sally dows-第32章

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high？　　Behold　me！　just　from　Pike！〃

Parks　and　Brace；　who　had　partly　risen；　fell　back　hopelessly　in
their　chairs　again　and　gazed　at　the　figure　with　a　feeble　smile　of
vacuous　pain　and　politeness。　　At　which　it　advanced；　lowered　its
black　eyes　mischievously　over　the　table　and　the　men　who　sat　there；
poured　out　a　glass　of　the　liquor；　and　said：　〃I　look　towards　you；
boys！　　Don't　errise。　　You　are　just　a　leetle　weary；　eh？　　A　leetle。
Oh　yes！　a　leetle　tired　of　crookin'　your　elboweh？　　Don't　care　if
the　school　keep！eh？　　Don't　want　any　pie！　　Want　to　go　'ome；　eh？〃

But　here　Mr。　Parks　rose　with　slight　difficulty；　but　unflinching
dignity；　and　leaned　impressively　over　the　table；　〃May　I　ashkmay　I
be　permitted　to　arsk；　madam；　to　what　we　may　owe　the　pleasure　of
thishof　thisvisit？〃

Her　face　and　attitude　instantly　changed。　　Her　arms　dropped　and
caught　up　the　mantilla　with　a　quick　but　not　ungraceful　sweep；　and
in　apparently　a　single　movement　she　was　draped；　wrapped；　and
muffled　from　waist　to　crown　as　before。　　With　a　slight　inclination
of　her　head；　she　said　in　quite　another　voice：　〃Si；　senor。　　I　have
arrive　here　because　in　your　whole　great　town　of　Booki　there　is　not
so　much　as　one〃she　held　up　a　small　brown　finger〃as　much　as　ONE
leetle　light　or　fire　like　thees；　be…cause　in　this　grand　pueblo
there　is　not　one　peoples　who　have　not　already　sleep　in　his　bed　but
thees！　　Bueno！　　I　have　arrive　all　the　same　like　a　leetle　bird；　like
the　small　fly　arrive　to　the　light！　not　to　YOUonly　to　THE　LIGHT！
I　go　not　to　my　casa　for　she　is　dark；　and　tonight　she　have　nothing
to　make　the　fire　or　bed。　　I　go　not　to　the　'otelthere　is　not　ONE〃
the　brown　finger　again　uplifted〃'otel　in　Booki！　　I　make　the
'otelthe　Fondain　my　hoose　mananato…morrow！　　Tonight　I　and
Sanchicha　make　the　bed　for　us　'ere。　　Sanchicha；　she　stands　herself
now　over　in　the　street。　　We　have　mooch　sorrow　we　have　to　make　the
caballeros　mooch　tr…rouble　to　make　disposition　of　his　house。　　But
what　will　you？〃

There　was　another　awkward　silence；　and　then　Saunders；　who　had　been
examining　the　intruder　with　languid　criticism；　removed　his　pipe
from　his　mouth　and　said　quietly：

〃That's　the　woman　you're　looking　forJovita　Mendez！〃


PART　II。


The　rest　of　that　interview　has　not　been　recorded。　　Suffice　it　that
a　few　minutes　later　Parks；　Brace；　and　Saunders　left　the　Emporium；
and　passed　the　night　in　the　latter's　cabin；　leaving　the　Emporium
in　possession　of　Miss　Mendez　and　her　peon　servant；　that　at　the
earliest　dawn　the　two　women　and　their　baggage　were　transferred　to
the　old　adobe　house；　where；　however；　a　Mexican　workman　had　already
arrived；　and　with　a　basketful　of　red　tiles　was　making　it　habitable。
Buckeye；　which　was　popularly　supposed　to　sleep　with　one　eye　on　the
river；　and　always　first　repaired　there　in　the　morning　to　wash　and
work；　was　only　awake　to　the　knowledge　of　the　invasion　at　noon。　　The
meeting　so　confidently　spoken　of　the　night　before　had　NOT　been
called。　　Messrs。　Parks　and　Brace　were　suffering　from　headaches
undoubtedly　a　touch　of　tule　chill。　　Saunders；　at　work　with　his
partner　in　Eagle　Bar；　was　as　usual　generous　with　apparently
irrelevant　facts　on　all　subjectsbut　that　of　the　strangers。　　It
would　seem　as　if　the　self…constituted　Committee　of　Safety　had　done
nothing。

And　nothing　whatever　seemed　to　happen！　　Thompson　of　Angels；　smoking
a　meditative　pipe　at　noon　on　the　trail　noticed　the　repairing　of　the
old　adobe　house；　casually　spoke　of　it　on　his　return　to　his　work；
without　apparent　concern　or　exciting　any　comment。　　The　two
Billinger　brothers　saw　Jovita　Mendez　at　the　door　of　her　house　an
hour　later；　were　themselves　seen　conversing　with　her　by　Jim　Barker；
but　on　returning　to　their　claim；　neither　they　nor　Barker　exhibited
any　insurrectionary　excitement。　　Later　on；　Shuttleworth　was　found
in　possession　of　two　bundles　of　freshly　rolled　corn…husk　cigarettes；
and　promised　to　get　his　partner　some　the　next　day；　but　that
gentleman　anticipated　him。　　By　nightfall　nearly　all　Buckeye　had
passed　in　procession　before　the　little　house　without　exhibiting　any
indignation　or　protest。　　That　night；　however；　it　seemed　as　if　the
events　for　which　the　Committee　was　waiting　were　really　impending。
The　adult　female　population　of　Buckeye　consisted　of　seven
womenwives　of　miners。　　That　they　would　submit　tamely　to　the
introduction　of　a　young；　pretty；　and　presumably　dangerous　member　of
their　own　sex　was　not　to　be　supposed。　　But　whatever　protest　they
made　did　not　pass　beyond　their　conjugal　seclusion；　and　was
apparently　not　supported　by　their　husbands。　　Two　or　three　of　them；
under　the　pretext　of　sympathy　of　sex；　secured　interviews　with　the
fair　intruder；　the　result　of　which　was　not；　however；　generally
known。　　But　a　few　days　later　Mrs。　〃Bob〃　Carpentera　somewhat
brick…dusty　blondewas　observed　wearing　some　black　netting　and　a
heavily　flounced　skirt；　and　Mrs。　Shuttleworth　in　her　next　visit　to
Fiddletown　wore　her　Paisley　shawl　affixed　to　her　chestnut　hair　by　a
bunch　of　dog…roses；　and　wrapped　like　a　plaid　around　her　waist。　　The
seven　ladies　of　Buckeye；　who　had　never　before　met；　except　on
domestic　errands　to　each　other's　houses　or　on　Sunday　attendance　at
the　〃First　Methodist　Church〃　at　Fiddletown；　now　took　to　walking
together；　or　in　their　husbands'　company；　along　the　upper　bank　of　the
riverthe　one　boulevard　of　Buckeye。　　The　third　day　after　Miss
Mendez'　arrival　they　felt　the　necessity　of　immediate　shopping
expeditions　to　Fiddletown。　　This　operation　had　hitherto　been
confined　to　certain　periods；　and　restricted　to　the　laying　in　of
stores　of　rough　household　stuffs；　but　it　now　apparently　included　a
wider　range　and　more　ostentatious　quality。　　Parks'　Emporium　no
longer　satisfied　them；　and　this　unexpected　phase　of　the　situation
was　practically　brought　home　to　the　proprietor　in　the　necessity　of
extending　the　more　inoffensive　and　peaceful　part　of　his　stock。　　And
when；　towards　the　end　of　the　week；　a　cartload　of　pretty　fixtures；
mirrors；　and　furniture　arrived　at　the　tienda；　there　was　a　renewed
demand　at　the　Emporium　for　articles　not　in　stock；　and　the　consequent
diverting　of　custom　to　Fiddletown。　　Buckeye　found　itself　face　to
face　with　a　hitherto　undreamt　of　and　preposterous　proposition。　　It
seemed　that　the　advent　of　the　strange　woman；　without　having　yet
produced　any　appreciable　effect　upon　the　men；　had　already
insidiously　inveigled　the　adult　female　population　into　ostentatious
extravagance。

At　the　end　of　a　week　the　little　adobe　house　was　not　only　rendered
habitable；　but　was　even　made　picturesque　by　clean　white　curtains　at
its　barred　windows；　and　some　bright；　half…Moorish　coloring　of　beams
and　rafters。　　Nearly　the　whole　ground　floor　was　given　up　to　the
saloon　of　the　tienda；　which　consisted　of　a　small　counter　at　one
side；　containing　bottles　and　glasses；　and　another；　flanking　it；
with　glass　cases；　containing　cigars；　pipes；　and　tobacco；　while　the
centre　of　the　room　was　given　up　to　four　or　five　small　restaurant
tables。　　The　staff　of　Jovita　was　no　longer　limited　to　Sanchicha；
but　had　been　augmented　by　a　little　old　man　of　indefinite　antiquity
who　resembled　an　Aztec　idol；　and　an　equally　old　Mexican；　who　looked
not　unlike　a　brown…tinted　and　veined　tobacco　leaf　himself；　and
might　have　stood　for　a　sign。　　But　the　genius　of　the　place；　its
omnipresent　and　all…pervading　goddess；　was　Jovita！　　Smiling；
joyous；　indefatigable　in　suavity　and　attention；　all…embracing　in
her　courtesies；　frank　of　speech　and　eye；　quick　at　repartee　and
deftly　handling　the　slang　of　the　day　and　the　locality　with　a
childlike　appreciation　and　an　infantine　accent　that　seemed　to
redeem　it　from　vulgarity　or　unfeminine　boldness！　　Few　could　resist
the　volatile　infection　of　her　presence。　　A　smile　was　the　only
tribute　she　exacted；　and　good…humor　the　rule　laid　down　for　her
guests。　　If　it　occasionally　required　some　mental　agility　to　respond
to　her　banter；　a　Californian　gathering　was；　however；　seldom　lacking
in　humor。　　Yet　she　was　always　the　principal　performer　to　an
admiring　audience。　　Perhaps　there　was　security　in　this　multitude
of　admirers；　perhaps　there　was　a　saving　grace　in　this　humorous
trifling。　　The　passions　are　apt　to　be　serious　and　solitary；　and
Jovita　evaded　them　with　a　jest；which；　if　not