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Show Nettie, Page 78 Mr. May ignored her out of pique, and the children tolerated her, but she had no special friends among them. They sensed Nettie's impatience at their childish games and chatter and were ill at ease with her. The spring season taunted Nettie and heightened her feelings of unease, of longing. It was almost a physical ache Nettie felt and the balmy weather only deepened Nettie's yearning. When she was outside she hated to go back in, but wanted to travel on down the road, out of Lovell, on to--anywhere. What previously had been only a day dream began to take definite shape and direction. She still mused daily on the offer Col. Cody had made for her to come to work for him. She had no idea what job she could or would do, but it was soon apparent to Nettie that that was what she ached to do. "Why wait?" the balmy air seemed to whisper to her. All the latent desires and tendencies Nettie ever had to wander, to explore, to travel, to meet new people and live new experiences welled up within her until she could no longer ignore them. "Papa," Nettie came to see him at the post office. "I must talk to you." Always glad to see this determined and persistent daughter, Papa smiled and motioned to her to step behind the counter and sit down. After serving the customer at the counter, Papa turned to Nettie. "Now, why so serious, daughter?" Papa spoke from under his bushy mustache. "I want to leave school, Papa," Nettie leveled her blue eyes steadily at her father. |
