roads of destiny-第14节

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pon　me　for　an　instant；　then　she　turned　them；　full　of　feeling　and　confidence；　upon　Fergus。　I　knew　I　could　not　speak；　but　I　was　desperate。　In　speech　lay　my　only　hope。　I　could　not　stand　beside　Fergus　and　challenge　comparison　in　the　way　of　beauty。　Purely　involuntarily；　my　larynx　and　epiglottis　attempted　to　reproduce　the　sounds　that　my　mind　was　calling　upon　my　vocal　organs　to　send　forth。

〃To　my　intense　surprise　and　delight　the　words　rolled　forth　beautifully　clear；　resonant；　exquisitely　modulated；　full　of　power；　expression；　and　long…repressed　emotion。

〃'Senorita　Anabela；'　says　I；　'may　I　speak　with　you　aside　for　a　moment？'

〃You　don't　want　details　about　that；　do　you？　Thanks。　The　old　eloquence　had　come　back　all　right。　I　led　her　under　a　cocoanut　palm　and　put　my　old　verbal　spell　on　her　again。

〃'Judson；'　says　she；　'when　you　are　talking　to　me　I　can　hear　nothing　elseI　can　see　nothing　elsethere　is　nothing　and　nobody　else　in　the　world　for　me。'

〃Well；　that's　about　all　of　the　story。　Anabela　went　back　to　Oratama　in　the　steamer　with　me。　I　never　heard　what　became　of　Fergus。　I　never　saw　him　any　more。　Anabela　is　now　Mrs。　Judson　Tate。　Has　my　story　bored　you　much？〃

〃No；〃　said　I。　〃I　am　always　interested　in　psychological　studies。　A　human　heartand　especially　a　woman'sis　a　wonderful　thing　to　contemplate。〃

〃It　is；〃　said　Judson　Tate。　〃And　so　are　the　trachea　and　bronchial　tubes　of　man。　And　the　larynx　too。　Did　you　ever　make　a　study　of　the　windpipe？〃

〃Never；〃　said　I。　〃But　I　have　taken　much　pleasure　in　your　story。　May　I　ask　after　Mrs。　Tate；　and　inquire　of　her　present　health　and　whereabouts？〃

〃Oh；　sure；〃　said　Judson　Tate。　〃We　are　living　in　Bergen　Avenue；　Jersey　City。　The　climate　down　in　Oratama　didn't　suit　Mrs。　T。　I　don't　suppose　you　ever　dissected　the　arytenoid　cartilages　of　the　epiglottis；　did　you？〃

〃Why；　no；〃　said　I；　〃I　am　no　surgeon。〃

〃Pardon　me；〃　said　Judson　Tate；　〃but　every　man　should　know　enough　of　anatomy　and　therapeutics　to　safeguard　his　own　health。　A　sudden　cold　may　set　up　capillary　bronchitis　or　inflammation　of　the　pulmonary　vesicles；　which　may　result　in　a　serious　affection　of　the　vocal　organs。〃

〃Perhaps　so；〃　said　I；　with　some　impatience；　〃but　that　is　neither　here　nor　there。　Speaking　of　the　strange　manifestations　of　the　affection　of　women；　I〃

〃Yes；　yes；〃　interrupted　Judson　Tate；　〃they　have　peculiar　ways。　But；　as　I　was　going　to　tell　you：　when　I　went　back　to　Oratama　I　found　out　from　Manuel　Iquito　what　was　in　that　mixture　he　gave　me　for　my　lost　voice。　I　told　you　how　quick　it　cured　me。　He　made　that　stuff　from　the　/chuchula/　plant。　Now；　look　here。〃

Judson　Tate　drew　an　oblong；　white　pasteboard　box　from　his　pocket。

〃For　any　cough；〃　he　said；　〃or　cold；　or　hoarseness；　or　bronchial　affection　whatsoever；　I　have　here　the　greatest　remedy　in　the　world。　You　see　the　formula；　printed　on　the　box。　Each　tablet　contains　licorice；　2　grains；　balsam　tolu；　1/10　grain；　oil　of　anise；　1/20　minim；　oil　of　tar；　1/60　minim；　oleo…resin　of　cubebs；　1/100　minim；　fluid　extract　of　/chuchula/；　1/10　minim。

〃I　am　in　New　York；〃　went　on　Judson　Tate；　〃for　the　purpose　of　organizing　a　company　to　market　the　greatest　remedy　for　throat　affections　ever　discovered。　At　present　I　am　introducing　the　lozenges　in　a　small　way。　I　have　here　a　box　containing　four　dozen；　which　I　am　selling　for　the　small　sum　of　fifty　cents。　If　you　are　suffering〃

*　*　*　*　*

I　got　up　and　went　away　without　a　word。　I　walked　slowly　up　to　the　little　park　near　my　hotel；　leaving　Judson　Tate　alone　with　his　conscience。　My　feelings　were　lacerated。　He　had　poured　gently　upon　me　a　story　that　I　might　have　used。　There　was　a　little　of　the　breath　of　life　in　it；　and　some　of　the　synthetic　atmosphere　that　passes；　when　cunningly　tinkered；　in　the　marts。　And；　at　the　last　it　had　proven　to　be　a　commercial　pill；　deftly　coated　with　the　sugar　of　fiction。　The　worst　of　it　was　that　I　could　not　offer　it　for　sale。　Advertising　departments　and　counting…rooms　look　down　upon　me。　And　it　would　never　do　for　the　literary。　Therefore　I　sat　upon　a　bench　with　other　disappointed　ones　until　my　eyelids　drooped。

I　went　to　my　room；　and；　as　my　custom　is；　read　for　an　hour　stories　in　my　favourite　magazines。　This　was　to　get　my　mind　back　to　art　again。

And　as　I　read　each　story；　I　threw　the　magazines　sadly　and　hopelessly；　one　by　one；　upon　the　floor。　Each　author；　without　one　exception　to　bring　balm　to　my　heart；　wrote　liltingly　and　sprightly　a　story　of　some　particular　make　of　motor…car　that　seemed　to　control　the　sparking　plug　of　his　genius。

And　when　the　last　one　was　hurled　from　me　I　took　heart。

〃If　readers　can　swallow　so　many　proprietary　automobiles；〃　I　said　to　myself；　〃they　ought　not　to　strain　at　one　of　Tate's　Compound　Magic　Chuchula　Bronchial　Lozenges。〃

And　so　if　you　see　this　story　in　print　you　will　understand　that　business　is　business；　and　that　if　Art　gets　very　far　ahead　of　Commerce；　she　will　have　to　get　up　and　hustle。

I　may　as　well　add；　to　make　a　clean　job　of　it；　that　you　can't　buy　the　/chuchula/　plant　in　the　drug　stores。



VI

ART　AND　THE　BRONCO

Out　of　the　wilderness　had　come　a　painter。　Genius；　whose　coronations　alone　are　democratic；　had　woven　a　chaplet　of　chaparral　for　the　brow　of　Lonny　Briscoe。　Art；　whose　divine　expression　flows　impartially　from　the　fingertips　of　a　cowboy　or　a　dilettante　emperor；　had　chosen　for　a　medium　the　Boy　Artist　of　the　San　Saba。　The　outcome；　seven　feet　by　twelve　of　besmeared　canvas；　stood；　gilt…framed；　in　the　lobby　of　the　Capitol。

The　legislature　was　in　session；　the　capital　city　of　that　great　Western　state　was　enjoying　the　season　of　activity　and　profit　that　the　congregation　of　the　solons　bestowed。　The　boarding…houses　were　corralling　the　easy　dollars　of　the　gamesome　law…makers。　The　greatest　state　in　the　West；　an　empire　in　area　and　resources；　had　arisen　and　repudiated　the　old　libel　or　barbarism；　lawbreaking；　and　bloodshed。　Order　reigned　within　her　borders。　Life　and　property　were　as　safe　there；　sir；　as　anywhere　among　the　corrupt　cities　of　the　effete　East。　Pillow…shams；　churches；　strawberry　feasts　and　/habeas　corpus/　flourished。　With　impunity　might　the　tenderfoot　ventilate　his　〃stovepipe〃　or　his　theories　of　culture。　The　arts　and　sciences　received　nurture　and　subsidy。　And；　therefore；　it　behooved　the　legislature　of　this　great　state　to　make　appropriation　for　the　purchase　of　Lonny　Briscoe's　immortal　painting。

Rarely　has　the　San　Saba　country　contributed　to　the　spread　of　the　fine　arts。　Its　sons　have　excelled　in　the　solider　graces；　in　the　throw　of　the　lariat；　the　manipulation　of　the　esteemed　。45；　the　intrepidity　of　the　one…card　draw；　and　the　nocturnal　stimulation　of　towns　from　undue　lethargy；　but；　hitherto；　it　had　not　been　famed　as　a　stronghold　of　aesthetics。　Lonny　Briscoe's　brush　had　removed　that　disability。　Here；　among　the　limestone　rocks；　the　succulent　cactus；　and　the　drought…　parched　grass　of　that　arid　valley；　had　been　born　the　Boy　Artist。　Why　he　came　to　woo　art　is　beyond　postulation。　Beyond　doubt；　some　spore　of　the　afflatus　must　have　sprung　up　within　him　in　spite　of　the　desert　soil　of　San　Saba。　The　tricksy　spirit　of　creation　must　have　incited　him　to　attempted　expression　and　then　have　sat　hilarious　among　the　white…　hot　sands　of　the　valley；　watching　its　mischievous　work。　For　Lonny's　picture；　viewed　as　a　thing　of　art；　was　something　to　have　driven　away　dull　care　from　the　bosoms　of　the　critics。

The　paintingone　might　almost　say　panoramawas　designed　to　portray　a　typical　Western　scene；　interest　culminating　in　a　central　animal　figure；　that　of　a　stampeding　steer；　life…size；　wild…eyed；　fiery；　breaking　away　in　a　mad　rush　from　the　herd　that；　close…ridden　by　a　typical　cowpuncher；　occupied　a　position　somewhat　in　the　right　background　of　the　picture。　The　landscape　presented　fitting　and　faithful　accessories。　Chaparral；　mesquit；　and　pear　were　distributed　in　just　proportions。　A　Spanish　dagger…plant；　with　its　waxen　blossoms　in　a　creamy　aggregation　as　large　as　a　water…bucket；　contributed　floral　beauty　and　variety。　The　distance　was　undulating　prairie；　bisected　by　stretches　of　the　intermittent　streams　peculiar　to　the　region　lined　with　the　rich　green　of　live…oak　and　water…elm。　A　richly　mottled　rattlesnake　lay　coiled　beneath　a　pale　green　clump　of　prickly　pear　in　the　foreground。　A　third　of　the　canvas　was　ultramarine　and　lake　white　the　typical　Western　sky　and　the　flying　clouds；　rainless　and　feathery。

Between　two　plastered　pillars　in　the　commodious　hallway　near　the　door　of　the　chamber　of　representatives　stood　the　painting。　Citizens　and　lawmakers　passed　there　by　twos　and　groups　and　sometimes　crowds　to　gaze　upon　it。　Manyperhaps　a　majority　of　themhad　lived　the　prairie　life　and　recalled　easily　the　familiar　scene。　Old　cattlemen　stood；　reminiscent　and　candidly　pleased；　chatting　with　brothers　of　former　camps　and　trails　of　the　days　it　brought　back　to　mind。　Art　critics　were　few　in　the　town；　and　there　was　heard　none　of　that　jargon　of　colour；　perspective；　and　feeling　such　as　the　East　loves　to　use　as　a　curb　and　a　rod　to　the　pretensions　of　the　artist。　'Twas　a　great　picture；　most　of　them　agreed；　admiring　the　gilt　framelarger　than　any　they　had　ever　seen。

Senator　Kinney　was　the　picture's　champion　and　sponsor。　It　was　he　who　so　often　stepped　forward　and　asserted；　with　the　voice　of　a　bronco…　buster；　that　it　would　be　a　lasting　blo