roads of destiny-第41节

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he　hall。　She　turned　the　key；　the　door　opened；　and　Mr。　Tansey　side…stepped　in。

〃Why；　the　i…de…a！〃　exclaimed　Miss　Katie；　〃is　this　you；　Mr。　Tansey？　It's　after　midnight。　Aren't　you　ashamed　to　wake　me　up　at　such　an　hour　to　let　you　in？　You're　just　/awful/！〃

〃I　was　late；〃　said　Tansey；　brilliantly。

〃I　should　think　you　were！　Ma　was　awfully　worried　about　you。　When　you　weren't　in　by　ten；　that　hateful　Tom　McGill　said　you　were　out　calling　on　anothersaid　you　were　out　calling　on　some　young　lady。　I　just　despise　Mr。　McGill。　Well；　I'm　not　going　to　scold　you　any　more；　Mr。　Tansey；　if　it　/is/　a　little　lateOh！　I　turned　it　the　wrong　way！〃

Miss　Katie　gave　a　little　scream。　Absent…mindedly　she　had　turned　the　blaze　of　the　lamp　entirely　out　instead　of　higher。　It　was　very　dark。

Tansey　heard　a　musical；　soft　giggle；　and　breathed　an　entrancing　odour　of　heliotrope。　A　groping　light　hand　touched　his　arm。〃

〃How　awkward　I　was！　Can　you　find　your　waySam？〃

〃II　think　I　have　a　match；　Miss　K…Katie。〃

A　scratching　sound；　a　flame；　a　glow　of　light　held　at　arm's　length　by　the　recreant　follower　of　Destiny　illuminating　a　tableau　which　shall　end　the　ignominious　chroniclea　maid　with　unkissed；　curling；　contemptuous　lips　slowly　lifting　the　lamp　chimney　and　allowing　the　wick　to　ignite；　then　waving　a　scornful　and　abjuring　hand　toward　the　staircasethe　unhappy　Tansey；　erstwhile　champion　in　the　prophetic　lists　of　fortune；　ingloriously　ascending　to　his　just　and　certain　doom；　while　（let　us　imagine）　half　within　the　wings　stands　the　imminent　figure　of　Fate　jerking　wildly　at　the　wrong　strings；　and　mixing　things　up　in　her　usual　able　manner。



XVI

A　DEPARTMENTAL　CASE

In　Texas　you　may　travel　a　thousand　miles　in　a　straight　line。　If　your　course　is　a　crooked　one；　it　is　likely　that　both　the　distance　and　your　rate　of　speed　may　be　vastly　increased。　Clouds　there　sail　serenely　against　the　wind。　The　whip…poor…will　delivers　its　disconsolate　cry　with　the　notes　exactly　reversed　from　those　of　his　Northern　brother。　Given　a　drought　and　a　subsequently　lively　rain；　and　lo！　from　a　glazed　and　stony　soil　will　spring　in　a　single　night　blossomed　lilies；　miraculously　fair。　Tom　Green　County　was　once　the　standard　of　measurement。　I　have　forgotten　how　many　New　Jerseys　and　Rhode　Islands　it　was　that　could　have　been　stowed　away　and　lost　in　its　chaparral。　But　the　legislative　axe　has　slashed　Tom　Green　into　a　handful　of　counties　hardly　larger　than　European　kingdoms。　The　legislature　convenes　at　Austin；　near　the　centre　of　the　state；　and；　while　the　representative　from　the　Rio　Grande　country　is　gathering　his　palm…leaf　fan　and　his　linen　duster　to　set　out　for　the　capital；　the　Pan…handle　solon　winds　his　muffler　above　his　well…buttoned　overcoat　and　kicks　the　snow　from　his　well…greased　boots　ready　for　the　same　journey。　All　this　merely　to　hint　that　the　big　ex…republic　of　the　Southwest　forms　a　sizable　star　on　the　flag；　and　to　prepare　for　the　corollary　that　things　sometimes　happen　there　uncut　to　pattern　and　unfettered　by　metes　and　bounds。

The　Commissioner　of　Insurance；　Statistics；　and　History　of　the　State　of　Texas　was　an　official　of　no　very　great　or　very　small　importance。　The　past　tense　is　used；　for　now　he　is　Commissioner　of　Insurance　alone。　Statistic　and　history　are　no　longer　proper　nouns　in　the　government　records。

In　the　year　188…；　the　governor　appointed　Luke　Coonrod　Standifer　to　be　the　head　of　this　department。　Standifer　was　then　fifty…five　years　of　age；　and　a　Texan　to　the　core。　His　father　had　been　one　of　the　state's　earliest　settlers　and　pioneers。　Standifer　himself　had　served　the　commonwealth　as　Indian　fighter；　soldier；　ranger；　and　legislator。　Much　learning　he　did　not　claim；　but　he　had　drank　pretty　deep　of　the　spring　of　experience。

If　other　grounds　were　less　abundant；　Texas　should　be　well　up　in　the　lists　of　glory　as　the　grateful　republic。　For　both　as　republic　and　state；　it　has　busily　heaped　honours　and　solid　rewards　upon　its　sons　who　rescued　it　from　the　wilderness。

Wherefore　and　therefore；　Luke　Coonrod　Standifer；　son　of　Ezra　Standifer；　ex…Terry　ranger；　simon…pure　democrat；　and　lucky　dweller　in　an　unrepresented　portion　of　the　politico…geographical　map；　was　appointed　Commissioner　of　Insurance；　Statistics；　and　History。

Standifer　accepted　the　honour　with　some　doubt　as　to　the　nature　of　the　office　he　was　to　fill　and　his　capacity　for　filling　itbut　he　accepted；　and　by　wire。　He　immediately　set　out　from　the　little　country　town　where　he　maintained　（and　was　scarcely　maintained　by）　a　somnolent　and　unfruitful　office　of　surveying　and　map…drawing。　Before　departing；　he　had　looked　up　under　the　I's；　S's　and　H's　in　the　〃Encyclopaedia　Britannica〃　what　information　and　preparation　toward　his　official　duties　that　those　weighty　volumes　afforded。

A　few　weeks　of　incumbency　diminished　the　new　commissioner's　awe　of　the　great　and　important　office　he　had　been　called　upon　to　conduct。　An　increasing　familiarity　with　its　workings　soon　restored　him　to　his　accustomed　placid　course　of　life。　In　his　office　was　an　old；　spectacled　clerka　consecrated；　informed；　able　machine；　who　held　his　desk　regardless　of　changes　of　administrative　heads。　Old　Kauffman　instructed　his　new　chief　gradually　in　the　knowledge　of　the　department　without　seeming　to　do　so；　and　kept　the　wheels　revolving　without　the　slip　of　a　cog。

Indeed；　the　Department　of　Insurance；　Statistics；　and　History　carried　no　great　heft　of　the　burden　of　state。　Its　main　work　was　the　regulating　of　the　business　done　in　the　state　by　foreign　insurance　companies；　and　the　letter　of　the　law　was　its　guide。　As　for　statisticswell；　you　wrote　letters　to　county　officers；　and　scissored　other　people's　reports；　and　each　year　you　got　out　a　report　of　your　own　about　the　corn　crop　and　the　cotton　crop　and　pecans　and　pigs　and　black　and　white　population；　and　a　great　many　columns　of　figures　headed　〃bushels〃　and　〃acres〃　and　〃square　miles；〃　etc。and　there　you　were。　History？　The　branch　was　purely　a　receptive　one。　Old　ladies　interested　in　the　science　bothered　you　some　with　long　reports　of　proceedings　of　their　historical　societies。　Some　twenty　or　thirty　people　would　write　you　each　year　that　they　had　secured　Sam　Houston's　pocket…knife　or　Santa　Ana's　whisky…flask　or　Davy　Crockett's　rifleall　absolutely　authenticatedand　demanded　legislative　appropriation　to　purchase。　Most　of　the　work　in　the　history　branch　went　into　pigeon…holes。

One　sizzling　August　afternoon　the　commissioner　reclined　in　his　office…　chair；　with　his　feet　upon　the　long；　official　table　covered　with　green　billiard　cloth。　The　commissioner　was　smoking　a　cigar；　and　dreamily　regarding　the　quivering　landscape　framed　by　the　window　that　looked　upon　the　treeless　capitol　grounds。　Perhaps　he　was　thinking　of　the　rough　and　ready　life　he　had　led；　of　the　old　days　of　breathless　adventure　and　movement；　of　the　comrades　who　now　trod　other　paths　or　had　ceased　to　tread　any；　of　the　changes　civilization　and　peace　had　brought；　and；　maybe；　complacently；　of　the　snug　and　comfortable　camp　pitched　for　him　under　the　dome　of　the　capitol　of　the　state　that　had　not　forgotten　his　services。

The　business　of　the　department　was　lax。　Insurance　was　easy。　Statistics　were　not　in　demand。　History　was　dead。　Old　Kauffman；　the　efficient　and　perpetual　clerk；　had　requested　an　infrequent　half…holiday；　incited　to　the　unusual　dissipation　by　the　joy　of　having　successfully　twisted　the　tail　of　a　Connecticut　insurance　company　that　was　trying　to　do　business　contrary　to　the　edicts　of　the　great　Lone　Star　State。

The　office　was　very　still。　A　few　subdued　noises　trickled　in　through　the　open　door　from　the　other　departmentsa　dull　tinkling　crash　from　the　treasurer's　office　adjoining；　as　a　clerk　tossed　a　bag　of　silver　to　the　floor　of　the　vaultthe　vague；　intermittent　clatter　of　a　dilatory　typewritera　dull　tapping　from　the　state　geologist's　quarters　as　if　some　woodpecker　had　flown　in　to　bore　for　his　prey　in　the　cool　of　the　massive　buildingand　then　a　faint　rustle　and　the　light　shuffling　of　the　well…worn　shoes　along　the　hall；　the　sounds　ceasing　at　the　door　toward　which　the　commissioner's　lethargic　back　was　presented。　Following　this；　the　sound　of　a　gentle　voice　speaking　words　unintelligible　to　the　commissioner's　somewhat　dormant　comprehension；　but　giving　evidence　of　bewilderment　and　hesitation。

The　voice　was　feminine；　the　commissioner　was　of　the　race　of　cavaliers　who　make　salaam　before　the　trail　of　a　skirt　without　considering　the　quality　of　its　cloth。

There　stood　in　the　door　a　faded　woman；　one　of　the　numerous　sisterhood　of　the　unhappy。　She　was　dressed　all　in　blackpoverty's　perpetual　mourning　for　lost　joys。　Her　face　had　the　contours　of　twenty　and　the　lines　of　forty。　She　may　have　lived　that　intervening　score　of　years　in　a　twelve…month。　There　was　about　her　yet　an　aurum　of　indignant；　unappeased；　protesting　youth　that　shone　faintly　through　the　premature　veil　of　unearned　decline。

〃I　beg　your　pardon；　ma'am；〃　said　the　commissioner；　gaining　his　feet　to　the　accompaniment　of　a　great　creaking　and　sliding　of　his　chair。

〃Are　you　the　governor；　sir？〃　asked　the　vision　of　melancholy。

The　commissioner　hesitated　at　the　end　of　his　best　bow；　with　his　hand　in　the　bosom　of　his　double…breasted　〃frock。〃　Truth　at　last　conquered。

〃Well；　no；　ma'am。　I　am　not　the　governor。　I　have　the　honour　to　be　Commissioner　of　Insurance；　Statistics