minmarn/Gone_with_the_wind · Datasets at Hugging Face

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praising Rhett's services in no uncertain terms. A born
artilleryman, a brave soldier and an uncomplaining gentleman, a
modest man who wouldn't even take a commission when it was offered
him.

"Well!" said Mrs. Merriwether showing the letter to Mrs. Elsing.
"You can knock me down with a feather! Maybe we did misjudge the
scamp about not being a soldier. Maybe we should have believed
what Scarlett and Melanie said about him enlisting the day the town
fell. But, just the same, he's a Scallawag and a rascal and I
don't like him!"

"Somehow," said Mrs. Elsing uncertainly, "somehow, I don't think
he's so bad. A man who fought for the Confederacy can't be all
bad. It's Scarlett who is the bad one. Do you know, Dolly, I
really believe that he--well, he's ashamed of Scarlett but is too
much of a gentleman to let on."

"Ashamed! Pooh! They're both cut out of the same piece of cloth.
Where did you ever get such a silly notion?"

"It isn't silly," said Mrs. Elsing indignantly. "Yesterday, in the
pouring rain, he had those three children, even the baby, mind you,
out in his carriage riding them up and down Peachtree Street and he
gave me a lift home. And when I said: 'Captain Butler, have you
lost your mind keeping these children out in the damp? Why don't
you take them home?' And he didn't say a word but just looked
embarrassed. But Mammy spoke up and said: 'De house full of w'ite
trash an' it healthier fer de chillun in de rain dan at home!'"

"What did he say?"

"What could he say? He just scowled at Mammy and passed it over.
You know Scarlett was giving a big whist party yesterday afternoon
with all those common ordinary women there. I guess he didn't want
them kissing his baby."

"Well!" said Mrs. Merriwether, wavering but still obstinate. But
the next week she, too, capitulated.

Rhett now had a desk in the bank. What he did at this desk the
bewildered officials of the bank did not know, but he owned too
large a block of the stock for them to protest his presence there.
After a while they forgot that they had objected to him for he was
quiet and well mannered and actually knew something about banking
and investments. At any rate he sat at his desk all day, giving
every appearance of industry, for he wished to be on equal terms
with his respectable fellow townsmen who worked and worked hard.

Mrs. Merriwether, wishing to expand her growing bakery, had tried
to borrow two thousand dollars from the bank with her house as
security. She had been refused because there were already two
mortgages on the house. The stout old lady was storming out of the
bank when Rhett stopped her, learned the trouble and said,
worriedly: "But there must be some mistake, Mrs. Merriwether.
Some dreadful mistake. You of all people shouldn't have to bother
about collateral. Why, I'd lend you money just on your word! Any
lady who could build up the business you've built up is the best
risk in the world. The bank wants to lend money to people like
you. Now, do sit down right here in my chair and I will attend to
it for you."

When he came back he was smiling blandly, saying that there had
been a mistake, just as he had thought. The two thousand dollars
was right there waiting for her whenever she cared to draw against
it. Now, about her house--would she just sign right here?

Mrs. Merriwether, torn with indignation and insult, furious that
she had to take this favor from a man she disliked and distrusted,
was hardly gracious in her thanks.

But he failed to notice it. As he escorted her to the door, he
said: "Mrs. Merriwether, I have always had a great regard for your
knowledge and I wonder if you could tell me something?"

The plumes on her bonnet barely moved as she nodded.

"What did you do when your Maybelle was little and she sucked her
thumb?"

"What?"

"My Bonnie sucks her thumb. I can't make her stop it."

"You should make her stop it," said Mrs. Merriwether vigorously.
"It will ruin the shape of her mouth."

"I know! I know! And she has a beautiful mouth. But I don't know
what to do."

"Well, Scarlett ought to know," said Mrs. Merriwether shortly.
"She's had two other children."

Rhett looked down at his shoes and sighed.

"I've tried putting soap under her finger nails," he said, passing
over her remark about Scarlett.

"Soap! Bah! Soap is no good at all. I put quinine on Maybelle's
thumb and let me tell you, Captain Butler, she stopped sucking that

praising Rhett's services in no uncertain terms. A born

artilleryman, a brave soldier and an uncomplaining gentleman, a

modest man who wouldn't even take a commission when it was offered

him.

"Well!" said Mrs. Merriwether showing the letter to Mrs. Elsing.

"You can knock me down with a feather! Maybe we did misjudge the

scamp about not being a soldier. Maybe we should have believed

what Scarlett and Melanie said about him enlisting the day the town

fell. But, just the same, he's a Scallawag and a rascal and I

don't like him!"

"Somehow," said Mrs. Elsing uncertainly, "somehow, I don't think

he's so bad. A man who fought for the Confederacy can't be all

bad. It's Scarlett who is the bad one. Do you know, Dolly, I

really believe that he--well, he's ashamed of Scarlett but is too

much of a gentleman to let on."

"Ashamed! Pooh! They're both cut out of the same piece of cloth.

Where did you ever get such a silly notion?"

"It isn't silly," said Mrs. Elsing indignantly. "Yesterday, in the

pouring rain, he had those three children, even the baby, mind you,

out in his carriage riding them up and down Peachtree Street and he

gave me a lift home. And when I said: 'Captain Butler, have you

lost your mind keeping these children out in the damp? Why don't

you take them home?' And he didn't say a word but just looked

embarrassed. But Mammy spoke up and said: 'De house full of w'ite

trash an' it healthier fer de chillun in de rain dan at home!'"

"What did he say?"

"What could he say? He just scowled at Mammy and passed it over.

You know Scarlett was giving a big whist party yesterday afternoon

with all those common ordinary women there. I guess he didn't want

them kissing his baby."

"Well!" said Mrs. Merriwether, wavering but still obstinate. But

the next week she, too, capitulated.

Rhett now had a desk in the bank. What he did at this desk the

bewildered officials of the bank did not know, but he owned too

large a block of the stock for them to protest his presence there.

After a while they forgot that they had objected to him for he was

quiet and well mannered and actually knew something about banking

and investments. At any rate he sat at his desk all day, giving

every appearance of industry, for he wished to be on equal terms

with his respectable fellow townsmen who worked and worked hard.

Mrs. Merriwether, wishing to expand her growing bakery, had tried

to borrow two thousand dollars from the bank with her house as

security. She had been refused because there were already two

mortgages on the house. The stout old lady was storming out of the

bank when Rhett stopped her, learned the trouble and said,

worriedly: "But there must be some mistake, Mrs. Merriwether.

Some dreadful mistake. You of all people shouldn't have to bother

about collateral. Why, I'd lend you money just on your word! Any

lady who could build up the business you've built up is the best

risk in the world. The bank wants to lend money to people like

you. Now, do sit down right here in my chair and I will attend to

it for you."

When he came back he was smiling blandly, saying that there had

been a mistake, just as he had thought. The two thousand dollars

was right there waiting for her whenever she cared to draw against

it. Now, about her house--would she just sign right here?

Mrs. Merriwether, torn with indignation and insult, furious that

she had to take this favor from a man she disliked and distrusted,

was hardly gracious in her thanks.

But he failed to notice it. As he escorted her to the door, he

said: "Mrs. Merriwether, I have always had a great regard for your

knowledge and I wonder if you could tell me something?"

The plumes on her bonnet barely moved as she nodded.

"What did you do when your Maybelle was little and she sucked her

thumb?"

"What?"

"My Bonnie sucks her thumb. I can't make her stop it."

"You should make her stop it," said Mrs. Merriwether vigorously.

"It will ruin the shape of her mouth."

"I know! I know! And she has a beautiful mouth. But I don't know

what to do."

"Well, Scarlett ought to know," said Mrs. Merriwether shortly.

"She's had two other children."

Rhett looked down at his shoes and sighed.

"I've tried putting soap under her finger nails," he said, passing

over her remark about Scarlett.

"Soap! Bah! Soap is no good at all. I put quinine on Maybelle's

thumb and let me tell you, Captain Butler, she stopped sucking that