a sappho of green springs-第10节

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shadders；when　ye　mind　she　couldn't　get　the　small　ways　o'　the

ranch　because　she　had　the　big　ways　o'　Natur'　that　made　it；then

you'll　understand　her。〃



Impressed　by　the　sincerity　of　his　visitor's　manner；　touched　by　the

unexpected　poetry　of　his　appeal；　and　yet　keenly　alive　to　the

absurdity　of　an　incomprehensible　blunder　somewhere　committed；　the

editor　gasped　almost　hysterically；



〃But　why　should　all　this　make　her　in　love　with　ME？〃



〃Because　ye　are　both　gifted；〃　returned　Mr。　Bowers；　with　sad　but

unconquerable　conviction；　〃because　ye're　both；　so　to　speak；　in　a

line　o'　idees　and　business　that　draws　ye　together；to　lean　on　each

other　and　trust　each　other　ez　pardners。　　Not　that　YE　are　ezakly　her

ekal；〃　he　went　on；　with　a　return　to　his　previous　exasperating

naivete；　〃though　I've　heerd　promisin'　things　of　ye；　and　ye're　still

young；　but　in　matters　o'　this　kind　there　is　allers　one　ez　hez　to　be

looked　up　to　by　the　other；and　gin'rally　the　wrong　one。　　She　looks

up　to　you；　Mr。　Editor；it's　part　of　her　po'try；ez　she　looks　down

inter　the　brush　and　sees　more　than　is　plain　to　you　and　me。　　Not；〃

he　continued；　with　a　courteously　deprecating　wave　of　the　hand；　〃ez

you　hain't　bin　kind　to　hermebbe　TOO　kind。　　For　thar's　the　purty

letter　you　writ　her；　thar's　the　perlite；　easy；　captivatin'　way　you

had　with　her　gals　and　that　boyhold　on！〃as　the　editor　made　a

gesture　of　despairing　renunciation；〃I　ain't　sayin'　you　ain't

right　in　keepin'　it　to　yourself；and　thar's　the　extry　money　you

sent　her　every　time。　　Stop！　she　knows　it　was　EXTRY；　for　she　made　a

p'int　o'　gettin'　me　to　find　out　the　market　price　o'　po'try　in

papers　and　magazines；　and　she　reckons　you've　bin　payin'　her　four

hundred　per　cent。　above　them　figgershold　on！　I　ain't　sayin'　it

ain't　free　and　liberal　in　you；　and　I'd　have　done　the　same　thing；

yet　SHE　thinks〃



But　the　editor　had　risen　hastily　to　his　feet　with　flushing　cheeks。



〃One　moment；　Mr。　Bowers；〃　he　said；　hurriedly。　　〃This　is　the　most

dreadful　blunder　of　all。　　The　gift　is　not　mine。　　It　was　the

spontaneous　offering　of　another　who　really　admired　our　friend's

work；a　gentleman　who〃　　He　stopped　suddenly。



The　sound　of　a　familiar　voice；　lightly　humming；　was　borne　along　the

passage；　the　light　tread　of　a　familiar　foot　was　approaching。　　The

editor　turned　quickly　towards　the　open　door；so　quickly　that　Mr。

Bowers　was　fain　to　turn　also。



For　a　charming　instant　the　figure　of　Jack　Hamlin；　handsome；

careless；　and　confident；　was　framed　in　the　doorway。　　His　dark　eyes；

with　their　habitual　scorn　of　his　average　fellow…man；　swept

superciliously　over　Mr。　Bowers；　and　rested　for　an　instant　with

caressing　familiarity　on　the　editor。



〃Well；　sonny；　any　news　from　the　old　girl　at　the　Summit？〃



〃No…o；〃　hastily　stammered　the　editor；　with　a　half…hysterical　laugh。

〃No；　Jack。　　Excuse　me　a　moment。〃



〃All　right；　busy；　I　see。　　Hasta　manana。〃



The　picture　vanished；　the　frame　was　empty。



〃You　see；〃　continued　the　editor；　turning　to　Mr。　Bowers；　〃there　has

been　a　mistake。　　I〃but　he　stopped　suddenly　at　the　ashen　face　of

Mr。　Bowers；　still　fixed　in　the　direction　of　the　vanished　figure。



〃Are　you　ill？〃



Mr。　Bowers　did　not　reply；　but　slowly　withdrew　his　eyes；　and　turned

them　heavily　on　the　editor。　　Then；　drawing　a　longer；　deeper　breath；

he　picked　up　his　soft　felt　hat；　and；　moulding　it　into　shape　in　his

hands　as　if　preparing　to　put　it　on；　he　moistened　his　dry；　grayish

lips；　and　said；　gently：



〃Friend　o'　yours？〃



〃Yes；〃　said　the　editor〃Jack　Hamlin。　　Of　course；　you　know　him？〃



〃Yes。〃



Mr。　Bowers　here　put　his　hat　on　his　head；　and；　after　a　pause；　turned

round　slowly　once　or　twice；　as　if　he　had　forgotten　it；　and　was

still　seeking　it。　　Finally　he　succeeded　in　finding　the　editor's

hand；　and　shook　it；　albeit　his　own　trembled　slightly。　　Then　he

said：



〃I　reckon　you're　right。　　There's　bin　a　mistake。　　I　see　it　now。

Good…by。　　If　you're　ever　up　my　way；　drop　in　and　see　me。〃　　He　then

walked　to　the　doorway；　passed　out；　and　seemed　to　melt　into　the

afternoon　shadows　of　the　hall。



He　never　again　entered　the　office　of　the　〃Excelsior　Magazine；〃

neither　was　any　further　contribution　ever　received　from　White

Violet。　　To　a　polite　entreaty　from　the　editor；　addressed　first　to

〃White　Violet〃　and　then　to　Mrs。　Delatour；　there　was　no　response。

The　thought　of　Mr。　Hamlin's　cynical　prophecy　disturbed　him；　but

that　gentleman；　preoccupied　in　filling　some　professional

engagements　in　Sacramento；　gave　him　no　chance　to　acquire　further

explanations　as　to　the　past　or　the　future。　　The　youthful　editor　was

at　first　in　despair　and　filled　with　a　vague　remorse　of　some

unfulfilled　duty。　　But；　to　his　surprise；　the　readers　of　the

magazine　seemed　to　survive　their　talented　contributor；　and　the

feverish　life　that　had　been　thrilled　by　her　song；　in　two　months　had

apparently　forgotten　her。　　Nor　was　her　voice　lifted　from　any　alien

quarter；　the　domestic　and　foreign　press　that　had　echoed　her　lays

seemed　to　respond　no　longer　to　her　utterance。



It　is　possible　that　some　readers　of　these　pages　may　remember　a

previous　chronicle　by　the　same　historian　wherein　it　was　recorded

that　the　volatile　spirit　of　Mr。　Hamlin；　slightly　assisted　by

circumstances；　passed　beyond　these　voices　at　the　Ranch　of　the

Blessed　Fisherman；　some　two　years　later。　　As　the　editor　stood

beside　the　body　of　his　friend　on　the　morning　of　the　funeral；　he

noticed　among　the　flowers　laid　upon　his　bier　by　loving　hands　a

wreath　of　white　violets。　　Touched　and　disturbed　by　a　memory　long

since　forgotten；　he　was　further　embarrassed；　as　the　cortege

dispersed　in　the　Mission　graveyard；　by　the　apparition　of　the　tall

figure　of　Mr。　James　Bowers　from　behind　a　monumental　column。　　The

editor　turned　to　him　quickly。



〃I　am　glad　to　see　you　here；〃　he　said；　awkwardly；　and　he　knew　not

why；　then；　after　a　pause；　〃I　trust　you　can　give　me　some　news　of

Mrs。　Delatour。　　I　wrote　to　her　nearly　two　years　ago；　but　had　no

response。〃



〃Thar's　bin　no　Mrs。　Delatour　for　two　years；〃　said　Mr。　Bowers；

contemplatively　stroking　his　beard；　〃and　mebbe　that's　why。　　She's

bin　for　two　years　Mrs。　Bowers。〃



〃I　congratulate　you；〃　said　the　editor；　〃but　I　hope　there　still

remains　a　White　Violet；　and　that；　for　the　sake　of　literature；　she

has　not　given　up〃



〃Mrs。　Bowers；〃　interrupted　Mr。　Bowers；　with　singular　deliberation；

〃found　that　makin'　po'try　and　tendin'　to　the　cares　of　a　growin'…up

famerly　was　irritatin'　to　the　narves。　　They　didn't　jibe；　so　to

speak。　　What　Mrs。　Bowers　wantedand　what；　po'try　or　no　po'try；

I've　bin　tryin'　to　give　herwas　Rest！　　She's　bin　havin'　it

comfor'bly　up　at　my　ranch　at　Mendocino；　with　her　children　and　me。

Yes；　sir〃his　eye　wandered　accidentally　to　the　new…made　grave

〃you'll　excuse　my　sayin'　it　to　a　man　in　your　profession；　but　it's

what　most　folks　will　find　is　a　heap　better　than　readin'　or　writin'

or　actin'　po'tryand　that's　Rest！〃









THE　CHATELAINE　OF　BURNT　RIDGE





CHAPTER　I





It　had　grown　dark　on　Burnt　Ridge。　　Seen　from　below；　the　whole

serrated　crest　that　had　glittered　in　the　sunset　as　if　its

interstices　were　eaten　by　consuming　fires；　now；　closed　up　its　ranks

of　blackened　shafts　and　became　again　harsh　and　sombre　chevaux　de

frise　against　the　sky。　　A　faint　glow　still　lingered　over　the　red

valley　road；　as　if　it　were　its　own　reflection；　rather　than　any

light　from　beyond　the　darkened　ridge。　　Night　was　already　creeping

up　out　of　remote　canyons　and　along　the　furrowed　flanks　of　the

mountain；　or　settling　on　the　nearer　woods　with　the　sound　of　home…

coming　and　innumerable　wings。　　At　a　point　where　the　road　began　to

encroach　upon　the　mountain…side　in　its　slow　winding　ascent　the

darkness　had　become　so　real　that　a　young　girl　cantering　along　the

rising　terrace　found　difficulty　in　guiding　her　horse；　with　eyes

still　dazzled　by　the　sunset　fires。



In　spite　of　her　precautions；　the　animal　suddenly　shied　at　some

object　in　the　obscured　roadway；　and　nearly　unseated　her。　　The

accident　disclosed　not　only　the　fact　that　she　was　riding　in　a　man's

saddle；　but　also　a　foot　and　ankle　that　her　ordinary　walking…dress

was　too　short　to　hide。　　It　was　evident　that　her　equestrian　exercise

was　extempore；　and　that　at　that　hour　and　on　that　road　she　had　not

expected　to　meet　company。　　But　she　was　apparently　a　good　horsewoman；

for　the　mischance　which　might　have　thrown　a　less　practical　or　more

timid　rider　seemed　of　little　moment　to　her。　　With　a　strong　hand　and

determined　gesture　she　wheeled　her　frightened　horse　back　into　the

track；　and　rode　him　directly　at　the　object。　But　here　she　herself

slightly　recoiled；　for　it　was　the　body　of　a　man　lying　in　the　road。



As　she　leaned　forward　over　her　horse's　shoulder；　she　could　see　by

the　dim　light　that　he　was　a　miner；　and　that；　though　motionless；　he

was　breathing　stertorously。　　Drunk；　no　doubt！an　accident　of　the

locality　alarming　only　to　her　horse。　　But　although　she　cantered

impatiently　forward；　she　had　not