lin mclean-第32部分

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Virginian。　〃Go　and　play　with　Billy　till　you　can　talk　bass。〃



But　it　was　the　boldest　adults　that　Billy　chose　for　playmates。　Texas　he

found　immature。　Moreover；　when　next　he　came；　he　desired　play　with　no　one。

Summer　was　done。　September's　full　moon　was　several　nights　ago；　he　had

gone　on　his　hunt　with　Lin；　and　now　spelling…books　were　at　hand。　But　more

than　this　clouded　his　mind；　he　had　been　brought　to　say　good…bye　to

Jessamine　Buckner；　who　had　scarcely　seen　him；　and　to　give　her　a

wolverene…skin；　a　hunting　trophy。　〃She　can　have　it；〃　he　told　me。　〃I　like

her。〃　Then　he　stole　a　look　at　his　guardian。　〃If　they　get　married　and　send

me　back　to　mother；〃　said　he；　〃I'll　run　away　sure。〃　So　school　and　this　old

dread　haunted　the　child；　while　for　the　man；　Lin　the　lucky；　who　suspected

nothing　of　it；　time　was　ever　bringing　love　nearer　to　his　hearth。　His

Jessamine　had　visited　Box　Elder；　and　even　said　she　wanted　chickens　there；

since　when　Mr。　McLean　might　occasionally　have　been　seen　at　his　cabin；

worrying　over　barn…yard　fowls；　feeding　and　cursing　them　with　equal　care。

Spring　would　see　him　married；　he　told　me。



〃This　time　right！〃　he　exclaimed。　〃And　I　want　her　to　know　Billy　some　more

before　he　goes　to　Bear　Creek。〃



〃Ah；　Bear　Creek！〃　said　Billy；　acidly。　〃Why　can't　I　stay　home？〃



〃Home　sounds　kind　o'　slick；〃　said　Lin　to　me。　〃Don't　it；　now？　'Home'　is

closer　than　'neighbor；'　you　bet！　Billy；　put　the　horses　in　the　corral；　and

ask　Miss　Buckner　if　we　can　come　and　see　her　after　supper。　If　you're　good；

maybe　she'll　take　yu'　for　a　ride　to…morrow。　And；　kid；　ask　her　about

Laramie。〃



Again　suspicion　quivered　over　Billy's　face；　and　he　dragged　his　horses

angrily　to　the　corral。



Lin　nudged　me；　laughing。　〃I　can　rile　him　every　time　about　Laramie；〃　said

he；　affectionately。　〃I　wouldn't　have　believed　the　kid　set　so　much　store

by　me。　Nor　I　didn't　need　to　ask　Jessamine　to　love　him　for　my　sake。　What

do　yu'　suppose？　Before　I'd　got　far　as　thinking　of　Billy　at　all　right

after　Edgeford；　when　my　head　was　just　a　whirl　of　joyJessamine　says　to

me　one　day；　'Read　that。'　It　was　Governor　Barker　writin'　to　her　about　her

brother　and　her　sorrow。〃　Lin　paused。　〃And　about　me。　I　can't　never　tell

youbut　he　said　a　heap　I　didn't　deserve。　And　he　told　her　about　me

picking　up　Billy　in　Denver　streets　that　time；　and　doing　for　him　because

his　own　home　was　not　a　good　one。　Governor　Barker　wrote　Jessamine　all

that；　and　she　said；　'Why　did　you　never　tell　me？'　And　I　said　it　wasn't

anything　to　tell。　And　she　just　said　to　me；　'It　shall　be　as　if　he　was　your

son　and　I　was　his　mother。'　And　that's　the　first　regular　kiss　she　ever

gave　me　I　didn't　have　to　take　myself。　God　bless　her！　God　bless　her！〃



As　we　ate　our　supper；　young　Billy　burst　out　of　brooding　silence：　〃I

didn't　ask　her　about　Laramie。　So　there！〃



〃Well；　well；　kid；〃　said　the　cow…puncher；　patting　his　head；　〃yu'　needn't

to；　I　guess。〃



But　Billy's　eye　remained　sullen　and　jealous。　He　paid　slight　attention　to

the　picture…book　of　soldiers　and　war　that　Jessamine　gave　him　when　we　went

over　to　the　station。　She　had　her　own　books；　some　flowers　in　pots；　a

rocking…chair；　and　a　cosey　lamp　that　shone　on　her　bright　face　and　dark

dress。　We　drew　stools　from　the　office　desks；　and　Billy　perched　silently

on　one。



〃Scanty　room　for　company！〃　Jessamine　said。　〃But　we　must　make　out　this

waytill　we　have　another　way。〃　She　smiled　on　Lin；　and　Billy's　face

darkened。　〃Do　you　know；〃　she　pursued　to　me；　〃with　all　those　chickens　Mr。

McLean　tells　me　about；　never　a　one　has　he　thought　to　bring　here。〃



〃Livin'　or　dead　do　you　want　'em？〃　inquired　Lin。



〃Oh；　I'll　not　bother　you。　Mr。　Donohoe　says　he　will〃



〃Texas？　Chickens？　Him？　Then　he'll　have　to　steal　'em！〃　And　we　all　laughed

together。



〃You　won't　make　me　go　back　to　Laramie；　will　you？〃　spoke　Billy；　suddenly；

from　his　stool。



〃I'd　like　to　see　anybody　try　to　make　you？〃　exclaimed　Jessamine。　〃Who　says

any　such　thing？〃



〃Lin　did；〃　said　Billy。



Jessamine　looked　at　her　lover　reproachfully。　〃What　a　way　to　tease　him！〃

she　said。　〃And　you　so　kind。　Why；　you've　hurt　his　feelings！〃



〃I　never　thought；〃　said　Lin　the　boisterous。　〃I　wouldn't　have。〃



〃Come　sit　here；　Billy；〃　said　Jessamine。　〃Whenever　he　teases；　you　tell　me；

and　we'll　make　him　behave。〃



〃Honest？〃　persisted　Billy。



〃Shake　hands　on　it；〃　said　Jessamine。



〃Cause　I'll　go　to　school。　But　I　won't　go　back　to　Laramie　for　no　one。　And

you're　a…going　to　be　Lin's　wife；　honest？〃



〃Honest！　Honest！〃　And　Jessamine；　laughing；　grew　red　beside　her　lamp。



〃Then　I　guess　mother　can't　never　come　back　to　Lin；　either；〃　stated　Billy；

relieved。



Jessamine　let　fall　the　child's　hand。



〃Cause　she　liked　him　onced；　and　he　liked　her。〃



Jessamine　gazed　at　Lin。



〃It's　simple；〃　said　the　cow…puncher。　〃It's　all　right。〃



But　Jessamine　sat　by　her　lamp；　very　pale。



〃It's　all　right；〃　repeated　Lin　in　the　silence；　shifting　his　foot　and

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