Part 23 (2/2)
whilst others seems plum resolved not ter tolerate ye atall an' spits ye outen thar mouths.”
”Which of them lots does _you_ men stand with?”
The question came soberly, yet something like a riffle of cynical amus.e.m.e.nt glinted in the eyes of Parish Thornton as he put it.
”I hain't made up my mind yit. All I knows is thet some fellers called on me ter head ther Harpers ... an' afore I give 'em any answer, I 'lowed thet hit become us ter hev speech with ye fust. We owed ye thet much because ther Doanes'll pint-blank deem thet ther trouble started when ye wed Bas Rowlett's gal--an' whatever _we_ does, _they'll_ hold ye accountable.”
The heir to Caleb Harper's perplexities stood leaning against the tree.
There were still moments when his strength seemed to ebb capriciously and leave him giddy. After a moment, though, he smiled quietly and glanced about the little group.
”When I come over hyar,” he said, ”I didn't ask nothin' but ter be left alone. I married Dorothy, an' old Caleb confidenced me. I've got my own affairs ter tend an' I'm satisfied ter tend 'em. So fur es frayin' an'
fightin' goes”--his voice mounted suddenly and the half-whimsical humour died instantly in his eyes--”I've got some of my own ter study erbout--an' I don't have ter meddle with other folkses' quarrels.”
”Then ye aims ter stand aside an' let things take thar own course?”
”Thet's what I 'lowed ter do, but ye've jest done told me thet the Doanes don't aim ter _let_ me stand aside. S'pose ye tells me some more.”
”All right,” said Aaron, brusquely. ”Ef thet's what ye wants I'll tell ye a lavish.”
Dorothy had come to the front door and looked out, and seeing the men still mopping hot faces, she had brought out a pitcher of cool b.u.t.termilk and a pewter mug.
The backs of the three visitors were turned toward the house, and her feet on the gra.s.s had made no sound so that only Parish himself had known of her coming and he had, with a lifting of the brows, signalled her to wait until old Aaron finished speaking.
”I've done sought by prayer an' solemn ponderin' ter take counsel with Almighty G.o.d,” declared the spokesman. ”Ther blood of them three boys of mine hes been cryin' out ter me fer twenty y'ars but yet I knows thet ef ther war does come on again hit's goin' ter bring a monstrous sum of ruination an' mischief. So I comes ter ye--es Caleb Harper's heir--ter heer what ye've got ter say.”
Dorothy Thornton's eyes widened as, standing with the pitcher and the ancient mug in her hands, she listened to that speech. Then as the full import of its feudal menace broke upon her understanding the blossom colour flowed out of her smooth cheeks and neck, leaving them ivory white.
She saw herself as the agency which had drawn her husband into this vortex, and bitterly reflected that this had been her dowry and the gift of her love!
Parish's glance held by that stunned fixety in her expression attracted the attention of the others and old Aaron Capper, turning his head, saw her and let a low oath of exasperation escape him.
”Send her away!” he snapped, angrily. ”This hyar hain't no woman's business. How much did she hyar?”
Parish Thornton went forward and took the pitcher and pewter mug from his wife's hand, then he shook his head, and his voice altered to a new ring, quiet, yet electrically charged with dominance.
”No,” he ripped out, shortly. ”I hain't ergoin' ter send her away. Ye says. .h.i.t hain't no woman's business, and yit she's Caleb Harper's gran'daughter--an' because of her weddin' with me--Harpers an' Doanes alike--ye won't suffer me ter foller out my own affairs in my own fas.h.i.+on, onmolested!”
Aaron came to his feet, bristling indignantly and with new protests rising to his lips, but an imperious gesture of command from Parish silenced him into a bewildered obedience. It had become suddenly impossible to brow-beat this man.
”Dorothy,” said her husband, ”I reckon ye heered enough ter know what brought these men hyar. They norates thet ther Doanes holds me accountable fer whatever ther Harpers does--good or evil--because I stands as heir ter yore gran'pap. They tells me likewise thet ther Harpers hain't got no settled leader, an' only two things hinders me from claimin' thet job myself: Fust place, I don't crave ter mingle in thar ructions, and second place they won't hev none of me. Seems like I'm ther gryste betwixt two mill-stones ... an' bein' es ye're my wife, thet's a state of things thet consarns _you_ es well es me.”
A Valkyrie fire glowed in the dark eyes of the young woman and her hands clenched themselves tautly. The colour that had gone out of her cheeks came back with a rush of vividness which seemed to transform her as a lighted wick transforms a candle.
”When my gran'pap war a-strivin' aginst all manner of odds fer peace,”
she said, disdainfully, ”thar was them thet kept hamperin' him by whoopin' on ther troublemakers--an' I've done heered him say thet one turrible hard man ter reason with bore ther name of Aaron Capper.”
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