sally dows-第29节

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indignation　or　protest。　　That　night；　however；　it　seemed　as　if　the
events　for　which　the　Committee　was　waiting　were　really　impending。
The　adult　female　population　of　Buckeye　consisted　of　seven
womenwives　of　miners。　　That　they　would　submit　tamely　to　the
introduction　of　a　young；　pretty；　and　presumably　dangerous　member　of
their　own　sex　was　not　to　be　supposed。　　But　whatever　protest　they
made　did　not　pass　beyond　their　conjugal　seclusion；　and　was
apparently　not　supported　by　their　husbands。　　Two　or　three　of　them；
under　the　pretext　of　sympathy　of　sex；　secured　interviews　with　the
fair　intruder；　the　result　of　which　was　not；　however；　generally
known。　　But　a　few　days　later　Mrs。　〃Bob〃　Carpentera　somewhat
brick…dusty　blondewas　observed　wearing　some　black　netting　and　a
heavily　flounced　skirt；　and　Mrs。　Shuttleworth　in　her　next　visit　to
Fiddletown　wore　her　Paisley　shawl　affixed　to　her　chestnut　hair　by　a
bunch　of　dog…roses；　and　wrapped　like　a　plaid　around　her　waist。　　The
seven　ladies　of　Buckeye；　who　had　never　before　met；　except　on
domestic　errands　to　each　other's　houses　or　on　Sunday　attendance　at
the　〃First　Methodist　Church〃　at　Fiddletown；　now　took　to　walking
together；　or　in　their　husbands'　company；　along　the　upper　bank　of　the
riverthe　one　boulevard　of　Buckeye。　　The　third　day　after　Miss
Mendez'　arrival　they　felt　the　necessity　of　immediate　shopping
expeditions　to　Fiddletown。　　This　operation　had　hitherto　been
confined　to　certain　periods；　and　restricted　to　the　laying　in　of
stores　of　rough　household　stuffs；　but　it　now　apparently　included　a
wider　range　and　more　ostentatious　quality。　　Parks'　Emporium　no
longer　satisfied　them；　and　this　unexpected　phase　of　the　situation
was　practically　brought　home　to　the　proprietor　in　the　necessity　of
extending　the　more　inoffensive　and　peaceful　part　of　his　stock。　　And
when；　towards　the　end　of　the　week；　a　cartload　of　pretty　fixtures；
mirrors；　and　furniture　arrived　at　the　tienda；　there　was　a　renewed
demand　at　the　Emporium　for　articles　not　in　stock；　and　the　consequent
diverting　of　custom　to　Fiddletown。　　Buckeye　found　itself　face　to
face　with　a　hitherto　undreamt　of　and　preposterous　proposition。　　It
seemed　that　the　advent　of　the　strange　woman；　without　having　yet
produced　any　appreciable　effect　upon　the　men；　had　already
insidiously　inveigled　the　adult　female　population　into　ostentatious
extravagance。

At　the　end　of　a　week　the　little　adobe　house　was　not　only　rendered
habitable；　but　was　even　made　picturesque　by　clean　white　curtains　at
its　barred　windows；　and　some　bright；　half…Moorish　coloring　of　beams
and　rafters。　　Nearly　the　whole　ground　floor　was　given　up　to　the
saloon　of　the　tienda；　which　consisted　of　a　small　counter　at　one
side；　containing　bottles　and　glasses；　and　another；　flanking　it；
with　glass　cases；　containing　cigars；　pipes；　and　tobacco；　while　the
centre　of　the　room　was　given　up　to　four　or　five　small　restaurant
tables。　　The　staff　of　Jovita　was　no　longer　limited　to　Sanchicha；
but　had　been　augmented　by　a　little　old　man　of　indefinite　antiquity
who　resembled　an　Aztec　idol；　and　an　equally　old　Mexican；　who　looked
not　unlike　a　brown…tinted　and　veined　tobacco　leaf　himself；　and
might　have　stood　for　a　sign。　　But　the　genius　of　the　place；　its
omnipresent　and　all…pervading　goddess；　was　Jovita！　　Smiling；
joyous；　indefatigable　in　suavity　and　attention；　all…embracing　in
her　courtesies；　frank　of　speech　and　eye；　quick　at　repartee　and
deftly　handling　the　slang　of　the　day　and　the　locality　with　a
childlike　appreciation　and　an　infantine　accent　that　seemed　to
redeem　it　from　vulgarity　or　unfeminine　boldness！　　Few　could　resist
the　volatile　infection　of　her　presence。　　A　smile　was　the　only
tribute　she　exacted；　and　good…humor　the　rule　laid　down　for　her
guests。　　If　it　occasionally　required　some　mental　agility　to　respond
to　her　banter；　a　Californian　gathering　was；　however；　seldom　lacking
in　humor。　　Yet　she　was　always　the　principal　performer　to　an
admiring　audience。　　Perhaps　there　was　security　in　this　multitude
of　admirers；　perhaps　there　was　a　saving　grace　in　this　humorous
trifling。　　The　passions　are　apt　to　be　serious　and　solitary；　and
Jovita　evaded　them　with　a　jest；which；　if　not　always　delicate　or
witty；　was　effective　in　securing　the　laughter　of　the　majority　and
the　jealousy　of　none。

At　the　end　of　the　week　another　peculiarity　was　noticed。　　There　was
a　perceptible　increase　of　the　Mexican　population；　who　had　always
hitherto　avoided　Buckeye。　　On　Sunday　an　Irish　priest　from　El　Pasto
said　mass　in　a　patched…up　corner　of　the　old　Mission　ruin　opposite
Rollinson's　Ford。　　A　few　lounging　〃Excelsior〃　boys　were　equally
astonished　to　see　Jovita's　red　rose　crest　and　black　mantilla　glide
by；　and　followed　her　unvarying　smile　and　jesting　salutation　up　to
the　shadow　of　the　crumbling　portal。　　At　vespers　nearly　all　Buckeye；
hitherto　virtuously　skeptical　and　good…humoredly　secure　in　Works
without　Faith；　made　a　point　of　attending；　it　was　alleged　by　some　to
see　if　Jovita's　glossy　Indian…inky　eyes　would　suffer　aberration　in
her　devotions。　　But　the　rose…crested　head　was　never　lifted　from　the
well…worn　prayer…book　or　the　brown　hands　which　held　a　certain　poor
little　cheap　rosary　like　a　child's　string　of　battered　copper　coins。
Buckeye　lounged　by　the　wall　through　the　service　with　respectful
tolerance　and　uneasy　shifting　legs；　and　came　away。　　But　the
apparently　simple　event　did　not　end　there。　　It　was　unconsciously
charged　with　a　tremendous　import　to　the　settlement。　　For　it　was
discovered　the　next　day　by　Mrs。　〃Bob〃　Carpenter　and　Nan
Shuttleworth　that　the　Methodist　Church　at　Fiddletown　was　too　far
away；　and　Buckeye　ought　to　have　a　preacher　of　its　own。　　Seats　were
fitted　up　in　the　loft　of　Carpenter's　store…house；　where　the
Reverend　Henry　McCorkle　held　divine　service；　and　instituted　a　Bible
class。　　At　the　end　of　two　weeks　it　appeared　that　Jovita's　invasion
which　was　to　bring　dissipation　and　ruin　to　Buckeyehad　indirectly
brought　two　churches！　　A　chilling　doubt　like　a　cold　mist　settled
along　the　river。　　As　the　two　rival　processions　passed　on　the　third
Sunday；　Jo　Bateman；　who　had　been　in　the　habit　of　reclining　on　that
day　in　his　shirtsleeves　under　a　tree；　with　a　novel　in　his　hand；
looked　gloomily　after　them。　　Then　knocking　the　ashes　from　his　pipe；
he　rose；　shook　hands　with　his　partners；　said　apologetically　that　he
had　lately　got　into　the　habit　of　RESPECTING　THE　SABBATH；　and　was
too　old　to　change　again；　and　so　shook　the　red　dust　of　Buckeye　from
his　feet　and　departed。

As　yet　there　had　not　been　the　slightest　evidence　of　disorderly
conduct　on　the　part　of　the　fair　proprietress　of　the　tienda；　nor　her
customers；　nor　any　drunkenness　or　riotous　disturbance　that　could
be　at　all　attributed　to　her　presence。　　There　was；　it　is　true；
considerable　hilarity；　smoking；　and　some　gambling　there　until　a
late　hour；　but　this　could　not　be　said　to　interfere　with　the　rest
and　comfort　of　other　people。　　A　clue　to　the　mystery　of　so
extraordinary　a　propriety　was　given　by　Jovita　herself。　　One　day　she
walked　into　Parks'　Emporium　and　demanded　an　interview　with　the
proprietor。

〃You　have　made　the　rules　for　thees　Booki？〃

〃Yesthat　isI　and　my　friends　have。〃

〃And　when　one　shall　not　have　mind　the　rulewhen　one　have　say；　'No！
damn　the　rule；'　what　shall　you　make　to　him？　　Shall　you　aprison
him？〃

Mr。　Parks　hastened　to　say　with　a　superior；　yet　engaging　smile　that
it　never　had　been　necessary；　as　the　rules　were　obligatory　upon　the
honor　and　consent　of　alland　were　never　broken。　　〃Except；〃　he
added；　still　more　engagingly；　〃she　would　remember；　in　her　case
with　their　consent。〃

〃And　your　caballeros　break　not　the　rules？〃

〃No。〃

〃Then　they　shall　not　break　the　rules　of　meat　MY　TIENDA！　　Look！　I
have　made　the　rule　that　I　shall　not　have　a　caballero　drunk　at　my
house；　I　have　made　the　rule　that　I　shall　not　sell　him　the
aguardiente　when　he　have　too　mooch。　　I　have　made　the　rule　that　when
he　gamble　too　mooch；　when　he　put　up　too　mooch　money；　I　say　'No！'　　I
will　not　that　he　shall！　　I　make　one　more　rule：　that　he　shall　not
quarrel　nor　fight　in　my　house。　　When　he　quarrel　and　fight；　I　say
'Go！　　Vamos！　　Get　out！'〃

〃And　very　good　rules　they　are　too；　Miss　Mendez。〃

Jovita　fixed　her　shining　black　eyes　on　the　smiling　Parks。　　〃And
when　he　say；　'No；　nevarre；　damn　the　rules！'　　When　he　come　drunk；
remain　drunk；　play　high　and　fight；　YOU　will　not　poonish　him？　YOU
will　not　take　him　out？〃

〃Well；　you　see；　the　fact　is；　I　have　not　the　power。〃

〃Are　you　not　the　Alcalde？〃

〃No。　　There　is　a　Justice　of　the　Peace　at　Fiddletown；　but　even　he
could　do　nothing　to　enforce　your　rules。　　But　if　anything　should
happen；　you　can　make　a　complaint　to　him。〃

〃Bueno。　　You　have　not　the　power；　I　have。　　I　make　not　the　complaint
to　Fiddletown。　　I　make　the　complaint　to　Jose　Perez；　to　Manuel；　to
Antonio；　to　Sanchichashe　is　a　strong　one！　　I　say　'Chook　him　out。'
They　chook　him　out！　they　remove　him！　　He　does　not　r…r…remain。
Enough。　　Bueno。　　Gracias；　senor；　good…a…by！〃

She　was　gone。　　For　the　next　four　days　Parks　was　in　a　state　of　some
anxietybut　it　appeared　unnecessarily　so。　　Whether　the　interview
had　become　known　along　the　river　did　not　transpire；　but　there
seemed　to　be　no　reason　for　Miss　Mendez　to　enforce　her　rules。　　It
was　said　that　onc