a millionaire of rough-and-ready-第13章

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was　found　that　the　old　man　was　actually　able　to　perform　this
service；　and　exhibited　a　degree　of　intellectual　activity　and
capacity　for　this　kind　of　work　that　was　unsuspected。　　Dr。　Duchesne
was　delighted；　and　divided　with　admiration　between　his　patient's
progress　and　the　millionaire's　sagacity。　　〃And　there　are　envious
people；〃　said　the　enthusiastic　doctor；　〃who　believe　that　a　man　like
him；　who　could　conceive　of　such　a　plan　for　occupying　a　weak
intellect　without　taxing　its　memory　or　judgment；　is　merely　a　lucky
fool！　　Look　here。　　May　be　it　didn't　require　much　brains　to　stumble
on　a　gold　mine；　and　it　is　a　gift　of　Providence。　　But；　in　my
experience；　Providence　don't　go　round　buyin'　up　dd　fools；　or
investin'　in　dead　beats。〃

When　Mr。　Slinn；　finally；　with　the　aid　of　crutches；　was　able　to
hobble　every　day　to　the　imposing　counting…house　and　the　office　of
Mr。　Mulrady；　which　now　occupied　the　lower　part　of　the　new　house；
and　contained　some　of　its　gorgeous　furniture；　he　was　installed　at　a
rosewood　desk　behind　Mr。　Mulrady's　chair；　as　his　confidential　clerk
and　private　secretary。　　The　astonishment　of　Red　Dog　and　Rough…and…
Ready　at　this　singular　innovation　knew　no　bounds；　but　the　boldness
and　novelty　of　the　idea　carried　everything　before　it。　　Judge　Butts；
the　oracle　of　Rough…and…Ready；　delivered　its　decision：　〃He's　got　a
man　who's　physically　incapable　of　running　off　with　his　money；　and
has　no　memory　to　run　off　with　his　ideas。　　How　could　he　do　better？〃
Even　his　own　son；　Harry；　coming　upon　his　father　thus　installed；　was
for　a　moment　struck　with　a　certain　filial　respect；　and　for　a　day　or
two　patronized　him。

In　this　capacity　Slinn　became　the　confidant　not　only　of　Mulrady's
business　secrets；　but　of　his　domestic　affairs。　　He　knew　that　young
Mulrady；　from　a　freckle…faced　slow　country　boy；　had　developed　into
a　freckle…faced　fast　city　man；　with　coarse　habits　of　drink　and
gambling。　　It　was　through　the　old　man's　hands　that　extravagant
bills　and　shameful　claims　passed　on　their　way　to　be　cashed　by
Mulrady；　it　was　he　that　at　last　laid　before　the　father　one　day　his
signature　perfectly　forged　by　the　son。

〃Your　eyes　are　not　ez　good　ez　mine；　you　know；　Slinn；〃　said　Mulrady；
gravely。　　〃It's　all　right。　　I　sometimes　make　my　Y's　like　that。　　I'd
clean　forgot　to　cash　that　check。　　You　must　not　think　you've　got　the
monopoly　of　disremembering；〃　he　added；　with　a　faint　laugh。

Equally　through　Slinn's　hands　passed　the　record　of　the　lavish
expenditure　of　Mrs。　Mulrady　and　the　fair　Mamie；　as　well　as　the
chronicle　of　their　movements　and　fashionable　triumphs。　　As　Mulrady
had　already　noticed　that　Slinn　had　no　confidence　with　his　own
family；　he　did　not　try　to　withhold　from　them　these　domestic
details；　possibly　as　an　offset　to　the　dreary　catalogue　of　his　son's
misdeeds；　but　more　often　in　the　hope　of　gaining　from　the　taciturn
old　man　some　comment　that　might　satisfy　his　innocent　vanity　as
father　and　husband；　and　perhaps　dissipate　some　doubts　that　were
haunting　him。

〃Twelve　hundred　dollars　looks　to　be　a　good　figger　for　a　dress；
ain't　it？　　But　Malviny　knows；　I　reckon；　what　ought　to　be　worn　at
the　Tooilleries；　and　she　don't　want　our　Mamie　to　take　a　back　seat
before　them　furrin'　princesses　and　gran'　dukes。　　It's　a　slap…up
affair；　I　kalkilate。　　Let's　see。　　I　disremember　whether　it's　an
emperor　or　a　king　that's　rulin'　over　thar　now。　　It　must　be　suthin'
first　class　and　A　1；　for　Malviny　ain't　the　woman　to　throw　away
twelve　hundred　dollars　on　any　of　them　small…potato　despots！　　She
says　Mamie　speaks　French　already　like　them　French　Petes。　　I　don't
quite　make　out　what　she　means　here。　　She　met　Don　Caesar　in　Paris；
and　she　says；　'I　think　Mamie　is　nearly　off　with　Don　Caesar；　who　has
followed　her　here。　　I　don't　care　about　her　dropping　him　TOO
suddenly；　the　reason　I'll　tell　you　hereafter。　　I　think　the　man
might　be　a　dangerous　enemy。'　　Now；　what　do　you　make　of　this？　　I
allus　thought　Mamie　rather　cottoned　to　him；　and　it　was　the　old
woman　who　fought　shy；　thinkin'　Mamie　would　do　better。　　Now；　I　am
agreeable　that　my　gal　should　marry　any　one　she　likes；　whether　it's
a　dook　or　a　poor　man；　as　long　as　he's　on　the　square。　　I　was　ready
to　take　Don　Caesar；　but　now　things　seem　to　have　shifted　round。　　As
to　Don　Caesar's　being　a　dangerous　enemy　if　Mamie　won't　have　him；
that's　a　little　too　high　and　mighty　for　me；　and　I　wonder　the　old
woman　don't　make　him　climb　down。　　What　do　you　think？〃

〃Who　is　Don　Caesar？〃　asked　Slinn。

〃The　man　what　picked　you　up　that　day。　　I　mean；〃　continued　Mulrady；
seeing　the　marks　of　evident　ignorance　on　the　old　man's　face；〃I
mean　a　sort　of　grave；　genteel　chap；　suthin'　between　a　parson　and　a
circus…rider。　　You　might　have　seen　him　round　the　house　talkin'　to
your　gals。〃

But　Slinn's　entire　forgetfulness　of　Don　Caesar　was　evidently
unfeigned。　　Whatever　sudden　accession　of　memory　he　had　at　the　time
of　his　attack；　the　incident　that　caused　it　had　no　part　in　his
recollection。　　With　the　exception　of　these　rare　intervals　of
domestic　confidences　with　his　crippled　private　secretary；　Mulrady
gave　himself　up　to　money…getting。　　Without　any　especial　faculty　for
itan　easy　prey　often　to　unscrupulous　financiershis　unfailing
luck；　however；　carried　him　safely　through；　until　his　very　mistakes
seemed　to　be　simply　insignificant　means　to　a　large　significant　end
and　a　part　of　his　original　plan。　　He　sank　another　shaft；　at　a　great
expense；　with　a　view　to　following　the　lead　he　had　formerly　found；
against　the　opinions　of　the　best　mining　engineers；　and　struck　the
artesian　spring　he　did　NOT　find　at　that　time；　with　a　volume　of
water　that　enabled　him　not　only　to　work　his　own　mine；　but　to
furnish　supplies　to　his　less　fortunate　neighbors　at　a　vast　profit。
A　league　of　tangled　forest　and　canyon　behind　Rough…and…Ready；　for
which　he　had　paid　Don　Ramon's　heirs　an　extravagant　price　in　the
presumption　that　it　was　auriferous；　furnished　the　most　accessible
timber　to　build　the　town；　at　prices　which　amply　remunerated　him。
The　practical　schemes　of　experienced　men；　the　wildest　visions　of
daring　dreams　delayed　or　abortive　for　want　of　capital；　eventually
fell　into　his　hands。　　Men　sneered　at　his　methods；　but　bought　his
shares。　　Some　who　affected　to　regard　him　simply　as　a　man　of　money
were　content　to　get　only　his　name　to　any　enterprise。　　Courted　by
his　superiors；　quoted　by　his　equals；　and　admired　by　his　inferiors；
he　bore　his　elevation　equally　without　ostentation　or　dignity。
Bidden　to　banquets；　and　forced　by　his　position　as　director　or
president　into　the　usual　gastronomic　feats　of　that　civilization　and
period；　he　partook　of　simple　food；　and　continued　his　old　habit　of
taking　a　cup　of　coffee　with　milk　and　sugar　at　dinner。　　Without
professing　temperance；　he　drank　sparingly　in　a　community　where
alcoholic　stimulation　was　a　custom。　　With　neither　refinement　nor　an
extended　vocabulary；　he　was　seldom　profane；　and　never　indelicate。
With　nothing　of　the　Puritan　in　his　manner　or　conversation；　he
seemed　to　be　as　strange　to　the　vices　of　civilization　as　he　was　to
its　virtues。　　That　such　a　man　should　offer　little　to　and　receive
little　from　the　companionship　of　women　of　any　kind　was　a　foregone
conclusion。　　Without　the　dignity　of　solitude；　he　was　pathetically
alone。

Meantime；　the　days　passed；　the　first　six　months　of　his　opulence
were　drawing　to　a　close；　and　in　that　interval　he　had　more　than
doubled　the　amount　of　his　discovered　fortune。　　The　rainy　season　set
in　early。　　Although　it　dissipated　the　clouds　of　dust　under　which
Nature　and　Art　seemed　to　be　slowly　disappearing；　it　brought　little
beauty　to　the　landscape　at　first；　and　only　appeared　to　lay　bare　the
crudenesses　of　civilization。　　The　unpainted　wooden　buildings　of
Rough…and…Ready；　soaked　and　dripping　with　rain；　took　upon
themselves　a　sleek　and　shining　ugliness；　as　of　second…hand
garments；　the　absence　of　cornices　or　projections　to　break　the
monotony　of　the　long　straight　lines　of　downpour　made　the　town
appear　as　if　it　had　been　recently　submerged；　every　vestige　of
ornamentation　swept　away；　and　only　the　bare　outlines　left。　　Mud　was
everywhere；　the　outer　soil　seemed　to　have　risen　and　invaded　the
houses　even　to　their　most　secret　recesses；　as　if　outraged　Nature
was　trying　to　revenge