a ward of the golden gate-第16节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


administration　of　the　trustees　has　been　a　recognized　function　of
the　successive　Mayors　of　San　Francisco　during　this　period；　and　the
mystery　surrounding　it　has　been　only　lately　divulged。　　It　offers　a
touching　and　romantic　instance　of　a　survival　of　the　old　patriarchal
duties　of　the　former　Alcaldes　and　the　simplicity　of　pioneer　days。
It　seems　that；　in　the　unsettled　conditions　of　the　Mexican　land…
titles　that　followed　the　American　occupation；　the　consumptive　widow
of　a　scion　of　one　of　the　oldest　Californian　families　intrusted　her
property　and　the　custody　of　her　infant　daughter　virtually　to　the
city　of　San　Francisco；　as　represented　by　the　trustees　specified；
until　the　girl　should　become　of　age。　　Within　a　year；　the　invalid
mother　died。　　With　what　loyalty；　sagacity；　and　prudence　these
gentlemen　fulfilled　their　trust　may　be　gathered　from　the　fact　that
the　property　left　in　their　charge　has　not　only　been　secured　and
protected；　but　increased　a　hundredfold　in　value；　and　that　the　young
lady；　who　yesterday　attained　her　majority；　is　not　only　one　of　the
richest　landed　heiresses　on　the　Pacific　Slope；　but　one　of　the　most
accomplished　and　thoroughly　educated　of　her　sex。　　It　is　now　no
secret　that　this　favored　child　of　Chrysopolis　is　the　Dona　Maria
Concepcion　de　Arguello　de　la　Yerba　Buena；　so　called　from　her
ancestral　property　on　the　island；　now　owned　by　the　Federal
government。　　But　it　is　an　affecting　and　poetic　tribute　to　the
parent　of　her　adoption　that　she　has　preferred　to　pass　under　the
old；　quaintly　typical　name　of　the　city；　and　has　been　known　to　her
friends　simply　as　'Miss　Yerba　Buena。'　　It　is　a　no　less　pleasant　and
suggestive　circumstance　that　our　'youngest　senator；'　the　Honorable
Paul　Hathaway；　formerly　private　secretary　to　Mayor　Hammersley；　is
one　of　the　original　unofficial　trustees；　while　the　chivalry　of　the
older　days　is　perpetuated　in　the　person　of　Colonel　Harry　Pendleton；
the　remaining　trustee。〃

As　soon　as　he　had　finished；　Paul　took　a　pencil　and　crossed　out　the
last　sentence；　but　instead　of　laying　the　proof　aside；　or　returning
it　to　the　waiting　secretary；　he　remained　with　it　in　his　hand；　his
silent；　set　face　turned　towards　the　window。　　Whether　the　merely
human　secretary　was　tired　of　waiting；　or　the　devoted　partisan　saw
something　on　his　young　chief's　face　that　disturbed　him；　he　turned
to　Paul　with　that　exaggerated　respect　which　his　functions　as
secretary　had　grafted　upon　his　affection　for　his　old　associate；　and
said：

〃I　hope　nothing's　wrong；　sir。　　Not　another　of　those　scurrilous
attacks　on　you　for　putting　that　bill　through　to　relieve　Colonel
Pendleton？　　Yet　it　was　a　risky　thing　for　you；　sir。〃

Paul　started；　recovered　himself　as　if　from　some　remote　abstraction；
and；　with　a　smile；　said：　〃No；nothing。　　Quite　the　reverse。　　Write
to　Mr。　Slate；　thank　him；　and　say　that　it　will　do　very　wellwith
the　exception　of　the　lines　I　have　marked　out。　　Then　bring　me　the
letter；　and　I　will　add　this　inclosure。　　Did　you　call　on　Colonel
Pendleton？〃

〃Yes；　sir。　　He　was　at　Santa　Clara；　and　had　not　yet　returned；at
least；　that's　what　that　dandy　nigger　of　his　told　me。　　The　airs　and
graces　that　that　creature　puts　on　since　the　colonel's　affairs　have
been　straightened　out　is　a　little　too　much　for　a　white　man　to
stand。　　Why；　sir！　dd　if　he　didn't　want　to　patronize　YOU；　and
allowed　to　me　that　'de　Kernel'　had　a　'fah　ideah'　of　you；　'and
thought　you　a　promisin'　young　man。'　　The　fact　is；　sir；　the　party　is
making　a　big　mistake　trying　to　give　votes　to　that　kind　of　cattle
it　would　only　be　giving　two　votes　to　the　other　side；　for；　slave　or
free；　they're　the　chattels　of　their　old　masters。　　And　as　to　the
masters'　gratitude　for　what　you've　done　affecting　a　single　vote　of
their　partyyou're　mistaken。〃

〃Colonel　Pendleton　belongs　to　no　party；〃　said　Paul；　curtly；　〃but　if
his　old　constituents　ever　try　to　get　into　power　again；　they've　lost
their　only　independent　martyr。〃

He　presently　became　abstracted　again；　and　Shear　produced　from　his
overcoat　pocket　a　series　of　official…looking　documents。

〃I've　brought　the　reports；　sir。〃

〃Eh？〃　said　Paul；　absently。

The　secretary　stared。　　〃The　reports　of　the　San　Francisco　Chief　of
Police　that　you　asked　me　to　get。〃　　His　employer　was　certainly　very
forgetful　to…day。

〃Oh；　yes；　thank　you。　　You　can　lay　them　on　my　desk。　　I'll　look　them
over　in　Committee。　　You　can　go　now；　and　if　any　one　calls　to　see　me
say　I'm　busy。〃

The　secretary　disappeared　in　the　adjoining　room；　and　Paul　leaned
back　in　his　chair；　thinking。　　He　had；　at　last；　effected　the　work　he
had　resolved　upon　when　he　left　Rosario　two　months　ago；　the　article
he　had　just　read；　and　which　would　appear　as　an　editorial　in　the　San
Francisco　paper　the　day　after　tomorrow；　was　the　culmination　of
quietly　persistent　labor；　inquiry；　and　deduction；　and　would　be
accepted；　hereafter；　as　authentic　history；　which；　if　not　thoroughly
established；　at　least　could　not　be　gainsaid。　　Immediately　on
arriving　at　San　Francisco；　he　had　hastened　to　Pendleton's　bedside；
and　laid　the　facts　and　his　plan　before　him。　　To　his　mingled
astonishment　and　chagrin；　the　colonel　had　objected　vehemently　to
this　〃saddling　of　anybody's　offspring　on　a　gentleman　who　couldn't
defend　himself；〃　and　even　Paul's　explanation　that　the　putative
father　was　a　myth　scarcely　appeased　him。　　But　Paul's　timely
demonstration；　by　relating　the　scene　he　had　witnessed　of　Judge
Baker's　infelicitous　memory；　that　the　secret　was　likely　to　be
revealed　at　any　moment；　and　that　if　the　girl　continued　to　cling　to
her　theory；　as　he　feared　she　would；　even　to　the　parting　with　her
fortune；　they　would　be　forced　to　accept　it；　or　be　placed　in　the
hideous　position　of　publishing　her　disgrace；　at　last　convinced　him。
On　the　other　hand；　there　was　less　danger　of　her　POSITIVE　imposition
being　discovered　than　of　the　VAGUE　AND　IMPOSITIVE　truth。　　The　real
danger　lay　in　the　present　uncertainty　and　mystery；　which　courted
surmise　and　invited　discovery。　　Paul；　himself；　was　willing　to　take
all　the　responsibility；　and　at　last　extracted　from　the　colonel　a
promise　of　passive　assent。　　The　only　revelation　he　feared　was　from
the　interference　of　the　mother；　but　Pendleton　was　strong　in　the
belief　that　she　had　not　only　utterly　abandoned　the　girl　to　the　care
of　her　guardians；　but　that　she　would　never　rescind　her　resolution
to　disclaim　her　relationship；　that　she　had　gone　into　self…exile　for
that　purpose；　and　that　if　she　HAD　changed　her　mind；　he　would　be　the
first　to　know　of　it。　　On　this　day　they　had　parted。　　Meantime；　Paul
had　not　forgotten　another　resolution　he　had　formed　on　his　first
visit　to　the　colonel；　and　had　actually　succeeded　in　getting
legislative　relief　for　the　Golden　Gate　Bank；　and　restoring　to　the
colonel　some　of　his　private　property　that　had　been　in　the　hands　of
a　receiver。

This　had　been　the　background　of　Paul's　meditation；　which　only　threw
into　stronger　relief　the　face　and　figure　that　moved　before　him　as
persistently　as　it　had　once　before　in　the　twilight　of　his　room　at
Rosario。　　There　were　times　when　her　moonlit　face；　with　its　faint；
strange　smile；　stood　out　before　him　as　it　had　stood　out　of　the
shadows　of　the　half…darkened　drawing…room　that　night；　as　he　had
seen　ithe　believed　for　the　last　timeframed　for　an　instant　in
the　parted　curtains　of　the　doorway；　when　she　bade　him　〃Goodnight。〃
For　he　had　never　visited　her　since；　and；　on　the　attainment　of　her
majority；　had　delegated　his　passing　functions　to　Pendleton；　whom　he
had　induced　to　accompany　the　Mayor　to　Santa　Clara　for　the　final　and
formal　ceremony。　　For　the　present　she　need　not　know　how　much　she
had　been　indebted　to　him　for　the　accomplishment　of　her　wishes。

With　a　sigh　he　at　last　recalled　himself　to　his　duty；　and；　drawing
the　pile　of　reports　which　Shear　had　handed　him；　he　began　to　examine
them。　　These；　again；　bore　reference　to　his　silent；　unobtrusive
inquiries。　　In　his　function　as　Chairman　of　Committee　he　had　taken
advantage　of　a　kind　of　advanced　moral　legislation　then　in　vogue；
and　particularly　in　reference　to　a　certain　social　reform；　to
examine　statistics；　authorities；　and　witnesses；　and　in　this
indirect　but　exhaustive　manner　had　satisfied　himself　that　the　woman
〃Kate　Howard；〃　alias　〃Beverly；〃　alias　〃Durfree；〃　had　long　passed
beyond　the　ken　of　local　police　supervision；　and　that　in　the　record
there　was　no　trace　or　indication　of　her　child。　　He　was　going　over
those　infelix　records　of　early　transgressions　with　the　eye　of
trained　experience；　making　notes　from　time　to　time　for　his　official
use；　and　yet　always　watchful　of　his　secret　quest；　when　suddenly　he
stopped　with　a　quickened　pulse。　　In　the　record　of　an　affray　at　a
gambling…house；　one　of　the　parties　had　sought　refuge　in　the　rooms
of　〃Kate　Howard；〃　who　was　represented　before　the　magistrate　by　HER
PROTECTOR；　JUAN　DE　ARGUELLO。　　The　date　given　was　contemporary　with
the　beginning　of　the　Trust；　but　that　proved　nothing。　　But　the　name
had　it　any　significance；　or　was　it　a　grim　coincidence；　that　spoke
even　more　terribly　and　hopelessly　of　the　woman's　promiscuous
frailty？　　He　again　attacked　the　entire　report；　but　there　was　no
other　record　of　her　name。　　Even　that　would　have　passed　any　eye　less
eager　and　watchful　than　his　own。

He　laid　the　reports　aside；　and　to