whirligigs-第41节

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〃I　will　see　it；〃　said　the　Comissioner。　　A　few　moments

later　he　went　to　the　draughtsmen's　room。



As　he　entered　he　saw　five　or　six　of　the　draughtsmen

grouped　about　Kampfer's　desk；　gargling　away　at　each

other　in　pectoral　German；　and　gazing　at　something　there…

upon。　　At　the　Commissioner's　approach　they　scattered

to　their　several　places。　　Kampfer；　a　wizened　little　Ger…

man；　with　long；　frizzled　ringlets　and　a　watery　eye；　began

to　stammer　forth　some　sort　of　an　apology；　the　Commis…

sioner　thought；　for　the　congregation　of　his　fellows　about

his　desk。



〃Never　mind；'　said　the　Commissioner；　〃I　wish　to

see　the　map　you　are　making〃；　and；　passing　around　the

old　German；　seated　himself　upon　the　high　draughtsman's

stool。　　Kampfer　continued　to　break　English　in　trving　to

explain。



〃Herr　Gommissioner；　I　assure　you　blenty　sat　I　haf

not　it　bremeditated　　sat　it　wass　　sat　it　itself　make。

Look　you！　　　from　se　field　notes　wass　it　blatted　　blease

to　observe　se　calls：　South；　10　degrees　west　050　varas；

south；　10　degrees　east　300　varas；　south；　100；　south；　9

west；　200；　south；　40　degrees　west　400　　and　so　on。

Herr　Gommissioner；　nefer　would　I　have　　〃



The　Commissioner　raised　one　white　hand；　silently；

Kampfer　dropped　his　pipe　and　fled。



With　a　hand　at　each　side　of　his　face；　and　his　elbows

resting　upon　the　desk；　the　Commissioner　sat　staring　at

the　map　which　was　spread　and　fastened　there　　staring

at　the　sweet　and　living　profile　of　little　Georgia　drawn

thereupon　　at　her　face；　pensive；　delicate；　and　infantile；

outlined　in　a　perfect　likeness。



When　his　mind　at　length　came　to　inquire　into　the　rea…

son　of　it；　he　saw　that　it　must　have　been；　as　Kampfer　had

said；　unpremeditated。　　The　old　draughtsman　had　been

platting　in　the　Elias　Denny　survey；　and　Georgia's　likeness；

striking　though　it　was；　was　formed　by　nothing　more　than

the　meanders　of　Chiquito　River。　　Indeed；　Kampfer's

blotter；　whereon　his　preliminary　work　was　done；　showed

the　laborious　tracings　of　the　calls　and　the　countless

pricks　of　the　compasses。　　Then；　over　his　faint　pencilling；

Kampfer　had　drawn　in　India　ink　with　a　full；　firm　pen　the

similitude　of　Chiquito　River；　and　forth　had　blossomed

mysteriously　the　dainty；　pathetic　profile　of　the　child。



The　Commissioner　sat　for　half　an　hour　with　his　face

in　his　hands；　gazing　downward；　and　none　dared　approach

him。　　Then　he　arose　and　walked　out。　　In　the　business

office　he　paused　long　enough　to　ask　that　the　Denny　file

be　brought　to　his　desk。



He　found　Hamlin　and　Avery　still　reclining　in　their

chairs；　apparently　oblivious　of　business。　　They　were

lazily　discussing　summer　opera；　it　being；　their　habit　

perhaps　their　pride　also　　to　appear　supernaturally

indifferent　whenever　they　stood　with　large　interests

imperilled。　　And　they　stood　to　win　more　on　this　stake

than　most　people　knew。　　They　possessed　inside　infor…

mation　to　the　effect　that　a　new　railroad　would；　within　a

year；　split　this　very　Chiquito　River　valley　and　send　land

values　ballooning　all　along　its　route。　　A　dollar　under

thirty　thousand　profit　on　this　location；　if　it　should　hold

good；　would　be　a　loss　to　their　expectations。　　So；　while

they　chatted　lightly　and　waited　for　the　Commissioner

to　open　the　subject；　there　was　a　quick；　sidelong　sparkle

in　their　eyes；　evincing　a　desire　to　read　their　title　clear

to　those　fair　acres　on　the　Chiquito。



A　clerk　brought　in　the　file。　　The　Commissioner　seated

himself　and　wrote　upon　it　in　red　ink。　　Then　he　rose　to

his　feet　and　stood　for　a　while　looking　straight　out　of　the

window。　　The　Land　Office　capped　the　summit　of　a　bold

hill。　　The　eyes　of　the　Commissioner　passed　over　the

roofs　of　many　houses　set　in　a　packing　of　deep　green；　the

whole　checkered　by　strips　of　blinding　white　streets。　　The

horizon；　where　his　gaze　was　focussed；　swelled　to　a　fair

wooded　eminence　flecked　with　faint　dots　of　shining　white。

There　was　the　cemetery；　where　lay　many　who　were　forgot…

ten；　and　a　few　who　had　not　lived　in　vain。　　And　one　lay

there；　occupying　very　small　space；　whose　childish　heart

had　been　large　enough　to　desire；　while　near　its　last　beats；

good　to　others。　　The　Commissioner's　lips　moved　slightly

as　he　whispered　to　himself：　〃It　was　her　last　will　and

testament；　and　I　have　neglected　it　so　long！〃



The　big　brown　cigars　of　Hamlin　and　Avery　were　fireless；

but　they　still　gripped　them　between　their　teeth　and　waited；

while　they　marvelled　at　the　absent　expression　upon　the

Commissioner's　face。



By　and　by　he　spoke　suddenly　and　promptly。



〃Gentlemen；　I　have　just　indorsed　the　Elias　Denny

survey　for　patenting。　　This　office　will　not　regard　your

location　upon　a　part　of　it　as　legal。〃　　He　paused　a　moment；

and　then；　extending　his　hand　as　those　dear　old…time　ones

used　to　do　in　debate；　he　enunciated　the　spirit　of　that

Ruling　that　subsequently　drove　the　land…sharks　to　the

wall；　and　placed　the　seal　of　peace　and　security　over　the

doors　of　ten　thousand　homes。



〃And；　furthermore；〃　he　continued；　with　a　clear；　soft

light　upon　his　face；　〃it　may　interest　you　to　know　that　from

this　time　on　this　office　will　consider　that　when　a　survey

of　land　made　by　virtue　of　a　certificate　granted　by　this

state　to　the　men　who　wrested　it　from　the　wilderness　and

the　savage　　made　in　good　faith；　settled　in　good　faith；

and　left　in　good　faith　to　their　children　or　innocent　pur…

chasers　　when　such　a　survey；　although　overrunning

its　complement；　shall　call　for　any　natural　object　visible

to　the　eye　of　man；　to　that　object　it　shall　hold；　and　be　good

and　valid。　　And　the　children　of　this　state　shall　lie　down　to

sleep　at　night；　and　rumours　of　disturbers　of　title　shall　not

disquiet　them。　　For；〃　concluded　the　Commissioner；

〃of　such　is　the　Kingdom　of　Heaven。〃



In　the　silence　that　followed；　a　laugh　floated　up　from

the　patent…room　below。　　The　man　who　carried　down　the

Denny　file　was　exhibiting　it　among　the　clerks。



〃Look　here；〃　he　said；　delightedly；　〃the　old　man　has

forgotten　his　name。　　He's　written　'Patent　to　original

grantee；'　and　signed　it　'Georgia　Summerfield；　Comr。〃'



The　speech　of　the　Commissioner　rebounded　lightly

from　the　impregnable　Hamlin　and　Avery。　　They　smiled；

rose　gracefully；　spoke　of　the　baseball　team；　and　argued

feelingly　that　quite　a　perceptible　breeze　had　Arisen　from

the　east。　　They　lit　fresh　fat　brown　cigars；　and　drifted

courteously　away。　　But　later　they　made　another　tiger…

spring　for　their　quarry　in　the　courts。　　But　the　courts；

according　to　reports　in　the　papers；　〃coolly　roasted

them〃　（a　remarkable　performance；　suggestive　of

liquid…air　didoes）；　and　sustained　the　Commissioner's

Ruling。



And　this　Ruling　itself　grew　to　be　a　Precedent；　and　the

Actual　Settler　framed　it；　and　taught　his　children　to　spell

from　it；　and　there　was　sound　sleep　o'　nights　from　the　pines

to　the　sage…brush；　and　from　the　chaparral　to　the　great

brown　river　of　the　north。



But　I　think；　and　I　am　sure　the　Commissioner　never

thought　otherwise；　that　whether　Kampfer　was　a　snuffy

old　instrument　of　destiny；　or　whether　the　meanders　of　the

Chiquito　accidentally　platted　themselves　into　that　memo…

rable　sweet　profile　or　not；　there　was　brought　about　〃some…

thing　good　for　a　whole　lot　of　children；〃　and　the　result

ought　to　be　called　〃Georgia's　Ruling。〃







　　　　　　　　　　　　　BLIND　MAN'S　HOLIDAY



Alas　for　the　man　and　for　the　artist　with　the　shifting

point　of　perspective！　　Life　shall　be　a　confusion　of　ways

to　the　one；　the　landscape　shall　rise　up　and　confound　the

other。　　Take　the　case　of　Lorison。　　At　one　time　he

appeared　to　himself　to　be　the　feeblest　of　fools；　at　another

he　conceived　that　he　followed　ideals　so　fine　that　the　world

was　not　yet　ready　to　accept　them。　　During　one　mood　he

cursed　his　folly；　possessed　by　the　other；　he　bore　himself

with　a　serene　grandeur　akin　to　greatness：　in　neither　did

he　attain　the　perspective。



Generations　before；　the　name　had　been　〃Larsen。〃

His　race　had　bequeathed　him　its　fine…strung；　melancholy

temperament；　its　saving　balance　of　thrift　and　industry。



From　his　point　of　perspective　he　saw　himself　an　outcast

from　society；　forever　to　be　a　shady　skulker　along　the

ragged　edge　of　respectability；　a　denizen　des　trois…quartz

de　monde；　that　pathetic　spheroid　lying　between　the　haut

and　the　demi；　whose　inhabitants　envy　each　of　their　neigh…

bours；　and　are　scorned　by　both。　　He　was　self…condemned

to　this　opinion；　as　he　was　self…exiled；　through　it；　to　this

quaint　Southern　city　a　thousand　miles　from　his　former

home。　　Here　he　had　dwelt　for　longer　than　a　year；　know…

ing　but　few；　keeping　in　a　subjective　world　of　shadows

which　was　invaded　at　times　by　the　perplexing　bulks　of

jarring　realities。　　Then　he　fell　in　love　with　a　girl　whom

he　met　in　a　cheap　restaurant；　and　his　story　begins。



The　Rue　Chartres；　in　New　Orleans；　is　a　street　of　ghosts。

It　lies　in　the　quarter　where　the　Frenchman；　in　his　prime；

set　up　his　translated　pride　and　glory；　where；　also；　the

arrogant　don　h