With my photograph? interrupted Falloner again.
The young girls clear eyes darkened ominously. I reckon, she said deliberately, as she slowly drew from her pocket the photograph Daddy Folsom had sent, that that is your photograph. It certainly seems an excellent likeness, she added, regarding him with a slight suggestion of contemptuous triumph.
In an instant the revelation of the whole mystery flashed upon him! The forgotten passage in Houstons letter about the stolen photograph stood clearly before him; the coincidence of his appearance in Shepherdstown, and the natural mistake of the children and their fair protector, were made perfectly plain. But with this relief and the certainty that he could confound her with an explanation came a certain mischievous desire to prolong the situation and increase his triumph. She certainly had not shown him any favor.
Have you got the letter also? he asked quietly.
She whisked it impatiently from her pocket and handed it to him. As he read Daddys characteristic extravagance and recognized the familiar idiosyncrasies of his old companions, he was unable to restrain a smile. He raised his eyes, to meet with surprise the fair strangers leveled eyebrows and brightly indignant eyes, in which, however, the rain was fast gathering with the lightning.
It may be amusing to you, and I reckon likely it was all a California joke, she said with slightly trembling lips; I dont know Nothern gentlemen and their ways, and you seem to have forgotten our ways as you have your kindred. Perhaps all this may seem so funny to them: it may not seem funny to that boy who is now crying his heart out in the hall; it may not be very amusing to that poor Cissy in her sick-bed longing to see her brother. It may be so far from amusing to her, that I should hesitate to bring you there in her excited condition and subject her to the pain that you have caused him. But I have promised her; she is already expecting us, and the disappointment may be dangerous, and I can only implore youfor a few moments at leastto show a little more affection than you feel. As he made an impulsive, deprecating gesture, yet without changing his look of restrained amusement, she stopped him hopelessly. Oh, of course, yes, yes, I know it is years since you have seen them; they have no right to expect more; onlyonlyfeeling as you do, she burst impulsively, whyoh, why did you come?
Here was Bobs chance. He turned to her politely; began gravely, I simply came towhen suddenly his face changed; he stopped as if struck by a blow. His cheek flushed, and then paled! Good God! What had he come for? To tell them that this brother they were longing forliving forperhaps even dying forwas dead! In his crass stupidity, his wounded vanity over the scorn of the young girl, his anticipation of triumph, he had forgottentotally forgottenwhat that triumph meant! Perhaps if he had felt more keenly the death of Lasham the thought of it would have been uppermost in his mind; but Lasham was not his partner or associate, only a brother miner, and his single act of generosity was in the ordinary routine of camp life. If she could think him cold and heartless before, what would she think of him now? The absurdity of her mistake had vanished in the grim tragedy he had seemed to have cruelly prepared for her. The thought struck him so keenly that he stammered, faltered, and sank helplessly into a chair.
The shock that he had received was so plain to her that her own indignation went out in the breath of it. Her lip quivered. Dont you mind, she said hurriedly, dropping into her Southern speech; I didnt go to hurt you, but I was just that mad with the thought of those pickaninnies, and the easy way you took it, that I clean forgot Id no call to catechise you! And you dont know me from the Queen of Sheba. Well, she went on, still more rapidly, and in odd distinction to her previous formal slow Southern delivery, Im the daughter of Colonel Boutelle, of Bayou Sara, Louisiana; and his paw, and his paw before him, had a plantation there since the time of Adam, but he lost it and six hundred niggers during the Wah! We were pooh as pohvertypaw and maw and we four girlsand no more idea of work than a baby. But I had an education at the convent at New Orleans, and could play, and speak French, and I got a place as school-teacher here; I reckon the first Southern woman that has taught school in the Noth! Ricketts, who used to be our steward at Bayou Sara, told me about the pickaninnies, and how helpless they were, with only a brother who occasionally sent them money from California. I suppose I cottoned to the pooh little things at first because I knew what it was to be alone amongst strangers, Mr. Lasham; I used to teach them at odd times, and look after them, and go with them to the train to look for you. Perhaps Ricketts made me think you didnt care for them; perhaps I was wrong in thinking it was true, from the way you met Jimmy just now. But Ive spoken my mind and you know why. She ceased and walked to the window.
Falloner rose. The storm that had swept through him was over. The quick determination, resolute purpose, and infinite patience which had made him what he was were all there, and with it a conscientiousness which his selfish independence had hitherto kept dormant. He accepted the situation, not passivelyit was not in his naturebut threw himself into it with all his energy.
You were quite right, he said, halting a moment beside her; I dont blame you, and let me hope that later you may think me less to blame than you do now. Now, whats to be done? Clearly, Ive first to make it right with TommyI mean Jimmyand then we must make a straight dash over to the girl! Whoop! Before she could understand from his face the strange change in his voice, he had dashed out of the room. In a moment he reappeared with the boy struggling in his arms. Think of the little scamp not knowing his own brother! he laughed, giving the boy a really affectionate, if slightly exaggerated hug, and expecting me to open my arms to the first little boy who jumps into them! Ive a great mind not to give him the present I fetched all the way from California. Wait a moment. He dashed into the bedroom, opened his valisewhere he providentially remembered he had kept, with a miners superstition, the first little nugget of gold he had ever foundseized the tiny bit of quartz of gold, and dashed out again to display it before Jimmys eager eyes.
If the heartiness, sympathy, and charming kindness of the mans whole manner and face convinced, even while it slightly startled, the young girl, it was still more effective with the boy. Children are quick to detect the false ring of affected emotion, and Bobs was so genuinewhatever its causethat it might have easily passed for a fraternal expression with harder critics. The child trustfully nestled against him and would have grasped the gold, but the young man whisked it into his pocket. Not until weve shown it to our little sisterwhere were going now! Im off to order a sleigh. He dashed out again to the office as if he found some relief in action, or, as it seemed to Miss Boutelle, to avoid embarrassing conversation. When he came back again he was carrying an immense bearskin from his luggage. He cast a critical look at the girls unseasonable attire.
I shall wrap you and Jimmy in thisyou know its snowing frightfully.
Miss Boutelle flushed a little. Im warm enough when walking, she said coldly. Bob glanced at her smart little French shoes, and thought otherwise. He said nothing, but hastily bundled his two guests downstairs and into the street. The whirlwind dance of the snow made the sleigh an indistinct bulk in the glittering darkness, and as the young girl for an instant stood dazedly still, Bob incontinently lifted her from her feet, deposited her in the vehicle, dropped Jimmy in her lap, and wrapped them both tightly in the bearskin. Her weight, which was scarcely more than a childs, struck him in that moment as being tantalizingly incongruous to the matronly severity of her manner and its strange effect upon him. He then jumped in himself, taking the direction from his companion, and drove off through the storm.