on the frontier-第9节

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of　you；　Father　Pedro；〃　he　said；　meaningly；　with　a　significant

glance　at　Jose　and　Antonio；　〃to　come　so　far　to　bid　me　and　my

adopted　daughter　farewell。　　We　depart　when　the　tide　serves；　but　not

before　you　partake　of　our　hospitality　in　yonder　cottage。〃



Father　Pedro　gazed　at　Cranch　and　then　at　Juanita。



〃I　see；〃　he　stammered。　　〃But　she　goes　not　alone。　　She　will　be

strange　at　first。　　She　takes　some　friend；　perhapssome　companion？〃

he　continued；　tremulously。



〃A　very　old　and　dear　one；　Father　Pedro；　who　is　waiting　for　us　now。〃



He　led　the　way　to　a　little　white　cottage；　so　little　and　white　and

recent；　that　it　seemed　a　mere　fleck　of　sea　foam　cast　on　the　sands。

Disposing　of　Jose　and　Antonio　in　the　neighboring　workshop　and

outbuildings；　he　assisted　the　venerable　Sanchicha　to　dismount；　and；

together　with　Father　Pedro　and　Juanita；　entered　a　white　palisaded

enclosure　beside　the　cottage；　and　halted　before　what　appeared　to　be

a　large；　folding　trap…door；　covering　a　slight；　sandy　mound。　　It　was


locked　with　a　padlock；　beside　it　stood　the　American　alcalde　and　Don

Juan　Briones。　　Father　Pedro　looked　hastily　around　for　another

figure；　but　it　was　not　there。



〃Gentlemen；〃　began　Cranch；　in　his　practical　business　way；　〃I　reckon

you　all　know　we've　come　here　to　identify　a　young　lady；　who〃he

hesitated〃was　lately　under　the　care　of　Father　Pedro；　with　a

foundling　picked　up　on　this　shore　fifteen　years　ago　by　an　Indian

woman。　　How　this　foundling　came　here；　and　how　I　was　concerned　in

it；　you　all　know。　　I've　told　everybody　here　how　I　scrambled　ashore；

leaving　that　baby　in　the　dingy；　supposing　it　would　be　picked　up　by

the　boat　pursuing　me。　　I've　told　some　of　you；〃　he　looked　at　Father

Pedro；　〃how　I　first　discovered；　from　one　of　the　men；　three　years

ago；　that　the　child　was　not　found　by　its　father。　　But　I　have　never

told　any　one；　before　now；　I　KNEW　it　was　picked　up　here。



〃I　never　could　tell　the　exact　locality　where　I　came　ashore；　for　the

fog　was　coming　on　as　it　is　now。　　But　two　years　ago　I　came　up　with　a

party　of　gold　hunters　to　work　these　sands。　　One　day；　digging　near

this　creek；　I　struck　something　embedded　deep　below　the　surface。

Well；　gentlemen；　it　wasn't　gold；　but　something　worth　more　to　me

than　gold　or　silver。　　Here　it　is。〃



At　a　sign　the　alcalde　unlocked　the　doors　and　threw　them　open。　　They

disclosed　an　irregular　trench；　in　which；　filled　with　sand；　lay　the

half…excavated　stern　of　a　boat。



〃It　was　the　dingy　of　the　Trinidad；　gentlemen；　you　can　still　read

her　name。　　I　found　hidden　away；　tucked　under　the　stern　sheets；

mouldy　and　water…worn；　some　clothes　that　I　recognized　to　be　the

baby's。　　I　knew　then　that　the　child　had　been　taken　away　alive　for

some　purpose；　and　the　clothes　were　left　so　that　she　should　carry　no

trace　with　her。　　I　recognized　the　hand　of　an　Indian。　　I　set　to　work

quietly。　　I　found　Sanchicha　here；　she　confessed　to　finding　a　baby；

but　what　she　had　done　with　it　she　would　not　at　first　say。　　But

since　then　she　has　declared　before　the　alcalde　that　she　gave　it　to

Father　Pedro；　of　San　Carmel；　and　that　here　it　standsFrancisco

that　was！　　Francisca　that　it　is！〃



He　stepped　aside　to　make　way　for　a　tall　girl；　who　had　approached

from　the　cottage。



Father　Pedro　had　neither　noticed　the　concluding　words　nor　the

movement　of　Cranch。　　His　eyes　were　fixed　upon　the　imbecile

Sanchicha；Sanchicha；　on　whom；　to　render　his　rebuke　more　complete；

the　Deity　seemed　to　have　worked　a　miracle；　and　restored　intelligence

to　eye　and　lip。　　He　passed　his　hand　tremblingly　across　his　forehead；

and　turned　away；　when　his　eye　fell　upon　the　last　comer。



It　was　she。　　The　moment　he　had　longed　for　and　dreaded　had　come。

She　stood　there；　animated；　handsome；　filled　with　a　hurtful

consciousness　in　her　new　charms；　her　fresh　finery；　and　the　pitiable

trinkets　that　had　supplanted　her　scapulary；　and　which　played　under

her　foolish　fingers。　　The　past　had　no　place　in　her　preoccupied

mind；　her　bright　eyes　were　full　of　eager　anticipation　of　a

substantial　future。　　The　incarnation　of　a　frivolous　world；　even　as

she　extended　one　hand　to　him　in　half…coquettish　embarrassment　she

arranged　the　folds　of　her　dress　with　the　other。　　At　the　touch　of

her　fingers；　he　felt　himself　growing　old　and　cold。　　Even　the

penance　of　parting；　which　he　had　looked　forward　to；　was　denied　him；

there　was　no　longer　sympathy　enough　for　sorrow。　　He　thought　of　the

empty　chorister's　robe　in　the　little　cell；　but　not　now　with　regret。

He　only　trembled　to　think　of　the　flesh　that　he　had　once　caused　to

inhabit　it。



〃That's　all；　gentlemen；〃　broke　in　the　practical　voice　of　Cranch。

〃Whether　there　are　proofs　enough　to　make　Francisca　the　heiress　of

her　father's　wealth；　the　lawyers　must　say。　　I　reckon　it's　enough

for　me　that　they　give　me　the　chance　of　repairing　a　wrong　by　taking

her　father's　place。　　After　all；　it　was　a　mere　chance。〃



〃It　was　the　will　of　God；〃　said　Father　Pedro；　solemnly。



They　were　the　last　words　he　addressed　them。　　For　when　the　fog　had

begun　to　creep　inshore；　hastening　their　departure；　he　only　answered

their　farewells　by　a　silent　pressure　of　the　hand；　mute　lips；　and

far…off　eyes。



When　the　sound　of　their　laboring　oars　grew　fainter；　he　told　Antonio

to　lead　him　and　Sanchicha　again　to　the　buried　boat。　　There　he　bade

her　kneel　beside　him。　　〃We　will　do　penance　here；　thou　and　I；

daughter；〃　he　said　gravely。　　When　the　fog　had　drawn　its　curtain

gently　around　the　strange　pair；　and　sea　and　shore　were　blotted　out；

he　whispered；　〃Tell　me；　it　was　even　so；　was　it　not；　daughter；　on

the　night　she　came？〃　　When　the　distant　clatter　of　blocks　and　rattle

of　cordage　came　from　the　unseen　vessel；　now　standing　out　to　sea；　he

whispered　again；　〃So；　this　is　what　thou　didst　hear；　even　then。〃

And　so　during　the　night　he　marked；　more　or　less　audibly　to　the

half…conscious　woman　at　his　side；　the　low　whisper　of　the　waves；　the

murmur　of　the　far…off　breakers；　the　lightening　and　thickening　of

the　fog；　the　phantoms　of　moving　shapes；　and　the　slow　coming　of　the

dawn。　　And　when　the　morning　sun　had　rent　the　veil　over　land　and

sea；　Antonio　and　Jose　found　him；　haggard；　but　erect；　beside　the

trembling　old　woman；　with　a　blessing　on　his　lips；　pointing　to　the

horizon　where　a　single　sail　still　glimmered：



　　　　　　　　　　〃Va　Usted　con　Dios。〃







A　BLUE　GRASS　PENELOPE





CHAPTER　I





She　was　barely　twenty…three　years　old。　　It　is　probable　that　up　to

that　age；　and　the　beginning　of　this　episode；　her　life　had　been

uneventful。　　Born　to　the　easy　mediocrity　of　such　compensating

extremes　as　a　small　farmhouse　and　large　lands；　a　good　position　and

no　society；　in　that　vast　grazing　district　of　Kentucky　known　as　the

〃Blue　Grass〃　region；　all　the　possibilities　of　a　Western　American

girl's　existence　lay　before　her。　　A　piano　in　the　bare…walled　house；

the　latest　patented　mower　in　the　limitless　meadows；　and　a　silk

dress　sweeping　the　rough　floor　of　the　unpainted　〃meeting…house〃

were　already　the　promise　of　those　possibilities。　　Beautiful　she

was；　but　the　power　of　that　beauty　was　limited　by　being　equally

shared　with　her　few　neighbors。　　There　were　small；　narrow；　arched

feet　besides　her　own　that　trod　the　uncarpeted　floors　of　outlying

log…cabins　with　equal　grace　and　dignity；　bright；　clearly　opened

eyes　that　were　equally　capable　of　looking　unabashed　upon　princes

and　potentates；　as　a　few　later　did；　and　the　heiress　of　the　county

judge　read　her　own　beauty　without　envy　in　the　frank　glances　and

unlowered　crest　of　the　blacksmith's　daughter。　　Eventually　she　had

married　the　male　of　her　species；　a　young　stranger；　who；　as

schoolmaster　in　the　nearest　town；　had　utilized　to　some　local　extent

a　scant　capital　of　education。　　In　obedience　to　the　unwritten　law　of

the　West；　after　the　marriage　was　celebrated　the　doors　of　the

ancestral　home　cheerfully　opened；　and　bride　and　bridegroom　issued

forth；　without　regret　and　without　sentiment；　to　seek　the　further

possibilities　of　a　life　beyond　these　already　too　familiar　voices。

With　their　departure　for　California　as　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Spencer　Tucker；

the　parental　nest　in　the　Blue　Grass　meadows　knew　them　no　more。



They　submitted　with　equal　cheerfulness　to　the　privations　and

excesses　of　their　new　conditions。　　Within　three　years　the

schoolmaster　developed　into　a　lawyer　and　capitalist；　the　Blue　Grass

bride　supplying　a　grace　and　ease　to　these　transitions　that　were　all

her　own。　　She　softened　the　abruptness　of　sudden　wealth；　mitigated

the　austerities　of　newly　acquired　power；　and　made　the　most　glaring

incongruity　picturesque。　　Only　one　thing　seemed　to　limit　their

progress　in　the　region　of　these　possibilities。　　They　were

childless。　　It　was　as　if　they　had　exhausted　the　future　in　their　own

youth；　leaving　little　or　nothing　for　another　generation　to　do。





A　southwesterly　storm　was　beating　against　the　dressing…room　windows

of　their　new　house　in　one　of　the　hilly　suburbs　of　San　Francisco；

and　threatening　the　unseasonable　frivolity　of　the　stuc