Part 45 (2/2)

”I don' say that she sung as Vesty doos. I don' say that she pernounced the words jest regalar; but as fur as tune goes, she hit the tune right squar' in the bull's eye every time. She sung:

”'From Greenlan's icy mountings, From Injy's coral stran', Whar Aferk's sunny fountings Roll down their goldin' san';'”

And when she got as fur as that”--Pershall showed evidences of lively distress--”she keeled right over an' died.”

”You've heered o' the tewn 't the old cow died on? Wal, that 's whar it all started, Jane; right thar. That was the very cow and the very event. It was _my_ old cow that died.”

”Give me sea-room here, by clam!” muttered Captain Pharo, shooting his arms about.

”Ef I b'lieved in gho's, I sh'd say 't your but'ry was harnted, Jane,”

came from the kitchen the solemn and s.h.i.+fty voice of the Man-Who-had-Been-in-California: ”le's step around by the outside way to the door whar the folks is. Jest look at the stars, Jane,” he continued, when they were safe out. ”See anythin' o' my old cow up in the Milky Way? Down in the southern lat.i.tude, whar I was, the Milky Way use' ter be so plain some nights 't ye could see----”

We lost it in the distance, as we returned, by the honorable and legitimate highway now offered us, to the guest-room. ”I never keered so much about money in the bank,” said Uncle Coffin, giving me a nudge; ”all 't I ever as't for was luck!”

But I yearned in secret to know the developments of the Milky Way; especially as the length of time absorbed by Pershal and Miss Pray in walking between the two doors advised me with an only too tragic hint of the marvel and interest I had lost.

I could not wonder that Vesty was now loftier toward me than ever.

Uncle Coffin, Captain Pharo, Captain Leezur and I kept close together as a sort of brazen and disgraceful community. Uncle Coffin, having to retrace his steps to Artichoke, was the first to leave the party.

”I can't tell ye, Miss Pray,” said he, ”how much I've enjiyed the evenin'--no, honest, I can't tell ye!”--he winked at Captain Pharo, who choked and had to resort to song--”but I und'stand thar 's a happy event comin', an' I wish ye jiy; ye know I do!”

As he disappeared down the road he indulged in a continued, loud, and exact imitation of Admiral 'S I Sums-it-up (who was also a justice of the peace, and who married people):

”G'long, ye old fool! Git up, ye old skate!”

At which we all, including Pershal and Miss Pray, laughed inordinately, gazing out into the sweet Basin night; and indeed I was even ready to avow with my life that it was a joke of the extremest savor. Even had all Uncle Coffin's sins been known, he would have been forgiven.

Captain Leezur put on Vesty's shawl for her:

”Sence I'm the han'somest man in the room,” he gurgled.

”So you are!” The tender, girlish light of her great eyes was on him; no kind look for me.

”Vesty!” Captain Leezur whispered, but a whisper that could not be dark and secret to save itself; I heard: ”why don't ye speak to major? Ye ain't spoke tew words tew him the hull endurin' evenin'.”

She darted a dark flash at him too.

”Vesty! Vesty!” said the beloved old man, in that whisper that so thoroughly deceived him--”I know 't I set ye up to this bean-pole business. But it won't dew for both on ye to be bean-poles. One or the other on ye 's got to kile. Neow, Vesty, ye know 't major 's got some misfortin's in his looks 't makes him beound to be preoud; ye wouldn't have him other ways. Ye see, Vesty, he don't know 't----”

She stopped him with a haughty look.

”An' in course,” said he, ”I don't know, neither. But it dews make me feel dreadful t' think I've started sech a rank bean-pole farm as this, when I've all'as told ye, my little gal, 't we'd ort'er use moderation”--Captain Leezur wiped his blessed s.h.i.+ning eyes--”moderation in all things, even in pa.s.snips--I have said--an' neow I change it to bean-poles.”

Vesty's mouth quivered; her eyes looked fit to enfold the whole sinful world for his sake.

”Good-night, major!” she said coldly; but she had spoken. And, beautiful and tall, she pa.s.sed out of sight.

As Captain Leezur turned to me, in spite of the dark duplicity of his conduct toward me, my heart gushed out to him unawares. I grasped his hand silently.

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