Blue-Bird Weather - Page 10/34

Evidently this photograph, in an oval frame of old-time water gilt, was

a portrait of Miss Herold's mother. What a charming face, with its

delicate, high-bred nose and lips! The boy, Jim, had her mouth and nose,

and his sister her eyes, slightly tilted to a slant at the outer

corners--beautifully shaped eyes, he remembered.

He lingered a moment, then strolled on, viewing with tolerant

indifference the few poor ornaments on the mantel, the chromos of wild

ducks and shore birds, and found himself again by the lamp-lit table

from which he had started his explorations.

On it were Jim's Latin book, a Bible, and several last year's magazines.

Idly he turned the flyleaf of the schoolbook. Written there was the

boy's name--"Jim, from Daddy."

As he was closing the cover a sudden instinct arrested his hand, and,

not knowing exactly why, he reopened the book and read the inscription

again. He read it again, too, with a vague sensation of familiarity with

it, or with the book, or something somehow connected with it, he could

not tell exactly what; but a slightly uncomfortable feeling remained as

he laid aside the book and stood with brows knitted and eyes absently

bent on the stove.

The next moment Jim came in, wearing a faded overcoat which he had

outgrown.

"Hello!" said Marche, looking up. "Are you ready for me, Jim?"

"Yes, sir."

"What sort of a chance have I?"

"I'm afraid it is blue-bird weather," said the boy diffidently.

Marche scowled, then smiled. "Your sister said it would probably be that

kind of weather. Well, we all have to take a sporting chance with things

in general, don't we, Jim?"

"Yes, sir."

Marche picked up his gun case and cartridge box. The boy offered to take

them, but the young man shook his head.

"Lead on, old sport!" he said cheerily. "I'm a beast of more burdens

than you know anything about. How's your father, by the way?"

"I think father is about the same."

"Doesn't he need a doctor?"

"No, sir, I think not."

"What is it, Jim? Fever?"

"I don't know," said the boy, in a low voice. He led the way, and Marche

followed him out of doors.

A gray light made plain the desolation of the scene, although the sun

had not yet risen. To the south and west the sombre pine woods stretched

away; eastward, a few last year's cornstalks stood, withered in the

clearing, through which a rutted road ran down to the water.