Part 21 (2/2)

”Still 'Always longing for the old plantation?'” asked the youth.

”Yes,” said Barbara, defiantly.

The carriage stopped; half a dozen black ragam.u.f.fins rushed up offering to take it in charge, and its occupants presently stood among the people of three counties. For Blackland, Clearwater, and Sandstone had gathered here a hundred or two of their gentlest under two long sheds on either side of the track, and the st.u.r.dier mult.i.tude under green booths or out in the sunlight about yonder dazzling gun, to hail the screaming herald of a new destiny; a destiny that openly promised only wealth, yet freighted with profounder changes; changes which, ban or delay them as they might, would still be destiny at last.

Entering a shed Barbara laughed with delight.

”Fannie!”

”Barb!” cried Fannie. A volley of salutations followed: ”Good-morning, Major”--”Why, howdy, Doctor.--Howdy, Jeff-Jack.--Shotwell, how are you?

Let me make you acquainted with Mr. Fair. Mr. Fair, Captain Shotwell.

Mr. Fair and his father, Captain, have put some money into our”--A tall, sallow, youngish man touched the speaker's elbow--”Why, _hel_-lo, Proudfit! Colonel Proudfit, let me make you,” etc.--”I hope you brought--why, Sister Proudfit, I decl'--aha, ha, ha!--You know Barb?”

General Halliday said, ”John Wesley, how goes it?”

Garnet sobered. ”Good-morning, Launcelot. Mr. Fair, let me make you acquainted with General Halliday. You mustn't believe all he says--ha, ha, ha! Still, when a radical does speak well of us you may know it's so! Launcelot, Mr. Fair and his father have put some money”--Half a dozen voices said ”Sh-s.h.!.+”

”Ladies and gentle_men_!” cried Captain Shotwell. ”The first haalf--the fro'--the front haalf of the traain--of the expected traain--is full of people from Pulaaski City! The ster'--the rear haalf is reserved faw the one hundred holdehs of these red tickets.” (Applause.) ”Ayfter the shor'--brief puffawn'--cerem'--exercises, the traain, bein' filled, will run up to Pulaaski City, leave that section of which, aw toe which, aw at least in which, that is, belonging toe--I mean the people containing the Pulaaski City section (laughter and applause)--or rather the section contained by the Pu--(deafening laughter)--I should saay the city containing the Pulaas'--(roars of laughter)--Well, gentlemen, if you know what I want to say betteh than I do, jest say it yo'se'ves an'----”

His face was red and he added something unintelligible about them all going to a terminus not on that road, while Captain Champion, coming to his rescue, proclaimed that the Suez section would be brought back, ”expectin' to arrive hyeh an hou' by sun. An' now, ladies and gentle_men_, I propose three cheers faw that gallant an' accomplished gentleman, Cap'm Shotwell--hip-hip--'” And the company gave them, with a tiger.

At that moment, faint and far, the whistle sounded. The great outer crowd ran together, all looking one way. Again it sounded, nearer; and then again, near and loud. The mult.i.tude huzzaed; the bell clanged; gay with flags the train came thundering in; out in the blazing sunlight Captain Champion, with sword unsheathed, cried ”Fire!” The gun flashed and crashed, the earth shook, the people's long shout went up, the sax-horns sang ”Way Down upon the Swanee River”--and the tears of a true Southerner leaped into Barbara's eyes. She turned and caught young Fair smiling at it all, and most of all at her, yet in a way that earned her own smile.

The speeches were short and stirring. When Ravenel began--”Friends and fellow-citizens, this is our Susie's wedding,” the people could hardly be done cheering. Then Barbara, by him led forth and followed by Johanna's eager eyes, gave the spike its first wavering tap, the president of the road drove it home, and ”Susie” was bound in wedlock to the Age. Married for money, some might say. Yet married, bound--despite all incompatibilities--to be shaped--if not at once by choice, then at last by merciless necessity--to all that Age's lines and standards, to walk wherever it should lead, partner in all its vicissitudes, pains and fates.

The train moved. Mr. Fair sat with Barbara. Major Grant secured a seat beside Sister Proudfit--”aha--ha-ha!”--”t-he-he-he-he!” Fannie gave Shotwell the place beside her, and so on. Even Johanna, by taking a child in her lap, got a seat. But Ravenel and Colonel Proudfit had to stand up beside Fannie and Barbara. Thus it fell out that when everyone laughed at a moons.h.i.+ner's upsetting on a pile of loose telegraph poles, Ravenel, looking out from over the swarm of heads, saw something which moved him to pull the bell-cord.

”Two people wanting to get on,” said Shotwell, as Ravenel went to the coach's rear platform. ”They in a buggy. Now they out. Here they--Law', Miss Fannie, who you reckon it is? Guess! You _cayn't_, miss!”

Barbara, with studied indifference, asked Fair the time of day.

”There,” said Shotwell, ”they've gone into the cah behind us.”

”Sister March and her son,” observed Garnet to Mrs. Proudfit and the train moved on.

XXV.

BY RAIL

Everybody felt playful and nearly everybody coquettish. When Sister Proudfit, in response to some sly gallantry of Garnet's used upon him a pair of black eyes, he gave her the whole wealth of his own. He must have overdone the matter, for the next moment he found Fannie's eyes levelled directly on him. She withdrew them with a casual remark to Barbara, yet not till they had said to him, in solemn silence:

”You villain, that time I saw you!”

Mrs. March had pushed cheerily into the rear Suez coach. Away from home and its satieties no one could be more easily or thoroughly pleased. Her son said the forward coach was better, but in there she had sighted Fannie and Barbara, and so----

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