" Nellie's
hand was in his as they floated on the rainbow-sea.
"Drifting along, glad is our song"--her hair blew against
his cheek as they swept past the open door. What did he
care what his mother would say. He was Egbert now. Edythe
was in his arms. "While we are side by side" the violins
sang, glad, triumphant, that old story that runs like a
thread of gold through all life's patterns; that old
song, old yet ever new, deathless, unchangeable, which
maketh the poor man rich and without which the richest
becomes poor!
When the music stopped, Tom awoke from his idolatrous
dream. He brought Nellie to a seat and sat awkwardly
beside her. His old self-complacency had left him. Nellie
was talking to him, but he did not hear what she said.
He was not looking at her, but at himself. Before he knew
it she had left him and was dancing with Jim Russell.
Tom looked after them, miserable. She was looking into
Jim's face, smiling and talking. What the mischief were
they saying? He tried to tell himself that he could buy
and sell Jim Russell; Jim had not anything in the world
but a quarter of scrub land. They passed him again, still
smiling and talking. "Nellie Slater is making herself
mighty cheap," he thought angrily. Then the thought came
home to him with sudden bitterness--how handsome Jim was,
so straight and tall, so well-dressed, so clever, and,
bitterest of all, how different from him.
When Jim and Camilla were sitting out the second dance
he told her about Arthur, the Englishman, who sat in a
corner, shy and uncomfortable.
Pages:
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154