Gabriel Conroy
Page 55
CHAPTER X.
IN THE OLD CABIN AGAIN.
There was little difficulty in establishing the validity of GraceConroy's claim to the Conroy grant under the bequest of Dr. Devarges.Her identity was confirmed by Mr. Dumphy--none the less readily that itrelieved him of a distressing doubt about the late Mrs. Dumphy, and didnot affect his claim to the mineral discovery which he had purchasedfrom Gabriel and his wife. It was true that since the dropping of thelead the mine had been virtually abandoned, and was comparatively oflittle market value. But Mr. Dumphy still clung to the hope that themissing lead would be discovered.
He was right. It was some weeks after the death of Mr. Hamlin thatGabriel and Olly stood again beneath the dismantled roof-tree and barewalls of his old cabin on Conroy Hill. But the visit this time was notone of confidential disclosure nor lonely contemplation, but with apractical view of determining whether this first home of the brother andsister could be repaired and made habitable, for Gabriel had steadilyrefused the solicitations of Grace that he should occupy his more recentmansion. Mrs. Conroy and infant were at the hotel.
"Thar, Olly," said Gabriel, "I reckon that a cartload o' boards and afew days' work with willin' hands, will put that thar shanty back ag'inez it used to be when you and me waz childun."
"Yes," said Olly, abstractedly.
"We've had good times yer, Olly, you and me!"
"Yes," said Olly, with eyes still afar.
Gabriel looked down--a great way--on his sister, and then suddenly tookher hand and sat down upon the doorstep, drawing her between his kneesafter the old fashion.
"Ye ain't hearkenin' to me, Olly dear!"
Whereat Miss Olympia instantly and illogically burst into tears, andthrew her small arms about Gabriel's huge bulk. She had been capriciousand fretful since Mr. Hamlin's death, and it may be that she embracedthe dead man again in her brother's arms. Hut her outward expressionwas, "Gracey! I was thinking o' poor Gracey, Gabe!"
"Then," said Gabriel, with intense archness and cunning, "you wasthinkin' o' present kempany, for ef I ain't blind, that's them coming upthe hill."
There were two figures slowly coming up the hill outlined against therosy sunset. A man and woman--Arthur Poinsett and Grace Conroy. Ollylifted her head and rose to her feet. They approached nearer. No onespoke. The next instant--impulsively I admit, inconsistently Iprotest--the sisters were in each other's arms. The two men looked ateach other, awkward, reticent, superior.
Then the women having made quick work of it, the two men were treated toan equally illogical, inconsistent embrace. When Grace at last, cryingand laughing, released Gabriel's neck from her sweet arms, Mr. Poinsettassumed the masculine attitude of pure reason.
"Now that you have found your sister, permit me to introduce you to mywife," he said to Gabriel, taking Grace's hand in his own.
Whereat Olly flew into Poinsett's arms, and gave him a fraternal andconciliatory kiss. Tableau.
"You don't look like a bride," said the practical Olly to Mrs.Poinsett, under her breath; "you ain't got no veil, no orangeblossoms--and that black dress"----
"We've been married seven years, Olly," said the quick-eared andready-witted Arthur.
And then these people began to chatter as if they had always been in theclosest confidence and communion.
"You know," said Grace to her brother, "Arthur and I are going East, tothe States, to-morrow, and really, Gabe, he says he will not leave hereuntil you consent to take back your house--your wife's house, Gabe. Youknow WE" (there was a tremendous significance in this newly-foundpersonal plural), "WE have deeded it all to you."
"I hev a dooty to per-form to Gracey," said Gabriel Conroy, with astutedeliberation, looking at Mr. Poinsett, "a dooty to thet gal, thet mustbe done afore any transfer of this yer proputty is made. I hev to makerestitution of certain papers ez hez fallen casooally into my hands.This yer paper," he added, drawing a soiled yellow envelope from hispocket, "kem to me a week ago, the same hevin' lied in the ExpressOffice sens the trial. It belongs to Gracey, I reckon, and I hands it toher."
Grace tore open the envelope, glanced at its contents hurriedly, uttereda slight cry of astonishment, blushed, and put the paper into herpocket.
"This yer paper," continued Gabriel, gravely, drawing another from hisblouse, "was found by me in the Empire Tunnel the night I was runnin'from the lynchers. It likewise b'longs to Gracey--and the worldgin'rally. It's the record of Dr. Devarges' fust discovery of the silverlead on this yer hill, and," continued Gabriel, with infinite gravity,"wipes out, so to speak, this yer mineral right o' me and Mr. Dumphy andthe stockholders gin'rally."
It was Mr. Poinsett's turn to take the paper from Gabriel's hands. Heexamined it attentively by the fading light. "That is so," he said,earnestly; "it is quite legal and valid."
"And thar ez one paper more," continued Gabriel, this time putting hishand in his bosom and drawing out a buckskin purse, from which heextracted a many-folded paper. "It's the grant that Dr. Devarges gaveGracey, thet thet pore Mexican Ramirez ez--maybe ye may remember--wazkilled, handed to my wife, and July, my wife"--said Gabriel, with aprodigious blush--"hez been sorter keepin' IN TRUST for Gracey!"
He gave the paper to Arthur, who received it, but still retained a warmgrasp of Gabriel's massive hand.
"And now," added Gabriel, "et's gettin' late, and I reckon et's aboutthe square thing ef we'd ad-journ this yer meeting to the hotel, and ezyou're goin' away, maybe ye'd make a partin' visit with yer wife,forgettin' and forgivin' like, to Mrs. Conroy and the baby--a porelittle thing--that ye wouldn't believe it, Mr. Poinsett, looks like me!"
But Olly and Grace had drawn aside, and were in the midst of an animatedconversation. And Grace was saying--
"So I took the stone from the fire, just as I take this" (she picked upa fragment of the crumbling chimney before her); "it looked black andburnt just like this; and I rubbed it hard on the blanket so, and itshone, just like silver, and Dr. Devarges said"----
"We are going, Grace," interrupted her husband, "we are going to seeGabriel's wife." Grace hesitated a moment, but as her husband took herarm he slightly pressed it with a certain matrimonial caution, whereuponwith a quick impulsive gesture, Grace held out her hand to Olly, and thethree gaily followed the bowed figure of Gabriel, as he strode throughthe darkening woods.