minmarn/Gone_with_the_wind · Datasets at Hugging Face

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danced too, as always when she was going to see Ashley. Perhaps,
if she paid off the team drivers and Hugh early, they would go home
and leave her and Ashley alone in the square little office in the
middle of the lumber yard. Chances to see Ashley alone were all
too infrequent these days. And to think that Melanie had asked her
to hold him! That was funny!

Her heart was merry when she reached the store, and she paid off
Willie and the other counter boys without even asking what the
day's business had been. It was Saturday, the biggest day of the
week for the store, for all the farmers came to town to shop that
day, but she asked no questions.

Along the way to the lumber yard she stopped a dozen times to speak
with Carpetbagger ladies in splendid equipages--not so splendid as
her own, she thought with pleasure--and with many men who came
through the red dust of the street to stand hat in hand and
compliment her. It was a beautiful afternoon, she was happy, she
looked pretty and her progress was a royal one. Because of these
delays she arrived at the lumber yard later than she intended and
found Hugh and the team drivers sitting on a low pile of lumber
waiting for her.

"Is Ashley here?"

"Yes, he's in the office," said Hugh, the habitually worried
expression leaving his face at the sight of her happy, dancing
eyes. "He's trying to--I mean, he's going over the books."

"Oh, he needn't bother about that today," she said and then
lowering her voice: "Melly sent me down to keep him here till they
get the house straight for the reception tonight."

Hugh smiled for he was going to the reception. He liked parties
and he guessed Scarlett did too from the way she looked this
afternoon. She paid off the teamsters and Hugh and, abruptly
leaving them, walked toward the office, showing plainly by her
manner that she did not care to be accompanied. Ashley met her at
the door and stood in the afternoon sunshine, his hair bright and
on his lips a little smile that was almost a grin.

"Why, Scarlett, what are you doing downtown this time of the day?
Why aren't you out at my house helping Melly get ready for the
surprise party?"

"Why, Ashley Wilkes!" she cried indignantly. "You weren't supposed
to know a thing about it. Melly will be so disappointed if you
aren't surprised."

"Oh, I won't let on. I'll be the most surprised man in Atlanta,"
said Ashley, his eyes laughing.

"Now, who was mean enough to tell you?"

"Practically every man Melly invited. General Gordon was the
first. He said it had been his experience that when women gave
surprise parties they usually gave them on the very nights men had
decided to polish and clean all the guns in the house. And then
Grandpa Merriwether warned me. He said Mrs. Merriwether gave him a
surprise party once and she was the most surprised person there,
because Grandpa had been treating his rheumatism, on the sly, with
a bottle of whisky and he was too drunk to get out of bed and--oh,
every man who's ever had a surprise party given him told me."

"The mean things!" cried Scarlett but she had to smile.

He looked like the old Ashley she knew at twelve Oaks when he
smiled like this. And he smiled so seldom these days. The air was
so soft, the sun so gentle, Ashley's face so gay, his talk so
unconstrained that her heart leaped with happiness. It swelled in
her bosom until it positively ached with pleasure, ached as with a
burden of joyful, hot, unshed tears. Suddenly she felt sixteen
again and happy, a little breathless and excited. She had a mad
impulse to snatch off her bonnet and toss it into the air and cry
"Hurray!" Then she thought how startled Ashley would be if she did
this, and she suddenly laughed, laughed until tears came to her
eyes. He laughed, too, throwing back his head as though he enjoyed
laughter, thinking her mirth came from the friendly treachery of
the men who had given Melly's secret away.

"Come in, Scarlett. I'm going over the books."

She passed into the small room, blazing with the afternoon sun, and
sat down in the chair before the roll-topped desk. Ashley,
following her, seated himself on the corner of the rough table, his
long legs dangling easily.

"Oh, don't let's fool with any books this afternoon, Ashley! I
just can't be bothered. When I'm wearing a new bonnet, it seems
like all the figures I know leave my head."

"Figures are well lost when the bonnet's as pretty as that one," he
said. "Scarlett, you get prettier all the time!"

He slipped from the table and, laughing, took her hands, spreading
them wide so he could see her dress. "You are so pretty! I don't
believe you'll ever get old!"

At his touch she realized that, without being conscious of it, she
had hoped that just this thing would happen. All this happy

danced too, as always when she was going to see Ashley. Perhaps,

if she paid off the team drivers and Hugh early, they would go home

and leave her and Ashley alone in the square little office in the

middle of the lumber yard. Chances to see Ashley alone were all

too infrequent these days. And to think that Melanie had asked her

to hold him! That was funny!

Her heart was merry when she reached the store, and she paid off

Willie and the other counter boys without even asking what the

day's business had been. It was Saturday, the biggest day of the

week for the store, for all the farmers came to town to shop that

day, but she asked no questions.

Along the way to the lumber yard she stopped a dozen times to speak

with Carpetbagger ladies in splendid equipages--not so splendid as

her own, she thought with pleasure--and with many men who came

through the red dust of the street to stand hat in hand and

compliment her. It was a beautiful afternoon, she was happy, she

looked pretty and her progress was a royal one. Because of these

delays she arrived at the lumber yard later than she intended and

found Hugh and the team drivers sitting on a low pile of lumber

waiting for her.

"Is Ashley here?"

"Yes, he's in the office," said Hugh, the habitually worried

expression leaving his face at the sight of her happy, dancing

eyes. "He's trying to--I mean, he's going over the books."

"Oh, he needn't bother about that today," she said and then

lowering her voice: "Melly sent me down to keep him here till they

get the house straight for the reception tonight."

Hugh smiled for he was going to the reception. He liked parties

and he guessed Scarlett did too from the way she looked this

afternoon. She paid off the teamsters and Hugh and, abruptly

leaving them, walked toward the office, showing plainly by her

manner that she did not care to be accompanied. Ashley met her at

the door and stood in the afternoon sunshine, his hair bright and

on his lips a little smile that was almost a grin.

"Why, Scarlett, what are you doing downtown this time of the day?

Why aren't you out at my house helping Melly get ready for the

surprise party?"

"Why, Ashley Wilkes!" she cried indignantly. "You weren't supposed

to know a thing about it. Melly will be so disappointed if you

aren't surprised."

"Oh, I won't let on. I'll be the most surprised man in Atlanta,"

said Ashley, his eyes laughing.

"Now, who was mean enough to tell you?"

"Practically every man Melly invited. General Gordon was the

first. He said it had been his experience that when women gave

surprise parties they usually gave them on the very nights men had

decided to polish and clean all the guns in the house. And then

Grandpa Merriwether warned me. He said Mrs. Merriwether gave him a

surprise party once and she was the most surprised person there,

because Grandpa had been treating his rheumatism, on the sly, with

a bottle of whisky and he was too drunk to get out of bed and--oh,

every man who's ever had a surprise party given him told me."

"The mean things!" cried Scarlett but she had to smile.

He looked like the old Ashley she knew at twelve Oaks when he

smiled like this. And he smiled so seldom these days. The air was

so soft, the sun so gentle, Ashley's face so gay, his talk so

unconstrained that her heart leaped with happiness. It swelled in

her bosom until it positively ached with pleasure, ached as with a

burden of joyful, hot, unshed tears. Suddenly she felt sixteen

again and happy, a little breathless and excited. She had a mad

impulse to snatch off her bonnet and toss it into the air and cry

"Hurray!" Then she thought how startled Ashley would be if she did

this, and she suddenly laughed, laughed until tears came to her

eyes. He laughed, too, throwing back his head as though he enjoyed

laughter, thinking her mirth came from the friendly treachery of

the men who had given Melly's secret away.

"Come in, Scarlett. I'm going over the books."

She passed into the small room, blazing with the afternoon sun, and

sat down in the chair before the roll-topped desk. Ashley,

following her, seated himself on the corner of the rough table, his

long legs dangling easily.

"Oh, don't let's fool with any books this afternoon, Ashley! I

just can't be bothered. When I'm wearing a new bonnet, it seems

like all the figures I know leave my head."

"Figures are well lost when the bonnet's as pretty as that one," he

said. "Scarlett, you get prettier all the time!"

He slipped from the table and, laughing, took her hands, spreading

them wide so he could see her dress. "You are so pretty! I don't

believe you'll ever get old!"

At his touch she realized that, without being conscious of it, she

had hoped that just this thing would happen. All this happy