susy, a story of the plains-第32章

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don't　get　no　privacy。　　There's　men；　and　women；　too；　over　at　that

table；　that　just　lie　in　wait　for　me　here　till　I　come；　and　don't　lift

their　eyes　off　me。　　I　wonder　they　don't　bring　their　opery…glasses

with　them。〃



Concerned；　sympathizing；　and　indignant；　poor　Phoebe　turned　her　brown

head　and　honest　eyes　in　that　direction。　　But　because　they　were

honest；　they　could　not　help　observing　that　the　other　table　did　not

seem　to　be　paying　the　slightest　attention　to　the　distinguished

impersonator　of　Red…handed　Dick。　　Perhaps　he　had　been　overheard。



〃Then　that　was　the　reason　ye　didn't　come　back　to　your　location。　　I

always　guessed　it　was　because　you'd　got　wind　of　the　smash…up　down

there；　afore　we　did；〃　said　Hopkins　grimly。



〃What　smash…up？〃　asked　Jim；　with　slightly　resentful　quickness。



〃Why；　the　smash…up　of　the　Sisters'　title；didn't　you　hear　that？〃



There　was　a　slight　movement　of　relief　and　a　return　of　gloomy　hauteur

in　Jim's　manner。



〃No；　we　don't　know　much　of　what　goes　on　in　the　cow　counties；　up

here。〃



〃Ye　mout；　considerin'　it　concerns　some　o'　your　friends；〃　returned

Hopkins　dryly。　　〃For　the　Sisters'　title　went　smash　as　soon　as　it　was

known　that　Pedro　Valdezthe　man　as　started　ithad　his　neck　broken

outside　the　walls　o'　Robles　Rancho；　and　they　do　say　as　this　yer

Brant；　YOUR　friend；　had　suthin'　to　do　with　the　breaking　of　it；

though　it　was　laid　to　the　ghost　of　old　Peyton。　　Anyhow；　there　was

such　a　big　skeer　that　one　of　the　Greaser　gang；　who　thought　he'd　seen

the　ghost；　being　a　Papist；　to　save　his　everlasting　soul　went　to　the

priest　and　confessed。　　But　the　priest　wouldn't　give　him　absolution

until　he'd　blown　the　hull　thing；　and　made　it　public。　　And　then　it

turned　out　that　all　the　dockyments　for　the　title；　and　even　the

custom…house　paper；　were　FORGED　by　Pedro　Valdez；　and　put　on　the

market　by　his　confederates。　　And　that's　just　where　YOUR　friend；

Clarence　Brant；　comes　in；　for　HE　had　bought　up　the　whole　title　from

them　fellers。　　Now；　either；　as　some　say；　he　was　in　the　fraud　from

the　beginnin'；　and　never　paid　anything；　or　else　he　was　an　all…fired

fool；　and　had　parted　with　his　money　like　one。　　Some　allow　that　the

reason　was　that　he　was　awfully　sweet　on　Mrs。　Peyton's　adopted

daughter；　and　ez　the　parents　didn't　approve　of　him；　he　did　THIS　so

as　to　get　a　holt　over　them　by　the　property。　　But　he's　a　ruined　man；

anyway；　now；　for　they　say　he's　such　a　darned　fool　that　he's　goin'　to

pay　for　all　the　improvements　that　the　folks　who　bought　under　him　put

into　the　land；　and　that'll　take　his　last　cent。　　I　thought　I'd　tell

you　that；　for　I　suppose　YOU'VE　lost　a　heap　in　your　improvements；　and

will　put　in　your　claim？〃



〃I　reckon　I　put　nearly　as　much　into　it　as　Clar　Brant　did；〃　said　Jim

gloomily；　〃but　I　ain't　goin'　to　take　a　cent　from　him；　or　go　back　on

him　now。〃



The　rascal　could　not　resist　this　last　mendacious　opportunity；

although　he　was　perfectly　sincere　in　his　renunciation；　touched　in

his　sympathy；　and　there　was　even　a　film　of　moisture　in　his　shifting

eyes。



Phoebe　was　thrilled　with　the　generosity　of　this　noble　being；　who

could　be　unselfish　even　in　his　superior　condition。　　She　added

softly：



〃And　they　say　that　the　girl　did　not　care　for　him　at　all；　but　was

actually　going　to　run　off　with　Pedro；　when　he　stopped　her　and　sent

for　Mrs。　Peyton。〃



To　her　surprise；　Jim's　face　flushed　violently。



〃It's　all　a　dod…blasted　lie；〃　he　said；　in　a　thick　stage　whisper。

〃It's　only　the　hogwash　them　Greasers　and　Pike　County　galoots　ladle

out　to　each　other　around　the　stove　in　a　county　grocery。　　But；〃

recalling　himself　loftily；　and　with　a　tolerant　wave　of　his　be…

diamonded　hand；　〃wot　kin　you　expect　from　one　of　them　cow　counties？

They　ain't　satisfied　till　they　drive　every　gentleman　out　of　the

darned　gopher…holes　they　call　their　'kentry。'〃



In　her　admiration　of　what　she　believed　to　be　a　loyal　outburst　for

his　friend；　Phoebe　overlooked　the　implied　sneer　at　her　provincial

home。　　But　her　father　went　on　with　a　perfunctory；　exasperating；

dusty　aridity：



〃That　mebbee　ez　mebbee；　Mr。　Hooker；　but　the　story　down　in　our

precinct　goes　that　she　gave　Mrs。　Peyton　the　slip；chucked　up　her

situation　as　adopted　darter；　and　went　off　with　a　queer　sort　of　a

cirkiss　woman；one　of　her　own　KIN；　and　I　reckon　one　of　her　own

KIND。〃



To　this　Mr。　Hooker　offered　no　further　reply　than　a　withering　rebuke

of　the　waiter；　a　genteel　abstraction；　and　a　lofty　change　of　subject。

He　pressed　upon　them　two　tickets　for　the　performance；　of　which　he

seemed　to　have　a　number　neatly　clasped　in　an　india…rubber　band；　and

advised　them　to　come　early。　　They　would　see　him　after　the

performance　and　sup　together。　　He　must　leave　them　now；　as　he　had　to

be　punctually　at　the　theatre；　and　if　he　lingered　he　should　be

pestered　by　interviewers。　　He　withdrew　under　a　dazzling　display　of

cuff　and　white　handkerchief；　and　with　that　inward　swing　of　the　arm

and　slight　bowiness　of　the　leg　generally　recognized　in　his

profession　as　the　lounging　exit　of　high　comedy。



The　mingling　of　awe　and　an　uneasy　sense　of　changed　relations　which

that　meeting　with　Jim　had　brought　to　Phoebe　was　not　lessened　when

she　entered　the　theatre　with　her　father　that　evening；　and　even　Mr。

Hopkins　seemed　to　share　her　feelings。　　The　theatre　was　large；　and

brilliant　in　decoration；　the　seats　were　well　filled　with　the　same

heterogeneous　mingling　she　had　seen　in　the　dining…room　at　the　Placer

Hotel；　but　in　the　parquet　were　some　fashionable　costumes　and

cultivated　faces。　　Mr。　Hopkins　was　not　altogether　so　sure　that　Jim

had　been　〃only　gassing。〃　　But　the　gorgeous　drop　curtain；

representing　an　allegory　of　Californian　prosperity　and　abundance；

presently　uprolled　upon　a　scene　of　Western　life　almost　as　striking

in　its　glaring　unreality。　　From　a　rose…clad　English　cottage　in　a

subtropical　landscape　skipped　〃Rosalie；　the　Prairie　Flower。〃　　The

briefest　of　skirts；　the　most　unsullied　of　stockings；　the　tiniest　of

slippers；　and　the　few　diamonds　that　glittered　on　her　fair　neck　and

fingers；　revealed　at　once　the　simple　and　unpretending　daughter　of

the　American　backwoodsman。　　A　tumult　of　delighted　greeting　broke

from　the　audience。　　The　bright　color　came　to　the　pink；　girlish

cheeks；　gratified　vanity　danced　in　her　violet　eyes；　and　as　she

piquantly　bowed　her　acknowledgments；　this　great　breath　of　praise

seemed　to　transfigure　and　possess　her。　　A　very　young　actor　who

represented　the　giddy　world　in　a　straw　hat　and　with　an　effeminate

manner　was　alternately　petted　and　girded　at　by　her　during　the

opening　exposition　of　the　plot；　until　the　statement　that　a　〃dark

destiny〃　obliged　her　to　follow　her　uncle　in　an　emigrant　train　across

the　plains　closed　the　act；　apparently　extinguished　him；　and　left　HER

the　central　figure。　　So　far；　she　evidently　was　the　favorite。　　A

singular　aversion　to　her　crept　into　the　heart　of　Phoebe。



But　the　second　act　brought　an　Indian　attack　upon　the　emigrant　train；

and　here　〃Rosalie〃　displayed　the　archest　heroism　and　the　pinkest　and

most　distracting　self…possession；　in　marked　contrast　to　the　giddy

worldling　who；　having　accompanied　her　apparently　for　comic　purposes

best　known　to　himself；　cowered　abjectly　under　wagons；　and　was　pulled

ignominiously　out　of　straw；　until　Red　Dick　swept　out　of　the　wings

with　a　chosen　band　and　a　burst　of　revolvers　and　turned　the　tide　of

victory。　　Attired　as　a　picturesque　combination　of　the　Neapolitan

smuggler；　river…bar　miner；　and　Mexican　vacquero；　Jim　Hooker

instantly　began　to　justify　the　plaudits　that　greeted　him　and　the

most　sanguinary　hopes　of　the　audience。　　A　gloomy　but　fascinating

cloud　of　gunpowder　and　dark　intrigue　from　that　moment　hung　about　the

stage。



Yet　in　this　sombre　obscuration　Rosalie　had　passed　a　happy　six

months；　coming　out　with　her　character　and　stockings　equally

unchanged　and　unblemished；　to　be　rewarded　with　the　hand　of　Red　Dick

and　the　discovery　of　her　father；　the　governor　of　New　Mexico；　as　a

white…haired；　but　objectionable　vacquero