a first family of tasajara-第16章

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conversation　or　that　it　was　not　for　his　ears。　　It　was　a　dismal

reminder　of　his　boyhood　at　Sidon　and　Tasajara。　　But　he　was　too　full

of　hope　and　ambition　to　heed　it　to…night；　and　later；　when　Mr。

Fletcher　had　taken　his　departure；　his　pent…up　enthusiasm　burst　out

before　his　youthful　partner。　　Had　she　realized　that　their　struggles

were　over　now；　that　their　future　was　secure？　　They　need　no　longer

fear　ever　being　forced　to　take　bounty　from　the　family；　they　were

independent　of　them　all！　　He　would　make　a　name　for　himself　that

should　be　distinct　from　his　father's　as　he　should　make　a　fortune

that　would　be　theirs　alone。　　The　young　wife　smiled。　　〃But　all　that

need　not　prevent　you；　dear；　from　claiming　your　RIGHTS　when　the　time

comes。〃



〃But　if　I　scorn　to　make　the　claim　or　take　a　penny　of　his；　Loo？〃



〃You　say　you　scorn　to　take　the　money　you　think　your　father　got　by　a

mere　trick；at　the　best；and　didn't　earn。　　And　now　you　will　be

able　to　show　you　can　live　without　it；　and　earn　your　own　fortune。

Well；　dear；　for　that　very　reason　why　should　you　let　your　father　and

others　enjoy　and　waste　what　is　fairly　your　share？　　For　it　is　YOUR

share　whether　it　came　to　your　father　fairly　or　not；　and　if　not；　it

is　still　your　duty；　believing　as　you　do；　to　claim　it　from　him；　that

at　least　YOU　may　do　with　it　what　you　choose。　　You　might　want　to

restore　ittotosomebody。〃



The　young　man　laughed。　　〃But；　my　dear　Loo！　suppose　that　I　were　weak

enough　to　claim　it；　do　you　think　my　father　would　give　it　up？　　He

has　the　right；　and　no　law　could　force　him　to　yield　to　me　more　than

he　chooses。〃



〃Not　the　law；　but　YOU　could。〃



〃I　don't　understand　you；〃　he　said　quickly。



〃You　could　force　him　by　simply　telling　him　what　you　once　told　me。〃



John　Milton　drew　back；　and　his　hand　dropped　loosely　from　his

wife's。　　The　color　left　his　fresh　young　face；　the　light　quivered

for　a　moment　and　then　became　fixed　and　set　in　his　eyes。　　For　that

moment　he　looked　ten　years　her　senior。　　〃I　was　wrong　ever　to　tell

even　you　that；　Loo；〃　he　said　in　a　low　voice。　　〃You　are　wrong　to

ever　remind　me　of　it。　　Forget　it　from　this　moment；　as　you　value　our

love　and　want　it　to　live　and　be　remembered。　　And　forget；　Loo；　as　I

do；and　ever　shall；that　you　ever　suggested　to　me　to　use　my

secret　in　the　way　you　did　just　now。〃



But　here　Mrs。　Harcourt　burst　into　tears；　more　touched　by　the

alteration　in　her　husband's　manner；　I　fear；　than　by　any　contrition

for　wrongdoing。　　Of　course　if　he　wished　to　withdraw　his　confidences

from　her；　just　as　he　had　almost　confessed　he　wished　to　withdraw　his

NAME；　she　couldn't　help　it；　but　it　was　hard　that　when　she　sat　there

all　day　long　trying　to　think　what　was　best　for　them；　she　should　be

blamed！　　At　which　the　quiet　and　forgiving　John　Milton　smiled

remorsefully　and　tried　to　comfort　her。　　Nevertheless　an　occasional

odd；　indefinable　chill　seemed　to　creep　across　the　feverish

enthusiasm　with　which　he　was　celebrating　this　day　of　fortune。　　And

yet　he　neither　knew　nor　suspected　until　long　after　that　his　foolish

wife　had　that　night　half　betrayed　his　secret　to　the　stranger！



The　next　day　he　presented　a　note　of　introduction　from　Mr。　Fletcher

to　the　business　manager　of　the　〃Clarion；〃　and　the　following　morning

was　duly　installed　in　office。　　He　did　not　see　his　benefactor　again；

that　single　visit　was　left　in　the　mystery　and　isolation　of　an

angelic　episode。　　It　later　appeared　that　other　and　larger　interests

in　the　San　Jose　valley　claimed　his　patron's　residence　and　attendance；

only　the　capital　and　general　purpose　of　the　paperto　develop　into　a

party　organ　in　the　interest　of　his　possible　senatorial　aspirations

in　due　seasonwas　furnished　by　him。　　Grateful　as　John　Milton　felt

towards　him；　he　was　relieved；　it　seemed　probable　that　Mr。　Fletcher

HAD　selected　him　on　his　individual　merits；　and　not　as　the　son　of　a

millionaire。



He　threw　himself　into　his　work　with　his　old　hopeful　enthusiasm；　and

perhaps　an　originality　of　method　that　was　part　of　his　singular

independence。　　Without　the　student's　training　or　restraint；for

his　two　years'　schooling　at　Tasajara　during　his　parents'　prosperity

came　too　late　to　act　as　a　discipline；he　was　unfettered　by　any

rules；　and　guided　only　by　an　unerring　instinctive　taste　that　became

near　being　genius。　　He　was　a　brilliant　and　original；　if　not　always

a　profound　and　accurate；　reporter。　　By　degrees　he　became　an

accustomed　interest　to　the　readers　of　the　〃Clarion；〃　then　an

influence。　　Actors　themselves　in　many　a　fierce　drama；　living　lives

of　devotion；　emotion；　and　picturesque　incident；　they　had　satisfied

themselves　with　only　the　briefest　and　most　practical　daily　record

of　their　adventure；　and　even　at　first　were　dazed　and　startled　to

find　that　many　of　them　had　been　heroes　and　some　poets。　　The

stealthy　boyish　reader　of　romantic　chronicle　at　Sidon　had　learned

by　heart　the　chivalrous　story　of　the　emigration。　　The　second　column

of　the　〃Clarion〃　became　famous　even　while　the　figure　of　its

youthful　writer；　unknown　and　unrecognized；　was　still　nightly

climbing　the　sands　of　Russian　Hill；　and　even　looking　down　as　before

on　the　lights　of　the　growing　city；　without　a　thought　that　he　had

added　to　that　glittering　constellation。



Cheerful　and　contented　with　the　exercise　of　work；　he　would　have

been　happy　but　for　the　gradual　haunting　of　another　dread　which

presently　began　to　drag　him　at　earlier　hours　up　the　steep　path　to

his　little　home；　to　halt　him　before　the　door　with　the　quickened

breath　of　an　anxiety　he　would　scarcely　confess　to　himself；　and

sometimes　hold　him　aimlessly　a　whole　day　beneath　his　roof。　　For　the

pretty　but　delicate　Mrs。　Harcourt；　like　others　of　her　class；　had

added　a　weak　and　ineffective　maternity　to　their　other　conjugal

trials；　and　one　early　dawn　a　baby　was　born　that　lingered　with　them

scarcely　longer　than　the　morning　mist　and　exhaled　with　the　rising

sun。　　The　young　wife　regained　her　strength　slowly；so　slowly　that

the　youthful　husband　brought　his　work　at　times　to　the　house　to　keep

her　company。　　And　a　singular　change　had　come　over　her。　　She　no

longer　talked　of　the　past；　nor　of　his　family。　　As　if　the　little

life　that　had　passed　with　that　morning　mist　had　represented　some

ascending　expiatory　sacrifice；　it　seemed　to　have　brought　them　into

closer　communion。



Yet　her　weak　condition　made　him　conceal　another　trouble　that　had

come　upon　him。　　It　was　in　the　third　month　of　his　employment　on　the

〃Clarion〃　that　one　afternoon；　while　correcting　some　proofs　on　his

chief's　desk；　he　came　upon　the　following　editorial　paragraph：



〃The　played…out　cant　of　'pioneer　genius'　and　'pioneer　discovery'

appears　to　have　reached　its　climax　in　the　attempt　of　some　of　our

contemporaries　to　apply　it　to　Dan　Harcourt's　new　Tasajara　Job

before　the　legislature。　　It　is　perfectly　well　known　in　Harcourt's

own　district　that；　far　from　being　a　pioneer　and　settler　HIMSELF　he

simply　succeeded　after　a　fashion　to　the　genuine　work　of　one　Elijah

Curtis；　an　actual　pioneer　and　discoverer；　years　before；　while

Harcourt；　we　believe；　was　keeping　a　frontier　doggery　in　Sidon；　and

dispensing　'tanglefoot'　and　salt　junk　to　the　hayfooted　Pike

Countians　of　his　precinct。　　This　would　make　him　as　much　of　the

'pioneer　discoverer'　as　the　rattlesnake　who　first　takes　up　board

and　lodgings　and　then　possession　in　a　prairie　dog's　burrow。　　And　if

the　traveler's　tale　is　true　that　the　rattlesnake　sometimes　makes　a

meal　of　his　landlord；　the　story　told　at　Sidon　may　be　equally

credible　that　the　original　pioneer　mysteriously　disappeared　about

the　time　that　Dan　Harcourt　came　into　the　property。　　From　which　it

would　seem　that　Harcourt　is　not　in　a　position　for　his　friends　to

invite　very　deep　scrutiny　into　his　'pioneer'　achievements。〃



Stupefaction；　a　vague　terror；　and　rising　anger；　rapidly　succeeded

each　other　in　the　young　man's　mind　as　he　stood　mechanically　holding

the　paper　in　his　hand。　　It　was　the　writing　of　his　chief　editor；

whose　easy　brutality　he　had　sometimes　even　boyishly　admired。

Without　stopping　to　consider　their　relative　positions　he　sought　him

indignantly　and　laid　the　proof　before　him。　　The　editor　laughed。

〃But　what's　that　to　YOU？　　YOU'RE　not　on　terms　with　the　old　man。〃



〃But　he　is　my　father！〃　said　John　Milton　hotly。



〃Look　here；〃　said　the　editor　good…naturedly；　〃I'd　like　to　oblige

you；　but　it　isn't　BUSINESS；　you　know；and　this　IS；　you

understand；PROPRIETOR'S　BUSINESS　too！　　Of　course　I　see　it　might

stand　in　the　way　of　your　making　up　to　the　old　man　afterwards　and

coming　in　for　a　million。　　Well！　you　can　tell　him　it's　ME。　　Say　I

WOULD　put　it　in。　　Say　I'm　nastyand　I　AM！〃



〃Then　it　must　go　in？〃　said　John　Milton　with　a　white　face。



〃You　bet。〃



〃Then　I　must　go　out！〃　　And　writing　out　his　resignation；　he　laid　it

before　his　chief　and　left。



But　he　could　not　bear　to　tell　this　to　his　wife　when　he　climbed　the

hill　that　night；　and　he　invented　some　excuse　for　bringing　his　work

home。　　The　invalid　never　noticed　any　change　in　his　usual　buoyancy；

and　indeed　I　fear；　when　he　was　fairly　installed　with　his　writing

materials　at　the　foot　of　her　bed；　he　had　quite　forgotten　the

episode。　　He　was　recalled　to　it　by　a　faint　sigh。



〃What　is　it；　dear？〃　he　said　looking　up。



〃I　like　to　see　you　writing；　Milty。　　You　always　look　so　happy。〃



〃Always　so　happy；　dear？〃



〃Yes。　　You　are　happy；　are　you　not？〃



〃Always。〃　　He　got　up　and　kissed　her。　　Nevertheless；　when　he　sat

down　to　his　work　again；　his　face　was　turned　a　little　more　to　the

window。



Another　serious　incidentto　be　also　kept　from　the　invalidshortly

followed。　　The　article　in　the　〃Clarion〃　had　borne　its　fruit。　　The

third　day　after　his　resignation　a　rival　paper　sharply　retorted。

〃The　cowardly　insinuations　against　the　record　of　a　justly　honored

capitalist；〃　said　the　〃Pioneer；〃　〃although　quite　in　keeping　with

the　brazen　'Clarion；'　might　attract　the　attentions　of　the　slandered

party；　if　it　were　not　known　to　his　friends　as　well　as　himself　that

it　may　be　traced　almost　directly　to　a　cast…off　member　of　his　own

family；　who；　it　seems；　is　reduced　to　haunting　the　back　doors　of

certain　blatant　journals　to　dispose　of　his　cheap　wares。　　The

slanderer　is　secure　from　public　exposure　in　the　superior　decency　of

his　relations；　who　refrain　from　airing　their　family　linen　upon

editorial　lines。〃



This　was　the　journal　to　which　John　Milton　had　hopefully　turned　for

work。　　When　he　read　it　there　seemed　but　one　thing　for　him　to　do

and　he　did　it。　　Gentle　and　optimistic　as　was　his　nature；　he　had

been　brought　up　in　a　community　where　sincere　directness　of　personal

offense　was　followed　by　equally　sincere　directness　of　personal

redress；　andhe　challenged　the　editor。　　The　bearer　of　his　cartel

was　one　Jack　Hamlin；　I　grieve　to　say　a　gambler　by　profession；　but

between　whom　and　John　Milton　had　sprung　up　an　odd　friendship　of

which　the　best　that　can　be　said　is　that　it　was　to　each　equally　and

unselfishly　unprofitable。　　The　challenge　was　ac