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the village watch-tower-第26章

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be discouraged whenever and wherever possible; or the world would

soon cease to be a safe place to live in。  Pel's idea grew upon

him in the night watches; and the next morning he searched his

mother's garret till he found a green dress and a white bonnet。

Putting them in a basket; he walked out on the road a little

distance till he met the stage; when; finding no passengers inside;

he asked Jerry to let him jump in and 〃ride a piece。〃

Once within; he hastily donned the green wrapper and tell…tale

headgear; and; when the Midnight Cry rattled down the stony hill

past the Todd house; Pel took good care to expose a large green

sleeve and the side of a white bonnet at the stage window。

It was easy enough to cram the things back into the basket;

jump out; and call a cordial thank you to the unsuspecting Jerry。

He was rewarded for his ingenuity and enterprise at night;

when he returned Mrs。 Todd's axe; for just as he reached

the back door he distinctly heard her say that if she saw

that green woman on the stage again; she would knock her off

with a broomstick as sure as she was a Stover of Scarboro。

As a matter of fact she was equal to it。  Her great…grandmother

had been born on a soil where the broomstick is a prominent

factor in settling connubial differences; and if it occurred

to her at this juncture; it is a satisfactory proof of the

theory of atavism。



Pel intended to see this domestic tragedy through to the end;

and accordingly took another brief trip in costume the very next week;

hoping to be the witness of a scene of blood and carnage。

But Mrs。 Todd did not stir from her house; although he was confident

she had seen 〃my lady green…sleeves〃 from her post at the window。

Puzzled by her apathy; and much disappointed in her temper;

he took off the dress; and; climbing up in front; rode to Moderation;

where he received an urgent invitation to go over to the county fair

at Gorham。  The last idea was always the most captivating to Pel;

and he departed serenely for a stay of several days without

so much luggage as a hairbrush。  His mother's best clothespin basket;

to say nothing of its contents; appeared at this juncture to be

an unexpected incumbrance; so on the spur of the moment he handed

it up to Jerry just as the stage was starting; saying; 〃If Mis'

Todd has a brash to…night; you can clear yourself by showing

her this basket; but for massy sakes don't lay it on to me!

You can stan' it better'n I can;you 're more used to it!〃



Jerry took the basket; and when he was well out on the road

he looked inside and saw a bright green calico wrapper; a white

cape bonnet; a white 〃fall veil;〃 and a pair of white cotton gloves。

He had ample time for reflection; for it was a hot day;

and though he drove slowly; the horses were sweating at every pore。

Pel Frost; then; must have overheard his wife's storm of reproaches;

perhaps even her threats of violence。  It had come to this;

that he was the village laughing…stock; a butt of ridicule at

the store and tavern。



Now; two years before this; Jerry Todd had for the first

and only time in his married life 〃put his foot down。〃

Mrs。 Todd had insisted on making him a suit of clothes

much against his wishes。  When finished she put them

on him almost by main force; though his plaintive appeals

would have melted any but a Stover…of…Scarboro heart。

The stuff was a large plaid; the elbows and knees came

in the wrong places; the seat was lined with enameled cloth;

and the sleeves cut him in the armholes。



Mr。 Todd said nothing for a moment; but the pent…up

slavery of years stirred in him; and; mounting to his brain;

gave him a momentary courage that resembled intoxication。

He retired; took off the suit; hung it over his arm; and; stalking

into the sitting…room in his undergarments; laid it on the table

before his astonished spouse; and; thumping it dramatically;

said firmly; 〃Iwillnotwearthemclo'es!〃 whereupon

he fell into silence again and went to bed。



The joke of the matter was; that; all unknown to himself;

he had absolutely frightened Mrs。 Todd。  If only he could have realized

the impressiveness and the thorough success of his first rebellion!

But if he had realized it he could not have repeated it often;

for so much virtue went out of him on that occasion that he felt

hardly able to drive the stage for days afterward。



〃I shall have to put down my foot agin;〃 he said to himself

on the eventful morning when Pel presented him with the basket。

〃Dern my luck; I've got to do it agin; when I ain't hardly got

over the other time。〃  So; after an hour's plotting and planning;

he made some purchases in Biddeford and started on his return trip。

He was very low in his mind; thinking; if his wife really meditated

upon warfare; she was likely to inspect the stage that night;

but giving her credit in his inmost heart for too much common sense

to use a broomstick;a woman with her tongue!



The Midnight Cry rattled on lumberingly。  Its route had been shortened;

and Mrs。 Todd wanted its name changed to something less outlandish;

such as the Rising Sun; or the Breaking Dawn; or the High Noon;

but her idea met with no votaries; it had been; was; and ever should be;

the Midnight Cry; no matter what time it set out or got back。

It had seen its best days; Jerry thought; and so had he; for that matter。

Yet he had been called 〃a likely feller〃 when he married the Widder Bixby;

or rather when she married him。  Well; the mischief was done;

all that remained was to save a remnant of his self…respect;

and make an occasional dash for liberty。



He did all his errands with his usual care; dropping a blue

ribbon for Doxy Morton's Sunday hat; four cents' worth of

gum…camphor for Almira Berry; a spool of cotton for Mrs。 Wentworth;

and a pair of 〃galluses〃 for Living Bean。  He finally turned into

the 〃back…nippin'〃 road from Bonny Eagle to Limington; and when he was

within forty rods of his own house he stopped to water his horses。

If he feared a scene he had good reason; for as the horses climbed

the crest of the long hill the lady in green was by his side on the box。

He looked anxiously ahead; and there; in a hedge of young alder bushes;

he saw something stirring; and; unless he was greatly mistaken;

a birch broom lay on the ground near the hedge。



Notwithstanding these danger signals; Jerry's arm encircled

the plump waist of the lady in green; and; emboldened by the shades

of twilight; his lips sought the identical spot under the white

〃fall veil〃 where her incendiary mouth might be supposed to lurk;

quite 〃fit for treasons; stratagems; and spoils。〃  This done;

he put on the brake and headed his horses toward the fence。

He was none too soon; for the Widder Bixby; broom in hand; darted out

from the alders and approached the stage with objurgations which;

had she rated them at their proper value; needed no supplement

in the way of blows。  Jerry gave one terror…stricken look;

wound his reins round the whipstock; and; leaping from his seat;

disappeared behind a convenient tree。



At this moment of blind rage Mrs。 Todd would have preferred to

chastise both her victims at once; but; being robbed of one by Jerry's

cowardly flight; her weapon descended upon the other with double force。

There was no lack of courage here at least。  Whether the lady in green

was borne up by the consciousness of virtue; whether she was too

proud to retreat; or whatever may have been her animating reason;

the blow fell; yet she stood her ground and gave no answering shriek。

Enraged as much by her rival's cool resistance as by her own sense

of injury; the Widder Bixby aimed full at the bonnet beneath

which were the charms that had befuddled Jerry Todd's brain。

To blast the fatal beauty that had captivated her wedded husband

was the Widder Bixby's idea; and the broom descended。

A shower of seeds and pulp; a copious spattering of pumpkin juice;

and the lady in green fell resistlessly into her assailant's arms;

her straw body; her wooden arms and pumpkin head; decorating the earth

at her feet!  Mrs。 Todd stared helplessly at the wreck she had made;

not altogether comprehending the ruse that had led to her discomfiture;

but fully conscious that her empire was shaken to its foundations。

She glanced in every direction; and then hurling the hateful

green…and…white livery into the stage; she gathered up all traces

of the shameful fray; and sweeping them into her gingham apron ran

into the house in a storm of tears and baffled rage。



Jerry stayed behind the tree for some minutes; and when the coast

was clear he mounted the seat and drove to the store and the stable。

When he had put up his horses he went into the shed; took

off his boots as usual; but; despite all his philosophy; broke into

a cold sweat of terror as he crossed the kitchen threshold。

〃I can't stand many more of these times when I put my foot down;〃

he thought; 〃they'r
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