stories by modern american authors-第21节

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〃Giggles；〃　for　Gig　and　I　were　inseparable　playmates；　and　the　miners

may　have　thought　it　a　delicate　compliment　to　recognize　some　kind　of

relationship　between　us。



Later；　we　took　in　a　thirdanother　of　Adversity's　brood；　who；　like

Garrick　between　Tragedy　and　Comedy；　had　a　chronic　inability　to

adjudicate　the　rival　claims　（to　himself）　of　Frost　and　Famine。

Between　him　and　the　grave　there　was　seldom　anything　more　than　a

single　suspender　and　the　hope　of　a　meal　which　would　at　the　same

time　support　life　and　make　it　insupportable。　　He　literally　picked

up　a　precarious　living　for　himself　and　an　aged　mother　by

〃chloriding　the　dumps；〃　that　is　to　say；　the　miners　permitted　him　to

search　the　heaps　of　waste　rock　for　such　pieces　of　〃pay　ore〃　as　had

been　overlooked；　and　these　he　sacked　up　and　sold　at　the　Syndicate

Mill。　　He　became　a　member　of　our　firm〃Gunny；　Giggles；　and　Dumps；〃

thenceforththrough　my　favor；　for　I　could　not　then；　nor　can　I　now；

be　indifferent　to　his　courage　and　prowess　in　defending　against

Giggles　the　immemorial　right　of　his　sex　to　insult　a　strange　and

unprotected　femalemyself。　　After　old　Jim　struck　it　in　the

Calamity；　and　I　began　to　wear　shoes　and　go　to　school；　and　in

emulation　Giggles　took　to　washing　his　face；　and　became　Jack　Raynor；

of　Wells；　Fargo　&　Co。；　and　old　Mrs。　Barts　was　herself　chlorided　to

her　fathers；　Dumps　drifted　over　to　San　Juan　Smith　and　turned　stage

driver；　and　was　killed　by　road　agents；　and　so　forth。



Why　do　I　tell　you　all　this；　dear？　　Because　it　is　heavy　on　my　heart。

Because　I　walk　the　Valley　of　Humility。　　Because　I　am　subduing

myself　to　permanent　consciousness　of　my　unworthiness　to　unloose　the

latchet　of　Dr。　Barritz's　shoe。　　Because…oh；　dear；　oh；　dearthere's

a　cousin　of　Dumps　at　this　hotel！　　I　haven't　spoken　to　him。　　I　never

had　any　acquaintance　with　him；　butdo　you　suppose　he　has

recognized　me？　　Do；　please；　give　me　in　your　next　your　candid；　sure…

enough　opinion　about　it；　and　say　you　don't　think　so。　　Do　you　think

He　knows　about　me　already　and　that　is　why　He　left　me　last　evening

when　He　saw　that　I　blushed　and　trembled　like　a　fool　under　His　eyes？

You　know　I　can't　bribe　ALL　the　newspapers；　and　I　can't　go　back　on

anybody　who　was　good　to　Gunny　at　Redhorsenot　if　I'm　pitched　out

of　society　into　the　sea。　　So　the　skeleton　sometimes　rattles　behind

the　door。　　I　never　cared　much　before；　as　you　know；　but　nowNOW　it

is　not　the　same。　　Jack　Raynor　I　am　sure　ofhe　will　not　tell　him。

He　seems；　indeed；　to　hold　him　in　such　respect　as　hardly　to　dare

speak　to　him　at　all；　and　I'm　a　good　deal　that　way　myself。　　Dear；

dear！　　I　wish　I　had　something　besides　a　million　dollars！　　If　Jack

were　three　inches　taller　I'd　marry　him　alive　and　go　back　to

Redhorse　and　wear　sackcloth　again　to　the　end　of　my　miserable　days。





July　25th。



We　had　a　perfectly　splendid　sunset　last　evening；　and　I　must　tell

you　all　about　it。　　I　ran　away　from　Auntie　and　everybody；　and　was

walking　alone　on　the　beach。　　I　expect　you　to　believe；　you　infidel！

that　I　had　not　looked　out　of　my　window　on　the　seaward　side　of　the

hotel　and　seen　him　walking　alone　on　the　beach。　　If　you　are　not　lost

to　every　feeling　of　womanly　delicacy　you　will　accept　my　statement

without　question。　　I　soon　established　myself　under　my　sunshade　and

had　for　some　time　been　gazing　out　dreamily　over　the　sea；　when　he

approached；　walking　close　to　the　edge　of　the　waterit　was　ebb

tide。　　I　assure　you　the　wet　sand　actually　brightened　about　his

feet！　　As　he　approached　me；　he　lifted　his　hat；　saying：　〃Miss

Dement；　may　I　sit　with　you？or　will　you　walk　with　me？〃



The　possibility　that　neither　might　be　agreeable　seems　not　to　have

occurred　to　him。　　Did　you　ever　know　such　assurance？　　Assurance？　　My

dear；　it　was　gall；　downright　GALL！　　Well；　I　didn't　find　it

wormwood；　and　replied；　with　my　untutored　Redhorse　heart　in　my

throat：　〃II　shall　be　pleased　to　do　ANYTHING。〃　　Could　words　have

been　more　stupid？　　There　are　depths　of　fatuity　in　me；　friend　o'　my

soul；　which　are　simply　bottomless！



He　extended　his　hand；　smiling；　and　I　delivered　mine　into　it　without

a　moment's　hesitation；　and　when　his　fingers　closed　about　it　to

assist　me　to　my　feet；　the　consciousness　that　it　trembled　made　me

blush　worse　than　the　red　west。　　I　got　up；　however；　and　after　a

while；　observing　that　he　had　not　let　go　my　hand；　I　pulled　on　it　a

little；　but　unsuccessfully。　　He　simply　held　on；　saying　nothing；　but

looking　down　into　my　face　with　some　kind　of　a　smileI　didn't　know

how　could　I？whether　it　was　affectionate；　derisive；　or　what；　for

I　did　not　look　at　him。　　How　beautiful　he　was！with　the　red　fires

of　the　sunset　burning　in　the　depths　of　his　eyes。　　Do　you　know；

dear；　if　the　Thugs　and　Experts　of　the　Blavatsky　region　have　any

special　kind　of　eyes？　　Ah；　you　should　have　seen　his　superb

attitude；　the　godlike　inclination　of　his　head　as　he　stood　over　me

after　I　had　got　upon　my　feet！　　It　was　a　noble　picture；　but　I　soon

destroyed　it；　for　I　began　at　once　to　sink　again　to　the　earth。

There　was　only　one　thing　for　him　to　do；　and　he　did　it；　he　supported

me　with　an　arm　about　my　waist。



〃Miss　Dement；　are　you　ill？〃　he　said。



It　was　not　an　exclamation；　there　was　neither　alarm　nor　solicitude

in　it。　　If　he　had　added：　〃I　suppose　that　is　about　what　I　am

expected　to　say；〃　he　would　hardly　have　expressed　his　sense　of　the

situation　more　clearly。　　His　manner　filled　me　with　shame　and

indignation；　for　I　was　suffering　acutely。　　I　wrenched　my　hand　out

of　his；　grasped　the　arm　supporting　me；　and；　pushing　myself　free；

fell　plump　into　the　sand　and　sat　helpless。　　My　hat　had　fallen　off

in　the　struggle；　and　my　hair　tumbled　about　my　face　and　shoulders　in

the　most　mortifying　way。



〃Go　away　from　me；〃　I　cried；　half　choking。　　〃Oh；　PLEASE　go　away；

youyou　Thug！　　How　dare　you　think　THAT　when　my　leg　is　asleep？〃



I　actually　said　those　identical　words！　　And　then　I　broke　down　and

sobbed。　　Irene；　I　BLUBBERED！



His　manner　altered　in　an　instantI　could　see　that　much　through　my

fingers　and　hair。　　He　dropped　on　one　knee　beside　me；　parted　the

tangle　of　hair；　and　said；　in　the　tenderest　way：　My　poor　girl；　God

knows　I　have　not　intended　to　pain　you。　　How　should　I？I　who　love

youI　who　have　loved　you　forfor　years　and　years！〃



He　had　pulled　my　wet　hands　away　from　my　face　and　was　covering　them

with　kisses。　　My　cheeks　were　like　two　coals；　my　whole　face　was

flaming　and；　I　think；　steaming。　　What　could　I　do？　　I　hid　it　on　his

shoulderthere　was　no　other　place。　　And；　oh；　my　dear　friend；　how

my　leg　tingled　and　thrilled；　and　how　I　wanted　to　kick！



We　sat　so　for　a　long　time。　　He　had　released　one　of　my　hands　to　pass

his　arm　about　me　again；　and　I　possessed　myself　of　my　handkerchief

and　was　drying　my　eyes　and　my　nose。　　I　would　not　look　up　until　that

was　done；　he　tried　in　vain　to　push　me　a　little　away　and　gaze　into

my　eyes。　　Presently；　when　it　was　all　right；　and　it　had　grown　a　bit

dark；　I　lifted　my　head；　looked　him　straight　in　the　eyes；　and　smiled

my　bestmy　level　best；　dear。



〃What　do　you　mean；〃　I　said；　〃by　'years　and　years'？〃



〃Dearest；〃　he　replied；　very　gravely；　very　earnestly；　〃in　the

absence　of　the　sunken　cheeks；　the　hollow　eyes；　the　lank　hair；　the

slouching　gait；　the　rags；　dirt；　and　youth；　can　you　notwill　you

not　understand？　　Gunny；　I'm　Dumps！〃



In　a　moment　I　was　upon　my　feet　and　he　upon　his。　　I　seized　him　by

the　lapels　of　his　coat　and　peered　into　his　handsome　face　in　the

deepening　darkness。　　I　was　breathless　with　excitement。



〃And　you　are　not　dead？〃　I　asked；　hardly　knowing　what　I　said。



〃Only　dead　in　love；　dear。　　I　recovered　from　the　road　agent's

bullet；　but　this；　I　fear；　is　fatal。〃



〃But　about　JackMr。　Raynor？　　Don't　you　know〃



〃I　am　ashamed　to　say；　darling；　that　it　was　through　that　unworthy

person's　invitation　that　I　came　here　from　Vienna。〃



Irene；　they　have　played　it　upon　your　affectionate　friend；



MARY　JANE　DEMENT。





P。S。The　worst　of　it　is　that　there　is　no　mystery。　　That　was　an

invention　of　Jack　to　arouse　my　curiosity　and　interest。　　James　is

not　a　Thug。　　He　solemnly　assures　me　that　in　all　his　wanderings　he

has　never　set　foot　in　Sepoy。







The　Man　and　the　Snake





I





It　is　of　veritabyll　report；　and　attested　of　so　many　that　there　be

nowe　of　wyse　and　learned　none　to　gaynsaye　it；　that　ye　serpente　hys

eye　hath　a　magnetick　propertie　that　whosoe　falleth　into　its　svasion

is　drawn　forwards　in　despyte　of　his　wille；　and　perisheth　miserabyll

by　ye　creature　hys　byte。





Stretched　at　ease　upon　a　sofa；　in　gown　and　slippers；　Harker　Brayton

smiled　as　he　read　the　foregoing　sentence　in　old　Morryster's

〃Marvells　of　Science。〃　　〃The　only　marvel　in　the　matter；〃　he　said　to

himself；　〃is　that　the　wise　and　learned　in　Morryster's　day　should

have　believed　such　nonsense　as　is　rejected　by　most　of　even　the

ignorant　in　ours。〃



A　train　of　reflections　followedfor　Brayton　was　a　man　of　thought

and　he　unconsciously　lowered　his　book　without　altering　the

direction　o