stories by modern american authors-第15节

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helping　youI；　who　know　her　so　well。〃



Mason's　face　was　red；　and　his　eyes　burned。　　In　the　midst　of　it　all

he　dropped　his　hands　and　went　over　to　the　fire。　　Samuel　Walcott

arose；　panting；　and　stood　looking　at　Mason；　with　his　hands　behind

him　on　the　table。　　The　naturally　strong　nature　and　the　rigid　school

in　which　the　man　had　been　trained　presently　began　to　tell。　　His

composure　in　part　returned　and　he　thought　rapidly。　　What　did　this

strange　man　know？　　Was　he　simply　making　shrewd　guesses；　or　had　he

some　mysterious　knowledge　of　this　matter？　　Walcott　could　not　know

that　Mason　meant　only　Fate；　that　he　believed　her　to　be　his　great

enemy。　　Walcott　had　never　before　doubted　his　own　ability　to　meet

any　emergency。　　This　mighty　jerk　had　carried　him　off　his　feet。　　He

was　unstrung　and　panic…stricken。　　At　any　rate　this　man　had　promised

help。　　He　would　take　it。　　He　put　the　paper　and　envelope　carefully

into　his　pocket；　smoothed　out　his　rumpled　coat；　and　going　over　to

Mason　touched　him　on　the　shoulder。



〃Come；〃　he　said；　〃if　you　are　to　help　me　we　must　go。〃



The　man　turned　and　followed　him　without　a　word。　　In　the　hall　Mason

put　on　his　hat　and　overcoat；　and　the　two　went　out　into　the　street。

Walcott　hailed　a　cab；　and　the　two　were　driven　to　his　house　on　the

avenue。　　Walcott　took　out　his　latchkey；　opened　the　door；　and　led

the　way　into　the　library。　　He　turned　on　the　light　and　motioned

Mason　to　seat　himself　at　the　table。　　Then　he　went　into　another　room

and　presently　returned　with　a　bundle　of　papers　and　a　decanter　of

brandy。　　He　poured　out　a　glass　of　the　liquor　and　offered　it　to

Mason。　　The　man　shook　his　head。　　Walcott　poured　the　contents　of　the

glass　down　his　own　throat。　　Then　he　set　the　decanter　down　and　drew

up　a　chair　on　the　side　of　the　table　opposite　Mason。



〃Sir；〃　said　Walcott；　in　a　voice　deliberate；　indeed；　but　as　hollow

as　a　sepulcher；　〃I　am　done　for。　　God　has　finally　gathered　up　the

ends　of　the　net；　and　it　is　knotted　tight。〃



〃Am　I　not　here　to　help　you？〃　said　Mason；　turning　savagely。　　〃I　can

beat　Fate。　　Give　me　the　details　of　her　trap。〃



He　bent　forward　and　rested　his　arms　on　the　table。　　His　streaked

gray　hair　was　rumpled　and　on　end；　and　his　face　was　ugly。　　For　a

moment　Walcott　did　not　answer。　　He　moved　a　little　into　the　shadow；

then　he　spread　the　bundle　of　old　yellow　papers　out　before　him。



〃To　begin　with；〃　he　said；　〃I　am　a　living　lie；　a　gilded　crime…made

sham；　every　bit　of　me。　　There　is　not　an　honest　piece　anywhere。　　It

is　all　lie。　　I　am　a　liar　and　a　thief　before　men。　　The　property

which　I　possess　is　not　mine；　but　stolen　from　a　dead　man。　　The　very

name　which　I　bear　is　not　my　own；　but　is　the　bastard　child　of　a

crime。　　I　am　more　than　all　thatI　am　a　murderer；　a　murderer　before

the　law；　a　murderer　before　God；　and　worse　than　a　murderer　before

the　pure　woman　whom　I　love　more　than　anything　that　God　could　make。〃



He　paused　for　a　moment　and　wiped　the　perspiration　from　his　face。



〃Sir；〃　said　Mason；　〃this　is　all　drivel；　infantile　drivel。　　What　you

are　is　of　no　importance。　　How　to　get　out　is　the　problem；　how　to　get

out。〃



Samuel　Walcott　leaned　forward；　poured　out　a　glass　of　brandy　and

swallowed　it。



〃Well；〃　he　said；　speaking　slowly；　〃my　right　name　is　Richard　Warren。

In　the　spring　of　1879　I　came　to　New　York　and　fell　in　with　the　real

Samuel　Walcott；　a　young　man　with　a　little　money　and　some　property

which　his　grandfather　had　left　him。　　We　became　friends；　and

concluded　to　go　to　the　far　west　together。　　Accordingly　we　scraped

together　what　money　we　could　lay　our　hands　on；　and　landed　in　the

gold…mining　regions　of　California。　　We　were　young　and

inexperienced；　and　our　money　went　rapidly。　　One　April　morning　we

drifted　into　a　little　shack　camp；　away　up　in　the　Sierra　Nevadas；

called　Hell's　Elbow。　　Here　we　struggled　and　starved　for　perhaps　a

year。　　Finally；　in　utter　desperation；　Walcott　married　the　daughter

of　a　Mexican　gambler；　who　ran　an　eating　house　and　a　poker　joint。

With　them　we　lived　from　hand　to　mouth　in　a　wild　God…forsaken　way

for　several　years。　　After　a　time　the　woman　began　to　take　a　strange

fancy　to　me。　　Walcott　finally　noticed　it；　and　grew　jealous。



〃One　night；　in　a　drunken　brawl；　we　quarreled；　and　I　killed　him。　　It

was　late　at　night；　and；　beside　the　woman；　there　were　four　of　us　in

the　poker　room；the　Mexican　gambler；　a　half…breed　devil　called

Cherubim　Pete；　Walcott；　and　myself。　　When　Walcott　fell；　the　half…

breed　whipped　out　his　weapon；　and　fired　at　me　across　the　table；　but

the　woman；　Nina　San　Croix；　struck　his　arm；　and；　instead　of　killing

me；　as　he　intended；　the　bullet　mortally　wounded　her　father；　the

Mexican　gambler。　　I　shot　the　half…breed　through　the　forehead；　and

turned　round；　expecting　the　woman　to　attack　me。　　On　the　contrary；

she　pointed　to　the　window；　and　bade　me　wait　for　her　on　the　cross

trail　below。



〃It　was　fully　three　hours　later　before　the　woman　joined　me　at　the

place　indicated。　　She　had　a　bag　of　gold　dust；　a　few　jewels　that

belonged　to　her　father；　and　a　package　of　papers。　　I　asked　her　why

she　had　stayed　behind　so　long；　and　she　replied　that　the　men　were

not　killed　outright；　and　that　she　had　brought　a　priest　to　them　and

waited　until　they　had　died。　　This　was　the　truth；　but　not　all　the

truth。　　Moved　by　superstition　or　foresight；　the　woman　had　induced

the　priest　to　take　down　the　sworn　statements　of　the　two　dying　men；

seal　it；　and　give　it　to　her。　　This　paper　she　brought　with　her。　　All

this　I　learned　afterwards。　　At　the　time　I　knew　nothing　of　this

damning　evidence。



〃We　struck　out　together　for　the　Pacific　coast。　　The　country　was

lawless。　　The　privations　we　endured　were　almost　past　belief。　　At

times　the　woman　exhibited　cunning　and　ability　that　were　almost

genius；　and　through　it　all；　often　in　the　very　fingers　of　death；　her

devotion　to　me　never　wavered。　　It　was　doglike；　and　seemed　to　be　her

only　object　on　earth。　　When　we　reached　San　Francisco；　the　woman　put

these　papers　into　my　hands。〃　　Walcott　took　up　the　yellow　package；

and　pushed　it　across　the　table　to　Mason。



〃She　proposed　that　I　assume　Walcott's　name；　and　that　we　come　boldly

to　New　York　and　claim　the　property。　　I　examined　the　papers；　found　a

copy　of　the　will　by　which　Walcott　inherited　the　property；　a　bundle

of　correspondence；　and　sufficient　documentary　evidence　to　establish

his　identity　beyond　the　shadow　of　a　doubt。　　Desperate　gambler　as　I

now　was；　I　quailed　before　the　daring　plan　of　Nina　San　Croix。　　I

urged　that　I；　Richard　Warren；　would　be　known；　that　the　attempted

fraud　would　be　detected　and　would　result　in　investigation；　and

perhaps　unearth　the　whole　horrible　matter。



〃The　woman　pointed　out　how　much　I　resembled　Walcott；　what　vast

changes　ten　years　of　such　life　as　we　had　led　would　naturally　be

expected　to　make　in　men；　how　utterly　impossible　it　would　be　to

trace　back　the　fraud　to　Walcott's　murder　at　Hell's　Elbow；　in　the

wild　passes　of　the　Sierra　Nevadas。　　She　bade　me　remember　that　we

were　both　outcasts；　both　crime…branded；　both　enemies　of　man's　law

and　God's；　that　we　had　nothing　to　lose；　we　were　both　sunk　to　the

bottom。　　Then　she　laughed；　and　said　that　she　had　not　found　me　a

coward　until　now；　but　that　if　I　had　turned　chicken…hearted；　that

was　the　end　of　it；　of　course。　　The　result　was；　we　sold　the　gold

dust　and　jewels　in　San　Francisco；　took　on　such　evidences　of

civilization　as　possible；　and　purchased　passage　to　New　York　on　the

best　steamer　we　could　find。



〃I　was　growing　to　depend　on　the　bold　gambler　spirit　of　this　woman；

Nina　San　Croix；　I　felt　the　need　of　her　strong；　profligate　nature。

She　was　of　a　queer　breed　and　a　queerer　school。　　Her　mother　was　the

daughter　of　a　Spanish　engineer；　and　had　been　stolen　by　the　Mexican；

her　father。　　She　herself　had　been　raised　and　educated　as　best　might

be　in　one　of　the　monasteries　along　the　Rio　Grande；　and　had　there

grown　to　womanhood　before　her　father；　fleeing　into　the　mountains　of

California；　carried　her　with　him。



〃When　we　landed　in　New　York　I　offered　to　announce　her　as　my　wife；

but　she　refused；　saying　that　her　presence　would　excite　comment　and

perhaps　attract　the　attention　of　Walcott's　relatives。　　We　therefore

arranged　that　I　should　go　alone　into　the　city；　claim　the　property；

and　announce　myself　as　Samuel　Walcott；　and　that　she　should　remain

under　cover　until　such　time　as　we　would　feel　the　ground　safe　under

us。



〃Every　detail　of　the　plan　was　fatally　successful。　　I　established　my

identity　without　difficulty　and　secured　the　property。　　It　had

increased　vastly　in　value；　and　I；　as　Samuel　Walcott；　soon　found

myself　a　rich　man。　　I　went　to　Nina　San　Croix　in　hiding　and　gave　her

a　large　sum　of　money；　with　which　she　purchased　a　residence　in　a

retired　part　of　the　city；　far　up　in　the　northern　suburb。　　Here　she

lived　secluded　and　unknown　while　I　remained　in　the　city；　living

here　as　a　wealthy　bachelor。



〃I　did　not　attempt　to　abandon　the　woman；　but　went　to　her　from　time

to　time　in　disguise　and　under　cover　of　the　gr