a ward of the golden gate(金门一区)-第16章
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her ancestral property on the island； now owned by the Federal
government。 But it is an affecting and poetic tribute to the parent of her
adoption that she has preferred to pass under the old； quaintly typical
name of the city； and has been known to her friends simply as 'Miss Yerba
Buena。' It is a no less pleasant and suggestive circumstance that our
'youngest senator；' the Honorable Paul Hathaway； formerly private
secretary to Mayor Hammersley； is one of the original unofficial trustees；
while the chivalry of the older days is perpetuated in the person of Colonel
Harry Pendleton； the remaining trustee。〃
As soon as he had finished； Paul took a pencil and crossed out the last
sentence； but instead of laying the proof aside； or returning it to the
waiting secretary； he remained with it in his hand； his silent； set face
turned towards the window。 Whether the merely human secretary was tired
of waiting； or the devoted partisan saw something on his young chief's
face that disturbed him； he turned to Paul with that exaggerated respect
which his functions as secretary had grafted upon his affection for his old
associate； and said：
〃I hope nothing's wrong； sir。 Not another of those scurrilous attacks on
you for putting that bill through to relieve Colonel Pendleton？ Yet it was a
risky thing for you； sir。〃
Paul started； recovered himself as if from some remote abstraction；
and； with a smile； said： 〃No；nothing。 Quite the reverse。 Write to Mr。
Slate； thank him； and say that it will do very wellwith the exception of
the lines I have marked out。 Then bring me the letter； and I will add this
inclosure。 Did you call on Colonel Pendleton？〃
〃Yes； sir。 He was at Santa Clara； and had not yet returned；at least；
that's what that dandy nigger of his told me。 The airs and graces that that
creature puts on since the colonel's affairs have been straightened out is a
little too much for a white man to stand。 Why； sir！ dd if he didn't want to
patronize YOU； and allowed to me that 'de Kernel' had a 'fah ideah' of you；
'and thought you a promisin' young man。' The fact is； sir； the party is
making a big mistake trying to give votes to that kind of cattle it would
only be giving two votes to the other side； for； slave or free； they're the
chattels of their old masters。 And as to the masters' gratitude for what
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you've done affecting a single vote of their partyyou're mistaken。〃
〃Colonel Pendleton belongs to no party；〃 said Paul； curtly； 〃but if his
old constituents ever try to get into power again； they've lost their only
independent martyr。〃
He presently became abstracted again； and Shear produced from his
overcoat pocket a series of official…looking documents。
〃I've brought the reports； sir。〃
〃Eh？〃 said Paul； absently。
The secretary stared。 〃The reports of the San Francisco Chief of Police
that you asked me to get。〃 His employer was certainly very forgetful to…
day。
〃Oh； yes； thank you。 You can lay them on my desk。 I'll look them over
in Committee。 You can go now； and if any one calls to see me say I'm
busy。〃
The secretary disappeared in the adjoining room； and Paul leaned back
in his chair； thinking。 He had； at last； effected the work he had resolved
upon when he left Rosario two months ago； the article he had just read；
and which would appear as an editorial in the San Francisco paper the day
after tomorrow； was the culmination of quietly persistent labor； inquiry；
and deduction； and would be accepted； hereafter； as authentic history；
which； if not thoroughly established； at least could not be gainsaid。
Immediately on arriving at San Francisco； he had hastened to Pendleton's
bedside； and laid the facts and his plan before him。 To his mingled
astonishment and chagrin； the colonel had objected vehemently to this
〃saddling of anybody's offspring on a gentleman who couldn't defend
himself；〃 and even Paul's explanation that the putative father was a myth
scarcely appeased him。 But Paul's timely demonstration； by relating the
scene he had witnessed of Judge Baker's infelicitous memory； that the
secret was likely to be revealed at any moment； and that if the girl
continued to cling to her theory； as he feared she would； even to the
parting with her fortune； they would be forced to accept it； or be placed in
the hideous position of publishing her disgrace； at last convinced him。 On
the other hand； there was less danger of her POSITIVE imposition being
discovered than of the VAGUE AND IMPOSITIVE truth。 The real danger
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lay in the present uncertainty and mystery； which courted surmise and
invited discovery。 Paul； himself； was willing to take all the responsibility；
and at last extracted from the colonel a promise of passive assent。 The
only revelation he feared was from the interference of the mother； but
Pendleton was strong in the belief that she had not only utterly abandoned
the girl to the care of her guardians； but that she would never rescind her
resolution to disclaim her relationship； that she had gone into self…exile for
that purpose； and that if she HAD changed her mind； he would be the first
to know of it。 On this day they had parted。 Meantime； Paul had not
forgotten another resolution he had formed on his first visit to the colonel；
and had actually succeeded in getting legislative relief for the Golden Gate
Bank； and restoring to the colonel some of his private property that had
been in the hands of a receiver。
This had been the background of Paul's meditation； which only threw
into stronger relief the face and figure that moved before him as
persistently as it had once before in the twilight of his room at Rosario。
There were times when her moonlit face； with its faint； strange smile；
stood out before him as it had stood out of the shadows of the half…
darkened drawing…room that night； as he had seen ithe believed for the
last timeframed for an instant in the parted curtains of the doorway；
when she bade him 〃Goodnight。〃 For he had never visited her since； and；
on the attainment of her majority； had delegated his passing functions to
Pendleton； whom he had induced to accompany the Mayor to Santa Clara
for the final and formal ceremony。 For the present she need not know how
much she had been indebted to him for the accomplishment of her wishes。
With a sigh he at last recalled himself to his duty； and； drawing the pile
of reports which Shear had handed him； he began to examine them。 These；
again； bore reference to his silent； unobtrusive inquiries。 In his function as
Chairman of Committee he had taken advantage of a kind of advanced
moral legislation then in vogue； and particularly in reference to a certain
social reform； to examine statistics； authorities； and witnesses； and in this
indirect but exhaustive manner had satisfied himself that the woman 〃Kate
Howard；〃 alias 〃Beverly；〃 alias 〃Durfree；〃 had long passed beyond the ken
of local police supervision； and that in the record there was no trace or
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indication of her child。 He was going over those infelix records of early
transgressions with the eye of trained experience； making notes from time
to time for his official use； and yet always watchful of his secret quest；
when suddenly he stopped with a quickened pulse。 In the record of an
affray at a gambling…house； one of the parties had sought refuge in the
rooms of 〃Kate Howard；〃 who was represented before the magistrate by
HER PROTECTOR； JUAN DE ARGUELLO。 The date given was
contemporary with the beginning of the Trust； but that proved nothing。 But
the name had it any significance； or was it a grim coincidence； that spoke
even more terribly and hopelessly of the woman's promiscuous frailty？ He
again attacked the entire report； but there was no other record of her name。
Even that would have passed any eye less eager and watchful than his
own。
He laid the reports aside； and took up the proof…slip again。 Was there
any man living but himself and Pendleton who would connect these two
statements？ That her relations with this Arguello were brief and not
generally known was evident from Pendleton's ignorance of the fact。 But
he must see him again； and at once。 Perhaps he might have acquired some
information from Yerba； the young girl might have given to his age that
confidence she had withheld from the younger man； indeed； he
remembered with a flush it was partly in that hope he had induced the
colonel to go to Santa Clara。 He put the proof…slip in his pocket and
stepped to the door of the next room。
〃You need not write that letter to Slate； Tony。 I will see him myself。 I
am going to San Francisco to…night。〃
〃And do you want anything copied from the reports； sir？〃
Paul quickly swept them from the table into his drawer； and locked it。
〃Not now； thank you。 I'll finish my notes later。〃
The next morning Paul was in San Francisco； and had again crossed
the portals of the Golden Gate Hotel。 He had been already told that the
doom of that palatial edifice was sealed by the laying of the cornerstone of
a new erection in the next square that should utterly eclipse it； he even
fancie
