an episode of fiddletown-第4节

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further　replies　from　the　child；　and　before　many　minutes　had

elapsed；　Mrs。　Tretherick　was　in　possession　of　all　her　earlier

history。　　But；　to　do　this；　Mrs。　Tretherick　had　been　obliged　to　take

Carry　upon　her　lap；　pending　the　most　confidential　disclosures。

They　sat　thus　a　long　time　after　Mrs。　Tretherick　had　apparently

ceased　to　be　interested　in　Carry's　disclosures；　and　when　lost　in

thought；　she　allowed　the　child　to　rattle　on　unheeded；　and　ran　her

fingers　through　the　scarlet　curls。



〃You　don't　hold　me　right；　Mamma；〃　said　Carry　at　last；　after　one　or

two　uneasy　shiftings　of　position。



〃How　should　I　hold　you？〃　asked　Mrs。　Tretherick　with　a　half…amused；

half…embarrassed　laugh。



〃Dis　way；〃　said　Carry；　curling　up　into　position；　with　one　arm

around　Mrs。　Tretherick's　neck　and　her　cheek　resting　on　her　bosom

〃dis　waydere。〃　　After　a　little　preparatory　nestling；　not　unlike

some　small　animal；　she　closed　her　eyes；　and　went　to　sleep。



For　a　few　moments　the　woman　sat　silent；　scarcely　daring　to　breathe

in　that　artificial　attitude。　　And　then；　whether　from　some　occult

sympathy　in　the　touch；　or　God　best　knows　what；　a　sudden　fancy　began

to　thrill　her。　　She　began　by　remembering　an　old　pain　that　she　had

forgotten；　an　old　horror　that　she　had　resolutely　put　away　all　these

years。　　She　recalled　days　of　sickness　and　distrustdays　of　an

overshadowing　feardays　of　preparation　for　something　that　was　to

be　prevented；　that　WAS　prevented；　with　mortal　agony　and　fear。　　She

thought　of　a　life　that　might　have　beenshe　dared　not　say　HAD　been…

…and　wondered。　　It　was　six　years　ago；　if　it　had　lived；　it　would

have　been　as　old　as　Carry。　　The　arms　which　were　folded　loosely

around　the　sleeping　child　began　to　tremble；　and　tighten　their

clasp。　　And　then　the　deep　potential　impulse　came；　and　with　a　half…

sob；　half…sigh；　she　threw　her　arms　out　and　drew　the　body　of　the

sleeping　child　down；　down；　into　her　breast；　down　again　and　again　as

if　she　would　hide　it　in　the　grave　dug　there　years　before。　　And　the

gust　that　shook　her　passed；　and　then；　ah　me！　the　rain。



A　drop　or　two　fell　upon　the　curls　of　Carry；　and　she　moved　uneasily

in　her　sleep。　　But　the　woman　soothed　her　againit　was　SO　easy　to

do　it　nowand　they　sat　there　quiet　and　undisturbed；　so　quiet　that

they　might　have　seemed　incorporate　of　the　lonely　silent　house；　the

slowly　declining　sunbeams；　and　the　general　air　of　desertion　and

abandonment；　yet　a　desertion　that　had　in　it　nothing　of　age；　decay；

or　despair。





Colonel　Starbottle　waited　at　the　Fiddletown　Hotel　all　that　night　in

vain。　　And　the　next　morning；　when　Mr。　Tretherick　returned　to　his

husks；　he　found　the　house　vacant　and　untenanted；　except　by　motes

and　sunbeams。



When　it　was　fairly　known　that　Mrs。　Tretherick　had　run　away；　taking

Mr。　Tretherick's　own　child　with　her；　there　was　some　excitement　and

much　diversity　of　opinion；　in　Fiddletown。　　THE　DUTCH　FLAT

INTELLIGENCER　openly　alluded　to　the　〃forcible　abduction〃　of　the

child　with　the　same　freedom；　and　it　is　to　be　feared　the　same

prejudice；　with　which　it　had　criticized　the　abductor's　poetry。　　All

of　Mrs。　Tretherick's　own　sex；　and　perhaps　a　few　of　the　opposite

sex；　whose　distinctive　quality　was　not；　however；　very　strongly

indicated；　fully　coincided　in　the　views　of　the　INTELLIGENCER。　　The

majority；　however；　evaded　the　moral　issue；　that　Mrs。　Tretherick　had

shaken　the　red　dust　of　Fiddletown　from　her　dainty　slippers　was

enough　for　them　to　know。　　They　mourned　the　loss　of　the　fair

abductor　more　than　her　offense。　　They　promptly　rejected　Tretherick

as　an　injured　husband　and　disconsolate　father；　and　even　went　so　far

as　to　openly　cast　discredit　on　the　sincerity　of　his　grief。　　They

reserved　an　ironical　condolence　for　Colonel　Starbottle；　overbearing

that　excellent　man　with　untimely　and　demonstrative　sympathy　in

barrooms；　saloons；　and　other　localities　not　generally　deemed

favorable　to　the　display　of　sentiment。　　〃She　was　alliz　a　skittish

thing；　Kernel；〃　said　one　sympathizer；　with　a　fine　affectation　of

gloomy　concern　and　great　readiness　of　illustration；　〃and　it's

kinder　nat'ril　thet　she'd　get　away　someday；　and　stampede　that　theer

colt：　but　thet　she　should　shake　YOU；　Kernel；　diet　she　should　jist

shake　youis　what　gits　me。　　And　they　do　say　thet　you　jist　hung

around　thet　hotel　all　night；　and　payrolled　them　corriders；　and

histed　yourself　up　and　down　them　stairs；　and　meandered　in　and　out

o'　thet　piazzy；　and　all　for　nothing？〃　　It　was　another　generous　and

tenderly　commiserating　spirit　that　poured　additional　oil　and　wine

on　the　colonel's　wounds。　　〃The　boys　yer　let　on　thet　Mrs。　Tretherick

prevailed　on　ye　to　pack　her　trunk　and　a　baby　over　from　the　house　to

the　stage　offis；　and　that　the　chap　ez　did　go　off　with　her　thanked

you；　and　offered　you　two　short　bits；　and　sed　ez　how　he　liked　your

looks；　and　ud　employ　you　aginand　now　you　say　it　ain't　so？　　Well；

I'll　tell　the　boys　it　ain't　so；　and　I'm　glad　I　met　you；　for　stories

DO　get　round。〃



Happily　for　Mrs。　Tretherick's　reputation；　however；　the　Chinaman　in

Tretherick's　employment；　who　was　the　only　eyewitness　of　her　flight；

stated　that　she　was　unaccompanied；　except　by　the　child。　　He　further

deposed　that；　obeying　her　orders；　he　had　stopped　the　Sacramento

coach；　and　secured　a　passage　for　herself　and　child　to　San

Francisco。　　It　was　true　that　Ah　Fe's　testimony　was　of　no　legal

value。　　But　nobody　doubted　it。　　Even　those　who　were　skeptical　of

the　pagan's　ability　to　recognize　the　sacredness　of　the　truth

admitted　his　passionless；　unprejudiced　unconcern。　　But　it　would

appear；　from　a　hitherto　unrecorded　passage　of　this　veracious

chronicle；　that　herein　they　were　mistaken。



It　was　about　six　months　after　the　disappearance　of　Mrs。　Tretherick

that　Ah　Fe；　while　working　in　Tretherick's　lot；　was　hailed　by　two

passing　Chinamen。　　They　were　the　ordinary　mining　coolies；　equipped

with　long　poles　and　baskets　for　their　usual　pilgrimages。　　An

animated　conversation　at　once　ensued　between　Ah　Fe　and　his　brother

Mongoliansa　conversation　characterized　by　that　usual　shrill

volubility　and　apparent　animosity　which　was　at　once　the　delight　and

scorn　of　the　intelligent　Caucasian　who　did　not　understand　a　word　of

it。　　Such；　at　least；　was　the　feeling　with　which　Mr。　Tretherick　on

his　veranda　and　Colonel　Starbottle；　who　was　passing；　regarded　their

heathenish　jargon。　　The　gallant　colonel　simply　kicked　them　out　of

his　way；　the　irate　Tretherick；　with　an　oath；　threw　a　stone　at　the

group；　and　dispersed　them；　but　not　before　one　or　two　slips　of

yellow　rice　paper；　marked　with　hieroglyphics；　were　exchanged；　and　a

small　parcel　put　into　Ah　Fe's　hands。　　When　Ah　Fe　opened　this　in　the

dim　solitude　of　his　kitchen；　he　found　a　little　girl's　apron；

freshly　washed；　ironed；　and　folded。　　On　the　corner　of　the　hem　were

the　initials　〃C。　T。〃　　Ah　Fe　tucked　it　away　in　a　corner　of　his

blouse；　and　proceeded　to　wash　his　dishes　in　the　sink　with　a　smile

of　guileless　satisfaction。



Two　days　after　this；　Ah　Fe　confronted　his　master。　　〃Me　no　likee

Fiddletown。　　Me　belly　sick。　　Me　go　now。〃　　Mr。　Tretherick　violently

suggested　a　profane　locality。　　Ah　Fe　gazed　at　him　placidly；　and

withdrew。



Before　leaving　Fiddletown；　however；　he　accidentally　met　Colonel

Starbottle；　and　dropped　a　few　incoherent　phrases　which　apparently

interested　that　gentleman。　　When　he　concluded；　the　colonel　handed

him　a　letter　and　a　twenty…dollar　gold　piece。　　〃If　you　bring　me　an

answer；　I'll　double　thatsabe；　John？〃　　Ah　Fe　nodded。　　An　interview

equally　accidental；　with　precisely　the　same　result；　took　place

between　Ah　Fe　and　another　gentleman；　whom　I　suspect　to　have　been

the　youthful　editor　of　the　AVALANCHE。　　Yet　I　regret　to　state　that；

after　proceeding　some　distance　on　his　journey；　Ah　Fe　calmly　broke

the　seals　of　both　letters；　and　after　trying　to　read　them　upside

down　and　sideways；　finally　divided　them　into　accurate　squares；　and

in　this　condition　disposed　of　them　to　a　brother　Celestial　whom　he

met　on　the　road；　for　a　trifling　gratuity。　　The　agony　of　Colonel

Starbottle　on　finding　his　wash　bill　made　out　on　the　unwritten　side

of　one　of　these　squares；　and　delivered　to　him　with　his　weekly　clean

clothes；　and　the　subsequent　discovery　that　the　remaining　portions

of　his　letter　were　circulated　by　the　same　method　from　the　Chinese

laundry　of　one　Fung　Ti　of　Fiddletown；　has　been　described　to　me　as

peculiarly　affecting。　　Yet　I　am　satisfied　that　a　higher　nature；

rising　above　the　levity　induced　by　the　mere　contemplation　of　the

insignificant　details　of　this　breach　of　trust；　would　find　ample

retributive　justice　in　the　difficulties　that　subsequently　attended

Ah　Fe's　pilgrimage。



On　the　road　to　Sacramento　he　was　twice　playfully　thrown　from　the

top　of　the　stagecoach　by　an　intelligent　but　deeply　intoxicated

Caucasian；　whose　moral　nature　was　shocked　at　riding　with　one

addicted　to　opium…smoking。　　At　Hangtown　he　was　beaten　by　a　passing

strangerpurely　an　act　of　Christian　supererogation。　　At　Dutch　Flat

he　was　robbed　by　well