Read Online The Strange Proposal by Grace Livingston Hill - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Grace Livingston Hill
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soul, and spirit, utterly unable to keep his thoughts away from the dear memory of her!
Well, perhaps in future years the time would come when he could think of her calmly, remember the sweetness of her, without that hungry longing for her, without that fierce desire to possess her for his own. It might be that in the ages to come he would even be glad that he had her safe in his memory, a lovely picture to look back upon, a picture that could never be sullied by human faults and frailties, because he had known her only one brief evening. Even that was more than some men had—an eternal ideal never shattered by everyday living. At least, that much was his if nothing else ever came. Almost he felt like praying that nothing would, that she would somehow be prevented from destroying his beautiful vision of her, that she might never answer his letter rather than answer it with mockery, or worse still, with gentle pity and kindly refusal.
He groaned aloud and rejoiced that the train made so much noise that he might groan again and again and nobody hear but God.
And then suddenly he remembered that he was God’s child in God’s care, and this affair belonged to God—he had put it in the will of God to do with as was best and right. He must not meddle further.
Then softly there came a peace upon him, and he sank to sleep with that breath of fragrance drifting about him, soft arms clinging about his neck, soft lips, sweet lips on his. The memory of her smile! How lovely she had been! How wonderful that it had fallen to his lot to know her even for one brief evening!
Young Sam Wainwright, when approached by his cousin Mary Elizabeth, scowled. He did not take kindly at all to the idea of being shunted off from the general party. He had hoped to ride with his father and bully him into letting him drive perhaps, or into giving him money for a motorcycle in case the driving was beyond a possibility.
“You’re riding with me, did you know it, Mr. Wainwright!” said Mary Elizabeth.
Sam’s experience with older cousins, any older relatives, especially of the fairer sex, was that if they noticed him at all, they wanted something of him.
“Aw, heck!” he answered ungraciously. “What’s that for?”
“Well, you see,” confided Mary Elizabeth in a low tone, with a furtive glance about, as if the family en masse were spying about to hear what she was saying, “I was just thinking there might be a bit of a crowd, and I was afraid they’d expect me to take Cousin Eliza Froud, so I thought I’d forestall that. I’d so much rather have you to buddy with. You know, I haven’t seen you for so long, I’d just like to get acquainted with you over again and have you tell me all about your school and your sports. They tell me you’re a great sportsman.”
“Aw, they’re kidding you,” said Sam, still with his unbending frown. “You can’t get anywhere in sports with the family I’ve got. Mother thinks I’m a kid, and she puts her foot down on every blessed thing I want to do.”
“Say, that’s a shame!” said Mary Elizabeth sympathetically. “I wonder if she couldn’t be made to understand? Suppose you tell me all about it, and I’ll use my influence.”
Sam eyed her doubtfully.
“Nothing can influence my mother,” he said sadly, shaking his head. “She thinks for herself.”
“Yes,” said Mary Elizabeth crisply, “but there are ways. We’ll see what can be done. In the meantime, you’re going to help me.”
“Oh, yeah?” said the incredulous youth. He thought the crux of the matter had arrived, and he didn’t intend to be tricked into anything by a smooth-tongued cousin, even if she had been round the world.
“Yes,” said Mary Elizabeth, “I need a man today to travel with me. A girl doesn’t like to travel alone. Besides, my car has been behaving badly. I might need you. Can you help change a tire?”
“I can change a tire all by myself!” said Sam with contempt. “I’ve done it in
Well, perhaps in future years the time would come when he could think of her calmly, remember the sweetness of her, without that hungry longing for her, without that fierce desire to possess her for his own. It might be that in the ages to come he would even be glad that he had her safe in his memory, a lovely picture to look back upon, a picture that could never be sullied by human faults and frailties, because he had known her only one brief evening. Even that was more than some men had—an eternal ideal never shattered by everyday living. At least, that much was his if nothing else ever came. Almost he felt like praying that nothing would, that she would somehow be prevented from destroying his beautiful vision of her, that she might never answer his letter rather than answer it with mockery, or worse still, with gentle pity and kindly refusal.
He groaned aloud and rejoiced that the train made so much noise that he might groan again and again and nobody hear but God.
And then suddenly he remembered that he was God’s child in God’s care, and this affair belonged to God—he had put it in the will of God to do with as was best and right. He must not meddle further.
Then softly there came a peace upon him, and he sank to sleep with that breath of fragrance drifting about him, soft arms clinging about his neck, soft lips, sweet lips on his. The memory of her smile! How lovely she had been! How wonderful that it had fallen to his lot to know her even for one brief evening!
Young Sam Wainwright, when approached by his cousin Mary Elizabeth, scowled. He did not take kindly at all to the idea of being shunted off from the general party. He had hoped to ride with his father and bully him into letting him drive perhaps, or into giving him money for a motorcycle in case the driving was beyond a possibility.
“You’re riding with me, did you know it, Mr. Wainwright!” said Mary Elizabeth.
Sam’s experience with older cousins, any older relatives, especially of the fairer sex, was that if they noticed him at all, they wanted something of him.
“Aw, heck!” he answered ungraciously. “What’s that for?”
“Well, you see,” confided Mary Elizabeth in a low tone, with a furtive glance about, as if the family en masse were spying about to hear what she was saying, “I was just thinking there might be a bit of a crowd, and I was afraid they’d expect me to take Cousin Eliza Froud, so I thought I’d forestall that. I’d so much rather have you to buddy with. You know, I haven’t seen you for so long, I’d just like to get acquainted with you over again and have you tell me all about your school and your sports. They tell me you’re a great sportsman.”
“Aw, they’re kidding you,” said Sam, still with his unbending frown. “You can’t get anywhere in sports with the family I’ve got. Mother thinks I’m a kid, and she puts her foot down on every blessed thing I want to do.”
“Say, that’s a shame!” said Mary Elizabeth sympathetically. “I wonder if she couldn’t be made to understand? Suppose you tell me all about it, and I’ll use my influence.”
Sam eyed her doubtfully.
“Nothing can influence my mother,” he said sadly, shaking his head. “She thinks for herself.”
“Yes,” said Mary Elizabeth crisply, “but there are ways. We’ll see what can be done. In the meantime, you’re going to help me.”
“Oh, yeah?” said the incredulous youth. He thought the crux of the matter had arrived, and he didn’t intend to be tricked into anything by a smooth-tongued cousin, even if she had been round the world.
“Yes,” said Mary Elizabeth, “I need a man today to travel with me. A girl doesn’t like to travel alone. Besides, my car has been behaving badly. I might need you. Can you help change a tire?”
“I can change a tire all by myself!” said Sam with contempt. “I’ve done it in
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