susy, a story of the plains-第7节

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envy。　　〃Heard　you　struck　it　rich　with　the　old　man；　and　was　Mister

Brant　now！〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Clarence　gently；　yet　with　a　smile　that　had　not　only　a

tinge　of　weariness　but　even　of　sadness　in　it。



Unfortunately；　the　act；　which　was　quite　natural　to　Clarence's

sensitiveness；　and　indeed　partly　sprang　from　some　concern　in　his　old

companion's　fortunes；　translated　itself　by　a　very　human　process　to

Hooker's　consciousness　as　a　piece　of　rank　affectation。　　HE　would

have　been　exalted　and　exultant　in　Clarence's　place；　consequently　any

other　exhibition　was　only　〃airs。〃　　Nevertheless；　at　the　present

moment　Clarence　was　to　be　placated。



〃You　didn't　mind　my　telling　that　story　about　your　savin'　Susy　as　my

own；　did　ye？〃　he　said；　with　a　hasty　glance　over　his　shoulder。　　〃I

only　did　it　to　fool　the　old　man　and　women…folks；　and　make　talk。　　You

won't　blow　on　me？　　Ye　ain't　mad　about　it？〃



It　had　crossed　Clarence's　memory　that　when　they　were　both　younger

Jim　Hooker　had　once　not　only　borrowed　his　story；　but　his　name　and

personality　as　well。　　Yet　in　his　loyalty　to　old　memories　there　was

mingled　no　resentment　for　past　injury。　　〃Of　course　not；〃　he　said；

with　a　smile　that　was；　however；　still　thoughtful。　　〃Why　should　I？

Only　I　ought　to　tell　you　that　Susy　Peyton　is　living　with　her　adopted

parents　not　ten　miles　from　here；　and　it　might　reach　their　ears。

She's　quite　a　young　lady　now；　and　if　I　wouldn't　tell　her　story　to

strangers；　I　don't　think　YOU　ought　to；　Jim。〃



He　said　this　so　pleasantly　that　even　the　skeptical　Jim　forgot　what

he　believed　were　the　〃airs　and　graces〃　of　self…abnegation；　and　said；

〃Let's　go　inside；　and　I'll　introduce　you；〃　and　turned　to　the　house。

But　Clarence　Brant　drew　back。　　〃I'm　going　on　as　soon　as　my　horse　is

fed；　for　I'm　on　a　visit　to　Peyton；　and　I　intend　to　push　as　far　as

Santa　Inez　still　to…night。　　I　want　to　talk　with　you　about　yourself；

Jim；〃　he　added　gently；　〃your　prospects　and　your　future。　　I　heard；〃

he　went　on　hesitatingly；　〃that　you　wereat　workin　a　restaurant　in

San　Francisco。　　I'm　glad　to　see　that　you　are　at　least　your　own

master　here；〃he　glanced　at　the　wagon。　　〃You　are　selling　things；　I

suppose？　　For　yourself；　or　another？　　Is　that　team　yours？　　Come；〃　he

added；　still　pleasantly；　but　in　an　older　and　graver　voice；　with

perhaps　the　least　touch　of　experienced　authority；　〃be　frank；　Jim。

Which　is　it？　　Never　mind　what　things　you've　told　IN　THERE；　tell　ME

the　truth　about　yourself。　　Can　I　help　you　in　any　way？　　Believe　me；　I

should　like　to。　　We　have　been　old　friends；　whatever　difference　in

our　luck；　I　am　yours　still。〃



Thus　adjured；　the　redoubtable　Jim；　in　a　hoarse　whisper；　with　a

furtive　eye　on　the　house；　admitted　that　he　was　traveling　for　an

itinerant　peddler；　whom　he　expected　to　join　later　in　the　settlement；

that　he　had　his　own　methods　of　disposing　of　his　wares；　and　（darkly）

that　his　proprietor　and　the　world　generally　had　better　not　interfere

with　him；　that　（with　a　return　to　more　confidential　lightness）　he　had

already　〃worked　the　Wild　West　Injin〃　business　so　successfully　as　to

dispose　of　his　wares；　particularly　in　yonder　house；　and　might　do

even　more　if　not　prematurely　and　wantonly　〃blown　upon；〃　〃gone　back

on；〃　or　〃given　away。〃



〃But　wouldn't　you　like　to　settle　down　on　some　bit　of　land　like　this；

and　improve　it　for　yourself？〃　said　Clarence。　　〃All　these　valley

terraces　are　bound　to　rise　in　value；　and　meantime　you　would　be

independent。　　It　could　be　managed；　Jim。　　I　think　I　could　arrange　it

for　you；〃　he　went　on；　with　a　slight　glow　of　youthful　enthusiasm。

〃Write　to　me　at　Peyton's　ranch；　and　I'll　see　you　when　I　come　back；

and　we'll　hunt　up　something　for　you　together。〃　　As　Jim　received　the

proposition　with　a　kind　of　gloomy　embarrassment；　he　added　lightly；

with　a　glance　at　the　farmhouse；　〃It　might　be　near　HERE；　you　know；

and　you'd　have　pleasant　neighbors；　and　even　eager　listeners　to　your

old　adventures。〃



〃You'd　better　come　in　a　minit　before　you　go；〃　said　Jim；　clumsily

evading　a　direct　reply。　　Clarence　hesitated　a　moment；　and　then

yielded。　　For　an　equal　moment　Jim　Hooker　was　torn　between　secret

jealousy　of　his　old　comrade's　graces　and　a　desire　to　present　them　as

familiar　associations　of　his　own。　　But　his　vanity　was　quickly

appeased。



Need　it　be　said　that　the　two　women　received　this　fleck　and　foam　of　a

super…civilization　they　knew　little　of　as　almost　an　impertinence

compared　to　the　rugged；　gloomy；　pathetic；　and　equally　youthful　hero

of　an　adventurous　wilderness　of　which　they　knew　still　less？　　What

availed　the　courtesy　and　gentle　melancholy　of　Clarence　Brant　beside

the　mysterious　gloom　and　dark　savagery　of　Red　Jim？　　Yet　they

received　him　patronizingly；　as　one　who　was；　like　themselves；　an

admirer　of　manly　grace　and　power；　and　the　recipient　of　Jim's

friendship。　　The　farmer　alone　seemed　to　prefer　Clarence；　and　yet　the

latter's　tacit　indorsement　of　Red　Jim；　through　his　evident　previous

intimacy　with　him；　impressed　the　man　in　Jim's　favor。　　All　of　which

Clarence　saw　with　that　sensitive　perception　which　had　given　him　an

early　insight　into　human　weakness；　yet　still　had　never　shaken　his

youthful　optimism。　　He　smiled　a　little　thoughtfully；　but　was　openly

fraternal　to　Jim；　courteous　to　his　host　and　family；　and；　as　he　rode

away　in　the　faint　moonlight；　magnificently　opulent　in　his　largess　to

the　farmer；his　first　and　only　assertion　of　his　position。



The　farmhouse；　straggling　barn；　and　fringe　of　dusty　willows；　the

white　dome　of　the　motionless　wagon；　with　the　hanging　frying　pans　and

kettles　showing　in　the　moonlight　like　black　silhouettes　against　the

staring　canvas；　all　presently　sank　behind　Clarence　like　the　details

of　a　dream；　and　he　was　alone　with　the　moon；　the　hazy　mystery　of　the

level；　grassy　plain；　and　the　monotony　of　the　unending　road。　　As　he

rode　slowly　along　he　thought　of　that　other　dreary　plain；　white　with

alkali　patches　and　brown　with　rings　of　deserted　camp…fires；　known　to

his　boyhood　of　deprivation；　dependency；　danger；　and　adventure；　oddly

enough；　with　a　strange　delight；　and　his　later　years　of　study；

monastic　seclusion；　and　final　ease　and　independence；　with　an　easy

sense　of　wasted　existence　and　useless　waiting。　　He　remembered　his

homeless　childhood　in　the　South；　where　servants　and　slaves　took　the

place　of　the　father　he　had　never　known；　and　the　mother　that　he

rarely　saw；　he　remembered　his　abandonment　to　a　mysterious　female

relation；　where　his　natural　guardians　seemed　to　have　overlooked　and

forgotten　him；　until　he　was　sent；　an　all　too　young　adventurer；　to

work　his　passage　on　an　overland　emigrant　train　across　the　plains；　he

remembered；　as　yesterday；　the　fears；　the　hopes；　the　dreams　and

dangers　of　that　momentous　journey。　　He　recalled　his　little　playmate；

Susy；　and　their　strange　adventuresthe　whole　incident　that　the

imaginative　Jim　Hooker　had　translated　and　rehearsed　as　his　ownrose

vividly　before　him。　　He　thought　of　the　cruel　end　of　that　pilgrimage；

which　again　left　him　homeless　and　forgotten　by　even　the　relative　he

was　seeking　in　a　strange　land。　　He　remembered　his　solitary　journey

to　the　gold　mines；　taken　with　a　boy's　trust　and　a　boy's　fearlessness；

and　the　strange　protector　he　had　found　there；　who　had　news　of　his

missing　kinsman；　he　remembered　how　this　protectorwhom　he　had　at

once　instinctively　lovedtransferred　him　to　the　house　of　this

new…found　relation；　who　treated　him　kindly　and　sent　him　to　the

Jesuit　school；　but　who　never　awakened　in　him　a　feeling　of　kinship。

He　dreamed　again　of　his　life　at　school；　his　accidental　meeting　with

Susy　at　Santa　Clara；　the　keen　revival　of　his　boyish　love　for　his　old

playmate；　now　a　pretty　schoolgirl；　the　petted　adopted　child　of

wealthy　parents。　　He　recalled　the　terrible　shock　that　interrupted

this　boyish　episode：　the　news　of　the　death　of　his　protector；　and　the

revelation　that　this　hard；　silent；　and　mysterious　man　was　his　own

father；　whose　reckless　life　and　desperate　reputation　had　impelled

him　to　assume　a　disguise。



He　remembered　how　his　sudden　accession　to　wealth　and　independence

had　half　frightened　him；　and　had　always　left　a　lurking　sensitiveness

that　he　was　unfairly　favored；　by　some　mere　accident；　above　his　less

lucky　companions。　　The　rude　vices　of　his　old　associates　had　made　him

impatient　of　the　feebler　sensual　indulgences　of　the　later　companions

of　his　luxury；　and　exposed　their　hollow　fascinations；　his　sensitive

fastidiousness　kept　him　clean　among　vulgar　temptations；　his　clear

perceptions　were　never　blinded　by　selfish　sophistry。　　Meantime　his

feeling　for　Susy　remained　unchanged。　　Pride　had　kept　him　from

seeking　the　Peytons。　　His　present　visit　was　as　unpremeditated　as

Peyton's　invitation　had　been　unlooked　for　by　him。　　Yet　he　had　not

allowed　himself　to　be　deceived。　　He　knew　that　this　courtesy　was

probably　due　to　the　change　in　his　fortune；　although　he　had　hoped　it

might　have　been　some　change　in　their　opinion　brought　about　by　Susy。

But　he　would　at　least　see　her　again；　not　in　the　pretty；　half…

cland