large/5636/lmm_short_stories_1902_1012_librivox_64kb_mp3/lmmshortstories1902_07_montgomery_64kb_37
large/5636/lmm_short_stories_1902_1012_librivox_64kb_mp3/lmmshortstories1902_07_montgomery_64kb
English
5636
Then the latter said abruptly: "Did you hear how Stephen Fair was?" "He's dying," was the brief response. Emily heard Amelia's startled exclamation. She gripped the square rails with her hands until the sharp edges dinted deep into her fingers. John's voice came up to her again, harsh and expressionless: "He took a bad turn the day before yesterday and has been getting worse ever since. The doctors don't expect him to live till morning." THEN THE LATTER SAID ABRUPTLY DID YOU HEAR HOW STEPHEN FAIR WAS HE'S DYING WAS THE BRIEF RESPONSE EMILY HEARD AMELIA'S STARTLED EXCLAMATION SHE GRIPPED THE SQUARE RAILS WITH HER HANDS UNTIL THE SHARP EDGES DENTED DEEP INTO HER FINGERS JOHN'S VOICE CAME UP TO HER AGAIN HARSH AND EXPRESSIONLESS HE TOOK A BAD TURN THE DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY AND HAS BEEN GETTING WORSE EVER SINCE THE DOCTORS DON'T EXPECT HIM TO LIVE TILL MORNING
passed between husband and wife. When they met, as they occasionally did, neither impassive face changed. Emily Fair had buried her love deeply. In her pride and anger she would not let herself remember even where she had dug its grave. And now Stephen was ill. The strange woman felt a certain pride in her own inflexibility because the fact did not affect her. She told herself that she could not have felt more unconcerned had he been the merest stranger. Nevertheless she waited and watched for John Phillips' homecoming. At ten o'clock she heard his voice in the kitchen. She leaned out of the bed and pulled open her door. She heard voices below, but could not distinguish the words, so she rose and went noiselessly out into the hall, knelt down by the stair railing and listened. The door of the kitchen was open below her and a narrow shaft of light struck on her white, intent face. She looked like a woman waiting for the decree of doom. At first John and Amelia talked of trivial matters. R LOOK HAD EVER PASSED BETWEEN HUSBAND AND WIFE WHEN THEY MET AS THEY OCCASIONALLY DID NEITHER IMPASSIVE FACE CHANGED EMILY FAIR HAD BURIED HER LOVE DEEPLY IN HER PRIDE AND ANGER SHE WOULD NOT LET HERSELF REMEMBER EVEN WHERE SHE HAD DUG ITS GRAVE AND NOW STEPHEN WAS ILL THE STRANGE WOMAN FELT A CERTAIN PRIDE IN HER OWN INFLEXIBILITY BECAUSE THE FACT DID NOT AFFECT HER SHE TOLD HERSELF THAT SHE COULD NOT HAVE FELT MORE UNCONCERNED HAD HE BEEN THE MEREST STRANGER NEVERTHELESS SHE WAITED AND WATCHED FOR JOHN PHILLIPS'S HOME COMING AT TEN O'CLOCK SHE HEARD HIS VOICE IN THE KITCHEN SHE LEANED OUT OF THE BED AND PULLED OPEN HER DOOR SHE HEARD VOICES BELOW BUT COULD NOT DISTINGUISH THE WORDS SO SHE ROSE AND WENT NOISELESSLY OUT INTO THE HALL KNELT DOWN BY THE STAIR RAILING AND LISTENED THE DOOR OF THE KITCHEN WAS OPENED BELOW HER AND A NARROW SHAFT OF LIGHT STRUCK ON HER WHITE INTENT FACE SHE LOOKED LIKE A WOMAN WAITING FOR THE DECREE OF DOOM AT FIRST JOHN AND AMELIA TALKED OF TRIVIAL MATTERS
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