minmarn/Gone_with_the_wind · Datasets at Hugging Face

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if that was what he wanted, she could act her part too.

"Is everything all right?" she repeated. "Did you get the new
shingles for the store? Did you swap the mules? For Heaven's
sake, Rhett, take those feathers out of your hat. You look a fool
and you'll be likely to wear them downtown without remembering to
take them out."

"No," said Bonnie, picking up her father's hat, defensively.

"Everything has gone very well here," replied Rhett. "Bonnie and I
have had a nice time and I don't believe her hair has been combed
since you left. Don't suck the feathers, darling, they may be
nasty. Yes, the shingles are fixed and I got a good trade on the
mules. No, there's really no news. Everything has been quite
dull."

Then, as an afterthought, he added: "The honorable Ashley was over
here last night. He wanted to know if I thought you would sell him
your mill and the part interest you have in his."

Scarlett, who had been rocking and fanning herself with a turkey
tail fan, stopped abruptly.

"Sell? Where on earth did Ashley get the money? You know they
never have a cent. Melanie spends it as fast as he makes it."

Rhett shrugged. "I always thought her a frugal little person, but
then I'm not as well informed about the intimate details of the
Wilkes family as you seem to be."

That jab seemed in something of Rhett's old style and Scarlett grew
annoyed.

"Run away, dear," she said to Bonnie. "Mother wants to talk to
Father."

"No," said Bonnie positively and climbed upon Rhett's lap.

Scarlett frowned at her child and Bonnie scowled back in so
complete a resemblance to Gerald O'Hara that Scarlett almost
laughed.

"Let her stay," said Rhett comfortably. "As to where he got the
money, it seems it was sent him by someone he nursed through a case
of smallpox at Rock Island. It renews my faith in human nature to
know that gratitude still exists."

"Who was it? Anyone we know?"

"The letter was unsigned and came from Washington. Ashley was at a
loss to know who could have sent it. But then, one of Ashley's
unselfish temperament goes about the world doing so many good deeds
that you can't expect him to remember all of them."

Had she not been so surprised at Ashley's windfall, Scarlett would
have taken up this gauntlet, although while at Tara she had decided
that never again would she permit herself to be involved in any
quarrel with Rhett about Ashley. The ground on which she stood in
this matter was entirely too uncertain and, until she knew exactly
where she stood with both men, she did not care to be drawn out.

"He wants to buy me out?"

"Yes. But of course, I told him you wouldn't sell."

"I wish you'd let me mind my own business."

"Well, you know you wouldn't part with the mills. I told him that
he knew as well as I did that you couldn't bear not to have your
finger in everybody's pie, and if you sold out to him, then you
wouldn't be able to tell him how to mind his own business."

"You dared say that to him about me?"

"Why not? It's true, isn't it? I believe he heartily agreed with
me but, of course, he was too much of a gentleman to come right out
and say so."

"It's a lie! I will sell them to him!" cried Scarlett angrily.

Until that moment, she had had no idea of parting with the mills.
She had several reasons for wanting to keep them and their monetary
value was the least reason. She could have sold them for large
sums any time in the last few years, but she had refused all
offers. The mills were the tangible evidence of what she had done,
unaided and against great odds, and she was proud of them and of
herself. Most of all, she did not want to sell them because they
were the only path that lay open to Ashley. If the mills went from
her control it would mean that she would seldom see Ashley and
probably never see him alone. And she had to see him alone. She
could not go on this way any longer, wondering what his feelings
toward her were now, wondering if all his love had died in shame
since the dreadful night of Melanie's party. In the course of
business she could find many opportune times for conversations
without it appearing to anyone that she was seeking him out. And,
given time, she knew she could gain back whatever ground she had
lost in his heart. But if she sold the mills--

No, she did not want to sell but, goaded by the thought that Rhett

if that was what he wanted, she could act her part too.

"Is everything all right?" she repeated. "Did you get the new

shingles for the store? Did you swap the mules? For Heaven's

sake, Rhett, take those feathers out of your hat. You look a fool

and you'll be likely to wear them downtown without remembering to

take them out."

"No," said Bonnie, picking up her father's hat, defensively.

"Everything has gone very well here," replied Rhett. "Bonnie and I

have had a nice time and I don't believe her hair has been combed

since you left. Don't suck the feathers, darling, they may be

nasty. Yes, the shingles are fixed and I got a good trade on the

mules. No, there's really no news. Everything has been quite

dull."

Then, as an afterthought, he added: "The honorable Ashley was over

here last night. He wanted to know if I thought you would sell him

your mill and the part interest you have in his."

Scarlett, who had been rocking and fanning herself with a turkey

tail fan, stopped abruptly.

"Sell? Where on earth did Ashley get the money? You know they

never have a cent. Melanie spends it as fast as he makes it."

Rhett shrugged. "I always thought her a frugal little person, but

then I'm not as well informed about the intimate details of the

Wilkes family as you seem to be."

That jab seemed in something of Rhett's old style and Scarlett grew

annoyed.

"Run away, dear," she said to Bonnie. "Mother wants to talk to

Father."

"No," said Bonnie positively and climbed upon Rhett's lap.

Scarlett frowned at her child and Bonnie scowled back in so

complete a resemblance to Gerald O'Hara that Scarlett almost

laughed.

"Let her stay," said Rhett comfortably. "As to where he got the

money, it seems it was sent him by someone he nursed through a case

of smallpox at Rock Island. It renews my faith in human nature to

know that gratitude still exists."

"Who was it? Anyone we know?"

"The letter was unsigned and came from Washington. Ashley was at a

loss to know who could have sent it. But then, one of Ashley's

unselfish temperament goes about the world doing so many good deeds

that you can't expect him to remember all of them."

Had she not been so surprised at Ashley's windfall, Scarlett would

have taken up this gauntlet, although while at Tara she had decided

that never again would she permit herself to be involved in any

quarrel with Rhett about Ashley. The ground on which she stood in

this matter was entirely too uncertain and, until she knew exactly

where she stood with both men, she did not care to be drawn out.

"He wants to buy me out?"

"Yes. But of course, I told him you wouldn't sell."

"I wish you'd let me mind my own business."

"Well, you know you wouldn't part with the mills. I told him that

he knew as well as I did that you couldn't bear not to have your

finger in everybody's pie, and if you sold out to him, then you

wouldn't be able to tell him how to mind his own business."

"You dared say that to him about me?"

"Why not? It's true, isn't it? I believe he heartily agreed with

me but, of course, he was too much of a gentleman to come right out

and say so."

"It's a lie! I will sell them to him!" cried Scarlett angrily.

Until that moment, she had had no idea of parting with the mills.

She had several reasons for wanting to keep them and their monetary

value was the least reason. She could have sold them for large

sums any time in the last few years, but she had refused all

offers. The mills were the tangible evidence of what she had done,

unaided and against great odds, and she was proud of them and of

herself. Most of all, she did not want to sell them because they

were the only path that lay open to Ashley. If the mills went from

her control it would mean that she would seldom see Ashley and

probably never see him alone. And she had to see him alone. She

could not go on this way any longer, wondering what his feelings

toward her were now, wondering if all his love had died in shame

since the dreadful night of Melanie's party. In the course of

business she could find many opportune times for conversations

without it appearing to anyone that she was seeking him out. And,

given time, she knew she could gain back whatever ground she had

lost in his heart. But if she sold the mills--

No, she did not want to sell but, goaded by the thought that Rhett