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my daughter that he went away about ten minutes after；at least；
not more than fifteen。〃 Like all unprofessional humanity； Mr。
Harkutt had an exaggerated conception of the majesty of unimportant
detail in the eye of the law。 〃I'd go with you myself；〃 he added
quickly； 〃but I've got companystrangershere。〃
〃How did he look when he left；kinder wild？〃 suggested Peters。
Harkutt had begun to feel the prudence of present reticence。
〃Well；〃 he said； cautiously； 〃YOU saw how he looked。〃
〃You wasn't rough with him？that might have sent him off； you
know；〃 said Peters。
〃No；〃 said Harkutt； forgetting himself in a quick indignation； 〃no；
I not only treated him to another drink； but gave him〃he stopped
suddenly and awkwardly。
〃Eh？〃 said Peters。
〃Some good advice；you know；〃 said Harkutt； hastily。 〃But come；
you'd better hurry over to the squire's。 You know YOU'VE made the
discovery； YOUR evidence is important； and there's a law that
obliges you to give information at once。〃
The excitement of discovery and the triumph over his disputants
being spent； Peters； after the Sidon fashion； evidently did not
relish activity as a duty。 〃You know；〃 he said dubiously； 〃he
mightn't be dead； after all。〃
Harkutt became a trifle distant。 〃You know your own opinion of the
thing；〃 he replied after a pause。 〃You've circumstantial evidence
enough to see the squire； and set others to work on it； and；〃 he
added significantly； 〃you've done your share then； and can wipe
your hands of it； eh？〃
〃That's so；〃 said Peters； eagerly。 〃I'll just run over to the
squire。〃
〃And on account of the women folks； you know； and the strangers
here； I'll say nothin' about it to…night；〃 added Harkutt。
Peters nodded his head； and taking up the hat of the unfortunate
Elijah with a certain hesitation； as if he feared it had already
lost its dramatic intensity as a witness； disappeared into the
storm and darkness again。 A lurking gust of wind lying in ambush
somewhere seemed to swoop down on him as if to prevent further
indecision and whirl him away in the direction of the justice's
house； and Mr。 Harkutt shut the door； bolted it； and walked
aimlessly back to the counter。
From a slow； deliberate and cautious man； he seemed to have changed
within an hour to an irresolute and capricious one。 He took the
paper from his pocket； and； unlocking the money drawer of his
counter； folded into a small compass that which now seemed to be
the last testament of Elijah Curtis； and placed it in a recess。
Then he went to the back door and paused； then returned； reopened
the money drawer； took out the paper and again buttoned it in his
hip pocket； standing by the stove and staring abstractedly at the
dull glow of the fire。 He even went through the mechanical process
of raking down the ashes；solely to gain time and as an excuse for
delaying some other necessary action。
He was thinking what he should do。 Had the question of his right
to retain and make use of that paper been squarely offered to him
an hour ago； he would without doubt have decided that he ought not
to keep it。 Even now； looking at it as an abstract principle； he
did not deceive himself in the least。 But Nature has the
reprehensible habit of not presenting these questions to us
squarely and fairly； and it is remarkable that in most of our
offending the abstract principle is never the direct issue。 Mr。
Harkutt was conscious of having been unwillingly led step by step
into a difficult； not to say dishonest； situation； and against his
own seeking。 He had never asked Elijah to sell him the property；
he had distinctly declined it； it had even been forced upon him as
security for the pittance he so freely gave him。 This proved （to
himself） that he himself was honest； it was only the circumstances
that were queer。 Of course if Elijah had lived； he； Harkutt； might
have tried to drive some bargain with him before the news of the
railroad survey came outfor THAT was only business。 But now that
Elijah was dead； who would be a penny the worse or better but
himself if he chose to consider the whole thing as a lucky
speculation； and his gift of five dollars as the price he paid for
it？ Nobody could think that he had calculated upon 'Lige's
suicide； any more than that the property would become valuable。 In
fact if it came to that； if 'Lige had really contemplated killing
himself as a hopeless bankrupt after taking Harkutt's money as a
loan； it was a swindle on hisHarkutt'sgood…nature。 He worked
himself into a rage； which he felt was innately virtuous； at this
tyranny of cold principle over his own warm…hearted instincts； but
if it came to the LAW； he'd stand by law and not sentiment。 He'd
just let themby which he vaguely meant the world； Tasajara； and
possibly his own consciencesee that he wasn't a sentimental fool；
and he'd freeze on to that paper and that property！
Only he ought to have spoken out before。 He ought to have told the
surveyor at once that he owned the land。 He ought to have said：
〃Why； that's my land。 I bought it of that drunken 'Lige Curtis for
a song and out of charity。〃 Yes； that was the only real trouble；
and that came from his own goodness； his own extravagant sense of
justice and right；his own cursed good…nature。 Yet； on second
thoughts； he didn't know why he was obliged to tell the surveyor。
Time enough when the company wanted to buy the land。 As soon as it
was settled that 'Lige was dead he'd openly claim the property。
But what if he wasn't dead？ or they couldn't find his body？ or he
had only disappeared？ His plain； matter…of…fact face contracted
and darkened。 Of course he couldn't ask the company to wait for
him to settle that point。 He had the power to dispose of the
property under that paper； andhe should do it。 If 'Lige turned
up； that was another matter； and he and 'Lige could arrange it
between them。 He was quite firm here； and oddly enough quite
relieved in getting rid of what appeared only a simple question of
detail。 He never suspected that he was contemplating the one
irretrievable step； and summarily dismissing the whole ethical
question。
He turned away from the stove； opened the back door； and walked
with a more determined step through the passage to the sitting…
room。 But here he halted again on the threshold with a quick
return of his old habits of caution。 The door was slightly open；
apparently his angry outbreak of an hour ago had not affected the
spirits of his daughters； for he could hear their hilarious voices
mingling with those of the strangers。 They were evidently still
fortune…telling； but this time it was the prophetic and divining
accents of Mr。 Rice addressed to Clementina which were now plainly
audible。
〃I see heaps of money and a great many friends in the change that
is coming to you。 Dear me！ how many suitors！ But I cannot promise
you any marriage as brilliant as my friend has just offered your
sister。 You may be certain； however； that you'll have your own
choice in this； as you have in all things。〃
〃Thank you for nothing；〃 said Clementina's voice。 〃But what are
those horrid black cards beside them？that's trouble； I'm sure。〃
〃Not for you； though near you。 Perhaps some one you don't care
much for and don't understand will have a heap of trouble on your
account；yes； on account of these very riches； see； he follows the
ten of diamonds。 It may be a suitor； it may be some one now in the
house； perhaps。〃
〃He means himself； Miss Clementina；〃 struck in Grant's voice
laughingly。
〃You're not listening； Miss Harkutt；〃 said Rice with half…serious
reproach。 〃Perhaps you know who it is？〃
But Miss Clementina's reply was simply a hurried recognition of her
father's pale face that here suddenly confronted her with the
opening door。
〃Why； it's father！〃
CHAPTER III。
In his strange mental condition even the change from Harkutt's
feeble candle to the outer darkness for a moment blinded Elijah
Curtis； yet it was part of that mental condition that he kept
moving steadily forward as in a trance or dream； though at first
purposelessly。 Then it occurred to him that he was really looking
for his horse； and that the animal was not there。 This for a
moment confused and frightened him； first with the supposition that
he had not brought him at all； but that it was part of his
delusion； secondly； with the conviction that without his horse he
could neither proceed on the course suggested by Harkutt； nor take
another more vague one that was dimly in his mind。 Yet in his
hopeless vacillation it seemed a relief that now neither was
practicable； and that he need do nothing。 Perhaps it was a
mysterious providence！
The explanation； however； was much simpler。 The horse had been
taken by the luxurious and indolent Billings unknown to his
companions。 Overcome at the d