a millionaire of rough-and-ready-第8章

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free；　to　marry　him　just　the　same。　　There　was　something　so　noble　in
this　thought　that　she　felt　for　a　moment　carried　away　by　an　impulse
of　compassionate　unselfishness；　and　smiled　tenderly　as　she　looked
up　in　his　face。

〃Then　you　consent；　Mamie？〃　he　said；　eagerly；　passing　his　arm　around
her　waist。

〃Not　now；　Caesar；〃　she　said；　gently　disengaging　herself。　　〃I　must
think　it　over；　we　are　both　too　young　to　act　upon　it　rashly；　it
would　be　unfair　to　you；　who　are　so　quiet　and　have　seen　so　few
girlsI　mean　Americansto　tie　yourself　to　the　first　one　you　have
known。　　When　I　am　gone　you　will　go　more　into　the　world。　　There　are
Mr。　Slinn's　two　sisters　coming　hereI　shouldn't　wonder　if　they
were　far　cleverer　and　talked　far　better　than　I　doand　think　how　I
should　feel　if　I　knew　that　only　a　wretched　pledge　to　me　kept　you
from　loving　them！〃　　She　stopped；　and　cast　down　her　eyes。

It　was　her　first　attempt　at　coquetry；　for；　in　her　usual　charming
selfishness；　she　was　perfectly　frank　and　open；　and　it　might　not
have　been　her　last；　but　she　had　gone　too　far　at　first；　and　was　not
prepared　for　a　recoil　of　her　own　argument。

〃If　you　admit　that　it　is　possiblethat　it　is　possible　to　you！〃　he
said；　quickly。

She　saw　her　mistake。　　〃We　may　not　have　many　opportunities　to　meet
alone；〃　she　answered；　quietly；　〃and　I　am　sure　we　would　be　happier
when　we　meet　not　to　accuse　each　other　of　impossibilities。　　Let　us
rather　see　how　we　can　communicate　together；　if　anything　should
prevent　our　meeting。　　Remember；　it　was　only　by　chance　that　you　were
able　to　see　me　now。　　If　ma　has　believed　that　she　ought　to　have　been
consulted；　our　meeting　together　in　this　secret　way　will　only　make
matters　worse。　　She　is　even　now　wondering　where　I　am；　and　may　be
suspicious。　　I　must　go　back　at　once。　　At　any　moment　some　one　may
come　here　looking　for　me。〃

〃But　I　have　so　much　to　say；〃　he　pleaded。　　〃Our　time　has　been　so
short。〃

〃You　can　write。〃

〃But　what　will　your　mother　think　of　that？〃　he　said；　in　grave
astonishment。

She　colored　again　as　she　returned；　quickly；　〃Of　course；　you　must
not　write　to　the　house。　　You　can　leave　a　letter　somewhere　for　me
say；　somewhere　about　here。　　Stop！〃　she　added；　with　a　sudden　girlish
gayety；　〃see；　here's　the　very　place。　　Look　there！〃

She　pointed　to　the　decayed　trunk　of　a　blasted　sycamore；　a　few　feet
from　the　trail。　　A　cavity；　breast　high；　half　filled　with　skeleton
leaves　and　pine…nuts；　showed　that　it　had　formerly　been　a　squirrel's
hoard；　but　for　some　reason　had　been　deserted。

〃Look！　it's　a　regular　letter…box；〃　she　continued；　gayly；　rising　on
tip…toe　to　peep　into　its　recesses。　　Don　Caesar　looked　at　her
admiringly；　it　seemed　like　a　return　to　their　first　idyllic　love…
making　in　the　old　days；　when　she　used　to　steal　out　of　the　cabbage
rows　in　her　brown　linen　apron　and　sun…bonnet　to　walk　with　him　in
the　woods。　　He　recalled　the　fact　to　her　with　the　fatality　of　a
lover　already　seeking　to　restore　in　past　recollections　something
that　was　wanting　in　the　present。　　She　received　it　with　the
impatience　of　youth；　to　whom　the　present　is　all　sufficient。

〃I　wonder　how　you　could　ever　have　cared　for　me　in　that　holland
apron；〃　she　said；　looking　down　upon　her　new　dress。

〃Shall　I　tell　you　why？〃　he　said；　fondly；　passing　his　arm　around　her
waist；　and　drawing　her　pretty　head　nearer　his　shoulder。

〃Nonot　now！〃　she　said；　laughingly；　but　struggling　to　free
herself。　　〃There's　not　time。　　Write　it；　and　put　it　in　the　box。
There；〃　she　added；　hastily；　〃listen！what's　that？〃

〃It's　only　a　squirrel；〃　he　whispered　reassuringly　in　her　ear。

〃No；　it's　somebody　coming！　　I　must　go！　　Please！　　Caesar；　dear！
There；　then〃

She　met　his　kiss　half…way；　released　herself　with　a　lithe　movement
of　her　wrist　and　shoulder；　and　the　next　moment　seemed　to　slip　into
the　woods；　and　was　gone。

Don　Caesar　listened　with　a　sigh　as　the　last　rustling　ceased；　cast　a
look　at　the　decayed　tree　as　if　to　fix　it　in　his　memory；　and　then
slowly　retraced　his　steps　towards　his　tethered　mustang。

He　was　right；　however；　in　his　surmise　of　the　cause　of　that
interruption。　　A　pair　of　bright　eyes　had　been　watching　them　from
the　bough　of　an　adjacent　tree。　　It　was　a　squirrel；　who；　having　had
serious　and　prior　intentions　of　making　use　of　the　cavity　they　had
discovered；　had　only　withheld　examination　by　an　apparent　courteous
discretion　towards　the　intruding　pair。　　Now　that　they　were　gone　he
slipped　down　the　tree　and　ran　towards　the　decayed　stump。


CHAPTER　III


Apparently　dissatisfied　with　the　result　of　an　investigation；　which
proved　that　the　cavity　was　unfit　as　a　treasure　hoard　for　a　discreet
squirrel；　whatever　its　value　as　a　receptacle　for　the　love…tokens　of
incautious　humanity；　the　little　animal　at　once　set　about　to　put
things　in　order。　　He　began　by　whisking　out　an　immense　quantity　of
dead　leaves；　disturbed　a　family　of　tree…spiders；　dissipated　a　drove
of　patient　aphides　browsing　in　the　bark；　as　well　as　their　attendant
dairymen；　the　ants；　and　otherwise　ruled　it　with　the　high　hand　of
dispossession　and　a　contemptuous　opinion　of　the　previous
incumbents。　　It　must　not　be　supposed；　however；　that　his　proceedings
were　altogether　free　from　contemporaneous　criticism；　a　venerable
crow　sitting　on　a　branch　above　him　displayed　great　interest　in　his
occupation；　and；　hopping　down　a　few　moments　afterwards；　disposed　of
some　worm…eaten　nuts；　a　few　larvae；　and　an　insect　or　two；　with
languid　dignity　and　without　prejudice。　　Certain　incumbrances；
however；　still　resisted　the　squirrel's　general　eviction；　among　them
a　folded　square　of　paper　with　sharply　defined　edges；　that　declined
investigation；　and；　owing　to　a　nauseous　smell　of　tobacco；　escaped
nibbling　as　it　had　apparently　escaped　insect　ravages。　　This；　owing
to　its　sharp　angles；　which　persisted　in　catching　in　the　soft
decaying　wood　in　his　whirlwind　of　house…cleaning；　he　allowed　to
remain。　　Having　thus；　in　a　general　way；　prepared　for　the　coming
winter；　the　self…satisfied　little　rodent　dismissed　the　subject　from
his　active　mind。

His　rage　and　indignation　a　few　days　later　may　be　readily　conceived；
when　he　found；　on　returning　to　his　new…made　home；　another　square　of
paper；　folded　like　the　first；　but　much　fresher　and　whiter；　lying
within　the　cavity；　on　top　of　some　moss　which　had　evidently　been
placed　there　for　the　purpose。　　This　he　felt　was　really　more　than　he
could　bear；　but　it　was　smaller；　and　with　a　few　energetic　kicks　and
whisks　of　his　tail　he　managed　to　finally　dislodge　it　through　the
opening；　where　it　fell　ignominiously　to　the　earth。　　The　eager　eyes
of　the　ever…attendant　crow；　however；　instantly　detected　it；　he　flew
to　the　ground；　and；　turning　it　over；　examined　it　gravely。　　It　was
certainly　not　edible；　but　it　was　exceedingly　rare；　and；　as　an　old
collector　of　curios；　he　felt　he　could　not　pass　it　by。　　He　lifted　it
in　his　beak；　and；　with　a　desperate　struggle　against　the
superincumbent　weight；　regained　the　branch　with　his　prize。　　Here；
by　one　of　those　delicious　vagaries　of　animal　nature；　he　apparently
at　once　discharged　his　mind　of　the　whole　affair；　became　utterly
oblivious　of　it；　allowed　it　to　drop　without　the　least　concern；　and
eventually　flew　away　with　an　abstracted　air；　as　if　he　had　been
another　bird　entirely。　　The　paper　got　into　a　manzanita　bush；　where
it　remained　suspended　until　the　evening；　when；　being　dislodged　by　a
passing　wild…cat　on　its　way　to　Mulrady's　hen…roost；　it　gave　that
delicately　sensitive　marauder　such　a　turn　that　she　fled　into　the
adjacent　county。

But　the　troubles　of　the　squirrel　were　not　yet　over。　　On　the
following　day　the　young　man　who　had　accompanied　the　young　woman
returned　to　the　trunk；　and　the　squirrel　had　barely　time　to　make　his
escape　before　the　impatient　visitor　approached　the　opening　of　the
cavity；　peered　into　it；　and　even　passed　his　hand　through　its
recesses。　　The　delight　visible　upon　his　anxious　and　serious　face　at
the　disappearance　of　the　letter；　and　the　apparent　proof　that　it　had
been　called　for；　showed　him　to　have　been　its　original　depositor；
and　probably　awakened　a　remorseful　recollection　in　the　dark　bosom
of　the　omnipresent　crow；　who　uttered　a　conscious…stricken　croak
from　the　bough　above　him。　　But　the　young　man　quickly　disappeared
again；　and　t