a first family of tasajara-第16章

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last　long；　for　only　about　two　months　ago　she　got　a　divorce　from

Rice　and　came　back　to　her　family　again。〃



〃Rice？〃　queried　the　stranger。　　〃Was　that　her　husband's　name；

Stephen　Rice？〃



〃I　reckon！　　You　knew　him？〃



〃Yes；when　the　tide　came　up　to　the　tules；　yonder；〃　answered　the

stranger　musingly。　　〃And　the　other　daughter；I　suppose　she　has

made　a　good　match；　being　a　beauty　and　the　sole　heiress？〃



The　Tasajaran　made　a　grimace。　　〃Not　much！　　I　reckon　she's　waitin'

for　the　Angel　Gabriel；there　ain't　another　good　enough　to　suit　her

here。　　They　say　she's　had　most　of　the　big　men　in　California　waitin'

in　a　line　with　their　offers；　like　that　cue　the　fellows　used　to　make

at　the　'Frisco　post…office　steamer　daysand　she　with　nary　a　letter

or　answer　for　any　of　them。〃



〃Then　Harcourt　doesn't　seem　to　have　been　as　fortunate　in　his　family

affairs　as　in　his　speculations？〃



Peters　uttered　a　grim　laugh。　　〃Well；　I　reckon　you　know　all　about

his　son's　stampeding　with　that　girl　last　spring？〃



〃His　son？〃　interrupted　the　stranger。　　〃Do　you　mean　the　boy　they

called　John　Milton？　　Why；　he　was　a　mere　child！〃



〃He　was　old　enough　to　run　away　with　a　young　woman　that　helped　in

his　mother's　house；　and　marry　her　afore　a　justice　of　the　peace。

The　old　man　just　snorted　with　rage；　and　swore　he'd　have　the

marriage　put　aside；　for　the　boy　was　under　age。　　He　said　it　was　a

put…up　job　of　the　girl's；　that　she　was　older　by　two　years；　and　only

wanted　to　get　what　money　might　be　comin'　some　day；　but　that　they'd

never　see　a　red　cent　of　it。　　Then；　they　say；　John　Milton　up　and

sassed　the　old　man　to　his　face；　and　allowed　that　he　wouldn't　take

his　dirty　money　if　he　starved　first；　and　that　if　the　old　man　broke

the　marriage　he'd　marry　her　again　next　year；　that　true　love　and

honorable　poverty　were　better　nor　riches；　and　a　lot　more　o'　that

stuff　he　picked　out　o'　them　ten…cent　novels　he　was　allus　reading。

My　women…folks　say　that　he　actually　liked　the　girl；　because　she　was

the　only　one　in　the　house　that　was　ever　kind　to　him；　they　say　the

girls　were　just　ragin'　mad　at　the　idea　o'　havin'　a　hired　gal　who

had　waited　on　'em　as　a　sister…in…law；　and　they　even　got　old　Mammy

Harcourt's　back　up　by　sayin'　that　John's　wife　would　want　to　rule

the　house；　and　run　her　out　of　her　own　kitchen。　　Some　say　he　shook

THEM；　talked　back　to　'em　mighty　sharp；　and　held　his　head　a　heap

higher　nor　them。　　Anyhow；　he's　livin'　with　his　wife　somewhere　in

'Frisco；　in　a　shanty　on　a　sand　lot；　and　workin'　odd　jobs　for　the

newspapers。　　No！　takin'　it　by　and　largeit　don't　look　as　if

Harcourt　had　run　his　family　to　the　same　advantage　that　he　has　his

land。〃



〃Perhaps　he　doesn't　understand　them　as　well；〃　said　the　stranger

smiling。



〃Mor'n　likely　the　material　ain't　thar；　or　ain't　as　vallyble　for　a

new　country；〃　said　Peters　grimly。　　〃I　reckon　the　trouble　is　that　he

lets　them　two　daughters　run　him；　and　the　man　who　lets　any　woman　or

women　do　that；　lets　himself　in　for　all　their　meannesses；　and　all　he

gets　in　return　is　a　woman's　result；show！〃



Here　the　stranger；　who　was　slowly　rising　from　his　chair　with　the

polite　suggestion　of　reluctantly　tearing　himself　from　the　speaker's

spell；　said：　〃And　Harcourt　spends　most　of　his　time　in　San

Francisco；　I　suppose？〃



〃Yes！　but　to…day　he's　here　to　attend　a　directors'　meeting　and　the

opening　of　the　Free　Library　and　Tasajara　Hall。　　I　saw　the　windows

open；　and　the　blinds　up　in　his　house　across　the　plaza　as　I　passed

just　now。〃



The　stranger　had　by　this　time　quite　effected　his　courteous

withdrawal。　　〃Good…afternoon；　Mr。　Peters；〃　he　said；　smilingly

lifting　his　hat；　and　turned　away。



Peters；　who　was　obliged　to　take　his　legs　off　the　chair；　and　half

rise　to　the　stranger's　politeness；　here　reflected　that　he　did　not

know　his　interlocutor's　name　and　business；　and　that　he　had　really

got　nothing　in　return　for　his　information。　　This　must　be　remedied。

As　the　stranger　passed　through　the　hall　into　the　street；　followed

by　the　unwonted　civilities　of　the　spruce　hotel　clerk　and　the

obsequious　attentions　of　the　negro　porter；　Peters　stepped　to　the

window　of　the　office。　　〃Who　was　that　man　who　just　passed　out？〃　he

asked。



The　clerk　stared　in　undisguised　astonishment。　　〃You　don't　mean　to

say　you　didn't　know　WHO　he　wasall　the　while　you　were　talking　to

him？〃



〃No；〃　returned　Peters；　impatiently。



〃Why；　that　was　Professor　Lawrence　Grant！THE　Lawrence　Grantdon't

you　know？the　biggest　scientific　man　and　recognized　expert　on　the

Pacific　slope。　　Why；　that's　the　man　whose　single　word　is　enough　to

make　or　break　the　biggest　mine　or　claim　going！　　That　man！why；

that's　the　man　whose　opinion's　worth　thousands；　for　it　carries

millions　with　itand　can't　be　bought。　　That's　him　who　knocked　the

bottom　outer　El　Dorado　last　year；　and　next　day　sent　Eureka　up

booming！　　Ye　remember　that；　sure？〃



〃Of　coursebut〃stammered　Peters。



〃And　to　think　you　didn't　know　him！〃　repeated　the　hotel　clerk

wonderingly。　　〃And　here　I　was　reckoning　you　were　getting　points

from　him　all　the　time！　　Why；　some　men　would　have　given　a　thousand

dollars　for　your　chance　of　talking　to　himyes！of　even　being　SEEN

talking　to　him。　　Why；　old　Wingate　once　got　a　tip　on　his　Prairie

Flower　lead　worth　five　thousand　dollars　while　just　changing　seats

with　him　in　the　cars　and　passing　the　time　of　day；　sociable　like。

Why；　what　DID　you　talk　about？〃



Peters；　with　a　miserable　conviction　that　he　had　thrown　away　a

valuable　opportunity　in　mere　idle　gossip；　nevertheless　endeavored

to　look　mysterious　as　he　replied；　〃Oh；　business　gin'rally。〃　　Then

in　the　faint　hope　of　yet　retrieving　his　blunder　he　inquired；　〃How

long　will　he　be　here？〃



〃Don't　know。　　I　reckon　he　and　Harcourt's　got　something　on　hand。　　He

just　asked　if　he　was　likely　to　be　at　home　or　at　his　office。　　I　told

him　I　reckoned　at　the　house；　for　some　of　the　familyI　didn't　get

to　see　who　they　weredrove　up　in　a　carriage　from　the　3。40　train

while　you　were　sitting　there。〃



Meanwhile　the　subject　of　this　discussion；　quite　unconscious　of　the

sensation　he　had　created；　or　perhaps　like　most　heroes　philosophically

careless　of　it；　was　sauntering　indifferently　towards　Harcourt's

house。　　But　he　had　no　business　with　his　former　host；　his　only　object

was　to　pass　an　idle　hour　before　his　train　left。　　He　was；　of　course；

not　unaware　that　he　himself　was　largely　responsible　for　Harcourt's

success；　that　it　was　HIS　hint　which　had　induced　the　petty　trader　of

Sidon　to　venture　his　all　in　Tasajara；　HIS　knowledge　of　the

topography　and　geology　of　the　plain　that　had　stimulated　Harcourt's

agricultural　speculations；　HIS　hydrographic　survey　of　the　creek　that

had　made　Harcourt's　plan　of　widening　the　channel　to　commerce

practicable　and　profitable。　　This　he　could　not　help　but　know。　　But

that　it　was　chiefly　owing　to　his　own　clear；　cool；　far…seeing；　but

never　visionary；　scientific　observation；his　own　accurate　analysis；

unprejudiced　by　even　a　savant's　enthusiasm；　and　uninfluenced　by　any

personal　desire　or　greed　of　gain；that　Tasajara　City　had　risen　from

the　stagnant　tules；　was　a　speculation　that　had　never　occurred　to

him。　　There　was　a　much　more　uneasy　consciousness　of　what　he　had　done

in　Mr。　Harcourt's　face　a　few　moments　later；　when　his　visitor's　name

was　announced；　and　it　is　to　be　feared　that　if　that　name　had　been

less　widely　honored　and　respected　than　it　was；　no　merely　grateful

recollection　of　it　would　have　procured　Grant　an　audience。　　As　it

was；　it　was　with　a　frown　and　a　touch　of　his　old　impatient　asperity

that　he　stepped　to　the　threshold　of　an　adjoining　room　and　called；

〃Clemmy！〃



Clementina　appeared　at　the　door。



〃There's　that　man　Grant　in　the　parlor。　　What　brings　HIM　here；　I

wonder？　　Who　does　he　come　to　see？〃



〃Who　did　he　ask　for？〃



〃Me；but　that　don't　mean　anything。〃



〃Perhaps　he　wants　to　see　you　on　some　business。〃



〃No。　　That　isn't　his　high…toned　style。　　He　makes　other　people　go　to

him　for　that；〃　he　said　bitterly。　　〃Anyhowdon't