Gabriel Conroy

by Bret Harte

  CHAPTER III.

  MRS. MARKLE.

  Olly's allusion to Mrs. Markle and her criticism had recurred to Gabrielmore or less uneasily through the night, and as he rose betimes the nextmorning and stood by the table on which lay his handiwork, a grim doubtof his proficiency in that branch of domestic economy began to oppresshim.

  "Like as not I ain't doin' my duty to that child," he said softly tohimself, as he picked up the garments one by one, and deposited thembeside the bedside of the still sleeping Olly. "Them clothesare--leavin' out the strength and sayin' nothin' o' durability asmaterial--a trifle old-fashioned and onbecomin'. Not as you requiresanything o' the kind, bless your pooty face," he said, apostrophisingthe dewy curls and slumber-flushed cheek of the unconscious child; "butmebbe it does sorter provoke remarks from the other children. And thesettlement's gettin' crowded. Three new families in six months is rathertoo--too----" considered Gabriel, hesitating for a word; "rather toopopylating! And Mrs. Markle"--Gabriel flushed even in the stillness andsolitude of his own cabin--"to think of that little gal, not nine yearsold, speaking o' that widder in that way. It beats everything. And tothink I've kept clar of that sort o' thing jest on Olly's account, jestthat she shouldn't have any woman around to boss her."

  Nevertheless, when he and Olly sat down to their frugal breakfast, hewas uneasily conscious of several oddities of her dress, not beforenoticeable, and even some peculiarities of manner.

  "Ez a gineral thing, Olly," he pointed out with cautious generalisation,"ez a gineral thing, in perlite society, young gals don't sit downa-straddle of their chairs, and don't reach down every five minnits toheave away at their boot-straps."

  "As a general thing, Gabe, girls don't wear boots," said Olly, leaningforward to dip her bread in the frying-pan.

  Artfully evading the question whether high india-rubber boots were anindispensable feature of a girl's clothing, Gabriel continued with easyindifference--"I think I'll drop in on Mrs. Markle on my way to theGulch this morning."

  He glanced under his eyelids at as much of his sister's face as wasvisible behind the slice of bread she was consuming.

  "Take me with you, Gabe?"

  "No," said Gabriel, "you must stay here and do up the house; and mindyou keep out o' the woods until your work's done. Besides," he added,loftily, "I've got some business with Mrs. Markle."

  "Oh, Gabe!" said Olly, shining all over her face with gravy andarchness.

  "I'd like to know what's the matter with you, Olly," said Gabriel, withdignified composure.

  "Ain't you ashamed, Gabe?"

  Gabriel did not stop to reply, but rose, gathered up his tools, and tookhis hat from the corner. He walked to the door, but suddenly turned andcame back to Olly.

  "Olly," he said, taking her face in both hands, after his old fashion,"ef anything at any time should happen to me, I want ye to think, mydarling, ez I always did my best for you, Olly, for you. Wotever I didwas always for the best."

  Olly thought instantly of the river.

  "You ain't goin' into deep water to-day, Gabe, are you?" she asked, witha slight premonitory quiver of her short upper lip.

  "Pooty deep for me, Olly; but," he added, hastily, with a glance at heralarmed face, "don't you mind, I'll come out all safe. Good-bye." Hekissed her tenderly. She ran her fingers through his sandy curls, deftlysmoothed his beard, and reknotted his neckerchief.

  "You oughter hev put on your other shirt, Gabe; that ain't clean; andyou a-goin' to Mrs. Markle's! Let me get your straw hat, Gabe. Wait."She ran in behind the screen, but when she returned he was gone.

  It had been raining the night before, but on the earth beneath there wasa dewy freshness, and in the sky above the beauty of cloud scenery--abeauty rare to California except during the rainy season. Gabriel,although not usually affected by meteorological influences, norpeculiarly susceptible to the charms of Nature, felt that the morningwas a fine one, and was for that reason, I imagine, more than usuallyaccessible to the blandishments of the fair. From admiring a tree, aflower, or a gleam of sunshine, to the entertainment of a dangeroussentimentalism in regard to the other sex, is, I fear, but a facile stepto some natures, whose only safety is in continuous practicality.Wherefore, Gabriel, as he approached the cottage of Mrs. Markle, wasinduced to look from Nature up to--Nature's goddess--Mrs. Markle, as herstrong bright face appeared above the dishes she was washing by thekitchen window. And here occurred one of those feminine inconsistenciesthat are charming to the average man, but are occasionally inefficientwith an exceptional character. Mrs. Markle, who had always beenexceedingly genial, gentle, and natural with Gabriel during his shyness,seeing him coming with a certain fell intent of cheerfulness in hisface, instantly assumed an aggressive manner, which, for the sake of itsprobable warning to the rest of her sex, I venture to transcribe.

  "Ef you want to see me, Gabriel Conroy," said Mrs. Markle, stopping towipe the suds from her brown but handsomely shaped arms, "you must comeup to the sink, for I can't leave the dishes. Joe Markle always used tosay to me, 'Sue, when you've got work to do, you don't let your mindwander round much on anything else.' Sal, bring a cheer here forGabriel--he don't come often enough to stand up for a change. We'rehard-working women, you and me, Sal, and we don't get time to besick--and sick folks is about the only kind as Mr. Conroy cares to see."

  Thoroughly astonished as Gabriel was with this sarcastic reception,there was still a certain relief that it brought to him. "Olly waswrong," he said to himself; "that woman only thinks of washing dishesand lookin' after her boarders. Ef she was allus like this--and wouldleave a man alone, never foolin' around him, but kinder standin' off and'tendin' strictly to the business of the house, why, it wouldn't besuch a bad thing to marry her. But like as not she'd change--you can'ttrust them critters. Howsomever I can set Olly's mind at rest."

  Happily unconscious of the heresies that were being entertained by thesilent man before her, Mrs. Markle briskly continued her washing and hermonologue, occasionally sprinkling Gabriel with the overflow of each.

  "When I say hard-workin' women, Sal," said Mrs. Markle, still addressinga gaunt female companion, whose sole functions were confined tochuckling at Gabriel over the dishes she was wiping, and standing withher back to her mistress--"when I say hard-workin' women, Sal, I don'tforget ez there are men ez is capable of doin' all that, and more--menez looks down on you and me." Here Mistress Markle broke a plate, andthen, after a pause, sighed, faced around with a little colour in hercheek and a sharp snap in her black eyes, and declared that she was"that narvous" this morning that she couldn't go on.

  There was an embarrassing silence. Luckily for Gabriel, at this momentthe gaunt Sal picked up the dropped thread of conversation, and with herback to her mistress, and profoundly ignoring his presence, addressedherself to the wall.

  "Narvous you well may be, Susan, and you slavin' for forty boarders,with transitory meals for travellers, and nobody to help you. If you wasflat on your back with rheumatiz, ez you well might be, perhaps youmight get a hand. A death in the family might be of sarvice to you incallin' round you friends az couldn't otherwise leave their business.That cough that little Manty had on to her for the last five weeks wouldfrighten some mothers into a narvous consumption."

  Gabriel at this moment had a vivid and guilty recollection of noticingManty Markle wading in the ditch below the house as he entered, and ofhaving observed her with the interest of possible paternal relationship.That relationship seemed so preposterous and indefensible on all moralgrounds, now that he began to feel himself in the light of an impostor,and was proportionally embarrassed. His confusion was shown in a mannerpeculiarly characteristic of himself. Drawing a small pocket comb fromhis pocket, he began combing out his sandy curls, softly, with aperplexed smile on his face. The widow had often noticed this action,divined its cause, and accepted it as a tribute. She began to relent. Bysome occult feminine sympathy, this relenting was indicated by the otherwoman.

  "You're out of sorts this morning, Susan, '
nd if ye'll take a fool'sadvice, ye'll jest quit work, and make yourself comfortable in thesettin'-room, and kinder pass the time o' day with Gabriel; onless he'safter waitin' to pick up some hints about housework. I never could workwith a man around. I'll do up the dishes ef you'll excuse my kempany,which two is and three's none. Yer give me this apron. You don't hevtime, I declare, Sue, to tidy yourself up. And your hair's comin' down."

  The gaunt Sal, having recognised Gabriel's presence to this extent,attempted to reorganise Mrs. Markle's coiffure, but was playfully putaside by that lady, with the remark, that "she had too much to do tothink of them things."

  "And it's only a mop, anyway," she added, with severe self-depreciation;"let it alone, will you, Sal! Thar! I told you; now you've done it." Andshe had. The infamous Sal, by some deft trick well known to herdeceitful sex, had suddenly tumbled the whole wealth of Mrs. Markle'sblack mane over her plump shoulders. Mrs. Markle, with a laugh, wouldhave flown to the chaste recesses of the sitting-room; but Sal, like atrue artist, restrained her, until the full effect of this poeticpicture should be impressed upon the unsuspecting Gabriel's memory.

  "Mop, indeed!" said Sal. "It's well that many folks is of many minds,and self-praise is open disgrace; but when a man like Lawyer Maxwell sezto me only yesterday sittin' at this very table, lookin' kinder up atyou, Sue, as you was passin' soup, unconscious like, and one o' 'embraids droppin' down, and jest missin' the plate, when Lawyer Maxwellsez to me, 'Sal, thar's many a fine lady in Frisco ez would give herpile to have Susan Markle's hair'"----

  But here Sal was interrupted by the bashful escape of Mrs. Markle to thesitting-room. "Ye don't know whether Lawyer Maxwell has any bisness upthis way, Gabriel, do ye?" said Sal, resuming her work.

  "No," said the unconscious Gabriel, happily as oblivious of the artfuldrift of the question as he had been of the dangerous suggestiveness ofMrs. Markle's hair.

  "Because he _does_ kinder pass here more frequent than he used, and heztaken ez menny ez five meals in one day. I declare, I thought that washim when you kem just now! I don't think thet Sue notices it, notkeering much for that kind of build in a man," continued Sal, glancingat Gabriel's passively powerful shoulders, and the placid strength ofhis long limbs. "How do you think Sue's looking now--ez a friendinterested in the family--how does she look to you?"

  Gabriel hastened to assure Sal of the healthful appearance of Mrs.Markle, but only extracted from his gaunt companion a long sigh and ashake of the head.

  "It's deceitful, Gabriel! No one knows what that poor critter goesthrough. Her mind's kinder onsettled o' late, and in that onsettledstate, she breaks things. You see her break that plate just now? Well,perhaps I oughtn't to say it--but you being a friend and in confidence,for she'd kill me, being a proud kind o' nater, suthin' like my own,and it may not amount to nothin' arter all--but I kin always tell whenyou've been around by the breakages. You was here, let's see, the weekafore last, and there wasn't cups enough left to go round that night forsupper!"

  "Maybe it's chills," said the horror-stricken Gabriel, his worst fearsrealised, rising from his chair; "I've got some Indian cholagogue overto the cabin, and I'll jest run over and get it, or send it back."Intent only upon retreat, he would have shamelessly flown; but Salintercepted him with a face of mysterious awe.

  "Ef she should kem in here and find you gone, Gabriel, in that weakstate of hers--narvous you may call it, but so it is--I wouldn't beanswerable for that poor critter's life. Ef she should think you'd gone,arter what has happened, arter what has passed between you and herto-day, it would jest kill her."

  "But what has passed?" said Gabriel, in vague alarm.

  "It ain't for me," said the gaunt Sal, loftily, "to pass my opinion onother folks' conduct, or to let on what this means, or what thet means,or to give my say about people callin' on other people, and brokencrockery, hair combs"--Gabriel winced--"and people ez is too nice andkeerful to open their mouths afore folks! It ain't for me to get up andsay that, when a woman is ever so little out of sorts, and a man is sofar gone ez he allows to rush off like a madman to get her medicines,what ez or what ezn't in it. I keep my own counsel, and thet's my way.Many's the time Sue hez said to me: 'Ef thar ever was a woman ez knowedhow to lock herself up and throw away the key, it's you, Sal.' And thereyou are, ma'am, and it's high time ez plain help like me stopped talkin'while ladies and gentlemen exchanged the time o' day."

  It is hardly necessary to say that the latter part of this speech wasaddressed to the widow, who at that moment appeared at the door of thesitting-room, in a new calico gown that showed her plump figure toadvantage, or that the gaunt Sal intended to indicate the seriouscharacter of the performance by a show of increased respect to theactors.

  "I hope I ain't intrudin' on your conversation," said the widow, archly,stopping, with a show of consideration, on the threshold. "Ef you andSal ain't done private matters yet--I'll wait."

  "I don't think ez Gabriel hez anything more to say thet you shouldn'thear, Mrs. Markle," said Sal, strongly implying a recent confidentialdisclosure from Gabriel, which delicacy to Gabriel alone prevented herfrom giving. "But it ain't for me to hear confidence in matters of thefeelin's."

  It is difficult to say whether Mrs. Markle's archness, or Sal's woefulperspicuity, was most alarming to Gabriel. He rose; he would have flown,even with the terrible contingency of Mrs. Markle's hysterics before hiseyes; he would have faced even that forcible opposition from Sal ofwhich he fully believed her capable, but that a dreadful suspicion thathe was already hopelessly involved, that something would yet transpirethat would enable him to explain himself, and perhaps an awfulfascination of his very danger, turned his irresolute feet into Mrs.Markle's sitting-room. Mrs. Markle offered him a chair; he sankhelplessly into it, while, from the other room, Sal, violentlyclattering her dishes, burst into shrill song, so palpably done for thepurpose of assuring the bashful couple of her inability to overheartheir tender confidences, that Gabriel coloured to the roots of hishair.

  That evening Gabriel returned from his work in the gulch more thanusually grave. To Olly's inquiries he replied shortly and evasively. Itwas not, however, Gabriel's custom to remain uncommunicative on evendisagreeable topics, and Olly bided her time. It came after their frugalsupper was over--which, unlike the morning meal, passed without anyfastidious criticism on Gabriel's part--and Olly had drawn a small box,her favourite seat, between her brother's legs, and rested the back ofher head comfortably against his waistcoat. When Gabriel had lighted hispipe at the solitary candle, he gave one or two preliminary puffs, andthen, taking his pipe from his mouth, said gently, "Olly, it can't bedone."

  "What can't be done, Gabe?" queried the artful Olly, with a swiftpreconception of the answer, expanding her little mouth into athoughtful smile.

  "Thet thing."--"What thing, Gabe?"

  "This yer marryin' o' Mrs. Markle," said Gabriel, with an assumption ofeasy, business-like indifference.

  "Why?" asked Olly.

  "She wouldn't hev me."

  "What?" said Olly, facing swiftly round.

  Gabriel evaded his sister's eyes, and looking in the fire, repeatedslowly, but with great firmness--

  "No; not fur--fur--fur a gift!"

  "She's a mean, stuck-up, horrid old thing!" said Olly, fiercely. "I'djest like to--why, there ain't a man az kin compare with you, Gabe! Likeher impudence!"

  Gabriel waved his pipe in the air deprecatingly, yet with such anevident air of cheerful resignation, that Olly faced upon him againsuspiciously, and asked--"What did she say?"

  "She said," replied Gabe, slowly, "thet her heart was given to another.I think she struck into poetry, and said--

  "'My heart it is another's, And it never can be thine.

  "Thet is, I think so. I disremember her special remark, Olly; but youknow women allers spout poetry at sech times. Ennyhow, that's about theway the spring panned out."

  "Who was it?" said Olly, suddenly.

  "She didn't let on who," said Gabriel, uneasily. "I d
idn't think it thesquare thing to inquire."

  "Well," said Olly.

  Gabriel looked down still more embarrassed, and shifted his position."Well," he repeated.

  "What did _you_ say?" said Olly.--"Then?"

  "No, afore. How did you do it, Gabe?" said Olly, comfortably fixing herchin in her hands, and looking up in her brother's face.

  "Oh, the usual way!" said Gabriel, with a motion of his pipe, toindicate vague and glittering generalities of courtship.

  "But how? Gabe, tell me all about it."

  "Well," said Gabriel, looking up at the roof, "wimmen is bashful ez ageneral thing, and thar's about only one way ez a man can get at 'em,and that ez, by being kinder keerless and bold. Ye see, Olly, when I keminter the house, I sorter jest chucked Sal under the chin--thet way, youknow--and then went up and put my arm around the widder's waist, andkissed her two or three times, you know, jest to be sociable andfamiliar like."

  "And to think, Gabe, thet after all that she wouldn't hev ye," saidOlly.

  "Not at any price," said Gabriel, positively.

  "The disgustin' creature!" said Olly, "I'd jest like to ketch that Mantyhangin' round yer after that!" she continued, savagely, with a viciousshake of her little fist. "And just to think, only to-day we give herher pick o' them pups!"

  "Hush, Olly, ye mustn't do anythin' o' the sort," said Gabriel,hastily. "Ye must never let on to any one anything. It's confidence,Olly, confidence, ez these sort o' things allus is--atween you and me.Besides," he went on, reassuringly, "that's nothin'. Lord, afore a man'smarried he hez to go through this kind o' thing a dozen times. It'sexpected. There was a man as I once knowed," continued Gabriel, withshameless mendacity, "ez went through it fifty tunes, and he was abetter man nor me, and could shake a thousand dollars in the face of anywoman. Why, bless your eyes, Olly, some men jest likes it--it'sexcitement--like perspectin'."

  "But what did you say, Gabe?" said Olly, returning with fresh curiosityto the central fact, and ignoring the Pleasures of Rejection asexpounded by Gabriel.

  "Well, I just up, and sez this: Susan Markle, sez I, the case is justthis. Here's Olly and me up there on the hill, and jess you and Mantydown there on the Gulch, and mountings wild and valleys deep two lovinghearts do now divide, and there's no reason why it shouldn't be onefamily and one house, and that family and that house mine. And it's foryou to say when. And then I kinder slung in a little more poetry, andsorter fooled around with that ring," said Gabriel, showing a heavyplain gold ring on his powerful little finger, "and jest kissed heragin, and chucked Sally under the chin, and that's all."

  "And she wouldn't hev ye, Gabe," said Olly, thoughtfully, "after allthat? Well, who wants her to? I don't."

  "I'm glad to hear you say that, Olly," said Gabriel. "But ye mustn't leton a word of it to her. She talks o' coming up on the hill to build, andwants to buy that part of the old claim where I perspected last summer,so's to be near us, and look arter you. And, Olly," continued Gabriel,gravely, "ef she comes round yer foolin' around me ez she used to do, yemustn't mind that--it's women's ways."

  "I'd like to catch her at it," said Olly.

  Gabriel looked at Olly with a guilty satisfaction, and drew her towardhim. "And now that it's all over, Olly," said he, "it's all the betterez it is. You and me'll get along together ez comfortable as we kin. Italked with some of the boys the other day about sendin' for aschoolmarm from Marysville, and Mrs. Markle thinks it's a good idee. Andyou'll go to school, Olly. I'll run up to Marysville next week and getyou some better clothes, and we'll be just ez happy ez ever. And thensome day, Olly, afore you know it--them things come always suddent--I'lljest make a strike outer that ledge, and we'll be rich. Thar's money inthat ledge, Olly, I've allus allowed that. And then we'll go--you andme--to San Francisco, and we'll hev a big house, and I'll jest invite alot of little girls, the best they is in Frisco, to play with you, andyou'll hev all the teachers you want, and women ez will be glad to lookarter ye. And then maybe I might make it up with Mrs. Markle"----

  "Never!" said Olly, passionately.

  "Never it is!" said the artful Gabriel, with a glow of pleasure in hiseyes, and a slight stirring of remorse in his breast. "But it's timethat small gals like you was abed."

  Thus admonished, Olly retired behind the screen, taking the solitarycandle, and leaving her brother smoking his pipe by the light of theslowly dying fire. But Olly did not go to sleep, and half an hour later,peering out of the screen, she saw her brother still sitting by thefire, his pipe extinguished, and his head resting on his hand. She wentup to him so softly that she startled him, shaking a drop of water onthe hand that she suddenly threw round his neck.

  "You ain't worrying about that woman, Gabe?"

  "No," said Gabriel, with a laugh.

  Olly looked down at her hand. Gabriel looked up at the roof. "There's aleak thar that's got to be stopped to-morrow. Go to bed, Olly, or you'lltake your death."