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lin mclean(林·迈林恩)-第36部分

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facts of his mother's life! 〃Though;〃 said the driver; an easygoing cynic; 

〃folks with lots of fathers will find heaps of brothers in this country!〃 But 

presently he let Billy hold the reins; and at the next station carefully lifted 

him  down   and up。   〃I've   knowed   that   woman;   too;〃 he   whispered   to   me。 

〃Sidney;   Nebraska。   Lusk   was   off   half   the   time。   We   laughed   when   she 

fooled     Lin   into  marryin'     her。  Come     to  think;〃   he   mused;     as  twilight 



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deepened around our clanking stage; and small Billy slept sound between 

us; 〃there's scarcely a thing in life you get a laugh out of that don't make 

soberness for somebody。〃 

     Soberness   had   now   visited   the   pair   behind   us;   even   Lin's   lively   talk 

had quieted; and his tones were low and few。 But though Miss Jessamine 

at our next change of horses 〃hoped〃 I would come inside; I knew she did 

not hope very earnestly; and outside I remained until Buffalo。 

     Journeying       done;   her   face   revealed     the   strain  beneath     her   brave 

brightness; and the haunting care she could no longer keep from her eyes。 

The imminence of the jail and the meeting had made her cheeks white and 

her countenance seem actually smaller; and when; reminding me that we 

should meet again soon; she gave me her hand; it was ice…cold。 I think she 

was   afraid   Lin   might   offer   to   go   with   her。   But   his   heart   understood   the 

lonely   sacredness   of   her   next   half…hour;   and   the   cow   puncher;   standing 

aside for her to pass; lifted his hat wistfully and spoke never a word。 For a 

moment he looked after her with sombre emotion; but the court…house and 

prison stood near and in sight; and; as plain as if he had said so; I saw him 

suddenly feel she should not be stared at going up those steps; it must be 

all alone; the pain and the joy of that reprieve! He turned away with me; 

and after a few silent steps said; 〃Wasted! all wasted!〃 

     〃Let us hope〃 I began。 

     〃You're not a fool;〃 he broke in; roughly。 〃You don't hope anything。〃 

     〃He'll start life elsewhere;〃 said I。 

     〃Elsewhere! Yes;   keep   starting   till   all   the   elsewheres   know   him   like 

Powder River knows him。 But she! I have had to sit and hear her tell and 

tell   about   him;   all   about   back   in   Kentucky  playin'   around   the   farm;   and 

how she raised him after the old folks died。 Then he got bigger and made 

her   sell   their   farm;   and   she   told   how   it   was   right   he   should   turn   it   into 

money and get his half。 I did not dare say a word; for she'd have just bit 

my head off; andand that would sure hurt me now!〃 Lin brought up with 

a   comical   chuckle。   〃And   she   went   to   work;   and   he   cleared   out;   and   no 

more seen or heard of him。 That's for five years; and she'd given up tracing 

him;   when   one   morning   she   reads   in   the   paper   about   how   her   long…lost 

brother is convicted for forgery。 That's the way she knows he's not dead; 



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and   she  takes   her  savings   off her   railroad salary  and   starts   for him。   She 

was that hasty she thought   it was   Buffalo;  New York;  till   she got   in  the 

cars and read the paper over again。 But she had to go as far as Cincinnati; 

either way。 She has paid every cent of the money he stole。〃 We had come 

to the bridge; and Lin jerked a stone into the quick little river。 〃She's awful 

strict in some ways。 Thought Buffalo must be a wicked place because of 

the   shops   bein'   open   Sunday。   Now   if   that   was   all   Buffalo's   wickedness! 

And she thinks divorce is mostly sin。 But her heart is a shield for Nate。〃 

     〃Her face is as beautiful as her actions;〃 he added。 

     〃Well;〃   said   I;   〃and   would   you   make   such   a   villain   your   brother…in… 

law?〃 

     He   whirled   round   and   took   both   my  shoulders。   〃Come   walking!〃   he 

urged。 〃I must talk some。〃 So we followed the stream out of town towards 

the mountains。 〃I came awful near asking her in the stage;〃 said he。 

     〃Goodness; Lin! give yourself time!〃 

     〃Time can't increase my feelings。〃 

     〃Hers; man; hers! How many hours have you known her?〃 

     〃Hours and hours! You're talking foolishness! What have they got to 

do with it? And she will listen to me。 I can tell she will。 I know I can be so 

she'll listen; and it will go all right; for I'll ask so hard。 And everything'll 

come out straight。 Yu' see; I've not been spending to speak of since Billy's 

on my hands; and now I'll fix up my cabin and finish my fencing and my 

ditchand she's going to like Box Elder Creek better than Shawhan。 She's 

the first I've ever loved。〃 

     〃Then I'd like to ask〃 I cried out。 

     〃Ask away!〃 he exclaimed; inattentively; in his enthusiasm。 

     〃When you〃 but I stopped; perceiving it impossible。 It was; of course; 

not the many transient passions on which he had squandered his substance; 

but the one where faith also had seemed to unite。 Had he not married once; 

innocent of the woman's being already a wife? But I stopped; for to trench 

here was not for me or any one。 

     And my pause strangely flashed on him something of that I had in my 

mind。 

     〃No;〃   he   said;   his   eyes   steady   and   serious   upon   me;   〃don't   you   ask 



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about the   things you're   meaning。〃 Then his face   grew radiant   and   rather 

stern。 〃Do you suppose I don't know she's too good for me? And that some 

bygones can't ever be bygones? But if you;〃 he said; 〃never come to look 

away up to a woman from away down; and mean to win her just the same 

as if you did deserve her; why; you'll make a turruble mess of the whole 

business!〃 

     When we walked in silence for a long while; he lighted again with the 

blossoming   dawn   of   his   sentiment。   I   thought   of   the   coarse   yet   taking 

vagabond   of   twenty   I   had   once   chanced   upon;   and   hunted   and   camped 

with since through the years。 Decidedly he was not that boy to…day! It is 

not true that all of us rise through adversity; any more than that all plants 

need   shadow。   Some   starve   out   of   the   sunshine;   and   I   have   seen   misery 

deaden once kind people to everything but selfalmost the saddest sight in 

the world! But Lin's character had not stood well the ordeal of happiness; 

and   for   him   certainly   harsh   days   and   responsibility   had   been   needed   to 

ripen the spirit。 Yes; Jessamine Buckner would have been much too good 

for   him   before   that   humiliation   of   his   marriage;   and   this   care   of   young 

Billy with which he had loaded himself。 〃Lin;〃 said I; 〃I will drink your 

health and luck。〃 

     〃I'm  healthy  enough;〃   said   he;   and   we   came   back to   the   main   street 

and into the main saloon。 

     〃How d'ye; boys?〃 said some one; and there was Nate Buckner。 〃It's on 

me   to…day;〃   he   continued;   shoving   whiskey   along   the   bar;   and   I   saw   he 

was     a  little  drunk。   〃I'm   setting   'em   up;〃   he  continued。     〃Why?     Why; 

because〃he looked around for appreciation〃because it's not every son… 

of…a…gun in Wyoming gets pardoned by Governor Barker。 I'm important; I 

want you to understand;〃 he pursued to the cold bystanders。 〃They'll have 

a   picture   of   me   in   the   Cheyenne   paper。   'The   Bronco…buster   of   Powder 

River!'   They   can't   do   without   me!   If   any   son…of…a…gun   here   thinks   he 

knows how to break a colt;〃 he shouted; looking around with the irrelevant 

fierceness of drinkand then his challenge ebbed vacantly in laughter as 

the subject blurred in his mind。 〃You're not drinking; Lin;〃 said he。 

     〃No;〃 said McLean; 〃I'm not。〃 

     〃Sworn off again? Well; water never did agree with me。〃 



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     〃Yu' never gave water the chance;〃 retorted the cow…puncher; and we 

left the place without my having drunk his health。 

     It was a grim beginning; this brag attempt to laugh his reputation down; 

with the jail door scarce closed behind him。 〃Folks are not going to like 

that;〃 said Lin; as we walked across the bridge again to the hotel。 Yet the 

sister; left alone here after an hour at most of her brother's company; would 

pretend it was a matter of course。 Nate was not in; she told us at once。 He 

had busines
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