found at blazing star-第4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！



succeeded　in　forcing　the　door　open　in　spite　of　Miss　Porter's

superior　strategy；　andI　fear　I　must　add；　muscle　alsoand　threw

himself　passionately　at　Hornsby's　throat；　where　he　hung　on　and

calmly　awaited　dissolution。　　But　he　had；　in　the　onset；　driven

Hornsby　out　into　the　road　and　the　moonlight。



〃Here！　　Somebody　take　my　lines。〃　　The　voice　was　〃Mountain

Charley's；〃　the　driver。　　The　figure　that　jumped　from　the　box　and

separated　the　struggling　men　belonged　to　this　singularly　direct

person。



〃You're　riding　inside？〃　said　Charley；　interrogatively；　to　Cass。

Before　he　could　reply　Miss　Porter's　voice　came　from　the　window。



〃He　is！〃



Charley　promptly　bundled　Cass　into　the　coach。



〃And　YOU？〃　to　Hornsby；　〃onless　you're　kalkilatin'　to　take　a　little

'pasear'　you're　booked　OUTSIDE。　　Get　up。〃



It　is　probable　that　Charley　assisted　Mr。　Hornsby　as　promptly　to　his

seat；　for　the　next　moment　the　coach　was　rolling　on。



Meanwhile　Cass；　by　reason　of　his　forced　entry；　had　been　deposited

in　Miss　Porter's　lap；　whence；　freeing　himself；　he　had　attempted　to

climb　over　the　middle　seat；　but　in　the　starting　of　the　coach　was

again　thrown　heavily　against　her　hat　and　shoulder；　all　of　which　was

inconsistent　with　the　attitude　of　dignified　reserve　he　had　intended

to　display。　　Miss　Porter；　meanwhile；　recovered　her　good　humor。



〃What　a　brute　he　was；　ugh！〃　she　said；　retying　the　ribbons　of　her

bonnet　under　her　square　chin；　and　smoothing　out　her　linen　duster。



Cass　tried　to　look　as　if　he　had　forgotten　the　whole　affair。　　〃Who？

Oh；　yes　I　see！〃　he　responded；　absently。



〃I　suppose　I　ought　to　thank　you；〃　she　went　on　with　a　smile；　〃but

you　know；　really；　I　could　have　kept　him　out　if　you　hadn't　pulled

his　wrist　from　outside。　　I'll　show　you。　　Look！　　Put　your　hand　on

the　handle　there！　　Now；　I'll　hold　the　lock　inside　firmly。　　You　see；

you　can't　turn　the　catch！〃



She　indeed　held　the　lock　fast。　　It　was　a　firm　hand；　yet　softtheir

fingers　had　touched　over　the　handleand　looked　white　in　the

moonlight。　　He　made　no　reply；　but　sank　back　again　in　his　seat　with

a　singular　sensation　in　the　fingers　that　had　touched　hers。　　He　was

in　the　shadow；　and；　without　being　seen；　could　abandon　his　reserve

and　glance　at　her　face。　　It　struck　him　that　he　had　never　really

seen　her　before。　　She　was　not　so　tall　as　she　had　appeared　to　be。

Her　eyes　were　not　large；　but　her　pupils　were　black；　moist；　velvety；

and　so　convex　as　to　seem　embossed　on　the　white。　　She　had　an

indistinctive　nose；　a　rather　colorless　facewhiter　at　the　angles

of　the　mouth　and　nose　through　the　relief　of　tiny　freckles　like

grains　of　pepper。　　Her　mouth　was　straight；　dark；　red；　but　moist　as

her　eyes。　　She　had　drawn　herself　into　the　corner　of　the　back　seat；

her　wrist　put　through　and　hanging　over　the　swinging　strap；　the　easy

lines　of　her　plump　figure　swaying　from　side　to　side　with　the　motion

of　the　coach。　　Finally；　forgetful　of　any　presence　in　the　dark

corner　opposite；　she　threw　her　head　a　little　farther　back；　slipped

a　trifle　lower；　and　placing　two　well…booted　feet　upon　the　middle

seat；　completed　a　charming　and　wholesome　picture。



Five　minutes　elapsed。　　She　was　looking　straight　at　the　moon。　　Cass

Beard　felt　his　dignified　reserve　becoming　very　much　like

awkwardness。　　He　ought　to　be　coldly　polite。



〃I　hope　you're　not　flustered；　Miss；　by　theby　the〃　he　began。



〃I？〃　　She　straightened　herself　up　in　the　seat；　cast　a　curious

glance　into　the　dark　corner；　and　then；　letting　herself　down　again；

said：　〃Oh；　dear；　no！〃



Another　five　minutes　elapsed。　　She　had　evidently　forgotten　him。

She　might；　at　least；　have　been　civil。　　He　took　refuge　again　in　his

reserve。　　But　it　was　now　mixed　with　a　certain　pique。



Yet　how　much　softer　her　face　looked　in　the　moonlight！　　Even　her

square　jaw　had　lost　that　hard；　matter…of…fact；　practical　indication

which　was　so　distasteful　to　him；　and　always　had　suggested　a　harsh

criticism　of　his　weakness。　　How　moist　her　eyes　wereactually

shining　in　the　light！　　How　that　light　seemed　to　concentrate　in　the

corner　of　the　lashes；　and　then　slippeda　flashaway！　　Was　she？

Yes；　she　was　crying。



Cass　melted。　　He　moved。　　Miss　Porter　put　her　head　out　of　the　window

and　drew　it　back　in　a　moment；　dry…eyed。



〃One　meets　all　sorts　of　folks　traveling；〃　said　Cass；　with　what　he

wished　to　make　appear　a　cheerful　philosophy。



〃I　dare　say。　　I　don't　know。　　I　never　before　met　any　one　who　was

rude　to　me。　　I　have　traveled　all　over　the　country　alone；　and　with

all　kinds　of　people　ever　since　I　was　so　high。　　I　have　always　gone

my　own　way；　without　hindrance　or　trouble。　　I　always　do。　　I　don't

see　why　I　shouldn't。　　Perhaps　other　people　mayn't　like　it。　　I　do。

I　like　excitement。　　I　like　to　see　all　that　there　is　to　see。

Because　I'm　a　girl　I　don't　see　why　I　cannot　go　out　without　a

keeper；　and　why　I　cannot　do　what　any　man　can　do　that　isn't　wrong；

do　you？　　Perhaps　you　doperhaps　you　don't。　　Perhaps　you　like　a

girl　to　be　always　in　the　house　dawdling　or　thumping　a　piano　or

reading　novels。　　Perhaps　you　think　I'm　bold　because　I　don't　like

it；　and　won't　lie　and　say　I　do。〃



She　spoke　sharply　and　aggressively；　and　so　evidently　in　answer　to

Cass's　unspoken　indictment　against　her；　that　he　was　not　surprised

when　she　became　more　direct。



〃You　know　you　were　shocked　when　I　went　to　fetch　that　Hornsby；　the

coroner；　after　we　found　the　dead　body。〃



〃Hornsby　wasn't　shocked；〃　said　Cass；　a　little　viciously。



〃What　do　you　mean？〃　she　said；　abruptly。



〃You　were　good　friends　enough　until〃



〃Until　he　insulted　me　just　now；　is　that　it？〃



〃Until　he　thought；〃　stammered　Cass；　〃that　because　you　wereyou

knownot　sososo　careful　as　other　girls；　he　could　be　a　little

freer。〃



〃And　so；　because　I　preferred　to　ride　a　mile　with　him　to　see

something　real　that　had　happened；　and　tried　to　be　useful　instead　of

looking　in　shop　windows　in　Main　Street　or　promenading　before　the

hotel〃



〃And　being　ornamental；〃　interrupted　Cass。　　But　this　feeble　and　un…

Cass…like　attempt　at　playful　gallantry　met　with　a　sudden　check。



Miss　Porter　drew　herself　together；　and　looked　out　of　the　window。

〃Do　you　wish　me　to　walk　the　rest　of　the　way　home？〃



〃No；〃　said　Cass；　hurriedly；　with　a　crimson　face　and　a　sense　of

gratuitous　rudeness。



〃Then　stop　that　kind　of　talk；　right　there！〃



There　was　an　awkward　silence。　　〃I　wish　I　was　a　man；〃　she　said；　half

bitterly；　half　earnestly。　　Cass　Beard　was　not　old　and　cynical

enough　to　observe　that　this　devout　aspiration　is　usually　uttered　by

those　who　have　least　reason　to　deplore　their　own　femininity；　and；

but　for　the　rebuff　he　had　just　received；　would　have　made　the　usual

emphatic　dissent　of　our　sex；　when　the　wish　is　uttered　by　warm　red

lips　and　tender　voicesa　dissent；　it　may　be　remarked；　generally

withheld；　however；　when　the　masculine　spinster　dwells　on　the

perfection　of　woman。　　I　dare　say　Miss　Porter　was　sincere；　for　a

moment　later　she　continued；　poutingly：



〃And　yet　I　used　to　go　to　fires　in　Sacramento　when　I　was　only　ten

years　old。　　I　saw　the　theatre　burnt　down。　　Nobody　found　fault　with

me　then。〃



Something　made　Cass　ask　if　her　father　and　mother　objected　to　her

boyish　tastes。　　The　reply　was　characteristic　if　not　satisfactory；



〃Object？　　I'd　like　to　see　them　do　it。〃



The　direction　of　the　road　had　changed。　　The　fickle　moon　now

abandoned　Miss　Porter　and　sought　out　Cass　on　the　front　seat。　　It

caressed　the　young　fellow's　silky　moustache　and　long　eyelashes；　and

took　some　of　the　sunburn　from　his　cheek。



〃What's　the　matter　with　your　neck？〃　said　the　girl；　suddenly。



Cass　looked　down；　blushing　to　find　that　the　collar　of　his　smart

〃duck〃　sailor　shirt　was　torn　open。　　But　something　more　than　his

white；　soft；　girlish　skin　was　exposed；　the　shirt　front　was　dyed

quite　red　with　blood　from　a　slight　cut　on　the　shoulder。　　He

remembered　to　have　felt　a　scratch　while　struggling　with　Hornsby。



The　girl's　soft　eyes　sparkled。　　〃Let　ME；〃　she　said；　vivaciously。

〃Do！　　I'm　good　at　wounds。　　Come　over　here。　　Nostay　there。　　I'll

come　over　to　you。〃



She　did；　bestriding　the　back　of　the　middle　seat　and　dropping　at　his

side。　　The　magnetic　fingers　again　touched　his；　he　felt　her　warm

breath　on　his　neck　as　she　bent　toward　him。



〃It's　nothing；〃　he　said；　hastily；　more　agitated　by　the　treatment

than　the　wound。



〃Give　me　your　flask；〃　she　responded；　without　heeding。　　A　stinging

sensation　as　she　bathed　the　edges　of　the　cut　with　the　spirit

brought　him　back　to　common　sense　again。　　〃There；〃　she　said；

skillfully　extemporizing　a　bandage　from　her　handkerchief　and　a

compress　from　his　cravat。　　〃Now；　button　your　coat　over　your　chest；

so；　and　don't　take　cold。〃　　She　insisted　upon　buttoning　it　for　him；

greater　even　than　the　feminine　delight　in　a　man's　strength　is　the

ministration　to　his　weakness。　　Yet；　when　this　was　finished；　she

drew　a　little　away　from　him　in　some　embarrassmentan　embarrassment

she　wondered　at；　as　his　skin　was　finer；