whirligigs-第50节
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to get back to the old life to polo and lobsters and
theatres and balls。〃
〃Never cared much for balls；〃 said Teddy virtuously。
〃You're getting old； Teddy。 Your memory is failing。
Nobody ever knew you to miss a dance； unless it occurred
on the same night with another one which you attended。
And you showed such shocking bad taste； too； in dancing
too often with the same partner。 Let me see； what was
that Forbes girl's name the one with wall eyes
Mabel； wasn't it？〃
〃No； Ad閘e。 Mabel was the one with the bony
elbows。 That wasn't wall in Ad閘e's eyes。 It was soul。
We used to talk sonnets together； and Verlaine。 Just
then I was trying to run a pipe from the Pierian spring。〃
〃You were on the floor with her；〃 said Octavia； unde…
flected； 〃five times at the Hammersmiths'。〃
〃Hammersmiths' what？ 〃 questioned Teddy； vacuously。
〃Ball ball；〃 said Octavia； viciously。 〃What were
we talking of？〃
〃Eyes； I thought；〃 said Teddy； after some reflection；
〃and elbows。〃
〃Those Hammersmiths；〃 went on Octavia； in her
sweetest society prattle； after subduing an intense desire
to yank a handful of sunburnt； sandy hair from the head
lying back contentedly against the canvas of the steamer
chair； 〃had too much money。 Mines； wasn't it？ It was
something that paid something to the ton。 You couldn't
get a glass of plain water in their house。 Everything at
that ball was dreadfully overdone。〃
〃It was；〃 said Teddy。
〃Such a crowd there was！〃 Octavia continued； con…
scious that she was talking the rapid drivel of a school…
girl describing her first dance。 〃The balconies were as
warm as the rooms。 I lost something at that ball。〃
The last sentence was uttered in a tone calculated to
remove the barbs from miles of wire。
〃So did I；〃 confessed Teddy； in a lower voice。
〃A glove；〃 said Octavia； falling back as the enemy
approached her ditches。
〃Caste；〃 said Teddy； halting his firing line without
loss。 〃I hobnobbed； half the evening with one of
Hammersmith's miners； a fellow who kept his hands in
his pockets； and talked like an archangel about reduction
plants and drifts and levels and sluice…boxes。〃
〃A pearl…gray glove； nearly new；〃 sighed Octavia；
mournfully。
〃A bang…up chap； that McArdle；〃 maintained Teddy
approvingly。 〃 A man who hated olives and elevators；
a man who handled mountains as croquettes； and built
tunnels in the air； a man who never uttered a word
of silly nonsense in his life。 Did you sign those lease…
renewal applications yet； madama？ They've got to be
on file in the land office by the thirty…first。〃
Teddy turned his head lazily。 Octavia's chair was
vacant。
A certain centipede； crawling along the lines marked
out by fate； expounded the situation。 It was early one
morning while Octavia and Mrs。 Maclntyre were trim…
ming the honeysuckle on the west gallery。 Teddy had
risen and departed hastily before daylight in response
to word that a flock of ewes had been scattered from their
bedding ground during the night by a thunder…storm。
The centipede； driven by destiny； showed himself on
the floor of the gallery； and then； the screeches of the two
women giving him his cue； he scuttled with all his yellow
legs through the open door into the furthermost west
room； which was Teddy's。 Arming themselves with
domestic utensils selected with regard to their length；
Octavia and Mrs。 Maclntyre； with much clutching of
skirts and skirmishing for the position of rear guard in
the attacking force； followed。
Once outside； the centipede seemed to have disappeared；
and his prospective murderers began a thorough but
cautious search for their victim。
Even in the midst of such a dangerous and absorbing
adventure Octavia was conscious of an awed curiosity
on finding herself in Teddy's sanctum。 In that room
he sat alone； silently communing with those secret thoughts
that he now shared with no one； dreamed there whatever
dreams he now called on no one to interpret。
It was the room of a Spartan or a soldier。 In one
corner stood a wide； canvas…covered cot； in another； a
small bookcase； in another； a grim stand of Winchesters
and shotguns。 An immense table； strewn with letters；
papers and documents and surmounted by a set of pigeon…
holes； occupied one side。
The centipede showed genius in concealing himself
in such bare quarters。 Mrs。 Maclntyre was poking a
broom…handle behind the bookcase。 Octavia approached
Teddy's cot。 The room was just as the manager had left
it in his hurry。 The Mexican maid had not yet given it
her attention。 There was his big pillow with the imprint
of his head still in the centre。 She thought the horrid
beast might have climbed the cot and hidden itself to bite
Teddy。 Centipedes were thus cruel and vindictive
toward managers。
She cautiously overturned the pillow； and then parted
her lips to give the signal for reinforcements at sight of a
long； slender； dark object lying there。 But； repressing
it in time； she caught up a glove； a pearl…gray glove；
flattened it might be conceived by many； many
months of nightly pressure beneath the pillow of the man
who had forgotten the Hammersmiths' ball。 Teddy
must have left so hurriedly that morning that he had； for
once； forgotten to transfer it to its resting…place by day。
Even managers； who are notoriously wily and cunning；
are sometimes caught up with。
Octavia slid the gray glove into the bosom of her sum…
mery morning gown。 It was hers。 Men who put them…
selves within a strong barbed…wire fence； and remember
Hammersmith balls only by the talk of miners about sluice…
boxes； should not be allowed to possess such articles。
After all； what a paradise this prairie country was！
How it blossomed like the rose when you found things
that were thought to be lost！ How delicious was that
morning breeze coming in the windows； fresh and sweet
with the breath of the yellow ratama blooms！ Might one
not stand； for a minute； with shining； far…gazing eyes； and
dream that mistakes might be corrected？
Why was Mrs。 Maclntyre poking about so absurdly
with a broom？
〃I've found it；〃 said Mrs。 MacIntyre； banging the door。
〃Here it is。〃
〃Did you lose something？ asked Octavia； with sweetly
polite non…interest。
〃The little devil！〃 said Mrs。 Maclntyre； driven to
violence。 〃Ye've no forgotten him alretty？〃
Between them they slew the centipede。 Thus was he
rewarded for his agency toward the recovery of things
lost at the Hammersmiths' ball。
It seems that Teddy； in due course； remembered the
glove； and when he returned to the house at sunset made
a secret but exhaustive search for it。 Not until evening；
upon the moonlit eastern gallery； did he find it。 It was
upon the hand that he had thought lost to him forever；
and so he was moved to repeat certain nonsense that he
had been commanded never； never to utter again。 Teddy's
fences were down。
This time there was no ambition to stand in the way；
and the wooing was as natural and successful as should
be between ardent shepherd and gentle shepherdess。
The prairies changed to a garden。 The Rancho de las
Sombras became the Ranch of Light。
A few days later Octavia received a letter from Mr。
Bannister； in reply to one she had written to him asking
some questions about her business。 A portion of the
letter ran as follows：
〃I am at a loss to account for your references to the
sheep ranch。 Two months after your departure to take
up your residence upon it； it was discovered that Colonel
Beaupree's title was worthless。 A deed came to light
showing that he disposed of the property before his death。
The matter was reported to your manager； Mr。 Westlake；
who at once repurchad the property。 It is entirely
beyond my powers of conjecture to imagine how you have
remained in ignorance of this fact。 I beg you that will
at once confer with that gentleman； who will； at least；
corroborate my statement。〃
Octavia sought Teddy； with battle in her eye。
〃What are you working on this ranch for？〃 she asked
once more。
〃One hundred 〃 he began to repeat； but saw in her
face that she knew。 She held Mr。 Bannister's letter in
her hand。 He knew that the game was up。
〃It's my ranch；〃 said Teddy； like a schoolboy detected
in evil。 〃It's a mighty poor manager that isn't able to
absorb the boss's business if you give him time。〃
〃Why were you working down here？〃 pursued Octavia
still struggling after the key to the riddle of Teddy。
〃To tell the truth； 'Tave；〃 said Teddy； with quiet
candour； 〃it wasn't for the salary。 That about kept me
in cigars and sunburn lotions。 I was sent south by my
doctor。 'Twas that right lung that was going to the bad
on account of over…exercise and strain at polo and gym…
nastics。 I needed climate and ozone and rest and things
of that sort。〃
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