a first family of tasajara-第20节

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the　youthful　husband　brought　his　work　at　times　to　the　house　to　keep

her　company。　　And　a　singular　change　had　come　over　her。　　She　no

longer　talked　of　the　past；　nor　of　his　family。　　As　if　the　little

life　that　had　passed　with　that　morning　mist　had　represented　some

ascending　expiatory　sacrifice；　it　seemed　to　have　brought　them　into

closer　communion。



Yet　her　weak　condition　made　him　conceal　another　trouble　that　had

come　upon　him。　　It　was　in　the　third　month　of　his　employment　on　the

〃Clarion〃　that　one　afternoon；　while　correcting　some　proofs　on　his

chief's　desk；　he　came　upon　the　following　editorial　paragraph：



〃The　played…out　cant　of　'pioneer　genius'　and　'pioneer　discovery'

appears　to　have　reached　its　climax　in　the　attempt　of　some　of　our

contemporaries　to　apply　it　to　Dan　Harcourt's　new　Tasajara　Job

before　the　legislature。　　It　is　perfectly　well　known　in　Harcourt's

own　district　that；　far　from　being　a　pioneer　and　settler　HIMSELF　he

simply　succeeded　after　a　fashion　to　the　genuine　work　of　one　Elijah

Curtis；　an　actual　pioneer　and　discoverer；　years　before；　while

Harcourt；　we　believe；　was　keeping　a　frontier　doggery　in　Sidon；　and

dispensing　'tanglefoot'　and　salt　junk　to　the　hayfooted　Pike

Countians　of　his　precinct。　　This　would　make　him　as　much　of　the

'pioneer　discoverer'　as　the　rattlesnake　who　first　takes　up　board

and　lodgings　and　then　possession　in　a　prairie　dog's　burrow。　　And　if

the　traveler's　tale　is　true　that　the　rattlesnake　sometimes　makes　a

meal　of　his　landlord；　the　story　told　at　Sidon　may　be　equally

credible　that　the　original　pioneer　mysteriously　disappeared　about

the　time　that　Dan　Harcourt　came　into　the　property。　　From　which　it

would　seem　that　Harcourt　is　not　in　a　position　for　his　friends　to

invite　very　deep　scrutiny　into　his　'pioneer'　achievements。〃



Stupefaction；　a　vague　terror；　and　rising　anger；　rapidly　succeeded

each　other　in　the　young　man's　mind　as　he　stood　mechanically　holding

the　paper　in　his　hand。　　It　was　the　writing　of　his　chief　editor；

whose　easy　brutality　he　had　sometimes　even　boyishly　admired。

Without　stopping　to　consider　their　relative　positions　he　sought　him

indignantly　and　laid　the　proof　before　him。　　The　editor　laughed。

〃But　what's　that　to　YOU？　　YOU'RE　not　on　terms　with　the　old　man。〃



〃But　he　is　my　father！〃　said　John　Milton　hotly。



〃Look　here；〃　said　the　editor　good…naturedly；　〃I'd　like　to　oblige

you；　but　it　isn't　BUSINESS；　you　know；and　this　IS；　you

understand；PROPRIETOR'S　BUSINESS　too！　　Of　course　I　see　it　might

stand　in　the　way　of　your　making　up　to　the　old　man　afterwards　and

coming　in　for　a　million。　　Well！　you　can　tell　him　it's　ME。　　Say　I

WOULD　put　it　in。　　Say　I'm　nastyand　I　AM！〃



〃Then　it　must　go　in？〃　said　John　Milton　with　a　white　face。



〃You　bet。〃



〃Then　I　must　go　out！〃　　And　writing　out　his　resignation；　he　laid　it

before　his　chief　and　left。



But　he　could　not　bear　to　tell　this　to　his　wife　when　he　climbed　the

hill　that　night；　and　he　invented　some　excuse　for　bringing　his　work

home。　　The　invalid　never　noticed　any　change　in　his　usual　buoyancy；

and　indeed　I　fear；　when　he　was　fairly　installed　with　his　writing

materials　at　the　foot　of　her　bed；　he　had　quite　forgotten　the

episode。　　He　was　recalled　to　it　by　a　faint　sigh。



〃What　is　it；　dear？〃　he　said　looking　up。



〃I　like　to　see　you　writing；　Milty。　　You　always　look　so　happy。〃



〃Always　so　happy；　dear？〃



〃Yes。　　You　are　happy；　are　you　not？〃



〃Always。〃　　He　got　up　and　kissed　her。　　Nevertheless；　when　he　sat

down　to　his　work　again；　his　face　was　turned　a　little　more　to　the

window。



Another　serious　incidentto　be　also　kept　from　the　invalidshortly

followed。　　The　article　in　the　〃Clarion〃　had　borne　its　fruit。　　The

third　day　after　his　resignation　a　rival　paper　sharply　retorted。

〃The　cowardly　insinuations　against　the　record　of　a　justly　honored

capitalist；〃　said　the　〃Pioneer；〃　〃although　quite　in　keeping　with

the　brazen　'Clarion；'　might　attract　the　attentions　of　the　slandered

party；　if　it　were　not　known　to　his　friends　as　well　as　himself　that

it　may　be　traced　almost　directly　to　a　cast…off　member　of　his　own

family；　who；　it　seems；　is　reduced　to　haunting　the　back　doors　of

certain　blatant　journals　to　dispose　of　his　cheap　wares。　　The

slanderer　is　secure　from　public　exposure　in　the　superior　decency　of

his　relations；　who　refrain　from　airing　their　family　linen　upon

editorial　lines。〃



This　was　the　journal　to　which　John　Milton　had　hopefully　turned　for

work。　　When　he　read　it　there　seemed　but　one　thing　for　him　to　do

and　he　did　it。　　Gentle　and　optimistic　as　was　his　nature；　he　had

been　brought　up　in　a　community　where　sincere　directness　of　personal

offense　was　followed　by　equally　sincere　directness　of　personal

redress；　andhe　challenged　the　editor。　　The　bearer　of　his　cartel

was　one　Jack　Hamlin；　I　grieve　to　say　a　gambler　by　profession；　but

between　whom　and　John　Milton　had　sprung　up　an　odd　friendship　of

which　the　best　that　can　be　said　is　that　it　was　to　each　equally　and

unselfishly　unprofitable。　　The　challenge　was　accepted；　the

preliminaries　arranged。　　〃I　suppose；〃　said　Jack　carelessly；　〃as　the

old　man　ought　to　do　something　for　your　wife　in　case　of　accident；

you've　made　some　sort　of　a　will？〃



〃I've　thought　of　that；〃　said　John　Milton；　dubiously；　〃but　I'm

afraid　it's　no　use。　　You　see〃he　hesitated〃I'm　not　of　age。〃



〃May　I　ask　how　old　you　are；　sonny？〃　said　Jack　with　great　gravity。



〃I'm　almost　twenty；〃　said　John　Milton；　coloring。



〃It　isn't　exactly　vingt…et…un；　but　I'd　stand　on　it；　if　I　were　you　I

wouldn't　draw　to　such　a　hand；〃　said　Jack；　coolly。



The　young　husband　had　arranged　to　be　absent　from　his　home　that

night；　and　early　morning　found　him；　with　Jack；　grave；　but

courageous；　in　a　little　hollow　behind　the　Mission　Hills。　　To　them

presently　approached　his　antagonist；　jauntily　accompanied　by

Colonel　Starbottle；　his　second。　　They　halted；　but　after　the　formal

salutation　were　instantly　joined　by　Jack　Hamlin。　　For　a　few　moments

John　Milton　remained　awkwardly　alonepending　a　conversation　which

even　at　that　supreme　moment　he　felt　as　being　like　the　general

attitude　of　his　friends　towards　him；　in　its　complete　ignoring　of

himself。　　The　next　moment　the　three　men　stepped　towards　him。　　〃We

have　come；　sir；〃　said　Colonel　Starbottle　in　his　precisest　speech

but　his　jauntiest　manner；　〃to　offer　you　a　full　and　ample　apologya

personal　apologywhich　only　supplements　that　full　public　apology

that　my　principal；　sir；　this　gentleman；〃　indicating　the　editor　of

the　〃Pioneer；〃　〃has　this　morning　made　in　the　columns　of　his　paper；

as　you　will　observe；〃　producing　a　newspaper。　　〃We　have；　sir；〃

continued　the　colonel　loftily；　〃only　within　the　last　twelve　hours

become　aware　of　theerREAL　circumstances　of　the　case。　　We　would

regret　that　the　affair　had　gone　so　far　already；　if　it　had　not　given

us；　sir；　the　opportunity　of　testifying　to　your　gallantry。　　We　do　so

gladly；　and　iferera　FEW　YEARS　LATER；　Mr。　Harcourt；　you　should

ever　needa　friend　in　any　matter　of　this　kind；　I　am；　sir；　at　your

service。〃　　John　Milton　gazed　half　inquiringly；　half　uneasily　at

Jack。



〃It's　all　right；　Milt；〃　he　said　sotto　voce。　　〃Shake　hands　all　round

and　let's　go　to　breakfast。　　And　I　rather　think　that　editor　wants　to

employ　you　HIMSELF。〃



It　was　true；　for　when　that　night　he　climbed　eagerly　the　steep

homeward　hill　he　carried　with　him　the　written　offer　of　an

engagement　on　the　〃Pioneer。〃　　As　he　entered　the　door　his　wife's

nurse　and　companion　met　him　with　a　serious　face。　　There　had　been　a

strange　and　unexpected　change　in　the　patient's　condition；　and　the

doctor　had　already　been　there　twice。　　As　he　put　aside　his　coat　and

hat　and　entered　her　room；　it　seemed　to　him　that　he　had　forever　put

aside　all　else　of　essay　and　ambition　beyond　those　four　walls。　　And

with　the　thought　a　great　peace　came　upon　him。　　It　seemed　good　to

him　to　live　for　her　alone。



It　was　not　for　long。　　As　each　monotonous　day　brought　the　morning

mist　and　evening　fog　regularly　to　the　little　hilltop　where　his

whole　being　was　now　centred；　she　seemed　to　grow　daily　weaker；　and

the　little　circle　of　her　life　narrowed　day　by　day。　　One　morning

when　the　usual　mist　appeared　to　have　been　withheld　and　the　sun　had

risen　with　a　strange　and　cruel　brightness；　when　the　waves　danced

and　sparkled　on　the　bay　below　and　light　glanced　from　dazzling

sails；　and　even　the　white　tombs　on　Lone　Mountain　glittered　keenly；

when　cheery　voices　hailing　each　other　on　the　hillside　came　to　him

clearly　but　without　sense　or　meaning；　when　earth；　sky；　and　sea

seemed　quivering　with　life　and　motion；he　opened　the　door　of　that

one　little　house　on　which　the　only　shadow　seemed　to　have　fallen；

and　went　forth　again　into　the　world　alone。





CHAPTER　VII。





Mr。　Daniel　Harcourt's　town　mansion　was　also　on　an　eminence；　but　it

was　that　gentler　acclivity　of　fashion　known　as　Rincon　Hill；　and

sunned　itself　on　a　southern　slope　of　luxury。　　It　had　been　described

as　〃princely〃　and　〃fairy…like；〃　by　a　gratef