第1章

PARTI TWELVESTORIES CONTENTS TheRedRosesofToniaRoundTheCircleTheRubberPlant’sStoryOutofNazarethConfessionsofaHumoristTheSparrowsinMadisonSquareHeartsandHandsTheCactusTheDetectiveDetectorTheDogandthePlayletALittleTalkAboutMobsTheSnowManTHEREDROSESOFTONIA AtrestleburneddownontheInternationalRailroad。Thesouth— boundfromSanAntoniowascutoffforthenextforty—eighthours。 OnthattrainwasToniaWeaver’sEasterhat。 Espirition，theMexican，whohadbeensentfortymilesinabuckboardfromtheEspinosaRanchtofetchit，returnedwithashruggingshoulderandhandsemptyexceptforacigarette。Atthesmallstation，Nopal，hehadlearnedofthedelayedtrainand，havingnocommandstowait，turnedhisponiestowardtheranchagain。 Now，ifonesupposesthatEaster，theGoddessofSpring，caresanymorefortheafter—churchparadeonFifthAvenuethanshedoesforherloyaloutfitofsubjectsthatassembleatthemeeting—houseatCactus，Tex。，amistakehasbeenmade。ThewivesanddaughtersoftheranchmenoftheFriocountryputforthEasterblossomsofnewhatsandgownsasfaithfullyasisdoneanywhere，andtheSouthwestis，foroneday，aminglingofpricklypear，Paris，andparadise。 AndnowitwasGoodFriday，andToniaWeaver’sEasterhatblushedunseeninthedesertairofanimpotentexpresscar，beyondtheburnedtrestle。OnSaturdaynoontheRogersgirls，fromtheShoestringRanch，andEllaReeves，fromtheAnchor—O，andMrs。 BennetandIda，fromGreenValley，wouldconveneattheEspinosaandpickupTonia。WiththeirEasterhatsandfrockscarefullywrappedandbundledagainstthedust，thefairaggregationwouldthenmerrilyjogthetenmilestoCactus，whereonthemorrowtheywouldarraythemselves，subjugateman，dohomagetoEaster，andcausejealousagitationamongtheliliesofthefield。 ToniasatonthestepsoftheEspinosaranchhouseflickinggloomilywithaquirtatatuftofcurlymesquite。Shedisplayedafrownandacontumeliouslip，andendeavoredtoradiateanauraofdisagreeablenessandtragedy。 \"Ihaterailroads，\"sheannouncedpositively。\"Andmen。Menpretendtorunthem。Canyougiveanyexcusewhyatrestleshouldburn？IdaBennet’shatistobetrimmedwithviolets。IshallnotgoonesteptowardCactuswithoutanewhat。IfIwereamanIwouldgetone。\" Twomenlisteneduneasilytothisdisparagementoftheirkind。OnewasWellsPearson，foremanoftheMuchoCalorcattleranch。TheotherwasThompsonBurrows，theprosperoussheepmanfromtheQuintanaValley。BoththoughtToniaWeaveradorable，especiallywhensherailedatrailroadsandmenacedmen。EitherwouldhavegivenuphisepidermistomakeforheranEasterhatmorecheerfullythantheostrichgivesuphistiportheaigrettelaysdownitslife。NeitherpossessedtheingenuitytoconceiveameansofsupplyingthesaddeficiencyagainstthecomingSabbath。Pearson’sdeepbrownfaceandsunburnedlighthairgavehimtheappearanceofaschoolboyseizedbyoneofyouth’sprofoundandinsolvablemelancholies。Tonia’splightgrievedhimthroughandthrough。ThompsonBurrowswasthemoreskilledandpliable。HehailedfromsomewhereintheEastoriginally； andheworenecktiesandshoes，andwasmadedumbbywoman’spresence。 \"Thebigwater—holeonSandyCreek，\"saidPearson，scarcelyhopingtomakeahit，\"wasfilledupbythatlastrain。\" \"Oh!Wasit？\"saidToniasharply。\"Thankyoufortheinformation。 Isupposeanewhatisnothingtoyou，Mr。Pearson。IsupposeyouthinkawomanoughttowearanoldStetsonfiveyearswithoutachange，asyoudo。Ifyouroldwater—holecouldhaveputoutthefireonthattrestleyoumighthavesomereasontotalkaboutit。\" \"Iamdeeplysorry，\"saidBurrows，warnedbyPearson’sfate，\"thatyoufailedtoreceiveyourhat，MissWeaver——deeplysorry，indeed。 IftherewasanythingIcoulddo——\" \"Don’tbother，\"interruptedTonia，withsweetsarcasm。\"Iftherewasanythingyoucoulddo，you’dbedoingit，ofcourse。Thereisn’t。\" Toniapaused。Asuddensparkleofhopehadcomeintohereye。Herfrownsmoothedaway。Shehadaninspiration。 \"There’sastoreoveratLoneElmCrossingontheNueces，\"shesaid，\"thatkeepshats。EvaRogersgothersthere。Shesaiditwasthelateststyle。Itmighthavesomeleft。Butit’stwenty—eightmilestoLoneElm。\" Thespursoftwomenwhohastilyarosejingled；andToniaalmostsmiled。TheKnights，then，werenotallturnedtodust；norweretheirrowelsrust。 \"Ofcourse，\"saidTonia，lookingthoughtfullyatawhitegulfcloudsailingacrosstheceruleandome，\"nobodycouldridetoLoneElmandbackbythetimethegirlscallbyformeto—morrow。So，IreckonI’llhavetostayathomethisEasterSunday。\" Andthenshesmiled。 \"Well，MissTonia，\"saidPearson，reachingforhishat，asguilefulasasleepingbabe。\"IreckonI’llbetrottingalongbacktoMuchoCalor。There’ssomecuttingouttobedoneonDryBranchfirstthinginthemorning；andmeandRoadRunnerhasgottobeonhand。It’stoobadyourhatgotsidetracked。Maybethey’llgetthattrestlemendedyetintimeforEaster。\" \"Imustberiding，too，MissTonia，\"announcedBurrows，lookingathiswatch。\"Ideclare，it’snearlyfiveo’clock!Imustbeoutatmylambingcampintimetohelppenthosecrazyewes。\" Tonia’ssuitorsseemedtohavebeensmittenwithaneedforhaste。 Theybadeheraceremoniousfarewell，andthenshookeachother’shandswiththeelaborateandsolemncourtesyoftheSouthwesterner。 \"HopeI’llseeyouagainsoon，Mr。Pearson，\"saidBurrows。 \"Samehere，\"saidthecowman，withtheseriousfaceofonewhosefriendgoesuponawhalingvoyage。\"BegratifiedtoseeyourideovertoMuchoCaloranytimeyoustrikethatsectionoftherange。\" PearsonmountedRoadRunner，thesoundestcow—ponyontheFrio，andlethimpitchforaminute，ashealwaysdidonbeingmounted，evenattheendofaday’stravel。 \"Whatkindofahatwasthat，MissTonia，\"hecalled，\"thatyouorderedfromSanAntone？Ican’thelpbutbesorryaboutthathat。\" \"Astraw，\"saidTonia；\"thelatestshape，ofcourse；trimmedwithredroses。That’swhatIlike——redroses。\" \"There’snocolormorebecomingtoyourcomplexionandhair，\"saidBurrows，admiringly。 \"It’swhatIlike，\"saidTonia。\"Andofalltheflowers，givemeredroses。Keepallthepinksandbluesforyourself。Butwhat’stheuse，whentrestlesburnandleaveyouwithoutanything？It’llbeadryoldEasterforme!\" PearsontookoffhishatanddroveRoadBunneratagallopintothechaparraleastoftheEspinosaranchhouse。 AshisstirrupsrattledagainstthebrushBurrows’slong—leggedsorrelstruckoutdownthenarrowstretchofopenprairietothesouthwest。 Toniahungupherquirtandwentintothesitting—room。 \"I’mmightysorry，daughter，thatyoudidn’tgetyourhat，\"saidhermother。 \"Oh，don’tworry，mother，\"saidTonia，coolly。\"I’llhaveanewhat，allright，intimeto—morrow。\" WhenBurrowsreachedtheendofthestripofprairiehepulledhissorreltotherightandlethimpickhiswaydaintilyacrossasacuistaflatthroughwhichrantheragged，drybedofanarroyo。 Thenupagravellyhill，mattedwithbush，thehoarsescrambled，andatlengthemerged，withasnortofsatisfactionintoastretchofhigh，levelprairie，grassyanddottedwiththelightergreenofmesquitesintheirfreshspringfoliage。AlwaystotherightBurrowsbore，untilinalittlewhilehestrucktheoldIndiantrailthatfollowedtheNuecessouthward，andthatpassed，twenty—eightmilestothesoutheast，throughLoneElm。 HereBurrowsurgedthesorrelintoasteadylope。Ashesettledhimselfinthesaddleforalongrideheheardthedrummingofhoofs，thehollow\"thwack\"ofchaparralagainstwoodenstirrups，thewhoopofaComanche；andWellsPearsonburstoutofthebrushattherightofthetraillikeaprecociousyellowchickfromadarkgreenEasteregg。 ExceptinthepresenceofawingfemininitymelancholyfoundnoplaceinPearson’sbosom。InTonia’spresencehisvoicewasassoftasasummerbullfrog’sinhisreedynest。Now，athisgleesomeyawp，rabbits，amileaway，duckedtheirears，andsensitiveplantsclosedtheirfearfulfronds。 \"Movedyourlambingcampprettyfarfromtheranch，haven’tyou，neighbor？\"askedPearson，asRoadRunnerfellinatthesorrel’sside。 \"Twenty—eightmiles，\"saidBurrows，lookingalittlegrim。Pearson’slaughwokeanowlonehourtooearlyinhiswater—elmontheriverbank，halfamileaway。 \"Allrightforyou，sheepman。Ilikeanopengame，myself。We’retwolocoedhe—millinershat—huntinginthewilderness。Inotifyyou。 Burr，tomindyourcorrals。We’vegotanevenstart，andtheonethatgetstheheadgearwillstandsomehigherattheEspinosa。\" \"You’vegotagoodpony，\"saidBurrows，eyeingRoadRunner’sbarrel— likebodyandtaperinglegsthatmovedasregularlyasthepistonrodofanengine。\"It’sarace，ofcourse；butyou’retoomuchofahorsemantowhoopitupthissoon。Saywetraveltogethertillwegettothehomestretch。\" \"I’myourcompany，\"agreedPearson，\"andIadmireyoursense。Ifthere’shatsatLoneElm，oneof’emshallsetonMissTonia’sbrowto—morrow，andyouwon’tbeatthecrowning。Iain’tbragging，Burr，butthatsorrelofyoursisweakinthefore—legs。\" \"Myhorseagainstyours，\"offeredBurrows，\"thatMissToniawearsthehatItakehertoCactusto—morrow。\" \"I’lltakeyouup，\"shoutedPearson。\"Butoh，it’sjustlikehorse— stealingforme!Icanusethatsorrelforalady’sanimalwhen—— whensomebodycomesovertoMuchoCalor，and——\" Burrows’darkfacegloweredsosuddenlythatthecowmanbrokeoffhissentence。ButPearsoncouldneverfeelanypressureforlong。 \"What’sallthisEasterbusinessabout，Burr？\"heasked，cheerfully。 \"Whydothewomenfolkshavetohavenewhatsbythealmanacorbustallcinchestryingtoget’em？\" \"It’saseasonablestatuteoutofthetestaments，\"explainedBurrows。 \"It’sorderedbythePopeorsomebody。AndithassomethingtodowiththeZodiacIdon’tknowexactly，butIthinkitwasinventedbytheEgyptians。\" \"It’sanall—rightjubileeiftheheathensdidputtheirbrandonit，\"saidPearson；\"orelseToniawouldn’thaveanythingtodowithit。Andtheypullitoffatchurch，too。Supposethereain’tbutonehatintheLoneElmstore，Burr!\" \"Then，\"saidBurrows，darkly，\"thebestmanofus’lltakeitbacktotheEspinosa。\" \"Oh，man!\"criedPearson，throwinghishathighandcatchingitagain，\"there’snothinglikeyoucomeoffthesheeprangesbefore。 Youtalkgoodandcollateraltotheoccasion。Andifthere’smorethanone？\" \"Then，\"saidBurrows，\"we’llpickourchoiceandoneofus’llgetbackfirstwithhisandtheotherwon’t。\" \"Thereneverwastwosouls，\"proclaimedPearsontothestars，\"thatbeatmorelikeoneheartthanyournandmine。Meandyoumightberidingonaunicornandthinkingoutofthesamepieceofmind。\" AtalittlepastmidnighttheriderslopedintoLoneElm。Thehalfahundredhousesofthebigvillageweredark。Onitsonlystreetthebigwoodenstorestoodbarredandshuttered。 InafewmomentsthehorseswerefastenedandPearsonwaspoundingcheerfullyonthedoorofoldSutton，thestorekeeper。 ThebarrelofaWinchestercamethroughacrannyofasolidwindowshutterfollowedbyashortinquiry。 \"WellsPearson，oftheMuchoCalor，andBurrows，ofGreenValley，\" wastheresponse。\"Wewanttobuysomegoodsinthestore。Sorrytowakeyouupbutwemusthave’em。Comeonout，VncleTommy，andgetamoveonyou。\" UncleTommywasslow，butatlengththeygothimbehindhiscounterwithakerosenelamplit，andtoldhimoftheirdireneed。 \"Easterhats？\"saidUncleTommy，sleepily。\"Why，yes，IbelieveI havegotjustacoupleleft。Ionlyorderedadozenthisspring。 I’llshow’emtoyou。\" Now，UncleTommySuttonwasamerchant，halfasleeporawake。Industypasteboardboxesunderthecounterhehadtwoleft—overspringhats。But，alas!forhiscommercialprobityonthatearlySaturdaymorn——theywerehatsoftwospringsago，andawoman’seyewouldhavedetectedthefraudathalfaglance。ButtotheunintelligentgazeofthecowpuncherandthesheepmantheyseemedfreshfromthemintofcontemporaneousApril。 Thehatswereofavarietyonceknownas\"cart—wheels。\"Theywereofstiffstraw，coloredred，andflatbrimmed。Bothwereexactlyalike，andtrimmedlavishlyaroundtheircrownswithfullblown，immaculate，artificialwhiteroses。 \"Thatallyougot，UncleTommy？\"saidPearson。\"Allright。Notmuchchoicehere，Burr。Takeyourpick。\" \"They’rethelateststyles\"liedUncleTommy。\"You’dsee’emonFifthAvenue，ifyouwasinNewYork。\" UncleTommywrappedandtiedeachhatintwoyardsofdarkcalicoforaprotection。OnePearsontiedcarefullytohiscalfskinsaddle— thongs；andtheotherbecamepartofRoadRunner’sburden。TheyshoutedthanksandfarewellstoUncleTommy，andcanteredbackintothenightonthehomestretch。 Thehorsemenjockeyedwithalltheirskill。Theyrodemoreslowlyontheirwayback。Thefewwordstheyspokewerenotunfriendly。 BurrowshadaWinchesterunderhisleftlegslungoverhissaddlehorn。Pearsonhadasixshooterbeltedaroundhim。ThusmenrodeintheFriocountry。 Athalf—pastseveninthemorningtheyrodetothetopofahillandsawtheEspinosaRanch，awhitespotunderadarkpatchoflive—oaks，fivemilesaway。 ThesightrousedPearsonfromhisdroopingposeinthesaddle。 HeknewwhatRoadRunnercoulddo。Thesorrelwaslathered，andstumblingfrequently；RoadRunnerwaspeggingawaylikeadonkeyengine。 Pearsonturnedtowardthesheepmanandlaughed。\"Good—bye，Burr，\"hecried，withawaveofhishand。\"It’saracenow。We’reonthehomestretch。\" HepressedRoadRunnerwithhiskneesandleanedtowardtheEspinosa。 RoadRunnerstruckintoagallop，withtossingheadandsnortingnostrils，asifhewerefreshfromamonthinpasture。 PearsonrodetwentyyardsandheardtheunmistakablesoundofaWinchesterleverthrowingacartridgeintothebarrel。Hedroppedflatalonghishorse’sbackbeforethecrackoftheriflereachedhisears。 ItispossiblethatBurrowsintendedonlytodisablethehorse—— hewasagoodenoughshottodothatwithoutendangeringhisrider。 ButasPearsonstoopedtheballwentthroughhisshoulderandthenthroughRoadRunner’sneck。Thehorsefellandthecowmanpitchedoverhisheadintothehardroad，andneitherofthemtriedtomove。 Burrowsrodeonwithoutstopping。 IntwohoursPearsonopenedhiseyesandtookinventory。HemanagedtogettohisfeetandstaggeredbacktowhereRoadRunnerwaslying。 RoadRunnerwaslyingthere，butheappearedtobecomfortable。 Pearsonexaminedhimandfoundthatthebullethad\"creased\"him。 Hehadbeenknockedouttemporarily，butnotseriouslyhurt。Buthewastired，andhelaythereonMissTonia’shatandateleavesfromamesquitebranchthatobliginglyhungovertheroad。 Pearsonmadethehorsegetup。TheEasterhat，loosedfromthesaddle—thongs，laythereinitscalicowrappings，ashapelessthingfromitssojournbeneaththesolidcarcassofRoadRunner。ThenPearsonfaintedandfellheadlonguponthepoorhatagain，crumplingitunderhiswoundedshoulders。 Itishardtokillacowpuncher。Inhalfanhourherevived——longenoughforawomantohavefaintedtwiceandtriedice—creamforarestorer。HegotupcarefullyandfoundRoadRunnerwhowasbusywiththenear—bygrass。Hetiedtheunfortunatehattothesaddleagain，andmanagedtogethimselfthere，too，aftermanyfailures。 AtnoonagayandflutteringcompanywaitedinfrontoftheEspinosaRanch。TheRogersgirlswerethereintheirnewbuckboard，andtheAnchor—OoutfitandtheGreenValleyfolks——mostlywomen。AndeachandeveryoneworehernewEasterhat，evenuponthelonelyprairies，fortheygreatlydesiredtoshineforthanddohonortothecomingfestival。 AtthegatestoodTonia。withundisguisedtearsuponhercheeks。 InherhandsheheldBurrow’sLoneElmhat，anditwasatitswhiteroses，hatedbyher，thatshewept。Forherfriendsweretellingher，withtheecstaticjoyoftruefriends，thatcart—wheelscouldnotbeworn，beingthreeseasonspassedintooblivion。 \"Putonyouroldhatandcome，Tonia，\"theyurged。 \"ForEasterSunday？\"sheanswered。\"I’lldiefirst。\"Andweptagain。 Thehatsofthefortunateoneswerecurvedandtwistedintothestyleofspring’slatestproclamation。 Astrangebeingrodeoutofthebrushamongthem，andtheresathishorselanguidly。Hewasstainedanddisfiguredwiththegreenofthegrassandthelimestoneofrockyroads。 \"Hallo，Pearson，\"saidDaddyWeaver。\"Looklikeyou’vebeenbreakingamustang。What’sthatyou’vegottiedtoyoursaddle——apiginapoke？\" \"Oh，comeon，Tonia，ifyou’regoing，\"saidBettyRogers。\"Wemustn’twaitanylonger。We’vesavedaseatinthebuckboardforyou。Nevermindthehat。Thatlovelymuslinyou’vegotonlookssweetenoughwithanyoldhat。\" Pearsonwasslowlyuntyingthequeerthingonhissaddle。Tonialookedathimwithasuddenhope。Pearsonwasamanwhocreatedhope。Hegotthethinglooseandhandedittoher。Herquickfingerstoreatthestrings。 \"BestIcoulddo，\"saidPearsonslowly。\"WhatRoadRunnerandmedonetoitwillbeaboutallitneeds。\" \"Oh，oh!it’sjusttherightshape，\"shriekedTonia。\"Andredroses! WaittillItryiton!\" Sheflewintotheglass，andoutagain，beaming，radiating，blossomed。 \"Oh，don’tredbecomeher？\"chantedthegirlsinrecitative。\"Hurryup，Tonia!\" ToniastoppedforamomentbythesideofRoadRunner。 \"Thankyou，thankyou，Wells，\"shesaid，happily。\"It’sjustwhatIwanted。Won’tyoucomeovertoCactusto—morrowandgotochurchwithme？\" \"IfIcan，\"saidPearson。Hewaslookingcuriouslyatherhat，andthenhegrinnedweakly。 Toniaflewintothebuckboardlikeabird。ThevehiclesspedawayforCactus。 \"Whathaveyoubeendoing，Pearson？\"askedDaddyWeaver。\"Youain’tlookingsowellascommon。\" \"Me？\"saidPearson。\"I’vebeenpaintingflowers。ThemroseswaswhitewhenIleftLoneElm。Helpmedown，DaddyWeaver，forI haven’tgotanymorepainttospare。\" ROUNDTHECIRCLE [Thisstoryisespeciallyinterestingasanearlytreatment（1902） ofthethemeafterwarddevelopedwithasurerhandinThePendulum。] \"Findyo’shirtallright，Sam？\"askedMrs。Webber，fromherchairunderthelive—oak，whereshewascomfortablyseatedwithapaper— backvolumeforcompany。 \"Itbalancesperfeckly，Marthy，\"answeredSam，withasuspiciouspleasantnessinhistone。\"AtfirstIwasaboutterbealittlerecklessandkick’causetherbuttonswasalloff，butsinceI diskiverthatthebuttonholesisallbustedout，why，Iwouldn’tgosofurastosaythebuttonsisanylosstospeakof。\" \"Oh，well，\"saidhiswife，carelessly，\"putonyournecktie——that’llkeepittogether。\" SamWebber’ssheepranchwassituatedintheloneliestpartofthecountrybetweentheNuecesandtheFrio。Theranchhouse——atwo—roomboxstructure——wasontheriseofagentlyswellinghillinthemidstofawildernessofhighchaparral。Infrontofitwasasmallclearingwherestoodthesheeppens，shearingshed，andwoolhouse。 Onlyafewfeetbackofitbeganthethornyjungle。 SamwasgoingtorideovertotheChapmanranchtoseeaboutbuyingsomemoreimprovedmerinorams。Atlengthhecameout，readyforhisride。Thisbeingabusinesstripofsomeimportance，andtheChapmanranchbeingalmostasmalltowninpopulationandsize，Samhaddecidedto\"dressup\"accordingly。Theresultwasthathehadtransformedhimselffromagraceful，picturesquefrontiersmanintosomethingmuchlesspleasingtothesight。Thetightwhitecollarawkwardlyconstrictedhismuscular，mahogany—coloredneck。Thebuttonlessshirtbulgedinstiffwavesbeneathhisunbuttonedvest。 Thesuitof\"ready—made\"effectuallyconcealedthefinelinesofhisstraight，athleticfigure。Hisberry—brownfacewassettothemelancholydignitybefittingaprisonerofstate。HegaveRandy，histhree—year—oldson，apatonthehead，andhurriedouttowhereMexico，hisfavoritesaddlehorse，wasstanding。 Marthy，leisurelyrockinginherchair，fixedherplaceinthebookwithherfinger，andturnedherhead，smilingmischievouslyasshenotedthehavocSamhadwroughtwithhisappearanceintryingto\"fixup。\" ~Well，efImustsayit，Sam，\"shedrawled，\"youlookjestlikeoneofthemhayseedsinthepicturepapers，’steadofafreeandindependentsheepmanoftheStateo’Texas。\" Samclimbedawkwardlyintothesaddle。 \"You’retheoneoughttobe’shamedtosayso，\"herepliedhotly。 \"’Steadof’tendin’toaman’sclothesyou’real’ayssettingarounda—readin’thembilly—by—damyaller—backnovils。\" \"Oh，shetupandridealong，\"saidMrs。Webber，withalittlejerkatthehandlesofherchair；\"youalwaysfussin’’boutmyreadin’。Idoa—plenty；andI’llreadwhenIwanter。Iliveinthebreshherelikeavarmint，neverseein’norhearin’nothin’，andwhatother’musementkinIhave？Notinlistenin’toyoutalk，forit’scomplain，complain，onedayafteranother。Oh，goon，Sam，andleavemeinpeace。\" Samgavehisponyasqueezewithhiskneesand\"shoved\"downthewagontrailthatconnectedhisranchwiththeold，openGovernmentroad。Itwaseighto’clock，andalreadybeginningtobeverywarm。 Heshouldhavestartedthreehoursearlier。Chapmanranchwasonlyeighteenmilesaway，buttherewasaroadforonlythreemilesofthedistance。HehadriddenoverthereoncewithoneoftheHalf—Mooncowpunchers，andhehadthedirectionwell—definedinhismind。 SamturnedofftheoldGovernmentroadatthesplitmesquite，andstruckdownthearroyooftheQuintanilla。Herewasanarrowstretchofsmilingvalley，upholsteredwitharichmatofgreen，curlymesquitegrass；andMexicoconsumedthosefewmilesquicklywithhislong，easylope。Again，uponreachingWildDuckWaterhole，mustheabandonwell—definedways。Heturnednowtohisrightupalittlehill，pebble—covered，uponwhichgrewonlythetenaciousandthornypricklypearandchaparral。Atthesummitofthishepausedtotakehislastgeneralviewofthelandscapefor，fromnowon，hemustwindthroughbrakesandthicketsofchaparral，pear，andmesquite，forthemostpartseeingscarcelyfartherthantwentyyardsinanydirection，choosinghiswaybytheprairie—dweller’sinstinct，guidedonlybyanoccasionalglimpseofafardistanthilltop，apeculiarlyshapedknotoftrees，orthepositionofthesun。 SamrodedowntheslopinghillandplungedintothegreatpearflatthatliesbetweentheQuintanillaandthePiedra。 Inabouttwohourshediscoveredthathewaslost。Thencametheusualconfusionofmindandthehurrytogetsomewhere。Mexicowasanxioustoredeemthesituation，twistingwithalacrityalongthetortuouslabyrinthsofthejungle。Atthemomenthismaster’ssurenessoftheroutehadfailedhishorsehaddivinedthefact。 Therewerenohillsnowthattheycouldclimbtoobtainaviewofthecountry。Theycameuponafew，butsodenseandinterlacedwasthebrushthatscarcelycouldarabbitpenetratethemass。Theywereinthegreat，lonelythicketoftheFriobottoms。 Itwasamerenothingforacattlemanorasheepmantobelostforadayoranight。Thethingoftenhappened。Itwasmerelyamatterofmissingamealortwoandsleepingcomfortablyonyoursaddleblanketsonasoftmattressofmesquitegrass。ButinSam’scaseitwasdifferent。Hehadneverbeenawayfromhisranchatnight。 Marthywasafraidofthecountry——afraidofMexicans，ofsnakes，ofpanthers，evenofsheep。Sohehadneverleftheralone。 ItmusthavebeenaboutfourintheafternoonwhenSam’sconscienceawoke。Hewaslimpanddrenched，ratherfromanxietythantheheatorfatigue。UntilnowhehadbeenhopingtostrikethetrailthatledtotheFriocrossingandtheChapmanranch。Hemusthavecrosseditatsomedimpartofitandriddenbeyond。Ifsohewasnowsomethinglikefiftymilesfromhome。Ifhecouldstrikearanch——acamp——anyplacewherehecouldgetafreshhorseandinquiretheroad，hewouldrideallnighttogetbacktoMarthyandthekid。 So，Ihavehinted，Samwasseizedbvremorse。Therewasabiglumpinhisthroatashethoughtofthecrosswordshehadspokentohiswife。Surelyitwashardenoughforhertoliveinthathorriblecountrywitnouthavingtobeartheburdenofhisabuse。Hecursedhimselfgrimly，andfeltasuddenflushofshamethatover—glowedthesummerheatasherememberedthemanytimeshehadfloutedandrailedatherbecauseshehadalikingforreadingfiction。 \"Theronlyso’ceovamusementtherpo’gal’sgot，\"saidSamaloud，withasob，whichunaccustomedsoundcausedMexicotoshyabit。 A—livinwithasore—headedkiotelikeme——alow—downskunkthatoughttobelickedtodeathwithasaddlecinch——a—cookin’anda—washin’ anda—livin’onmuttonandbeansandmeabusin’herfurtakin’asquintortwoinalittlebook!\" HethoughtofMarthyasshehadbeenwhenhefirstmetherinDogtown——smart，pretty，andsaucy——beforethesunhadturnedtherosesinhercheeksbrownandthesilenceofthechaparralhadtamedherambitions。 \"EfIeverspeaksanotherhardwordtotherlittlegal，\"mutteredSam，\"orfailsintheloveandaffectionthat’scomingtoherinthedeal，Ihopesawildcat’llt’armetopieces。\" Heknewwhathewoulddo。HewouldwritetoGarcia&Jones，hisSanAntoniomerchantswhereheboughthissuppliesandsoldhiswool，andhavethemsenddownabigboxofnovelsandreadingmatterforMarthy。 Thingsweregoingtobedifferent。Hewonderedwhetheralittlepianocouldbeplacedinoneoftheroomsoftheranchhousewithoutthefamilyhavingtomoveoutofdoors。 Innowisecalculatedtoallayhisself—reproachwasthethoughtthatMarthyandRandywouldhavetopassthenightalone。Inspiteoftheirbickerings，whennightcameMarthywaswonttodismissherfearsofthecountry，andrestherheaduponSam’sstrongarmwithasighofpeacefulcontentanddependence。Andwereherfearssogroundless？ Samthoughtofroving，maraudingMexicans，ofstealthycougarsthatsometimesinvadedtheranches，ofrattlesnakes，centipedes，andadozenpossibledangers。Marthywouldbefranticwithfear。Randywouldcry，andcallfordadatocome。 Stilltheinterminablesuccessionofstretchesofbrush，cactus，andmesquite。Hollowafterhollow，slopeafterslope——allexactlyalike——allfamiliarbyconstantrepetition，andyetallstrangeandnew。 Ifhecouldonlyarrive~somewhere。~ ThestraightlineisArt。Naturemovesincircles。A straightforwardmanismoreanartificialproductthanadiplomatistis。Menlostinthesnowtravelinexactcirclesuntiltheysink，exhausted，astheirfootprintshaveattested。Also，travellersinphilosophyandothermentalprocessesfrequentlywindupattheirstarting—point。 ItwaswhenSamWebberwasfullestofcontritionandgoodresolvesthatMexico，withaheavysigh，subsidedfromhisregular，brisktrotintoaslowcomplacentwalk。Theywerewindingupaneasyslopecoveredwithbrushtenortwelvefeethigh。 \"Isaynow，Mex，\"demurredSam，\"thisherewon’tdo。Iknowyou’replumbtiredout，butwegottergitalong。Oh，Lordy，ain’ttherenomo’housesintheworld!\"HegaveMexicoasmartkickwithhisheels。 Mexicogaveaprotestinggruntasiftosay：\"What’stheuseofthat，nowwe’resonear？\"Hequickenedhisgaitintoalanguidtrot。 Roundingagreatclumpofblackchaparralhestoppedshort。Samdroppedthebridlereinsandsat，lookingintothebackdoorofhisownhouse，nottenyardsaway。 Marthy，sereneandcomfortable，satinherrocking—chairbeforethedoorintheshadeofthehouse，withherfeetrestingluxuriouslyuponthesteps。Randy，whowasplayingwithapairofspursontheground，lookedupforamomentathisfatherandwentonspinningtherowelsandsingingalittlesong。Marthyturnedherheadlazilyagainstthebackofthechairandconsideredthearrivalswithemotionlesseyes。Sheheldabookinherlapwithherfingerholdingtheplace。 Samshookhimselfqueerly，likeamancomingoutofadream，andslowlydismounted。Hemoistenedhisdrylips。 \"Iseeyouarestilla—settin’，\"hesaid，\"a—readin’ofthembilly— by—damyaller—backnovils。\" Samhadtraveledroundthecircleandwashimselfagain。 THERUBBERPLANT’SSTORY WerubberplantsformtheconnectinglinkbetweenthevegetablekingdomandthedecorationsofaWaldorf—AstoriasceneinaThirdAvenuetheatre。Ihaven’tlookedupourfamilytree，butIbelievewewereraisedbygraftingagumovershoeontoa30—centtabled’hotestalkofasparagus。YoutakeawhitebulldogwithaBourkeCockranairofindependenceabouthimandarubberplantandthereyouhavethefaunaandfloraofaflat。WhattheshamrockistoIrelandtherubberplantistothedwellerinflatsandfurnishedrooms。Wegetmovedfromoneplacetoanothersoquicklythattheonlywaywecangetourpicturetakeniswithakinetoscope。Wearethevagrantvineandtheflittingfigtree。Youknowtheproverb： \"Wheretherubberplantsitsinthewindowthemovingvandrawsuptothedoor。\" Wearethecityequivalenttothewoodbineandthehoneysuckle。NoothervegetableexceptthePittsburgstogiecanwithstandasmuchhandlingaswecan。Whenthefamilytowhichwebelongmovesintoaflattheysetusinthefrontwindowandwebecomelaresandpenates，fly—paperandtheperipateticemblemof\"HomeSweetHome。\" Wearen’tasgreenaswelook。Iguessweareaboutwhatyouwouldcallthesoubrettesoftheconservatory。Youtrysittinginthefrontwindowofa$40flatinManhattanandlookingoutintothestreetallday，andbackintotheflatatnight，andseewhetheryougetwiseornot——hey？TalkaboutthetreeofknowledgeofgoodandevilinthegardenofEden——say!supposetherehadbeenarubberplanttherewhenEve——butIwasgoingtotellyouastory。 ThefirstthingIcanrememberIhadonlythreeleavesandbelongedtoamemberoftheponyballet。Iwaskeptinasunnywindow，andwasgenerallywateredwithseltzerandlemon。Ihadplentyoffuninthosedays。Igotcross—eyedtryingtowatchthenumbersoftheautomobilesinthestreetandthedatesonthelabelsinsideatthesametime。 Well，thentheangelthatwasmoltingforthemusicalcomedylosthislastfeatherandthecompanybrokeup。TheponiestrottedawayandI wasleftinthewindowownerless。Thejanitorgavemetoarefinedcomedyteamontheeighthfloor，andinsixweeksIhadbeensetinthewindowoffivedifferentflatsItookonexperienceandputouttwomoreleaves。 MissCarruthers，oftherefinedcomedyteam——didyoueverseehercrossbothfeetbackofherneck？——gavemetoafriendofherswhohadmadeanunfortunatemarriagewithamaninastore。ConsequentlyIwasplacedinthewindowofafurnishedroom，rentinadvance，watertwoflightsup，gasextraafterteno’clockatnight。Twoofmyleaveswitheredoffhere。Also，IwasmovedfromoneroomtoanothersomanytimesthatIgottolikingtheodorofthepipestheexpressmensmoked。 Idon’tthinkIeverhadsodullatimeasIdidwiththislady。 Therewasneveranythingamusinggoingoninside——shewasdevotedtoherhusband，and，besidesleaningoutthewindowandflirtingwiththeiceman，sheneverdidathingtowardbreakingthemonotony。 Whenthecouplebrokeuptheyleftmewiththerestoftheirgoodsatasecond—handstore。Iwasputoutinfrontforsalealongwiththejobbiestlotyoueverheardofbeinglumpedintoonebargain。Thinkofthislittlecornucopiaofwonders，allfor$1。89：HenryJames’sworks，sixtalkingmachinerecords，onepairoftennisshoes，twobottlesofhorseradish，andarubberplant——thatwasme! Oneafternoonagirlcamealongandstoppedtolookatme。Shehaddarkhairandeyes，andshelookedslim，andsadaroundthemouth。 \"Oh，oh!\"shesaystoherself。\"Ineverthoughttoseeoneuphere。\" Shepullsoutalittlepurseaboutasthickasoneofmyleavesandfingersoversomesmallsilverinit。OldKoen，alwaysonthelockout，isready，rubbinghishands。ThisgirlproceedstoturndownMr。Jamesandtheothercommodities。Rubberplantsornothingistheburdenofhersong。AndatlastKoenandshecometogetherat39cents，andawayshegoeswithmeinherarms。 Shewasanicegirl，butnotmystyle。Tooquietandsoberlooking。 ThinksItomyself：\"I’lljustaboutlandonthefire—escapeofatenement，sixstoriesup。AndI’llspendthenextsixmonthslookingatclothesontheline。\" Butshecarriedmetoanicelittleroomonlythreeflightsupinquiteadecentstreet。Andsheputmeinthewindow，ofcourse。Andthenshewenttoworkandcookeddinnerforherself。Andwhatdoyousupposeshehad？Breadandteaandalittledabofjam!Nothingelse。Notasinglelobster，norsomuchasonebottleofchampagne。 TheCarrutherscomedyteamhadbotheveryevening，exceptnowandthenwhentheytookanotionforpig’sknuckleandkraut。 Aftershehadfinishedherdinnermynewownercametothewindowandleaneddownclosetomyleavesandcriedsoftlytoherselfforawhile。Itmademefeelfunny。Ineverknewanybodytocrythatwayoverarubberplantbefore。Ofcourse，I’veseenafewof’emturnonthetearsforwhattheycouldgetoutofit，butsheseemedtobecryingjustforthepureenjoymentofit。Shetouchedmyleaveslikesheloved’em，andshebentdownherheadandkissedeachoneof’em。 IguessI’maboutthetoughestspecimenofaperipateticorchidonearth，butItellyouitmademefeelsortofqueer。Homeneverwaslikethattomebefore。GenerallyIusedtogetchewedbypoodlesandhaveshirt—waistshungonmetodry，andgetwateredwithcoffeegroundsandperoxideofhydrogen。 Thisgirlhadapianointheroom，andsheusedtodisturbitwithbothhandswhileshemadenoiseswithhermouthforhoursatatime。 Isupposeshewaspractisingvocalmusic。 Onedaysheseemedverymuchexcitedandkeptlookingattheclock。 Atelevensomebodyknockedandsheletinastout，darkmanwithtowsledblackhair。Hesatdownatonceatthepianoandplayedwhileshesangforhim。Whenshefinishedshelaidonehandonherbosomandlookedathim。Heshookhishead，andsheleanedagainstthepiano。\"Twoyearsalready，\"shesaid，speakingslowly——\"doyouthinkintwomore——orevenlonger？\" Themanshookhisheadagain。\"Youwasteyourtime，\"hesaid，roughlyIthought。\"Thevoiceisnotthere。\"Andthenhelookedatherinapeculiarway。\"Butthevoiceisnoteverything，\"hewenton。\"Youhavelooks。Icanplaceyou，asItoldyouif——\" Thegirlpointedtothedoorwithoutsayinganything，andthedarkmanlefttheroom。Andthenshecameoverandcriedaroundmeagain。 It’sagoodthingIhadenoughrubberinmetobewater—proof。 Aboutthattimesomebodyelseknockedatthedoor。\"Thankgoodness，\" Isaidtomyself。\"Here’sachancetogetthewater—worksturnedoff。Ihopeit’ssomebodythat’sgameenoughtostandabirdandabottletoliventhingsupalittle。\"Tellyouthetruth，thislittlegirlmademetired。Arubberplantlikestoseealittlesportnowandthen。Idon’tsupposethere’sanothergreenthinginNewYorkthatseesasmuchofgaylifeunlessit’sthechartreuseorthesprigsofparsleyaroundthedish。 Whenthegirlopensthedoorinstepsayoungchapinatravelingcapandpicksherupinhisarms，andshesingsout\"Oh，Dick!\"andstaystherelongenoughto——well，you’vebeenarubberplanttoo，sometimes，Isuppose。 \"Goodthing!\"saysItomyself。\"Thisislivelierthanscalesandweeping。Nowthere’llbesomethingdoing。\" \"You’vegottogobackwithme，\"saystheyoungman。\"I’vecometwothousandmilesforyou。Aren’tyoutiredofityet。Bess？You’vekeptallofuswaitingsolong。Haven’tyoufoundoutyetwhatisbest？\" \"Thebubbleburstonlyto—day，\"saysthegirl。\"Comehere，Dick，andseewhatIfoundtheotherdayonthesidewalkforsale。\"Shebringshimbythehandandexhibitsyourstruly。\"Howoneevergotawayupherewhocantell？IboughtitwithalmostthelastmoneyIhad。\" Helookedatme，buthecouldn’tkeephiseyesoffherformorethanasecond。\"Doyourememberthenight，Bess，\"hesaid，\"whenwestoodunderoneofthoseonthebankofthebayouandwhatyoutoldmethen？\" \"Geewillikins!\"Isaidtomyself。\"Bothofthemstandunderarubberplant!Seemstometheyarestretchingmatterssomewhat!\" \"DoInot，\"saysshe，lookingupathimandsneakingclosetohisvest，\"andnowIsayitagain，anditistolastforever。Look，Dick，atitsleaves，howwettheyare。Thosearemytears，anditwasthinkingofyouthatmadethemfall。\" \"Thedearoldmagnolias!\"saystheyoungman，pinchingoneofmyleaves。\"Ilovethemall。\" Magnolia!Well，wouldn’tthat——say!thoseinnocentsthoughtIwasamagnolia!Whatthe——well，wasn’tthattoughonagenuinelittleoldNewYorkrubberplant？ OUTOFNAZARETH Okochee，inGeorgia，hadaboom，andJ。PinkneyBloomcameoutofitwitha\"wad。\"Okocheecameoutofitwithahalf—million—dollardebt，atwoandahalfpercent。citypropertytax，andacitycouncilthatshowedapropensityfortravelingthebackstreetsofthetown。ThesethingscameaboutthroughafatalresemblanceoftheriverCooloosatotheHudson，assetforthandexpoundedbyaNortherntourist。OkocheefeltthatNewYorkshouldnotbeallowedtoconsideritselftheonlyalligatorintheswamp，sotospeak。Andthenthatharmless，butpersistent，individualsonumerousintheSouth——themanwhoisalwaysclamoringformorecottonmills，andisreadytotakeadollar’sworthofstock，providedhecanborrowthedollar——thatmanaddedhisdeadlyworktothetourist’sinnocentpraise，andOkocheefell。 TheCooloosaRiverwindsthrougharangeofsmallmountains，passesOkocheeandthenblendsitswaterstrippingly，asfallthemellifluousIndiansyllables，withtheChattahoochee。 Okocheerose，asitwere，fromitssunnyseatonthepost—officestoop，hitchedupitssuspender，andthrewagranitedamtwohundredandfortyfeetlongandsixtyfeethighacrosstheCooloosaonemileabovethetown。Thereupon，adimpling，sparklinglakebackeduptwentymilesamongthelittlemountains。ThusinthegreatgameofmunicipalrivalrydidOkocheematchthatfamousdrawingcard，theHudson。ItwasconcededthatnowherecouldthePalisadesbejudgedsuperiorinthewayofsceneryandgrandeur。Followingthepicturecardwasplayedtheaceofcommercialimportance。Fourteenthousandhorsepowerwouldthisdamfurnish。Cottonmills，factories，andmanufacturingplantswouldriseupasthegreencornafterashower。 ThespindleandtheflywheelandturbinewouldsingtheshrewdgloryofOkochee。Alongthepicturesqueheightsabovethelakewouldriseinbeautythecostlyvillasandthesplendidsummerresidencesofcapital。Thenaphthalaunchofthemillionairewouldspitamongtheromanticcoves；theverduredhillswouldtakeformalshapesofterrace，lawn，andpark。MoneywouldbespentlikewaterinOkochee，andwaterwouldbeturnedintomoney。 Thefateofthegoodtownisquicklytold。Capitaldecidednottoinvest。Ofallthegreatthingspromised，thesceneryalonecametofulfilment。Thewoodedpeaks，theimpressivepromontoriesofsolemngranite，thebeautifulgreenslantsofbankandravinedidalltheycouldtoreconcileOkocheetothedelinquencyofmiserlygold。Thesunsetsgildedthedreamydrawsandcoveswithamintingthatshouldcharmawayheart—burning。Okochee，truetotheinstinctofitsbloodandclime，waslulledbythespell。Itclimbedoutofthearena，looseditssuspender，satdownagainonthepost—officestoop，andtookachew。Itconsoleditselfbydrawlingsarcasmsatthecitycouncilwhichwasnottoblame，causingthefathers，ashasbeensaid，toseekbackstreetsandfigureperspiringlyonthesinkingfundandtheappropriationforinterestdue。 TheyouthofOkochee——theywhoweretocarryintotherosyfuturetheburdenofthedebt——acceptedfailurewithyouth’suncalculatingjoy。 For，herewassport，aquaticandnautical，addedtothemeagreroundoflife’spleasures。Inyachtingcapsandflowingnecktiestheypervadedthelaketoitslimits。Girlsworesilkwaistsembroideredwithanchorsinblueandpink。Thetrousersoftheyoungmenwidenedatthebottom，andtheirhandswereproudlycallousedbytheoft— pliedoar。FishermenwereunderthespellofadeepandtolerantJjoy。 Sailboatsandrowboatsfurrowedthelenientwaves，popcornandice— creamboothssprangupaboutthelittlewoodenpier。Twosmallexcursionsteamboatswerebuilt，andpliedthedelectablewaters。 Okocheephilosophicallygaveupthehopeofeatingturtlesoupwithagoldspoon，andsettledback，notillcontent，toitsregulardietoflotusandfriedhominy。AndoutofthisslowwreckofgreatexpectationsroseupJ。PinkneyBloomwithhis\"wad\"andhisprosperous，cheerysmile。 NeedlesstosayJ。PinkneywasnoproductofGeorgiasoil。Hecameoutofthatflushedandcapableregionknownasthe\"North。\"Hecalledhimselfa\"promoter\"；hisenemieshadspokenofhimasa\"grafter\"；Okocheetookamiddlecourse，andheldhimtobenobetternornoworsethana\"Yank。\" Farupthelake——eighteenmilesabovethetown——theeyeofthischeerfulcamp—followerofboomshadspiedoutagraft。Hepurchasedthereaprecipitoustractoffivehundredacresatforty—fivecentsperacre；andthishelaidoutandsubdividedasthecityofSkyland——theQueenCityoftheSwitzerlandoftheSouth。Streetsandavenuesweresurveyed；parksdesigned；cornersofcentralsquaresreservedforthe\"proposed\"operahouse，boardoftrade，lyceum，market，publicschools，and\"ExpositionHall。\"Thepriceoflotsrangedfromfivetofivehundreddollars。Positively，nolotwouldbepricedhigherthanfivehundreddollars。 WhiletheboomwasgrowinginOkochee，J。Pinkney’scirculars，maps，andprospectuseswereflyingthroughthemailstoeverypartofthecountry。Investorssentintheirmoneybypost，andtheSkylandRealEstateCompany（J。PinkneyBloom）returnedtoeachadeed，dulyplacedonrecord，tothebestlot，attheprice，onhandthatday。 AllthistimethecatamountscreecheduponthereservedlotoftheSkylandBoardofTrade，theopossumswungbyhistailoverthesiteoftheexpositionhall，andtheowlhootedamelancholyrecitativetohisaudienceofyoungsquirrelsinoperahousesquare。Later，whenthemoneywascominginfast，J。Pinkneycausedtobeerectedinthecomingcityhalfadozencheapboxhouses，andpersuadedacontingentofindigentnativestooccupythem，therebyassumingtheroleof\"poulation\"insubsequentprospectuses，whichbecame，accordingly，moreseductiveandremunerative。 So，whenthedreamfadedandOkocheedroppedbacktodiggingbaitandnursingitstwoandahalfpercent。tax，J。PinkneyBloom（unlovingofchecksanddraftsandthecoldinterrogatoriesofbankers）strappedabouthisfifty—two—inchwaistasoftleatherbeltcontainingeightthousanddollarsinbigbills，andsaidthatallwasverygood。 OnelasttriphewasmakingtoSkylandbeforedepartingtoothersaladfields。Skylandwasaregularpost—office，andthesteamboat，~DixieBelle~，undercontract，deliveredthemailbag（generallyempty）twiceaweek。Therewasalittlebusinesstheretobesettled——thepostmasterwastobepaidoffforhislightbutlonelyservices，andthe\"inhabitants\"hadtobefurnishedwithanothermonth’shomelyrations，asperagreement。AndthenSkylandwouldknowJ。PinkneyBloomnomore。Theownersoftheseprecipitous，barren，uselesslotsmightcomeandviewthesceneoftheirinvestedcredulity，ortheymightleavethemtotheirfittenants，thewildhogandthebrowsingdeer。TheworkoftheSkylandRealEstateCompanywasfinished。 Thelittlesteamboat~DixieBelle~wasabouttoshoveoffonherregularup—the—laketrip，whenaricketyhiredcarriagerattleduptothepier，andatall，elderlygentleman，inblack，steppedout，signalingcourteouslybutvivaciouslyfortheboattowait。Timewasoftheleastimportanceinthescheduleofthe~DixieBelle~；CaptainMacFarlandgavetheorder，andtheboatreceiveditsultimatetwopassengers。For，uponthearmofthetall，elderlygentleman，ashecrossedthegangway，wasalittleelderlylady，withagraycurldependingquaintlyforwardofherleftear。 CaptainMacFarlandwasatthewheel；thereforeitseemedtoJ。PinkneyBloom，whowastheonlyotherpassenger，thatitshouldbehistoplaythepartofhosttotheboat’snewguests，whowere，doubtless，onascenery—viewingexpedition。Hesteppedforward，withthattranslucent，child—candidsmileuponhisfresh，pinkcountenance，withthatairofunaffectedsinceritythatwasredeemedfrombluffnessonlybyitsexquisitecalculation，withthatpromptitudeandmasterlydecisionofmannerthatsowellsuitedhiscalling——withallhisstockintradewelltothefront；hesteppedforwardtoreceiveColonelandMrs。PeytonBlaylock。Withthegraceofagrandmarshaloraweddingusher，heescortedthetwopassengerstoasideoftheupperdeck，fromwhichthescenerywassupposedtopresentitselftotheobserverinincreasedquantityandquality。There，incomfortablesteamerchairs，theysatandbegantopiecetogethertherandomlinesthatweretoformanintelligentparagraphinthebighistoryoflittleevents。 \"Ourhome，sir，\"saidColonelBlaylock，removinghiswide—brimmed，rathershapelessblackfelthat，\"isinHollySprings——HollySprings，Georgia。Iamveryproudtomakeyouracquaintance，Mr。Bloom。 Mrs。BlaylockandmyselfhavejustarrivedinOkocheethismorning，sir，onbusiness——businessofimportanceinconnectionwiththerecentrapidmarchofprogressinthissectionofourstate。\" TheColonelsmoothedback，withasweepinggesture，hislong，smooth，locks。Hisdarkeyes，stillfieryundertheheavyblackbrows，seemedinappropriatetothefaceofabusinessman。HelookedrathertobeanoldcourtierhandeddownfromthereignofCharles，andre—attiredinamodernsuitoffine，butravelingandseam—worn，broadcloth。 \"Yes，sir，\"saidMr。Bloom，inhisheartiestprospectusvoice，\"thingshavebeenwhizzingaroundOkochee。BiggestindustrialrevivalandwakinguptonaturalresourcesGeorgiaeverhad。Didyouhappentosqueezeinonthegroundfloorinanyofthegilt— edgedgrafts，Colonel？\" \"Well，sir，\"saidtheColonel，hesitatingincourteousdoubt，\"ifI understandyourquestion，ImaysaythatItooktheopportunitytomakeaninvestmentthatIbelievewillprovequiteadvantageous——yes，sir，Ibelieveitwillresultinbothpecuniaryprofitandagreeableoccupation。\" \"ColonelBlaylock，\"saidthelittleedlerlylady，shakinghergraycurlandsmilingindulgentexplanationatJ。PinkneyBloom，\"issodevotedtobusinesss。Hehassuchatalentforfinancieringandmarketsandinvestmentsandthosekindofthings。Ithinkmyselfextremelyfortunateinhavingsecuredhimforapartneronlife’sjourney——Iamsounversedinthoseformidablebutveryusefulbranchesoflearning。\" ColonelBlaylockroseandmadeabow——abowthatbelongedwithsilkstockingsandlacerufflesandvelvet。 \"Practicalaffairs，\"hesaid，withawaveofhishandtowardthepromoter，\"are，ifImayusethecomparison，thegardenwalksuponwhichwetreadthroughlife，viewinguponeithersideofustheflowerswhichbrightenthatjourney。Itismypleasuretobeabletolayoutawalkortwo。Mrs。Blaylock，sir，isoneofthosefortunatehigherspiritswhosemissionitistomaketheflowersgrow。 Perhaps，Mr。Bloom，youhaveperusedthelinesofLorella，theSouthernpoetess。ThatisthenameabovewhichMrs。BlaylockhascontributedtothepressoftheSouthformanyyears。\" \"Unfortunately，\"saidMr。Bloom，withasenseofthelossclearlywrittenuponhisfrankface，\"I’mliketheColonel——inthewalk—makingbusinessmyself——andIhaven’thadtimetoeventakeasniffattheflowers。PoetryisalineIneverdealtin。Itmustbenice，though——quitenice。\" \"Itistheregion，\"smiledMrs。Blaylock，\"inwhichmysouldwells。 Myshawl，Peyton，ifyouplease——thebreezecomesalittlechillyfromyonverduredhills。\" TheColoneldrewfromthetailpocketofhiscoatasmallshawlofknittedsilkandlaiditsolicitouslyabouttheshouldersofthelady。 Mrs。Blaylocksighedcontentedly，andturnedherexpressiveeyes—— stillasclearandunworldlyasachild’s——uponthesteepslopesthatwereslowlyslippingpast。Veryfairandstatelytheylookedintheclearmorningair。TheyseemedtospeakinfamiliartermstotheresponsivespiritofLorella。\"Mynativehills!\"shemurmured，dreamily。\"Seehowthefoliagedrinksthesunlightfromthehollowsanddells。\" \"Mrs。Blaylock’smaidendays，\"saidtheColonel，interpretinghermoodtoJ。PinkneyBloom，\"werespentamongthemountainsofnorthernGeorgia。Mountainairandmountainsceneryrecalltoherthosedays。 HollySprings，wherewehavelivedfortwentyyears，islowandflat。 Ifearthatshemayhavesufferedinhealthandspiritsbysolongaresidencethere。Thatisoneportentreasonforthechangewearemaking。Mydear，canyounotrecallthoselinesyouwrote——entitled，Ithink，’TheGeorgiaHills’——thepoemthatwassoextensivelycopiedbytheSouthernpressandpraisedsohighlybytheAtlantacritics？\" Mrs。BlaylockturnedaglanceofspeakingtendernessupontheColonel，fingeredforamomentthesilverycurlthatdroopeduponherbosom，thenlookedagaintowardthemountains。Withoutpreliminaryoraffectationordemurralshebegan，inratherthrillingandmoredeeplypitchedtonestorecitetheselines： \"TheGeorgiahills，theGeorgiahills!—— Oh，heart，whydostthoupine？ ArenottheseshelteredlowlandsfairWithmeadandbloomandvine？ Ah!astheslow—pacedriverhereBroodsonitsnatalrillsMyspiritdrifts，inlongingsweet，BacktotheGeorgiahills。 \"Andthroughtheclose—drawn，curtainednightIstealonsleep’sslowwingsBacktomyheart’sease——slopesofpine—— Whereendmywanderings。 Oh，heavenseemsnearerfromtheirtops—— Andfartherearthlyills—— Evenindreams，ifImaybutDreamofmyGeorgiahills。 ThegrassupontheirorchardsidesIsafinecouchtome； ThecommonnoteofeachsmallbirdPassesallminstrelsy。 ItwouldnotseemsodreadathingIf，whentheReaperwills，HemightcomethereandtakemyhandUpintheGeorgiahills。\" Thatsgreatstuff，ma’am，\"saidJ。PinkneyBloom，enthusiastically，whenthepoetesshadconcluded。\"IwishIhadlookeduppoetrymorethanIhave。Iwasraisedinthepinehillsmyself。\" \"Themountainsevercalltotheirchildren，\"murmuredMrs。Blaylock。 \"Ifeelthatlifewilltakeontherosyhueofhopeagaininamongthesebeautifulhills。Peyton——alittletasteofthecurrantwine，ifyouwillbesogood。Thejourney，thoughdelightfulintheextreme，slightlyfatiguesme。\"ColonelBlaylockagainvisitedthedepthsofhisprolificcoat，andproducedatightlycorked，rough，blackbottle。Mr。Bloomwasonhisfeetinaninstant。 \"Letmebringaglass，ma’am。Youcomealong，Colonel——there’salittletablewecanbring，too。Maybewecanscareupsomefruitoracupofteaonboard。I’llaskMac。\" Mrs。Blaylockreclinedatease。FewroyalladieshaveheldtheirroyalprerogativewiththeserenegraceofthepettedSouthernwoman。 TheColonel，withanairasgallantandassiduousasinthedaysofhiscourtship，andJ。PinkneyBloom，withaponderousagilityhalfprofessionalandhalfdirectedbysomeresurrected，unnamed，long— forgottensentiment，formedadiversifiedbutattentivecourt。Thecurrantwine——winehomemadefromtheHollySpringsfruit——wentround，andthenJ。PinkneybegantohearsomethingofHollySpringslife。 Itseemed（fromtheconversationoftheBlaylocks）thattheSpringswasdecadent。Athirdofthepopulationhadmovedaway。Business—— andtheColonelwasanauthorityonbusiness——haddwindledtonothing。