第34章
加入书架 A- A+
点击下载App,搜索"Trent’s Trust and Other Stories",免费读到尾

  Encouragedbythis,Mr。Hamlingotthemtolaughingagain,andthenproposedaracehomeintheirwetclothes,whichtheyaccepted,Mr。

  Hamlin,forrespiratoryreasons,laggingintheirrearuntilhehadthesatisfactionofseeingthemcapturedbythehorrifiedMelindainfrontofthekitchen,whileheslippedpastherandregainedhisownroom。Herehechangedhissaturatedclothes,triedtorubawayacertainchillinessthatwascreepingoverhim,andlaydowninhisdressinggowntomiserablereflections。Hehadnearlydrownedthechildrenandoverexcitedhimself,inspiteofhispromisetothedoctor!Hewouldneveragainbeintrustedwiththecareoftheformernorbebelievedbythelatter!

  Buteventsarenotalwayslogicalinsequence。Mr。Hamlinwentcomfortablytosleepandintoaprofuseperspiration。Hewasawakenedbyarappingathisdoor,andopeningit,wassurprisedtofindMrs。Riverswithanxiousinquiriesastohiscondition。

  “Indeed,“shesaid,withanemotionwhichevenherprimreservecouldnotconceal,“Ididnotknowuntilnowhowserioustheaccidentwas,andhowbutforyouandDivineProvidencemylittlegirlmighthavebeendrowned。ItseemsMelindasawitall。“

  InwardlyobjurgatingthespyingMelinda,butrelievedthathisplaymateshadn’tbrokentheirpromiseofsecrecy,Mr。Hamlinlaughed。

  “I’mafraidthatyourlittlegirlwouldn’thavegotintothewateratallbutforme——andyoumustgiveallthecreditofgettingherouttotheotherfellow。“HestoppedattheseverechangeinMrs。

  Rivers’sexpression,andaddedquiteboyishlyandwithasuddendropfromhisusuallevity,“Butpleasedon’tkeepthechildrenawayfrommeforallthat,Mrs。Rivers。“

  Mrs。Riversdidnot,andthenextdayJackandhiscompanionssoughtfreshplayingfieldsandsomenewstory-tellingpastures。

  Indeed,itwasafinesighttoseethispale,handsome,elegantlydressedyoungfellowloungingalongbetweenablue-checkeredpinaforedgirlononesideandabarefootedboyontheother。Theranchmenturnedandlookedafterhimcuriously。One,arusticprodigal,reducedbydissipationtotheswine-husksofranching,sawfittoaccosthimfamiliarly。

  “ThelasttimeIsawyoudealingpokerinSacramento,Mr。Hamlin,I

  didnotreckontofindyouuphereplayingwithacoupleofkids。“

  “No!“respondedMr。Hamlinsuavely,“andyetIrememberIwasplayingwithsomecountryidiotsdownthere,andyouwereoneofthem。Well!understandthatuphereIpreferthekids。Don’tletmehavetoremindyouofit。“

  Nevertheless,Mr。Hamlincouldnothelpnoticingthatforthenexttwoorthreedaysthereweremanycallersattheranchandthathewasobligedinhiswalkstoavoidthehighroadonaccountoftheimpertinentcuriosityofwayfarers。Someofthemwereofthatsexwhichhewouldnothavecontentedhimselfwithsimplycalling“curious。“

  “Tothink,“saidMelindaconfidentlytohermistress,“thatthattharMrs。Stubbs,whowouldn’tgototheHightownHotelbecausetherewasaplayactressthar,hasbeensnoopin’roundheretwicesincethatyoungfellercame。“

  Ofthisfact,however,Mr。Hamlinwasblissfullyunconscious。

  Nevertheless,histemperwasgrowinguncertain;theangleofhissmartstrawhatwasbecomingaggressivetostrangers;hispolitenesssardonic。AndnowSundaymorninghadcomewithanatmosphereofstarchedpietyandwell-soapedrespectabilityattherancho,andthechildrenweretobetakenwiththerestofthefamilytotheday-longserviceatHightown。AstheseSabbathpilgrimagesfilledthemainroad,hewasfaintotakehimselfandhislonelinesstothetrailsandbyways,andeventoinvadethehauntsofsomeotherelegantoutcastslikehimself——towit,acrestedhawk,agracefulwildcatbeautifullymarked,andaneloquentlyreticentrattlesnake。Mr。Hamlineyedthemwithoutfear,andcertainlywithoutreproach。Theywerenotoutoftheirelement。

  Suddenlyheheardhisnamecalledinastentoriancontralto。Animpatientejaculationrosetohislips,butdieduponthemasheturned。ItwascertainlyMelinda,butinhispresentsensitivelonelinessitstruckhimforthefirsttimethathehadneveractuallyseenherbeforeasshereallywas。Likemostmeninhisprofessionhewasaquickreaderofthoughtsandfaceswhenhewasinterested,andalthoughthiswasthesamerobust,long-limbed,sunburntgirlhehadmet,henowseemedtoseethroughhertripleincrustationofhumanvanity,conventionalpiety,andoutrageousSabbathfineryanhonest,sympatheticsimplicitythatcommandedhisrespect。

  “Youarebackearlyfromchurch,“hesaid。

  “Yes。Oneserviceisgoodenoughformewhentharain’tnospecialpreacher,“shereturned,“soIjestseztoSilas,’asIain’theretolistentothesisterscackleyekinputtothebuckboardanddrivemehomeezsoonezyouplease。’“

  “AndsohisnameisSilas,“suggestedMr。Hamlincheerfully。

  “Go’longwithyou,Mr。Hamlin,anddon’tpester,“shereturned,withheifer-likeplayfulness。“Well,Silasputto,andwhenwerosethehillhereIsawyourstrawhatpassin’inthegulch,andseztoSilas,sezI,’Yekinpulluphere,foroveryarisournewboarder,JackHamlin,andI’mgoin’totalkwithhim。’’Allright,’sezhe,’I’dsoonertrustyewiththatgayyounggamboliereverydayoftheweekthanwiththemsaintsdowntharonSunday。

  Hedealsezstraightezheshoots,andisaboutasnighontoagentlemanastheymake’em。’“

  ForonemomentortwoMissBirdonlysawJack’slonglashes。Whenhiseyesoncemoreliftedtheywereshining。“Andwhatdidyousay?“hesaid,withashortlaugh。

  “Itoldhimheneedn’tbeChristopherColumbustohavediscoveredthat。“SheturnedwithalaughtowardJack,tobemetbytheword“shake,“andanoutstretchedthinwhitehandwhichgraspedherlargeredonewithafrank,fraternalpressure。

  “Ididn’tcometotellyethat,“remarkedMissBirdasshesatdownonaboulder,tookoffheryellowhat,andrestackedhertawnymaneunderit,“butthis:IreckonedIwenttoSundaymeetin’asIoughtter。Ikalkilatedtohearconsiderableabout’Faith’and’Works,’

  andsich,butIdidn’treckontohearallaboutyoufromtheLord’sPrayertotheDoxology。Youwereinthespecialprayersezawarnin’,inthesermonezatext;theypickedouthymnstofitye!

  Andalwaysadreffulexampleandavisitation。Andtheresto’thetuneitwasallgabble,gabblebythebrothersandsistersaboutyou。Ireckon,Mr。Hamlin,thattheyknoweverythingyoueverdidsinceyouwereknee-hightoagrasshopper,andagooddealmorethanyoueverthoughtofdoin’。Thewomenisalldeadsetonconvertin’yeandsavin’yebytheirownpreciousselves,andthemenisekallydeadsetongettin’rido’yeonthataccount。“

  “AndwhatdidSethandMrs。Riverssay?“askedHamlincomposedly,butwithkindlingeyes。

  “Theystuckupforyeezfareztheycould。ButyeseetheparsonhezgotaholtuponSeth,havin’caughthimkissin’aconvertatcampmeeting;andDeaconTurnerknowssuthinaboutMrs。Rivers’ssister,whokickedoverthepailandjumpedthefenceyearsago,andshe’safearda’him。ButwhatIwantedtotellyewasthatthey’reallcomin’upheretotakealookatye——someon’emto-

  night。Youain’tafeard,areye?“sheadded,withaloudlaugh。

  “Well,itlooksratherdesperate,doesn’tit?“returnedJack,withdancingeyes。

  “I’lltrustyeforallthat,“saidMelinda。“AndnowIreckonI’lltrotalongtotherancho。Yeneedn’tofferterseemehome,“sheadded,asJackmadeamovementtoaccompanyher。“Everybodyuphereain’tasfair-mindedezSilasandyou,andMelindaBirdhezacharactertolose!Solong!“Withthisshecanteredaway,alittleheavily,perhaps,adjustingheryellowhatwithbothhandsassheclattereddownthesteephill。

  ThatafternoonMr。Hamlindrewlargelyonhisconvalescencetomountahalf-brokenmustang,andinspiteoftherisingafternoonwindtogallopalongthehighroadinquiteasmischievousandbreezyafashion。Hewaswonttoallowhismustang’snosetohangoverthehindrailsofwagonsandbuggiescontainingyoungcouples,andtodashaheadofsobercarryallsthatheldelderly“membersingoodstanding。“

  Anaccomplishedrider,hepickedupandbroughtbacktheflyingparasolofMrs。DeaconStubbswithoutdismounting。Hefinallycamehomealittleblown,butdangerouslycomposed。

  TherewastheusualSundayeveninggatheringatWindyHillRancho——

  neighborsandtheirwives,deaconsandthepastor——buttheircuriositywasnotsatisfiedbythesightofMr。Hamlin,whokepthisownroomandhisowncounsel。Therewassomedesultoryconversation,chieflyonchurchtopics,foritwasvaguelyfeltthatadiscussionoftheadvisabilityorgettingridoftheguestoftheirhostwassomewhatdifficultunderthishost’sroof,withtheguestimpendingatanymoment。Thenadiversionwascreatedbysomeofthechurchchoirpracticingtheharmoniumwiththesingingofcertainmoreorlesslugubriousanthems。Mrs。Riverspresentlyjoinedin,andinasomewhatfadedsoprano,which,however,stillretainedconsiderablemusicaltasteandexpression,sang,“Come,yedisconsolate。“Thewindmoanedoverthedeep-throatedchimneyinaweirdharmonywiththemelancholyofthathumanappealasMrs。

  Riverssangthefirstverse:——

  “Come,yedisconsolate,where’eryelanguish,CometotheMercySeat,ferventlykneel;

  Herebringyourwoundedhearts——heretellyouranguish,EarthhasnosorrowthatHeavencannotheal!“

  Apausefollowed,andthelong-drawn,half-humansighofthemountainwindoverthechimneyseemedtominglewiththewailoftheharmonium。Andthen,totheirthrilledastonishment,atenorvoice,high,clear,buttenderlypassionate,brokelikeaskylarkovertheirheadsinthelinesofthesecondverse:——

  “Joyofthedesolate,Lightofthestraying,Hopeofthepenitent——fadelessandpure;

  HerespeakstheComforter,tenderlysaying,EarthhasnosorrowthatHeavencannotcure!“

点击下载App,搜索"Trent’s Trust and Other Stories",免费读到尾