Speaker 1: Chapter twenty two of Cloudy Jewel. This is a liverbox recording.
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Speaker 1: by Anathemoun Cloudy Jewel by Grace livingstone Hill, Chapter twenty two.
Speaker 1: The two young men had shoved the old canoe up
Speaker 1: on the bank, turned it over, emptied it, and put
Speaker 1: it back in water. Fred Higgs was holding it at
Speaker 1: arms lengths now in water, and the would be bridegroom
Speaker 1: had crawled out to the extreme end and it rolled
Speaker 1: up sleeves was pawing about in the water, which did
Speaker 1: not appear to be very deep at cry. They turned
Speaker 1: and Fred Higgs, forgetting the other man's plight, led good
Speaker 1: boat and dashed back to the road. Young laws, arising
Speaker 1: too hastily, rolled into the water spletely and came splashing
Speaker 1: up the bank in a frothy state of mind. But suddenly,
Speaker 1: as they came, while Myrtle's best efforts were put forth
Speaker 1: to hinder Leslie's movement, something cold and gleaming flashed in
Speaker 1: her face that sent her crouching back in the corner
Speaker 1: of her seat and screaming. Leslie had slipped her hand
Speaker 1: into the little secret pocket of the car door and
Speaker 1: brought out her revolver, hoping fervently that it was still loaded,
Speaker 1: and that Allison had not chosen to shoot at the
Speaker 1: mark or anything with it the last time he was out.
Speaker 1: You'd better sit down and keep quiet, she said, coolly,
Speaker 1: I'm a good shot. Then she put her foot on
Speaker 1: the clutch and the car started just as Fred Higgs
Speaker 1: sleep on the running board. Leslie's little revolver came promptly
Speaker 1: around to meet him, and he dropped away with a
Speaker 1: gasp of surprise, as suddenly as he had lit. Suddenly,
Speaker 1: Leslie became aware of the other young men, dripping and breathless,
Speaker 1: but with a dangerous look in his eye, bearing down
Speaker 1: upon her from the lake side of the road, and
Speaker 1: she flashed around and sent a shot ringing out into
Speaker 1: the road, the bullet plotting into the dust at his
Speaker 1: very feet. The car leaped forward to weigh her touch,
Speaker 1: and in a second more they had left the two
Speaker 1: young men safely behind them. Myrtle was crushed in the
Speaker 1: back seat, weeping, and Leslie, cool and brave in front seat,
Speaker 1: was trembling from head to foot. This was a new
Speaker 1: road to her, at least, she had never been more
Speaker 1: than two or three miles on it, and she did
Speaker 1: not know where she would bring up. She began to
Speaker 1: wonder how long her gasoline would hold out, for she
Speaker 1: had been in such a hurry to get away with
Speaker 1: Mortle before Allison should come home, that she had forgotten
Speaker 1: to look to see if everything was all right. And
Speaker 1: she now remembered that Allison had had the car out
Speaker 1: late night before. Every scene seemed to be fallen in
Speaker 1: chaos about her. The earth rose and fell in front
Speaker 1: of her excited gaze. The sun was going down, and
Speaker 1: rod ahead seemed endless. Without turning, as far as she
Speaker 1: could see, a great burying ground stretched from what seemed
Speaker 1: like miles Along one side of the road. The polished
Speaker 1: marble gleamed red and bleak in setting sun. The sky
Speaker 1: had suddenly gone lead color, and there was a chill
Speaker 1: in the air. Leslie longed for nothing so much as
Speaker 1: to hide her head in Julie Cloud's lap and weep.
Speaker 1: Yet she must go on and on and on till
Speaker 1: this awful road came to an end. But it ever
Speaker 1: come to an end, Oh, it must somewhere A great
Speaker 1: tower of rick slumed ahead, with a white paved driveway
Speaker 1: leading to it, through an arched gateway and over the arch.
Speaker 1: Some words, Leslie got only one of them, crematory. She
Speaker 1: shuddered and put on speed. It seemed that she had
Speaker 1: come to the place of death and desolation. It was
Speaker 1: lonely everywhere, and not a soul in sight. What horror
Speaker 1: if her Gasolyn should give out in a place like
Speaker 1: this and they have to spend the night here, She
Speaker 1: and that poor weak creature sobbing behind. What contempt she
Speaker 1: fell for her former friend, What contempt she fell for herself? Oh,
Speaker 1: she was well punished for her wilfulness to think she
Speaker 1: should have presumed, to hope she could help her to
Speaker 1: better ways. She a little innocent who never dreamed of
Speaker 1: such depths of duplicity as had been shown her that afternoon. Oh,
Speaker 1: to think of that low some higgs person daring to
Speaker 1: touch her, to try to take her car away from her,
Speaker 1: and to smile at her in that disgusting way. On
Speaker 1: and on went the car, and rolled on the way
Speaker 1: into the dusk, up a high hill, and down again
Speaker 1: up another, past an old farmhouse with one dim light
Speaker 1: in the back window, and the great dog howling like
Speaker 1: one in some old classic tale. She had read on
Speaker 1: and on till at last a cross road came, and
Speaker 1: she knew not which way to take, to right or
Speaker 1: to left. There was a sign board, but it was
Speaker 1: too dark to read, and she dared not get out
Speaker 1: and leave myrtle. There was no telling, but she might
Speaker 1: try to run off with car. It was at the
Speaker 1: crematurey that she began to pray, and when she reached
Speaker 1: the crossing, her heart put up a second plea for guidance.
Speaker 1: Oh God, if you'll just help me home, I would try, try,
Speaker 1: try to be what you want me to be. Please, please, please.
Speaker 1: It was the old vow of a hard bowed down
Speaker 1: and brought to the limit. It was first time Leslie
Speaker 1: I have ever realized that there could be a situation
Speaker 1: in which Leslie Cloud would not find some way out.
Speaker 1: It was the first time, too, perhaps when she realized
Speaker 1: herself as being a sinner, insensive, having a will against God,
Speaker 1: and having exercised it for her own pleasure rather than
Speaker 1: for his glory. Down the road to the left, carsped
Speaker 1: and after a mile and a half of growing darkness
Speaker 1: with woods and scattered farmhouses. The lights of a village
Speaker 1: began to appear, but it was no village that Leslie knew,
Speaker 1: and nothing anywhere gave her a clue. A truly line appeared, however,
Speaker 1: and after a little a car came along with a
Speaker 1: name that should it was going city ward. Leslie decided
Speaker 1: to follow the trolley track. In the meantime, the girl
Speaker 1: in the back seat roused up and began to look
Speaker 1: about her, evidently recognizing something familiar in the streets or town.
Speaker 1: You can put me out here, Leslie. I'm done with you,
Speaker 1: she said haughtily. I don't care to go any farther
Speaker 1: with you. I'll go back on the train. No, said
Speaker 1: Leslie sharply, you'll go home with me. I took you
Speaker 1: away without knowing what you intended, But I mean to
Speaker 1: put you back where you were before I'm done. Then
Speaker 1: my responsibility for you will be over. I was a
Speaker 1: fool to let you see me that way, but I'm
Speaker 1: not a fool any longer. Well, I won't go home
Speaker 1: with you, so and that's flat, Leslie Cloud. You needn't
Speaker 1: think you can frighten me into going either. You're in
Speaker 1: the village now, and my aunt lives here. If you
Speaker 1: get out the revolver again, I'll scream and have you
Speaker 1: arrested and tell them you're trying to murder me. So
Speaker 1: there for answer. Leslie turned sharply into a cross road
Speaker 1: that led the way from the settled portion of the
Speaker 1: town and put on all speed, jeering away into the
Speaker 1: dusk like a wild creature. Myrtle screamed and stormed behind her,
Speaker 1: all to no purpose. Leslie Cloud had her metal up
Speaker 1: and meant to take her prisoner home. Out of the town.
Speaker 1: She turned into another road that ran parallel to the
Speaker 1: trolley track, from which she could see the lights of
Speaker 1: the trolleys passing now and again as it grew darker
Speaker 1: and by and by. When they came to another cross road,
Speaker 1: Leslie got back to the trolley track and followed it,
Speaker 1: but whenever they came into a town she kept to
Speaker 1: its outskirts. Leslie had a pretty good general sense of direction,
Speaker 1: and she knew just where the sun went down. If
Speaker 1: it had not been for river and some ills that
Speaker 1: turned up and bewilder with her, she would not made
Speaker 1: a pretty direct course home, but as it was, she
Speaker 1: went far out of her way and was long delayed.
Speaker 1: And much distressed, besides being continually harassed by the angry
Speaker 1: girl in the back feet the Kathleen was holding out.
Speaker 1: It was evident that Allison had looked after it. Blessed Hellison,
Speaker 1: who always did everything when he ought to do it,
Speaker 1: and never put off things until next day. How cross
Speaker 1: she had been with him for the last six weeks,
Speaker 1: and how good and kind he always was to her.
Speaker 1: How she had deceived dear Cloudy and troubled her by
Speaker 1: going off this afternoon. Oh what would they think? Would
Speaker 1: they ever forgive her and take her back into their
Speaker 1: hearts and trust her again? The tears are blurring her
Speaker 1: eyes now. As she stared a heavy road, it seemed
Speaker 1: as if she had been cheering out through night for
Speaker 1: hours like this, Her arms ached with nervous strain, her
Speaker 1: back ached, her head ached. Perhaps they were going around
Speaker 1: the world and would only stop when the gasoline gave out.
Speaker 1: They swept around the curve. Could it be that those
Speaker 1: were the lights of the college I have on the hill? Oh?
Speaker 1: Joy at blessed they were up this hill over across
Speaker 1: two blocks, and the little pink and white house would
Speaker 1: be nestled among the hemlocks and rested homelet bleast, but
Speaker 1: there was something to be done. First. She turned toward
Speaker 1: the back seat, where sat her victim, silent and angry.
Speaker 1: Well you can let me out, now, Leslie Cloud, said
Speaker 1: Myrtle scornfully. I suppose you won't there lord it over
Speaker 1: me any longer, and I'll take could care that the
Speaker 1: rest of the town understands what a dangerous little spitfire
Speaker 1: you are. You ought to be arrested for the night's work.
Speaker 1: That's all I've got to say. Well, I have one
Speaker 1: more thing to say, said Leslie slowly, as she swerved
Speaker 1: into her own street and her eyes hungrily sought for
Speaker 1: the lights of Claudy Villa. You're coming into the house
Speaker 1: in me first before you go anywhere else, and you're
Speaker 1: going to tell this old story to my aunt Jule
Speaker 1: after that I should worry. Well, I rather guess I'm
Speaker 1: not going into your old house and tell your old
Speaker 1: aunt anything. I'm going to get right out here this minute,
Speaker 1: and you're good and going to let me out too,
Speaker 1: or I'll scream bloody murder and tell it all over
Speaker 1: this town how you went out there to meet those boys.
Speaker 1: You haven't got any witnesses, and I have remembered, said Myrtle,
Speaker 1: suddenly feeling courageous now that she was back among familiar streets.
Speaker 1: But Leslie turned sharply into the little drug and brought
Speaker 1: up the car in a flood of light at the
Speaker 1: end of the terrace. Now get out, she ordered, swinging
Speaker 1: the door open and flashing her little revolver about again
Speaker 1: at the angry girl. Oh Leslie pleaded, the victim quickly
Speaker 1: quelled by the sight of the cold steel and thrilled
Speaker 1: with memory of that shot whistling by her into the
Speaker 1: road a few hours before. Get out, said Leslie coolly,
Speaker 1: as the front door slung open and Julie Clove peered
Speaker 1: through the brightness of the porch light into the darkness.
Speaker 1: Get out, Leslie held the cold stills nearer to Myrtle's face,
Speaker 1: and the girl shuddered and got out. Now go into
Speaker 1: the house, she ordered, and, shuddering, shivering, with a frightened
Speaker 1: glance behind her and the fearful glance a haveave, she
Speaker 1: walked straight into the wondering, shocked the presence of Julia Cloud,
Speaker 1: who threw the door open wide and stepped aside to
Speaker 1: let them in. Leslie, with revolver still raised, and pointed
Speaker 1: toward the other girl came close behind Myrtle, who sidled
Speaker 1: hastily around to get behind Miss Cloud. Why, Leslie, what
Speaker 1: is the matter, gasped Julia Cloud. Tell her, ordered Leslie.
Speaker 1: The revolver still pointed straight at Myrtle. What shall I tell?
Speaker 1: Gasped the other girl, turning a white, miserable face toward
Speaker 1: Miss Cloud as if to appeal to her leniency. But
Speaker 1: there was a severity in Julia Cloud's face now, after
Speaker 1: her long hours of anxiety, that pudded no good for
Speaker 1: the cause of all her alarm. Tell her the old story,
Speaker 1: ordered the fierce young voice of Leslie. Why we went
Speaker 1: out to take a ride? Began Myrtle, looking up with
Speaker 1: her old brigadio shoe. There had seldom been a time
Speaker 1: when Myrtle had not been able to get out of
Speaker 1: a situation by Hugh's of her willy tongue. Tell it all,
Speaker 1: said Leslie, looking across the barrel of her weapon. Thell
Speaker 1: who wanted to go on that ride? Why yes, I
Speaker 1: asked Leslie to take me. I we well, that is,
Speaker 1: I wanted to meet a friend. Tell it straight, ordered Leslie.
Speaker 1: Why of course I didn't tell Leslie, I expect to
Speaker 1: meet them him. I wasn't just sure he could make
Speaker 1: the arrangements. I meant to tell her when we got out,
Speaker 1: and when we met him and my cousin, it was
Speaker 1: my cousin. I was to meet you. See, I'm we
Speaker 1: he Myrtle was getting all tangled up with her glieved
Speaker 1: tongue under the clear gaze of Julia Cloud's tru compelling eyes.
Speaker 1: She looked up and down and twisted fringe on her sash,
Speaker 1: and turned red and white by turns and seemed for
Speaker 1: the first time a very young, very silly child. But
Speaker 1: Leslie had suffered, and just now Leslie had no mercy.
Speaker 1: This girl had been a kind of idol to whom
Speaker 1: she had sacrificed much, and now that her idol had fallen,
Speaker 1: she wanted to make her idol pay or no, was
Speaker 1: that it. Leslie afterwards searched her heart and felt that
Speaker 1: she could truly say that her strongest motive in compelling
Speaker 1: this confession having to get the burden of knowledge of
Speaker 1: it off her own shrinking soul. Tell the rest came
Speaker 1: the relentless voice of Leslie, and Myrtle struggled on, well,
Speaker 1: I'm engaged to mister Bertram Laws, and my guardian won't
Speaker 1: let us get married till I'm through college, and we
Speaker 1: fixed it up to get married to day. Quietly, I
Speaker 1: knew it'd be all right after he found out he
Speaker 1: couldn't help himself. And so tell how you asked boys
Speaker 1: to catch in the car, ordered Fierce's voice again, and
Speaker 1: Myrtle recalled from another attempt to pass it all off,
Speaker 1: pleasantly went step by step through the old shameful story
Speaker 1: until it was complete. Then Leslie, with a sudden motion
Speaker 1: of finality, flung the little weapon down up on the
Speaker 1: mahogany table and dashed into Julie Cloud's arms in a
Speaker 1: storm of tears. Oh Cloudy, I'll never never do any
Speaker 1: such thing again. And I hate her. I hate her.
Speaker 1: I'll never forgive her. Can you ever forgive me? No
Speaker 1: one had heard a sudden, startled exclamation from the porch
Speaker 1: room as Leslie and Merle came into the house. But
Speaker 1: now Myrtle suddenly looked up, thinking the time had come
Speaker 1: for her to steal away, and seen, and there in
Speaker 1: the two doorways that opened on either side of the
Speaker 1: fireplace stood on one side else and Cloud and the
Speaker 1: Dean of the college, and on the other side two
Speaker 1: members of the student executive body, all looking straight at her. Moreover,
Speaker 1: she read it in their eyes that they had heard
Speaker 1: every word of her confession. Without a word, she dropped,
Speaker 1: white and striking into a chair, and covered her face
Speaker 1: with her hands. For once, her present willits were gone
Speaker 1: and of chapter twenty two. Recording by annecy Mount from Portugal,