Over the Misty Mountains Read Free Page B

fastest horses and win the most races. And now he had settled his mind on Faith, and for the next two months he was practically ubiquitous where the young woman was concerned .
    Faith was thrilled, although she never admitted it. For years she had been secretly in love with Jehoshaphat Spencer, whom she never called anything but Josh in her own mind, and now she recognized that he was falling in love with her .
    The time came, then, a mere six months after the ball, in a gardenia-fragrant orchard when the two stood together. They had been silent for a long time, and finally Faith turned to him and said, “You’re very quiet, Josh. Is something wrong?”
    “Yes.”
    “Can you tell me about it?”
    “I’m afraid I’m going to die.”
    Faith gasped and her eyes widened. Her first thought was that a terrible disease had been diagnosed. “Oh, Josh!” she cried and put her hand on his chest. “It’s not smallpox, is it?”
    “No, it’s worse than smallpox.” There was a mournful expression in Josh’s eyes, and he reached his hand out and said, “I’m afraid it’s much worse.”
    Fear came over Faith, and she said, “What is it, Josh?”
    Reaching out, Josh pulled her up against him, holding her to his chest. “I’m in love with you, Faith, and I’m going to die if you don’t marry me.”
    For a moment Faith could not think, and then she realized he was teasing her. She reached out and slapped his cheek sharply. “You are awful!” she cried, relieved and half angry .
    “I’m serious, Faith. I love you with all my heart, and I want to marry you.” He leaned down and kissed her. It was not their first kiss, but there was something about this one that was different. Faith realized it and came to him with a willingness and a yielding she had never shown before. Her arms went around his neck, and she pulled him closer, and for a time the two stood there in silence. Finally Faith drew back and said, “I love you, Josh. I always have—and I always will. . . .”
    ****
    The shrill cry of a newborn child suddenly shook Josh to the core. It jolted him back out of that pleasant past when all had been good and sweet and easy, and now his eyes wildly met his father’s. Both men jumped to their feet and ran out of the study. Scrambling upstairs, they stopped outside the door, which opened at once, and Esther Spencer stepped out. Her lips were tight, and there was a nervous blink in her eyes. “You have a fine son, Josh.”
    “A son!” Josh’s eyes grew dim with tears. Everything was all right. He began to shake, and he held his hands together tightly, squeezing them to control the joy that ran through him.
    He felt his father’s hand on his shoulder, then heard his voice congratulating him. Then he shook himself and said, “Faith! I want to see her!”
    “Son—”
    Something in his mother’s voice brought Josh up short. A sudden fear seized him, touching something in the inner part of his heart and running along his nerves. His mother was a steady woman, but this was fear that he saw in her eyes, not steadiness.
    “What . . . what is it? What’s wrong with Faith?”
    “Josh, she’s in a bad condition, I’m afraid.”
    Josh stood there frozen, as if the world had fallen around him. The joy over his new son left, and all he could think was, Faith’s dying . He shoved inside the door, and the doctor, who was standing over the bed, turned to him.
    “Mr. Spencer—”
    Josh pushed him aside with one rough sweep of his arm and fell on his knees. One look at his wife’s face and he knew the worst. Her eyes were sunk back in her head, her mouth drawn back from her teeth. She looks dead already , he thought. Grabbing her up in his arms, he held her and began to weep. “Faith—”
    He felt her hands touching him feebly and heard her voice whispering, “Josh.”
    Holding her for a time, he laid her back down gently and said hopefully, “You’ll . . . you’ll be all right, Faith.”
    But Faith