Speaker 1: black day for my poor man, she said, when he
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  Speaker 1: brought that fellow to the house. I mistrusted him from
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  Speaker 1: the first look at his arty face. A man who
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  Speaker 1: can't look in their eyes. Well there, that's my opinion
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  Speaker 1: of him. Why did the farmer bring him here? Asked Tilda.
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  Speaker 1: I have often wondered. Why tis a long story, my dear,
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  Speaker 1: said Miss Lucy, smoothing her approon and preparing for a
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  Speaker 1: comfortable chat, For she said, Tremond would not dare to
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  Speaker 1: start from his room, even if he could get out,
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  Speaker 1: which he can't. Of all his brothers, my husband loved
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  Speaker 1: his brother Simon best. He was a handsome, clever fellow.
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  Speaker 1: Simon was. Don't you remember my dear farmer speaking of him?
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  Speaker 1: One day when you first came here and telling her
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  Speaker 1: he wanted to be a gentleman, and I turned the
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  Speaker 1: talk when you asked what became of him? In there noted, nodded, assent. Well,
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  Speaker 1: mass Lucy continued, that was because no good came of him,
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  Speaker 1: and I knew it. Next farmer to think on it,
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  Speaker 1: let alone Simon's son being there. It was all through
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  Speaker 1: his wanting to be a gentleman that Simon got into
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  Speaker 1: bad ways, making friends with people who had money, got
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  Speaker 1: to thinking he must have it, or must make believe
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  Speaker 1: he had it, so he spent all he had, and then,
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  Speaker 1: oh dear, he forged his father's name, and the farm
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  Speaker 1: had to be mortgaged to get him out of prison.
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  Speaker 1: And then he took to drink him and went from
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  Speaker 1: birth to worse, and finally died in misery and wretchedness.
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  Speaker 1: Dear dear, it almost broke Jacob's heart that it did.
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  Speaker 1: He had tried, if ever man, tried to save his brother,
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  Speaker 1: but twas of no use, seemed as if he was
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  Speaker 1: bound to ruin himself, and nothing could stop him. When
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  Speaker 1: he died. His wife he married her thinking she had money,
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  Speaker 1: and he turned out she had n't a pen took
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  Speaker 1: the child and went back to her own people, and
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  Speaker 1: we heard nothing more till about two years ago, when
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  Speaker 1: this boy came to Jacob with a letter from his
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  Speaker 1: mother's folks. She was dead, and they said they couldn't
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  Speaker 1: do for him any longer, and he didn't seem inclined
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  Speaker 1: to do for himself. Well, that is the story Hill
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  Speaker 1: the dear. He has been here ever since, and he
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  Speaker 1: has been no comfort, no pleasure to us, I must say,
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  Speaker 1: But we have tried to do our duty by him,
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  Speaker 1: and I hoped he might feel in his heartsome gratitude
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  Speaker 1: to his uncle, though he showed none in his actions.
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  Speaker 1: And how to think of it? To think of it?
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  Speaker 1: How shall I tell my poor man? What was his
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  Speaker 1: mother like? Said Hildegard, trying to turn for the moment
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  Speaker 1: the current of painful thought. Mass Lucie gave a little laugh,
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  Speaker 1: even while wiping the tears from her eyes. Poor Liza,
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  Speaker 1: she said, she was a good woman, but well there
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  Speaker 1: she had no faculty, as you may say, and homely.
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  Speaker 1: You never saw such a homely woman Wilder, For I
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  Speaker 1: don't believe there could be two in the world. I
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  Speaker 1: never think of Eliza without remembering what Jacob said after
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  Speaker 1: he saw her for the first time. He'd been over
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  Speaker 1: to see Simon, and when he came back, he walked
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  Speaker 1: into the kitchen and sat down, never saying a word,
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  Speaker 1: but just shaking his head over and over again. What's
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  Speaker 1: the matter, Jacob, I said. Matt said he matter enough.
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  Speaker 1: Ma'am Lucy. He's always called me ma'am Lucy, my dear.
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  Speaker 1: She's the very day we were married, though I wasn't
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  Speaker 1: very much older than you can. Simon's married, he said,
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  Speaker 1: and I've seen his wife. Of course, I was surprised,
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  Speaker 1: and I wanted to know all about it. What sort
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  Speaker 1: of a girl she? I asked? Is she pretty? What color?
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  Speaker 1: Is I here? But Jacob put up his hand and
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  Speaker 1: stopped me. Ah, he said, don't ask no questions, and
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  Speaker 1: I'll tell ye first place. She ain't no girl, no more.
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  Speaker 1: Aunt Saline is. She was a maiden aunt of mine, dear,
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  Speaker 1: and well over forty at that time. And what does
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  Speaker 1: she look like? Well? Do you ever see an old
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  Speaker 1: cedar fence rail, one that had been chumped out to
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  Speaker 1: the blunt haks and had laid out in the sun
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  Speaker 1: and the wind and the snow, and they rain till towards,
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  Speaker 1: walked this way, and drank bad way, and twisted every way. Well,
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  Speaker 1: Simon's wife looks as if she had swallowed one an
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  Speaker 1: fence drills and shrank to it. Dear, dear, how I
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  Speaker 1: laughed and russ true, my dear CROs just the way
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  Speaker 1: she did look poor soul. She led a sad life.
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  Speaker 1: For when Simon found it made a mistake about the money,
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  Speaker 1: there was now too bad for him to fling at her.
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  Speaker 1: At this moment from a Hartley step was heard in
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  Speaker 1: the porch, and as to she rose hurriedly. Don't say
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  Speaker 1: anything to him, that dear, she whispered, anything about Simon.
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  Speaker 1: I mean, I'll tell him more, but I don't want
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  Speaker 1: to trouble him to night. This is our faith's birthday,
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  Speaker 1: seventeen years old. She'd have been to day, and it's
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  Speaker 1: been a right hard day for Jacob. I'll tell him
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  Speaker 1: about it in the morning. Alas when morning came, it
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  Speaker 1: was too late. The kitchen door was swinging idly open,
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  Speaker 1: the desk was broken open and rifled, and Simon Hartley
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  Speaker 1: was gone, and with him the saving of ten years
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  Speaker 1: patient labor, and of Chapter eleven