Read Ebook: As the hart panteth by Rives Hallie Erminie

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Ebook has 999 lines and 36893 words, and 20 pages

Esther looked steadily into his gray eyes and saw a relenting twinkle.

"Am I going?" Turning to her with a quiet smile: "Yes, you may go." He could not see her disappointed when her heart was so determined. With a little cry of joy she brought her hands together. "I wish you could come along, grandpa. It will be such fun, and I wanted you to hear me to-night." When the wagon came around Esther was helped up with her case and bundle. Her violin she held tenderly across her arm. Mr. Campbell went with them to close the gate.

"Good-bye; you will be in for me to-morrow." Leaning down, she embraced his head. "Be sweet, God's child," he said, as they drove off. Esther kissed her hand to him, as he stood by the roadside looking after them. The cook, at the kitchen door, waved her dish rag for a frantic moment. The whirl of dust from the wheels soon clouded the view. The old man turned, and went slowly back to the house with a misty smile over his features.

A quaint, pathetic figure that, of Hardin Campbell, with his age, his poverty and the care of this child. Here had once been planter life in its carelessness and lavishness. It had been the home of friend and neighbor and the hospitable shelter of the transient guest. All the grand folk that came that way made this place headquarters in the days when Mr. Campbell was reckoned rich. But what he had lost in wealth he had more than gained in pride, and the child was brimming over with it. Generous, impetuous, enthusiastic, as she was, this wild young creature of nature, unhindered, venturesome and full of whims, would, he hoped, find pride her safeguard. He did not believe in curbing her. He guided, but did not limit her and tried to keep from her all warping influences. This was the way her mother had begun with her and he was only continuing her way for a while--it could not be very long before he would have to resign his charge. To whom--he did not know and could not bear to dwell upon the thought.

About the whole place there was evidence of departed glory. In the great white buildings which rose from the labyrinth of shrubbery like grim ghosts of the past; in the rows of cabins, formerly the dwellings of a horde of happy-hearted negroes, everywhere was evidence of the bygone prodigal days. The house, of colonial style, with its series of tall columns standing about the broad colonnade, was partially screened by the live oaks and was set some distance back from the big road. These encircling columns were built of brick, with a coating of plaster, once as white as the teeth of Uncle Simon, the plantation white-washer, who in former days would put an immaculate dress on them regularly once a month by means of an elevated step-ladder, but now Uncle Simon's labors were done. The neglected columns were crumbling with age and sadly splotched with the red of exposed masonry. At one side of the verandah there spread the delicate green of the star-jassamine, with its miniature constellations flecking the background. Through the vista, leading to the house, from the big gate in front, flashed the crimson of a flowering-pear in full blossom. The blinds of the house that had once been green, were now hanging from their hinges, weather-stained, giving full view of a number of broken window panes, in one of which, on the second story, was perched a wren, whose energetic chattering over her nest hardby was the most decided indication of active life.

In the rear of the buildings stretched the cabins. To the right of them were the stables and the carriage house, with its weather vane of a flying steed on the top, but for years the most vigorous gales had failed to spur this steed to action and its tail, at one time proudly aflaunt to the breeze, had yielded to time and rust, and, like that of Tam o'Shanter's mare, knew naught of direction. There was the dreary stillness of desolation over all things. But still a hospitable glow was in the summer sunshine and shone as well in the eyes of the old master.

Esther took off her hat when she got into the depths of the woods and drew out her violin. "I will amuse the boy," she thought, "if I play to him," for she had tired of talking against the rumbling of the wagon and its load. In his way, he appreciated her motive, for now and again he called back to her, awkwardly commending her, and urging her to continue. Near the spring they saw the negro washerwomen, with sleeves rolled to their shining shoulders, bending over their tubs; faded, limp skirts, bloused through apron belts, and dangled about their bare legs. A big wash kettle heaped with white linen stood to one side. Around it a fire was burning low for want of fuel.

"O--o--h! Yo' Tagger, Tag-g-e-r; you'd better come on here, ef you know what's good for you," called one of the women with a long, resounding echo that drowned the answer of the small voice that said he was on his way. A troop of little niggers came to the roadside pulling a wagon load of brush and bark gathered through the woods. They looked back and spied Esther on the coffins. With a wild yell the children, load and all, tumbled over the embankment, rolling over each other in the dust, screaming, "Mammy! mammy!" at the top of their voices, scrambling to their feet and running with might and main down the road. As Esther drew up to the wash-place, the little fellows were clinging frantically to the knees of their mothers.

"It's a little ha'nt blowin' Gabel's trumpet. Don't let it ketch me! don't let it ketch me!"

"In de name ob de Lawd!" said one of the women, seeing what had caused the fright; "ain't you all got de sense you was born wid? Don't you know Miss Esther Powel, Marse Hardin's granddaughter?" The eyes of the pickaninnies were blinded by the wads of wet aprons they had covered them with, and the sound of the wheels filled them with terror. "Dry up!" The big dripping hand pounded on their heads. "Scuse 'em, Miss Esther, you'd think dese youngun's been fotch up wid wild injun's."

"Tagger," Esther called the boy, whose name, Montague, she had been responsible for. "Don't you know me? I played for you to dance a jig for the young men who used to visit Will Curtis before he died. You haven't forgotten that, have you?" Hearing her familiar voice, he slowly peeped out with scared eyes.

"You little monkey. Dip me some water out of the spring." She saw a long, yellow gourd hanging from a striped bough above their heads. "I want a drink." He sprang up and snatched the gourd, and before she could say more, he was holding it up to her, standing on his tiptoes, grinning, as the tears ran down and stained his dusty face.

"I am going to play at the University to-night," she said, hanging back the gourd.

"You don' say? One of dem 'Varsity gemmen's coming out to see Marse Will's folks next week." Tagger's mother lived with the Curtises, whose home was just beyond the spring. "I'll be bound, you beat 'em all dar if you does play to-night," she said when she saw they were leaving.

Bareheaded, Esther rode on, as long as the shade was over them, tying on her hat only when they got to the sunny way of the road. A man plowing in a cornfield, looked up as he stopped at the turn of the row. He gazed intently, rapping the line mechanically about his wrist.

"What is her grandpa thinking of?" seeing it was Esther, whom he knew. "But she'd a gone in spite of hell and high water." With this aloud to himself, he drew his shirt sleeve across the sweat on his brow and trudged back down the row, relieved.

After two hours or more, through the heat, Esther was glad when at last she could see the end of her journey. The sunlight lay radiant upon the stretch of country famed for this honored institution of learning. Just before her, upon an eminence, spread the University buildings, the tall spires marking their profile on the sky. The sun's rays shot up behind them its last warm flashes. Its heat had already dampened Esther's hair, deepening the red tint of its waves against her temples. The campus was alive with students coming and going in every direction. The tenor of the glee club, in his striped sweater of the college colors, humming a popular air, walked leisurely across to where one fellow was sprawled on the ground, gazing at the wagon with an amused curiosity on his handsome face.

"Well, if that isn't a caper! Wonder where she is bound?" Just then a pert freshman, standing in a group, gave a college yell. Then there was a chorus of rapturous cheers, in which most of them joined. Before the noise had subsided, the man on the grass had leaped to his feet, full of indignation, and dashed off toward the freshman.

"Silence! you fellows! Have you forgotten yourselves?" A few hisses were mingled with the applause that greeted him, but the freshman was quick to say at his elbow:

"I didn't mean it for her."

"How could she know that?" He walked away saying: "I'll wager there is something out of the ordinary in that girl."

He was of the fiber that commanded the respect of men at a glance.

"Andrews always turns up at the right time, you may count on that," said one of the students as he watched him sauntering in the direction of the wagon, his eyes following the child. She was perched like a white winged bird of good omen on a funeral pyre. Only a nature adventurous to audacity would do such a thing as that. But he loved daring personalities, strong motives and even a misadventure, if it were a brave one.

GLENN ANDREWS was, by every gift of nature, a man. His sensitive, expressive face, his brown eyes glowing with a light that seemed to come from within, his clear and resolute bearing, all gave evidence of his sterling qualities. All through his college years he was known among his fellows as a dreamer. His was one of those aloof--almost morbidly solitary natures, to whom contact with the world would seem jarring and out of key. The boys had nicknamed him "Solitaire." He had a womanly delicacy in morals, his sense of honor was as clean and bright as a soldier's sword.

Those who knew him well loved him, and all of his school fellows sought for his notice, the more, perhaps, because he gave it rarely.

Whenever he played with them, it was as one who unconsciously granted a favor. He was looked upon as a man who would be a sharer in the talents of his race. This was his ambition. He had strong literary tastes and was a serious worker.

Often he champed at the bit through the slow routine of college life--the genius within him thirsting for action like a spirited horse, just in sound of the chase.

After the exercises that night, the pretty faces and scent of roses filled the chapel with light and fragrance. Everything was in warm confusion, congratulations blended with tender farewells and honest promises that youth was sure to break.

Glenn Andrews, with the dignity that went well with his cap and gown, was making his way out. The tenor touched him on the shoulder.

"What did you think of that violin solo?"

"Fine, my boy, fine! She played just before my turn, and she must have been my inspiration, for I was surprised to get the medal."

"I'm jolly glad you got it anyhow."

"Did you find out who she was?"

"Esther Powel. Her grandfather is a friend of Professor Stark. He did it to give her a chance."

"Well she used it for all it was worth," said Andrews.

ESTHER was standing by the rim of a clear pool in the woods, gazing down into the water. Her big hat was weighted with cockle blooms that she had gathered in coming through the wheat. In this natural mirror she could see that a stem here was too long, another there was turned the wrong way to look well. With both hands to her head she was intent upon regulating the effect to please her eye. Turning her head first to one side, then another, she smiled at herself, impulsive, always in motion, quick as a wren. The water was so clear that one could see the last year's leaves lying at its depths. It was deep and sloped toward the center. Inverted it would look like a mound where children are told that Indians are buried, when the one can think of no other excuse for its grave-like appearance. This pool went by the name of "Indian Well." Esther had no thought but that she was alone, until she saw an image, a serious young face, reflected there, with soft, brown beard and hair, and deep eyes that wore a languid, meditating look. He stooped and dipped his curved hand into the surface and was raising it to his lips. Suddenly, instinctively, she bounded to his side, dashing the water from his hands before he could drink.

"Don't you know there is fever in it?"

For a moment he looked at her in wonder.

"The fever," he repeated, "what do you mean?"

"The germs of typhoid--I thought everybody knew that."

"But you see I am not everybody," he answered, laughing.

She looked at every feature of his face. "But didn't you feel like it the other night?"

This surprised him so that he had not made an answer when she went on: "Everybody who has died of typhoid fever around here drank water out of 'Indian Well.' This is where they got the germ."

"I was never here before. You are very good to warn me." He looked at her and she seemed so sweet and beautiful as she stood there, between him and danger. Whether real or imagined, her motive was the same.

"Is your home near by?"

"I live with my grandpa in the white house on the road as you came up."

"I didn't come by the road; I came through by the wood-path from the Curtises. I'm spending the summer there. What a pity this lovely spot is poisoned, I am sorry; I might see you here again but for that. It makes a pretty tryst," he said.

"Sorry? Why? You don't know me."

This pleased him. He had found a refreshing creature. At the outset he had thrilled at the prospect.

"Don't I? You played once where I had the pleasure of hearing you. Your name is Esther--Esther Powel."

"Yes, and I have seen your face before I saw it in the water. They called you 'Glenn Andrews' when they gave you the medal."

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