lin mclean-第28节

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never　been　quite　sure　whatperhaps　reversion　to　the　native　animal

absorbed　in　his　meat；　perhaps　a　little　from　every　guest's　uneasiness　lest

he　drink　his　coffee　wrong　or　stumble　in　the　accepted　uses　of　the　fork。

Indeed；　a　diffident；　uncleansed　youth　nearest　Miss　Buckner　presently

wiped　his　mouth　upon　the　cloth；　and　Mr。　McLean；　knowing　better　than　that；

eyed　him　for　this　conduct　in　the　presence　of　a　lady。　The　lively　strength

of　the　butter　must；　I　think；　have　reached　all　in　the　room；　at　any　rate；

the　table…cloth　lad；　troubled　by　Mr。　McLean's　eye；　now　relieved　the

general　silence　by　observing；　chattily：



〃Say；　friends；　that　butter　ain't　in　no　trance。〃



〃If　it's　too　rich　for　you；〃　croaked　the　enraged　proprietor；　〃use

axle…dope。〃



The　company　continued　gravely　feeding；　while　I　struggled　to　preserve　the

decorum　of　sadness；　and　Miss　Buckner's　face　was　also　unsteady。　But

sternness　mantled　in　the　countenance　of　Mr。　McLean；　until　the　harmless

boy；　embarrassed　to　pieces；　offered　the　untasted　smelling…dish　to　Lin；　to

me；　helped　himself；　and　finally　thrust　the　plate　at　the　girl；　saying；　in

his　Texas　idiom；



〃Have　butter。〃



He　spoke　in　the　shell　voice　of　adolescence；　and　on　〃butter〃　cracked　an

octave　up　into　the　treble。　Miss　Buckner　was　speechless；　and　could　only

shake　her　head　at　the　plate。



Mr。　McLean；　however；　thought　she　was　offended。　〃She　wouldn't　choose　for

none；〃　he　said　to　the　youth；　with　appalling　calm。　〃Thank　yu'　most　to

death。〃



〃I　guess；〃　fluted　poor　Texas；　in　a　dove　falsetto；　〃it　would　go　slicker

rubbed　outside　than　swallered。〃



At　this　Miss　Buckner　broke　from　the　table　and　fled　out　of　the　house。



〃You　don't　seem　to　know　anything；〃　observed　Mr。　McLean。　〃What　toy…shop

did　you　escape　from？〃



〃Wind　him　up！　Wind　him　up！〃　said　the　proprietor；　sticking　his　head　in

from　the　kitchen。



〃Ah；　what's　the　matter　with　this　outfit？〃　screamed　the　boy；　furiously。

〃Can't　yu'　leave　a　man　eat？　Can't　yu'　leave　him　be？　You　make　me　sick！〃

And　he　flounced　out　with　his　young　boots。



All　the　while　the　company　fed　on　unmoved。　Presently　one　remarked；



〃Who's　hiring　him？〃



〃The　C。　Y。　outfit；〃　said　another。



〃Half…circle　L。；〃　a　third　corrected。



〃I　seen　one　like　him　onced；〃　said　the　first；　taking　his　hat　from　beneath

his　chair。　〃Up　in　the　Black　Hills　he　was。　Eighteen　seventy…nine。　Gosh！〃

And　he　wandered　out　upon　his　business。　One　by　one　the　others　also

silently　dispersed。



Upon　going　out；　Lin　and　I　found　the　boy　pacing　up　and　down；　eagerly　in

talk　with　Miss　Buckner。　She　had　made　friends　with　him；　and　he　was　now

smoothed　down　and　deeply　absorbed；　being　led　by　her　to　tell　her　about

himself。　But　on　Lin's　approach　his　face　clouded；　and　he　made　off　for　the

corrals；　displaying　a　sullen　back；　while　I　was　presenting　Mr。　McLean　to

the　lady。



Overtaken　by　his　cow…puncher　shyness；　Lin　was　greeting　her　with　ungainly

ceremony；　when　she　began　at　once；　〃You'll　excuse　me；　but　I　just　had　to

have　my　laugh。〃



〃That's　all　right；　m'm；〃　said　he；　〃don't　mention　it。〃



〃For　that　boy；　you　know〃



〃I'll　fix　him；　m'm。　He'll　not　insult　yu'　no　more。　I'll　speak　to　him。〃



〃Now；　please　don't！　Whywhyyou　were　every　bit　as　bad！〃　Miss　Buckner

pealed　out；　joyously。　〃It　was　the　two　of　you。　Oh　dear！〃



Mr。　McLean　looked　crestfallen。　〃I　had　noI　didn't　go　to〃



〃Why；　there　was　no　harm！　To　see　him　mean　so　well　and　you　mean　so　well；

andI　know　I　ought　to　behave　better！〃



〃No；　yu'　oughtn't！〃　said　Lin；　with　sudden　ardor；　and　then；　in　a　voice　of

deprecation；　〃You'll　think　us　plumb　ignorant。〃



〃You　know　enough　to　be　kind　to　folks；〃　said　she。



〃We'd　like　to。〃



〃It's　the　only　thing　makes　the　world　go　round！〃　she　declared；　with　an

emotion　that　I　had　heard　in　her　tone　once　or　twice　already。　But　she

caught　herself　up；　and　said　gayly　to　me；　〃And　where's　that　house　you　were

going　to　build　for　a　lone　girl　to　sleep　in？〃



〃I'm　afraid　the　foundations　aren't　laid　yet；〃　said　I。



〃Now　you　gentlemen　needn't　bother　about　me。〃



〃We'll　have　to；　m'm。　You　ain't　used　to　Separ。〃



〃Oh；　I　am　notenderfoot；　don't　you　call　them？〃　She　whipped　out　her

pistol；　and　held　it　at　the　cow…puncher；　laughing。



This　would　have　given　no　pleasure　to　me；　but　over　Lin's　features　went　a

glow　of　delight；　and　he　stood　gazing　at　the　pointed　weapon　and　the　girl

behind　it。　〃My！〃　he　said；　at　length；　almost　in　a　whisper；　〃she's　got　the

drop　on　me！〃



〃I　reckon　I'd　be　afraid　to　shoot　that　one　of　yours；〃　said　Miss　Buckner。

〃But　this　hits　a　target　real　good　and　straight　at　fifteen　yards。〃　And　she

handed　it　to　him　for　inspection。



He　received　it；　hugely　grinning；　and　turned　it　over　and　over。　〃My！〃　he

murmured　again。　〃Why；　shucks！〃　He　looked　at　Miss　Buckner　with　stark

rapture；　caressing　the　polished　revolver　at　the　same　time　with　a　fond；

unconscious　thumb。　〃You　hold　it　just　as　steady　as　I　could；〃　he　said　with

pride；　and　added；　insinuatingly；　〃I　could　learn　yu'　the　professional　drop

in　a　morning。　This　here　is　a　little　dandy　gun。〃



〃You'd　not　trade；　though；〃　said　she；　〃for　all　your　flattery。〃



〃Will　yu'　trade？〃　pounced　Lin。　〃Won't　yu'？〃



〃Now；　Mr。　McLean；　I　am　afraid　you're　thoughtless。　How　could　a　girl　like

me　ever　hold　that　awful　。45　Colt　steady？〃



〃She　knows　the　brands；　too！〃　cried　Lin；　in　ecstasy。　〃See　here；〃　he

remarked　to　me　with　a　manner　that　smacked　of　command；　〃we're　losing　time

right　now。　You　go　and　tell　the　agent　to　hustle　and　fix　his　room　up　for　a

lady；　and　I'll　bring　her　along。〃



I　found　the　agent　willing；　of　course；　to　sleep　on　the　floor　of　the

office。　The　toy　station　was　also　his　home。　The　front　compartment　held　the

ticket　and　telegraph　and　mail　and　express　chattels；　and　the　railing；　and

room　for　the　public　to　stand；　through　a　door　you　then　passed　to　the

sitting；　dining；　and　sleeping　box；　and　through　another　to　a　cooking…stove

in　a　pigeon…hole。　Here　flourished　the　agent　and　his　lungs；　and　here　the

company's　strict　orders　bade　him　sleep　in　charge；　so　I　helped　him　put　his

room　to　rights。　But　we　need　not　have　hurried　ourselves。　Mr。　McLean　was　so

long　in　bringing　the　lady　that　I　went　out　and　found　him　walking　and

talking　with　her；　while　fifty　yards　away　skulked　poor　Texas；　alone。　This

boy's　name　was；　like　himself；　of　the　somewhat　unexpected　order；　being

Manassas　Donohoe。



As　I　came　towards　the　new　friends　they　did　not　appear　to　be　joking；　and

on　seeing　me　Miss　Buckner　said　to　Lin；　〃Did　he　know？〃



Lin　hesitated。



〃You　did　know！〃　she　exclaimed；　but　lost　her　resentment　at　once；　and

continued；　very　quietly　and　with　a　friendly　tone；　〃I　reckon　you　don't

like　to　have　to　tell　folks　bad　news。〃



It　was　I　that　now　hesitated。



〃Not　to　a　strange　girl；　anyway！〃　said　she。　〃Well；　now　I　have　good　news　to

tell　you。　You　would　not　have　given　me　any　shock　if　you　had　said　you　knew

about　poor　Nate；　for　that's　the　reasonOf　course　those　things　can't　be

secrets！　Why；　he's　only　twenty；　sir！　How　should　he　know　about　this　world？

He　hadn't　learned　the　first　little　thing　when　he　left　home　five　years

ago。　And　I　am　twenty…threeold　enough　to　be　Nate's　grandmother；　he's

that　young　and　thoughtless。　He　couldn't　ever　realize　bad　companions　when

they　came　around。　See　that！〃　She　showed　me　a　paper；　taking　it　out　like　a

precious　thing；　as　indeed　it　was；　for　it　was　a　pardon　signed　by　Governor

Barker。　〃And　the　Governor　has　let　me　carry　it　to　Nate　myself。　He　won't

know　a　thing　about　it　till　I　tell　him。　The　Governor　was　real　kind；　and　we

will　never　forget　him。　I　reckon　Nate　must　have　a　mustache　by　now？〃　said

she　to　Lin。



〃Yes；〃　Lin　answered；　gruffly；　looking　away　from　her；　〃he　has　got　a

mustache　all　right。〃



〃He'll　be　glad　to　see　you；〃　said　I；　for　something　to　say。



〃Of　course　he　will！　How　many　hours　did　you　say　we　will　be？〃　she　asked

Lin；　turning　from　me　again；　for　Mr。　McLean　had　not　been　losing　time。　It

was　plain　that　between　these　two　had　arisen　a　freemasonry　from　which　I

was　already　shut　out。　Her　woman's　heart　had　answered　his　right　impulse　to

tell　her　about　her　brother；　and　I　had　been　found　wanting！



So　now　she　listened　over　again　to　the　hours　of　stage　jolting　that　〃we〃

had　before　us；　and　that　lay　between　her　and　Nate。　〃We　would　be　four

herself；　Lin；　myself；　and　the　boy　Billy。　Was　Billy　the　one　at　supper？　Oh

no；　just　Billy　Lusk；　of　Laramie。　〃He's　a　kid　I'm　taking　up　the　country；〃

Lin　explained。　〃Ain't　you　most　tuckered　out？〃



〃Oh；　me！〃　she　confessed；　with　a　laugh　and　a　sigh。



There　again！　She　had　put　aside　my　solicitude　lightly；　but　was　willing　Lin

should　know　her　fatigue。　Yet；　fatigue　and　all；　she　would　not　sleep　in　the

agent's　room。　At　sight　of　it　and　the　close　quarters　she　drew　back　into

the　outer　office；　so　prompted　by　that　inner；　unsuspected　strictness　she

had　shown　me　before。



〃Come　out！〃　she　cried；　laughing。　〃Indeed；　I　thank　you。　But　I　can't　have

you　sleep　on　this　hard　floor　out　here。　No　politeness；　now！　Thank　you　eve