Jessica Trent: Her Life On A Ranch Part 14

Instinctively, Jessica had placed herself at the old sharpshooter's side. He should feel that she did not believe this terrible accusation, which recalled to her, with painful significance, the parting words of Antonio Bernal as he had ridden away from her window that morning.

These had practically accused him of stealing the missing deed, and now came Elsa with this talk of "money, money." She brushed her hand across her eyes as if to waken herself from some frightful dream and then smiled up into Ephraim's eyes, now bent inquiringly upon her. Dim as the light was, there was yet sufficient descending through the shallow shaft to reveal each troubled face to the other, and the old man's own frightened at the confiding trust of his beloved pupil's.

"Never mind her. Let her scream and loll around, if she wants to. What matters it? Little lady, am I or am I not a--a--that pizen thing she called me?"

"Never!"

"Then come on. Let's get out of this."

But he was not to be permitted to escape so easily. Elsa had now recovered her full strength and, oddly enough, her composure. She waved her husband toward the waiting car and he obeyed her gesture without protest, gently lifting Jessica into it, for she would not otherwise have been removed from Ephraim's side.

"Go with him, lady. Elsa won't want to _live_ down here and we'll follow presently. Never had a woman seem so fond of my company, not in all my eighty years. H-m-m!"

Commonly, the most genial of men, the sharpshooter's spirits had fully regained their normal poise. Since he had not been dismissed by Mrs.

Trent, and since his little Jessica believed in him, everything was all right. Elsa had been h.o.a.rding so long for her overgrown "child" that she had lost her wits. He wasn't surprised. She was a woman.

So, with a smile, he was able to watch the car disappear upward, and he even began to whistle, lest Elsa should improve this opportunity and resume her racket.

"No disrespect to you, ma'am, remembering the good victuals you've often given me, but kind of to keep my courage up, like the boy going through the woods."

Elsa vouchsafed no reply, beyond grasping his sleeve firmly, as if to a.s.sure herself that he should not vanish through the solid wall behind them; and he, at least, was relieved when the little car came rolling downward again, empty.

Elsa, who understood its management as well as her husband, grasped its side and motioned Ephraim forward.

"Ladies first," he objected, gallantly.

"Get in, wretch, already."

"Oh! I'm not loath to get in, now. Even your sweet presence doesn't make this hole a paradise. And I came down here a heavy-hearted man, yet I've going up light as a feather. Glad I've got you along to ballast, else I'd likely shoot clean up to the sky."

Poor Elsa thought his hilarity ill-timed. She glared at him first, then began to weep, and her tears sobered him as no frowns could do.

"Look, here, old girl, cheer up! Likely it's only a pa.s.sing fit of madness has got you in tow. Women are kittle cattle, I've been told.

Except Lady Jess and the madam. But they're quality. It's in their blood to be n.o.ble just as 'tis in--well, let that go. If you've lost any of your money, as you 'pear to think, you'll find it again. Why, you're bound to. Who is there to steal it save your own selves? Likely you've got up some dark night in your sleep and hid it away so careful you've forgot the place. Good! The top and fresh air again, thank Heaven!"

Mr. Hale had left the cabin immediately after Elsa, and though inclined to stoop and gather up her scattered coins had refrained from doing so, restrained by that prudence which becomes second nature to lawyers.

"She thinks somebody has robbed her and would probably accuse me of pocketing some of these. Too much money for anybody to keep in a house,"

he reflected, forgetting that banks were not accessible to everybody.

"But it's an ill wind, etc. Now I shall be apt to escape that promised visit to an amateur coal mine, and not endanger my life in their rickety car."

Elsa's conduct upon reaching home was as curious and contradictory as ever. Instead of collecting her scattered treasure, she merely said, with a shrug of her fat shoulders:

"What good? let it lie. When the much is gone who cares for the little?"

Then she dropped into a chair and began again to cry, disconsolately.

Jessica could not endure the scene.

"Oh! I hate this! Elsa, stop. Be happy. n.o.body has robbed you. If there has 'tis n.o.body here. I'm going home. I was having such a good time and I've found dear Ephraim. I'll ask leave to come again to-morrow, maybe, and you'll have it by then. Just as I shall the t.i.tle. 'Tis only that you've been careless, as--as somebody else was. Good-by. We're going. Say good-by, won't you?"

Elsa's good-by was to seize Ephraim's coat and hold it with all her force, but he was now too happy to object to this.

"Certain, ma'am. If you've took a notion to it, I'll leave it with you. Coats don't matter, when hearts are light. Yes, look in the pockets. Like enough 'twill ease your mind a bit. I'd give her a dose of sagebrush tea, Wolfgang. Catnip 'd be better, but ain't so handy. Good-by, all. I'll be 'round again, myself, soon, if the lady can spare me," and with this remark, "Forty-niner" quietly slipped out of the loose garment and made his escape.

There was no more talk of inspecting the ranch. The little party of three rode thoughtfully homeward. Even Ephraim's gayety had ebbed and the strange accusation Elsa had made began at last to claim his serious attention. Thieving was a new matter at Sobrante, though he, along with all the other "boys," had thought for many months that the manager was dealing unfairly by his mistress and employer. This affair would have to be sifted to the bottom, and he didn't like it. He was glad to be going back to his familiar quarters, glad of many things, yet his light-heartedness was quite gone.

Mr. Hale was equally silent and self-absorbed. Every hour he spent among these people, like innocent children all they seemed to him, but interested him the more in them. Their unhappiness disturbed him and yet his own mission was to make them more unhappy still.

Jessica was angry, indignant, and amused by turns; but these troubles were changing her swiftly from a careless little girl to a sadly perplexed captain, and she rode along in silence, for most of the way, forgetting entirely that she had meant to take quite another route, or that her present errand was to exhibit the wonders of her beloved Sobrante.

They cantered peacefully downward across the valley, old Stiffleg himself leading the way, till they struck upon the main road and saw in the distance a vehicle crawling forward upon it.

"Oh! oh!" cried Jessica, who had been first to observe this object.

"Heigho! What's that--a circus?" asked Mr. Hale, gazing curiously at the strange wagon.

Ephraim shaded his eyes with his hand and peered into the distance. Then he dropped it, and drooping ridiculously, groaned:

"Oh! my fathers!"

"Looks like a circus. All the colors of the rainbow," persisted Mr.

Hale, glad of any diversion to his perturbed thoughts.

"'Tis a circus, temperance union, a salvation army, a woman's rights convention, what Samson calls a Mother Carey's chicken, an Amazon, a wild Indian, a--a--shucks! There isn't anything on earth that yonder doesn't try a hand at. Land of Goshen! I'd almost rather turn and go back to be jawed by the Dutchwoman. And I've come home--just for this!"

But Jessica was laughing as she had not laughed all day, and if the person driving along in front was objectionable to Ephraim it was evidently not the fact in her case.

"Oh! how glad I am!" she cried, and touched Buster to his swiftest gallop, while the sharpshooter grimaced and groaned:

"To have come back to this!"

CHAPTER X

AUNT SALLY

"Aunt Sally! Aunt Sally, wait for me!"

At the shrill cry and the clatter of Buster's feet the crawling vehicle came to a standstill, and from under its canvas cover peered the smiling face of a hale, elderly woman, whose gray head was bare save for its abundant crown of curling hair. A straw Shaker bonnet, with green curtains, hung over her shoulders. Her print gown was of brilliant pink and her capacious ap.r.o.n of blue gingham. She was collarless and her sleeves were tucked above her round elbows, but she was clean, as if just from a laundry. Indeed, at that moment, her conveyance suggested such an inst.i.tution on wheels, for well-strung clotheslines were taut against its sides, and from these fluttered freshly washed garments and sc.r.a.ps of cloth.

Aunt Sally saw Jessica's eyes, fasten upon these articles and explained:

"Met a little water comin' along and used it. Never know where you'll be when you need water next--in Californy. How's all?"

"Well, thank you. I'm so glad you've come."