We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.
Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.
CLASSIC
unwittingly on the tide of his anxiety. It was the way he had thought of her for two weeks, and the last thing in the world he had intended to call her ; but the harm was done now. In an instant she was weeping and trembling in the artist's arms. Then, suddenly, he knew that he wanted her there — wanted her more than wisdom or prudence or the warning voice of conscience could deny. He had come to the mountains, it seemed to him now, just for this throbbing ment under the lurid, thunderous sky — just for this tender pressure of her round arms against his arms, this sweetness of her hair across his face.
in what he considered a proper, elderbrotherly tone. “On my word, you startled me, child. I thought something had happened to you.”
“Something has,” said April, shuddering, and, in a few words, she
panted out the "Story of her sale to
Casper, who was waiting for her and drinking raw, moonshine whisky back in the cabin.
“But I wont marry him!” she finished in sudden passion, lifting her arms in a wild gesture. “I’d liefer die ! Listen! Thar’s a
ravine near hyar.
Folks call it Sal’s Ravine, bek cause a gal, whose lover died, killed herself tharoncet. Ef pap makes
blazed across the sky, tearing the swollen clouds and letting out a cascade of gusty rain.
“Quick !” gasped Jerry, and drew April into his tent, fastening the flap to keep out the wind. Then, a trifle breathless, the two faced each other again.
“I hope you dont mind — this,” said
“I WANTS HER f’r MY WOMAN LAWFUL; AN’ EF I THOUGHT ’
He forgot that, after her last trip to “the holler” with his basket, he had resolved to go straight home without seeing, her again ; forgot his mother and father and their conventional, orderly world ; forgot, in a word, everything but the glorious fact of April, nestling like a hunted thing in his arms.
So he kist her, and, quite simply and naturally, she lifted her lovely, tearflushed face and kist him ; and this might have gone on quite indefinitely had not a zigzag fork of lightning
(Twenty-one)
Jerry, awkwardly, at last. April’s eyes questioned him.
“I mean being here in — in — my tent, you know,” he stumbled — “alone with me. If you like, I’ll — I’ll go away till the shower is over.”
“And get plumb wet?” she asked. “Why should you-all do thataway? Isn’t thar room for both o’ we hyar?” Her innocence went to his heart like a pain. He drew away from her, trying to forget that mad moment before the rain fell.
“Why did you cry, April ?” he asked,
me marry Casper, I'll go to Sal’s Ravine !”
The storm roared outside, and the pale daylight in the tent flickered like a blown candle. Jerry strode up and down, jaw set like granite under the skin, hands clenched at his sides. Then, suddenly, with a broken cry, as tho his will had torn itself loose from the clinging hands of memory and reason, he went to the girl and took her gently in his arms.
“Dont think about it any more, April,” he said quietly. “Casper shall