the foreigner-第52节

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The　Foreign　Colony　and　the　mine　reacted　upon　each　other；　to　their　mutual　advantage；　the　one　furnishing　labourers；　the　other　work　and　cash。　　The　colony　had　greatly　prospered　on　this　account；　but　perhaps　more　on　account　of　the　influence　of　Dr。　Brown　and　his　mission。　　The　establishment　of　a　Government　school　had　relieved　the　missionary　of　an　exacting　and　laborious　department　of　his　work；　and　allowed　him　to　devote　himself　to　his　Hospital　and　his　Training　Home。　　The　changes　apparent　in　the　colony；　largely　as　the　result　of　Dr。　Brown's　labours；　were　truly　remarkable。　　The　creating　of　a　market　for　their　produce　by　the　advent　of　the　railway；　and　for　their　labour　by　the　development　of　the　mine；　brought　the　Galician　people　wealth；　but　the　influence　of　Dr。　Brown　himself；　and　of　his　Home；　and　of　his　Hospital；　was　apparent　in　the　life　and　character　of　the　people；　and　especially　of　the　younger　generation。　　The　old　mud…plastered　cabins　were　giving　place　to　neat　frame　houses；　each　surrounded　by　its　garden　of　vegetables　and　flowers。　　In　dress；　the　sheep　skin　and　the　shawl　were　being　exchanged　for　the　ready…made　suit　and　the　hat　of　latest　style。　　The　Hospital；　with　its　staff　of　trained　nurses　under　the　direction　of　the　young　matron；　the　charming　Miss　Irma；　by　its　ministrations　to　the　sick；　and　more　by　the　spirit　that　breathed　through　its　whole　service；　wrought　in　the　Galician　mind　a　new　temper　and　a　new　ideal。　　In　the　Training　Home　fifty　Galician　girls　were　being　indoctrinated　into　that　most　noble　of　all　sciences；　the　science　of　home…making；　and　were　gaining　practical　experience　in　all　the　cognate　sciences　and　arts。

At　the　Night　Hawk　ranch　too　were　all　the　signs　of　the　new　order　of　things。　　Fenced　fields　and　imported　stock；　a　new　ranch　house　with　stables　and　granaries；　were　some　of　the　indications　that　the　coming　of　the　market　for　the　produce　of　the　ranch　had　synchronized　with　the　making　of　the　man　for　its　administration。　　The　call　of　the　New　Time；　and　the　appeal　of　the　New　Ideal；　that　came　through　the　railroad；　the　mine；　but；　more　than　both；　through　the　Mission　and　its　founder；　found　a　response　in　the　heart　of　Jack　French。　　The　old　laissez　faire　of　the　pioneer　days　gave　place　to　a　sense　of　responsibility　for　opportunity；　and　to　habits　of　decisive　and　prompt　attention　to　the　business　of　the　hour。　　Five　years　of　intelligent　study　of　conditions；　of　steady　application　to　duty；　had　brought　success　not　in　wealth　alone；　but　in　character　and　in　influence。

But　upon　Kalman；　more　than　upon　any　other；　these　five　years　had　left　their　mark。　　The　hard　grind　of　daily　work；　the　daily　burden　of　administration；　had　toughened　the　fibre　of　his　character　and　hardened　the　temper　of　his　spirit；　and　this　hardening　and　toughening　could　be　seen　in　every　line　of　his　face　and　in　every　motion　of　his　body。　　Twice　during　the　five　years　he　had　been　sent　by　Jack　French　to　the　city　for　a　three　months'　term　in　a　Business　College；　where　he　learned　to　know；　not　only　the　books　of　his　College　curriculum；　but；　through　Jack's　introductions；　the　men　who　were　doing　big　things　for　the　country。　　He　had　returned　to　his　place　and　to　his　work　in　the　mine　with　vision　enlarged；　ideal　exalted；　and　with　the　purpose　strengthened　to　make　the　best　out　of　life。　　In　every　sense　the　years　had　made　a　man　of　him。　　He　was　as　tall　as　Jack；　lithe　and　strong；　in　mind　keen　and　quick；　in　action　resolute。　　To　those　he　met　in　the　world　of　labour　and　of　business　he　seemed　hard。　　To　his　old　friends　on　the　ranch　or　at　the　Mission；　up　through　all　the　hardness　there　welled　those　springs　that　come　from　a　heart　kind；　loyal；　and　true。　　Among　the　Galicians　of　the　colony；　he　was　their　acknowledged　leader；　because　he　did　justly　by　them　and　because；　although　a　Canadian　among　Canadians；　he　never　forgot　to　own　and　to　honour　the　Slav　blood　that　flowed　in　his　veins；　and　to　labour　for　the　advancement　of　his　people。

But　full　of　work　and　ambition　as　he　was；　yet　there　were　times　when　Jack　French　read　in　his　eyes　the　hunger　of　his　heart。　　For　after　all；　it　is　in　the　heart　a　man　carries　his　life；　it　is　through　the　heart　come　his　finest　ideals；　from　the　heart　his　truest　words　and　deeds。

At　one　such　time；　and　the　week　before　she　came　again；　Jack　French；　looking　through　the　window　of　his　own　heart　and　filled　with　a　great　pity　for　the　young　man　who　had　come　to　be　more　than　brother　to　him；　had　ventured　to　speak。　　But　only　once；　for　with　such　finality　of　tone　and　manner　as　made　answer　impossible；　Kalman　had　made　reply。

〃No；　Jack；　I　had　my　dream。　　It　was　great　while　it　lasted；　but　it　is　past；　and　I　shall　dream　no　more。〃

〃Kalman；　my　boy；　don't　make　a　mistake。　　Life　is　a　long　thing；　and　can　be　very　dreary。〃　　There　was　no　mistaking　the　pain　in　Jack's　voice。

〃Is　it；　Jack？〃　said　Kalman。　　〃I　am　afraid　you　are　right。　　But　I　can　never　forgetmy　father　was　a　foreigner；　and　I　am　one；　and　the　tragedy　of　that　awful　night　can　never　be　wiped　from　her　mind。　　The　curse　of　it　I　must　bear！〃

〃But；　Kalman；　you　are　not　ashamed　of　your　bloodof　your　father？〃

Then　Kalman　lifted　up　his　head　and　his　voice　rang　out。　　〃Of　my　blood？　　No。　　But　it　is　not　hers。　　Of　my　father？　　No。　　To　me　he　was　the　just　avenger　of　a　great　cause。　　But　to　her；〃　his　voice　sank　to　a　hoarse　whisper；　〃he　was　a　murderer！　　No；　Jack；　it　may　not　be。〃

〃But；　Kalman；　my　boy；〃　remonstrated　Jack；　〃think　of　all〃

〃Think？　　For　these　five　years　I　have　thought　till　my　heart　is　sore　with　thinking！　　No；　Jack；　don't　fret。　　I　don't。　　Thank　God　there　are　other　things。　　There　is　work；　a　people　to　help；　a　country　to　serve。〃

〃Other　things！〃　said　French　bitterly。　　〃True；　there　are；　and　great　things；　but；　Kalman；　boy；　I　have　tried　them；　and　to…night　after　thirty　years；　as　I　speak　to　youmy　God！my　heart　is　sick　of　hunger　for　something　better　than　things！　　Love！　my　boy；　love　is　the　best！〃

〃Poor　Jack！〃　said　Kalman　softly；　〃dear　old　boy！〃　and　went　out。　　But　of　that　hunger　of　the　heart　they　never　spoke　again。

And　now　at　the　end　of　five　years'　absence　she　was　coming　again。　How　vivid　to　Kalman　was　his　remembrance　of　the　last　sight　he　had　of　her。　　It　was　at　the　Night　Hawk　ranch；　and　on　the　night　succeeding　that　of　the　tragedy　at　the　mine。　　In　the　inner　room；　beside　his　father's　body；　he　was　sitting；　his　mind　busy　with　the　tragic　pathos　of　that　grief…tortured；　storm…beaten　life。　　Step　by　step；　as　far　as　he　knew　it；　he　was　tracing　the　tear…wet；　blood…stained　path　that　life　had　taken；　its　dreadful　scenes　of　blood　and　heart　agony　were　passing　before　his　mind；　when　gradually　he　became　aware　that　in　the　next　room　the　Sergeant；　with　bluff　and　almost　brutal　straightforwardness；　was　telling　her　the　story　of　Rosenblatt's　dreadful　end。　　〃And　then；　begad！　after　grilling　the　wretch　for　all　that　time；　didn't　the　infernal；　bloodthirsty　fiend　in　the　most　cheerful　manner　touch　off　the　powder　and　blow　the　man　into　eternity。〃　　Then　through　the　thin　partition　he　heard　her　faint　cry　of　horror。　　He　remembered　how；　at　the　Sergeant's　description　of　his　father；　something　seemed　to　go　wrong　in　his　brain。　　He　had　a　dim　remembrance　of　how；　dazed　with　rage；　he　had　felt　his　way　out　to　the　next　room；　and　cried；　〃You　defamer　of　the　dead！　you　will　lie　no　more！〃　　He　had　a　vivid　picture　of　how　in　horror　she　had　fled　from　him　while　he　dragged　out　the　Sergeant　by　the　throat　into　the　night；　and　how　he　had　been　torn　from　him　by　the　united　efforts　of　Brown　and　French　together。　　He　remembered　how；　after　the　funeral　service；　when　he　had　grown　master　of　himself　again；　he　had　offered　the　Sergeant　his　humble　apology　before　them　all。　　But　most　vivid　of　all　was　his　memory　of　the　look　of　fear　and　repulsion　in　her　eyes　when　he　came　near　her。　　And　that　was　the　last　look　he　had　had　of　her。　Gladly　would　he　have　run　away　from　meeting　her　again；　but　this　he　could　not　do；　for　Jack's　sake　and　for　his　own。　　Carefully　he　rehearsed　the　scene；　what　he　would　say；　and　how　he　would　carry　himself　with　what　rigid　self…control　and　with　what　easy　indifference　he　would　greet　her。

But　the　meeting　was　quite　other　than　he　had　planned。　　It　was　at　the　mine。　　One　shiny　September　morning　the　heavy　cars　were　just　starting　down　the　incline　to　the　mine　below；　when　through　the　carelessness　of　the　operator　the　brake　of　the　great　drum　slipped；　and　on　being　applied　again　with　reckless　force；　broke；　and　the　car　was　off；　bringing　destruction　to　half　a　dozen　men　at　the　bottom　of　the　shaft。　　Quick　as　a　flash　of　light；　Kalman　sprang　to　the　racing　cog　wheels；　threw　in　a　heavy　coat　that　happened　to　be　lying　near；　and　then；　as　the　machinery　slowed；　thrust　in　a　handspike　and　checked　the　descent　of　the　runaway　car。　　It　took　less　than　two　seconds　to　see；　to　plan；　to　execute。

〃Great　work！〃　exclaimed　a　voice　behind　him。

He　turned　and　saw　Sir　Robert　Menzies；　and　between　him　and　French；　his　daughter　Marjorie。

〃Glad　to　see　you；　Sir　Robert；〃　he　exclaimed　heartily。

〃That　was　splendid！〃　said　his　daughter；　pale　and　shaken　by　what　she　had　seen。

One　keen　searching　look　he　thrust　in　through　her　eyes；　scanning　her　soul。　　Bravely；　frankly；　she　gave　him　back　his　look。　　Kalman　drew　a　deep　breath。　　It　was　as　if　he　had　been　on　a　long　voyage　of　discovery；　how　long　he　could　not　tell。　　But　what　he　had　seen　brought　comfort　to　his　heart。　　She　had　not　shrunk　from　him。

〃That　was　fine！〃　cried