TheStranger’svoice："Well，now，seein’ezI’vebeenwaitin’foryeoveranhour，offandon，andezmybiznesswithyeistwowords，itstrikesmeyerputtin’onalittletoomuchstyleinthisyerinterview，Mr。JeffersonBriggs。"
Jeff’svoice（alittlehuskywithrestraint）："Whatisyerbusiness？"
Thestranger’svoice（lazily）："It’sanat—tachmentonthisyerpropertyforprincipal，interest，andcosts——onehundredandtwelvedollarsand’seventy—fivecents，atthesuitofCyrusParker。"
Jeff’svoice（inquicksurprise）："Parker？Why，Isawhimonlyyesterday，andheagreedtowaitaspelllonger。"
TheStranger’svoice："Mebbeehedid!Mebbeeheheardafterwardssuthin’aboutthegoin’sonupyar。Mebbeeheheardsuthin’o’
propertybein’convertedintoreadycash——sichpropertyezhorses，guns，andsich!Mebbeeheheardo’gayandfestivedoin’s——chickineveryday，fresheggs，butcher’smeat，portwine，andsich!Mebbeeheallowedthathischanceso’gettin’hisownhonestgrubouterhisdebtwaslookin’mightyslim!Mebbee"（louder）"hethoughthe’daskthemanwhoboughtyerhorse，andthemanyoupawnedyourgunto，whatwasgoin’on!Mebbeehethoughthe’dliketogetaholtasuthin’himself，evenifitwasonlysomeofthatyarchickinandportwine!"
Jeff’svoice（earnestlyandhastily）："They’renotforme。Ihaveafamilyboardinghere，withasickdaughter。Youdon’tthink——"
TheStranger’svoice（lazily）："Ireckon!Iseedyouandherpre—
ambulatingdownthehill，lockin’arms。Agooddealo’style，Jeff——fancy!expensive!HowdoesAuntSallytakeit？"
Aslightshakingofthefloorandwindow——adeadsilence。
TheStranger’svoice（veryfaintly）："ForGod’ssake，letmeup!"
Jeff’svoice（verydistinctly）："Anotherword!raiseyourvoiceaboveawhisper，andbythelivingG——"
Silence。
TheStranger’svoice（gasping）："I——I——promise!"
Jeff’svoice（lowanddesperate）："Getupoutofthat!Sitdownthar!Nowhearme!I’mnotresistingyourprocess。Ifyouhadallh—llaswitnessesyoudaren’tsaythat。I’veshutupyourfouljaw，andkeptitfrompoisoningtheair，andthar’snolawinCalifornyaginit!Nowlisten。What!Youwill，willyou？"
Everythingquiet；abirdtwitteringonthewindowledge，nothingmore。
TheStranger’svoice（veryhuskily）："Icave!Gimmesomewhiskey。"
Jeff’svoice："Whenwe’rethrough。Nowlisten!Youcantakepossessionofthehouse；youcanstandbehindthebarandtakeeverycentthatcomesin；youcanpreventanythinggoingout；butaslongasMr。Mayfieldandhisfamilystayhere，bythelivingGod——lawornolaw——I’llbebosshere，andtheyshallneverknowit!"
TheStranger’svoice（weaklyandsubmissively）："Thatsoundssquare。
Anythin’notaginthelawandinreason，Jeff!"
Jeff’svoice："Imeantobesquare。HereisallthemoneyIhave，tendollars。Takeitforanyextratroubleyoumayhavetosatisfyme。"
Apause——theclinkingofcoin。
TheStranger’svoice（deprecatingly）："Well!Ireckonthatwouldbeaboutfair。Considerthetrouble"（aweaklaughhere）"justnow。
’Tain’teverymanezhezyourgrip。He!he!Efyehadn’ttookmesosuddentlike——he!he!——well!——howaboutthatarwhiskey？"
Jeff’svoice（coolly）："I’llbringit。"
Steps，silence，coughing，spitting，andthroat—clearingfromthestranger。
Stepsagain，andtheclickofglass。
TheStranger’svoice（submissively）："IncourseImustgobacktotheForksandfetchupmyduds。YeknowwhatImean!Tharnow——don’t，Mr。Jeff!"
Jeff’svoice（sternly）："IfIfindyougobackonme——"
TheStranger’svoice（hurriedly）："Thar’smyhandonit。YecancountonJimDodd。"
Stepsagain。Silence。Abirdlightsonthewindowledge，andpeersintotheroom。Allisatrest。
Jeffandthedeputy—sheriffwalkedthroughthebar—roomandoutontheporch。MissMayfieldinanarm—chairlookedupfromherbook。
"I’vewrittenalettertomyfatherthatI’dliketohavemailedattheForksthisafternoon，"shesaid，lookingfromJefftothestranger；"perhapsthisgentlemanwillobligemebytakingit，ifhe’sgoingthatway。"
"I’lltakeit，miss，"saidJeffhurriedly。
"No，"saidMissMayfieldarchly，"I’vetakenuptoomuchofyourtimealready。"
"I’matyourservice，miss，"saidthestranger，considerablyaffectedbythespectacleofthisprettygirl，whocertainlyatthatmoment，inherbrighteyesandslightlypinkcheeks，beliedthesuggestionofillhealth。
"Thankyou。Dearme!"Shewasrummaginginareticuleandinherpocket，etc。"Oh，Mr。Jeff!"
"Yes，miss？"
"I’msofrightened!"
"How，miss？"
"Ihave——yes!——Ihaveleftthatletteronthestumpinthewoods，whereIwassittingwhenyoucame。Wouldyou——"
Jeffdartedintothehouse，seizedhishat，andstopped。Hewasthinkingofthestranger。
"Couldyoubesokind？"
Jefflookedinheragitatedface，castameaningglanceatthestranger，andwasofflikeashot。
ThefiredroppedoutofMissMayfield’seyesandcheeks。Sheturnedtowardthestranger。
"Pleasestepthisway。"
Shealwayshatedherownchildishtreble。Butjustatthatmomentshethoughtshehadputforceanddignityintoit，andwascorrespondinglysatisfied。Thedeputysheriffwasequallypleased，andcametowardstheuprightlittlefigurewithopenadmiration。
"YournameisDodd——JamesDodd？"
"Yes，miss。"
"Youarethedeputysheriffofthecounty？Don’tlookround——thereisnoonehere!"
"Well，miss——ifyousayso——yes!"
"Myfather——Mr。Mayfield——understoodso。Iregretheisnothere。
IregretstillmoreIcouldnothaveseenyoubeforeyousawMr。
Briggs，ashewishedmeto。"
"Yes，miss。"
"MyfatherisafriendofMr。Briggs，andknowssomethingofhisaffairs。TherewasadebttoaMr。Parker"（hereMissMayfieldapparentlyconsultedanentryinhertablets）"ofonehundredandtwelvedollarsandseventy—fivecents——amIright？"
Thedeputy，withgreatrespect："Thatisthefiggers。"
"WhichhewishedtopaywithouttheknowledgeofMr。Briggs，whowouldnothaveconsentedtoit。"
Theofficialopenedhiseyes。"Yes，miss。"
"Well，asMr。MayfieldisNOThere，Iamheretopayitforhim。
YoucantakeacheckonWells，Fargo&Co。，Isuppose？"
"Certainly，miss。"
Shetookacheck—bookandpenandinkfromherreticule，andfilledupacheck。Shehandedittohim，andthepenandink。"Youaretogivemeareceipt。"
Thedeputylookedatthematter—of—factlittlefigure，andsignedandhandedoverthereceiptedbill。
"MyfathersaidMr。Briggswasnottoknowthis。"
"Certainlynot，miss。"
"ItwasMr。Briggs’sintentiontoletthejudgmenttakeitscourse，andgiveupthehouse。Youareamanofbusiness，Mr。Dodd，andknowthatthisisridiculous!"
Thedeputylaughed。"Incourse，miss。"
"AndwhateverMr。Briggsmayhaveproposedtoyoutodo，whenyougobacktotheForks，youaretowritehimaletter，andsaythatyouwillsimplyholdthejudgmentwithoutlevy。"
"Allright，miss，"saidthedeputy，notill—pleasedtoholdhimselfinthissuperiorattitudetoJeff。
"And——"
"Yes，miss？"
Shelookedsteadilyathim。"Mr。Briggstoldmyfatherthathewouldpayyoutendollarsfortheprivilegeofstayinghere。"
"Yes，miss。"
"And，ofcourse，THAT’Snotnecessarynow。"
"No—o，miss。"
Averysmallwhitehand——amerechild’shand——washereextended，palmuppermost。
Theofficial，demoralizedcompletely，lookedatitamoment，thenwentintohispocketsandcountedoutintothepalmthecoinsgivenbyJeff；theycompletelyfilledthetinyreceptacle。
MissMayfieldcountedthemoneygravely，andplaceditinherportemonnaiewithasnap。
Certainqualitiesaffectcertainnatures。Thispracticalbusinessactofthediminutivebeautybeforehim——albeithewasjusttendollarsoutofpocketbyit——strucktheofficialintohelplessadmiration。Hehesitated。
"That’sall，"saidMissMayfieldcoolly；"youneednotwait。TheletterwasonlyanexcusetogetMr。Briggsoutoftheway。"
"Iunderstandye，miss。"Hehesitatedstill。"Doyoureckontostopinthesepartslong？"
"Idon’tknow。"
"’CauseyeoughttocomedownsomedaytotheForks。"
"Yes。"
"Goodmorning，miss。"
"Goodmorning。"
Yetatthecornerofthehousetherascalturnedandlookedbackatthelittlefigureinthesunlight。Hehadjustbeenphysicallyovercomebyayoungerman——hehadlosttendollars——hehadawifeandthreechildren。Heforgotallthis。HehadbeencaptivatedbyMissMayfield!
Thatpracticalheroinesattherefiveminutes。AttheendofthattimeJeffcameboundingdownthehill，hiscurlsdampwithperspiration；hisfresh，honestfacethepictureofwoe，HERwoe，forthelettercouldnotbefound!
"Nevermind，Mr。Jeff。Iwroteanotherandgaveittohim。"
Twotearswerestandingonhercheeks。Jeffturnedwhite。
"GoodGod，miss!"
"It’snothing。Youwereright，Mr。Jeff!Ioughtnottohavewalkeddownherealone。I’mvery，verytired，and——so——somiserable。"
Whatwomancouldwithstandtheanguishofthathonestboyishface？
IfearMissMayfieldcould，forshelookedathimoverherhandkerchief，andsaid："Perhapsyouhadsomethingtosaytoyourfriend，andI’vesenthimoff。"
"Nothing，"saidJeffhurriedly；andshesawthatallhisothertroubleshadvanishedatthesightofherweakness。Sherosetremblinglyfromherseat。"IthinkIwillgoinnow，butIthink——
Ithink——Imustaskyouto——to——carryme!"
Oh，lameandimpotentconclusion!
Thenextmoment，Jeff，pale，strong，passionate，buttenderasamother，liftedherinhisarmsandbroughtherintothesitting—
room。AsimultaneousejaculationbrokefromAuntSallyandMrs。
Mayfield——thepossiblecommentofposterityonthewholeepisode。
"Well，Jeff，Ireckonedyou’dbeuptosuthin’likethat!"
"Well，Jessie!Iknewyoucouldn’tbetrusted。"
Mr。JamesDodddidnotreturnfromtheForksthatafternoon，toJeff’svagueuneasiness。Towardseveningamessengerbroughtanotefromhim，writtenonthebackofaprintedlegalform，tothiseffect：
DEARSIR——SeeingasyouIntendtoactontheSquareinregardtothatlittleMaterIhavearangedThingssothatIantgottostopwithyoubutI’lldropinonctinawiletokeepupashowforaDrink——respyyours，J。DODD。
InthislattersuggestionourlegalCerberusexhibitedallthreeofhisheadsatonce。OnecouldkeepfaithwithMissMayfield，onecouldseeher"onctinawile，"andonecoulddrinkatJeff’sexpense。InnocentJeffsawonlygenerosityandkindnessinthemanhehadhalf—choked，andasenseofremorseandshamealmostoutweighedthereliefofhisabsence。"Hemighthevbeenugly，"
saidJeff。Hedidnotknowhow，inthisselfishworld，thereisverylittleroomforgratuitous，activeugliness。
MissMayfielddidnotleaveherroomthatafternoon。Thewindwasgettingup，anditwasgrowingdarkwhenJeff，idlysittingonhisporch，hopingforherappearance，wasquiteastoundedattheapparitionofYubaBillasapedestrian，dustyandthirsty，makingforhisusualrefreshment。Jeffbroughtoutthebottle，butcouldnotrefrainfrommixinghisverbalastonishmentwiththeconventionalcocktail。Bill，partakingofhisliquorandbecomingoncemoreaspeakinganimal，slowlydrewoffhisheavy，baggydrivinggloves。NoonehadeverseenBillwithoutthem——hewascurrentlybelievedtosleepinthem——andwhenhelaidthemonthecountertheystillretainedthegripofhishand，whichgavethemanentertaininglikenesstotwoplethoricandoverfedspiders。
"EfIconcludedtopassovermylinestoafriendandtakeapasearupyerthisevening，"saidBill，eyingJeffsharply，"Idon’tknowezthar’sanylawaginit!Onlessyerkeepin’aprivatebrancho’
theOccidentalHo—tel，andon’ytakeinfash’n’blefammerlies!"
Jeff，witharisingcolor，protestedagainstsuchasupposition。
"BecauseefyeARE，"saidBill，liftinghisvoice，andcrushingoneoftheovergrownspiderswithhisfist，"I’vegotawordortwotosaytothesonofJoeBriggsofTuolumne。Yes，sir!JoeBriggs——
yerfather——ezblewhisbrainsoutforwantofamanezcouldstandupandsayawordtohimattherighttime。"
"Bill，"saidJeff，inalow，resolutetone——thattoneyieldeduponlyfromthesmittenchordsofdespairanddesperation——"thar’sasickwomaninthehouse。I’lllistentoanythingyou’vegottosayifyou’llsayitquietly。ButyoumustandSHALLspeaklow。"
Realmenquicklyrecognizerealmentheworldover；itisonlyyourshamswhofenceandspar。Bill，takinginthevoiceofthespeakermorethanhiswords，droppedhisown。
"IsaidIhadakeppleofwordstosaytoye。Tharisn’tanytimeinthelastfowermonths——eversinceyetookstockinthisoldshanty，forthemattero’that——thatIcouldn’thevsaidthemtoye。I’veknowedallyourdoin’s。I’veknowedallyourdebts，’spesh’lythatyeowethatsneakin’houndParker；andtharisn’tatimethatIcouldn’tandwouldn’thevchippedinandpaid’emforye——foryourfather’ssake——efI’dallowedittobethesquarethingforye。ButIknowye，Jeff。Iknowwhat’sinyourBLOOD。
Iknewyourfather——allusdreamin’，hopin，’waitin’；IknowYOU，Jeff，dreamin’，hopin’，waitin’tilltheend。AndIstoodby，givin’youafreerein，andletitcome!"
Jeffburiedhisfaceinhishands。
"Itain’tyourblame——it’sblood!Itain’taweekagoezthekimpanypassesmeoverahoss。’Three—quartersMorgan，’sezthey。
SezI：’Wot’stheotherquarter？’Sezthey：’AMexicanhalf—
breed。’Well，shewasafairsortofhoss。Comin’downHeavytreeHilllasttrip，wemeetsadroveo’Spanishsteers。Incourseshegoeswilddirectly。Blood!"
Billraisedhisglass，softlyswirleditscontentsroundandround，tastedit，andsetitdown。
"Thekeppleo’wordsIhadtosaytoyewasthis：Gitupandgit!"
SomethinglikethishadpassedthroughJeff’smindthedaybeforetheMayfieldscame。Somethinglikeithadhauntedhimonceortwicesince。Heturnedquicklyuponthespeaker。
"Ezhow？yousez，"saidBill，catchingatthehook。"Idrivesupyersomenight，andyouseztome，’Bill，hevyougottwoseatsovertotheDivideformeandaunty——outonapasear。’AndIsez，’Ihappentohevoneinsideandoneontheboxwithme。’Andyouhandsoutyertrapsandanyvallyblesyedon’twantterleave，andyouputsyourauntinside，andgetsupontheboxwithme。Andyouseztome，ezmantoman，’Bill，’sezyou，’mightyouhevakeppleo’hundreddollarsaboutyethatyecouldlendamanezwasleavingthecounty，deadbroke？’andIsez，’I’vegotit，andIknowofanop’nin’forsuchamaninthenextcounty。’AndyoustepsintoTHATop’nin’，andyourcreditors——’spesh’lyParker——slipsintoTHIS，andinaweektheyofferstosettlewithyetencentsonthedollar。"
Jeffstarted，flushed，trembled，recoveredhimself，andafteramomentsaid，doggedly："Ican’tdoit，Bill；Icouldn’t。"
"Incourse，"saidBill，puttinghishandsslowlyintohispockets，andstretchinghislegsout——"incourseyecan’tbecauseofawoman!"
Jeffturneduponhimlikeahuntedbear。Bothmenrose，butBillalreadyhadhishandonJeff’sshoulder。
"Ireckonedaminuteagotherewasasickgalinthehouse!Who’sgoingtomakearownow!Who’sgoingtostampandtearround，eh？"
Jeffsankbackonhischair。
"Isaidtharwasawoman，"continuedBill；"tharallusisone!Letamanbehell—bentorheaven—bent，somewhereinhistrackisawoman’sfeet。Idon’tsayanythin’aginthisgal，ezagal。Thebestof’em，Jeff，isonlyguide—poststop’intafellowonhisrightroad，andonlyafooloradrunkenmanholdsonto’emorleansaginem。Allowin’thisgalisallyouthinksheis，howfarisyourguide—postgoin’withye，eh？Isshegoin’toleaveherfatherandmotherforye？Isshegoin’togiveupherselfandhereasywaysandhersicknessesforye？Isshewillin’totakeyeforaperpetooallandlordtherestofherlife？Andifsheis，Jeff，areyethemantolether？Areyewillin’torunonhererrants，tofetchherdinnersezyedo？Tharezmenezdoesit；notyerinCaliforny，butoverintheStatesthar’sfellowsiswillingtotakethatsituation。I’veheard，"continuedBill，inalow，mysteriousvoice，asofonedescribingthehabitsoftheAnthropophagi——"I’veheardo’fellowsezcallthemselvesmen，sellin’ofthemselvestorichwomeninthatway。I’veheardo’richgalsbuyin’ofmenfortheirshape；sometimes——butthet’sinfurrin’kintries——fortheirpedigree!I’veheardo’fellowsbein’inthatbusiness，andcallin’themselvesmeninsteado’hosses!Yeain’tthatkindo’
man，Jeff。’Tain’tinyerblood。Yerfatherwasafoolaboutwomen，andincoursetheyruinedhim，astheyallusdothebestmen。It’son’ythefoolsandsneaksezawomanevermakesanythin’
outof。Whenyehearofamanawomanhezmade，yehearsofanincompoop。Andwhentheydoesproduce’eminthewayo’nater，theyain’tresponsiblefor’em，andsezthey’retheimageo’theirfathers!Yeain’tamanezisgoin’totrustyerfatetoawoman!"
"No，"saidJeffdarkly。
"Ireckonednot，"saidBill，puttinghishandsinhispocketsagain。"Yemightifyewasoneo’themkindo’fellowsaskemupfrom’FriscowithhertoSacramento。Oneo’themkindo’fellowsezcouldslingpoetryandFrenchandLatintoher——oneofHERkind——
butyeain’t!No，sir!"
UnwiseWilliamofYuba!InanyotherbreastbutJeff’sthatrandomshotwouldhaveawakenedtheirregularauxiliaryoflove——jealousy!
ButJeff，beingatonceproudandhumble，hadneithervanitynorconceit，withoutwhichjealousyisimpossible。Yethewincedalittle，forhehadfeeling，andthensaidearnestly：
"Doyouthinkthatopeningyouspokeofwouldholdforadayortwolonger？"
"Ireckon。"
"Well，then，IthinkIcansettleupmattersheremyownway，andgowithyou，Bill。"
Hehadrisen，andyethesitatinglykepthishandonthebackofhischair。"Bill!"
"Jeff!"
"Iwanttoaskyouaquestion；speakup，anddon’tmindme，butsaythetruth。"
OurcraftyUlysses，believingthathewasabouttobeentrapped，ensconcedhimselfinhispockets，cockedoneeye，andsaid："Goon，Jeff。"
"WasmyfatherVERYbad？"
Billtookhishandsfromhispockets。"Tharisn’tamanezcrawlsabovehisgraveezisworthytolieinthesamegroundwithhim!"
"Thankyou，Bill。Goodnight；I’mgoingtoturnin!"
"Lookyar，boy!G—dd——nitall，Jeff!whatdoyemean？"
Thereweretwotears——twinsistersofthoseinhissweetheart’seyesthatafternoon——nowstandinginJeff’s!
Billcaughtbothhishandsinhisown。HadtheybeenoftheLatinracetheywouldhave，righthonestly，takeneachotherintheirarms，andperhapskissed!BeingAnglo—Saxons，theygrippedeachother’shandshard，andone，asabovestated，swore!
WhenJeffascendedtohisroomthatnighthewentdirectlytohistrunkandtookoutMissMayfield’sslipper。Alack!duringthedayAuntSallyhad"putthingstorights"inhisroom，andthetrunkhadbeenmoved。Thishadsomewhatdisordereditscontents，andMissMayfield’sslippercontainedadozenshotfromabrokenEley’scartridge，afewquininepills，fourpostagestamps，partofacoralearringwhichJeff——onthemostapocryphalauthority——fondlybelievedbelongedtohismother，whomhehadneverseen，andasmallsilverschoolmedalwhichJeffhadoncereceivedfor"goodconduct，"muchtohisownsurprise，butwhichhestillreligiouslykeptasevidenceofformerconventionalcharacter。Hecoloredalittle，rubbedthemedalandearringruefullyonhissleeve，replacedtheminhistrunk，andthenhastilyemptiedtherestoftheslipper’scontentsonthefloor。Thisdone，hedrewoffhisboots，and，glidingnoiselesslydownthestair，hungtheslipperontheknobofMissMayfield’sdoor，andglidedbackagainwithoutdetection。
Rollinghimselfinhisblankets，helaydownonhisbed。Butnottosleep!Staringlywideawake，heatlastfeltthelullingofthewindthatnightlyshookhiscasement，andlistenedwhilethegreat，rambling，creaking，disjointed"Half—wayHouse"slowlysettleditselftorepose。Hethoughtofmanythings；ofhimself，ofhispast，ofhisfuture，butchiefly，Ifear，ofthepaleproudfacenowsleepingcontentedlyinthechamberbelowhim。Hetossedwithmanyplansandprojects，moreorlessimpracticable，andthenbegantodoze。Whereatthemoon，creepinginthewindow，laidacoldwhitearmacrosshim，andeventuallydriedafewfoolishtearsuponhissleepinglashes。
IV。
AuntSallywasmakingpiesinthekitchenthenextmorningwhenJeffhesitatinglystoleuponher。Themomentwasnotafelicitousone。Pie—makingwasusuallyanaggressivepursuitwithAuntSally，enteredintoseverely，andprosecuteduntothebitterend。AfterwatchingherafewmomentsJeffcameupandplacedhisarmstenderlyaroundher。Peopleverymuchinlovefindrelief，Iamtold，inthisvicariousexpression。
"Aunty。"
"Well，Jeff!Thar，now——yergittin’alldough!"Nevertheless，thehardfacerelaxedalittle。Somethingofasmilestoleroundhermouth，showingwhatshemighthavebeenbeforetheologyandbittershadsuppliedthenaturalfemininelongings。
"Auntydear!"
"You——boy!"
ItWASaboy’sface——albeitbeardedlikethepard，withanextrafiercenessinthemustaches——thatlookeduponhers。Shecouldnothelpbestowingagrimflourykissuponit。
"Well，whatisitnow？"
"I’mthinking，aunty，it’shightimeyouandmepackedupourtrapsand’shook’thisyarshanty，andlocatedsomewhereelse。"Jeff’svoicewasostentatiouslycheerful，buthiseyeswerealittleanxious。
"WhatforNOW？"
Jeffhastilyrecountedhisillluck，andthevariousreasons——
exceptingofcoursethedominantone——forhisresolution。
"Andwhendoyoukalkilatetogo？"
"Ifyou’lllookarterthingshere，"hesitatedJeff，"IreckonI’llgoupalongwithBillto—morrow，andlookroundabit。"
"Andhowlongdoyoureckonthatgalwouldstayhereafteryargone？"
ThiswasanewandstartlingideatoJeff。Butinhishumilityhesawnothinginittoflatterhisconceit。Ratherthereverse。Hecolored，andthensaidapologetically，——
"IthoughtthatyouandJinnycouldgetalongwithoutme。ThebutcherwillpacktheprovisionsoverfromtheFork。"
Layingdownherrolling—pin，AuntSallyturneduponJeffwithostentatiousdeliberation。"Yeain’t，"shebeganslowly，"eztakingamanwithwimmenezyourfatherwas——that’safact，JeffBriggs!Theyusedtosaythatnowomanashewentforcouldgetawayfromhim。Butyedon’tmeantosayyerthinkyernotgoodenough——suchasyeare——forthissnipofanoldmaid，ezbigasagolddollar，andasyaller？"
"Aunty，"saidJeff，droppinghisboyishmanner，andhiscolorassuddenly，"I’dratheryewouldn’ttalkthatwayofMissMayfield。
Yedon’tknowher；andthere’stimes，"headded，withasigh，"ezI
reckonyedon’tquiteknowMEeither。Thatyounglady，bein’sick，likestobelookedafter。Anyonecandothatforher。Shedon’tmindwhoitis。Shedon’tcareformeexceptforthat，and，"addedJeffhumbly，"it’squitenatural。"
"Ididn’tsayshedid，"returnedAuntSallyviciously；"butseeingezyou’vegotanemptyhouseyeronyerhands，andmea—slavin’
hereonjistnothin’，ifthisgal，forthesakeo’gallivantin’
withyeforaspell，choosestostayhereandkeepherfamilyhere，andpayhighforit，Idon’tseewhyitain’tyerdutytoProvidenceandmetotakeadvantageofit。"
Jeffraisedhiseyestohisaunt’sface。Forthefirsttimeitstruckhimthatshemightbehisfather’ssisterandyethavenobloodinherveinsthatansweredtohis。Therearefewshocksmorestartlingandoverpoweringtooriginalnaturesthanthissuddensenseofloneliness。Jeffcouldnotspeak，butremainedlookingfiercelyather。
AuntSallymisinterpretedhissilence，andreturnedtoherworkonthepies。"Thegalain’tnofool，"shecontinued，rollingoutthecrustasifshewerelayingdownbroadpropositions。"SHEreckonsonittoo，ezifitwaschargedinthebillwiththeboardandlodging。Why，didn’tshesaytome，lastnight，thatshekalkilatedaforeshewentawaytobringupsomefriendsfrom’Friscoforafewdays’visit？anddidn’tshesay，inthatpipin’，affectedvoiceo’hers，’Ioughtermakesomereturnforyerkindnessandyernephew’skindness，AuntSally，byshowingpeoplethatcanhelpyou，andkeepyourhousefull，howpleasantitisuphere。’Sheain’tnofool，withallherfaintin’sanddyin’saway!
No，JeffBriggs。Andifshewantstoshowyeoffaginthemcityfellowsezsheknows，andyeain’tgotspunkenoughtostandupandshowoffwithher——why"——sheturnedherheadimpatiently，buthewasgone。
IfJeffhadeverwaveredinhisresolutionhewouldhavebeensteadyenoughNOW。Buthehadneverwavered；theconvictionsandresolutionsofsuddenlyawakenedcharacterareseldommovedbyexpediency。Hewaseagertotastethebitterdregsofhiscupatonce。Hebegantopackhistrunk，andmakehispreparationsfordeparture。WithoutavoidingMissMayfieldinthisnewexcitement，henolongerfelttheneedofherpresence。Hehadsatisfiedhisfeverishanxietiesbyplacinghistrunkinthehallbesidehisopendoor，andwassittingonhisbed，wrestlingwithafadedandovertaskedcarpet—bagthatwouldnotcloseandaccepthishardconditions，whenasmallvoicefromthestaircasethrilledhim。Hewalkedtothecorridor，and，lookingdown，beheldMissMayfieldmidwayonthestepsofthestaircase。
Shehadneverlookedsobeautifulbefore!Jeffhadonlyseenherinthosesoftenwrappingsandhalf—deshabillethatbelongtoinvalidfemininity。Alwaysrefinedandmodestthus，inherpresentwalking—costumetherewasaddedaslighttouchofcoquettishadornment。Therewasabrightnessofcolorinhercheekandeye，partlytheresultofclimbingthestaircase，partlytheresultofthataudaciousimpulsethathadledher——amodestvirgin——toseekagentlemaninthispersonalfashion。Modestyinayounggirlhasacomfortablesatisfyingcharm，recognizedeasilybyallhumanity；
buthemustbeasorryknaveoraworseprigwhoisnotdeliciouslythrilledwhenModestyputshercharminglittlefootjustoverthethresholdofPropriety。
"ThemountainwouldnotcometoMohammed，soMohammedmustcometothemountain，"saidMissMayfield。"Motherisasleep，AuntSallyisatworkinthekitchen，andhereamI，alreadydressedforarambleinthisbrightafternoonsunshine，andnoonetogowithme。
But，perhaps，you，too，arebusy？"
"No，miss。Iwillbewithyouinamoment。"
IwishIcouldsaythathewentbacktocalmhispulses，whichthedangerousmusicofMissMayfield’svoicehadsettothrobbing，byafewmoments’calmanddispassionatereflection。Butheonlyreturnedtobrushhiscurlsoutofhiseyesandears，andtobuttonoverhisblueflannelshirtawhitelinencollar，whichhethoughtmightbetterharmonizewithMissMayfield’sattire。
Shewassittingonthestaircase，pokingherparasolthroughthebalusters。"Youneednothavetakenthattrouble，Mr。Jeff，"shesaidpleasantly。"YOUareapartofthismountainpictureatalltimes；butIamobligedtothinkofdress。"
"Itwasnotrouble，miss。"
Somethinginthetoneofhisvoicemadeherlookinhisfaceassherose。Itwasatriflepaler，andalittleolder。Theresult，doubtless，thoughtMissMayfield，ofhisyesterday’sexperiencewiththedeputy—sheriff。
Suchwasherrapiddeduction。Nevertheless，afterthefashionofhersex，sheimmediatelybegantoarguefromquiteanotherhypothesis。
"Youareangrywithme，Mr。Jeff。"
"What，I——MissMayfield？"
"Yes，you!"
"MissMayfield!"
"Ohyes，youare。Don’tdenyit？"
"Uponmysoul——"
"Yes!Yougivemepunishmentsand——penances!"
Jeffopenedhisblueeyesonhistormentor。CouldAuntSallyhavebeensayinganything？
"Ifanybody，MissMayfield——"hebegan。
"Nobodybutyou。Lookhere!"
Sheextendedherlittlehandwithasmile。InthecentreofherpalmlayfourshiningdoubleBSHOT。
"There!Ifoundthoseinmyslipperthismorning!"Jeffwasspeechless。
"OfcourseYOUdidit!OfcourseitwasYOUwhofoundmyslipper!"
saidMissMayfield，laughing。"Butwhydidyouputshotinit，Mr。
Jeff？InsomeCatholiccountries，whenpeoplehavedonewrong，thepriestsmakethemdopenancebywalkingwithpeasintheirshoes!
WhathaveIeverdonetoyou？AndwhySHOT？They’reeversomuchharderthanpeas。"
Seeingonlythemischievous，laughingfacebeforehim，andtheopenpalmcontainingthedamningevidenceofthebrokenEley’scartridge，Jeffstammeredoutthetruth。
"Ifoundtheslipperinthebear—skin，MissMayfield。Iputitinmytrunktokeep，thinkingyerwouldn’tmissit，andit’sbeingakindofremembranceafteryou’regoneaway——of——ofthenightyoucamehere。Somebodymovedthetrunkinmyroom，"andhehunghisheadhere。"Thethingsinsideallgotmixedup。"
"Andthatmadeyouchangeyourmindaboutkeepingit？"saidMissMayfield，stillsmiling。
"No，miss。"
"Whatwasit，then？"
"Igaveitbacktoyou，MissMayfield，becauseIwasgoingaway。"
"Indeed!Where？"
"I’mgoingtofindanotherlocation。Maybeyou’venoticed，"hecontinued，fallingbackintohisoldapologeticmannerinspiteofhisprideofresolution——"maybeyou’venoticedthatthisplaceherehasnoadvantagesforahotel。"
"Ihadnot，indeed。Ihavebeenverycomfortable。"
"Thankyou，miss。"
"Whendoyougo？"
"To—night。"
Forallhisprideandfixedpurposehecouldnothelplookingeagerlyinherface。MissMayfield’seyesmethispleasantlyandquietly。
"I’msorrytopartwithyousosoon，"shesaid，asshesteppedbackapaceortwowithfoldedhands。"Ofcourseeverymomentofyourtimenowisoccupied。Youmustnotthinkofwastingitonme。"
ButJeffhadrecoveredhissadcomposure。"I’dliketogowithyou，MissMayfield。It’sthelasttime，youknow，"headdedsimply。
MissMayfielddidnotreply。Itwasatacitassent，however，althoughshemovedsomewhatstifflyathissideastheywalkedtowardsthedoor。QuiteconvincedthatJeff’sresolutioncamefromhispecuniarytroubles，MissMayfieldwaswonderingifshehadnotbetterassurehimofhissecurityfromfurtherannoyancefromDodd。
Wonderfulcomplexityoffemaleintellect!shewasalittlehurtathisingratitudetoherforakindnesshecouldnotpossiblyhaveknown。MissMayfieldfeltthatinsomewayshewasunjustlytreated。Howmanyofourmiserablesex，incapableofdivination，havebeencrushedunderthatunreasonablefemininereproof，"Yououghttohaveknown!"
Theafternoonsunwasindeedshiningbrightlyastheysteppedoutbeforethebleakangleofthe"Half—wayHouse"；butitfailedtomitigatethehabituallypracticalausterityofthemountainbreeze——
afactwhichMissMayfieldhadneverbeforenoticed。Thehousewascertainlybleakandexposed；thesitebynomeansapoeticalone。Shewonderedifshehadnotputaromanceintoit，andperhapsevenintothemanbesideher，whichdidnotbelongtoeither。Itwasamomentofdangerousdoubt。
"Idon’tknowbutthatyou’reright，Mr。Jeff，"shesaidfinally，astheyfacedthehill，andbegantheascenttogether。"Thisplaceisalittlequeer，andbleak，and——unattractive。"
"Yes，miss，"saidJeff，withdirectsimplicity，"I’vealwayswonderedwhatyousawinittomakeyoucontenttostay，whenitwouldbesomuchprettier，andmoresuitableforyouatthe’Summit。’"
MissMayfieldbitherlip，andwassilent。Afterafewmoments’
climbingshesaid，almostpettishly，"Whereisthisfamous’Summit’？"
Jeffstopped。Theyhadreachedthetopofthehill。Hepointedacrossanolive—greenchasmtoahigherlevel，where，baskinginthedecliningsun，clusteredthelongramblingoutbuildingsaroundthewhiteblinkingfacadeofthe"SummitHouse。"Framedinpinesandhemlocks，tenderwithsoftgrayshadows，andnestlingbeyondaforegroundofcultivatedslope，itwasacharmingrusticpicture。
MissMayfield’squickeyetookinitsdetails。Herquickintellecttookinsomethingelse。Shehadseatedherselfontheroad—bank，and，claspingherkneesbetweenherlockedfingers，shesuddenlylookedupatJeff。"Whatpossessedyoutocomehalf—wayupamountain，insteadofgoingontothetop？"
"Poverty，miss!"
MissMayfieldflushedalittleatthispracticaldirectanswertoherhalf—figurativequestion。However，shebegantothinkthatmoralAlpine—climbingyouthmighthavepecuniaryrestrictionsintheirhighambitions，andthattheheroof"Excelsior"mighthavesuccumbedtomorepowerfuloppositionthanthewisdomofAgeortheblandishmentsofBeauty。
"Youmeanthatpovertyupthereismoreexpensive？"
"Yes，miss。"
"Butyouwouldliketolivethere？"
"Yes。"
Theywerebothsilent。MissMayfieldglancedatJeffunderthecornersofherlashes。Hewasleaningagainstatree，absorbedinthought。Accustomedtolookuponhimasapleasingpicturesqueobject，quitefresh，original，andcharacteristic，shewassomewhatdisturbedtofindthatto—dayhepresentedcertainotherqualitieswhichclearlydidnotagreewithherpreconceivedideasofhiscondition。Hehadabandonedhisusuallargetop—bootsforlowshoes，andshecouldnothelpnoticingthathisfeetweresmallandslenderaswerehishands，albeitbrownedbyexposure。Hisruddycolorwasgonetoo，andhisface，palewithsorrowandexperience，hadanewexpression。Hisbuttoned—upcoatandwhitecollar，sounlikehisusualself，alsohaditssuggestions——whichMissMayfieldwasatfirstinclinedtoresent。Womenarequicktonoticeandaugurmoreorlesswiselyfromthesesmalldetails。
Nevertheless，shebeganinquiteanothertone。
"Doyourememberyourmother——MR。——MR。——BRIGGS？"
Jeffnoticedthenewepithet。"No，miss；shediedwhenIwasquiteyoung。"
"Yourfather，then？"
Jeff’seyekindledalittle，aggressively。"IrememberHIM。"
"Whatwashe？"
"MissMayfield!"
"Whatwashisbusinessorprofession？"
"He——hadn’t——any!"
"Oh，Isee——agentlemanofproperty。"
Jeffhesitated，lookedatMissMayfieldhurriedly，colored，anddidnotreply。
"Andlosthisproperty，Mr。Briggs？"Withoneofthoserareimpulsesofanovertaskedgentlenature，Jeffturneduponheralmostsavagely。"Myfatherwasagambler，andshothimselfatagamblingtable。"
MissMayfieldrosehurriedly。"I——Ibegyourpardon，Mr。Jeff。"
Jeffwassilent。
"Youknow——youMUSTknow——Ididnotmean——"
Noreply。
"Mr。Jeff!"
Herlittlehandflutteredtowardhim，andlituponhissleeve，whereitwassuddenlycapturedandpressedpassionatelytohislips。
"Ididnotmeantobethoughtlessorunkind，"saidMissMayfield，discreetlykeepingtothepoint，andtryingweaklytodisengageherhand。"YouknowIwouldn’thurtyourfeelings。"
"Iknow，MissMayfield。"（Anotherkiss。）
"Iwasignorantofyourhistory。"
"Yes，miss。"（Akiss。）
"AndifIcoulddoanythingforyou，Mr。Jeff——"Shestopped。
Itwasaverytryingposition。Beingsmall，shewasdrawnafterherhandquiteuptoJeff’sshoulder，whilehe，assentinginmonosyllables，waspartingthefingers，andkissingthemseparately。Reasonablediscourseinthisattitudewasoutofthequestion。Shehadrecoursetostrategy。
"Oh!"
"MissMayfield!"
"Youhurtmyhand。"
Jeffdroppeditinstantly。MissMayfieldputitinthepocketofhersacqueforsecurity。Besides，ithadbeensobekissedthatitseemedunpleasantlyconscious。
"Iwishyouwouldtellmeallaboutyourself，"shewenton，withacertaincharmingfemininesubmissionofmannerquiteunlikeherordinaryspeech；"Ishouldliketohelpyou。PerhapsIcan。YouknowIamquiteindependent；Imean——"
Shepaused，forJeff’sfacebetrayednosignsofsympatheticfollowing。
"ImeanIamwhatpeoplecallrichinmyownright。IcandoasI
pleasewithmyown。Ifanyofyourtrouble，Mr。Jeff，arisesfromwantofmoney，orcapital；ifanyconsiderationofthatkindtakesyouawayfromyourhome；ifIcouldsaveyouTHATTROUBLE，andfindforyou——perhapsalittlenearer——thatwhichyouareseeking，I
wouldbesogladtodoit。Youwillfindtheworldverywide，andverycold，Mr。Jeff，"shecontinued，withacertainairofpracticalsuperiorityquitenaturaltoher，butexplicabletoherfriendsandacquaintancesonlyastheconsciousnessofpecuniaryindependence；"andIwishyouwouldbefrankwithme。AlthoughI
amawoman，Iknowsomethingofbusiness。"
"Iwillbefrankwithyou，miss，"saidJeff，turningacolorlessfaceuponher。"IfyouwasezrichastheBankofCalifornia，andcouldthrowyourmoneyonanyfancyorwhimthatstruckyouatthemoment；ifyoufeltyoucouldbuyupanymanandwomaninCaliforniathatwaswillingtobeboughtup；andifmeandmyauntwerestarvingintheroad，wewouldn’ttouchthemoneythatwehadn’tearnedfairly，anddidn’tbelongtous。No，miss，Iain’tthatsorto’man!"
Howmuchofthisspeech，initsbrusquenessandslang，wasanechoofYubaBill’steaching，howmuchofitwasapartofJeff’sinwardweakness，Icannotsay。HesawMissMayfieldrecoilfromhim。Itaddedtohisbitternessthathisthought，forthefirsttimevoiced，appearedtohimbynomeansaseffectiveorpowerfulashehadimagineditwouldbe，buthecouldnotrecedefromit；andtherewasthereliefthattheworsthadcome，andwasovernow。
MissMayfieldtookherhandoutofherpocket。"Idon’tthinkyouquiteunderstandme，Mr。Jeff，"shesaidquietly；"andIHOPEI
don’tunderstandyou。"Shewalkedstifflyathissideforafewmoments，butfinallytooktheothersideoftheroad。Theyhadbothturned，halfunconsciously，backagaintothe"Half—wayHouse。"
Jefffelt，likeallquarrel—seekers，righteousorunrighteous，thefullburdenofthefight。Ifhecouldhaverelievedhismind，andatthenextmomentleapeduponYubaBill’scoach，andsopassedaway——withoutafurtherwordofexplanation——allwouldhavebeenwell。Buttowalkbackwiththisgirl，whomhehadjustshakenoff，andwhomustnowthoroughlyhatehim，wassomethinghehadnotpreconceived，inthatdelightfulforecastoftheimagination，whenwedeterminewhatWEshallsayanddowithouttheleastconsiderationofwhatmaybesaidordonetousinreturn。Noquarrelproceedsexactlyasweexpect；peoplehavesuchawayofbehavingillogically!
AndherewasMissMayfield，whowasclearlyderelict，andwhoshouldhaveactedunderthatconviction，walkingalongontheothersideoftheroad，trailingthesplendorofherparasolinthedustlikeanoffendedgoddess。
Theyhadalmostreachedthehouse。"Atwhattimedoyougo，Mr。
Briggs？"askedtheyoungladyquietly。
"Atelevento—night，bytheupstage。"
"Iexpectsomefriendsbythatstage——comingwithmyfather。"
"Myauntwilltakegoodcareofthem，"saidJeff，alittlebitterly。
"Ihavenodoubt，"respondedMissMayfieldgravely；"butIwasnotthinkingofthat。Ihadhopedtointroducethemtoyouto—morrow。
ButIshallnotbeupsolateto—night。AndIhadbettersaygood—bytoyounow。"
Sheextendedtheunkissedhand。Jefftookit，butpresentlyletthelimpfingersfallthroughhisown。
"Iwishyougoodfortune，Mr。Briggs。"
Shemadeagravelittlebow，andvanishedintothehouse。Buthere，Iregrettosay，herlady—likecalmalsovanished。SheupbraidedhermotherpeevishlyforobliginghertoseektheescortofMr。Briggsinhernecessaryexercise，andflungherselfwithaninjuredairuponthesofa。
"ButIthoughtyoulikedthisMr。Briggs。Heseemsanaccommodatingsortofperson。"
"Veryaccommodating。Goingawayjustasweareexpectingcompany!"
"Goingaway？"saidMrs。Mayfieldinalarm。"Surelyhemustbetoldthatweexpectsomepreparationforourfriends？"
"Oh，"saidMissMayfieldquickly，"hisauntwillarrangeTHAT。"
Mrs。Mayfield，habituallymystifiedatherdaughter’smoods，saidnomore。She，however，fulfilledherdutyconscientiouslybyrising，throwingawrapovertheyounggirl，tuckingitinatherfeet，andhaving，asitwere，drawnacharitableveiloverherpeculiarities，leftheralone。
Athalfpasttenthecoachdasheduptothe"Half—wayHouse，"withaflashoflightsandaburstofcheeryvoices。Jeff，comingupontheporch，wasmetbyMr。Mayfield，accompanyingaladyandtwogentlemen，——evidentlytheguestsalludedtobyhisdaughter。
AccustomedasJeffhadbecometoMr。Mayfield’spatronizingsuperiority，itseemedunbearablenow，andtheeasyindifferenceofthegueststohisownpresencetouchedhimwithanewbitterness。
HerewereHERfriends，whoweretotakehisplace。ItwasarelieftograspYubaBill’slargehandandstandwithhimalonebesidethebar。
"I’mreadytogowithyouto—night，Bill，"saidJeff，afterapause。
Billputdownhisglass——asignofabsorbinginterest。
"AndtheseyarstrangersIfetched？"
"Auntywilltakecareofthem。I’vefixedeverything。"
BilllaidbothhispowerfulhandsonJeff’sshoulders，backedhimagainstthewall，andsurveyedhimwithgreatgravity。
"Briggs’ssonclarthrough!Alittleoffcolor，butthegritallthar!Bullyforyou，Jeff。"HewrungJeff’shandbetweenhisown。
"Bill!"saidJeffhesitatingly。
"Jeff!"
"Youwouldn’tmindmygettingupontheboxNOW，beforeallthefolksgetround？"
"Ireckonnot。Thar’sthebox—seatallreadyforye。"
Climbingtohishighperch，Jeff，indistinguishableinthedarkness，lookedoutupontheporchandthemovingfiguresofthepassengers，onBillgrowlingouthisorderstohisactivehostler，andonthetwinklinglightsofthehotelwindows。Inthemysteryofthenightandthebitternessofhisheart，everythinglookedstrange。TherewasalightinMissMayfield’sroom，butthecurtainsweredrawn。Oncehethoughttheymoved，butthen，fearfulofthefascinationofwatchingthem，heturnedhisfaceresolutelyaway。
Then，tohisrelief，thehourcame；thepassengersre—enteredthecoach；Billhadmountedthebox，andwasslowlygatheringhisreins，whenashrillvoicerosefromtheporch。
"Oh，Jeff!"
Jeffleanedananxiousfaceoutoverthecoachlamps。
ItwasAuntSally，breathlessandontiptoe，reachingwithaletter。"Suthin’youforgot!"Then，inahoarsestagewhisper，perfectlyaudibletoeveryone："FromHER!"
Jeffseizedtheletterwithaburningface。Thewhipsnapped，andthestageplungedforwardintothedarkness。PresentlyYubaBillreacheddown，coollydetachedoneofthecoachlamps，andhandedittoJeffwithoutaword。
Jefftoreopentheenvelope。ItcontainedCyrusParker’sbillreceipted，andthewrit。Anothersmallinclosurecontainedtendollars，andafewlineswritteninpencilinalargemasculinebusinesshand。BythelightofthelampJeffreadasfollows：——
"Ihopeyouwillforgivemeforhavingtriedtohelpyoueveninthisaccidentalway，beforeIknewhowstrongwereyourobjectionstohelpfromme。Nobodyknowsthisbutmyself。EvenMr。Doddthinksmyfatheradvancedthemoney。Thetendollarstherascalwouldhavekept，butImadehimdisgorgeit。Ididitallwhileyouwerelookingfortheletterinthewoods。Prayforgetallaboutit，andanypainyoumayhavehadfromJ。M。"
Frankandpracticalasthisletterappearedtobe，and，doubtless，asitwasintendedtobebyitswriter，thereaderwillnotfailtonoticethatMissMayfieldsaidnothingofhavingoverheardJeff’squarrelwiththedeputy，andlefthimtoinferthatthatfunctionaryhadbetrayedhim。Itwassimplyoneofthoseunpleasantdetailsnotaffectingtheresult，usuallyoverlookedinfeminineethics。
ForamomentJeffsatpaleanddumb，crushedundertheruinsofhisprideandself—love。ForamomenthehatedMissMayfield，smallandtriumphant!Howshemusthaveinwardlylaughedathisspeechthatmorning!Withwhatrefinedcrueltyshehadsavedthisevidenceofhishumiliation，toworkhervengeanceonhimnow。Hecouldnotstandit!Hecouldnotliveunderit!Hewouldgobackandsellthehouse——hisclothes——everything——topaythiswicked，heartless，cruelgirl，thatwaskilling——yes，killing——
Astronghandtooktheswinging—lanternfromhisunsteadyfingers，astronghandpossesseditselfofthepapersandMissMayfield’snote，astrongarmwasdrawnaroundhim，——forhisfigurewasswayingtoandfro，hisheadwasgiddy，andhishathadfallenoff，——andastrongvoice，albeitalittlehusky，whisperedinhisear，——
"Easy，boy!easyonthedowngrade。It’llbealloneinaminit。"
Jefftriedtocomprehendhim，buthisbrainwaswhirling。
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