whirligigs-第47节

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Fortune　because　you've；　lost　the　game？〃　She　turned

the　pages　of　the　paper　calmly。　〃'Stock　market'　　no

use　for　that。　'Society's　doings'　　that's　done。　Here　is

my　page　　the　wish　column。　A　Van　Dresser　could　not

be　said　to　'want'　for　anything；　of　course。　'Chamber…

maids；　cooks；　canvassers；　stenographers…〃



〃Dear；〃　said　Aunt　Ellen；　with　a　little　tremor　in　her

voice；　〃please　do　not　talk　in　that　way。　Even　if　your

affairs　are　in　so　unfortunate　a　condition；　there　is　my　three

thousand　　〃



Octavia　sprang　up　lithely；　and　deposited　a　smart　kiss

on　the　delicate　cheek　of　the　prim　little　elderly　maid。



〃Blessed　auntie；　your　three　thousand　is　just　sufficient

to　insure　your　Hyson　to　be　free　from　willow　leaves　and

keep　the　Persian　in　sterilized　cream。　I　know　I'd　be

welcome；　but　I　prefer　to　strike　bottom　like　Beelzebub

rather　than　hang　around　like　the　Peri　listening　to　the

music　from　the　side　entrance。　I'm　going　to　earn　my　own

living。　There's　nothing　else　to　do。　I'm　a　　Oh；　oh；　oh！

　I　had　forgotten。　There's　one　thing　saved　from　the

wreck。　It's　a　corral　　no；　a　ranch　in　　let　me　see　

Texas：　an　asset；　dear　old　Mr。　Bannister　called　it。　How

pleased　he　was　to　show　me　something　he　could　describe

as　unencumbered！　I've　a　description　of　it　among　those

stupid　papers　he　made　me　bring　away　with　me　from　his

office。　I'll　try　to　find　it。〃



Octavia　found　her　shopping…bag；　and　drew　from　it　a

long　envelope　filled　with　typewritten　documents。



〃A　ranch　in　Texas；〃　sighed　Aunt　Ellen。　〃It　sounds

to　me　more　like　a　liability　than　an　asset。　Those　are　the

places　where　the　centipedes　are　found；　and　cowboys；

and　fandangos。〃



〃'The　Rancho　de　las　Sombras；'〃　read　Octavia　from

a　sheet　of　violently　purple　typewriting　〃'is　situated　one

hundred　and　ten　miles　southeast　of　San　Antonio；　and

thirty…eight　miles　from　its　nearest　railroad　station；　Nopal；

on　the　I。　and　G。　N。　Ranch；　consists　of　7；680　acres　of　well…

watered　land；　with　title　conferred　by　State　patents；　and

twenty…two　sections；　or　14；080　acres；　partly　under　yearly

running　lease　and　partly　bought　under　State's　twenty…

year…purchase　act。　Eight　thousand　graded　merino　sheep；

with　the　necessary　equipment　of　horses；　vehicles　and

general　ranch　paraphernalia。　Ranch…house　built　of

brick；　with　six　rooms　comfortably　furnished　according　to

the　requirements　of　the　climate。　All　within　a　strong

barbed…wire　fence。



〃'The　present　ranch　manager　seems　to　be　competent

and　reliable；　and　is　rapidly　placing　upon　a　paying　basis

a　business　that；　in　other　hands；　had　been　allowed　to　suffer

from　neglect　and　misconduct。



〃'This　property　was　secured　by　Colonel　Beaupree　in　a

deal　with　a　Western　irrigation　syndicate；　and　the　title

to　it　seems　to　be　perfect。　With　careful　management　and

the　natural　increase　of　land　values；　it　ought　to　be　made

the　foundation　for　a　comfortable　fortune　for　its　owner。'〃



When　Octavia　ceased　reading；　Aunt　Ellen　uttered

something　as　near　a　sniff　as　her　breeding　permitted。



〃The　prospectus；〃　she　said；　with　uncompromising

metropolitan　suspicion；　〃doesn't　mention　the　centipedes；

or　the　Indians。　And　you　never　did　like　mutton；　Octavia。

I　don't　see　what　advantage　you　can　derive　from　this　

desert。〃



But　Octavia　was　in　a　trance。　Her　eyes　were　steadily

regarding　something　quite　beyond　their　focus。　Her　lips

were　parted；　and　her　face　was　lighted　by　the　kindling

furor　of　the　explorer；　the　ardent；　stirring　disquiet　of　the

adventurer。　Suddenly　she　clasped　her　hands　together

exultantly。



〃The　problem　solves　itself；　auntie；〃　she　cried。　〃I'm

going　to　that　ranch。　I'm　going　to　live　on　it。　I'm

going　to　learn　to　like　mutton；　and　even　concede　the　good

qualities　of　centipedes　　at　a　respectful　distance。　It's

just　what　I　need。　It's　a　new　life　that　comes　when　my　old

one　is　just　ending。　It's　a　release；　auntie；　it　isn't　a　narrow…

ing。　Think　of　the　gallops　over　those　leagues　of　prairies；

with　the　wind　tugging　at　the　roots　of　your　hair；　the　com…

ing　close　to　the　earth　and　learning　over　again　the　stories

of　the　growing　grass　and　the　little　wild　flowers　without

names！　Glorious　is　what　it　will　be。　Shall　I　be　a

shepherdess　with　a　Watteau　hat；　and　a　crook　to　keep　the

bad　wolves　from　the　lambs；　or　a　typical　Western　ranch

girl；　with　short　hair；　like　the　pictures　of　her　in　the　Sunday

papers？　I　think　the　latter。　And　they'll　have　my　picture；

too；　with　the　wild…cats　I've　slain；　single…handed；　hanging

from　my　saddle　horn。　'From　the　Four　Hundred　to　the

Flocks'　is　the　way　they'll　headline　it；　and　they'll　print

photographs　of　the　old　Van　Dresser　mansion　and　the

church　where　I　was　married。　They　won't　have　my

picture；　but　they'll　get　an　artist　to　draw　it。　I'll　be　wild

and　woolly；　and　I'll　grow　my　own　wool。〃



〃Octavia！〃　　Aunt　Ellen　condensed　into　the　one　word

all　the　protests　she　was　unable　to　utter。



〃Don't　say　a　word；　auntie。　I'm　going。　I'll　see　the

sky　at　night　fit　down　on　the　world　like　a　big　butter…dish

cover；　and　I'll　make　friends　again　with　the　stars　that　I

haven't　had　a　chat　with　since　I　was　a　wee　child。　I　wish

to　go。　I'm　tired　of　all　this。　I'm　glad　I　haven't　any

money。　I　could　bless　Colonel　Beaupree　for　that　ranch；

and　forgive　him　for　all　his　bubbles。　What　if　the　life　will

be　rough　and　lonely！　I　　I　deserve　it。　I　shut　my　heart

to　everything　except　that　miserable　ambition。　I　　oh；

I　wish　to　go　away；　and　forget　　forget！〃



Octavia　swerved　suddenly　to　her　knees；　laid　her　flushed

face　in　her　aunt's　lap；　and　shook　with　turbulent　sobs。



Aunt　Ellen　bent　over　her；　and　smoothed　the　coppery…

brown　hair。



〃I　didn't　know；〃　she　said；　gently；　〃I　didn't　know　

that。　Who　was　it；　dear？



When　Mrs。　Octavia　Beaupree；　n閑　Van　Dresser；

stepped　from　the　train　at　Nopal；　her　manner　lost；　for　the

moment；　some　of　that　easy　certitude　which　had　always

marked　her　movements。　The　town　was　of　recent　estab…

lishment；　and　seemed　to　have　been　hastily　constructed　of

undressed　lumber　and　flapping　canvas。　The　element

that　had　congregated　about　the　station；　though　not

offensively　demonstrative；　was　clearly　composed　of　citizens

accustomed　to　and　prepared　for　rude　alarms。



Octavia　stood　on　the　platform；　against　the　telegraph

office；　and　attempted　to　choose　by　intuition　from　the

swaggering；　straggling　string；　of　loungers；　the　manager

of　the　Rancho　de　las　Sombras；　who　had　been　instructed

by　Mr。　Bannister　to　meet　her　there。　That　tall；　serious；

looking；　elderly　man　in　the　blue　flannel　shirt　and　white

tie　she　thought　must　be　he。　But；　no；　he　passed　by；

removing　his　gaze　from　the　lady　as　hers　rested　on　him；

according　to　the　Southern　custom。　The　manager；　she

thought；　with　some　impatience　at　being　kept　waiting；

should　have　no　difficulty　in　selecting　her。　Young　women

wearing　the　most　recent　thing　in　ash…coloured　travelling

suits　were　not　so　plentiful　in　Nopal！



Thus　keeping　a　speculative　watch　on　all　persons　of

possible　managerial　aspect；　Octavia；　with　a　catching

breath　and　a　start　of　surprise；　suddenly　became　aware　of

Teddy　Westlake　hurrying　along　the　platform　in　the

direction　of　the　train　　of　Teddy　Westlake　or　his　sun…

browned　ghost　in　cheviot；　boots　and　leather…girdled　hat

　Theodore　Westlake；　Jr。；　amateur　polo　（almost）

champion；　all…round　butterfly　and　cumberer　of　the　soil；

but　a　broader；　surer；　more　emphasized　and　determined

Teddy　than　the　one　she　had　known　a　year　ago　when　last

she　saw　him。



He　perceived　Octavia　at　almost　the　same　time；　deflected

his　course；　and　steered　for　her　in　his　old；　straightforward

way。　Something　like　awe　came　upon　her　as　the　strange…

ness　of　his　metamorphosis　was　brought　into　closer　range；

the　rich；　red…brown　of　his　complexion　brought　out　so

vividly　his　straw…coloured　mustache　and　steel…gray　eyes。

He　seemed　more　grown…up；　and；　somehow；　farther　away。

But；　when　he　spoke；　the　old；　boyish　Teddy　came　back

again。　They　had　been　friends　from　childhood。



〃Why；　'Tave！〃　he　exclaimed；　unable　to　reduce

his　perplexity　to　coherence。　〃　How　　what　　when　

where？〃



〃Train；〃　said　Octavia；　〃necessity；　ten　minutes　ago；

home。　Your　complexion's　gone；　Teddy。　Now；　how　

what　　when　　where？〃



〃I'm　working　down　here；〃　said　Teddy。　He　cast　side

glances　about　the　station　as　one　does　who　tries　to　combine

politeness　with　duty。



〃You　didn't　notice　on　the　train；〃　he　asked；　〃an　old

lady　with　gray　curls　and　a　poodle；　who　occupied　two

seats　with　her　bundles　and　quarrelled　with　the　conductor；

did　you？〃



〃I　think　not；〃　answered　Octavia；　reflecting。　〃And

you　haven't；　by　any　chance；　noticed　a　big；　gray…mustached

man　in　a　blue　shirt　and　six…shooters；　with　little　flakes　of

merino　wool　sticking　in　his　hair；　have　you？〃



〃Lots　of　'em；〃　said　Teddy；　with　symptoms　of　mental

delirium　under　the　strain。　Do　you　happen　to　know　any

such　individual？〃



〃No；　the　description　is　imaginary。　Is　your　interest

in　the　old　lady　whom　you　describe　a　personal　one？〃



〃Never　saw　her　in　my　life