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