lin mclean-第36节

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looking　down。　〃Once　I　made　a　fool　of　myself。　Worse　than　usual。〃



〃Billy？〃　whispered　Jessamine。　〃Then　youBut　his　name　is　Lusk！〃



〃Course　it　is；〃　said　Billy。　〃Father　and　mother　are　living　in　Laramie。〃



〃It's　all　straight；〃　said　the　cow…puncher。　〃I　never　saw　her　till　three

years　ago。　I　haven't　anything　to　hide；　onlyonlyonly　it　don't　come

easy　to　tell。〃



I　rose。　〃Miss　Buckner；〃　said　I；　〃he　will　tell　you。　But　he　will　not　tell

you　he　paid　dearly　for　what　was　no　fault　of　his。　It　has　been　no　secret。

It　is　only　something　his　friends　and　his　enemies　have　forgotten。〃



But　all　the　while　I　was　speaking　this；　Jessamine's　eyes　were　fixed　on

Lin；　and　her　face　remained　white。



I　left　the　girl　and　the　man　and　the　little　boy　together；　and　crossed　to

the　hotel。　But　its　air　was　foul；　and　I　got　my　roll　of　camp　blankets　to

sleep　in　the　clean　night；　if　sleeping…time　should　come；　meanwhile　I

walked　about　in　the　silence　To　have　taken　a　wife　once　in　good　faith；

ignorant　she　was　another's；　left　no　stain；　raised　no　barrier。　I　could

have　told　Jessamine　the　same　old　story　myselfor　almost；　but　what　had　it

to　do　with　her　at　all？　Why　need　she　know？　Reasoning　thus；　yet　with

something　left　uncleared　by　reason　that　I　could　not　state；　I　watched　the

moon　edge　into　sight；　heavy　and　rich…hued；　a　melon…slice　of　glow；

seemingly　near；　like　a　great　lantern　tilted　over　the　plain。　The　smell　of

the　sage…brush　flavored　the　air；　the　hush　of　Wyoming　folded　distant　and

near　things；　and　all　Separ　but　those　three　inside　the　lighted　window　were

in　bed。　Dark　windows　were　everywhere　else；　and　looming　above　rose　the

water…tank；　a　dull　mass　in　the　night；　and　forever　somehow　to　me　a　Sphinx

emblem；　the　vision　I　instantly　see　when　I　think　of　Separ。　Soon　I　heard　a

door　creaking。　It　was　Billy；　coming　alone；　and　on　seeing　me　he　walked　up

and　spoke　in　a　half…awed　voice。



〃She's　a…crying；〃　said　he。



I　withheld　from　questions；　and　as　he　kept　along　by　my　side　he　said：　〃I'm

sorry。　Do　you　think　she's　mad　with　Lin　for　what　he's　told　her？　She　just

sat；　and　when　she　started　crying　he　made　me　go　away。〃



〃I　don't　believe　she's　mad；〃　I　told　Billy；　and　I　sat　down　on　my　blanket；

he　beside　me；　talking　while　the　moon　grew　small　as　it　rose　over　the

plain；　and　the　light　steadily　shone　in　Jessamine's　window。　Soon　young

Billy　fell　asleep；　and　I　looked　at　him；　thinking　how　in　a　way　it　was　he

who　had　brought　this　trouble　on　the　man　who　had　saved　him　and　loved　him。

But　that　man　had　no　such　untender　thoughts。　Once　more　the　door　opened；

and　it　was　he　who　came　this　time；　alone　also。　She　did　not　follow　him　and

stand　to　watch　him　from　the　threshold；　though　he　forgot　to　close　the

door；　and；　coming　over　to　me；　stood　looking　down。



〃What？〃　I　said　at　length。



I　don't　know　that　he　heard　me。　He　stooped　over　Billy　and　shook　him

gently。　〃Wake；　son；〃　said　he。　〃You　and　I　must　get　to　our　camp　now。〃



〃Now？〃　said　Billy。　〃Can't　we　wait　till　morning？〃



〃No；　son。　We　can't　wait　here　any　more。　Go　and　get　the　horses　and　put　the

saddles　on。〃　As　Billy　obeyed；　Lin　looked　at　the　lighted　window。　〃She　is

in　there；〃　he　said。　〃She's　in　there。　So　near。〃　He　looked；　and　turned　to

the　hotel；　from　which　he　brought　his　chaps　and　spurs　and　put　them　on。　〃I

understand　her　words；〃　he　continued。　〃Her　words；　the　meaning　of　them。　But

not　what　she　means；　I　guess。　It　will　take　studyin'　over。　Why；　she　don't

blame　me！〃　he　suddenly　said；　speaking　to　me　instead　of　to　himself。



〃Lin；〃　I　answered；　〃she　has　only　just　heard　this；　you　see。　Wait　awhile。〃



〃That's　not　the　trouble。　She　knows　what　kind　of　man　I　have　been；　and　she

forgives　that　just　the　way　she　did　her　brother。　And　she　knows　how　I

didn't　intentionally　conceal　anything。　Billy　hasn't　been　around；　and　she

never　realized　about　his　mother　and　me。　We've　talked　awful　open；　but　that

was　not　pleasant　to　speak　of；　and　the　whole　country　knew　it　so　longand

I　never　thought！　She　don't　blame　me。　She　says　she　understands；　but　she

says　I　have　a　wife　livin'。〃



〃That　is　nonsense；〃　I　declared。



〃Yu'　mustn't　say　that；〃　said　he。　〃She　don't　claim　she's　a　wife；　either。

She　just　shakes　her　head　when　I　asked　her　why　she　feels　so。　It　must　be

different　to　you　and　me　from　the　way　it　seems　to　her。　I　don't　see　her

view；　maybe　I　never　can　see　it；　but　she's　made　me　feel　she　has　it；　and

that　she's　honest；　and　loves　me　true〃　His　voice　broke　for　a　moment。

〃She　said　she'd　wait。〃



〃You　can't　have　a　marriage　broken　that　was　never　tied；〃　I　said。　〃But

perhaps　Governor　Barker　or　Judge　Henry〃



〃No；〃　said　the　cow…puncher。　〃Law　couldn't　fool　her。　She's　thinking　of

something　back　of　law。　She　said　she'd　waitalways。　And　when　I　took　it　in

that　this　was　all　over　and　done；　and　when　I　thought　of　my　ranch　and　the

chickenswell；　I　couldn't　think　of　things　at　all；　and　I　came　and　waked

Billy　to　clear　out　and　quit。〃



〃What　did　you　tell　her？〃　I　asked。



〃Tell　her？　Nothin'；　I　guess。　I　don't　remember　getting　out　of　the　room。

Why；　here's　actually　her　pistol；　and　she's　got　mine！〃



〃Man；　man！〃　said　I；　〃go　back　and　tell　her　to　keep　it；　and　that　you'll

wait　tooalways！〃



〃Would　yu'？〃



〃Look！〃　I　pointed　to　Jessamine　standing　in　the　door。



I　saw　his　face　as　he　turned　to　her；　and　I　walked　toward　Billy　and　the

horses。　Presently　I　heard　steps　on　the　wooden　station；　and　from　its

black；　brief　shadow　the　two　came　walking；　Lin　and　his　sweetheart；　into

the　moonlight。　They　were　not　speaking；　but　merely　walked　together　in　the

clear　radiance；　hand　in　hand；　like　two　children。　I　saw　that　she　was

weeping；　and　that　beneath　the　tyranny　of　her　resolution　her　whole　loving；

ample　nature　was　wrung。　But　the　strange；　narrow　fibre　in　her　would　not

yield！　I　saw　them　go　to　the　horses；　and　Jessamine　stood　while　Billy　and

Lin　mounted。　Then　quickly　the　cow…puncher　sprang　down　again　and　folded

her　in　his　arms。



〃Lin；　dear　Lin！　dear　neighbor！〃　she　sobbed。　She　could　not　withhold　this

last　good…bye。



I　do　not　think　he　spoke。　In　a　moment　thehorses　started　and　were　gone；

flying；　rushing　away　into　the　great　plain；　until　sight　and　sound　of　them

were　lost；　and　only　the　sage…brush　was　there；　bathed　in　the　high；　bright

moon。　The　last　thing　I　remember　as　I　lay　in　my　blankets　was　Jessamine's

window　still　lighted；　and　the　water…tank；　clear…lined　and　black；　standing

over　Separ。







DESTINY　AT　DRYBONE





PART　I



Children　have　many　special　endowments；　and　of　these　the　chiefest　is　to

ask　questions　that　their　elders　must　skirmish　to　evade。　Married　people

and　aunts　and　uncles　commonly　discover　this；　but　mere　instinct　does　not

guide　one　to　it。　A　maiden　of　twenty…three　will　not　necessarily　divine　it。

Now　except　in　one　unhappy　hour　of　stress　and　surprise；　Miss　Jessamine

Buckner　had　been　more　than　equal　to　life　thus　far。　But　never　yet　had　she

been　shut　up　a　whole　day　in　one　room　with　a　boy　of　nine。　Had　this

experience　been　hers；　perhaps　she　would　not　have　written　to　Mr。　McLean

the　friendly　and　singular　letter　in　which　she　hoped　he　was　well；　and　said

that　she　was　very　well；　and　how　was　dear　little　Billy？　She　was　glad　Mr。

McLean　had　stayed　away。　That　was　just　like　his　honorable　nature；　and　what

she　expected　of　him。　And　she　was　perfectly　happy　at　Separ；　and　〃yours

sincerely　and　always；　'Neighbor。'　〃Postscript。　Talking　of　Billy　Luskif

Lin　was　busy　with　gathering　the　cattle；　why　not　send　Billy　down　to　stop

quietly　with　her。　She　would　make　him　a　bed　in　the　ticket…office；　and

there　she　would　be　to　see　after　him　all　the　time。　She　knew　Lin　did　not

like　his　adopted　child　to　be　too　much　in　cow…camp　with　the　men。　She　would

adopt　him；　too；　for　just　as　long　as　convenient　to　Linuntil　the　school

opened　on　Bear　Creek；　if　Lin　so　wished。　Jessamine　wrote　a　good　deal　about

how　much　better　care　any　woman　can　take　of　a　boy　of　Billy's　age　than　any

man　knows。　The　stage…coach　brought　the　answer　to　this　remarkably　soon

young　Billy　with　a　trunk　and　a　letter　of　twelve　pages　in　pencil　and　ink

the　only　writing　of　this　length　ever　done　by　Mr。　McLean。



〃I　can　write　a　lot　quicker　than　Lin；〃　said　Billy；　upon　arriving。　〃He　was

fussing　at　that　away　late　by　the　fire　in　camp；　an'　waked　me　up　crawling

in　our　bed。　An'　then　he　had　to　finish　it　next　night　when　he　went　over　to

the　cabin　for　my　clothes。〃



〃You　don't　say！〃　said　Jessamine。　And　Billy　suffered　her　to　kiss　him

again。



When　not　otherwise　occupied　Jessamine　took　the　letter　out　of　its　locked

box　and　read　it；　or　looked　at　it。　Thus　the　first　days　had　gone　finely　at

Separ；　the　weather　being　beautiful　and　Billy　much　out…of…doors。　But

sometimes　the　weather　changes　in　Wyoming；　and　now　it　was　that　Miss

Jessamine　learned　the　talents　of　childhood。



Soon　after　breakfast　this　stormy　morning　Billy　observed　the　twelve　pages

being　taken　out　of　their　box；　and　spoke　from　his　sudden　brain。　〃Honey

Wiggin　says　Lin's　losing　his　grip　about　girls；〃　he　remarked。　〃He　says　you

couldn't　'a'　downed　him　onced。　You'd　'a'　had　to　marry　hi