lin mclean-第34节

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eleven　o'clock　she　will　have　passed　by　your　superintendent。〃



〃Why；　so　she　will！〃　said　Lin；　affecting　surprise。



He　baffled　me；　and　he　baffled　Jessamine。　Indeed；　his　eagerness　with　her

parcels；　his　assistance　in　checking　her　trunk；　his　cheerful　examination

of　check　and　ticket　to　be　sure　they　read　over　the　same　route；　plainly

failed　to　gratify　her。



Her　firmness　about　going　was　sincere；　but　she　had　looked　for　more

dissuasion；　and　this　sprightly　abettal　of　her　departure　seemed　to　leave

something　vacant　in　the　ceremonies　She　fell　singularly　taciturn　during

supper　at　the　Hotel　Brunswick；　and　presently　observed；　〃I　hope　I　shall　

see　Mr。　Donohoe。〃



〃Texas？〃　said　Lin。　〃I　expect　they'll　have　tucked　him　in　bed　by　now　up　at

the　ranch。　The　little　fellow　is　growing　yet。〃



〃He　can　walk　round　a　freight…car　all　night；〃　said　Miss　Buckner；　stoutly。

〃I've　always　wanted　to　thank　him　for　looking　after　me。〃



Mr。　McLean　smiled　elaborately　at　his　plate



〃Well；　if　he's　not　actually　thinking　he'll　tease　me！〃　cried　out　Jessamine

〃Though　he　claims　not　to　be　foolish　like　Mr。　Donohoe。　Why；　Mr。　McLean；

you　surely　must　have　been　young　once！　See　if　you　can't　remember！〃



〃Shucks！〃　began　Lin。



But　her　laughter　routed　him。　〃Maybe　you　didn't　notice　you　were　young；〃

she　said。　〃But　don't　you　reckon　perhaps　the　men　around　did？　Why；　maybe

even　the　girls　kind　o'　did！〃



〃She's　hard　to　beat；　ain't　she？〃　inquired　Lin；　admiringly；　of　me。



In　my　opinion　she　was。　She　had　her　wish；　too　about　Texas；　for　we　found

him　waiting　on　the　railroad　platform；　dressed　in　his　best；　to　say

good…bye。　The　friendly　things　she　told　him　left　him　shuffling　and

repeating　that　it　was　a　mistake　to　go；　a　big　mistake；　but　when　she　said

the　butter　was　not　good　enough；　his　laugh　cracked　joyously　up　into　the

treble。　The　train's　arrival　brought　quick　sadness　to　her　face；　but　she

made　herself　bright　again　with　a　special　farewell　for　each　acquaintance。



〃Don't　you　ride　any　more　cow…catchers；〃　she　warned　Billy　Lusk；　〃or　I'll

have　to　come　back　and　look　after　you。〃



〃You　said　you　and　me　were　going　for　a　ride；　and　we　ain't；〃　shouted　the

long…memoried　nine…year…old。　〃You　will；〃　murmured　Mr。　McLean；　oracularly。



As　the　train's　pace　quickened　he　did　not　step　off；　and　Miss　Buckner　cried

〃Jump！〃



〃Too　late；〃　said　he；　placidly。　Then　he　called　to　me；　〃I'm　hard　to　beat；

too！〃　So　the　train　took　them　both　away；　as　I　might　have　guessed　was　his

intention　all　along。



〃Is　that　marriage　again？〃　said　Billy；　anxiously。　〃He　wouldn't　tell　me

nothing。〃



〃He's　just　seeing　Miss　Buckner　as　far　as　Edgeford；〃　said　the　agent。　〃Be

back　to…morrow。〃



〃Then　I　don't　see　why　he　wouldn't　take　me　along；〃　Billy　complained。　And

Separ　laughed。



But　the　lover　was　not　back　to…morrow。　He　was　capable　of　anything；　gossip

remarked；　and　took　up　new　themes。　The　sun　rose　and　set；　the　two　trains

made　their　daily　slight　event　and　gathering；　the　water…tank；　glaring

bulkily　in　the　sun　beaconed　unmolested；　and　the　agent's　natural　sleep　was

unbroken　by　pistols；　for　the　cow…boys　did　not　happen　to　be　in　town。　Separ

lay　a　clot　of　torpor　that　I　was　glad　to　leave　behind　me　for　a　while。　But

news　is　a　strange；　permeating　substance；　and　it　began　to　be　sifted

through　the　air　that　Tubercle　was　going　to　God's　country。



That　is　how　they　phrased　it　in　cow…camp；　meaning　not　the　next　world；　but

the　Eastern　States。



〃It's　certainly　a　shame　him　leaving　after　we've　got　him　so　good　and　used

to　us；〃　said　the　Virginian。



〃We　can't　tell　him　good…bye；〃　said　Honey　Wiggin。　〃Separ'll　be　slow。〃



〃We　can　give　his　successor　a　right　hearty　welcome；〃　the　Virginian

suggested。



〃That's　you！〃　said　Honey。　〃Schemin'　mischief　away　ahead。　You're　the

leadin'　devil　in　this　country；　and　just　because　yu'　wear　a

faithful…looking　face　you're　tryin'　to　fool　a　poor　school…marm。〃



〃Yes；〃　drawled　the　Southerner；　〃that's　what　I'm　aiming　to　do。〃



So　now　they　were　curious　about　the　successor；　planning　their　hearty

welcome　for　that　official；　and　were　encouraged　in　this　by　Mr。　McLean。　He

reappeared　in　the　neighborhood　with　a　manner　and　conversation　highly

casual。



〃Bring　your　new　wife？〃　they　inquired。



〃No；　she　preferred　Kentucky；〃　Lin　said。



〃Bring　the　old　one？〃



〃No；　she　preferred　Laramie。〃



〃Kentucky's　a　right　smart　way　to　chase　after　a　girl；〃　said　the　Virginian。



〃Sure！〃　said　Mr。　McLean。　〃I　quit　at　Edgeford。〃



He　met　their　few　remarks　so　smoothly　that　they　got　no　joy　from　him；　and

being　asked　had　he　seen　the　new　agent；　he　answered　yes；　that　Tubercle　had

gone　Wednesday；　and　his　successor　did　not　seem　to　be　much　of　a　man。



But　to　me　Lin　had　nothing　to　say　until　noon　camp　was　scattering　from　its

lunch　to　work；　when　he　passed　close；　and　whispered；　〃You'll　see　her

to…morrow　if　you　go　in　with　the　outfit。〃　Then；　looking　round　to　make　sure

we　were　alone　in　the　sage…brush；　he　drew　from　his　pocket；　cherishingly；　a

little　shining　pistol。　〃Hers；〃　said　he；　simply。



I　looked　at　him。



〃We've　exchanged；〃　he　said。



He　turned　the　token　in　his　hand；　caressing　it　as　on　that　first　night　when

Jessamine　had　taken　his　heart　captive。



〃My　idea；〃　he　added；　unable　to　lift　his　eyes　from　the　treasure。　〃See

this；　too。〃



I　looked；　and　there　was　the　word　〃Neighbor〃　engraved　on　it。



〃Her　idea；〃　said　he。



〃A　good　one！〃　I　murmured。



〃It's　on　both；　yu'　know。　We　had　it　put　on　the　day　she　settled　to　accept

the　superintendent's　proposition。〃　Here　Lin　fired　his　small　exchanged

weapon　at　a　cotton…wood；　striking　low。　〃She　can　beat　that　with　mine！〃　he

exclaimed；　proud　and　tender。　〃She　took　four　days　deciding　at　Edgeford；

and　I　learned　her　to　hit　the　ace　of　clubs。〃　He　showed　me　the　cards　they

had　practiced　upon　during　those　four　days　of　indecision；　he　had　them　in　a

book　as　if　they　were　pressed　flowers。　〃They　won't　get　crumpled　that　way；〃

said　he；　and　he　further　showed　me　a　tintype。　〃She's　got　the　other　at

Separ；〃　he　finished。



I　shook　his　hand　with　all　my　might。　Yes；　he　was　worthy　of　her！　Yes；　he

deserved　this　smooth　course　his　love　was　running！　And　I　shook　his　hand

again。　To　tonic　her　grief　Jessamine　had　longed　for　some　activity；　some

work；　and　he　had　shown　her　Wyoming　might　hold　this　for　her　as　well　as

Kentucky。　〃But　how　in　the　world；〃　I　asked　him；　〃did　you　persuade　her　to

stop　over　at　Edgeford　at　all？〃



〃Yu'　mustn't　forget；〃　said　the　lover　（and　he　blushed）；　〃that　I　had　her

four　hours　alone　on　the　train。〃



But　his　face　that　evening　round　the　fire；　when　they　talked　of　their　next

day's　welcome　to　the　new　agent；　became　comedy　of　the　highest；　and　he　was

so　desperately　canny　in　the　moments　he　chose　for　silence　or　for　comment！

He　had　not　been　sure　of　their　ignorance　until　he　arrived；　and　it　was　a

joke　with　him　too　deep　for　laughter。　He　had　a　special　eye　upon　the

Virginian；　his　mate　in　such　a　tale　of　mischiefs；　and　now　he　led　him　on。

He　suggested　to　the　Southerner　that　caution　might　be　wise；　this　change　at

Separ　was　perhaps　some　new　trick　of　the　company's。



〃We　mostly　take　their　tricks；〃　observed　the　Virginian。



〃Yes；〃　said　Lin；　nodding　sagely　at　the　fire；　〃that's　so；　too。〃



Yet　not　he；　not　any　one；　could　have　foreseen　the　mortifying　harmlessness

of　the　outcome。　They　swept　down　upon　Separ　like　all　the　hordes　of　legend…

…more　egregiously；　perhaps；　because　they　were　play…acting　and　no　serious

horde　would　go　on　so。　Our　final　hundred　yards　of　speed　and　copious

howling　brought　all　dwellers　in　Separ　out　to　gaze　and　disappear　like

rabbitsall　save　the　new　agent　in　the　station。　Nobody　ran　out　or　in

there；　and　the　horde　whirled　up　to　the　tiny；　defenceless　building　and

leaped　to　earthexcept　Lin　and　me；　we　sat　watching。　The　innocent　door

stood　open　wide　to　any　cool　breeze　or　invasion；　and　Honey　Wiggin　tramped

in　foremost；　hat　lowering　over　eyes　and　pistol　prominent。　He　stopped

rooted；　staring；　and　his　mouth　came　open　slowly；　his　hand　went　feeling　up

for　his　hat；　and　came　down　with　it　by　degrees　as　by　degrees　his　grin

spread。　Then　in　a　milky　voice；　he　said：　〃Why；　excuse　me；　ma'am！

Good…morning。〃



There　answered　a　clear；　long；　rippling；　ample　laugh。　It　came　out　of　the

open　door　into　the　heat；　it　made　the　sun…baked　air　merry；　it　seemed　to

welcome　and　mock；　it　genially　hovered　about　us　in　the　dusty　quiet　of

Separ；　for　there　was　no　other　sound　anywhere　at　all　in　the　place；　and　the

great　plain　stretched　away　silent　all　round　it。　The　bulging　water…tank

shone　overhead　in　bland；　ironic　safety。



The　horde　stood　blank；　then　it　shifted　its　legs；　looked　sideways　at

itself；　and　in　a　hesitating　clump　reached　the　door；　shambled　in；　and

removed　its　foolish　hat。



〃Good…morning；　gentlemen；〃　said　Jessamine　Buckner；　seated　behind　her

railing；　and　various　voices　endeavored　to　reply　conventionally。



〃If　you　have　any　letters；　ma'am；〃　said　the　Virginian；　more　inventive；

〃I'll　take　them。　Letters　for　Judge　Henry's。〃　He　knew