part 6-第2部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！





with　gasoline；the　doctor　had　often　forbidden　her　to　use



it　on　any　account；　so　that　was　one　of　the　pleasures　she



seized　upon　in　his　absence；an　explosion　occurred。　　No…



body　ever　knew　exactly　how　it　happened；　for　Mrs。　Archie



was　dead　when　the　neighbors　rushed　in　to　save　her　from　the



burning　house。　　She　must　have　inhaled　the　burning　gas　and



died　instantly。







　　　　　Moonstone　severity　relented　toward　her　somewhat　after



her　death。　　But　even　while　her　old　cronies　at　Mrs。　Smiley's



millinery　store　said　that　it　was　a　terrible　thing；　they　added



that　nothing　but　a　powerful　explosive　COULD　have　killed



Mrs。　Archie；　and　that　it　was　only　right　the　doctor　should



have　a　chance。



















　　　　　Archie's　past　was　literally　destroyed　when　his　wife　died。



The　house　burned　to　the　ground；　and　all　those　material



reminders　which　have　such　power　over　people　disappeared



in　an　hour。　　His　mining　interests　now　took　him　to　Denver



so　often　that　it　seemed　better　to　make　his　headquarters



there。　　He　gave　up　his　practice　and　left　Moonstone　for



good。　　Six　months　afterward；　while　Dr。　Archie　was　living



at　the　Brown　Palace　Hotel；　the　San　Felipe　mine　began　to



give　up　that　silver　hoard　which　old　Captain　Harris　had



always　accused　it　of　concealing；　and　San　Felipe　headed　the



list　of　mining　quotations　in　every　daily　paper；　East　and



West。　　In　a　few　years　Dr。　Archie　was　a　very　rich　man。



His　mine　was　such　an　important　item　in　the　mineral　out…



put　of　the　State；　and　Archie　had　a　hand　in　so　many　of　the



new　industries　of　Colorado　and　New　Mexico；　that　his　poli…



tical　influence　was　considerable。　　He　had　thrown　it　all；　two



years　ago；　to　the　new　reform　party；　and　had　brought　about



the　election　of　a　governor　of　whose　conduct　he　was　now



heartily　ashamed。　　His　friends　believed　that　Archie　himself



had　ambitious　political　plans。



























　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　II











　　　　　WHEN　Ottenburg　and　his　host　reached　the　house　on



Colfax　Avenue；　they　went　directly　to　the　library；



a　long　double　room　on　the　second　floor　which　Archie　had



arranged　exactly　to　his　own　taste。　　It　was　full　of　books　and



mounted　specimens　of　wild　game；　with　a　big　writing…table



at　either　end；　stiff；　old…fashioned　engravings；　heavy　hang…



ings　and　deep　upholstery。







　　　　　When　one　of　the　Japanese　boys　brought　the　cocktails；



Fred　turned　from　the　fine　specimen　of　peccoray　he　had



been　examining　and　said；　〃A　man　is　an　owl　to　live　in　such



a　place　alone；　Archie。　　Why　don't　you　marry？　　As　for　me；



just　because　I　can't　marry；　I　find　the　world　full　of　charm…



ing；　unattached　women；　any　one　of　whom　I　could　fit　up　a



house　for　with　alacrity。〃







　　　　　〃You're　more　knowing　than　I。〃　　Archie　spoke　politely。



〃I'm　not　very　wide　awake　about　women。　　I'd　be　likely　to



pick　out　one　of　the　uncomfortable　onesand　there　are　a



few　of　them；　you　know。〃　　He　drank　his　cocktail　and　rubbed



his　hands　together　in　a　friendly　way。　　〃My　friends　here



have　charming　wives；　and　they　don't　give　me　a　chance



to　get　lonely。　　They　are　very　kind　to　me；　and　I　have　a



great　many　pleasant　friendships。〃







　　　　　Fred　put　down　his　glass。　　〃Yes；　I've　always　noticed　that



women　have　confidence　in　you。　　You　have　the　doctor's　way



of　getting　next。　　And　you　enjoy　that　kind　of　thing？〃







　　　　　〃The　friendship　of　attractive　women？　　Oh；　dear；　yes！



I　depend　upon　it　a　great　deal。〃







　　　　　The　butler　announced　dinner；　and　the　two　men　went



downstairs　to　the　dining…room。　　Dr。　Archie's　dinners　were



always　good　and　well　served；　and　his　wines　were　excellent。







　　　　　〃I　saw　the　Fuel　and　Iron　people　to…day；〃　Ottenburg　said；















looking　up　from　his　soup。　　〃Their　heart　is　in　the　right　place。



I　can't　see　why　in　the　mischief　you　ever　got　mixed　up　with



that　reform　gang；　Archie。　　You've　got　nothing　to　reform



out　here。　　The　situation　has　always　been　as　simple　as　two



and　two　in　Colorado；　mostly　a　matter　of　a　friendly　under…



standing。〃







　　　　　〃Well；〃Archie　spoke　tolerantly；〃some　of　the



young　fellows　seemed　to　have　red…hot　convictions；　and　I



thought　it　was　better　to　let　them　try　their　ideas　out。〃







　　　　　Ottenburg　shrugged　his　shoulders。　　〃A　few　dull　young



men　who　haven't　ability　enough　to　play　the　old　game　the



old　way；　so　they　want　to　put　on　a　new　game　which　doesn't



take　so　much　brains　and　gives　away　more　advertising



that's　what　your　anti…saloon　league　and　vice　commission



amounts　to。　　They　provide　notoriety　for　the　fellows　who



can't　distinguish　themselves　at　running　a　business　or　prac…



ticing　law　or　developing　an　industry。　　Here　you　have　a



mediocre　lawyer　with　no　brains　and　no　practice；　trying　to



get　a　look…in　on　something。　　He　comes　up　with　the　novel



proposition　that　the　prostitute　has　a　hard　time　of　it；　puts



his　picture　in　the　paper；　and　the　first　thing　you　know；　he's



a　celebrity。　　He　gets　the　rake…off　and　she's　just　where　she



was　before。　　How　could　you　fall　for　a　mouse…trap　like



Pink　Alden；　Archie？〃







　　　　　Dr。　Archie　laughed　as　he　began　to　carve。　　〃Pink　seems



to　get　under　your　skin。　　He's　not　worth　talking　about。



He's　gone　his　limit。　　People　won't　read　about　his　blame…



less　life　any　more。　　I　knew　those　interviews　he　gave　out



would　cook　him。　　They　were　a　last　resort。　　I　could　have



stopped　him；　but　by　that　time　I'd　come　to　the　conclusion



that　I'd　let　the　reformers　down。　　I'm　not　against　a　general



shaking…up；　but　the　trouble　with　Pinky's　crowd　is　they



never　get　beyond　a　general　writing…up。　　We　gave　them　a



chance　to　do　something；　and　they　just　kept　on　writing



about　each　other　and　what　temptations　they　had　over…



come。〃



















　　　　　While　Archie　and　his　friend　were　busy　with　Colorado



politics；　the　impeccable　Japanese　attended　swiftly　and



intelligently　to　his　duties；　and　the　dinner；　as　Ottenburg　at



last　remarked；　was　worthy　of　more　profitable　conversation。







　　　　　〃So　it　is；〃　the　doctor　admitted。　　〃Well；　we'll　go　up…



stairs　for　our　coffee　and　cut　this　out。　　Bring　up　some　cognac



and　arak；　Tai；〃　he　added　as　he　rose　from　the　table。







　　　　　They　stopped　to　examine　a　moose's　head　on　the　stair…



way；　and　when　they　reached　the　library　the　pine　logs　in



the　fireplace　had　been　lighted；　and　the　coffee　was　bubbling



before　the　hearth。　　Tai　placed　two　chairs　before　the　fire



and　brought　a　tray　of　cigarettes。







　　　　　〃Bring　the　cigars　in　my　lower　desk　drawer；　boy；〃　the



doctor　directed。　　〃Too　much　light　in　here；　isn't　there；



Fred？　　Light　the　lamp　there　on　my　desk；　Tai。〃　　He　turned



off　the　electric　glare　and　settled　himself　deep　into　the　chair



opposite　Ottenburg's。







　　　　　〃To　go　back　to　our　conversation；　doctor；〃　Fred　began



while　he　waited　for　the　first　steam　to　blow　off　his　coffee；



〃why　don't　you　make　up　your　mind　to　go　to　Washington？



There'd　be　no　fight　made　against　you。　　I　needn't　say　the



United　Breweries　would　back　you。　　There'd　be　some　KUDOS



coming　to　us；　too；　backing　a　reform　candidate。〃







　　　　　Dr。　Archie　measured　his　length　in　his　chair　and　thrust



his　large　boots　toward　the　crackling　pitch…pine。　　He　drank



his　coffee　and　lit　a　big　black　cigar　while　his　guest　looked



over　the　assortment　of　cigarettes　on　the　tray。　　〃You　say



why　don't　I；〃　the　doctor　spoke　with　the　deliberation　of　a



man　in　the　position　of　having　several　courses　to　choose



from；　〃but；　on　the　other　hand；　why　should　I？〃　　He　puffed



away　and　seemed；　through　his　half…closed　eyes；　to　look



down　several　long　roads　with　the　intention　of　luxuriously



rejecting　all　of　them　and　remaining　where　he　was。　　〃I'm



sick　of　politics。　　I'm　disillusioned　about　serving　my　crowd；



and　I　don't　particularly　want　to　serve　yours。　　Nothing　in　it



that　I　particularly　want；　and　a　man's　not　effective　in　poli…















tics　unless　he　wants　something　for　himself；　and　wants　it



hard。　　I　can　reach　my　ends　by　straighter　roads。　　There　are



plenty　of　things　to　keep　me　busy。　　We　haven't　begun　to



develop　our　resources　in　this　State；　we　haven't　had　a　look



in　on　them　yet。　　That's　the　only　thing　that　isn't　fake



making　men　and　machines　go；　and　actually　turning　out　a



product。〃







　　　　　The　doctor　poured　himself　some　white　cordial　and　looked



over　the　little　glass　into　the　fire　with　an　expression　which



led　Ottenburg　to　believe　that　he　was　getting　at　something



in　his　own　mind。　　Fred　lit　a　cigarette　and　let　his　friend



grope　for　his　idea。







　　　　　〃My　boys；　here；〃　Archie　went　on；　〃have　got　me　rather



interested　in　Japan。　　Think　I'll　go　out　there　in　the　spring；



and　come　back　the　other　way；　through　Siberia。　　I've　always



wanted　to　go　to　Russia。〃　　His　eyes　still　hunted　for　some…



thing　in　his　big　fireplace。　　With　a　slow　turn　of　his　head　he



brought　them　back　to　his　guest　and　fixed　them　upon　him。



〃Just　now；　I'm　thinking　of　running　on　to　New　York　for



a　few　weeks；〃　he　ended　abruptly。







　　　　　Ottenburg　lifted　his　chin。　　〃Ah！〃　he　exclaimed；　as　if　he



began　to　see　Archie's　drift。　　〃Shall　you　see　Thea？〃







　　　　　〃Yes。〃　　The　doctor　replenished　his　cordial　glass。　　〃In



fact；　I　suspect　I　am　going　exactly　TO　see　her。　　I'm　getting



stale　on　things　here；　Fred。　　Best　people　in　the　world　and



always　doing　things　for　me。　　I'm　fond　of　them；　too；　but



I've　been　with　them　too　much。　　I