a sappho of green springs-第3章

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atmosphere　of　intellectual　repose；　gentleness；　and　imagination　as

the　first　contribution。　　And　yet　they　were　in　the　same　handwriting

as　the　singular　missive；　and　both　were　identical　with　the　previous

manuscript。



Had　he　been　the　victim　of　a　hoax；　and　were　the　verses　not　original？

No；　they　were　distinctly　original；　local　in　color；　and　even　local

in　the　use　of　certain　old　English　words　that　were　common　in　the

Southwest。　　He　had　before　noticed　the　apparent　incongruity　of　the

handwriting　and　the　text；　and　it　was　possible　that　for　the　purposes

of　disguise　the　poet　might　have　employed　an　amanuensis。　　But　how

could　he　reconcile　the　incongruity　of　the　mercenary　and　slangy

purport　of　the　missive　itself　with　the　mental　habit　of　its　author？

Was　it　possible　that　these　inconsistent　qualities　existed　in　the

one　individual？　　He　smiled　grimly　as　he　thought　of　his　visitor

Bowers　and　his　friend　Jack。　　He　was　startled　as　he　remembered　the

purely　imaginative　picture　he　had　himself　given　to　the　seriously

interested　Bowers　of　the　possible　incongruous　personality　of　the

poetess。



Was　he　quite　fair　in　keeping　this　from　Jack？　　Was　it　really

honorable；　in　view　of　their　wager？　　It　is　to　be　feared　that　a　very

human　enjoyment　of　Jack's　possible　discomfiture　quite　as　much　as

any　chivalrous　friendship　impelled　the　editor　to　ring　eventually

for　the　office…boy。



〃See　if　Mr。　Hamlin　is　in　his　rooms。〃



The　editor　then　sat　down；　and　wrote　rapidly　as　follows：





DEAR　MADAM；You　are　as　right　as　you　are　generous　in　supposing　that

only　ignorance　of　your　address　prevented　the　manager　from

previously　remitting　the　honorarium　for　your　beautiful　verses。　　He

now　begs　to　send　it　to　you　in　the　manner　you　have　indicated。　　As

the　verses　have　attracted　deserved　attention；　I　have　been　applied

to　for　your　address。　　Should　you　care　to　submit　it　to　me　to　be　used

at　my　discretion；　I　shall　feel　honored　by　your　confidence。　　But

this　is　a　matter　left　entirely　to　your　own　kindness　and　better

judgment。　　Meantime；　I　take　pleasure　in　accepting　〃White　Violet's〃

present　contribution；　and　remain；　dear　madam；　your　obedient　servant；



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　EDITOR。





The　boy　returned　as　he　was　folding　the　letter。　　Mr。　Hamlin　was　not

only　NOT　in　his　rooms；　but；　according　to　his　negro　servant　Pete；

had　left　town　an　hour　ago　for　a　few　days　in　the　country。



〃Did　he　say　where？〃　asked　the　editor；　quickly。



〃No；　sir：　he　didn't　know。〃



〃Very　well。　　Take　this　to　the　manager。〃　　He　addressed　the　letter；

and；　scrawling　a　few　hieroglyphics　on　a　memorandum…tag；　tore　it

off；　and　handed　it　with　the　letter　to　the　boy。



An　hour　later　he　stood　in　the　manager's　office。　　〃The　next　number

is　pretty　well　made　up；〃　he　said；　carelessly；　〃and　I　think　of

taking　a　day　or　two　off。〃



〃Certainly；〃　said　the　manager。　　〃It　will　do　you　good。　　Where　do　you

think　you'll　go？〃



〃I　haven't　quite　made　up　my　mind。〃





CHAPTER　II





〃Hullo！〃　said　Jack　Hamlin。



He　had　halted　his　mare　at　the　edge　of　an　abrupt　chasm。　　It　did　not

appear　to　be　fifty　feet　across；　yet　its　depth　must　have　been　nearly

two　hundred　to　where　the　hidden　mountain…stream；　of　which　it　was

the　banks；　alternately　slipped；　tumbled；　and　fell　with　murmuring

and　monotonous　regularity。　　One　or　two　pine…trees　growing　on　the

opposite　edge；　loosened　at　the　roots；　had　tilted　their　straight

shafts　like　spears　over　the　abyss；　and　the　top　of　one；　resting　on

the　upper　branches　of　a　sycamore　a　few　yards　from　him；　served　as　an

aerial　bridge　for　the　passage　of　a　boy　of　fourteen　to　whom　Mr。

Hamlin's　challenge　was　addressed。



The　boy　stopped　midway　in　his　perilous　transit；　and；　looking　down

upon　the　horseman；　responded；　coolly；　〃Hullo；　yourself！〃



〃Is　that　the　only　way　across　this　infernal　hole；　or　the　one　you

prefer　for　exercise？〃　continued　Hamlin；　gravely。



The　boy　sat　down　on　a　bough；　allowing　his　bare　feet　to　dangle　over

the　dizzy　depths；　and　critically　examined　his　questioner。　　Jack　had

on　this　occasion　modified　his　usual　correct　conventional　attire　by

a　tasteful　combination　of　a　vaquero's　costume；　and；　in　loose　white

bullion…fringed　trousers；　red　sash；　jacket；　and　sombrero；　looked

infinitely　more　dashing　and　picturesque　than　his　original。

Nevertheless；　the　boy　did　not　reply。　　Mr。　Hamlin's　pride　in　his

usual　ascendency　over　women；　children；　horses；　and　all　unreasoning

animals　was　deeply　nettled。　　He　smiled；　however；　and　said；　quietly；



〃Come　here；　George　Washington。　　I　want　to　talk　to　you。〃



Without　rejecting　this　august　yet　impossible　title；　the　boy

presently　lifted　his　feet；　and　carelessly　resumed　his　passage

across　the　chasm　until；　reaching　the　sycamore；　he　began　to　let

himself　down　squirrel…wise；　leap　by　leap；　with　an　occasional

trapeze　swinging　from　bough　to　bough；　dropping　at　last　easily　to

the　ground。　　Here　he　appeared　to　be　rather　good…looking；　albeit　the

sun　and　air　had　worked　a　miracle　of　brown　tan　and　freckles　on　his

exposed　surfaces；　until　the　mottling　of　his　oval　cheeks　looked　like

a　polished　bird's　egg。　　Indeed；　it　struck　Mr。　Hamlin　that　he　was　as

intensely　a　part　of　that　sylvan　seclusion　as　the　hidden　brook　that

murmured；　the　brown　velvet　shadows　that　lay　like　trappings　on　the

white　flanks　of　his　horse；　the　quivering　heat；　and　the　stinging

spice　of　bay。　　Mr。　Hamlin　had　vague　ideas　of　dryads　and　fauns；　but

at　that　moment　would　have　bet　something　on　the　chances　of　their

survival。



〃I　did　not　hear　what　you　said　just　now；　general；〃　he　remarked；　with

great　elegance　of　manner；　〃but　I　know　from　your　reputation　that　it

could　not　be　a　lie。　　I　therefore　gather　that　there　IS　another　way

across。〃



The　boy　smiled；　rather；　his　very　short　upper　lip　apparently

vanished　completely　over　his　white　teeth；　and　his　very　black　eyes；

which　showed　a　great　deal　of　the　white　around　them；　danced　in　their

orbits。



〃But　YOU　couldn't　find　it；〃　he　said；　slyly。



〃No　more　could　you　find　the　half…dollar　I　dropped　just　now；　unless

I　helped　you。〃



Mr。　Hamlin；　by　way　of　illustration；　leaned　deeply　over　his　left

stirrup；　and　pointed　to　the　ground。　　At　the　same　moment　a　bright

half…dollar　absolutely　appeared　to　glitter　in　the　herbage　at　the

point　of　his　finger。　　It　was　a　trick　that　had　always　brought　great

pleasure　and　profit　to　his　young　friends；　and　some　loss　and

discomfiture　of　wager　to　his　older　ones。



The　boy　picked　up　the　coin：　〃There's　a　dip　and　a　level　crossing

about　a　mile　over　yer；〃he　pointed；〃but　it's　through　the　woods；

and　they're　that　high　with　thick　bresh。〃



〃With　what？〃



〃Bresh；〃　repeated　the　boy；　〃THAT；〃pointing　to　a　few　fronds　of

bracken　growing　in　the　shadow　of　the　sycamore。



〃Oh！　underbrush？〃



〃Yes；　I　said　'bresh；'〃　returned　the　boy；　doggedly。　　〃YOU　might　get

through；　ef　you　war　spry；　but　not　your　hoss。　　Where　do　you　want　to

go；　anyway？〃



〃Do　you　know；　George；〃　said　Mr。　Hamlin；　lazily　throwing　his　right

leg　over　the　horn　of　his　saddle　for　greater　ease　and　deliberation

in　replying；　〃it's　very　odd；　but　that's　just　what　I'D　like　to　know。

Now；　what　would　YOU；　in　your　broad　statesmanlike　views　of　things

generally；　advise？〃



Quite　convinced　of　the　stranger's　mental　unsoundness；　the　boy

glanced　again　at　his　half…dollar；　as　if　to　make　sure　of　its

integrity；　pocketed　it　doubtfully；　and　turned　away。



〃Where　are　you　going？〃　said　Hamlin；　resuming　his　seat　with　the

agility　of　a　circus…rider；　and　spurring　forward。



〃To　Green　Springs；　where　I　live；　two　miles　over　the　ridge　on　the

far　slope；〃indicating　the　direction。



〃Ah！〃　said　Jack；　with　thoughtful　gravity。　　〃Well；　kindly　give　my

love　to　your　sister；　will　you？〃



〃George　Washington　didn't　have　no　sister；〃　said　the　boy；　cunningly。



〃Can　I　have　been　mistaken？〃　said　Hamlin；　lifting　his　hand　to　his

forehead　with　grieved　accents。　　〃Then　it　seems　YOU　have。　　Kindly

give　her　my　love。〃



〃Which　one？〃　asked　the　boy；　with　a　sw