He would take care of Mary, yes, she was as much Jimmy's as his
farm, but he did not want her for himself now. If he had to kill
his only friend, he would not complete his downfall by trying to
win his wife. So through that winter Mary got very little
consideration in the remorseful soul of Dannie, and Jimmy grew,
as the dead grow, by leaps and bounds, until by spring Dannie had
him well-nigh canonized.
When winter broke, Dannie had his future well mapped out. And
that future was devotion to Jimmy's memory, with no more of Mary
in it than was possible to keep out. He told himself that he was
glad she was away and he did not care to have her return. Deep in
his soul he harbored the feeling that he had killed Jimmy to make
himself look victor in her eyes in such a small matter as taking
a fish. And deeper yet a feeling that, everything considered,
still she might mourn Jimmy more than she did.
So Dannie definitely settled that he always would live alone on
the farms. Mary should remain with her sister, and at his death,
everything should be hers. The night he finally reached that
decision, the Kingfisher came home. Dannie heard his rattle of
exultation as he struck the embankment and the suffering man
turned his face to the wall and sobbed aloud, so that for a
little time he stifled Jimmy's dying gasps that in wakeful night
hours sounded in his ears.
Pages:
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237