He sighed then and was
very silent with her. "Well, Melanctha," he said at last, with some
more laughing, "well, Melanctha, any way you can't say ever it ain't,
if we are ever friends good and really, you can't say, no, never, but
that we certainly have worked right hard to get both of us together
for it, so we shall sure deserve it then, if we can ever really get
it." "We certainly have worked real hard, Jeff, I can't say that ain't
all right the way you say it," said Melanctha. "I certainly never
can deny it, Jeff, when I feel so worn with all the trouble you been
making for me, you bad boy, Jeff," and then Melanctha smiled and then
she sighed, and then she was very silent with him.
At last Jeff was to go away. They stood there on the steps for a long
time trying to say good-by to each other. At last Jeff made himself
really say it. At last he made himself, that he went down the steps
and went away.
On the next Sunday they arranged, they were to have the long happy day
of wandering that they had lost last time by Jane Harden's talking.
Not that Melanctha Herbert had heard yet of Jane Harden's talking.
Jeff saw Melanctha every day now. Jeff was a little uncertain all this
time inside him, for he had never yet told to Melanctha what it was
that had so nearly made him really want to leave her. Jeff knew that
for him, it was not right he should not tell her.
Pages:
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169