Read Online Amorelle by Grace Livingston Hill - Free Book Online
Authors: Grace Livingston Hill
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you give your final decision.”
“I shall be busy all day tomorrow, Mr. Emmons, and I prefer not to go to your house. I would not marry you under any consideration.”
Amorelle’s voice had taken on a tragic edge now, like a frightened child, and she felt that if he did not go at once she could not stand it any longer.
He regarded her morosely for a moment and then turned, and taking a twin by either hand, he marched from the door of the manse with haughty mien, down the steps, and out to his car.
Amorelle closed the door quickly, locked it, and fled upstairs. Oh, how much more of this torture had she yet to endure? Would that terrible woman speak to
all
those men she had suggested? How could she escape?
But there was little time to consider. A large moving van was rumbling up to the door.
Amorelle gave a frightened glance from the window and, seeing the van, hurried down.
When the piano was gone, she looked around the room pitifully. Already the place seemed to have taken on an alien look. The home of her childhood was going fast. In another day or two, all would be changed. In another week she would be gone; sooner, if she could get ready. Well it could not be too soon, if she was going to have many more such callers as she had this afternoon.
She set to work again frantically; Johnny would be coming for a load soon after dark.
When Johnny arrived, backing up his truck in the alley, she had the bureau packed and ready to go.
“I’m taking two loads tonight,” he said. “Mebbe three, I’ll see. We wantta get away with as much as possible before the angry mob arrives!” And he laughed cheerily.
Johnny and Tod hustled things out of the room and stowed them away in the truck, which seemed to hold an amazing amount, and did it all so breezily that Amorelle had no time to feel sorrowful. One minute they were there, the next they were gone, and suddenly she looked around the little parlor that looked so amazingly large and unfamiliar now and found it empty.
She went and sat down on the stairs and tried to stop that sinking feeling that came over her. True, she hadn’t eaten much that day, but she didn’t want to eat. She passed her hands over her tired eyes and then remembered that Johnny and Tod would soon be back for another load and she must get some old quilts to put around the furniture to keep it from getting scratched.
When Johnny came back, he brought a pail of barley soup and a covered dish containing a generous piece of custard pie.
“Miss Landon says you’re to eat that right away,” ordered Johnny. “It’s good. She gave us some, too. That’s why we were so long. Now, can we get that bedroom set?”
Amorelle was very tired when the last load was gone. She had eaten the soup and custard pie with relish, and now she desired nothing so much as to drop into bed and go to sleep. But just as she was locking the front door, she heard footsteps outside and the bell pealed through the house once more. For an instant she looked wildly around her with the idea of turning off the light and stealing away without opening the door, but she knew she could not do that. It might be almost any of the congregation, and she must not hurt the feelings of people who had loved her father and been good to her for years.
So she girded her heart for whatever might be coming and opened the door, and there stood Mr. Merchant, the third of Mrs. Brisbane’s matrimonial suggestions, his big, kindly face beaming genially at her from the dim light of the porch.
Amorelle felt her knees beginning to sag under her. Could she go through another proposal tonight? Wasn’t there some way she could get out of it, excuse herself and say she had to go somewhere immediately? But no, he would only offer to go with her, and she really was too tired to go anywhere. While she tried wildly to think of some excuse, Mr. Merchant stepped in and took off his hat, greeting her delightedly as if his errand was a real pleasure to
“I shall be busy all day tomorrow, Mr. Emmons, and I prefer not to go to your house. I would not marry you under any consideration.”
Amorelle’s voice had taken on a tragic edge now, like a frightened child, and she felt that if he did not go at once she could not stand it any longer.
He regarded her morosely for a moment and then turned, and taking a twin by either hand, he marched from the door of the manse with haughty mien, down the steps, and out to his car.
Amorelle closed the door quickly, locked it, and fled upstairs. Oh, how much more of this torture had she yet to endure? Would that terrible woman speak to
all
those men she had suggested? How could she escape?
But there was little time to consider. A large moving van was rumbling up to the door.
Amorelle gave a frightened glance from the window and, seeing the van, hurried down.
When the piano was gone, she looked around the room pitifully. Already the place seemed to have taken on an alien look. The home of her childhood was going fast. In another day or two, all would be changed. In another week she would be gone; sooner, if she could get ready. Well it could not be too soon, if she was going to have many more such callers as she had this afternoon.
She set to work again frantically; Johnny would be coming for a load soon after dark.
When Johnny arrived, backing up his truck in the alley, she had the bureau packed and ready to go.
“I’m taking two loads tonight,” he said. “Mebbe three, I’ll see. We wantta get away with as much as possible before the angry mob arrives!” And he laughed cheerily.
Johnny and Tod hustled things out of the room and stowed them away in the truck, which seemed to hold an amazing amount, and did it all so breezily that Amorelle had no time to feel sorrowful. One minute they were there, the next they were gone, and suddenly she looked around the little parlor that looked so amazingly large and unfamiliar now and found it empty.
She went and sat down on the stairs and tried to stop that sinking feeling that came over her. True, she hadn’t eaten much that day, but she didn’t want to eat. She passed her hands over her tired eyes and then remembered that Johnny and Tod would soon be back for another load and she must get some old quilts to put around the furniture to keep it from getting scratched.
When Johnny came back, he brought a pail of barley soup and a covered dish containing a generous piece of custard pie.
“Miss Landon says you’re to eat that right away,” ordered Johnny. “It’s good. She gave us some, too. That’s why we were so long. Now, can we get that bedroom set?”
Amorelle was very tired when the last load was gone. She had eaten the soup and custard pie with relish, and now she desired nothing so much as to drop into bed and go to sleep. But just as she was locking the front door, she heard footsteps outside and the bell pealed through the house once more. For an instant she looked wildly around her with the idea of turning off the light and stealing away without opening the door, but she knew she could not do that. It might be almost any of the congregation, and she must not hurt the feelings of people who had loved her father and been good to her for years.
So she girded her heart for whatever might be coming and opened the door, and there stood Mr. Merchant, the third of Mrs. Brisbane’s matrimonial suggestions, his big, kindly face beaming genially at her from the dim light of the porch.
Amorelle felt her knees beginning to sag under her. Could she go through another proposal tonight? Wasn’t there some way she could get out of it, excuse herself and say she had to go somewhere immediately? But no, he would only offer to go with her, and she really was too tired to go anywhere. While she tried wildly to think of some excuse, Mr. Merchant stepped in and took off his hat, greeting her delightedly as if his errand was a real pleasure to
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