a first family of tasajara-第14章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



sale　on　record。〃　　He　half　drew　Elijah　Curtis's　paper　from　his

pocket；　but　paused　and　put　it　back　again。



〃Then　THAT　WAS　the　paper；　dad；〃　said　Phemie　triumphantly。



〃Yes；〃　said　her　father；　regarding　her　fixedly；　〃and　you　know　now

why　I　didn't　want　anything　said　about　it　last　nightnor　even　now。〃



〃And　'Lige　had　just　given　it　to　you！　　Wasn't　it　lucky？〃



〃He　HADN'T　just　given　it　to　me！〃　said　her　father　with　another

unexpected　outburst。　　〃God　Amighty！　ain't　I　tellin'　you　all　the

time　it　was　an　old　matter！　　But　you　jabber；　jabber　all　the　time　and

don't　listen！　　Where's　John　Milton？〃　　It　had　occurred　to　him　that

the　boy　might　have　read　the　paperas　his　sister　hadwhile　it　lay

unheeded　on　the　counter。



〃In　the　store；you　know。　　You　said　he　wasn't　to　hear　anything　of

this；　but　I'll　call　him；〃　said　Mrs。　Harkutt；　rising　eagerly。



〃Never　mind；〃　returned　her　husband；　stopping　her　reflectively；

〃best　leave　it　as　it　is；　if　it's　necessary　I'll　tell　him。　　But

don't　any　of　you　say　anything；　do　you　hear？〃



Nevertheless　a　few　hours　later；　when　the　store　was　momentarily　free

of　loungers；　and　Harkutt　had　relieved　his　son　of　his　monotonous

charge；　he　made　a　pretense；　while　abstractedly　listening　to　an

account　of　the　boy's　stewardship；　to　look　through　a　drawer　as　if　in

search　of　some　missing　article。



〃You　didn't　see　anything　of　a　paper　I　left　somewhere　about　here

yesterday？〃　he　asked　carelessly。



〃The　one　you　picked　up　when　you　came　in　last　night？〃　said　the　boy

with　discomposing　directness。



Harkutt　flushed　slightly　and　drew　his　breath　between　his　set　teeth。

Not　only　could　he　place　no　reliance　upon　ordinary　youthful

inattention；　but　he　must　be　on　his　guard　against　his　own　son　as

from　a　spy！　　But　he　restrained　himself。



〃I　don't　remember；〃　he　said　with　affected　deliberation；　〃what　it

was　I　picked　up。　　Do　you？　　Did　you　read　it？〃



The　meaning　of　his　father's　attitude　instinctively　flashed　upon　the

boy。　　He　HAD　read　the　paper；　but　he　answered；　as　he　had　already

determined；　〃No。〃



An　inspiration　seized　Mr。　Harkutt。　　He　drew　'Lige　Curtis's　bill　of

sale　from　his　pocket；　and　opening　it　before　John　Milton　said；　〃Was

it　that？〃



〃I　don't　know；〃　said　the　boy。　　〃I　couldn't　tell。〃　　He　walked　away

with　affected　carelessness；　already　with　a　sense　of　playing　some

part　like　his　father；　and　pretended　to　whistle　for　the　dog　across

the　street。　　Harkutt　coughed　ostentatiously；　put　the　paper　back　in

his　pocket；　set　one　or　two　boxes　straight　on　the　counter；　locked

the　drawer；　and　disappeared　into　the　back　passage。　　John　Milton

remained　standing　in　the　doorway　looking　vacantly　out。　　But　he　did

not　see　the　dull　familiar　prospect　beyond。　　He　only　saw　the　paper

his　father　had　opened　and　unfolded　before　him。　　It　was　the　same

paper　he　had　read　last　night。　　But　there　were　three　words　written

there　THAT　WERE　NOT　THERE　BEFORE！　　After　the　words　〃Value　received〃

there　had　been　a　blank。　　He　remembered　that　distinctly。　　This　was

filled　in　by　the　words；　〃Five　hundred　dollars。〃　　The　handwriting

did　not　seem　like　his　father's；　nor　yet　entirely　like　'Lige

Curtis's。　　What　it　meant　he　did　not　know；he　would　not　try　to

think。　　He　should　forget　it；　as　he　had　tried　to　forget　what　had

happened　before；　and　he　should　never　tell　it　to　any　one！



There　was　a　feverish　gayety　in　his　sisters'　manner　that　afternoon

that　he　did　not　understand；　short　colloquies　that　were　suspended

with　ill　concealed　impatience　when　he　came　near　them；　and　resumed

when　he　was　sent；　on　equally　palpable　excuses；　out　of　the　room。　　He

had　been　accustomed　to　this　exclusion　when　there　were　strangers

present；　but　it　seemed　odd　to　him　now；　when　the　conversation　did

not　even　turn　upon　the　two　superior　visitors　who　had　been　there；

and　of　whom　he　confidently　expected　they　would　talk。　　Such

fragments　as　he　overheard　were　always　in　the　future　tense；　and

referred　to　what　they　intended　to　do。　　His　mother；　whose　affection

for　him　had　always　been　shown　in　excessive　and　depressing

commiseration　of　him　in　even　his　lightest　moments；　that　afternoon

seemed　to　add　a　prophetic　and　Cassandra…like　sympathy　for　some

vague　future　of　his　that　would　require　all　her　ministration。　　〃You

won't　need　them　new　boots；　Milty　dear；　in　the　changes　that　may　be

comin'　to　ye；　so　don't　be　bothering　your　poor　father　in　his

worriments　over　his　new　plans。〃



〃What　new　plans；　mommer？〃　asked　the　boy　abruptly。　　〃Are　we　goin'

away　from　here？〃



〃Hush；　dear；　and　don't　ask　questions　that's　enough　for　grown　folks

to　worry　over；　let　alone　a　boy　like　you。　　Now　be　good；〃a　quality

in　Mrs。　Harkutt's　mind　synonymous　with　ceasing　from　troubling；

〃and　after　supper；　while　I'm　in　the　parlor　with　your　father　and

sisters；　you　kin　sit　up　here　by　the　fire　with　your　book。〃



〃But；〃　persisted　the　boy　in　a　flash　of　inspiration；　〃is　popper

goin'　to　join　in　business　with　those　surveyors；a　surveyin'？〃



〃No；　child；　what　an　idea！　　Run　away　there；and　mind！don't　bother

your　father。〃



Nevertheless　John　Milton's　inspiration　had　taken　a　new　and

characteristic　shape。　　All　this；　he　reflected；　had　happened　since

the　surveyors　camesince　they　had　weakly　displayed　such　a

shameless　and　unmanly　interest　in　his　sisters！　　It　could　have　but

one　meaning。　　He　hung　around　the　sitting…room　and　passages　until　he

eventually　encountered　Clementina；　taller　than　ever；　evidently

wearing　a　guilty　satisfaction　in　her　face；　engrafted　upon　that

habitual　bearing　of　hers　which　he　had　always　recognized　as

belonging　to　a　vague　but　objectionable　race　whose　members　were

individually　known　to　him　as　〃a　proudy。〃



〃Which　of　those　two　surveyor　fellows　is　it；　Clemmy？〃　he　said　with

an　engaging　smile；　yet　halting　at　a　strategic　distance。



〃Is　what？〃



〃Wot　you're　goin'　to　marry。〃



〃Idiot！〃



〃That　ain't　tellin'　which；〃　responded　the　boy　darkly。



Clementina　swept　by　him　into　the　sitting…room；　where　he　heard　her

declare　that　〃really　that　boy　was　getting　too　low　and　vulgar　for

anything。〃　　Yet　it　struck　him；　that　being　pressed　for　further

explanation；　she　did　NOT　specify　why。　　This　was　〃girls'　meanness！〃



Howbeit　he　lingered　late　in　the　road　that　evening；　hearing　his

father　discuss　with　the　search…party　that　had　followed　the　banks　of

the　creek；　vainly　looking　for　further　traces　of　the　missing　'Lige；

the　possibility　of　his　being　living　or　dead；　of　the　body　having

been　carried　away　by　the　current　to　the　bay　or　turning　up　later　in

some　distant　marsh　when　the　spring　came　with　low　water。　　One　who

had　been　to　his　cabin　beside　the　embarcadero　reported　that　it　was；

as　had　been　long　suspected；　barely　habitable；　and　contained　neither

books；　papers；　nor　records　which　would　indicate　his　family　or

friends。　　It　was　a　God…forsaken；　dreary；　worthless　place；　he

wondered　how　a　white　man　could　ever　expect　to　make　a　living　there。

If　Elijah　never　turned　up　again　it　certainly　would　be　a　long　time

before　any　squatter　would　think　of　taking　possession　of　it。　　John

Milton　knew　instinctively；　without　looking　up；　that　his　father's

eyes　were　fixed　upon　him；　and　he　felt　himself　constrained　to　appear

to　be　abstracted　in　gazing　down　the　darkening　road。　　Then　he　heard

his　father　say；　with　what　he　felt　was　an　equal　assumption　of

carelessness：　〃Yes；　I　reckon　I've　got　somewhere　a　bill　of　sale　of

that　land　that　I　had　to　take　from　'Lige　for　an　old　bill；　but　I

kalkilate　that's　all　I'll　ever　see　of　it。〃



Rain　fell　again　as　the　darkness　gathered；　but　he　still　loitered　on

the　road　and　the　sloping　path　of　the　garden；　filled　with　a　half

resentful　sense　of　wrong；　and　hugging　with　gloomy　pride　an

increasing　sense　of　loneliness　and　of　getting　dangerously　wet。　　The

swollen　creek　still　whispered；　murmured　and　swirled　beside　the

bank。　　At　another　time　he　might　have　had　wild　ideas　of　emulating

the　surveyors　on　some　extempore　raft　and　so　escaping　his　present

dreary　home　existence；　but　since　the　disappearance　of　'Lige；　who

had　always　excited　an