by Bret Harte
you get to San Jose?"
"No-o-o," said Rose, timidly.
"And I reckon you wouldn't mind my racin' a bit if anybody kem up?"
"No."
"The mare's sort o' fastidious about takin' anybody's dust."
"Is she?" said Rose, with a faint smile.
"Awful," responded her companion; "and the queerest thing of all is, shecan't bear to have any one behind her, either."
He leaned forward with his expression of humorous enjoyment of somelatent joke and did something with the reins--Rose never could clearlyunderstand what, though it seemed to her that he simply lifted them withostentatious lightness; but the mare suddenly seemed to LENGTHEN herselfand lose her height, and the stalks of wheat on either side of the dustytrack began to melt into each other, and then slipped like a flash intoone long, continuous, shimmering green hedge. So perfect was the mare'saction that the girl was scarcely conscious of any increased effort; soharmonious the whole movement that the light skeleton wagon seemed onlya prolonged process of that long, slim body and free, collarless neck,both straight as the thin shafts on each side and straighter than thedelicate ribbon-like traces which, in what seemed a mere affectation ofconscious power, hung at times almost limp between the whiffle-tree andthe narrow breast band which was all that confined the animal's powerfulfore-quarters. So superb was the reach of its long easy stride that Rosecould scarcely see any undulations in the brown shining back on whichshe could have placed her foot, nor felt the soft beat of the delicatehoofs that took the dust so firmly and yet so lightly.
The rapidity of motion which kept them both with heads bent forward andseemed to force back any utterance that rose to their lips spared Rosethe obligation of conversation, and her companion was equally reticent.But it was evident to her that he half suspected she was running awayfrom the Randolphs, and that she wished to avoid the embarrassment ofbeing overtaken even in persuasive pursuit. It was not possible thathe knew the cause of her flight, and yet she could not account forhis evident desire to befriend her, nor, above all, for his apparentlyhumorous enjoyment of the situation. Had he taken it gravely, she mighthave been tempted to partly confide in him and ask his advice. Was shedoing right, after all? Ought she not to have stayed long enough tospeak her mind to Mrs. Randolph and demand to be sent home? No! She hadnot only shrunk from repeating the infamous slander she had overheard,but she had a terrible fear that if she had done so, Mrs. Randolph wascapable of denying it, or even charging her of being still under theinfluence of the earthquake shock and of walking in her sleep. No! Shecould not trust her--she could trust no one there. Had not even themajor listened to those infamous lies? Had she not seen that he washelpless in the hands of this cabal in his own household?--a cabal thatshe herself had thoughtlessly joined against him.
They had reached the first slight ascent. Her companion drew out hiswatch, looked at it with satisfaction, and changed the position of hishands on the reins. Without being able to detect the difference, shefelt they were slackening speed. She turned inquiringly towards him; henodded his head, with a half smile and a gesture to her to look ahead.The spires of San Jose were already faintly uplifting from the distantfringe of oaks.
So soon! In fifteen minutes she would be there--and THEN! She rememberedsuddenly she had not yet determined what to do. Should she go on at onceto San Francisco, or telegraph to her father and await him at San Jose?In either case a new fear of the precipitancy of her action and theinadequacy of her reasons had sprung up in her mind. Would her fatherunderstand her? Would he underrate the cause and be mortified at theinsult she had given the family of his old friend, or, more dreadfulstill, would he exaggerate her wrongs and seek a personal quarrel withthe major. He was a man of quick temper, and had the Western ideas ofredress. Perhaps even now she was precipitating a duel between them. Hercheeks grew wan again, her breath came quickly, tears gathered in hereyes. Oh, she was a dreadful girl, she knew it; she was an utterlymiserable one, and she knew that too!
The reins were tightened. The pace lessened and at last fell to a walk.Conscious of her telltale eyes and troubled face, she dared not turn toher companion to ask him why, but glanced across the fields.
"When you first came I didn't get to know your name, Miss Mallory, but Ireckon I know your father."
Her father! What made him say that? She wanted to speak, but shefelt she could not. In another moment, if he went on, she must doSOMETHING--she would cry!
"I reckon you'll be wanting to go to the hotel first, anyway?"
There!--she knew it! He WOULD keep on! And now she had burst into tears.
The mare was still walking slowly; the man was lazily bending forwardover the shafts as if nothing had occurred. Then suddenly, illogically,and without a moment's warning, the pride that had sustained hercrumbled and became as the dust of the road.
She burst out and told him--this stranger!--this man she haddisliked!--all and EVERYTHING. How she had felt, how she had beendeceived, and what she had overheard!
"I thought as much," said her companion, quietly, "and that's why I sentfor your father."
"You sent for my father!--when?--where?" echoed Rose, in astonishment.
"Yesterday. He was to come to-day, and if we don't find him at the hotelit will be because he has already started to come here by the upper andlonger road. But you leave it to ME, and don't you say anything to himof this now. If he's at the hotel, I'll say I drove you down there toshow off the mare. Sabe? If he isn't, I'll leave you there and come backhere to find him. I've got something to tell him that will set YOU allright." He smiled grimly, lifted the reins, the mare started forwardagain, and the vehicle and its occupants disappeared in a vanishing dustcloud.
CHAPTER VI
It was nearly noon when Mr. Dawson finished rubbing down his sweatingmare in the little stable shed among the wheat. He had left Rose at thehotel, for they found Mr. Mallory had previously started by a circuitousroute for the wheat ranch. He had resumed not only his working clothesbut his working expression. He was now superintending the unloading ofa wain of stores and implements when the light carryall of the Randolphsrolled into the field. It contained only Mrs. Randolph and the driver.A slight look of intelligence passed between the latter and the nearestone of Dawson's companions, succeeded, however, by a dull look of stupidvacancy on the faces of all the others, including Dawson. Mrs. Randolphnoticed it, and was forewarned. She reflected that no human beings everlooked NATURALLY as stupid as that and were able to work. She smiledsarcastically, and then began with dry distinctness and narrowing lips.
"Miss Mallory, a young lady visiting us, went out for an early walk thismorning and has not returned. It is possible she may have lost her wayamong your wheat. Have you seen anything of her?"
Dawson raised his eyes from his work and glanced slowly around at hiscompanions, as if taking the heavy sense of the assembly. One or twoshook their heads mechanically, and returned to their suspended labor.He said, coolly:--
"Nobody here seems to."
She felt that they were lying. She was only a woman against five men.She was only a petty domestic tyrant; she might have been a larger one.But she had all the courage of that possibility.
"Major Randolph and my son are away," she went on, drawing herselferect. "But I know that the major will pay liberally if these men willsearch the field, besides making it all right with your--EMPLOYERS--forthe loss of time."
Dawson uttered a single word in a low voice to the man nearest him,who apparently communicated it to the others, for the four men stoppedunloading, and moved away one after the other--even the driver joiningin the exodus. Mrs. Randolph smiled sarcastically; it was plain thatthese people, with all their boasted independence, were quite amenableto pecuniary considerations. Nevertheless, as Dawson remained lookingquietly at her, she said:--
"Then I suppose they've concluded to go and see?"
"No; I've sent them away so that they couldn't HEAR."
"Hear what?"
"What I've got to say to you."
/>
She looked at him suddenly. Then she said, with a disdainfulglance around her: "I see I am helpless here, and--thanks to yourtrickery--alone. Have a care, sir; I warn you that you will have toanswer to Major Randolph for any insolence."
"I reckon you won't tell Major Randolph what I have to say to you," hereturned coolly.
Her lips were nearly a grayish hue, but she said scornfully: "And whynot? Do you know who you are talking to?"
The man came lazily forward to the carryall, carelessly brushed asidethe slack reins, and resting his elbows on the horse's back, laid hischin on his hands, as he looked up in the woman's face.
"Yes; I know who I'm talking to," he said coolly. "But as the majordon't, I reckon you