a sappho of green springs-第6章

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〃Excelsior　Magazine〃　on　the　wrapper。　　It　was　enough。　　Luck　was

certainly　with　him。



He　had　time　to　get　rid　of　the　wicked　sparkle　that　had　lit　his　dark

eyes；　and　to　lounge　carelessly　towards　the　boy　as　the　latter　broke

open　the　package；　and　then　hurriedly　concealed　it　in　his　jacket…

pocket；　and　started　for　the　door。　　Mr。　Hamlin　quickly　followed　him；

unperceived；　and；　as　he　stepped　into　the　street；　gently　tapped　him

on　the　shoulder。　　The　boy　turned　and　faced　him　quickly。　　But　Mr。

Hamlin's　eyes　showed　nothing　but　lazy　good…humor。



〃Hullo；　Bob。　　Where　are　you　going？〃



The　boy　again　looked　up　suspiciously　at　this　revelation　of　his

name。



〃Home；〃　he　said；　briefly。



〃Oh；　over　yonder；〃　said　Hamlin；　calmly。　　〃I　don't　mind　walking　with

you　as　far　as　the　lane。〃



He　saw　the　boy's　eyes　glance　furtively　towards　an　alley　that　ran

beside　the　blacksmith's　shop　a　few　rods　ahead；　and　was　convinced

that　he　intended　to　evade　him　there。　　Slipping　his　arm　carelessly

in　the　youth's；　he　concluded　to　open　fire　at　once。



〃Bob；〃　he　said；　with　irresistible　gravity；　〃I　did　not　know　when　I

met　you　this　morning　that　I　had　the　honor　of　addressing　a　poet

none　other　than　the　famous　author　of　'Underbrush。'〃



The　boy　started　back；　and　endeavored　to　withdraw　his　arm；　but　Mr。

Hamlin　tightened　his　hold；　without；　however；　changing　his　careless

expression。



〃You　see；〃　he　continued；　〃the　editor　is　a　friend　of　mine；　and；

being　afraid　this　package　might　not　get　into　the　right　handsas

you　didn't　give　your　namehe　deputized　me　to　come　here　and　see

that　it　was　all　square。　　As　you're　rather　young；　for　all　you're　so

gifted；　I　reckon　I'd　better　go　home　with　you；　and　take　a　receipt

from　your　parents。　　That's　about　square；　I　think？〃



The　consternation　of　the　boy　was　so　evident　and　so　far　beyond　Mr。

Hamlin's　expectation　that　he　instantly　halted　him；　gazed　into　his

shifting　eyes；　and　gave　a　long　whistle。



〃Who　said　it　was　for　ME？　　Wot　you　talkin'　about？　　Lemme　go！〃　gasped

the　boy；　with　the　short　intermittent　breath　of　mingled　fear　and

passion。



〃Bob；〃　said　Mr。　Hamlin；　in　a　singularly　colorless　voice　which　was

very　rare　with　him；　and　an　expression　quite　unlike　his　own；　〃what

is　your　little　game？〃



The　boy　looked　down　in　dogged　silence。



〃Out　with　it！　　Who　are　you　playing　this　on？〃



〃It's　all　among　my　own　folks；　it's　nothin'　to　YOU；〃　said　the　boy；

suddenly　beginning　to　struggle　violently；　as　if　inspired　by　this

extenuating　fact。



〃Among　your　own　folks；　eh？　　White　Violet　and　the　rest；　eh？　　But

SHE'S　not　in　it？〃



No　reply。



〃Hand　me　over　that　package。　　I'll　give　it　back　to　you　again。〃



The　boy　handed　it　to　Mr。　Hamlin。　　He　read　the　letter；　and　found　the

inclosure　contained　a　twenty…dollar　gold…piece。　　A　half…

supercilious　smile　passed　over　his　face　at　this　revelation　of　the

inadequate　emoluments　of　literature　and　the　trifling　inducements　to

crime。　　Indeed；　I　fear　the　affair　began　to　take　a　less　serious

moral　complexion　in　his　eyes。



〃Then　White　Violetyour　sister　Cynthia；　you　know；〃　continued　Mr。

Hamlin；　in　easy　parenthesis〃wrote　for　this？〃　holding　the　coin

contemplatively　in　his　fingers；　〃and　you　calculated　to　nab　it

yourself？〃



The　quick　searching　glance　with　which　Bob　received　the　name　of　his

sister；　Mr。　Hamlin　attributed　only　to　his　natural　surprise　that

this　stranger　should　be　on　such　familiar　terms　with　her；　but　the

boy　responded　immediately　and　bluntly：



〃No！　　SHE　didn't　write　for　it。　　She　didn't　want　nobody　to　know　who

she　was。　　Nobody　wrote　for　it　but　me。　　Nobody　KNEW　FOLKS　WAS　PAID

FOR　PO'TRY　BUT　ME。　　I　found　it　out　from　a　feller。　　I　wrote　for　it。

I　wasn't　goin'　to　let　that　skunk　of　an　editor　have　it　himself！〃



〃And　you　thought　YOU　would　take　it；〃　said　Hamlin；　his　voice

resuming　its　old　tone。　　〃Well；　GeorgeI　mean　Bob；　your　conduct　was

praiseworthy；　although　your　intentions　were　bad。　　Still；　twenty

dollars　is　rather　too　much　for　your　trouble。　　Suppose　we　say　five

and　call　it　square？〃　　He　handed　the　astonished　boy　five　dollars。

〃Now；　George　Washington；〃　he　continued；　taking　four　other　twenty…

dollar　pieces　from　his　pocket；　and　adding　them　to　the　inclosure；

which　he　carefully　refolded；　〃I'm　going　to　give　you　another　chance

to　live　up　to　your　reputation。　　You'll　take　that　package；　and　hand

it　to　White　Violet；　and　say　you　found　it；　just　as　it　is；　in　the

lock…box。　　I'll　keep　the　letter；　for　it　would　knock　you　endways　if

it　was　seen；　and　I'll　make　it　all　right　with　the　editor。　　But；　as

I've　got　to　tell　him　that　I've　seen　White　Violet　myself；　and　know

she's　got　it；　I　expect　YOU　to　manage　in　some　way　to　have　me　see

her。　　I'll　manage　the　rest　of　it；　and　I　won't　blow　on　you；　either。

You'll　come　back　to　the　hotel；　and　tell　me　what　you've　done。　　And

now；　George　〃　concluded　Mr。　Hamlin；　succeeding　at　last　in　fixing

the　boy's　evasive　eye　with　a　peculiar　look；　〃it　may　be　just　as　well

for　you　to　understand　that　I　know　every　nook　and　corner　of　this

place；　that　I've　already　been　through　that　underbrush　you　spoke　of

once　this　morning；　and　that　I've　got　a　mare　that　can　go　wherever

YOU　can；　and　a　dd　sight　quicker！〃



〃I'll　give　the　package　to　White　Violet；〃　said　the　boy；　doggedly。



〃And　you'll　come　back　to　the　hotel？〃



The　boy　hesitated；　and　then　said；　〃I'll　come　back。〃



〃All　right；　then。　　Adios；　general。〃



Bob　disappeared　around　the　corner　of　a　cross…road　at　a　rapid　trot；

and　Mr。　Hamlin　turned　into　the　hotel。



〃Smart　little　chap　that！〃　he　said　to　the　barkeeper。



〃You　bet！〃　returned　the　man；　who；　having　recognized　Mr。　Hamlin；　was

delighted　at　the　prospect　of　conversing　with　a　gentleman　of　such

decidedly　dangerous　reputation。　　〃But　he's　been　allowed　to　run　a

little　wild　since　old　man　Delatour　died；　and　the　widder's　got

enough　to　do；　I　reckon；　lookin'　arter　her　four　gals；　and　takin'

keer　of　old　Delatour's　ranch　over　yonder。　　I　guess　it's　pretty　hard

sleddin'　for　her　sometimes　to　get　clo'es　and　grub　for　the　famerly；

without　follerin'　Bob　around。〃



〃Sharp　girls；　too；　I　reckon；　one　of　them　writes　things　for　the

magazines；　doesn't　she？Cynthia；　eh？〃　said　Mr。　Hamlin；　carelessly。



Evidently　this　fact　was　not　a　notorious　one　to　the　barkeeper。　　He；

however；　said；　〃Dunno；　mabbee；　her　father　was　eddicated；　and　the

widder　Delatour；　too；　though　she's　sorter　queer；　I've　heard　tell。

Lord！　Mr。　Hamlin；　YOU　oughter　remember　old　man　Delatour！　　From

Opelousas；　Louisiany；　you　know！　　High　old　sport　French　style；

frilled　bosomopen…handed；　and　us'ter　buck　ag'in'　faro　awful！

Why；　he　dropped　a　heap　o'　money　to　YOU　over　in　San　Jose　two　years

ago　at　poker！　　You　must　remember　him！〃



The　slightest　possible　flush　passed　over　Mr。　Hamlin's　brow　under

the　shadow　of　his　hat；　but　did　not　get　lower　than　his　eyes。　　He

suddenly　HAD　recalled　the　spendthrift　Delatour　perfectly；　and　as

quickly　regretted　now　that　he　had　not　doubled　the　honorarium　he　had

just　sent　to　his　portionless　daughter。　　But　he　only　said；　coolly；

〃No；〃　and　then；　raising　his　pale　face　and　audacious　eyes；　continued

in　his　laziest　and　most　insulting　manner；　〃no：　the　fact　is；　my　mind

is　just　now　preoccupied　in　wondering　if　the　gas　is　leaking

anywhere；　and　if　anything　is　ever　served　over　this　bar　except

elegant　conversation。　　When　the　gentleman　who　mixes　drinks　comes

back；　perhaps　you'll　be　good　enough　to　tell　him　to　send　a　whisky

sour　to　Mr。　Jack　Hamlin　in　the　parlor。　　Meantime；　you　can　turn　off

your　soda　fountain：　I　don't　want　any　fizz　in　mine。〃



Having　thus　quite　recovered　himself；　Mr。　Hamlin　lounged　gracefully

across　the　hall　into　the　parlor。　　As　he　did　so；　a　darkish　young

man；　with　a　slim　boyish　figure；　a　thin　face；　and　a　discontented

expression；　rose　from　an　armchair；　held　out　his　hand；　and；　with　a

saturnine　smile；　said：



〃Jack！〃



〃Fred！〃



The　two　men　remained　gazing　at　each　other　with　a　half…amused；　half…

guarded　expression。　　Mr。　Hamlin　was　first　to　begin。　　〃I　didn't

t