Part 2 (1/2)

She stopped at this, and turned square around.

”If I do--when I do--I will,” she replied. ”But, John Sherwood, you mustn't interfere--never in the world! Promise!” She stood there, almost menacing in her insistence, evidently resolved to nip this particularly masculine resolution in the bud.

”Egad, Patsy,” cried Sherwood, ”you are certainly a raving beauty!”

He covered the ground between them in two strides, and crushed her in his arms. She threw her head back for his kiss.

A knock sounded, and almost immediately a very black, very bullet-headed young negro thrust his head in at the door.

”Sam,” said Sherwood deliberately, ”some day I'm going to kill you!”

”Yes, sah! yes, sah!” agreed Sam heartily.

”Well, what the devil do you want?”

”Th' _Panama_ done been, signalled; yes, sah!” said the negro, but without following his head through the door.

”Well, what the devil do you suppose I care, you black limb?” roared Sherwood, ”and what do you mean coming in here before you're told?”

”Yes, sah! yes, sah, dat's right,” ducked Sam, ”Sh.e.l.l I awdah the team, sah?”

”I suppose we might as well go see her docked. Would you like it?” he asked his wife.

”I'd love it.”

”Then get the team. And some day I'm going to kill you.”

III

Mrs. Sherwood prepared herself first of all by powdering her nose. This simple operation, could it have been seen by the ”respectable” members of the community, would in itself have branded her as ”fast,” In those days cosmetics of any sort were by most considered inventions of the devil. It took extraordinary firmness of character even to protect one's self against sunburn by anything more artificial than the shadow of a hat or a parasol. Then she a.s.sumed a fascinating little round hat that fitted well down over her small head. This, innocent of pins, was held on by an elastic at the back. A ribbon, hanging down directly in front, could be utilized to steady it in a breeze.

”All ready,” she announced, picking up a tiny parasol, about big enough for a modern doll. ”You may carry my mantle.”

Near the foot of the veranda steps waited Sam at the heads of a pair of beautiful, slim, satiny horses. Their bay coats had been groomed until they rippled and sparkled with every movement of the muscles beneath.

Wide red-lined nostrils softly expanded and contracted with a restrained eagerness; and soft eyes rolled in the direction of the Sherwoods--keen, lithe, nervous, high-strung creatures, gently stamping little hoofs, impatiently tossing dainty heads, but nevertheless making no movement that would stir the vehicle that stood ”cramped” at the steps. Their harness carried no blinders; their tails, undocked, swept the ground; but their heads were pulled into the air by the old stupid overhead check reins until their noses pointed almost straight ahead.

It gave them rather a haughty air.

Sherwood stepped in first, took the reins in one hand, and offered his other hand to his wife. Sam instantly left the horses' heads to hold a wicker contrivance against the arc of the wheels. This was to protect skirts from dusty tires. Mrs. Sherwood settled as gracefully to her place as a b.u.t.terfly on its flower. Sam s.n.a.t.c.hed away the wicker guards. Sherwood spoke to the horses. With a purring little snort they moved smoothly away. The gossamerlike wheels threw the light from their swift spokes. Sam, half choked by the swirl of dust, gazed after them.

Sherwood, leaning slightly forward against the first eagerness of the animals, showed a strong, competent, arresting figure, with his beaver hat, his keen grim face, his snow-white linen, and the blue of his bra.s.s-b.u.t.toned-coat. The beautiful horses were stepping as one, a delight to the eye, making nothing whatever of the frail vehicle at their heels. But Sam's eye lingered longest on the small stately figure of his mistress. She sat very straight, her head high, the little parasol poised against the sun, the other hand clasping the hat ribbon.

”Dem's quality foh sure!” said Sam with conviction.

Sherwood drove rapidly around the edge of the Plaza and, so into Kearney Street. From here to the water front were by now many fireproof brick and stone structures, with double doors and iron shatters, like fortresses. So much had San Francisco learned from her five disastrous fires. The stone had come from China, the brick also from overseas.

Down side streets one caught glimpses of huge warehouses--already in this year of 1852 men talked of the open-air auctions of three years before as of something in history inconceivably remote. The streets, where formerly mule teams had literally been drowned in mud, now were covered with planking. This made a fine resounding pavement. Horses'

hoofs went merrily _klop, klop, klop_, and the wheels rumbled a dull undertone. San Francisco had been very proud of this pavement when it was new. She was very grateful for it even now, for in the upper part of town the mud and dust were still something awful. Unfortunately the planks were beginning to wear out in places; and a city government, trying to give the least possible for its taxes, had made no repairs.

There were many holes, large or small: jagged, splintered, ugly holes going down to indeterminate blackness either of depth or mud. Private philanthropists had fenced or covered these. Private facetiousness had labelled most of them with signboards. These were rough pictures of disaster painted from the marking pot, and various screeds--”Head of Navigation,” ”No Bottom,” ”Horse and Dray Lost Here,” ”Take Soundings,”

”Storage, Inquire Below,” ”Good Fis.h.i.+ng for Teal,” and the like.

Among these obstructions Sherwood guided his team skilfully, dodging not only them, but other vehicles darting or crawling in the same direction. There were no rules of the road. Omnibuses careered along, every window rattling loudly; drays creaked and strained, their horses'