lin mclean-第31节

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quieted；　and　his　tones　were　low　and　few。　But　though　Miss　Jessamine　at　our

next　change　of　horses　〃hoped〃　I　would　come　inside；　I　knew　she　did　not

hope　very　earnestly；　and　outside　I　remained　until　Buffalo。



Journeying　done；　her　face　revealed　the　strain　beneath　her　brave

brightness；　and　the　haunting　care　she　could　no　longer　keep　from　her　eyes。

The　imminence　of　the　jail　and　the　meeting　had　made　her　cheeks　white　and

her　countenance　seem　actually　smaller；　and　when；　reminding　me　that　we

should　meet　again　soon；　she　gave　me　her　hand；　it　was　ice…cold。　I　think

she　was　afraid　Lin　might　offer　to　go　with　her。　But　his　heart　understood

the　lonely　sacredness　of　her　next　half…hour；　and　the　cow　puncher；

standing　aside　for　her　to　pass；　lifted　his　hat　wistfully　and　spoke　never

a　word。　For　a　moment　he　looked　after　her　with　sombre　emotion；　but　the

court…house　and　prison　stood　near　and　in　sight；　and；　as　plain　as　if　he

had　said　so；　I　saw　him　suddenly　feel　she　should　not　be　stared　at　going　up

those　steps；　it　must　be　all　alone；　the　pain　and　the　joy　of　that　reprieve！

He　turned　away　with　me；　and　after　a　few　silent　steps　said；　〃Wasted！　all

wasted！〃



〃Let　us　hope〃　I　began。



〃You're　not　a　fool；〃　he　broke　in；　roughly。　〃You　don't　hope　anything。〃



〃He'll　start　life　elsewhere；〃　said　I。



〃Elsewhere！　Yes；　keep　starting　till　all　the　elsewheres　know　him　like

Powder　River　knows　him。　But　she！　I　have　had　to　sit　and　hear　her　tell　and

tell　about　him；　all　about　back　in　Kentucky　playin'　around　the　farm；　and

how　she　raised　him　after　the　old　folks　died。　Then　he　got　bigger　and　made

her　sell　their　farm；　and　she　told　how　it　was　right　he　should　turn　it　into

money　and　get　his　half。　I　did　not　dare　say　a　word；　for　she'd　have　just

bit　my　head　off；　andand　that　would　sure　hurt　me　now！〃　Lin　brought　up

with　a　comical　chuckle。　〃And　she　went　to　work；　and　he　cleared　out；　and　no

more　seen　or　heard　of　him。　That's　for　five　years；　and　she'd　given　up

tracing　him；　when　one　morning　she　reads　in　the　paper　about　how　her

long…lost　brother　is　convicted　for　forgery。　That's　the　way　she　knows　he's

not　dead；　and　she　takes　her　savings　off　her　railroad　salary　and　starts

for　him。　She　was　that　hasty　she　thought　it　was　Buffalo；　New　York；　till

she　got　in　the　cars　and　read　the　paper　over　again。　But　she　had　to　go　as

far　as　Cincinnati；　either　way。　She　has　paid　every　cent　of　the　money　he

stole。〃　We　had　come　to　the　bridge；　and　Lin　jerked　a　stone　into　the　quick

little　river。　〃She's　awful　strict　in　some　ways。　Thought　Buffalo　must　be　a

wicked　place　because　of　the　shops　bein'　open　Sunday。　Now　if　that　was　all

Buffalo's　wickedness！　And　she　thinks　divorce　is　mostly　sin。　But　her　heart

is　a　shield　for　Nate。〃



〃Her　face　is　as　beautiful　as　her　actions；〃　he　added。



〃Well；〃　said　I；　〃and　would　you　make　such　a　villain　your　brother…in…law？〃



He　whirled　round　and　took　both　my　shoulders。　〃Come　walking！〃　he　urged。　〃I

must　talk　some。〃　So　we　followed　the　stream　out　of　town　towards　the

mountains。　〃I　came　awful　near　asking　her　in　the　stage；〃　said　he。



〃Goodness；　Lin！　give　yourself　time！〃



〃Time　can't　increase　my　feelings。〃



〃Hers；　man；　hers！　How　many　hours　have　you　known　her？〃



〃Hours　and　hours！　You're　talking　foolishness！　What　have　they　got　to　do

with　it？　And　she　will　listen　to　me。　I　can　tell　she　will。　I　know　I　can　be

so　she'll　listen；　and　it　will　go　all　right；　for　I'll　ask　so　hard。　And

everything'll　come　out　straight。　Yu'　see；　I've　not　been　spending　to　speak

of　since　Billy's　on　my　hands；　and　now　I'll　fix　up　my　cabin　and　finish　my

fencing　and　my　ditchand　she's　going　to　like　Box　Elder　Creek　better　than

Shawhan。　She's　the　first　I've　ever　loved。〃



〃Then　I'd　like　to　ask〃　I　cried　out。



〃Ask　away！〃　he　exclaimed；　inattentively；　in　his　enthusiasm。



〃When　you〃　but　I　stopped；　perceiving　it　impossible。　It　was；　of　course；

not　the　many　transient　passions　on　which　he　had　squandered　his　substance；

but　the　one　where　faith　also　had　seemed　to　unite。　Had　he　not　married

once；　innocent　of　the　woman's　being　already　a　wife？　But　I　stopped；　for　to

trench　here　was　not　for　me　or　any　one。



And　my　pause　strangely　flashed　on　him　something　of　that　I　had　in　my　mind。



〃No；〃　he　said；　his　eyes　steady　and　serious　upon　me；　〃don't　you　ask　about

the　things　you're　meaning。〃　Then　his　face　grew　radiant　and　rather　stern。

〃Do　you　suppose　I　don't　know　she's　too　good　for　me？　And　that　some　bygones

can't　ever　be　bygones？　But　if　you；〃　he　said；　〃never　come　to　look　away　up

to　a　woman　from　away　down；　and　mean　to　win　her　just　the　same　as　if　you

did　deserve　her；　why；　you'll　make　a　turruble　mess　of　the　whole　business！〃



When　we　walked　in　silence　for　a　long　while；　he　lighted　again　with　the

blossoming　dawn　of　his　sentiment。　I　thought　of　the　coarse　yet　taking

vagabond　of　twenty　I　had　once　chanced　upon；　and　hunted　and　camped　with

since　through　the　years。　Decidedly　he　was　not　that　boy　to…day！　It　is　not

true　that　all　of　us　rise　through　adversity；　any　more　than　that　all　plants

need　shadow。　Some　starve　out　of　the　sunshine；　and　I　have　seen　misery

deaden　once　kind　people　to　everything　but　selfalmost　the　saddest　sight

in　the　world！　But　Lin's　character　had　not　stood　well　the　ordeal　of

happiness；　and　for　him　certainly　harsh　days　and　responsibility　had　been

needed　to　ripen　the　spirit。　Yes；　Jessamine　Buckner　would　have　been　much

too　good　for　him　before　that　humiliation　of　his　marriage；　and　this　care

of　young　Billy　with　which　he　had　loaded　himself。　〃Lin；〃　said　I；　〃I　will

drink　your　health　and　luck。〃



〃I'm　healthy　enough；〃　said　he；　and　we　came　back　to　the　main　street　and

into　the　main　saloon。



〃How　d'ye；　boys？〃　said　some　one；　and　there　was　Nate　Buckner。　〃It's　on　me

to…day；〃　he　continued；　shoving　whiskey　along　the　bar；　and　I　saw　he　was　a

little　drunk。　〃I'm　setting　'em　up；〃　he　continued。　〃Why？　Why；　because〃he

looked　around　for　appreciation〃because　it's　not　every　son…of…a…gun　in

Wyoming　gets　pardoned　by　Governor　Barker。　I'm　important；　I　want　you　to

understand；〃　he　pursued　to　the　cold　bystanders。　〃They'll　have　a　picture

of　me　in　the　Cheyenne　paper。　'The　Bronco…buster　of　Powder　River！'　They

can't　do　without　me！　If　any　son…of…a…gun　here　thinks　he　knows　how　to

break　a　colt；〃　he　shouted；　looking　around　with　the　irrelevant　fierceness

of　drinkand　then　his　challenge　ebbed　vacantly　in　laughter　as　the

subject　blurred　in　his　mind。　〃You're　not　drinking；　Lin；〃　said　he。



〃No；〃　said　McLean；　〃I'm　not。〃



〃Sworn　off　again？　Well；　water　never　did　agree　with　me。〃



〃Yu'　never　gave　water　the　chance；〃　retorted　the　cow…puncher；　and　we　left

the　place　without　my　having　drunk　his　health。



It　was　a　grim　beginning；　this　brag　attempt　to　laugh　his　reputation　down；

with　the　jail　door　scarce　closed　behind　him。　〃Folks　are　not　going　to　like

that；〃　said　Lin；　as　we　walked　across　the　bridge　again　to　the　hotel。　Yet

the　sister；　left　alone　here　after　an　hour　at　most　of　her　brother's

company；　would　pretend　it　was　a　matter　of　course。　Nate　was　not　in；　she

told　us　at　once。　He　had　business　to　attend　to　and　friends　to　see　he　must

get　back　to　Riverside　and　down　in　that　country　where　colts　were　waiting

for　him。　He　was　the　only　one　the　E。　K。　outfit　would　allow　to　handle　their

young　stock。　Did　we　know　that？　And　she　was　going　to　stay　with　a　Mrs。

Pierce　down　there　for　a　while；　near　where　Nate　would　be　working。　All　this

she　told　us；　but　when　he　did　not　return　to　dine　with　her　on　this　first

day；　I　think　she　found　it　hard　to　sustain　her　wilful　cheeriness。　Lin

offered　to　take　her　driving　to　see　the　military　post　and　dress　parade　at

retreat；　and　Cloud's　Peak；　and　Buffalo's　various　sights；　but　she　made

excuses　and　retired　to　her　room。　Nate；　however；　was　at　tea；　shaven　clean；

with　good　clothes；　and　well　conducted。　His　tone　and　manner　to　Jessamine

were　confidential　and　caressing；　and　offended　Mr。　McLean；　so　that　I

observed　to　him　that　it　was　scarcely　reasonable　to　be　jealous。



〃Oh；　no　jealousy！〃　said　he。　〃But　he　comes　in　and　kisses　her；　and　he

kisses　her　good…night；　and　us　strangers　looking　on！　It's　such

oncontrollable　affection；　yu'　see；　after　never　writing　for　five　years。　I

expect　she　must　have　some　of　her　savings　left。〃



It　is　true　that　the　sister　gave　the　brother　money　more　than　once；　and　as

our　ways　lay　together；　I　had　chances　to　see　them　both；　and　to　wonder　if

her　joy　at　being　with　him　once　again　was　going　to　last。　On　the　road　to

Riverside　I　certainly　heard　Jessamine　beg　him　to　return　home　with　her；

and　he　ridiculed　such　a　notion。　What　proper　life　for　a　live　man　was　that

dead　place　back　East？　he　asked　her。　I　thought　he　might　have　expressed

some　regret　that　they　must　dwell　so　far　apart；　or　some　intention　to　visit

her　now　and　then；　but　he　said　nothing　of　the　sort；　though　he　spoke

volubly　of　himself　and　his　prospects。　I　suppose　this　spectacle　of　brother

and　sister　had　rubbed　Lin　the　wrong　way　too　much；　for　he　held　himself　and

Billy　aloof；　joining　me　on　the　road　but　once；　and　then　merely　to　give　me

the　news　that　pe