The Heritage of Dedlow Marsh and Other Tales

by Bret Harte

inspire confidence in his sister's startled heart. Thenhe went to bed. He lay awake long enough to be pleasantly consciousthat the wind had increased to a gale, and to be lulled again to sleepby the cosy security of the heavily timbered and tightly sealeddwelling that seemed to ride the storm like the ship it resembled. Thegale swept through the piles beneath him and along the gallery asthrough bared spars and over wave-washed decks. The whole structure,attacked above, below, and on all sides by the fury of the wind, seemedat times to be lifted in the air. Once or twice the creaking timberssimulated the sound of opening doors and passing footsteps, and againdilated as if the gale had forced a passage through. But Jim slept onpeacefully, and was at last only aroused by the brilliant sunshinestaring through his window from the clear wind-swept blue arch beyond.

  Dressing himself lazily, he passed into the sitting-room and proceededto knock at his sister's door, as was his custom; he was amazed to findit open and the room empty. Entering hurriedly, he saw that her bedwas undisturbed, as if it had not been occupied, and was the morebewildered to see a note ostentatiously pinned upon the pillow,addressed in pencil, in a large school-hand, "To Jim."

  Opening it impatiently, he was startled to read as follows:--

  "Don't be angry, Jim dear--but it was all my fault--and I didn't tellyou. I knew all about the deserter, and I gave him the clothes andthings that they say he stole. It was while you was out that night,and he came and begged of me, and was mournful and hidjus to behold. Ithought I was helping him, and getting our revenge on the Fort, all atthe same time. Don't be mad, Jim dear, and do not be frighted fer me.I'm going over thar to make it all right--to free HIM of stealing--tohave YOU left out of it all--and take it all on myself. Don't you be abit feared for me. I ain't skeert of the wind or of going. I'll closereef everything, clear the creek, stretch across to Injen Island, huggthe Point, and bear up fer Logport. Dear Jim--don't get mad--but Icouldn't bear this fooling of you nor HIM--and that man being took forstealing any longer!--Your loving sister,

  MAGGIE."

  With a confused mingling of shame, anger, and sudden fear he ran out onthe gallery. The tide was well up, half the Marsh had alreadyvanished, and the little creek where he had moored his skiff was now anempty shining river. The water was everywhere--fringing the tussocksof salt grass with concentric curves of spume and drift, ortumultuously tossing its white-capped waves over the spreading expanseof the lower bay. The low thunder of breakers in the farther estuarybroke monotonously on the ear. But his eye was fascinated by a dullshifting streak on the horizon, that, even as he gazed, shuddered,whitened along its whole line, and then grew ghastly gray again. Itwas the ocean bar.

  IV.

  "Well, I must say," said Cicely Preston, emphasizing the usual feminineimperative for perfectly gratuitous statement, as she pushed back herchair from the commandant's breakfast table, "I MUST really say that Idon't see anything particularly heroic in doing something wrong, lyingabout it just to get other folks into trouble, and then rushing off todo penance in a high wind and an open boat. But she's pretty, andwears a man's shirt and coat, and of course THAT settles anything. Butwhy earrings and wet white stockings and slippers? And why that Gothicarch of front and a boy's hat? That's what I simply ask;" and theyoungest daughter of Colonel Preston rose from the table, shook out theskirt of her pretty morning dress, and, placing her little thumbs inthe belt of her smart waist, paused witheringly for a reply.

  "You are most unfair, my child," returned Colonel Preston gravely. "Hergiving food and clothes to a deserter may have been only an ordinaryinstinct of humanity towards a fellow-creature who appeared to besuffering, to say nothing of M'Caffrey's plausible tongue. But herperiling her life to save him from an unjust accusation, and her desireto shield her brother's pride from ridicule, is altogether praiseworthyand extraordinary. And the moral influence of her kindness was strongenough to make that scamp refuse to tell the plain truth that mightimplicate her in an indiscretion, though it saved him from stateprison."

  "He knew you wouldn't believe him if he had said the clothes were givento him," retorted Miss Cicely, "so I don't see where the moralinfluence comes in. As to her periling her life, those Marsh peopleare amphibious anyway, or would be in those clothes. And as to hermotive, why, papa, I heard you say in this very room, and afterwards toMr. Calvert, when you gave him instructions, that you believed thoseCulpeppers were capable of enticing away deserters; and you forget thefuss you had with her savage brother's lawyer about that water front,and how you said it was such people who kept up the irritation betweenthe Civil and Federal power."

  The colonel coughed hurriedly. It is the fate of all great organizers,military as well as civil, to occasionally suffer defeat in the familycircle.

  "The more reason," he said, soothingly, "why we should correct harshjudgments that spring from mere rumors. You should give yourself atleast the chance of overcoming your prejudices, my child. Remember,too, that she is now the guest of the Fort."

  "And she chooses to stay with Mrs. Bromley! I'm sure it's quite enoughfor you and mamma to do duty--and Emily, who wants to know why Mr.Calvert raves so about her--without MY going over there to stare."

  Colonel Preston shook his head reproachfully, but eventually retired,leaving the field to the enemy. The enemy, a little pink in thecheeks, slightly tossed the delicate rings of its blonde crest, settledits skirts again at the piano, but after turning over the leaves of itsmusic book, rose, and walked pettishly to the window.

  But here a spectacle presented itself that for a moment dismissed allother thoughts from the girl's rebellious mind.

  Not a dozen yards away, on the wind-swept parade, a handsome youngfellow, apparently halted by the sentry, had impetuously turned uponhim in an attitude of indignant and haughty surprise. To the quickfancy of the girl it seemed as if some disguised rustic god had beenstartled by the challenge of a mortal. Under an oilskin hat, like thepetasus of Hermes, pushed back from his white forehead, crisp blackcurls were knotted around a head whose beardless face was perfect as acameo cutting. In the close-fitting blue woolen jersey under his openjacket the clear outlines and youthful grace of his upper figure wererevealed as clearly as in a statue. Long fishing-boots reaching to histhighs scarcely concealed the symmetry of his lower limbs. Cricket andlawn-tennis, knickerbockers and flannels had not at that periodfamiliarized the female eye to unfettered masculine outline, and CicelyPreston, accustomed to the artificial smartness and regularity ofuniform, was perhaps the more impressed by the stranger's lawless grace.

  The sentry had repeated his challenge; an angry flush was deepening onthe intruder's cheek. At this critical moment Cicely threw open theFrench windows and stepped upon the veranda.

  The sentry saluted the familiar little figure of his colonel's daughterwith an explanatory glance at the stranger. The young fellow lookedup--and the god became human.

  "I'm looking for my sister," he said, half awkwardly, half defiantly;"she's here, somewhere."

  "Yes--and perfectly safe, Mr. Culpepper, I think," said thearch-hypocrite with dazzling sweetness; "and we're all so delighted.And so brave and plucky and skillful in her to come all that way--andfor such a purpose."

  "Then--you know--all about it"--stammered Jim, more relieved than hehad imagined--"and that I"--

  "That you were quite ignorant of your sister helping the deserter. Ohyes, of course," said Cicely, with bewildering promptitude. "You see,Mr. Culpepper, we girls are SO foolish. I dare say I should have donethe same thing in her place, only I should never have had the courageto do what she did afterwards. You really must forgive her. But won'tyou come in--DO." She stepped back, holding the window open with thehalf-coaxing air of a spoiled child. "This way is quickest. DO come."As he still hesitated, glancing from her to the house, she added, witha demure little laugh, "Oh, I forget--this is Colonel Preston'squarters, and I'm his daughter."

  And this dainty little fairy, so natural in manner, so tasteful inattire, was one of t
he artificial over-dressed creatures that hissister had inveighed against so bitterly! Was Maggie really to betrusted? This new revelation coming so soon after the episode of thedeserter staggered him. Nevertheless he hesitated, looking up with acertain boyish timidity into Cicely's dangerous eyes.

  "Is--is--my sister there?"

  "I'm expecting her with my mother every moment," responded thisyouthful but ingenious diplomatist sweetly; "she might be here now;but," she added with a sudden heart-broken flash of sympathy, "I knowHOW anxious you both must be. I'LL take you to her now. Only onemoment, please." The opportunity of leading this handsome savage as