a sappho of green springs-第21章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



find。　　He　had　worked　there　because　it　saved　time　and　because　it

didn't　cost　anything；　and　he　had　nobody　to　look　on　or　interfere

with　him。　　No；　it　was　not　lonely；　the　coyotes　and　wild　cats

sometimes　came　very　near；　but　were　always　more　surprised　and

frightened　than　he　was；　and　once　a　horseman　who　had　strayed　off　the

distant　road　yonder　mistook　him　for　an　animal　and　shot　at　him

twice。



He　told　all　this　with　such　freedom　from　embarrassment　and　with　such

apparent　unconsciousness　of　the　blue　eyes　that　were　following　him；

and　the　light；　graceful　figure；which　was　so　near　his　own　that　in

some　of　his　gestures　his　grimy　hands　almost　touched　its　delicate

garments；that；　accustomed　as　she　was　to　a　certain　masculine

aberration　in　her　presence；　she　was　greatly　amused　by　his　naive

acceptance　of　her　as　an　equal。　　Suddenly；　looking　frankly　in　her

face；　he　said：



〃I'll　show　you　a　secret；　if　you　care　to　see　it。〃



Nothing　would　please　her　more。



He　glanced　hurriedly　around；　took　a　key　from　his　pocket；　and

unlocked　the　padlock　that　secured　the　closet　she　had　noticed。

Then；　reaching　within；　with　infinite　care　he　brought　out　a　small

mechanical　model。



〃There's　an　invention　of　my　own。　　A　reaper　and　thresher　combined。

I'm　going　to　have　it　patented　and　have　a　big　one　made　from　this

model。　　This　will　work；　as　you　see。〃



He　then　explained　to　her　with　great　precision　how　as　it　moved　over

the　field　the　double　operation　was　performed　by　the　same　motive

power。　　That　it　would　be　a　saving　of　a　certain　amount　of　labor　and

time　which　she　could　not　remember。　　She　did　not　understand　a　word

of　his　explanations；　she　saw　only　a　clean　and　pretty　but

complicated　toy　that　under　the　manipulation　of　his　grimy　fingers

rattled　a　number　of　frail…like　staves　and　worked　a　number　of　wheels

and　drums；　yet　there　was　no　indication　of　her　ignorance　in　her

sparkling　eyes　and　smiling；　breathless　attitude。　　Perhaps　she　was

interested　in　his　own　absorption；　the　revelation　of　his　preoccupation

with　this　model　struck　her　as　if　he　had　made　her　a　confidante　of

some　boyish　passion　for　one　of　her　own　sex；　and　she　regarded　him

with　the　same　sympathizing　superiority。



〃You　will　make　a　fortune　out　of　it；〃　she　said　pleasantly。



Well；　he　might　make　enough　to　be　able　to　go　on　with　some　other

inventions　he　had　in　his　mind。　　They　cost　money　and　time；　no　matter

how　careful　one　was。



This　was　another　interesting　revelation　to　the　young　girl。　　He　not

only　did　not　seem　to　care　for　the　profit　his　devotion　brought　him；

but　even　his　one　beloved　ideal　might　be　displaced　by　another。　　So

like　a　man；　after　all！



Her　reflections　were　broken　upon　by　the　sound　of　voices。　　The　young

man　carefully　replaced　the　model　in　its　closet　with　a　parting

glance　as　if　he　was　closing　a　shrine；　and　said；　〃There　comes　the

wagon。〃　　The　young　girl　turned　to　face　the　men　who　were　dragging　it

from　the　road；　with　the　half…complacent　air　of　having　been

victorious　over　their　late　rude　abandonment；　but　they　did　not　seem

to　notice　it　or　to　be　surprised　at　her　companion；　who　quickly

stepped　forward　and　examined　the　broken　vehicle　with　workmanlike

deliberation。



〃I　hope　you　will　be　able　to　do　something　with　it；〃　she　said

sweetly；　appealing　directly　to　him。　　〃I　should　thank　you　SO　MUCH。〃



He　did　not　reply。　　Presently　he　looked　up　to　the　man　who　had

brought　her　to　the　shanty；　and　said；　〃The　axle's　strained；　but　it's

safe　for　five　or　six　miles　more　of　this　road。　　I'll　put　the　wheel

on　easily。〃　　He　paused；　and　without　glancing　at　her；　continued；

〃You　might　send　her　on　by　the　cart。〃



〃Pray　don't　trouble　yourselves；〃　interrupted　the　young　girl；　with　a

pink　uprising　in　her　cheeks；　〃I　shall　be　quite　satisfied　with　the

buggy　as　it　stands。〃　　Send　her　on　in　the　cart；　indeed！　　Really；

they　were　a　rude　setALL　of　them。〃



Without　taking　the　slightest　notice　of　her　remark；　the　man　replied

gravely　to　the　young　mechanic；　〃Yes；　but　we'll　be　wanting　the　cart

before　it　can　get　back　from　taking　her。〃



〃Her〃　again。　　〃I　assure　you　the　buggy　will　serve　perfectly　well

if　thisgentlemanwill　only　be　kind　enough　to　put　on　the　wheel

again；〃　she　returned　hotly。



The　young　mechanic　at　once　set　to　work。　　The　young　girl　walked

apart　silently　until　the　wheel　was　restored　to　its　axle。　　But　to

her　surprise　a　different　horse　was　led　forward　to　be　harnessed。



〃We　thought　your　horse　wasn't　safe　in　case　of　another　accident；〃

said　the　first　man；　with　the　same　smileless　consideration。　　〃This

one　wouldn't　cut　up　if　he　was　harnessed　to　an　earthquake　or　a　worse

driver　than　you've　got。〃



It　occurred　to　her　instantly　that　the　more　obvious　remedy　of

sending　another　driver　had　been　already　discussed　and　rejected　by

them。　　Yet；　when　her　own　driver　appeared　a　moment　afterwards；　she

ascended　to　her　seat　with　some　dignity　and　a　slight　increase　of

color。



〃I　am　very　much　obliged　to　you　all；〃　she　said；　without　glancing　at

the　young　inventor。



〃Don't　mention　it；　miss。〃



〃Good　afternoon。〃



〃Good　afternoon。〃　　They　all　took　off　their　hats　with　the　same

formal　gravity　as　the　horse　moved　forward；　but　turned　back　to　their

work　again　before　she　was　out　of　the　field。





CHAPTER　II





The　ranch　of　Major　Randolph　lay　on　a　rich　falda　of　the　Coast　Range；

and　overlooked　the　great　wheat　plains　that　the　young　girl　had　just

left。　　The　house　of　wood　and　adobe；　buried　to　its　first　story　in

rose…trees　and　passion　vines；　was　large　and　commodious。　　Yet　it

contained　only　the　major；　his　wife；　her　son　and　daughter；　and　the

few　occasional　visitors　from　San　Francisco　whom　he　entertained；　and

she　tolerated。



For　the　major's　household　was　not　entirely　harmonious。　　While　a

young　infantry　subaltern　at　a　Gulf　station；　he　had　been　attracted

by　the　piquant　foreign　accent　and　dramatic　gestures　of　a　French

Creole　widow；　andbelieving　them；　in　the　first　flush　of　his

youthful　passion　more　than　an　offset　to　the　encumbrance　of　her　two

children　who；　with　the　memory　of　various　marital　infidelities　were

all　her　late　husband　had　left　herhad　proposed；　been　accepted；　and

promptly　married　to　her。　　Before　he　obtained　his　captaincy；　she　had

partly　lost　her　accent；　and　those　dramatic　gestures；　which　had

accented　the　passion　of　their　brief　courtship；　began　to　intensify

domestic　altercation　and　the　bursts　of　idle　jealousy　to　which　she

was　subject。　　Whether　she　was　revenging　herself　on　her　second

husband　for　the　faults　of　her　first　is　not　known；　but　it　was

certain　that　she　brought　an　unhallowed　knowledge　of　the　weaknesses；

cheap　cynicism；　and　vanity　of　a　foreign　predecessor；　to　sit　in

judgment　upon　the　simple…minded　and　chivalrous　American　soldier　who

had　succeeded　him；　and　who　was；　in　fact；　the　most　loyal　of

husbands。　　The　natural　result　of　her　skepticism　was　an　espionage

and　criticism　of　the　wives　of　the　major's　brother　officers　that

compelled　a　frequent　change　of　quarters。　　When　to　this　was　finally

added　a　racial　divergence　and　antipathy；　the　public　disparagement

of　the　customs　and　education　of　her　female　colleagues；　and　the

sudden　insistence　of　a　foreign　and　French　dominance　in　her

household　beyond　any　ordinary　Creole　justification；　Randolph；

presumably　to　avoid　later　international　complications；　resigned

while　he　was　as　yet　a　major。　　Luckily　his　latest　banishment　to　an

extreme　Western　outpost　had　placed　him　in　California　during　the

flood　of　a　speculation　epoch。　　He　purchased　a　valuable　Spanish

grant　to　three　leagues　of　land　for　little　over　a　three　months'　pay。

Following　that　yearning　which　compels　retired　ship…captains　and

rovers　of　all　degrees　to　buy　a　farm　in　their　old　days；　the　major；

professionally　and　socially　inured　to　border　strife；　sought

surcease　and　Arcadian　repose　in　ranching。



It　was　here　that　Mrs。　Randolph；　late　relict　of　the　late　Scipion

L'Hommadieu；　devoted　herself　to　bringing　up　her　children　after　the

extremest　of　French　methods；　and　in　resurrecting　a　〃de〃　from　h