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第9节

the faith of men-第9节

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〃Here;〃 he said; thrusting the scrawled letter into his partner's

hand。  〃You just deliver that and everything'll be all right。〃



Hutchinson ran his eye over it and laid it down。



〃How do you know the brother will be willing to make that beastly

trip in here?〃 he demanded。



〃Oh; he'll do it for meand for his sister;〃 Pentfield replied。

〃You see; he's tenderfoot; and I wouldn't trust her with him alone。

But with you along it will be an easy trip and a safe one。  As soon

as you get out; you'll go to her and prepare her。  Then you can

take your run east to your own people; and in the spring she and

her brother'll be ready to start with you。  You'll like her; I

know; right from the jump; and from that; you'll know her as soon

as you lay eyes on her。〃



So saying he opened the back of his watch and exposed a girl's

photograph pasted on the inside of the case。  Corry Hutchinson

gazed at it with admiration welling up in his eyes。



〃Mabel is her name;〃 Pentfield went on。  〃And it's just as well you

should know how to find the house。  Soon as you strike 'Frisco;

take a cab; and just say; 'Holmes's place; Myrdon Avenue'I doubt

if the Myrdon Avenue is necessary。  The cabby'll know where Judge

Holmes lives。



〃And say;〃 Pentfield continued; after a pause; 〃it won't be a bad

idea for you to get me a few little things which aer〃



〃A married man should have in his business;〃 Hutchinson blurted out

with a grin。



Pentfield grinned back。



〃Sure; napkins and tablecloths and sheets and pillowslips; and such

things。  And you might get a good set of china。  You know it'll

come hard for her to settle down to this sort of thing。  You can

freight them in by steamer around by Bering Sea。  And; I say;

what's the matter with a piano?〃



Hutchinson seconded the idea heartily。  His reluctance had

vanished; and he was warming up to his mission。



〃By Jove!  Lawrence;〃 he said at the conclusion of the council; as

they both rose to their feet; 〃I'll bring back that girl of yours

in style。  I'll do the cooking and take care of the dogs; and all

that brother'll have to do will be to see to her comfort and do for

her whatever I've forgotten。  And I'll forget damn little; I can

tell you。〃



The next day Lawrence Pentfield shook hands with him for the last

time and watched him; running with his dogs; disappear up the

frozen Yukon on his way to salt water and the world。  Pentfield

went back to his Bonanza mine; which was many times more dreary

than before; and faced resolutely into the long winter。  There was

work to be done; men to superintend; and operations to direct in

burrowing after the erratic pay streak; but his heart was not in

the work。  Nor was his heart in any work till the tiered logs of a

new cabin began to rise on the hill behind the mine。  It was a

grand cabin; warmly built and divided into three comfortable rooms。

Each log was hand…hewed and squaredan expensive whim when the

axemen received a daily wage of fifteen dollars; but to him nothing

could be too costly for the home in which Mabel Holmes was to live。



So he went about with the building of the cabin; singing; 〃And oh;

my fair; would I somewhere might house my heart with thee!〃  Also;

he had a calendar pinned on the wall above the table; and his first

act each morning was to check off the day and to count the days

that were left ere his partner would come booming down the Yukon

ice in the spring。  Another whim of his was to permit no one to

sleep in the new cabin on the hill。  It must be as fresh for her

occupancy as the square…hewed wood was fresh; and when it stood

complete; he put a padlock on the door。  No one entered save

himself; and he was wont to spend long hours there; and to come

forth with his face strangely radiant and in his eyes a glad; warm

light。



In December he received a letter from Corry Hutchinson。  He had

just seen Mabel Holmes。  She was all she ought to be; to be

Lawrence Pentfield's wife; he wrote。  He was enthusiastic; and his

letter sent the blood tingling through Pentfield's veins。  Other

letters followed; one on the heels of another; and sometimes two or

three together when the mail lumped up。  And they were all in the

same tenor。  Corry had just come from Myrdon Avenue; Corry was just

going to Myrdon Avenue; or Corry was at Myrdon Avenue。  And he

lingered on and on in San Francisco; nor even mentioned his trip to

Detroit。



Lawrence Pentfield began to think that his partner was a great deal

in the company of Mabel Holmes for a fellow who was going east to

see his people。  He even caught himself worrying about it at times;

though he would have worried more had he not known Mabel and Corry

so well。  Mabel's letters; on the other hand; had a great deal to

say about Corry。  Also; a thread of timidity that was near to

disinclination ran through them concerning the trip in over the ice

and the Dawson marriage。  Pentfield wrote back heartily; laughing

at her fears; which he took to be the mere physical ones of danger

and hardship rather than those bred of maidenly reserve。



But the long winter and tedious wait; following upon the two

previous long winters; were telling upon him。  The superintendence

of the men and the pursuit of the pay streak could not break the

irk of the daily round; and the end of January found him making

occasional trips to Dawson; where he could forget his identity for

a space at the gambling tables。  Because he could afford to lose;

he won; and 〃Pentfield's luck〃 became a stock phrase among the faro

players。



His luck ran with him till the second week in February。  How much

farther it might have run is conjectural; for; after one big game;

he never played again。



It was in the Opera House that it occurred; and for an hour it had

seemed that he could not place his money on a card without making

the card a winner。  In the lull at the end of a deal; while the

game…keeper was shuffling the deck; Nick Inwood the owner of the

game; remarked; apropos of nothing:…



〃I say; Pentfield; I see that partner of yours has been cutting up

monkey…shines on the outside。〃



〃Trust Corry to have a good time;〃 Pentfield had answered;

〃especially when he has earned it。〃



〃Every man to his taste;〃 Nick Inwood laughed; 〃but I should

scarcely call getting married a good time。〃



〃Corry married!〃 Pentfield cried; incredulous and yet surprised out

of himself for the moment。



'Sure;〃 Inwood said。  〃I saw it in the 'Frisco paper that came in

over the ice this morning。〃



〃Well; and who's the girl?〃 Pentfield demanded; somewhat with the

air of patient fortitude with which one takes the bait of a catch

and is aware at the time of the large laugh bound to follow at his

expense。



Nick Inwood pulled the newspaper from his pocket and began looking

it over; saying:…



〃I haven't a remarkable memory for names; but it seems to me it's

something like MabelMabeloh yes; here it'Mabel Holmes;

daughter of Judge Holmes;'whoever he is。〃



Lawrence Pentfield never turned a hair; though he wondered how any

man in the North could know her name。  He glanced coolly from face

to face to note any vagrant signs of the game that was being played

upon him; but beyond a healthy curiosity the faces betrayed

nothing。  Then he turned to the gambler and said in cold; even

tones:…



〃Inwood; I've got an even five hundred here that says the print of

what you have just said is not in that paper。〃



The gambler looked at him in quizzical surprise。  〃Go 'way; child。

I don't want your money。〃



〃I thought so;〃 Pentfield sneered; returning to the game and laying

a couple of bets。



Nick Inwood's face flushed; and; as though doubting his senses; he

ran careful eyes over the print of a quarter of a column。  Then be

turned on Lawrence Pentfield。



〃Look here; Pentfield;〃 he said; in a quiet; nervous manner; 〃I

can't allow that; you know。〃



〃Allow what?〃 Pentfield demanded brutally。



〃You implied that I lied。〃



〃Nothing of the sort;〃 came the reply。  〃I merely implied that you

were trying to be clumsily witty。〃



〃Make your bets; gentlemen;〃 the dealer protested。



〃But I tell you it's true;〃 Nick Inwood insisted。



〃And I have told you I've five hundred that says it's not in that

paper;〃 Pentfield answered; at the same time throwing a heavy sack

of dust on the table。



〃I am sorry to take your money;〃 was the retort; as Inwood thrust

the newspaper into Pentfield's hand。



Pentfield saw; though he could not quite bring himself to believe。

Glancing through the headline; 〃Young Lochinvar came out of the

North;〃 and skimming the article until the names of Mabel Holmes

and Corry Hutchinson; coupled together; leaped squarely before his

eyes; he turned to the top of the page。  It was a San Francisco

paper。



〃The money's yours; Inwood;〃 he remarked; with a short laugh。

〃There's

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