whirligigs-第24节

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The　trail　to　Hogback　Mountain　was　steep　and　flinty。



〃Ariela　Bilbro；〃　he　asked；　in　official　tones；　〃how

much　did　you　'low　would　be　good　and　sufficient　ali…money

in　the　case　befo'　the　co't。〃



〃I　'lowed；〃　she　answered；　〃fur　the　shoes　and　all；　to

say　five　dollars。　　That　ain't　much　fur　ali…money；　but

I　reckon　that'll　git　me　to　up　brother　Ed's。〃



〃The　amount；〃　said　the　Justice；　〃air　not　onreasonable。

Ransie　Bilbro；　you　air　ordered　by　the　co't　to　pay　the　plain…

tiff　the　sum　of　five　dollars　befo'　the　decree　of　divo'ce　air

issued。〃



〃I　hain't　no　mo'　money；〃　breathed　Ransie；　heavily。

〃I　done　paid　you　all　I　had。〃



〃Otherwise；〃　said　the　Justice；　looking　severely　over

his　spectacles；　〃you　air　in　contempt　of　co't。〃



〃I　reckon　if　you　gimme　till　to…morrow；〃　pleaded　the

husband；　〃I　mout　be　able　to　rake　or　scrape　it　up

somewhars。　　I　never　looked　for　to　be　a…payin'　no　ali…

money。〃



〃The　case　air　adjourned；〃　said　Benaja　Widdup；　〃till

to…morrow；　when　you…all　will　present　yo'selves　and　obey

the　order　of　the　co't。　　Followin'　of　which　the　decrees

of　divo'ce　will　be　delivered。〃　　He　sat　down　in　the　door

and　began　to　loosen　a　shoestring。



〃We　mout　as　well　go　down　to　Uncle　Ziah's；〃　decided

Ransie；　〃and　spend　the　night。〃　　He　climbed　into　the

cart　on　one　side；　and　Ariela　climbed　in　on　the　other。

Obeying　the　flap　of　his　rope；　the　little　red　bull　slowly

came　around　on　a　tack；　and　the　cart　crawled　away　in　the

nimbus　arising　from　its　wheels。



Justice…of…the…peace　Benaja　Widdup　smoked　his　elder…

stem　pipe。　　Late　in　the　afternoon　he　got　his　weekly　paper；

and　read　it　until　the　twilight　dimmed　its　lines。　　Then

he　lit　the　tallow　candle　on　his　table；　and　read　until　the

moon　rose；　marking　the　time　for　supper。　　He　lived　in

the　double　log　cabin　on　the　slope　near　the　girdled　poplar。

Going　home　to　supper　he　crossed　a　little　branch　darkened

by　a　laurel　thicket。　　The　dark　figure　of　a　man　stepped

from　the　laurels　and　pointed　a　rifle　at　his　breast。　　His

hat　was　pulled　down　low；　and　something　covered　most　of

his　face。



〃I　want　yo'　money；〃　said　the　figure；　〃'thout　any　talk。

I'm　gettin'　nervous；　and　my　finger's　a…wabblin'　on　this

here　trigger。〃



〃I've　only　got　f…f…five　dollars；〃　said　the　Justice；　pro…

ducing　it　from　his　vest　pocket。



〃Roll　it　up；〃　came　the　order；　〃and　stick　it　in　the　end

of　this　here　gun…bar'l。〃



The　bill　was　crisp　and　new。　　Even　fingers　that　were

clumsy　and　trembling　found　little　difficulty　in　making

a　spill　of　it　and　inserting　it　（this　with　less　ease）　into　the

muzzle　of　the　rifle。



〃Now　I　reckon　you　kin　be　goin'　along；〃　said　the　robber。



The　Justice　lingered　not　on　his　way。



The　next　day　came　the　little　red　bull；　drawing　the　cart

to　the　office　door。　　Justice　Benaja　Widdup　had　his　shoes

on；　for　he　was　expecting　the　visit。　　In　his　presence　Ransie

Bilbro　handed　to　his　wife　a　five…dollar　bill。　　The　official's

eye　sharply　viewed　it。　　It　seemed　to　curl　up　as　though　it

had　been　rolled　and　inserted　into　the　end　of　a　gun…barrel。

But　the　Justice　refrained　from　comment。　　It　is　true　that

other　bills　might　be　inclined　to　curl。　　He　handed　each

one　a　decree　of　divorce。　　Each　stood　awkwardly　silent；

slowly　folding　the　guarantee　of　freedom。　　The　woman

cast　a　shy　glance　full　of　constraint　at　Ransie。



〃I　reckon　you'll　be　goin'　back　up　to　the　cabin；〃　she　said；

along　'ith　the　bull…cart。　　There's　bread　in　the　tin　box

settin'　on　the　shelf。　　I　put　the　bacon　in　the　b'ilin'…pot

to　keep　the　hounds　from　gittin'　it。　　Don't　forget　to　wind

the　clock　to…night。〃



〃You　air　a…goin'　to　your　brother　Ed's？〃　　asked　Ransie；

with　fine　unconcern。



〃I　was　'lowin'　to　get　along　up　thar　afore　night。　　I

ain't　sayin'　as　they'll　pester　theyselves　any　to　make　me

welcome；　but　I　hain't　nowhar　else　fur　to　go。　　It's　a　right

smart　ways；　and　I　reckon　I　better　be　goin'。　　I'll　be　a…sayin'

good…bye；　Ranse　…　that　is；　if　you　keer　fur　to　say　so。〃



〃I　don't　know　as　anybody's　a　hound　dog；〃　said　Ransie；

in　a　martyr's　voice；　〃fur　to　not　want　to　say　good…bye　

'less　you　air　so　anxious　to　git　away　that　you　don't　want

me　to　say　it。〃



Ariela　was　silent。　　She　folded　the　five…dollar　bill　and

her　decree　carefully；　and　placed　them　in　the　bosom　of

her　dress。　　Benaja　Widdup　watched　the　money　disappear

with　mournful　eyes　behind　his　spectacles。



And　then　with　his　next　words　he　achieved　rank　（as

his　thoughts　ran）　with　either　the　great　crowd　of　the　world's

sympathizers　or　the　little　crowd　of　its　great　financiers。



〃Be　kind　o'　lonesome　in　the　old　cabin　to…night；　Ranse；〃

he　said。



Ransie　Bilbro　stared　out　at　the　Cumberlands；　clear

blue　now　in　the　sunlight。　　He　did　not　look　at　Ariela。



〃I　'low　it　might　be　lonesome；〃　he　said；　〃but　when

folks　gits　mad　and　wants　a　divo'ce；　you　can't　make　folks

stay。〃



〃There's　others　wanted　a　divo'ce；〃　said　Ariela；　speaking

to　the　wooden　stool。　　〃Besides；　nobody　don't　want　no…

body　to　stay。〃



〃Nobody　never　said　they　didn't。〃



〃Nobody　never　said　they　did。　　I　reckon　I　better

start　on　now　to　brother　Ed's。〃



〃Nobody　can't　wind　that　old　clock。〃



〃Want　me　to　go　back　along　'ith　you　in　the　cart　and

wind　it　fur　you；　Ranse？〃



The　mountaineer's　countenance　was　proof　against

emotion。　　But　he　reached　out　a　big　hand　and　enclosed

Ariela's　thin　brown　one。　　Her　soul　peeped　out　once

through　her　impassive　face；　hallowing　it。



〃Them　hounds　shan't　pester　you　no　more；〃　said

Ransie。　　〃I　reckon　I　been　mean　and　low　down。　　You

wind　that　clock；　Ariela。〃



〃My　heart　hit's　in　that　cabin；　Ranse；〃　she　whispered；

〃along　'ith　you。　　I　ai'nt　a…goin'　to　git　mad　no　more。　　Le's

be　startin'；　Ranse；　so's　we　kin　git　home　by　sundown。〃

Justice…of…the…peace　Benaja　Widdup　interposed　as　they

started　for　the　door；　forgetting　his　presence。



〃In　the　name　of　the　State　of　Tennessee；〃　he　said；　〃I

forbid　you…all　to　be　a…defyin'　of　its　laws　and　statutes。

This　co't　is　mo'　than　willin'　and　full　of　joy　to　see　the

clouds　of　discord　and　misunderstandin'　rollin'　away

from　two　lovin'　hearts；　but　it　air　the　duty　of　the　co't　to

p'eserve　the　morals　and　integrity　of　the　State。　　The　co't

reminds　you　that　you　air　no　longer　man　and　wife；　but　air

divo'ced　by　regular　decree；　and　as　such　air　not　entitled

to　the　benefits　and　'purtenances　of　the　mattermonal

estate。〃



Ariela　caught　Ransie's　arm。　　Did　those　words　mean

that　she　must　lose　him　now　when　they　had　just　learned

the　lesson　of　life？



〃But　the　co't　air　prepared；〃　went　on　the　Justice；　〃fur

to　remove　the　disabilities　set　up　by　the　decree　of　divo'ce。

The　co't　air　on　hand　to　perform　the　solemn　ceremony

of　marri'ge；　thus　fixin'　things　up　and　enablin'　the　parties

in　the　case　to　resume　the　honour'ble　and　elevatin'　state

of　mattermony　which　they　desires。　　The　fee　fur　per…

formin'　said　ceremony　will　be；　in　this　case；　to　wit；　five

dollars。〃



Aricla　caught　the　gleam　of　promise　in　his　words。

Swiftly　her　hand　went　to　her　bosom。　　Freely　as　an

alighting　dove　the　bill　fluttered　to　the　Justice's　table。

Her　sallow　cheek　coloured　as　she　stood　hand　in　hand

with　Ransie　and　listened　to　the　reuniting　words。



Ransie　helped　her　into　the　cart；　and　climbed　in　beside

her。　　The　little　red　bull　turned　once　more；　and　they

set　out；　hand…clasped；　for　the　mountains。



Justice…of…the…peace　Benaja　Widdup　sat　in　his　door

and　took　off　his　shoes。　　Once　again　he　fingered　the　bill

tucked　down　in　his　vest　pocket。　　Once　again　he　smoked

his　elder…stem　pipe。　　Once　again　the　speck…led　hen　swag…

gered　down　the　main　street　of　the　〃settlement；〃　cackling

foolishly。







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　A　SACRIFICE　HIT



The　editor　of　the　Hearthstone　Magazine　his　own

ideas　about　the　selection　of　manuscript　for　his　publication。

His　theory　is　no　secret；　in　fact；　he　will　expound　it　to　you

willingly　sitting　at　his　mahogany　desk；　smiling　benignantly

and　tapping　his　knee　gently　with　his　gold…rimmed　eye…

glasses。



〃The　Hearthstone；〃　he　will　say；　〃does　not　employ　a

staff　of　readers。　　We　obtain　opinions　of　the　manuscripts

submitted　to　us　directly　from　types　of　the　various　classes

of　our　readers。〃



That　is　the　editor's　theory；　and　this　is　the　way　he　carries

it　out：



When　a　batch　of　MSS。　is　received　the　editor　stuffs

every　one　of　his　pockets　full　of　them　and　distributes

them　as　he　goes　about　during　the　day。　　The　office

employees；　the　hall　porter；　the　janitor；　the　elevator　man；

messenger　boys；　the　waiters　at　the　caf？where　the　editor

has　luncheon；　the　man　at　the　news…stand　where　he　buys

his　evening　paper；　the　grocer　and　milkman；　the　guard

on　the　5。30　uptown　elevated　train；　the　ticket…chopper　at

Sixty　th　street；　the　cook　and　maid　at　his　home　

these　are　the　readers　who　pass　upon　MSS。　sent　in　to　the

Hearthstone　Magazine。　　If　his　pockets　are　not　entirely

emptied　by　the　time　he　reaches　the　bosom　of　his　family

the　remaining　ones　are　handed　over　to　his　wife　to　read

after　t