part 6-第2章

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　　　　　〃Well；　he's　been　an　experience；〃　Archie　muttered。　　〃I'm



not　coy　about　admitting　it；　am　I？〃







　　　　　Ottenburg　flung　open　the　door。　　〃Small　credit　to　you。



Even　the　women　are　out　for　capital　and　corruption；　I　hear。



Your　Governor's　done　more　for　the　United　Breweries　in



six　months　than　I've　been　able　to　do　in　six　years。　　He's　the



lily…livered　sort　we're　looking　for。　　Good…morning。〃







　　　　　That　afternoon　at　five　o'clock　Dr。　Archie　emerged　from



the　State　House　after　his　talk　with　Governor　Alden；　and















crossed　the　terrace　under　a　saffron　sky。　　The　snow；　beaten



hard；　was　blue　in　the　dusk；　a　day　of　blinding　sunlight　had



not　even　started　a　thaw。　　The　lights　of　the　city　twinkled



pale　below　him　in　the　quivering　violet　air；　and　the　dome　of



the　State　House　behind　him　was　still　red　with　the　light



from　the　west。　　Before　he　got　into　his　car；　the　doctor　paused



to　look　about　him　at　the　scene　of　which　he　never　tired。



Archie　lived　in　his　own　house　on　Colfax　Avenue；　where



he　had　roomy　grounds　and　a　rose　garden　and　a　conserva…



tory。　　His　housekeeping　was　done　by　three　Japanese　boys；



devoted　and　resourceful；　who　were　able　to　manage　Archie's



dinner　parties；　to　see　that　he　kept　his　engagements；　and　to



make　visitors　who　stayed　at　the　house　so　comfortable　that



they　were　always　loath　to　go　away。







　　　　　Archie　had　never　known　what　comfort　was　until　he



became　a　widower；　though　with　characteristic　delicacy；　or



dishonesty；　he　insisted　upon　accrediting　his　peace　of　mind



to　the　San　Felipe；　to　Time；　to　anything　but　his　release　from



Mrs。　Archie。







　　　　　Mrs。　Archie　died　just　before　her　husband　left　Moonstone



and　came　to　Denver　to　live；　six　years　ago。　　The　poor　wo…



man's　fight　against　dust　was　her　undoing　at　last。　　One



summer　day　when　she　was　rubbing　the　parlor　upholstery



with　gasoline；the　doctor　had　often　forbidden　her　to　use



it　on　any　account；　so　that　was　one　of　the　pleasures　she



seized　upon　in　his　absence；an　explosion　occurred。　　No…



body　ever　knew　exactly　how　it　happened；　for　Mrs。　Archie



was　dead　when　the　neighbors　rushed　in　to　save　her　from　the



burning　house。　　She　must　have　inhaled　the　burning　gas　and



died　instantly。







　　　　　Moonstone　severity　relented　toward　her　somewhat　after



her　death。　　But　even　while　her　old　cronies　at　Mrs。　Smiley's



millinery　store　said　that　it　was　a　terrible　thing；　they　added



that　nothing　but　a　powerful　explosive　COULD　have　killed



Mrs。　Archie；　and　that　it　was　only　right　the　doctor　should



have　a　chance。



















　　　　　Archie's　past　was　literally　destroyed　when　his　wife　died。



The　house　burned　to　the　ground；　and　all　those　material



reminders　which　have　such　power　over　people　disappeared



in　an　hour。　　His　mining　interests　now　took　him　to　Denver



so　often　that　it　seemed　better　to　make　his　headquarters



there。　　He　gave　up　his　practice　and　left　Moonstone　for



good。　　Six　months　afterward；　while　Dr。　Archie　was　living



at　the　Brown　Palace　Hotel；　the　San　Felipe　mine　began　to



give　up　that　silver　hoard　which　old　Captain　Harris　had



always　accused　it　of　concealing；　and　San　Felipe　headed　the



list　of　mining　quotations　in　every　daily　paper；　East　and



West。　　In　a　few　years　Dr。　Archie　was　a　very　rich　man。



His　mine　was　such　an　important　item　in　the　mineral　out…



put　of　the　State；　and　Archie　had　a　hand　in　so　many　of　the



new　industries　of　Colorado　and　New　Mexico；　that　his　poli…



tical　influence　was　considerable。　　He　had　thrown　it　all；　two



years　ago；　to　the　new　reform　party；　and　had　brought　about



the　election　of　a　governor　of　whose　conduct　he　was　now



heartily　ashamed。　　His　friends　believed　that　Archie　himself



had　ambitious　political　plans。



























　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　II











　　　　　WHEN　Ottenburg　and　his　host　reached　the　house　on



Colfax　Avenue；　they　went　directly　to　the　library；



a　long　double　room　on　the　second　floor　which　Archie　had



arranged　exactly　to　his　own　taste。　　It　was　full　of　books　and



mounted　specimens　of　wild　game；　with　a　big　writing…table



at　either　end；　stiff；　old…fashioned　engravings；　heavy　hang…



ings　and　deep　upholstery。







　　　　　When　one　of　the　Japanese　boys　brought　the　cocktails；



Fred　turned　from　the　fine　specimen　of　peccoray　he　had



been　examining　and　said；　〃A　man　is　an　owl　to　live　in　such



a　place　alone；　Archie。　　Why　don't　you　marry？　　As　for　me；



just　because　I　can't　marry；　I　find　the　world　full　of　charm…



ing；　unattached　women；　any　one　of　whom　I　could　fit　up　a



house　for　with　alacrity。〃







　　　　　〃You're　more　knowing　than　I。〃　　Archie　spoke　politely。



〃I'm　not　very　wide　awake　about　women。　　I'd　be　likely　to



pick　out　one　of　the　uncomfortable　onesand　there　are　a



few　of　them；　you　know。〃　　He　drank　his　cocktail　and　rubbed



his　hands　together　in　a　friendly　way。　　〃My　friends　here



have　charming　wives；　and　they　don't　give　me　a　chance



to　get　lonely。　　They　are　very　kind　to　me；　and　I　have　a



great　many　pleasant　friendships。〃







　　　　　Fred　put　down　his　glass。　　〃Yes；　I've　always　noticed　that



women　have　confidence　in　you。　　You　have　the　doctor's　way



of　getting　next。　　And　you　enjoy　that　kind　of　thing？〃







　　　　　〃The　friendship　of　attractive　women？　　Oh；　dear；　yes！



I　depend　upon　it　a　great　deal。〃







　　　　　The　butler　announced　dinner；　and　the　two　men　went



downstairs　to　the　dining…room。　　Dr。　Archie's　dinners　were



always　good　and　well　served；　and　his　wines　were　excellent。







　　　　　〃I　saw　the　Fuel　and　Iron　people　to…day；〃　Ottenburg　said；















looking　up　from　his　soup。　　〃Their　heart　is　in　the　right　place。



I　can't　see　why　in　the　mischief　you　ever　got　mixed　up　with



that　reform　gang；　Archie。　　You've　got　nothing　to　reform



out　here。　　The　situation　has　always　been　as　simple　as　two



and　two　in　Colorado；　mostly　a　matter　of　a　friendly　under…



standing。〃







　　　　　〃Well；〃Archie　spoke　tolerantly；〃some　of　the



young　fellows　seemed　to　have　red…hot　convictions；　and　I



thought　it　was　better　to　let　them　try　their　ideas　out。〃







　　　　　Ottenburg　shrugged　his　shoulders。　　〃A　few　dull　young



men　who　haven't　ability　enough　to　play　the　old　game　the



old　way；　so　they　want　to　put　on　a　new　game　which　doesn't



take　so　much　brains　and　gives　away　more　advertising



that's　what　your　anti…saloon　league　and　vice　commission



amounts　to。　　They　provide　notoriety　for　the　fellows　who



can't　distinguish　themselves　at　running　a　business　or　prac…



ticing　law　or　developing　an　industry。　　Here　you　have　a



mediocre　lawyer　with　no　brains　and　no　practice；　trying　to



get　a　look…in　on　something。　　He　comes　up　with　the　novel



proposition　that　the　prostitute　has　a　hard　time　of　it；　puts



his　picture　in　the　paper；　and　the　first　thing　you　know；　he's



a　celebrity。　　He　gets　the　rake…off　and　she's　just　where　she



was　before。　　How　could　you　fall　for　a　mouse…trap　like



Pink　Alden；　Archie？〃







　　　　　Dr。　Archie　laughed　as　he　began　to　carve。　　〃Pink　seems



to　get　under　your　skin。　　He's　not　worth　talking　about。



He's　gone　his　limit。　　People　won't　read　about　his　blame…



less　life　any　more。　　I　knew　those　interviews　he　gave　out



would　cook　him。　　They　were　a　last　resort。　　I　could　have



stopped　him；　but　by　that　time　I'd　come　to　the　conclusion



that　I'd　let　the　reformers　down。　　I'm　not　against　a　general



shaking…up；　but　the　trouble　with　Pinky's　crowd　is　they



never　get　beyond　a　general　writing…up。　　We　gave　them　a



chance　to　do　something；　and　they　just　kept　on　writing