Shoe-Bar Stratton - Chapter 21

A few hundred yards away from the fence strung along the western side of middle pasture, Mary Thorne pulled her horse down to a walk and straightened her hat mechanically. Her cheeks were flushed becomingly and her eyes shone, but at the end of that sharp little canter much of the brightness faded and her face clouded., ,For the last week or more it had grown increasingly difficult to keep up a cheerful front and prevent the doubts and troubles which harassed ¹ her from causing comment. This morning she had reached the limit of suppression. Stella got on her nerves more than usual; Alf annoyed her with his superior air and those frequent little intimate mannerisms which, though unnoticed during all the years of their friendship, had lately grown curiously ² irksome to the girl. Even Mrs. Archer's calm placidity ³ weighed on her spirits, and when that happened Mary knew that it was high time for her to get away by herself for a few hours and make a vigorous effort to recover her wonted serenity ⁴ of mind., ,She told herself that she was tired and jaded ⁵, and that a solitary ⁶ ride would soothe ⁷ her ragged ⁸ nerves. And so, at the first opportunity after breakfast, she slipped quietly away, saddled her favorite horse, Freckles ⁹, and leaving word with Pedro that she would be back by dinner-time, departed hastily., , ,As a matter of fact one of the things which had lately puzzled and troubled her was a growing impression of surveillance. Several times she had surprised Pedro or his wife in attitudes which seemed suspiciously as if they had been spying. McCabe, too, and some of the other men were inclined to pop up when she least expected them. Indeed, looking back on the last two weeks she realized how very little she had been alone except in the close confines of the ranch-house. If she rode forth ¹⁴ to inspect the work or merely to take a little canter, Tex or one of the punchers was almost sure to join her. They always had a good excuse, but equally always they were there; and though Mary Thorne had not the remotest notion of the meaning of it all, she had grown convinced that there must be some hidden motive ¹⁵ beneath their actions, and the thought troubled her., ,Tex Lynch's altered manner gave her even greater cause for anxiety. It would have been difficult to put into words exactly where the change lay, but she was sure that there was a difference. Up to a short time ago she had regarded him impersonally ¹⁶ as merely an efficient foreman whom she had inherited from her father along with the ranch. She did so still, but she could not remain blind to the fact that the man himself was deliberately striving to inject a more intimate note into their intercourse ¹⁷. His methods were subtle enough, but Mary Thorne was far from dull, and the alteration ¹⁸ in his manner made her at once indignant and a little frightened., ,harassed mothers with their children 带着孩子的疲惫不堪的母亲们,He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。