on the frontier-第17章

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the　money！　　Look　at　her；　boys！　　Look　at　the　wife　of　the　thief；　with

the　stolen　money　in　diamonds　in　her　ears　and　rings　on　her　fingers。

SHE'S　got　money　if　WE'VE　none。　　SHE　can　pay　for　what　she　fancies；

if　we　haven't　a　cent　to　redeem　the　bed　that's　stolen　from　under　us。

Oh　yes；　buy　it　all；　Mrs。　Spencer　Tucker！　buy　the　whole　shop；　Mrs。

Spencer　Tucker；　do　you　hear？　　And　if　you　ain't　satisfied　then；　buy

my　clothes；　my　wedding　ring；　the　only　things　your　husband　hasn't

stolen。〃



〃I　don't　understand　you；〃　said　Mrs。　Tucker　coldly；　turning　towards

the　door。　　But　with　a　flying　leap　across　the　counter　her　relentless

adversary　stood　between　her　and　retreat。



〃You　don't　understand！　　Perhaps　you　don't　understand　that　your

husband　not　only　stole　the　hard　labor　of　these　men；　but　even　the

little　money　they　brought　here　and　trusted　to　his　thieving　hands。

Perhaps　you　don't　know　that　he　stole　my　husband's　hard　earnings；

mortgaged　these　very　goods　you　want　to　buy；　and　that　he　is　to…day　a

convicted　thief；　a　forger；　and　a　runaway　coward。　　Perhaps；　if　you

can't　understand　ME；　you　can　read　the　newspaper。　　Look！〃　　She

exultingly　opened　the　paper　the　sheriff　had　been　reading　aloud；　and

pointed　to　the　displayed　headlines。　　〃Look！　there　are　the　very

words；　'Forgery；　Swindling；　Embezzlement！'　　Do　you　see？　　And

perhaps　you　can't　understand　this。　　Look！　　'Shameful　Flight。

Abandons　his　Wife。　　Runs　off　with　a　Notorious'〃



〃Easy；　old　gal；　easy　now。　　Dn　it！　　Will　you　dry　up？　　I　say。

STOP！〃



It　was　too　late！



The　sheriff　had　dashed　the　paper　from　the　woman's　hand；　but　not

until　Mrs。　Tucker　had　read　a　single　line；　a　line　such　as　she　had

sometimes　turned　from　with　weary　scorn　in　her　careless　perusal　of

the　daily　shameful　chronicle　of　domestic　infelicity。　　Then　she　had

coldly　wondered　if　there　could　be　any　such　men　and　women；　and　now！

The　crowd　fell　back　before　her；　even　the　virago　was　silenced　as　she

looked　at　her　face。　　The　humorist's　face　was　as　white；　but　not　as

immobile；　as　he　gasped；　〃Christ！　if　I　don't　believe　she　knew

nothin'　of　it！〃



For　a　moment　the　full　force　of　such　a　supposition；　with　all　its

poignancy；　its　dramatic　intensity；　and　its　pathos；　possessed　the

crowd。　　In　the　momentary　clairvoyance　of　enthusiasm　they　caught　a

glimpse　of　the　truth；　and　by　one　of　the　strange　reactions　of　human

passion　they　only　waited　for　a　word　of　appeal　or　explanation　from

her　lips　to　throw　themselves　at　her　feet。　　Had　she　simply　told　her

story　they　would　have　believed　her；　had　she　cried；　fainted；　or　gone

into　hysterics；　they　would　have　pitied　her。　　She　did　neither。

Perhaps　she　thought　of　neither；　or　indeed　of　anything　that　was　then

before　her　eyes。　　She　walked　erect　to　the　door　and　turned　upon　the

threshold。　　〃I　mean　what　I　say；〃　she　said　calmly。　　〃I　don't

understand　you。　　But　whatever　just　claims　you　have　upon　my　husband

will　be　paid　by　me；　or　by　his　lawyer；　Captain　Poindexter。〃



She　had　lost　the　sympathy　but　not　the　respect　of　her　hearers。　　They

made　way　for　her　with　sullen　deference　as　she　passed　out　on　the

platform。　　But　her　adversary；　profiting　by　the　last　opportunity；

burst　into　an　ironical　laugh。



〃Captain　Poindexter；　is　it？　　Well；　perhaps　he's　safe　to　pay　YOUR

bill；　but　as　for　your　husband's〃



〃That's　another　matter；〃　interrupted　a　familiar　voice　with　the

greatest　cheerfulness；　〃that's　what　you　were　going　to　say；　wasn't

it？　　Ha！　ha！　　Well；　Mrs。　Patterson；〃　continued　Poindexter；　stepping

from　his　buggy；　〃you　never　spoke　a　truer　word　in　your　life。　　One

moment；　Mrs。　Tucker。　　Let　me　send　you　back　in　the　buggy。　　Don't

mind　ME。　　I　can　get　a　fresh　horse　of　the　sheriff。　　I'm　quite　at

home　here。　　I　say；　Patterson；　step　a　few　paces　this　way；　will　you？

A　little　further　from　your　wife；　please。　　That'll　do。　　You've　got　a

claim　of　five　thousand　dollars　against　the　property；　haven't　you？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃Well；　that　woman　just　driving　away　is　your　one　solitary　chance　of

getting　a　cent　of　it。　　If　your　wife　insults　her　again；　that　chance

is　gone。　　And　if　YOU　do〃



〃Well？〃



〃As　sure　as　there　is　a　God　in　Israel　and　a　Supreme　Court　of　the

State　of　California；　I'll　kill　you　in　your　tracks！　。　。　。　　Stay！〃



Patterson　turned。　　The　irrepressible　look　of　humorous　tolerance　of

all　human　frailty　had　suffused　Poindexter's　black　eyes　with

mischievous　moisture。　　〃If　you　think　it　quite　safe　to　confide　to

your　wife　this　prospect　of　her　improvement　by　widowhood；　you　may！〃





CHAPTER　III





Mr。　Patterson　did　not　inform　his　wife　of　the　lawyer's　personal

threat　to　himself。　　But　he　managed；　after　Poindexter　had　left；　to

make　her　conscious　that　Mrs。　Tucker　might　be　a　power　to　be　placated

and　feared。　　〃You've　shot　off　your　mouth　at　her；〃　he　said

argumentatively；　〃and　whether　you've　hit　the　mark　or　not　you've　had

your　say。　　Ef　you　think　it's　worth　a　possible　five　thousand　dollars

and　interest　to　keep　on；　heave　ahead。　　Ef　you　rather　have　the

chance　of　getting　the　rest　in　cash；　you'll　let　up　on　her。〃　　〃You

don't　suppose；〃　returned　Mrs。　Patterson　contemptuously；　〃that　she's

got　anything　but　what　that　man　of　hersPoindexterlets　her　have？〃

〃The　sheriff　says；〃　retorted　Patterson　surlily；　〃that　she's

notified　him　that　she　claims　the　rancho　as　a　gift　from　her　husband

three　years　ago；　and　she's　in　POSSESSION　now；　and　was　so　when　the

execution　was　out。　　It　don't　make　no　matter；〃　he　added；　with　gloomy

philosophy；　〃who's　got　a　full　hand　as　long　as　WE　ain't　got　the

cards　to　chip　in。　　I　wouldn't　'a'　minded　it；〃　he　continued

meditatively；　〃ef　Spence　Tucker　had　dropped　a　hint　to　me　afore　he

put　out。〃　　〃And　I　suppose；〃　said　Mrs。　Patterson　angrily；　〃you'd

have　put　out　too？〃　　〃I　reckon；〃　said　Patterson　simply。



Twice　or　thrice　during　the　evening　he　referred；　more　or　less

directly；　to　this　lack　of　confidence　shown　by　his　late　debtor　and

employer；　and　seemed　to　feel　it　more　keenly　than　the　loss　of

property。　　He　confided　his　sentiments　quite　openly　to　the　sheriff

in　possession；　over　the　whiskey　and　euchre　with　which　these

gentlemen　avoided　the　difficulties　of　their　delicate　relations。　　He

brooded　over　it　as　he　handed　the　keys　of　the　shop　to　the　sheriff

when　they　parted　for　the　night；　and　was　still　thinking　of　it　when

the　house　was　closed；　everybody　gone　to　bed；　and　he　was　fetching　a

fresh　jug　of　water　from　the　well。　　The　moon　was　at　times　obscured

by　flying　clouds；　the　avant…couriers　of　the　regular　evening　shower。

He　was　stooping　over　the　well；　when　he　sprang　suddenly　to　his　feet

again。　　〃Who's　there？〃　he　demanded　sharply。



〃Hush！〃　said　a　voice　so　low　and　faint　it　might　have　been　a　whisper

of　the　wind　in　the　palisades　of　the　corral。　　But；　indistinct　as　it

was；　it　was　the　voice　of　the　man　he　was　thinking　of　as　far　away；

and　it　sent　a　thrill　of　alternate　awe　and　pleasure　through　his

pulses。



He　glanced　quickly　around。　　The　moon　was　hidden　by　a　passing　cloud；

and　only　the　faint　outlines　of　the　house　he　had　just　quitted　were

visible。　　〃Is　that　you；　Spence？〃　he　said　tremulously。



〃Yes；〃　replied　the　voice；　and　a　figure　dimly　emerged　from　the

corner　of　the　corral。



〃Lay　low；　lay　low；　for　God's　sake；〃　said　Patterson；　hurriedly

throwing　himself　upon　the　apparition。　　〃The　sheriff　and　his　posse

are　in　there。〃



〃But　I　must　speak　to　you　a　moment；〃　said　the　figure。



〃Wait；〃　said　Patterson；　glancing　towards　the　building。　　Its　blank；

shutterless　windows　revealed　no　inner　light；　a　profound　silence

encompassed　it。　　〃Come　quick；〃　he　whispered。　　Letting　his　grasp

slip　down　to　the　unresisting　hand　of　the　stranger；　he　half…dragged；

half…led　him；　brushing　against　the　wall；　into　the　open　door　of　the

deserted　bar…room　he　had　just　quitted；　locked　the　inner　door；

poured　a　glass　of　whiskey　from　a　decanter；　gave　it　to　him；　and　then

watched　him　drain　it　at　a　single　draught。　　The　moon　came　out；　and；

falling　through　the　bare　windows　full　upon　the　stranger's　face；

revealed　the　artistic　but　slightly　disheveled　curls　and　mou