The Penningtons' Girl Page #2

"The Penningtons' Girl" by Lucy Maud Montgomery tells the story of a spirited young woman named Janet Pennington, who navigates the complexities of love and family dynamics in a small Canadian town. Set against the backdrop of picturesque landscapes, the novel explores themes of independence, personal ambition, and the struggle between duty and desire. As Janet grapples with her feelings for two very different men, she must also confront her own identity and the expectations placed upon her by society. Montgomery's signature lyrical prose captures both the beauty and the challenges of rural life, making this a heartfelt tale of growth and self-discovery.

• Short story

								

again. He kept this prudent resolution for twenty-four hours and then
rowed over to the West shore. He found Nelly sitting on the bank in
her old faded print dress and he straightway forgot everything he
ought to have remembered.

Nelly herself never seemed to be conscious of the social gulf between
them. At least she never alluded to it in any way, and accepted
Winslow's attentions as if she had a perfect right to them. She had
broken the record by staying with Mrs. Pennington four weeks, and
even the cats were in subjection.

Winslow was well enough to have gone back to the city and, in fact,
his father was writing for him. But he couldn't leave Beckwiths',
apparently. At any rate he stayed on and met Nelly every day and
cursed himself for a cad and a cur and a weak-brained idiot.

One day he took Nelly for a row up the river. They went further than
usual around the Bend. Winslow didn't want to go too far, for he knew
that a party of his city friends, chaperoned by Mrs. Keyton-Wells,
were having a picnic somewhere up along the river shore that day. But
Nelly insisted on going on and on, and of course she had her way. When
they reached a little pine-fringed headland they came upon the
picnickers, within a stone's throw. Everybody recognized Winslow.
"Why, there is Burton!" he heard Mrs. Keyton-Wells exclaim, and he
knew she was putting up her glasses. Will Evans, who was an especial
chum of his, ran down to the water's edge. "Bless me, Win, where did
you come from? Come right in. We haven't had tea yet. Bring your
friend too," he added, becoming conscious that Winslow's friend was a
mighty pretty girl. Winslow's face was crimson. He avoided Nelly's
eye.

"Are them people friends of yours?" she asked in a low tone.

"Yes," he muttered.

"Well, let us go ashore if they want us to," she said calmly. "I don't
mind."

For three seconds Winslow hesitated. Then he pulled ashore and helped
Nelly to alight on a jutting rock. There was a curious, set expression
about his fine mouth as he marched Nelly up to Mrs. Keyton-Wells and
introduced her. Mrs. Keyton-Wells's greeting was slightly cool, but
very polite. She supposed Miss Ray was some little country girl with
whom Burton Winslow was carrying on a summer flirtation; respectable
enough, no doubt, and must be treated civilly, but of course wouldn't
expect to be made an equal of exactly. The other women took their cue
from her, but the men were more cordial. Miss Ray might be shabby, but
she was distinctly fetching, and Winslow looked savage.

Nelly was not a whit abashed, seemingly, by the fashionable circle in
which she found herself, and she talked away to Will Evans and the
others in her soft drawl as if she had known them all her life. All
might have gone passably well, had not a little Riverside imp, by name
of Rufus Hent, who had been picked up by the picnickers to run their
errands, come up just then with a pail of water.

"Golly!" he ejaculated in very audible tones. "If there ain't Mrs.
Pennington's hired girl!"

Mrs. Keyton-Wells stiffened with horror. Winslow darted a furious
glance at the tell-tale that would have annihilated anything except a
small boy. Will Evans grinned and went on talking to Nelly, who had
failed to hear, or at least to heed, the exclamation.

The mischief was done, the social thermometer went down to zero in
Nelly's neighbourhood. The women ignored her altogether. Winslow set
his teeth together and registered a mental vow to wring Rufus Hent's
sunburned neck at the first opportunity. He escorted Nelly to the
table and waited on her with ostentatious deference, while Mrs.
Keyton-Wells glanced at him stonily and made up her mind to tell his
mother when she went home.

Nelly's social ostracism did not affect her appetite. But after lunch
was over, she walked down to the skiff. Winslow followed her.

"Do you want to go home?" he asked.

"Yes, it's time I went, for the cats may be raidin' the pantry. But
you must not come; your friends here want you."

"Nonsense!" said Winslow sulkily. "If you are going I am too."

But Nelly was too quick for him; she sprang into the skiff, unwound
the rope, and pushed off before he guessed her intention.

"I can row myself home and I mean to," she announced, taking up the
oars defiantly.

"Nelly," he implored.

Nelly looked at him wickedly.

"You'd better go back to your friends. That old woman with the
eyeglasses is watchin' you."

Winslow said something strong under his breath as he went back to the
others. Will Evans and his chums began to chaff him about Nelly, but
he looked so dangerous that they concluded to stop. There is no
denying that Winslow was in a fearful temper just then with Mrs.
Keyton-Wells, Evans, himself, Nelly--in fact, with all the world.

His friends drove him home in the evening on their way to the station
and dropped him at the Beckwith farm. At dusk he went moodily down to
the shore. Far up the Bend was dim and shadowy and stars were shining
above the wooded shores. Over the river the Pennington farmhouse
lights twinkled out alluringly. Winslow watched them until he could
stand it no longer. Nelly had made off with his skiff, but Perry
Beckwith's dory was ready to hand. In five minutes, Winslow was
grounding her on the West shore. Nelly was sitting on a rock at the
landing place. He went over and sat down silently beside her. A full
moon was rising above the dark hills up the Bend and in the faint
light the girl was wonderfully lovely.

"I thought you weren't comin' over at all tonight," she said, smiling
up at him, "and I was sorry, because I wanted to say goodbye to you."

"Goodbye? Nelly, you're not going away?"

"Yes. The cats were in the pantry when I got home."

"Nelly!"

"Well, to be serious. I'm not goin' for that, but I really am goin'.
I had a letter from Dad this evenin'. Did you have a good time after I
left this afternoon? Did Mrs. Keyton-Wells thaw out?"

"Hang Mrs. Keyton-Wells! Nelly, where are you going?"

"To Dad, of course. We used to live down south together, but two
months ago we broke up housekeepin' and come north. We thought we
could do better up here, you know. Dad started out to look for a place
to settle down and I came here while he was prospectin'. He's got a
house now, he says, and wants me to go right off. I'm goin' tomorrow."

"Nelly, you mustn't go--you mustn't, I tell you," exclaimed Winslow in
despair. "I love you--I love you--you must stay with me forever."

"You don't know what you're sayin', Mr. Winslow," said Nelly coldly.
"Why, you can't marry me--a common servant girl."

"I can and I will, if you'll have me," answered Winslow recklessly. "I
can't ever let you go. I've loved you ever since I first saw you.
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