第2章

Noisy,yes;butifyouwanteddeepquietandcool,ifyouwantedtostepfromtheglareofaCanadianAugusttothedeepshadowofanenchantedglade,——walkdownbelowintotheRats’Cooler。Thereyouhadit;darkoldbeams(whocouldbelievetheywereputthereamonthago?),greatcaskssetonendwithlegendssuchasAmontilladoFinodoneingiltonablackground,tallsteinsfilledwithGermanbeersoftasmoss,andaGermanwaiternoiselessasmovingfoam。HewhoenteredtheRats’Cooleratthreeofasummerafternoonwasburiedtherefortheday。Mr。GolgothaGinghamspentanythingfromfourtosevenhoursthereofeveryday。Inhismindtheplacehadallthequietcharmofaninterment,withnoneofitssorrows。

Butatnight,whenMr。SmithandBilly,thedeskclerk,openedupthecashregisterandfiguredoutthecombinedlossesofthecaffandtheRats’Cooler,Mr。Smithwouldsay:

\"Billy,justwaittillIgetthelicenserenood,andI’llcloseupthisdamncaffsotightthey’llneverknowwhathither。

Whatdidthatlambcost?Fiftycentsapound,wasit?Ifigureit,Billy,thateveryoneofthemhogseatsaboutadollar’sworthagrubforeverytwenty—fivecentstheypayonit。AsforAlf——bygosh,I’mthroughwithhim。\"

Butthat,ofcourse,wasonlyaconfidentialmatterasbetweenMr。

SmithandBilly。

Idon’tknowatwhatpreciseperioditwasthattheideaofapetitiontotheLicenseCommissionersfirstgotaboutthetown。Nooneseemedtoknowjustwhosuggestedit。ButcertainitwasthatpublicopinionbegantoswingstronglytowardsthesupportofMr。

Smith。IthinkitwasperhapsonthedayafterthebigfishdinnerthatAlphonsecookedfortheMariposaCanoeClub(attwentycentsahead)thatthefeelingbegantofindopenexpression。PeoplesaiditwasashamethatamanlikeJoshSmithshouldberunoutofMariposabythreelicensecommissioners。Whowerethelicensecommissioners,anyway?Why,lookatthelicensesystemtheyhadinSweden;yes,andinFinlandandinSouthAmerica。Or,forthematterofthat,lookattheFrenchandItalians,whodrinkalldayandallnight。Aren’ttheyallright?Aren’ttheyamusicalpeople?TakeNapoleon,andVictorHugo;drunkhalfthetime,andyetlookwhattheydid。

Iquotetheseargumentsnotfortheirownsake,butmerelytoindicatethechangingtemperofpublicopinioninMariposa。Menwouldsitinthecaffatlunchperhapsforanhourandahalfandtalkaboutthelicensequestioningeneral,andthengodownintotheRats’Coolerandtalkaboutitfortwohoursmore。

Itwasamazingthewaythelightbrokeininthecaseofparticularindividuals,oftenthemostunlikely,andquelledtheiropposition。

Take,forexample,theeditoroftheNewspacket。Isupposetherewasn’tagreatertemperanceadvocateintown。YetAlphonsequeeredhimwithanOmelettealaLicenseinonemeal。

OrtakePepperleighhimself,thejudgeoftheMariposacourt。Hewasputtothebadwithagamepie,——patenormandauxfinesherbes——therealthing,asgoodasatriptoParisinitself。Aftereatingit,Pepperleighhadthecommonsensetorealizethatitwassheermadnesstodestroyahotelthatcouldcookathinglikethat。

Inthesameway,thesecretaryoftheSchoolBoardwassilencedwithastuffedduckalaOssawippi。

ThreemembersofthetowncouncilwereconvertedwithaDindonfarcialaJoshSmith。

Andthen,finally,Mr。DistonpersuadedDeanDronetocome,andassoonasMr。SmithandAlphonsesawhimtheylandedhimwithafriedflounderthateventheapostleswouldhaveappreciated。

Afterthat,everyoneknewthatthelicensequestionwaspracticallysettled。Thepetitionwasalloverthetown。ItwasprintedinduplicateattheNewspacketandyoucouldseeitlyingonthecounterofeveryshopinMariposa。Someofthepeoplesignedittwentyorthirtytimes。

Itwastherightkindofdocumenttoo。Itbegan——\"Whereasinthebountyofprovidencetheearthputtethforthherlusciousfruitsandhervineyardsforthedelightandenjoymentofmankind——\"Itmadeyouthirstyjusttoreadit。AnymanwhoreadthatpetitionoverwaswildtogettotheRats’Cooler。

Whenitwasallsigneduptheyhadnearlythreethousandnamesonit。

ThenNivens,thelawyer,andMr。Gingham(asaprovincialofficial)

tookitdowntothecountytown,andbythreeo’clockthatafternoonthenewshadgoneoutfromthelongdistancetelephoneofficethatSmith’slicensewasrenewedforthreeyears。

Rejoicings!Well,Ishouldthinkso!EverybodywasdownwantingtoshakehandswithMr。Smith。TheytoldhimthathehaddonemoretoboomMariposathananytenmenintown。Someofthemsaidheoughttorunforthetowncouncil,andotherswantedtomakehimtheConservativecandidateforthenextDominionelection。Thecaffwasamerebabelofvoices,andeventheRats’Coolerwasalmostfloatedawayfromitsmoorings。

Andinthemiddleofitall,Mr。SmithfoundtimetosaytoBilly,thedeskclerk:\"TakethecashregistersoutofthecaffandtheRats’Coolerandstartcountingupthebooks。\"

AndBillysaid:\"WillIwritethelettersforthepalmsandthetablesandthestufftogoback?\"

AndMr。Smithsaid:\"Get’emwrittenrightaway。\"

Soalleveningthelaughterandthechatterandthecongratulationswenton,anditwasn’ttilllongaftermidnightthatMr。SmithwasabletojoinBillyintheprivateroombehindthe\"rotunda。\"Evenwhenhedid,therewasaquietandadignityabouthismannerthathadneverbeentherebefore。IthinkitmusthavebeenthenewhalooftheConservativecandidacythatalreadyradiatedfromhisbrow。Itwas,Iimagine,atthisverymomentthatMr。Smithfirstrealisedthatthehotelbusinessformedthenaturalandproperthresholdofthenationallegislature。

\"Here’stheaccountofthecashregisters,\"saidBilly。

\"Letmeseeit,\"saidMr。Smith。Andhestudiedthefigureswithoutaword。

\"Andhere’sthelettersaboutthepalms,andhere’sAlphonseuptoyesterday——\"

Andthenanamazingthinghappened。

\"Billy,\"saidMr。Smith,\"tear’emup。Iain’tgoingtodoit。Itain’trightandIwon’tdoit。TheygotmethelicensefortokeepthecaffandI’mgoingtokeepthecaff。Idon’tneedtocloseher。

Thebar’sgoodforanythingfromfortytoahundredadaynow,withtheRats’Coolergoinggood,andthatcaffwillstayrighthere。\"

Andstayitdid。

Thereitstands,mindyou,tothisday。You’veonlytosteproundthecornerofSmith’sHotelonthesidestreetandreadthesign:LADIES’

ANDGENT’SCAFE,justaslargeandasimposingasever。

Mr。Smithsaidthathe’dkeepthecaff,andwhenhesaidathinghemeantit!

Ofcoursetherewerechanges,smallchanges。

Idon’tsay,mindyou,thatthefilletdebeefthatyougettherenowisperhapsquiteuptothelevelofthefiletdeboeufsauxchampignonsofthedaysofglory。

NodoubtthelambchopsinSmith’sCaffareoftenverymuchthesame,nowadays,asthelambchopsoftheMariposaHouseortheContinental。

Ofcourse,thingslikeOmeletteauxTruflespracticallydiedoutwhenAlphonsewent。And,naturally,theleavingofAlphonsewasinevitable。Nooneknewjustwhenhewent,orwhy。Butonemorninghewasgone。Mr。Smithsaidthat\"Alfhadtogobacktohisfolksintheoldcountry。\"

So,too,whenAlfleft,theuseoftheFrenchlanguage,assuch,fellofftremendouslyinthecaff。Evennowtheyuseittosomeextent。

Youcanstillgetfilletdebeef,andsaucissonaujuice,butBillythedeskclerkhasconsiderabletroublewiththespelling。

TheRats’Cooler,ofcourse,closeddown,orratherMr。Smithcloseditforrepairs,andthereiseverylikelihoodthatitwillhardlyopenforthreeyears。Butthecaffisthere。Theydon’tusethegrills,becausethere’snoneedto,withthehotelkitchensohandy。

The\"girlroom,\"Imaysay,wasneveropened。Mr。Smithpromisedit,itistrue,forthewinter,andstilltalksofit。Butsomehowthere’sbeenasortoffeelingagainstit。Everyoneintownadmitsthateverybighotelinthecityhasa\"girlroom\"andthatitmustbeallright。Still,there’sacertain——well,youknowhowsensitiveopinionisinaplacelikeMariposa。

TWO

TheSpeculationsofJeffersonThorpeItwasnotuntiltheminingboom,atthetimewheneverybodywentsimplycrazyovertheCobaltandPorcupineminesofthenewsilvercountryneartheHudsonBay,thatJeffersonThorpereachedwhatyoumightcallpublicimportanceinMariposa。

OfcourseeverybodyknewJeffandhislittlebarbershopthatstoodjustacrossthestreetfromSmith’sHotel。Everybodyknewhimandeverybodygotshavedthere。Fromearlymorning,whenthecommercialtravellersoffthe6。30expressgotshavedintotheresemblanceofhumanbeings,therewerealwayspeoplegoinginandoutofthebarbershop。

Mullins,themanageroftheExchangeBank,tookhismorningshavefromJeffasaformofresuscitation,withenoughwettowelslaidonhisfacetostewhimandwithJeffmovingaboutinthesteam,razorinhand,asgraveasanoperatingsurgeon。

Then,asIthinkIsaid,Mr。SmithcameineverymorningandtherewasatremendousoutpouringofFloridawaterandrums,essencesandreviversandrenovators,regardlessofexpense。WhatwithJeff’swhitecoatandMr。Smith’sfloweredwaistcoatandtheredgeraniuminthewindowandtheFloridawaterandthedoubleextractofhyacinth,thelittleshopseemedmulti—colouredandluxuriousenoughfortheannexofaSultan’sharem。

ButwhatImeanisthat,tilltheminingboom,JeffersonThorpeneveroccupiedapositionofrealprominenceinMariposa。Youcouldn’t,forexample,havecomparedhimwithamanlikeGolgothaGingham,who,asundertaker,stoodinadirectrelationtolifeanddeath,ortoTrelawney,thepostmaster,whodrewmoneyfromtheFederalGovernmentofCanada,andwasregardedasvirtuallyamemberoftheDominionCabinet。

EverybodyknewJeffandlikedhim,buttheoddthingwasthattillhemademoneynobodytookanystockinhisideasatall。Itwasonlyafterhemadethe\"cleanup\"thattheycametoseewhatasplendidfellowhewas。\"Level—headed\"Ithinkwastheterm;indeedinthespeechofMariposa,thehighestformofendowmentwastohavetheheadsetonhorizontallyaswithatheodolite。

AsIsay,itwaswhenJeffmademoneythattheysawhowgiftedhewas,andwhenhelostit,——butstill,there’snoneedtogointothat。Ibelieveit’ssomethingthesameinotherplacestoo。

Thebarbershop,youwillremember,standsacrossthestreetfromSmith’sHotel,andstaresatitfacetoface。

Itisoneofthosewoodenstructures——Idon’tknowwhetheryouknowthem——withafalsefrontthatsticksupaboveitsrealheightandgivesitanairatoncerectangularandimposing。ItisaformofarchitecturemuchusedinMariposaandunderstoodtobeinkeepingwiththepretentiousandartificialcharacterofmodernbusiness。

Thereisared,whiteandbluepostinfrontoftheshopandtheshopitselfhasalargesquarewindowoutofproportiontoitslittleflatface。

PaintedonthepanesofthewindowistheremainsofalegendthatoncespeltBARBERSHOP,executedwiththeflourishesthatprevailedinthegoldenageofsignpaintinginMariposa。ThroughthewindowyoucanseethegeraniumsinthewindowshelfandbehindthemJeffThorpewithhislittleblackscullcaponandhisspectaclesdroopeduponhisnoseashebendsforwardintheabsorptionofshaving。

Asyouopenthedoor,itsetsinviolentagitationacoiledspringupaboveandabellthatalmostrings。Inside,therearetwoshavingchairsoftheheavier,orelectrocutionpattern,withmirrorsinfrontofthemandpigeonholeswithindividualshavingmugs。Theremustbeeversomanyofthem,fifteenorsixteen。ItisthecurrentsuppositionofeachofJeff’scustomersthateveryoneelsebuthimselfusesaseparatemug。Onecorneroftheshopispartitionedoffandbearsthesign:HOTANDCOLDBATHS,50CENTS。Therehasbeennobathinsidethepartitionfortwentyyears——onlyoldnewspapersandamop。Still,itlendsdistinctionsomehow,justasdothefadedcardboardsignsthathangagainstthemirrorwiththelegends:

TURKISHSHAMPOO,75CENTS,andROMANMASSAGE,$1。00。

TheysaidcommonlyinMariposathatJeffmademoneyoutofthebarbershop。Hemayhave,anditmayhavebeenthatthatturnedhismindtoinvestment。Butit’shardtoseehowhecould。Ashavecostfivecents,andahair—cutfifteen(orthetwo,ifyouliked,foraquarter),andatthatitishardtoseehowhecouldmakemoney,evenwhenhehadbothchairsgoingandshavedfirstinoneandthenintheother。

Yousee,inMariposa,shavingisn’tthehurried,perfunctorythingthatitisinthecity。Ashaveislookeduponasaformofphysicalpleasureandlastsanywherefromtwentyfiveminutestothree—quartersofanhour。

Inthemorninghours,perhaps,therewasasemblanceofhasteaboutit,butinthelongquietoftheafternoon,asJeffleanedforwardtowardsthecustomerandtalkedtohiminasoftconfidentialmonotone,likeaportraitpainter,therazorwouldgoslowerandslower,andpauseandstop,moveandpauseagain,tilltheshavediedawayintothemeredrowseofconversation。

Atsuchhours,theMariposabarbershopwouldbecomeaveryPalaceofSlumber,andasyouwaitedyourturninoneofthewoodenarm—chairsbesidethewall,whatwiththequietofthehour,andthelowdroneofJeff’sconversation,thebuzzingofthefliesagainstthewindowpaneandthemeasuredtickoftheclockabovethemirror,yourheadsankdreamingonyourbreast,andtheMariposaNewspacketrustledunheededonthefloor。Itmakesonedrowsyjusttothinkofit!

Theconversation,ofcourse,wastherealcharmoftheplace。Yousee,Jefferson’sforte,orspecialty,wasinformation。Hecouldtellyoumorethingswithinthecompassofahalf—hour’sshavethanyougetindaysoflaboriousresearchinanencyclopaedia。Wherehegotitall,Idon’tknow,butIaminclinedtothinkitcamemoreorlessoutofthenewspapers。

Inthecity,peopleneverreadthenewspapers,notreally,onlylittlebitsandscrapsofthem。ButinMariposait’sdifferent。Theretheyreadthewholethingfromcovertocover,andtheybuilduponit,inthecourseofyears,arangeofacquirementthatwouldputacollegepresidenttotheblush。AnybodywhohaseverheardHenryMullinsandPeterGlovertalkaboutthefutureofChinawillknowjustwhatImean。

And,ofcourse,thepeculiarityofJeff’sconversationwasthathecouldsuitittohismaneverytime。Hehadakindofdivinationaboutit。TherewasacertainkindofmanthatJeffwouldsizeupsidewaysashestroppedtherazor,andinwhoseearhewouldwhisper:

\"IseewhereSaintLouishastookfourstraightgamesoffChicago,\"——andsoholdhimfascinatedtotheend。

InthesamewayhewouldsaytoMr。Smith:\"Iseewhereitsaysthatthis’FlyingSquirl’runadeadheatfortheKing’sPlate。\"

ToahumbleintellectlikeminehewouldexplaininfulltherelationsoftheKeesartotheGermanRichDog。

Butfirstandforemost,Jeff’sspecialtyinthewayofconversationwasfinanceandthemoneymarket,thehugefortunesthatamanwiththerightkindofheadcouldmake。

I’veknownJeffersontopauseinhisshavingwiththerazorsuspendedintheairaslongasfiveminuteswhilehedescribed,withhiseyehalfclosed,exactlythekindofaheadamanneededinordertomakea\"haul\"ora\"cleanup。\"Itwasevidentlysimplyamatterofthehead,andasfarasonecouldjudge,Jeff’sownwastheverytyperequired。Idon’tknowjustatwhattimeorhowJeffersonfirstbeganhisspeculativeenterprises。Itwasprobablyinhimfromthestart。ThereisnodoubtthattheveryideaofsuchthingsasTractionStockandAmalgamatedAsbestoswenttohishead:andwheneverhespokeofMr。CarnegieandMr。Rockefeller,theyearningtoneofhisvoicemadeitassoftaslatheredsoap。

Isupposethemostrudimentaryformofhisspeculationwasthehens。

Thatwasyearsago。Hekeptthemoutatthebackofhishouse,——whichitselfstoodupagrassplotbehindandbeyondthebarbershop,——andintheolddaysJeffwouldsay,withacertainnoteofprideinhisvoice,thatTheWomanhadsoldasmanyastwodozeneggsinadaytothesummervisitors。

ButwhatwithreadingaboutAmalgamatedAsbestosandConsolidatedCopperandallthat,thehensbegantoseemprettysmallbusiness,and,inanycase,theideaoftwodozeneggsatacentapiecealmostmakesoneblush。IsupposeagoodmanyofushavefeltjustasJeffdidaboutourpoorlittleearnings。Anyway,IrememberJefftellingmeonedaythathecouldtakethewholelotofthehensandsellthemoffandcrackthemoneyintoChicagowheatonmarginandturnitoverintwenty—fourhours。Hedidittoo。Onlysomehowwhenitwasturnedoveritcameupsidedownontopofthehens。

AfterthatthehenhousestoodemptyandTheWomanhadtothrowawaychickenfeedeveryday,atadeadlossofperhapsashaveandahalf。

ButitmadenodifferencetoJeff,forhismindhadfloatedawayalreadyonthepossibilitiesofwhathecalled\"displacement\"miningontheYukon。

SoyoucanunderstandthatwhentheminingboomstruckMariposa,JeffersonThorpewasinitrightfromtheverystart。Why,nowonder;

itseemedlikethefingerofProvidence。Herewasthisgreatsilvercountryspreadouttonorthofus,wherepeoplehadthoughttherewasonlyawilderness。Andrightatourverydoors!Youcouldsee,asI

saw,thenightexpressgoingnortheveryevening;foralloneknewRockefellerorCarnegieoranyonemightbeonit!HerewasthewealthofCalcutta,astheMariposaNewspacketputit,pouredoutatourveryfeet。

Sonowonderthetownwentwild!Alldayinthestreetyoucouldhearmentalkingofveins,andsmeltersanddipsanddepositsandfaults,——thetownhummedwithitlikeageologyclassonexaminationday。Andthereweremenaboutthehotelswithminingoutfitsandtheodolitesanddunnagebags,andatSmith’sbartheywouldhandchunksofrockupanddown,someofwhichwouldrunashighastendrinkstothepound。

Thefeverjustcaughtthetownandranthroughit!WithinafortnighttheyputapartitiondownRobertson’sCoalandWoodOfficeandopenedtheMariposaMiningExchange,andjustabouteverymanontheMainStreetstartedbuyingscrip。ThenpresentlyyoungFizzlechip,whohadbeentellerinMullins’sBankandthateverybodyhadthoughtaworthlessjackassbefore,camebackfromtheCobaltcountrywithafortune,andloafedroundintheMariposaHouseinEnglishkhakiandahorizontalhat,drunkallthetime,andeverybodyholdinghimupasanexampleofwhatitwaspossibletodoifyoutried。

Theyallwentin。JimEliotmortgagedtheinsideofthedrugstoreandjammeditintoTwinTamagami。PeteGloveratthehardwarestoreboughtNippewastockatthirteencentsandsoldittohisbrotheratseventeenandboughtitbackinlessthanaweekatnineteen。Theydidn’tcare!Theytookachance。JudgePepperleighputtherestofhiswife’smoneyintoTemiskamingCommon,andLawyerMacartneygotthefever,too,andputeverycentthathissisterpossessedintoTulipPreferred。

AndevenwhenyoungFizzlechipshothimselfinthebackroomoftheMariposaHouse,Mr。GinghamburiedhiminacasketwithsilverhandlesanditwasfeltthattherewasaMonteCarlotouchaboutthewholething。

Theyallwentin——orallexceptMr。Smith。Yousee,Mr。Smithhadcomedownfromthere,andheknewallaboutrocksandminingandcanoesandthenorthcountry。Heknewwhatitwastoeatflour—bakeddampersundertheleesideofacanoeproppedamongtheunderbrush,andtodrinkthelastdropofwhiskeywithinfiftymiles。Mr。Smithhadmightylittleuseforthenorth。Butwhathediddo,wastobuyupenoughearlypotatoestosendfifteencarloadlotsintoCobaltataprofitoffivedollarsabag。

Mr。Smith,Isay,hungback。ButJeffThorpewasintheminingboomrightfromthestart。HeboughtinontheNippewamineevenbeforetheinterimprospectuswasout。Hetooka\"block\"of100sharesofAbbitibbiDevelopmentatfourteencents,andheandJohnson,theliverystablekeepernextdoor,formedasyndicateandgotathousandsharesofMetagamiLakeat31/4centsandthen\"unloaded\"themononeofthesausagemenatNetley’sbutchershopataclearcentpercentadvance。

JeffwouldopenthelittledrawerbelowthemirrorinthebarbershopandshowyouallkindsandsortsofCobaltcountryminingcertificates,——blueones,pinkones,greenones,withoutlandishandfascinatingnamesonthemthatranclearfromtheMattawatotheHudsonBay。

Andrightfromthestarthewasconfidentofwinning。\"Thereain’tnodifficultytoit,\"hesaid,\"there’slotsofsilverupthereinthatcountryandifyoubuysomehereandsomethereyoucan’tfailtocomeoutsomewhere。Idon’tsay,\"heusedtocontinue,withthescissorsopenandreadytocut,\"thatsomeofthegreenhornswon’tgetbit。Butifafellerknowsthecountryandkeepshisheadlevel,hecan’tlose。\"

Jeffersonhadlookedatsomanyprospectusesandsomanypicturesofminesandpinetreesandsmelters,thatIthinkhe’dforgottenthathe’dneverbeeninthecountry。Anyway,what’stwohundredmiles!

Toanonlookeritcertainlydidn’tseemsosimple。Ineverknewthemeanness,thetrickery,oftheminingbusiness,thesheerobstinatedeterminationofthebiggercapitalistsnottomakemoneywhentheymight,tillIheardtheaccountsofJeff’sdifferentmines。TakethecaseofCoronaJewel。Therewasagoodmine,simplygoingtoruinforlackofcommonsense。

\"Sheain’tbeendeveloped,\"Jeffwouldsay。\"There’ssilverenoughinhersoyoucoulddigitoutwithashovel。She’sfullofit。Buttheywon’tgetatherandworkher。\"

Thenhe’dtakealookatthepinkandbluecertificatesoftheCoronaJewelandslamthedraweronthemindisgust。WorsethanthatwastheSilentPine,——aclearcaseofstupidincompetence!UtterlackofengineeringskillwasallthatwaskeepingtheSilentPinefrommakingafortuneforitsholders。

\"Theonlytroublewiththatmine,\"saidJeff,\"istheywon’tgodeepenough。Theyfollowedtheveindowntowhereitkindo’thinnedoutandthentheyquit。Ifthey’djustgorightintohergood,they’dgetitagain。She’sdownthereallright。\"

ButperhapsthemeanestcaseofallwastheNorthernStar。Thatalwaysseemedtome,everytimeIheardofit,astraightcaseforthecriminallaw。Thethingwassoevidentlyaconspiracy。

\"Iboughther,\"saidJeff,\"atthirty—two,andshestayedrighttheretight,likeshewasstuck。Thenabunchofthesefellersinthecitystartedtodriveherdownandtheygotherpusheddowntotwenty—four,andIheldontoherandtheyshovedherdowntotwenty—one。Thismorningthey’vegotherdowntosixteen,butIdon’tmeantoletgo。No,sir。\"

Inanotherfortnighttheyshovedher,thesameunscrupulouscrowd,downtoninecents,andJeffersonstillheldon。\"They’reworkingherdown,\"headmitted,\"butI’mholdingher。\"

Noconflictbetweenviceandvirtuewasevergrimmer。

\"She’satsix,\"saidJeff,\"butI’vegother。Theycan’tsqueezeme。\"

Afewdaysafterthat,thesamecriminalganghadherdownfurtherthanever。

\"They’vegotherdowntothreecents,\"saidJeff,\"butI’mwithher。

Yes,sir,theythinktheycanshovehercleanoffthemarket,buttheycan’tdoit。I’veboughteninJohnson’sshares,andthewholeofNetley’s,andI’llstaywithhertillshebreaks。\"

Sotheyshovedandpushedandclawedherdown——thatunseennefariouscrowdinthecity——andJeffheldontoherandtheywrithedandtwistedathisgrip,andthenAndthen——well,that’sjustthequeerthingabouttheminingbusiness。Why,suddenasaflashoflightning,itseemed,thenewscameoverthewiretotheMariposaNewspacket,thattheyhadstruckaveinofsilverintheNorthernStarasthickasasidewalk,andthatthestockhadjumpedtoseventeendollarsashare,andevenatthatyoucouldn’tgetit!AndJeffstoodthereflushedandhalf—staggeredagainstthemirrorofthelittleshop,withabunchofminingscripinhishandthatwasworthfortythousanddollars!

Excitement!Itwasalloverthetowninaminutes。TheyranoffanewsextraattheMariposaNewspacket,andinlessthannotimetherewasn’tstandingroominthebarbershop,andoverinSmith’sHoteltheyhadthreeextrabarkeepersworkingonthelagerbeerpumps。

TheyweresellingminingsharesontheMainStreetinMariposathatafternoonandpeoplewerejustclutchingforthem。ThenatnighttherewasabigoystersupperinSmith’scaff,withspeeches,andtheMariposabandoutside。

AndthequeerthingwasthattheverynextafternoonwasthefuneralofyoungFizzlechip,andDeanDronehadtochangethewholetextofhisSundaysermonattwodays’noticeforfearofoffendingpublicsentiment。

ButIthinkwhatJefflikedbestofitallwasthesortofpublicrecognitionthatitmeant。He’dstandthereintheshop,hardlybotheringtoshave,andexplaintothemeninthearm—chairshowheheldher,andtheyshovedher,andheclungtoher,andwhathe’dsaidtohimself——aperfectIliad——whilehewasclingingtoher。

ThewholethingwasinthecitypapersafewdaysafterwithaphotographofJeff,takenspeciallyatEdMoore’sstudio(upstairsoverNetley’s)。ItshowedJeffsittingamongpalmtrees,asallminingmendo,withonehandonhisknee,andadog,oneofthoseregularminingdogs,athisfeet,andalookofpiercingintelligenceinhisfacethatwouldeasilyaccountforfortythousanddollars。

IsaythattherecognitionmeantalottoJeffforitsownsake。ButnodoubtthefortunemeantquiteabittohimtooonaccountofMyra。

DidImentionMyra,Jeff’sdaughter?Perhapsnot。That’sthetroublewiththepeopleinMariposa;they’reallsoseparateandsodifferent——notabitlikethepeopleinthecities——thatunlessyouhearaboutthemseparatelyandonebyoneyoucan’tforamomentunderstandwhatthey’relike。

MyrahadgoldenhairandaGreekfaceandwouldcomeburstingthroughthebarbershopinahatatleastsixincheswiderthanwhattheywearinParis。AsyousawherswingingupthestreettotheTelephoneExchangeinasuitthatwasstraightoutoftheDelineatorandbrownAmericanboots,therewasstylewrittenalloverher,——thekindofthingthatMariposarecognisedanddidhomageto。AndtoseeherintheExchange,——shewasoneofthefourgirlsthatIspokeof,——onherhighstoolwithasteelcapon,——jabbingtheconnectingplugsinandoutasifelectricitycostnothing——well,allImeanisthatyoucouldunderstandwhyitwasthatthecommercialtravellerswouldstandroundintheExchangecallingupallsortsofimpossiblevillages,andwaitingaboutsopleasantandgenial!——itmadeonerealizehownaturallygood—temperedmenare。AndthenwhenMyrawouldgooffdutyandMissCleghorn,whowassallow,wouldcomeon,thecommercialmenwouldbeoffagainlikeautumnleaves。

Itjustshowsthedifferencebetweenpeople。TherewasMyrawhotreatedloverslikedogsandwouldslapthemacrossthefacewithabananaskintoshowherutterindependence。AndtherewasMissCleghorn,whowassallow,andwhoboughtafortycentAncientHistorytoimproveherself:andyetifshe’dhitanymaninMariposawithabananaskin,he’dhavehadherarrestedforassault。

Mindyou,Idon’tmeanthatMyrawasmerelyflippantandworthless。

Notatall。Shewasagirlwithanyamountoftalent。Youshouldhaveheardherrecite\"TheRaven,\"attheMethodistSocial!Simplygenius!

AndwhensheactedPortiaintheTrialSceneoftheMerchantofVeniceattheHighSchoolconcert,everybodyinMariposaadmittedthatyoucouldn’thavetolditfromtheoriginal。

So,ofcourse,assoonasJeffmadethefortune,Myrahadherresignationinnextmorningandeverybodyknewthatshewastogotoadramaticschoolforthreemonthsinthefallandbecomealeadingactress。

But,asIsaid,thepublicrecognitioncountedalotforJeff。Themomentyoubegintogetthatsortofthingitcomesinquicklyenough。Brains,youknow,arerecognizedrightaway。Thatwaswhy,ofcourse,withinaweekfromthisJeffreceivedthefirstbigpacketofstufffromtheCubanLandDevelopmentCompany,withcolouredpicturesofCuba,andfieldsofbananas,andhaciendasandinsurrectoswithmachetesandHeavenknowswhat。Theyheardofhim,somehow,——itwasn’tforamodestmanlikeJeffersontosayhow。Afterall,thecapitalistsoftheworldarejustoneandthesamecrowd。Ifyou’reinit,you’reinit,that’sall!JeffrealizedwhyitisthatofcoursemenlikeCarnegieorRockefellerandMorganallknowoneanother。Theyhaveto。

ForallIknow,thisCubanstuffmayhavebeensentfromMorganhimself。SomeofthepeopleinMariposasaidyes,otherssaidno。

Therewasnocertainty。

Anyway,theywerefairandstraight,thisCubancrowdthatwrotetoJeff。Theyofferedhimtocomerightinandbeoneofthemselves。Ifaman’sgotthebrains,youmayaswellrecognizeitstraightaway。

Justaswellwritehimtobeadirectornowaswaitandhesitatetillheforceshiswayintoit。

Anyhow,theydidn’thesitate,theseCubanpeoplethatwrotetoJefffromCuba——orfromapost—officeboxinNewYork——it’sallthesamething,becauseCubabeingsoneartoNewYorkthemailisalldistributedfromthere。Isupposeinsomefinancialcirclestheymighthavebeenslower,wantedguaranteesofsomesort,andsoon,buttheseCubans,youknow,havegotasortofSpanishwarmthofheartthatyoudon’tseeinbusinessmeninAmerica,andthattouchesyou。No,theyaskednoguarantee。Justsendthemoneywhetherbyexpressorderorbybankdraftorcheque,theyleftthatentirelytooneself,asamatterbetweenCubangentlemen。

Andtheywerequitefrankabouttheirenterprise——bananasandtobaccointheplantationdistrictreclaimedfromtheinsurrectos。Youcouldseeitallthereinthepictures——tobaccoplantsandtheinsurrectos——everything。Theymadenorashpromises,justadmittedstraightoutthattheenterprisemightrealise400percent。ormightconceivablymakeless。Therewasnohintofmore。

Sowithinamonth,everybodyinMariposaknewthatJeffThorpewas\"inCubanlands\"andwouldprobablycleanuphalfamillionbyNewYear’s。Youcouldn’thavefailedtoknowit。AllroundthelittleshoptherewerepicturesofbananagrovesandtheharbourofHabana,andCubansinwhitesuitsandscarletsashes,smokingcigarettesinthesunandtooignoranttoknowthatyoucanmakefourhundredpercent。byplantingabananatree。

IlikeditaboutJeffthathedidn’tstopshaving。Hewentonjustthesame。EvenwhenJohnson,theliverystableman,cameinwithfivehundreddollarsandaskedhimtoseeiftheCubanBoardofDirectorswouldlethimputitin,Jefflaiditinthedrawerandthenshavedhimforfivecents,inthesameoldway。Ofcourse,hemusthavefeltproudwhen,afewdayslater,hegotaletterfromtheCubanpeople,fromNewYork,acceptingthemoneystraightoffwithoutasinglequestion,andwithoutknowinganythingmoreofJohnsonexceptthathewasafriendofJeff’s。Theywrotemosthandsomely。AnyfriendsofJeff’swerefriendsofCuba。AllmoneytheymightsendwouldbetreatedjustasJeff’swouldbetreated。

Onereason,perhaps,whyJeffdidn’tgiveupshavingwasbecauseitallowedhimtotalkaboutCuba。Yousee,everybodyknewinMariposathatJeffThorpehadsoldoutofCobaltsandhadgoneintoCubanRenovatedLands——andthatspreadroundhimakindofhaloofwealthandmysteryandoutlandishness——oh,somethingSpanish。Perhapsyou’vefeltitaboutpeoplethatyouknow。Anyhow,theyaskedhimabouttheclimate,andyellowfeverandwhatthenegroeswerelikeandallthatsortofthing。

\"ThisCubey,itappearsisanisland,\"Jeffwouldexplain。Ofcourse,everybodyknowshoweasilyislandslendthemselvestomakingmoney,——\"andforfruit,theysayitcomesupsofastyoucan’tstopit。\"AndthenhewouldpassintodetailsabouttheHash—endersandtheresurrectosandtechnicalthingslikethattillitwasthoughtawonderhowhecouldknowit。Still,itwasrealizedthatamanwithmoneyhasgottoknowthesethings。LookatMorganandRockefellerandallthementhatmakeapile。TheyknowjustasmuchasJeffdidaboutthecountrieswheretheymakeit。Itstandstoreason。

DidIsaythatJeffshavedinthesameoldway?Notquite。Therewassomethingevendreamieraboutitnow,andasortofnewelementinthewayJefffelloutofhismonotoneintolapsesofthoughtthatI,forone,misunderstood。Ithoughtthatperhapsgettingsomuchmoney,——well,youknowthewayitactsonpeopleinthelargercities。Itseemedtospoilone’sideaofJeffthatcopperandasbestosandbananalandsshouldformthegoalofhisthoughtwhen,ifheknewit,thelittleshopandthesunlightofMariposawassomuchbetter。

Infact,Ihadperhapsbornehimagrudgeforwhatseemedtomehisperpetualinterestinthegreatcapitalists。Healwayshadsomeitemoutofthepaperaboutthem。

\"IseewherethishereCarnegiehasgivefiftythousanddollarsforoneofthemobservatories,\"hewouldsay。

Andanotherdayhewouldpauseinthecourseofshaving,andalmostwhisper:\"DidyoueverseethisRockefeller?\"

ItwasonlybyasortofaccidentthatIcametoknowthattherewasanothersidetoJefferson’sspeculationthatnooneinMariposaeverknew,orwilleverknownow。

IknewitbecauseIwentintoseeJeffinhishouseonenight。Thehouse,——IthinkIsaidit,——stoodoutbehindthebarbershop。Youwentoutofthebackdooroftheshop,andthroughagrassplotwithpetuniasbesideit,andthehousestoodattheend。Youcouldseethelightofthelampbehindtheblind,andthroughthescreendoorasyoucamealong。AnditwasherethatJeffersonusedtositintheeveningswhentheshopgotempty。

TherewasaroundtablethatTheWomanusedtolayforsupper,andaftersupperthereusedtobeachequeredclothonitandalampwithashade。AndbesideitJeffwouldsit,withhisspectaclesonandthepaperspreadout,readingaboutCarnegieandRockefeller。Nearhim,butawayfromthetable,wasTheWomandoingneedlework,andMyra,whenshewasn’tworkingintheTelephoneExchange,wastheretoowithherelbowsonthetablereadingMarieCorelli——onlynow,ofcourse,afterthefortune,shewasreadingtheprospectusesofDramaticSchools。

Sothisnight,——Idon’tknowjustwhatitwasinthepaperthatcausedit,——JefflaiddownwhathewasreadingandstartedtotalkaboutCarnegie。

\"ThisCarnegie,Ibetyou,wouldbeworth,\"saidJeff,closinguphiseyesincalculation,\"asmuchasperhapstwomilliondollars,ifyouwastosellhimup。AndthisRockefellerandthisMorgan,eitherofthem,tosellthemupclean,wouldbeworthanothercoupleofmillion——\"

ImaysayinparenthesesthatitwasafavouritemethodinMariposaifyouwantedtogetattherealworthofaman,toimaginehimcleansoldup,putupforauction,asitwere。Itwastheonlywaytotesthim。

\"Andnowlookat’em,\"Jeffwenton。\"Theymaketheirmoneyandwhatdotheydowithit?Theygiveitaway。Andwhodotheygiveitto?

Why,tothoseasdon’twantit,everytime。Theygiveittotheseprofessorsandtothisresearchandthat,anddothepoorgetanyofit?Notacentandneverwill。\"

\"Itellyou,boys,\"continuedJeff(therewerenoboyspresent,butinMariposaallreallyimportantspeechesareaddressedtoanimaginaryaudienceofboys)——\"Itellyou,ifIwastomakeamillionoutofthisCubey,I’dgiveitstraighttothepoor,yes,sir——divideitupintoahundredlotsofathousanddollarseachandgiveittothepeoplethathadn’tnothing。\"

SoalwaysafterthatIknewjustwhatthosebananaswerebeinggrownfor。

Indeed,afterthat,thoughJeffersonneverspokeofhisintentionsdirectly,hesaidanumberofthingsthatseemedtobearonthem。Heaskedme,forinstance,oneday,howmanyblindpeopleitwouldtaketofilloneoftheseblindhomesandhowafellercouldgetaholdofthem。Andatanothertimeheaskedwhetherifafelleradvertisedforsomeoftheseincurablesafellercouldgetenoughofthemtomakeashowing。IknowforafactthathegotNivens,thelawyer,todrawupadocumentthatwastogiveanacreofbananalandinCubatoeveryidiotinMissinabacounty。

Butstill,——what’stheuseoftalkingofwhatJeffmeanttodo?

Nobodyknowsorcaresaboutitnow。

Theendofitwasboundtocome。EveninMariposasomeofthepeoplemusthavethoughtso。ElsehowwasitthatHenryMullinsmadesuchafussaboutsellingadraftforfortythousandonNewYork?AndwhywasitthatMr。Smithwouldn’tpayBilly,thedeskclerk,hisbackwageswhenhewantedtoputitintoCuba?

Ohyes;someofthemmusthaveseenit。Andyetwhenitcameitseemedsoquiet,——eversoquiet,——notabitliketheNorthernStarmineandtheoystersupperandtheMariposaband。Itisstrangehowquietthesethingslook,theotherwayround。

YouremembertheCubanLandfraudsinNewYorkandPorforioGomezshootingthedetective,andhimandMaximoMorezgettingclearawaywithtwohundredthousand?No,ofcourseyoudon’t;why,eveninthecitypapersitonlyfilledaninchortwooftype,andanywaythenameswerehardtoremember。ThatwasJeff’smoney——partofit。

Mullinsgotthetelegram,fromabrokerorsomeone,andheshowedittoJeffjustashewasgoingupthestreetwithanestateagenttolookatabigemptylotonthehillbehindthetown——theveryplacefortheseincurables。

AndJeffwentbacktotheshopsoquiet——haveyoueverseenananimalthatisstrickenthrough,howquietitseemstomove?

Well,that’showhewalked。

Andsincethat,thoughit’squitealittlewhileago,theshop’sopentilleleveneverynightnow,andJeffisshavingawaytopaybackthatfivehundredthatJohnson,theliveryman,senttotheCubans,and——

Pathetic?tut!tut!Youdon’tknowMariposa。Jeffhastoworkprettylate,butthat’snothing——nothingatall,ifyou’veworkedhardallyourlifetime。AndMyraisbackattheTelephoneExchange——theyweregladenoughtogether,andshesaysnowthatifthere’sonethingshehates,it’sthestage,andshecan’tseehowtheactressesputupwithit。

Anyway,thingsarenotsobad。YouseeitwasjustatthistimethatMr。Smith’scaffopened,andMr。SmithcametoJeff’sWomanandsaidhewantedsevendozeneggsaday,andwantedthemhandy,andsothehensareback,andmoreofthem,andtheyexultsoeverymorningovertheeggstheylaythatifyouwantedtotalkofRockefellerinthebarbershopyoucouldn’thearhisnameforthecackling。

THREE

TheMarineExcursionsoftheKnightsofPythiasHalf—pastsixonaJulymorning!TheMariposaBelleisatthewharf,deckedinflags,withsteamupreadytostart。

Excursionday!

HalfpastsixonaJulymorning,andLakeWissanottilyinginthesunascalmasglass。Theopalcoloursofthemorninglightareshotfromthesurfaceofthewater。

Outonthelakethelastthinthreadsofthemistareclearingawaylikeflecksofcottonwool。

Thelongcalloftheloonechoesoverthelake。Theairiscoolandfresh。Thereisinitallthenewlifeofthelandofthesilentpineandthemovingwaters。LakeWissanottiinthemorningsunlight!Don’ttalktomeoftheItalianlakes,ortheTyrolortheSwissAlps。Takethemaway。Movethemsomewhereelse。Idon’twantthem。

ExcursionDay,athalfpastsixofasummermorning!WiththeboatalldeckedinflagsandallthepeopleinMariposaonthewharf,andthebandinpeakedcapswithbigcornetstiedtotheirbodiesreadytoplayatanyminute!Isay!Don’ttellmeabouttheCarnivalofVeniceandtheDelhiDurbar。Don’t!Iwouldn’tlookatthem。I’dshutmyeyes!ForlightandcolourgivemeeverytimeanexcursionoutofMariposadownthelaketotheIndian’sIslandoutofsightinthemorningmist。TalkofyourPapalZouavesandyourBuckinghamPalaceGuard!IwanttoseetheMariposabandinuniformandtheMariposaKnightsofPythiaswiththeirapronsandtheirinsigniaandtheirpicnicbasketsandtheirfive—centcigars!

Halfpastsixinthemorning,andallthecrowdonthewharfandtheboatduetoleaveinhalfanhour。Noticeit!——inhalfanhour。

Alreadyshe’swhistledtwice(atsix,andatsixfifteen),andatanyminutenow,ChristieJohnsonwillstepintothepilothouseandpullthestringforthewarningwhistlethattheboatwillleaveinhalfanhour。Sokeepready。Don’tthinkofrunningbacktoSmith’sHotelforthesandwiches。Don’tbefoolenoughtotrytogouptotheGreekStore,nexttoNetley’s,andbuyfruit。You’llbeleftbehindforsureifyoudo。Nevermindthesandwichesandthefruit!Anyway,herecomesMr。Smithhimselfwithahugebasketofprovenderthatwouldfeedafactory。Theremustbesandwichesinthat。IthinkIcanhearthemclinking。AndbehindMr。SmithistheGermanwaiterfromthecaffwithanotherbasket——indubitablylagerbeer;andbehindhim,thebar—tenderofthehotel,carryingnothing,asfarasonecansee。

ButofcourseifyouknowMariposayouwillunderstandthatwhyhelookssononchalantandempty—handedisbecausehehastwobottlesofryewhiskeyunderhislinenduster。Youknow,Ithink,thepeculiarwalkofamanwithtwobottlesofwhiskeyintheinsidepocketsofalinencoat。InMariposa,yousee,tobringbeertoanexcursionisquiteinkeepingwithpublicopinion。But,whiskey,——well,onehastobealittlecareful。

DoIsaythatMr。Smithishere?Why,everybody’shere。There’sHusselltheeditoroftheNewspacket,wearingablueribbononhiscoat,fortheMariposaKnightsofPythiasare,bytheirconstitution,dedicatedtotemperance;andthere’sHenryMullins,themanageroftheExchangeBank,alsoaKnightofPythias,withasmallflaskofPogram’sSpecialinhishippocketasasortofamendmenttotheconstitution。Andthere’sDeanDrone,theChaplainoftheOrder,withafishing—rod(youneversawsuchgreenbassaslieamongtherocksatIndian’sIsland),andwithatrollinglineincaseofmaskinonge,andalandingnetincaseofpickerel,andwithhiseldestdaughter,LilianDrone,incaseofyoungmen。ThereneverwassuchafishermanastheRev。RupertDrone。

PerhapsIoughttoexplainthatwhenIspeakoftheexcursionasbeingoftheKnightsofPythias,thethingmustnotbeunderstoodinanynarrowsense。InMariposapracticallyeverybodybelongstotheKnightsofPythiasjustastheydotoeverythingelse。That’sthegreatthingaboutthetownandthat’swhatmakesitsodifferentfromthecity。Everybodyisineverything。

YoushouldseethemontheseventeenthofMarch,forexample,wheneverybodywearsagreenribbonandthey’realllaughingandglad,——youknowwhattheCelticnatureis,——andtalkingaboutHomeRule。

OnSt。Andrew’sDayeverymanintownwearsathistleandshakeshandswitheverybodyelse,andyouseethefineoldScotchhonestybeamingoutoftheireyes。

AndonSt。George’sDay!——well,there’snoheartinesslikethegoodoldEnglishspirit,afterall;whyshouldn’tamanfeelgladthathe’sanEnglishman?

ThenontheFourthofJulytherearestarsandstripesflyingoverhalfthestoresintown,andsuddenlyallthemenareseentosmokecigars,andtoknowallaboutRooseveltandBryanandthePhilippineIslands。ThenyoulearnforthefirsttimethatJeffThorpe’speoplecamefromMassachusettsandthathisunclefoughtatBunkerHill(itmusthavebeenBunkerHill,——anywayJeffersonwillswearitwasinDakotaallrightenough);andyoufindthatGeorgeDuffhasamarriedsisterinRochesterandthatherhusbandisallright;infact,Georgewasdownthereasrecentlyaseightyearsago。Oh,it’sthemostAmericantownimaginableisMariposa,——onthefourthofJuly。

Butwait,justwait,ifyoufeelanxiousaboutthesolidityoftheBritishconnection,tillthetwelfthofthemonth,wheneverybodyiswearinganorangestreamerinhiscoatandtheOrangemen(everymanintown)walkinthebigprocession。Allegiance!Well,perhapsyouremembertheaddresstheygavetothePrinceofWalesontheplatformoftheMariposastationashewentthroughonhistourtothewest。I

thinkthatprettywellsettledthatquestion。SoyouwilleasilyunderstandthatofcourseeverybodybelongstotheKnightsofPythiasandtheMasonsandOddfellows,justastheyallbelongtotheSnowShoeClubandtheGirls’FriendlySociety。

Andmeanwhilethewhistleofthesteamerhasblownagainforaquartertoseven:——loudandlongthistime,foranyonenotherenowislateforcertain;unlessheshouldhappentocomedowninthelastfifteenminutes。

Whatacrowduponthewharfandhowtheypileontothesteamer!It’sawonderthattheboatcanholdthemall。Butthat’sjustthemarvellousthingabouttheMariposaBelle。

Idon’tknow,——Ihaveneverknown,——wherethesteamersliketheMariposaBellecomefrom。WhethertheyarebuiltbyHarlandandWolffofBelfast,orwhether,ontheotherhand,theyarenotbuiltbyHarlandandWolffofBelfast,ismorethanonewouldliketosayoffhand。

TheMariposaBellealwaysseemstometohavesomeofthosestrangepropertiesthatdistinguishMariposaitself。Imean,hersizeseemstovaryso。Ifyouseeherthereinthewinter,frozenintheicebesidethewharfwithasnowdriftagainstthewindowsofthepilothouse,shelooksapatheticlittlethingthesizeofabutternut。