"But I'm a man now, teacher," he said. "I shall be twenty in June, and
life is short. A man hasn't got time for everything. He'd be a fool to
waste it crying for what he didn't happen to have. He'd better push
along and work for the best. I meant to tell you. I'm going to sea,
teacher! I'm going trading. I was down to New Bedford, to see Captain
Sparhauk yesterday, for I was out with him once before, and got a good
deal of the hang of the business then; and he offered me a place on his
ship next time he sails."
Luther stood with flushed face, regarding me with a bright restless look
of inquiry in his eyes.
"Are you going away, really, Luther? I'm very sorry!" I said.
"You don't care! what do you care?" he exclaimed almost rudely, with an
unnatural touch of hardness in his laugh. "It's the way you talk to all
the rest. A fellow might get to thinking too much about it. A fellow
might get to caring--if he believed it--I don't."
"What makes you think I shouldn't care if you were going away?" I
continued, with the dispassionately gentle and reproving tone I
considered it wisest to assume on the occasion. "I should care, I should
be very sorry.
Pages:
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166