|HUNCH took charge of the funeral. After it was over, and while the man
was closing the casket, he stepped to the front porch for a breath of
air. Jess Bartlett had lingered after the service, and now stood alone
on the steps. Hunch hesitated in the doorway. He had not thought of Jess
during the last few days, and now he did not know what to say. But she
was determined that he should speak first, so after an embarrassing
silence he said, “Hello, Jess.”
She turned away.
“Ain't you going to speak to me, Jess.”
“I don't see as I ought to speak to you.”
Hunch looked at her helplessly, and when, after a minute, she turned and
saw his expression, she partly relented.
“When are you coming to see me again?”
“You know why I ain't been 'round, Jess.”
“I waited for you the other night. You said you were coming.”
“I know it, Jess. I'm sorry. Can't I come to-night?”
“I s'pose you can if you want to.”
They could not say any more, for it was time to start the carriages. But
early in the evening Hunch went to her house, and they walked to the
lake? They found it hard to talk. Hunch finally blurted out, “I'm going
to get the ring next week. It's a pretty one, I think.”
He felt her arm tremble, but she said nothing.
“I guess you're mad at me, ain't you?”
“No, I ain't mad.”
“Why don't you say something, Jess?”
She came closer to him as they walked.
“John, I wish--I wish we could get married. Somehow I don't feel as if
you belonged to me. I know it's silly, but I can't help it.”
“How soon can you get ready?”
“I--I wasn't thinking of it just that way--I----”
“Is next month too soon?”
She looked up at him and laughed softly. Their eyes met and they
understood each other better. They walked down the beach and looked out
over the flat lake.
“I'm afraid we'll have to live kind of simple for a while,” Hunch said.
“I ain't very rich, you know.”
“Do you think I care about that, John? Don't you know I love you because
you're so strong and good, and you can do so much. Everybody knows
you're going to be rich some day. Jim, he says there ain't another man
in town that's got as much sand as you have, John.”
So they talked all through the long evening, telling each other their
thoughts and plans and hopes; and her trust in him gave Hunch a sense of
strength and responsibility. When he left her, very late, at the front
steps, he had thought of a plan which he kept for the time to himself.