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a first family of tasajara-第3章

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panes effected a diversion。  〃Come;〃 he said; with brisk

practicality; 〃you'd better hurry on to Rawlett's before it gets

worse。  Have your clothes dried by his fire; take suthin' to eat;

and you'll be all right。〃  He rubbed his hands cheerfully; as if

summarily disposing of the situation; and incidentally of all

'Lige's troubles; and walked with him to the door。  Nevertheless;

as the man's look remained unchanged; he hesitated a moment with

his hand on the handle; in the hope that he would say something;

even if only to repeat his appeal; but he did not。  Then Harkutt

opened the door; the man moved mechanically out; and at the

distance of a few feet seemed to melt into the rain and darkness。

Harkutt remained for a moment with his face pressed against the

glass。  After an interval he thought he heard the faint splash of

hoofs in the shallows of the road; he opened the door softly and

looked out。



The light had disappeared from the nearest house; only an uncertain

bulk of shapeless shadows remained。  Other remoter and more vague

outlines near the horizon seemed to have a funereal suggestion of

tombs and grave mounds; and onea low shed near the roadlooked

not unlike a halted bier。  He hurriedly put up the shutters in a

momentary lulling of the wind; and re…entering the store began to

fasten them from within。



While thus engaged an inner door behind the counter opened softly

and cautiously; projecting a brighter light into the deserted

apartment from some sacred domestic interior with the warm and

wholesome incense of cooking。  It served to introduce also the

equally agreeable presence of a young girl; who; after assuring

herself of the absence of every one but the proprietor; idly

slipped into the store; and placing her rounded elbows; from which

her sleeves were uprolled; upon the counter; leaned lazily upon

them; with both hands supporting her dimpled chin; and gazed

indolently at him; so indolently that; with her pretty face once

fixed in this comfortable attitude; she was constrained to follow

his movements with her eyes alone; and often at an uncomfortable

angle。  It was evident that she offered the final but charming

illustration of the enfeebling listlessness of Sidon。



〃So those loafers have gone at last;〃 she said; meditatively。

〃They'll take root here some day; pop。  The idea of three strong

men like that lazing round for two mortal hours doin' nothin'。

Well!〃  As if to emphasize her disgust she threw her whole weight

upon the counter by swinging her feet from the floor to touch the

shelves behind her。



Mr。 Harkutt only replied by a slight grunt as he continued to screw

on the shutters。



〃Want me to help you; dad?〃 she said; without moving。



Mr。 Harkutt muttered something unintelligible; which; however;

seemed to imply a negative; and her attention here feebly wandered

to the roll of paper; and she began slowly and lazily to read it

aloud。



〃'For value received; I hereby sell; assign; and transfer to Daniel

D。 Harkutt all my right; titles and interest in; and to the

undivided half of; Quarter Section 4; Range 5; Tasajara Township'

humhum;〃 she murmured; running her eyes to the bottom of the

page。  〃Why; Lord!  It's that 'Lige Curtis!〃 she laughed。  〃The

idea of HIM having property!  Why; dad; you ain't been THAT silly!〃



〃Put down that paper; miss;〃 he said; aggrievedly; 〃bring the

candle here; and help me to find one of these infernal screws

that's dropped。〃



The girl indolently disengaged herself from the counter and Elijah

Curtis's transfer; and brought the candle to her father。  The screw

was presently found and the last fastening secured。  〃Supper

gettin' cold; dad;〃 she said; with a slight yawn。  Her father

sympathetically responded by stretching himself from his stooping

position; and the two passed through the private door into inner

domesticity; leaving the already forgotten paper lying with other

articles of barter on the counter。





CHAPTER II。





With the closing of the little door behind them they seemed to have

shut out the turmoil and vibration of the storm。  The reason became

apparent when; after a few paces; they descended half a dozen steps

to a lower landing。  This disclosed the fact that the dwelling part

of the Sidon General Store was quite below the level of the shop

and the road; and on the slope of the solitary undulation of the

Tasajara plain;a little ravine that fell away to a brawling

stream below。  The only arboreous growth of Tasajara clothed its

banks in the shape of willows and alders that set compactly around

the quaint; irregular dwelling which straggled down the ravine and

looked upon a slope of bracken and foliage on either side。  The

transition from the black; treeless; storm…swept plain to this

sheltered declivity was striking and suggestive。  From the opposite

bank one might fancy that the youthful and original dwelling had

ambitiously mounted the crest; but; appalled at the dreary prospect

beyond; had gone no further; while from the road it seemed as if

the fastidious proprietor had tried to draw a line between the

vulgar trading…post; with which he was obliged to face the coarser

civilization of the place; and the privacy of his domestic life。

The real fact; however; was that the ravine furnished wood and

water; and as Nature also provided one wall of the house;as in

the well…known example of aboriginal cave dwellings;its peculiar

construction commended itself to Sidon on the ground of involving

little labor。



Howbeit; from the two open windows of the sitting…room which they

had entered only the faint pattering of dripping boughs and a

slight murmur from the swollen brook indicated the storm that shook

the upper plain; and the cool breath of laurel; syringa; and alder

was wafted through the neat apartment。  Passing through that

pleasant rural atmosphere they entered the kitchen; a much larger

room; which appeared to serve occasionally as a dining…room; and

where supper was already laid out。  A stout; comfortable…looking

womanwho had; however; a singularly permanent expression of

pained sympathy upon her facewelcomed them in tones of gentle

commiseration。



〃Ah; there you be; you two!  Now sit ye right down; dears; DO。  You

must be tired out; and you; Phemie; love; draw up by your poor

father。  Therethat's right。  You'll be better soon。〃



There was certainly no visible sign of suffering or exhaustion on

the part of either father or daughter; nor the slightest apparent

earthly reason why they should be expected to exhibit any。  But;

as already intimated; it was part of Mrs。 Harkutt's generous

idiosyncrasy to look upon all humanity as suffering and toiling; to

be petted; humored; condoled with; and fed。  It had; in the course

of years; imparted a singularly caressing sadness to her voice; and

given her the habit of ending her sentences with a melancholy cooing

and an unintelligible murmur of agreement。  It was undoubtedly

sincere and sympathetic; but at times inappropriate and distressing。

It had lost her the friendship of the one humorist of Tasajara;

whose best jokes she had received with such heartfelt commiseration

and such pained appreciation of the evident labor involved as to

reduce him to silence。



Accustomed as Mr。 Harkutt was to his wife's peculiarity; he was not

above assuming a certain slightly fatigued attitude befitting it。

〃Yes;〃 he said; with a vague sigh; 〃where's Clemmie?〃



〃Lyin' down since dinner; she reckoned she wouldn't get up to

supper;〃 she returned soothingly。  〃Phemie's goin' to take her up

some sass and tea。  The poor dear child wants a change。〃



〃She wants to go to 'Frisco; and so do I; pop;〃 said Phemie;

leaning her elbow half over her father's plate。  〃Come; pop; say

do;just for a week。〃



〃Only for a week;〃 murmured the commiserating Mrs。 Harkutt。



〃Perhaps;〃 responded Harkutt; with gloomy sarcasm; 〃ye wouldn't

mind tellin' me how you're goin' to get there; and where the

money's comin' from to take you?  There's no teamin' over Tasajara

till the rain stops; and no money comin' in till the ranchmen can

move their stuff。  There ain't a hundred dollars in all Tasajara;

at least there ain't been the first red cent of it paid across my

counter for a fortnit!  Perhaps if you do go you wouldn't mind

takin' me and the store along with ye; and leavin' us there。〃



〃Yes; dear;〃 said Mrs。 Harkutt; with sympathetic but shameless

tergiversation。  〃Don't bother your poor father; Phemie; love;

don't you see he's just tired out?  And you're not eatin' anything;

dad。〃



As Mr。 Harkutt was uneasily conscious that he had been eating

heartily in spite of his financial difficulties; he turned the

subject abruptly。  〃Where's John Milton?〃



Mrs。 Harkutt shaded her eyes with her hand; and gazed meditatively

on the floor before the fire and in the chimney corner for her only

son; baptized un
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