CHAPTER XXVII
_Passing Clouds_
In spite of the surgeon's hopeful words, the path to recovery layfearfully near the gate of death. Firmstone had been shot from above,and the bullet, entering at the base of the neck just in front of thethroat, had torn its way beneath the collar-bone, passing through theleft arm below the shoulder.
During the period of trying suspense, when Firmstone's life wavered inthe balance, through the longer period of convalescence, he lacked notdevotion, love, nor skill to aid him. Zephyr was omnipresent, but neverobtrusive. Bennie, with voiceless words and aggressive manner, plainlydeclared that a sizzling cookstove with a hot temper that never cooledwas more efficacious than a magazine of bandages and a college ofsurgeons.
Elise cared for Firmstone, Madame for Elise. Zephyr's rod and rifle,with Bennie's stove, supplied that without which even the wisest counselcomes to an inglorious end. Over all Elise reigned an uncrowned queen,with no constitution, written or unwritten, to hamper her royal will.Even the company surgeon had to give a strict accounting. The soft, redlips could not hide the hard, straight lines beneath rounded curves, northe liquid black of velvet eyes break the insistent glint of an active,decisive mind.
Miss Hartwell was still pretty and willing, but yet helpless andoppressed. It was therefore with a regretted sense of relief that thearrival of Miss Firmstone removed the last appearance of duty that kepther in useless toleration. Hartwell's capacious sleeve held a ready cardwhich awaited but an obvious opportunity for playing. No sooner wasFirmstone pronounced out of danger than the card, in the form of urgentbusiness, was played, and Hartwell and his sister left for the East.
Like her brother, Miss Firmstone evidently had a will of her own, and,also like her brother, a well-balanced mind to control itsmanifestations. There was a short, sharp battle of eyes when first theself-throned queen was brought face to face with her possible rival. Theconflict was without serious results, for Miss Firmstone, in addition towill and judgment, had also tact and years superior to Elise. These weremere fortuitous adjuncts which had been denied Elise. So it happenedthat, though a rebellious pupil, Elise learned many valuable lessons.She was ready and willing to defy the world individually andcollectively; yet she stood in awe of herself.
One afternoon Firmstone was sitting in his room, looking out of hiswindow, and in spite of the grandeur of the mountain there was little ofglory but much of gloom in his thoughts. The mine was in ruins; so, asfar as he could see, were his labours, his ambitions, and his prospects.He tried to keep his thoughts on the gloom of the clouds and shut hiseyes to their silver lining. The silver lining was in softly glowingevidence, but he could not persuade himself that it was for him. Step bystep he was going over every incident of his intercourse with Elise.Their first meeting, her subsequent warning that his life was in seriousdanger, her calm, resolute putting aside of all thought of danger toherself, her daring ride up the tram to keep him from sure death whenshe knew that the tram-house was to be blown up, that the catastrophemight occur at any moment, her unremitting care of him, wounded near todeath: all these came to him, filled him with a longing love that leftno nerve nor fibre of heart or soul untouched with thrills that, for alltheir pain, were even yet not to be stilled by his own volition.Firmstone grew more thoughtful. He realised that Elise was only a girlin years, yet her natural life, untrammelled by conventional proprietieswhich distract and dissipate the limited energy in a thousand divergentchannels, had forced her whole soul into the maturity of many waxing andwaning seasons. Every manifestation of her restless, active mind hadstood out clear and sharp in the purity of unconscious self. This wasthe disturbing element in Firmstone's anxious mind. Responsive to everymood, fiercely unsparing of herself, yet every attempted word ofgrateful appreciation from him had been anticipated and all but fiercelyrepelled. With all his acumen, Firmstone yet failed to comprehend twovery salient features of a woman's heart, that, however free andspontaneous she may be, there is one emotion instinctively and jealouslyguarded, that she will reject, with indignation, gratitude offered as asubstitute for love.
Firmstone's meditations were interrupted by a knock on the door. Zephyrcame in, holding out a bulky envelope. It was from the eastern office ofthe Rainbow Company. Firmstone's face stiffened as he broke the seals.Zephyr noted the look and, after an introductory whistle, said:
"'Tisn't up to you to fret now, Goggles. Foolishness at two cents anounce or fraction thereof is more expensive than passenger rates at fourdollars a pound."
Firmstone looked up absently.
"What's that you're saying?"
Zephyr waved his hand languidly.
"I was right. Have been all along. I knew you had more sense than youcould carry in your head. It's all over you, and you got some of it shotaway. I'm trying to make it plain to you that foolishness on paper ain'tnear so fatal as inside a skull. Consequently, if them Easterners hadhad any serious designs on you, they'd sent the real stuff back in aPullman instead of the smell of it by mail."
Firmstone made no reply, but went on with his letter. There wasamusement and indignation on his face as, having finished the letter, hehanded it to Zephyr.
The letter was from Hartwell and was official. Briefly, it expressedregret over Firmstone's serious accident, satisfaction at his recovery,and congratulations that a serious complication had been met andobviated with, all things considered, so slight a loss to the company.The letter concluded as follows:
We have carefully considered the statement of the difficulties with which you have been confronted, as reported by our manager, and fully comprehend them. We have also given equal consideration to his plans for the rehabilitation of the mine and mill, and heartily assent to them as well as to his request that you be retained as our superintendent and that, in addition to your salary, you be granted a considerable share in the stock of our company. We feel that we are warranted in pursuing this course with you, recognising that it is a rare thing, in one having the ability which you have shown, to take counsel with and even frankly to adopt the suggestions of another.
By order of the President and Board of Directors of the Rainbow Milling Company, by
ARTHUR HARTWELL,
Gen. Man. and Acting Secretary.
Zephyr's face worked in undulations that in narrowing concentricsreached the puckered apex of his lips.
"Bees," he finally remarked, "are ding-twisted, ornery insects. Theyhave, however, one redeeming quality not common to mosquitoes and blackflies. If they sting with one end they make honey with the other. Theyain't neither to be cussed nor commended. They're just built on themlines."
Firmstone looked thoughtful.
"I'm inclined to think you're right. If you're looking for honey you'vegot to take chances on being stung."
"Which I take to mean that you have decided to hive your bees in thisparticular locality."
Firmstone nodded.
Zephyr looked expectantly at Firmstone, and then continued:
"I also wish to remark that there are certain inconveniences connectedwith being an uncommonly level-headed man. There's no telling whenyou've got to whack up with your friends."
"All right." Firmstone half guessed at what was coming.
"Madame," Zephyr remarked, "having been deprived by the hand of death ofher legal protectors, namely, Pierre and Morrison, wishes to takecounsel with you."
Zephyr, waiting no further exchange of words, left the room and shortlyreturned with Madame. She paused at the door, darted a frightened lookat Firmstone, then one of pathetic appeal to the imperturbable Zephyr.Again her eyes timidly sought Firmstone, who, rising, advanced withoutstretched hand. Madame's hands were filled with bundled papers. Innervously trying to move them, in order to accept Firmstone's profferedhand, the bundles fell scattered to the floor. With an embarrassedexclamation, she hastily stooped to recover them and in her effortcollided with Zephyr, who had been actuated by the same motive.
"If Madame wore her heart on her neck instead of under her ribs, I wouldhave had two hands free instead of one. Which same being put in literalspeech means that there's nothing against nature in having a hard headkeeping step with a tender heart."
Madame was at last seated with her papers in her lap. She was ill atease in the fierce consciousness of self, but her flushed face andfrightened eyes only showed the growing mastery of unselfish love overthe threatening lions that waited in her path. One by one, she tenderedthe papers to Firmstone, who read them with absorbed attention. As thelast paper was laid with its fellows Madame's eyes met fearlessly thecalm look of the superintendent. Slowly, laboriously at first, butgathering assurance with oblivion of self, she told the story of Elise'sbirth. With the intuition of an overpowering love, she felt that she wastelling the story to one absolutely trustworthy, able and willing tocounsel her with powers far beyond her own. Firmstone heard far morethan the stumbling words recited. His eyes dimmed, but his voice wassteady.
"I think I understand. You want Elise restored to her friends?"
Madame's eyes slowly filled with tears that welled over the tremblinglids and rolled down her cheeks. She did not try to speak. She onlynodded in silent acquiescence. She sat silent for a few moments, thenthe trembling lips grew firm, but her voice could not be controlled.
"We ought to have done it long ago, Pierre and I. But I loved her.Pierre loved her. She was all we had." It was worse than death. Deathonly removes the presence, it leaves the consoling sense of possessionthrough all eternity.
Zephyr started to speak, but Firmstone, turning to Madame, interrupted.
"You have no need to fear. Where you cannot go Elise will not."
Madame looked up suddenly. The rainbow of hope glowed softly for aninstant in the tear-dimmed eyes. Then the light died out. "She will beashamed of her hol' daddy and her hol' mammy before her gran' friends."Pierre's words came to her, laden with her own unworthiness.
The door opened and Elise and Miss Firmstone came in. Miss Firmstonetook in the situation at a glance.
"You are reliable people to trust with a convalescent, aren't you? Andafter the doctor's warning that all excitement was to be avoided!"
"Doctors don't know everything," Zephyr exploded, in violence to hiscustom. Then, more in accord with it, "It does potatoes no end of goodto be hilled."
Elise looked questioning surprise, as her glance fell on Madame, then onZephyr. Her eyes rested lightly for a moment on Firmstone. There was afleeting suggestion that quickened his pulses and deepened the flush onhis face. Again her eyes were on Madame. Pity, love, glowed softly atsight of the bowed head. She advanced a step, and her hand and armrested on Madame's shoulders. Madame shivered slightly, then grew rigid.Nothing should interfere with her duty to Elise.
Elise straightened, but her arm was not removed.
"What is it? What have you been saying?" She was looking fixedly atFirmstone. There was no tenderness in her eyes, only a demand that wasnot to be ignored.
Firmstone began a brief capitulation of his interview with Madame. Whenhe told her that she was not Madame's daughter, that she was to berestored to her unknown friends, that Madame wished it, the change thatcame over the girl amazed him. Her eyes were flashing. Her clinchedhands thrust backward, as if to balance the forward, defiant poise ofher body.
"That is not so! You have frightened her into saying what she does notmean. You don't want me to leave you; do you? Tell me you don't!" Sheturned to Madame, fiercely.
Firmstone gave Madame no time to answer.
"Wait," he commanded. "You don't understand." His words were impetuouswith the intensity of his emotion. "I don't want you to leave Madame.You are not going to. Don't you understand?" He laid his hand on hers,but she shook it off.
He withdrew his hand.
"Very well, but listen." Himself he put aside; but he was not to bediverted from his purpose. He felt that in the life of the girl beforehim a vital crisis was impending, that, unforeseeing of consequences,she, in the sheer delight of overcoming opposing wills, might beimpelled to a step that would bring to naught all her gloriouspossibilities. The thought hardened his every mental fibre. He waslooking into eyes that gleamed with open, resolute defiance.
"You and Madame are not to be separated. You are going East with mysister and Madame is going with you: You are going to your father'sfriends."
"Is that all?" The voice was mocking.
"No. I want your word that you will do as I say."
Without seeming to turn her defiant eyes, Elise laid her hand firmly onMadame.
"Come."
Madame rose in response to the impulse of hand and word. She cast afrightened, appealing look at Firmstone, then with Elise moved towardthe door.
On the threshold Firmstone barred the way.
"I have not had my answer."
"No?"
"I can wait."
Elise and Firmstone stood close. There was a measure of will opposed towill in the unflinching eyes. Elise felt a strange thrill, strange toher. With Pierre and Madame opposition only roused her anger, theircommands only gave piquancy to revolt. But now, as she looked at thestrong, resolute man before her, there was a new sensation fraught withsubtler thrills of delight, the yielding to one who commanded and tookfrom her even the desire to resist. She felt warm waves of blood surgingto her face. The defiant poise of her head was unchanged, her eyessoftened, but the drooping lids hid them from those that sheacknowledged master.
"May I go if I give my answer?"
"If your answer is right, yes."
The eyes were veiled, but the mobile lips were wavering.
"Madame and I have decided to go East."
The look on Firmstone's face changed from resolution to pleading.
"I have no right to ask more, unless you choose to give it. Don't youknow what I want to ask? Will you give me the right to ask?"
The drooping head bent still lower, a softer flush suffused the quietface.
Firmstone took the girl's unresisting hands in his own.
"Can't you give me my answer, dear? You have come to be all the world tome. You are going away for the sake of your friends. Will you come backsome time for mine?"
Elise slowly raised her eyes to his. He read his answer. There was aslight answering pressure, then her hands were gently withdrawn.Firmstone stood aside. Elise and Madame moved over the threshold, thedoor swinging to behind them, not quite shut; then it opened, justenough to show a flushed face, with teasing, roguish eyes.
"I forgot to ask. Is that all, Mr. Minion?"
Then the door closed with a decided click.
THE END
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