Part 25 (2/2)
”Are you still in a mood?” She sounded weary.
”Oh, not at all. I'm quite delighted you prefer Elmont's companions.h.i.+p to my own.”
She reached in and stroked my cheek. ”I suppose I shouldn't have stayed away so long...”
”But you simply couldn't bring yourself to part company with Princess Charming.”
”For heaven's sake, Trevor.” She let out a long sigh, then backed away. The curtains fell shut.
I stewed for a spell, wis.h.i.+ng I hadn't spoken to her that way. When you feel like you might be losing someone you love, though, you get rather crazy. You don't act sensible. You turn mean and wild, and make things even worse.
Well, I heard Sarah come back and settle into her berth.
I figured this was my chance to make matters right.
I waited a bit, then stuck my head out the curtains and checked the aisle. It looked like a long narrow canyon walled in by swaying shrouds, dimly lit by the gas lamps at each end. n.o.body was in sight.
I climbed down to Sarah's bed. She pulled back the covers to let me in, but I just knelt on the mattress beside her.
My heart was pounding so hard I almost couldn't breathe.
”What is is the matter with you?” she asked. the matter with you?” she asked.
”Elmont Briggs.”
”You've no cause to be jealous. You're in my bed. Elmont is not in my bed.”
”Has he kissed you?”
”My G.o.d, Trevor!”
”Has he kissed you?” I asked again.
”Don't be ridiculous.”
”With his pretty red lips?”
”Do you honestly think I would allow him such liberties?”
”Would you?”
”You're talking nonsense. Now hush.” Reaching out, she slipped her hand beneath my nights.h.i.+rt. It glided all warm up my leg and gently took hold of me. ”I don't want to hear another word about Elmont.”
”I need to use the toilet,” I said.
Before she could say anything, I started to back my way through the curtains. She gave me a soft squeeze, then let go.
”Hurry back,” she said.
I started toward the rear of the car, wondering why I'd left her. It wasn't that I had any urge to use the toilet. That was just the first excuse that popped into my head. What I needed was to get shut of Sarah for a few minutes and settle down. Maybe take some fresh air. Clear my head and try to get Elmont out of it before going back to her and maybe saying things I'd have cause to regret.
When I walked past the curtains shutting off Elmont's area, an awful frenzy came over me. I had a notion to reach in and grab him. I wasn't quite sure which berth might be his, though. Would've been awful to intrude on a stranger. So I went on along to the back of the car, tugged the door open and stepped outside.
I wasn't the only one there.
Another fellow stood between the cars, his back to me, the wind tossing his long curly hair.
Elmont Briggs himself.
He hadn't looked around yet to see who'd come through the door. I should've gone back inside, returned to Sarah and savored knowing it was me, not Elmont, in her bed.
But I was just fifteen, and had more gumption than sense.
”I say,” said I. ”If it isn't the one and only Elmont Briggs.”
I had to pretty near shout so he could hear me over the noise of the wheels.
He turned around slow. He had a cigar between his lips, its tip glowing red in the wind. When he saw me, he plucked it out. He jabbed the air with it, pointing at me. ”Sarah's boy.”
”I'm n.o.body's boy boy, Elmont.”
”Has she sent you to fetch me?”
I stepped up closer to him. And sorely wished I had my clothes on. I was barefoot, my nights.h.i.+rt blowing about like a woman's dress, the cold gusting up under it. I couldn't help feeling somewhat at a disadvantage. This was no way to be dressed when confronting a scoundrel.
”Speak up, boy. Does Sarah wish me to join her?”
”You're to stay away from her.”
”Am I?” He showed me his teeth. They looked gray in the darkness. I reckon he was smiling. Then he poked the cigar between them and gave it a puff.
I slapped the cigar out of his mouth.
He grabbed the front of my nights.h.i.+rt, hauled me up against him and smashed his knee into my belly. The blow picked me clear off my feet. When they came down on the grille again, he was rus.h.i.+ng me backward. He shoved me into the guard chain. Then he let go, ducked down and grabbed me around the legs. I couldn't do much more than catch hold of his hair before he hoisted me over the chain and pushed.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN.
Farewell to the Train and Sarah My grip on Elmont's hair didn't save me. Some came out in my hands, is all.
Then I was plunging headfirst, flapping and kicking, feeling the breath of the speeding train against my back. Time seemed to drag awful slow. It gave me plenty of chance to wonder what I might land on and whether I'd get myself cut in half by the wheels. I even had a chance to see my body sprawled out dead by the tracks, my nights.h.i.+rt up around my chest. Seemed awful, making an indecent spectacle of myself that way.
Figured I might have time to arrange the garment, but I was still considering it when I struck the ground.
Not headfirst, though, thank the Lord. It was my back that hit. If my wind hadn't been knocked out already by Elmont's knee, the landing would've done it. I smacked down hard, but that wasn't the end of it. I bounced, and the ground was so steep it flung my legs up and somersaulted me. I tumbled and rolled for quite a spell, and finally came to a stop in some soft gra.s.s.
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