minmarn/Gone_with_the_wind · Datasets at Hugging Face

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at Jonesboro, they both suddenly became aware of Scarlett O'Hara.
They had known her for years, and, since their childhood, she had
been a favorite playmate, for she could ride horses and climb
trees almost as well as they. But now to their amazement she had
become a grown-up young lady and quite the most charming one in
all the world.

They noticed for the first time how her green eyes danced, how
deep her dimples were when she laughed, how tiny her hands and
feet and what a small waist she had. Their clever remarks sent
her into merry peals of laughter and, inspired by the thought that
she considered them a remarkable pair, they fairly outdid
themselves.

It was a memorable day in the life of the twins. Thereafter, when
they talked it over, they always wondered just why they had failed
to notice Scarlett's charms before. They never arrived at the
correct answer, which was that Scarlett on that day had decided to
make them notice. She was constitutionally unable to endure any
man being in love with any woman not herself, and the sight of
India Wilkes and Stuart at the speaking had been too much for her
predatory nature. Not content with Stuart alone, she had set her
cap for Brent as well, and with a thoroughness that overwhelmed
the two of them.

Now they were both in love with her, and India Wilkes and Letty
Munroe, from Lovejoy, whom Brent had been half-heartedly courting,
were far in the back of their minds. Just what the loser would
do, should Scarlett accept either one of them, the twins did not
ask. They would cross that bridge when they came to it. For the
present they were quite satisfied to be in accord again about one
girl, for they had no jealousies between them. It was a situation
which interested the neighbors and annoyed their mother, who had
no liking for Scarlett.

"It will serve you right if that sly piece does accept one of
you," she said. "Or maybe she'll accept both of you, and then
you'll have to move to Utah, if the Mormons'll have you--which I
doubt. . . . All that bothers me is that some one of these days
you're both going to get lickered up and jealous of each other
about that two-faced, little, green-eyed baggage, and you'll shoot
each other. But that might not be a bad idea either."

Since the day of the speaking, Stuart had been uncomfortable in
India's presence. Not that India ever reproached him or even
indicated by look or gesture that she was aware of his abruptly
changed allegiance. She was too much of a lady. But Stuart felt
guilty and ill at ease with her. He knew he had made India love
him and he knew that she still loved him and, deep in his heart,
he had the feeling that he had not played the gentleman. He still
liked her tremendously and respected her for her cool good
breeding, her book learning and all the sterling qualities she
possessed. But, damn it, she was just so pallid and uninteresting
and always the same, beside Scarlett's bright and changeable
charm. You always knew where you stood with India and you never
had the slightest notion with Scarlett. That was enough to drive
a man to distraction, but it had its charm.

"Well, let's go over to Cade Calvert's and have supper. Scarlett
said Cathleen was home from Charleston. Maybe she'll have some
news about Fort Sumter that we haven't heard."

"Not Cathleen. I'll lay you two to one she didn't even know the
fort was out there in the harbor, much less that it was full of
Yankees until we shelled them out. All she'll know about is the
balls she went to and the beaux she collected."

"Well, it's fun to hear her gabble. And it'll be somewhere to
hide out till Ma has gone to bed."

"Well, hell! I like Cathleen and she is fun and I'd like to hear
about Caro Rhett and the rest of the Charleston folks; but I'm
damned if I can stand sitting through another meal with that
Yankee stepmother of hers."

"Don't be too hard on her, Stuart. She means well."

"I'm not being hard on her. I feel sorry for her, but I don't
like people I've got to feel sorry for. And she fusses around so
much, trying to do the right thing and make you feel at home, that
she always manages to say and do just exactly the wrong thing.
She gives me the fidgets! And she thinks Southerners are wild
barbarians. She even told Ma so. She's afraid of Southerners.
Whenever we're there she always looks scared to death. She
reminds me of a skinny hen perched on a chair, her eyes kind of
bright and blank and scared, all ready to flap and squawk at the
slightest move anybody makes."

"Well, you can't blame her. You did shoot Cade in the leg."

"Well, I was lickered up or I wouldn't have done it," said Stuart.
"And Cade never had any hard feelings. Neither did Cathleen or
Raiford or Mr. Calvert. It was just that Yankee stepmother who
squalled and said I was a wild barbarian and decent people weren't
safe around uncivilized Southerners."

"Well, you can't blame her. She's a Yankee and ain't got very
good manners; and, after all, you did shoot him and he is her
stepson."

at Jonesboro, they both suddenly became aware of Scarlett O'Hara.

They had known her for years, and, since their childhood, she had

been a favorite playmate, for she could ride horses and climb

trees almost as well as they. But now to their amazement she had

become a grown-up young lady and quite the most charming one in

all the world.

They noticed for the first time how her green eyes danced, how

deep her dimples were when she laughed, how tiny her hands and

feet and what a small waist she had. Their clever remarks sent

her into merry peals of laughter and, inspired by the thought that

she considered them a remarkable pair, they fairly outdid

themselves.

It was a memorable day in the life of the twins. Thereafter, when

they talked it over, they always wondered just why they had failed

to notice Scarlett's charms before. They never arrived at the

correct answer, which was that Scarlett on that day had decided to

make them notice. She was constitutionally unable to endure any

man being in love with any woman not herself, and the sight of

India Wilkes and Stuart at the speaking had been too much for her

predatory nature. Not content with Stuart alone, she had set her

cap for Brent as well, and with a thoroughness that overwhelmed

the two of them.

Now they were both in love with her, and India Wilkes and Letty

Munroe, from Lovejoy, whom Brent had been half-heartedly courting,

were far in the back of their minds. Just what the loser would

do, should Scarlett accept either one of them, the twins did not

ask. They would cross that bridge when they came to it. For the

present they were quite satisfied to be in accord again about one

girl, for they had no jealousies between them. It was a situation

which interested the neighbors and annoyed their mother, who had

no liking for Scarlett.

"It will serve you right if that sly piece does accept one of

you," she said. "Or maybe she'll accept both of you, and then

you'll have to move to Utah, if the Mormons'll have you--which I

doubt. . . . All that bothers me is that some one of these days

you're both going to get lickered up and jealous of each other

about that two-faced, little, green-eyed baggage, and you'll shoot

each other. But that might not be a bad idea either."

Since the day of the speaking, Stuart had been uncomfortable in

India's presence. Not that India ever reproached him or even

indicated by look or gesture that she was aware of his abruptly

changed allegiance. She was too much of a lady. But Stuart felt

guilty and ill at ease with her. He knew he had made India love

him and he knew that she still loved him and, deep in his heart,

he had the feeling that he had not played the gentleman. He still

liked her tremendously and respected her for her cool good

breeding, her book learning and all the sterling qualities she

possessed. But, damn it, she was just so pallid and uninteresting

and always the same, beside Scarlett's bright and changeable

charm. You always knew where you stood with India and you never

had the slightest notion with Scarlett. That was enough to drive

a man to distraction, but it had its charm.

"Well, let's go over to Cade Calvert's and have supper. Scarlett

said Cathleen was home from Charleston. Maybe she'll have some

news about Fort Sumter that we haven't heard."

"Not Cathleen. I'll lay you two to one she didn't even know the

fort was out there in the harbor, much less that it was full of

Yankees until we shelled them out. All she'll know about is the

balls she went to and the beaux she collected."

"Well, it's fun to hear her gabble. And it'll be somewhere to

hide out till Ma has gone to bed."

"Well, hell! I like Cathleen and she is fun and I'd like to hear

about Caro Rhett and the rest of the Charleston folks; but I'm

damned if I can stand sitting through another meal with that

Yankee stepmother of hers."

"Don't be too hard on her, Stuart. She means well."

"I'm not being hard on her. I feel sorry for her, but I don't

like people I've got to feel sorry for. And she fusses around so

much, trying to do the right thing and make you feel at home, that

she always manages to say and do just exactly the wrong thing.

She gives me the fidgets! And she thinks Southerners are wild

barbarians. She even told Ma so. She's afraid of Southerners.

Whenever we're there she always looks scared to death. She

reminds me of a skinny hen perched on a chair, her eyes kind of

bright and blank and scared, all ready to flap and squawk at the

slightest move anybody makes."

"Well, you can't blame her. You did shoot Cade in the leg."

"Well, I was lickered up or I wouldn't have done it," said Stuart.

"And Cade never had any hard feelings. Neither did Cathleen or

Raiford or Mr. Calvert. It was just that Yankee stepmother who

squalled and said I was a wild barbarian and decent people weren't

safe around uncivilized Southerners."

"Well, you can't blame her. She's a Yankee and ain't got very

good manners; and, after all, you did shoot him and he is her

stepson."