a first family of tasajara-第14节

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House；　who　arrived　one　summer　afternoon　from　the　Stockton　boat；　but

whose　shrewd；　half…critical；　half…professional　eyes　and　quiet

questionings　betrayed　some　previous　knowledge　of　the　locality。

Seated　on　the　broad　veranda　of　the　Harcourt　House；　and　gazing　out

on　the　well…kept　green　and　young　eucalyptus　trees　of　the　Harcourt

Square　or　Plaza；　he　had　elicited　a　counter　question　from　a

prosperous…looking　citizen　who　had　been　lounging　at　his　side。



〃I　reckon　you　look　ez　if　you　might　have　been　here　before；

stranger。〃



〃Yes；〃　said　the　stranger　quietly；　〃I　have　been。　　But　it　was　when

the　tules　grew　in　the　square　opposite；　and　the　tide　of　the　creek

washed　them。〃



〃Well；〃　said　the　Tasajaran；　looking　curiously　at　the　stranger；　〃I

call　myself　a　pioneer　of　Tasajara。　　My　name's　Peters；of　Peters

and　Co。；and　those　warehouses　along　the　wharf；　where　you　landed

just　now；　are　mine；　but　I　was　the　first　settler　on　Harcourt's　land；

and　built　the　next　cabin　after　him。　　I　helped　to　clear　out　them

tules　and　dredged　the　channels　yonder。　　I　took　the　contract　with

Harcourt　to　build　the　last　fifteen　miles　o'　railroad；　and　put　up

that　depot　for　the　company。　　Perhaps　you　were　here　before　that？〃



〃I　was；〃　returned　the　stranger　quietly。



〃I　say；〃　said　Peters；　hitching　his　chair　a　little　nearer　to　his

companion；　〃you　never　knew　a　kind　of　broken…down　feller；　called

Curtis'Lige　Curtiswho　once　squatted　here　and　sold　his　right　to

Harkutt？　　He　disappeared；　it　was　allowed　he　killed　hisself；　but

they　never　found　his　body；　and；　between　you　and　me；　I　never　took

stock　in　that　story。　　You　know　Harcourt　holds　under　him；　and　all

Tasajara　rests　on　that　title。〃



〃I've　heard　so；〃　assented　the　stranger　carelessly；　〃but　I　never

knew　the　original　settler。　　Then　Harcourt　has　been　lucky？〃



〃You　bet。　　He's　got　three　millions　right　about　HERE；　or　within　this

quarter　section；　to　say　nothing　of　his　outside　speculations。〃



〃And　lives　here？〃



〃Not　for　two　years。　　That's　his　old　house　across　the　plaza；　but　his

women…folks　live　mostly　in　'Frisco　and　New　York；　where　he's　got

houses　too。　　They　say　they　sorter　got　sick　of　Tasajara　after　his

youngest　daughter　ran　off　with　a　feller。〃



〃Hallo！〃　said　the　stranger　with　undisguised　interest。　　〃I　never

heard　of　that！　　You　don't　mean　that　she　eloped〃he　hesitated。



〃Oh；　it　was　a　square　enough　marriage。　　I　reckon　too　square　to　suit

some　folks；　but　the　fellow　hadn't　nothin'；　and　wasn't　worth

shucks；a　sort　of　land　surveyor；　doin'　odd　jobs；　you　know；　and　the

old　man　and　old　woman　were　agin　it；　and　the　tother　daughter　worse

of　all。　　It　was　allowed　hereyou　know　how　women…folks　talk！that

the　surveyor　had　been　sweet　on　Clementina；　but　had　got　tired　of

being　played　by　her；　and　took　up　with　Phemie　out　o'　spite。　　Anyhow

they　got　married；　and　Harcourt　gave　them　to　understand　they

couldn't　expect　anything　from　him。　　P'raps　that's　why　it　didn't

last　long；　for　only　about　two　months　ago　she　got　a　divorce　from

Rice　and　came　back　to　her　family　again。〃



〃Rice？〃　queried　the　stranger。　　〃Was　that　her　husband's　name；

Stephen　Rice？〃



〃I　reckon！　　You　knew　him？〃



〃Yes；when　the　tide　came　up　to　the　tules；　yonder；〃　answered　the

stranger　musingly。　　〃And　the　other　daughter；I　suppose　she　has

made　a　good　match；　being　a　beauty　and　the　sole　heiress？〃



The　Tasajaran　made　a　grimace。　　〃Not　much！　　I　reckon　she's　waitin'

for　the　Angel　Gabriel；there　ain't　another　good　enough　to　suit　her

here。　　They　say　she's　had　most　of　the　big　men　in　California　waitin'

in　a　line　with　their　offers；　like　that　cue　the　fellows　used　to　make

at　the　'Frisco　post…office　steamer　daysand　she　with　nary　a　letter

or　answer　for　any　of　them。〃



〃Then　Harcourt　doesn't　seem　to　have　been　as　fortunate　in　his　family

affairs　as　in　his　speculations？〃



Peters　uttered　a　grim　laugh。　　〃Well；　I　reckon　you　know　all　about

his　son's　stampeding　with　that　girl　last　spring？〃



〃His　son？〃　interrupted　the　stranger。　　〃Do　you　mean　the　boy　they

called　John　Milton？　　Why；　he　was　a　mere　child！〃



〃He　was　old　enough　to　run　away　with　a　young　woman　that　helped　in

his　mother's　house；　and　marry　her　afore　a　justice　of　the　peace。

The　old　man　just　snorted　with　rage；　and　swore　he'd　have　the

marriage　put　aside；　for　the　boy　was　under　age。　　He　said　it　was　a

put…up　job　of　the　girl's；　that　she　was　older　by　two　years；　and　only

wanted　to　get　what　money　might　be　comin'　some　day；　but　that　they'd

never　see　a　red　cent　of　it。　　Then；　they　say；　John　Milton　up　and

sassed　the　old　man　to　his　face；　and　allowed　that　he　wouldn't　take

his　dirty　money　if　he　starved　first；　and　that　if　the　old　man　broke

the　marriage　he'd　marry　her　again　next　year；　that　true　love　and

honorable　poverty　were　better　nor　riches；　and　a　lot　more　o'　that

stuff　he　picked　out　o'　them　ten…cent　novels　he　was　allus　reading。

My　women…folks　say　that　he　actually　liked　the　girl；　because　she　was

the　only　one　in　the　house　that　was　ever　kind　to　him；　they　say　the

girls　were　just　ragin'　mad　at　the　idea　o'　havin'　a　hired　gal　who

had　waited　on　'em　as　a　sister…in…law；　and　they　even　got　old　Mammy

Harcourt's　back　up　by　sayin'　that　John's　wife　would　want　to　rule

the　house；　and　run　her　out　of　her　own　kitchen。　　Some　say　he　shook

THEM；　talked　back　to　'em　mighty　sharp；　and　held　his　head　a　heap

higher　nor　them。　　Anyhow；　he's　livin'　with　his　wife　somewhere　in

'Frisco；　in　a　shanty　on　a　sand　lot；　and　workin'　odd　jobs　for　the

newspapers。　　No！　takin'　it　by　and　largeit　don't　look　as　if

Harcourt　had　run　his　family　to　the　same　advantage　that　he　has　his

land。〃



〃Perhaps　he　doesn't　understand　them　as　well；〃　said　the　stranger

smiling。



〃Mor'n　likely　the　material　ain't　thar；　or　ain't　as　vallyble　for　a

new　country；〃　said　Peters　grimly。　　〃I　reckon　the　trouble　is　that　he

lets　them　two　daughters　run　him；　and　the　man　who　lets　any　woman　or

women　do　that；　lets　himself　in　for　all　their　meannesses；　and　all　he

gets　in　return　is　a　woman's　result；show！〃



Here　the　stranger；　who　was　slowly　rising　from　his　chair　with　the

polite　suggestion　of　reluctantly　tearing　himself　from　the　speaker's

spell；　said：　〃And　Harcourt　spends　most　of　his　time　in　San

Francisco；　I　suppose？〃



〃Yes！　but　to…day　he's　here　to　attend　a　directors'　meeting　and　the

opening　of　the　Free　Library　and　Tasajara　Hall。　　I　saw　the　windows

open；　and　the　blinds　up　in　his　house　across　the　plaza　as　I　passed

just　now。〃



The　stranger　had　by　this　time　quite　effected　his　courteous

withdrawal。　　〃Good…afternoon；　Mr。　Peters；〃　he　said；　smilingly

lifting　his　hat；　and　turned　away。



Peters；　who　was　obliged　to　take　his　legs　off　the　chair；　and　half

rise　to　the　stranger's　politeness；　here　reflected　that　he　did　not

know　his　interlocutor's　name　and　business；　and　that　he　had　really

got　nothing　in　return　for　his　information。　　This　must　be　remedied。

As　the　stranger　passed　through　the　hall　into　the　street；　followed

by　the　unwonted　civilities　of　the　spruce　hotel　clerk　and　the

obsequious　attentions　of　the　negro　porter；　Peters　stepped　to　the

window　of　the　office。　　〃Who　was　that　man　who　just　passed　out？〃　he

asked。



The　clerk　stared　in　undisguised　astonishment。　　〃You　don't　mean　to

say　you　didn't　know　WHO　he　wasall　the　while　you　were　talking　to

him？〃



〃No；〃　returned　Peters；　impatiently。



〃Why；　that　was　Professor　Lawrence　Grant！THE　Lawrence　Grantdon't

you　know？the　biggest　scientific　man　and　recognized　expert　on　the

Pacific　slope。　　Why；　that's　the　man　whose　single　word　is　enough　to

make　or　break　the　biggest　mine　or　claim　going！　　That　man！why；

that's　the　man　whose　opinion's　worth　thousands；　for　it　carries

millions　with　itand　can't　be　bought。　　That's　him　who　knocked　the

bottom　outer　El　Dorado　last　year；　and　next　day　sent　Eureka　up

booming！　　Ye　remember　that；　sure？〃



〃Of　coursebut〃stammered　Peters。



〃And　to　think　you　didn't　know　him！〃　repeated　the　hotel　clerk

wonderingly。　　〃And　here　I　was　reckoning　you　were　getting　points

from　him　all　the　time！　　Why；　some　men　would　have　given　a　thousand

dollars　for　your　chance　of　talking　to　himyes！of　even　being　SEEN

talking　to　him。　　Why；　old　Wingate　once　got　a　tip　on　his　Prairie

Flower　lead　worth　five　thousand　dollars　while　just　changing　seats

with　him　in　the　cars　and　passing　the　time　of　day；　sociable　like。

Why；　what　DID　you　talk　about？〃



Peters；　with　a　miserable　conviction　that　he　had　thrown　away　a

valuable　opportunity　in　mere　idle　gossip；　nevertheless　endeavored

to　look　mysterious　as　he　replied；　〃Oh；　business　gin'rally。〃　　Then

in　the　faint　hope　of　yet　retrieving　his　blunder　he　inquired；　〃How

long　will　he　be　here？〃



〃Don't　know。　　I　reckon　he　and　Harcourt's　got　something　on　hand。　　He

just　asked　if　he　was　likely　to　be　at　home　or　at　his　office。　　I　told

him　I　reckoned　at　the　house；　for　some　of　the　familyI　didn't　get

to　see　who　they　weredrove　up　in　a　carriage　from　the　3。40　train

while　you　were　sitting　there。〃



Meanwhile　the　subject　of　this　discussion；　quite　unconscious　of　the