第17章

Then，withhisoldboyishenthusiasm，hesketchedaglowingpictureoftheirfuture:howtheywouldkeeptheDorntonpropertyintactuntilthecaptainwasfoundandcommunicatedwith；andhowtheywouldcautiouslycollectalltheinformationaccessibletofindhimuntilsuchtimeasRandolph’sfortuneswouldenablethembothtogoonavoyageofdiscoveryafterhim。Andinthemidstofthispropheticforecast，whichbroughtthemsocloselytogetherthatshewasenabledtoexaminehiswatchchain，shesaid，——

“IseeyouhavekeptCousinJack’sring。Didheeverseeit？“

“Hetoldmehehadgivenittoyouashislittlesweetheart，andthathe“——

Therewasasingularpausehere。

“HeneverdidTHAT——atleast，notinthatway！“saidSybilEversleigh。

And，strangelyenough，theoptimisticRandolph’spropheciescametrue。HewasmarriedamonthlatertoSibylEversleigh，Mr。

Dingwallgivingawaythebride。Heandhiswifewereabletokeeptheirtrustinregardtotheproperty，for，withoutinvestingadollarofitinthebank，themerereputationofhiswife’swealthbroughthimafloodofotherinvestorsandaconfidencewhichatoncesecuredhissuccess。Intwoyearshewasabletotakehiswifeonasixmonths’holidaytoEuropeviaAustralia，butofthedetailsofthatholidaynooneknew。Itis，however，onrecordthattenortwelveyearsagoDorntonHall，whichhadbeenleasedorunoccupiedforalongtime，wasrefittedfortheheiress，herhusband，andtheirchildrenduringabriefoccupancy，andthatinthatperiodextensiverepairsweremadetotheinterioroftheoldNormanchurch，andmuchattentiongiventotheredecorationandrestorationofitsancienttombs。

MR。MACGLOWRIE’SWIDOW

Verylittlewasknownofherlatehusband，yetthatlittlewasofasufficientlyawe-inspiringcharactertosatisfythecuriosityofLaurelSpring。Amanofunswervinganimosityandcandidbelligerency，untemperedbyanyhumanweakness，hehadbeenactivelyengagedassurvivorintwoorthreebloodfeudsinKentucky，andsomedesultorydueling，onlytosuccumb，throughtheironyoffate，toanattackoffeverandagueinSanFrancisco。

Giftedwithafinesenseofhumor，heissaid，inhislastmoments，tohavecalledthesimple-mindedclergymantohisbedsidetoassisthiminputtingonhisboots。Thekindlydivine，althoughpointingouttohimthathewastooweaktorise，muchlesswalk，couldnotresisttherequestofadyingman。Whenitwasfulfilled，Mr。

MacGlowriecrawledbackintobedwiththeremarkthathisracehadalways“diedwiththeirbootson，“andsopassedsmilinglyandtranquillyaway。

ItisprobablethatthisstorywasinventedtosoftentheignominyofMacGlowrie’speacefulend。Thewidowherselfwasalsoreportedtobeendowedwithrelationsofequallyhomicidaleccentricities。

Hertwobrothers，StephenandHectorBoompointer，hadWesternreputationsthatwerequiteasluridandremote。Herownexperiencesofafrontierlifehadbeenrudeandstartling，andherscalp——asingularlybeautifuloneofblondhair——hadbeeninperilfromIndiansonseveraloccasions。Apairofscissors，withwhichshehadoncepinnedtheintrudinghandofamaraudertohercabindoorpost，wastobeseeninhersittingroomatLaurelSpring。A

fair-facedwomanwitheyesthecolorofpalesherry，acomplexionsallowedbyinnutritiousfood，slightandtallfigure，shegavelittlesuggestionofthisAmazonianfeat。Butthatitexercisedawholesomerestraintoverthemanywhowouldliketohaveinducedhertoreenterthemarriedstate，thereislittlereasontodoubt。

LaurelSpringwasapeacefulagriculturalsettlement。FewofitscitizensdaredtoaspiretothedangerouseminenceofsucceedingthedefunctMacGlowrie；fewcouldhopethatthesisteroflivingBoompointerswouldacceptanobviousmesalliancewiththem。

Howeversinceretheiraffection，lifewasstillsweettotherudeinhabitantsofLaurelSpring，andthepreservationoftheusualquantityoflimbsnecessarytothemintheiravocations。Withtheirdevotionthuschastenedbycaution，itwouldseemasifthecharmingmistressofLaurelSpringHousewassecurefromdisturbingattentions。

Itwasapleasantsummerafternoon，andthesunwasbeginningtostrikeunderthelaurelsaroundthehotelintothelittleofficewherethewidowsatwiththehousekeeper——astoutspinsterofacoarserWesterntype。Mrs。MacGlowriewaslookingwearilyoversomeaccountsonthedeskbeforeher，andabsentlyputtingbacksometumbledsheavesfromthestackofherheavyhair。ForthewidowhadacertainindolentSouthernnegligence，whichinalessprettywomanwouldhavebeenuntidiness，andacharacteristichookandeyelessfreedomofattirewhichonlessgracefullimbswouldhavebeenslovenly。Onesleevecuffwasunbuttoned，butitshowedtheblueveinsofherdelicatewrist；theneckofherdresshadlostahook，buttheglimpseofabitofedgingroundthewhitethroatmadeamends。Ofallwhich，however，itshouldbesaidthatthewidow，inherlimpabstraction，wasreallyunconscious。

“IreckonwekinputthenewpreacherinKernelStarbottle’sroom，“

saidMissMorvin，thehousekeeper。“Thekernel’sgoingto-night。“

“Oh，“saidthewidowinatoneofrelief，butwhetherattheearlydepartureofthegallantcoloneloratthesuccessfulsolutionoftheproblemoflodgingthepreacher，MissMorvincouldnotdetermine。Butshewentontentatively:——

“Thekernelwastalkin’inthebarroom，andkindo’wonderin’whyyouhadn’tgotmarriedagin。Saidyou’dmakeastirinSacramento——

butyouwasjestberriedHERE。“

“Isupposehe’sheardofmyhusband？“saidthewidowindifferently。

“Yes——buthesaidhecouldn’tPLACEYOU，“returnedMissMorvin。

Thewidowlookedup。“Couldn’tplaceME？“sherepeated。

“Yes——hadn’theardo’MacGlowrie’swifeanddisrememberedyourbrothers。“

“Thecoloneldoesn’tknoweverybody，evenifheisafightingman，“

saidMrs。MacGlowriewithlanguidscorn。

“That’sjustwhatDickBlairsaid，“returnedMissMorvin。“Andthoughhe’sonlyadoctor，hejeststuckupagin’thekernel，andtoldthatstoryaboutyourjabbin’thatmanwithyourscissors——

beautiful；andhowyouoncefoughtoffabearwithared-hotiron，sothatyou’dhaveadmiredtohearhim。He’sawfullygoneonyou！“

Thewidowtookthatopportunitytobuttonhercuff。

“Andhowlongdoesthepreachercalculatetostay？“sheadded，returningtobusinessdetails。

“Onlyaday。They’llhavehishousefixedupandreadyforhimto-morrow。They’respendin’aheapo’moneyonit。Heoughttobethepow’fulpreachertheysayheis——tobeworthit。“

ButhereMrs。MacGlowrie’sinterestintheconversationceased，anditdropped。

InheranxietytofurtherthesuitofDickBlair，MissMorvinhadscarcelyreportedthecolonelwithfairness。

Thatgentleman，leaningagainstthebarinthehotelsaloonwithacocktailinhishand，hadexpatiatedwithhisusualgallantryuponMrs。MacGlowrie’scharms，andonhisown“personal“responsibilityhadexpressedtheopinionthattheywerethrownawayonLaurelSpring。That——blankitall——sheremindedhimoftheblankestbeautifulwomanhehadseeneveninWashington——oldMajorBeveridge’sdaughterfromKentucky。Weretheysureshewasn’tfromKentucky？Wasn’thernameBeveridge——andnotBoompointer？

Becomingmorereminiscentoverhisseconddrink，thecolonelcouldvaguelyrecallonlyoneBoompointer——ablankskulkinghound，sir——ameanwhiteshyster——but，ofcourse，hecouldn’thavebeenofthesamebreedassuchablankfinewomanasthewidow！ItwasherethatDickBlairinterruptedwithaheightenedcolorandaglowingeulogyofthewidow’srelationsandherself，which，however，onlyincreasedthechivalryofthecolonel——whowouldbethelastman，sir，todetractfrom——orsufferanydetractionof——alady’sreputation。Itwasneedlesstosaythatallthiswasintenselydivertingtothebystanders，andproportionallydiscomposingtoBlair，whoalreadyexperiencedsomeslightjealousyofthecolonelasamanwhosefightingreputationmightpossiblyattracttheaffectionsofthewidowofthebelligerentMacGlowrie。Hehadcursedhisfollyandrelapsedintogloomysilenceuntilthecolonelleft。

ForDickBlairlovedthewidowwiththeunselfishnessofagenerousnatureandafirstpassion。HehadadmiredherfromthefirstdayhislotwascastinLaurelSpring，wherecomingfromarudefrontierpracticehehadsucceededthedistrictdoctorinamorepeacefulanddomesticministration。Askillfulandgentlesurgeonratherthanageneralhouseholdpractitioner，hewasatfirstcoldlywelcomedbythegloomydyspepticsandague-hauntedsettlersfromriparianlowlands。Thefewbucolicidlerswhohadrelievedthemonotonyoftheirlivesbythestimulusofpatentmedicinesandtheexaltationofstomachbitters，alsolookedaskanceathim。A

common-sensewayofdealingwiththeirailmentsdidnotnaturallycommenditselftotheshopkeeperswhovendedthesenostrums，andhewasmadetofeeltheoppositionoftrade。Buthewasgentletowomenandchildrenandanimals，and，oddlyenough，itwastothislatterdilectionthatheowedthewidow’sinterestinhim——aninterestthateventuallymadehimpopularelsewhere。

Thewidowhadapetdog——abeautifulspaniel，who，however，hadassimilatedhergracefullanguortohisownnativeloveofeasetosuchanextentthathefailedinashortleapbetweenabalconyandawindow，andfelltothegroundwithafracturedthigh。Thedogwassupposedtobecrippledforlifeevenifthatlifewereworthpreserving——whenDr。Blaircametotherescue，setthefracturedlimb，putitinsplintsandplasterafteraningeniousdesignofhisown，visitedhimdaily，andeventuallyrestoredhimtohismistress’slapsoundinwindandlimb。Howfarthisdailyministrationandthenecessaryexchangeofsympathybetweenthewidowandhimselfheightenedhiszealwasnotknown。Therewerethosewhobelievedthatthewholethingwasanunmanlytricktogetthebetterofhisrivalsinthewidow’sgoodgraces；therewereotherswhoaverredthathistreatmentofabrutebeastlikeahumanbeingwassinfulandunchristian。“Hecouldn’thavedonemoreforaregularlybaptizedchild，“saidthepostmistress。“Andwhatmo’

wouldaregularlybaptizedchildhavewanted？“returnedMrs。

MacGlowrie，withthedrawlingSouthernintonationshefellbackuponwhenmostcontemptuous。