stories by modern american authors-第14部分

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With　them　we　lived　from　hand　to　mouth　in　a　wild　God…forsaken　way

for　several　years。　　After　a　time　the　woman　began　to　take　a　strange

fancy　to　me。　　Walcott　finally　noticed　it；　and　grew　jealous。



〃One　night；　in　a　drunken　brawl；　we　quarreled；　and　I　killed　him。　　It

was　late　at　night；　and；　beside　the　woman；　there　were　four　of　us　in

the　poker　room；the　Mexican　gambler；　a　half…breed　devil　called

Cherubim　Pete；　Walcott；　and　myself。　　When　Walcott　fell；　the　half…

breed　whipped　out　his　weapon；　and　fired　at　me　across　the　table；　but

the　woman；　Nina　San　Croix；　struck　his　arm；　and；　instead　of　killing

me；　as　he　intended；　the　bullet　mortally　wounded　her　father；　the

Mexican　gambler。　　I　shot　the　half…breed　through　the　forehead；　and

turned　round；　expecting　the　woman　to　attack　me。　　On　the　contrary；

she　pointed　to　the　window；　and　bade　me　wait　for　her　on　the　cross

trail　below。



〃It　was　fully　three　hours　later　before　the　woman　joined　me　at　the

place　indicated。　　She　had　a　bag　of　gold　dust；　a　few　jewels　that

belonged　to　her　father；　and　a　package　of　papers。　　I　asked　her　why

she　had　stayed　behind　so　long；　and　she　replied　that　the　men　were

not　killed　outright；　and　that　she　had　brought　a　priest　to　them　and

waited　until　they　had　died。　　This　was　the　truth；　but　not　all　the

truth。　　Moved　by　superstition　or　foresight；　the　woman　had　induced

the　priest　to　take　down　the　sworn　statements　of　the　two　dying　men；

seal　it；　and　give　it　to　her。　　This　paper　she　brought　with　her。　　All

this　I　learned　afterwards。　　At　the　time　I　knew　nothing　of　this

damning　evidence。



〃We　struck　out　together　for　the　Pacific　coast。　　The　country　was

lawless。　　The　privations　we　endured　were　almost　past　belief。　　At

times　the　woman　exhibited　cunning　and　ability　that　were　almost

genius；　and　through　it　all；　often　in　the　very　fingers　of　death；　her

devotion　to　me　never　wavered。　　It　was　doglike；　and　seemed　to　be　her

only　object　on　earth。　　When　we　reached　San　Francisco；　the　woman　put

these　papers　into　my　hands。〃　　Walcott　took　up　the　yellow　package；

and　pushed　it　across　the　table　to　Mason。



〃She　proposed　that　I　assume　Walcott's　name；　and　that　we　come　boldly

to　New　York　and　claim　the　property。　　I　examined　the　papers；　found　a

copy　of　the　will　by　which　Walcott　inherited　the　property；　a　bundle

of　correspondence；　and　sufficient　documentary　evidence　to　establish

his　identity　beyond　the　shadow　of　a　doubt。　　Desperate　gambler　as　I

now　was；　I　quailed　before　the　daring　plan　of　Nina　San　Croix。　　I

urged　that　I；　Richard　Warren；　would　be　known；　that　the　attempted

fraud　would　be　detected　and　would　result　in　investigation；　and

perhaps　unearth　the　whole　horrible　matter。



〃The　woman　pointed　out　how　much　I　resembled　Walcott；　what　vast

changes　ten　years　of　such　life　as　we　had　led　would　naturally　be

expected　to　make　in　men；　how　utterly　impossible　it　would　be　to

trace　back　the　fraud　to　Walcott's　murder　at　Hell's　Elbow；　in　the

wild　passes　of　the　Sierra　Nevadas。　　She　bade　me　remember　that　we

were　both　outcasts；　both　crime…branded；　both　enemies　of　man's　law

and　God's；　that　we　had　nothing　to　lose；　we　were　both　sunk　to　the

bottom。　　Then　she　laughed；　and　said　that　she　had　not　found　me　a

coward　until　now；　but　that　if　I　had　turned　chicken…hearted；　that

was　the　end　of　it；　of　course。　　The　result　was；　we　sold　the　gold

dust　and　jewels　in　San　Francisco；　took　on　such　evidences　of

civilization　as　possible；　and　purchased　passage　to　New　York　on　the

best　steamer　we　could　find。



〃I　was　growing　to　depend　on　the　bold　gambler　spirit　of　this　woman；

Nina　San　Croix；　I　felt　the　need　of　her　strong；　profligate　nature。

She　was　of　a　queer　breed　and　a　queerer　school。　　Her　mother　was　the

daughter　of　a　Spanish　engineer；　and　had　been　stolen　by　the　Mexican；

her　father。　　She　herself　had　been　raised　and　educated　as　best　might

be　in　one　of　the　monasteries　along　the　Rio　Grande；　and　had　there

grown　to　womanhood　before　her　father；　fleeing　into　the　mountains　of

California；　carried　her　with　him。



〃When　we　landed　in　New　York　I　offered　to　announce　her　as　my　wife；

but　she　refused；　saying　that　her　presence　would　excite　comment　and

perhaps　attract　the　attention　of　Walcott's　relatives。　　We　therefore

arranged　that　I　should　go　alone　into　the　city；　claim　the　property；

and　announce　myself　as　Samuel　Walcott；　and　that　she　should　remain

under　cover　until　such　time　as　we　would　feel　the　ground　safe　under

us。



〃Every　detail　of　the　plan　was　fatally　successful。　　I　established　my

identity　without　difficulty　and　secured　the　property。　　It　had

increased　vastly　in　value；　and　I；　as　Samuel　Walcott；　soon　found

myself　a　rich　man。　　I　went　to　Nina　San　Croix　in　hiding　and　gave　her

a　large　sum　of　money；　with　which　she　purchased　a　residence　in　a

retired　part　of　the　city；　far　up　in　the　northern　suburb。　　Here　she

lived　secluded　and　unknown　while　I　remained　in　the　city；　living

here　as　a　wealthy　bachelor。



〃I　did　not　attempt　to　abandon　the　woman；　but　went　to　her　from　time

to　time　in　disguise　and　under　cover　of　the　greatest　secrecy。　　For　a

time　everything　ran　smooth；　the　woman　was　still　devoted　to　me　above

everything　else；　and　thought　always　of　my　welfare　first　and　seemed

content　to　wait　so　long　as　I　thought　best。　　My　business　expanded。

I　was　sought　after　and　consulted　and　drawn　into　the　higher　life　of

New　York；　and　more　and　more　felt　that　the　woman　was　an　albatross　on

my　neck。　　I　put　her　off　with　one　excuse　after　another。　　Finally　she

began　to　suspect　me　and　demanded　that　I　should　recognize　her　as　my

wife。　　I　attempted　to　point　out　the　difficulties。　　She　met　them　all

by　saying　that　we　should　both　go　to　Spain；　there　I　could　marry　her

and　we　could　return　to　America　and　drop　into　my　place　in　society

without　causing　more　than　a　passing　comment。



〃I　concluded　to　meet　the　matter　squarely　once　for　all。　　I　said　that

I　would　convert　half　of　the　property　into　money　and　give　it　to　her；

but　that　I　would　not　marry　her。　　She　did　not　fly　into　a　storming

rage　as　I　had　expected；　but　went　quietly　out　of　the　room　and

presently　returned　with　two　papers；　which　she　read。　　One　was　the

certificate　of　her　marriage　to　Walcott　duly　authenticated；　the

other　was　the　dying　statement　of　her　father；　the　Mexican　gambler；

and　of　Samuel　Walcott；　charging　me　with　murder。　　It　was　in　proper

form　and　certified　by　the　Jesuit　priest。



〃'Now；'　she　said；　sweetly；　when　she　had　finished；　'which　do　you

prefer；　to　recognize　your　wife；　or　to　turn　all　the　property　over　to

Samuel　Walcott's　widow　and　hang　for　his　murder？'



〃I　was　dumfounded　and　horrified。　　I　saw　the　trap　that　I　was　in　and

I　consented　to　do　anything　she　should　say　if　she　would　only　destroy

the　papers。　　This　she　refused　to　do。　　I　pleaded　with　her　and

implored　her　to　destroy　them。　　Finally　she　gave　them　to　me　with　a

great　show　of　returning　confidence；　and　I　tore　them　into　bits　and

threw　them　into　the　fire。



〃That　was　three　months　ago。　　We　arranged　to　go　to　Spain　and　do　as

she　said。　　She　was　to　sail　this　morning　and　I　was　to　follow。　　Of

course　I　never　intended　to　go。　　I　congratulated　myself　on　the　fact

that　all　trace　of　evidence　against　me　was　destroyed　and　that　her

grip　was　now　broken。　　My　plan　was　to　induce　her　to　sail；　believing

that　I　would　follow。　　When　she　was　gone　I　would　marry　Miss　St。

Clair；　and　if　Nina　San　Croix　should　return　I　would　defy　her　and

lock　her　up　as　a　lunatic。　　But　I　was　reckoning　like　an　infernal

ass；　to　imagine　for　a　moment　that　I　could　thus　hoodwink　such　a

woman　as　Nina　San　Croix。



〃To…night　I　received　this。〃　　Walcott　took　the　envelope　from　his

pocket　and　gave　it　to　Mason。　　〃You　saw　the　effect　of　it；　read　it

and　you　will　understand　why。　　I　felt　the　death　hand　when　I　saw　her

writing　on　the　envelope。〃



Mason　took　the　paper　from　the　envelope。　　It　was　written　in　Spanish；

and　ran：





〃Greeting　to　RICHARD　WARREN。



〃The　great　Senor　does　his　little　Nina　injustice　to　think　she　would

go　away　to　Spain　and　leave　him　to　the　beautiful　American。　　She　is

not　so　thoughtless。　　Before　she　goes；　she　shall　be；　Oh　so　very

rich！　and　the　dear　Senor　shall　be；　Oh　so　very　safe！　　The　Archbishop

and　the　kind　Church　hate　murderers。



〃NINA　SAN　CROIX。



〃Of　course；　fool；　the　papers　you　destroyed　were　copies。



〃N。　SAN　C。〃





To　this　was　pinned　a　line　in　a　delicate　aristocratic　hand　saying

that　the　Archbishop　would　willingly　listen　to　Madam　San　Croix's

statement　if　she　would　come　to　him　on　Friday　morning　at　eleven。



〃You　see；〃　said　Walcott；　desperately；　〃there　is　no　possible　way

out。　　I　know　the　womanwhen　she　decides　to　do　a　thing　that　is　the

end　of　it。　　She　has　decided　to　do　this。〃



Mason　turned　around　from　the　table；　stretched　out　his　long　legs；

and　thrust　his　hands　deep　into　his　pockets。　　Walcott　sat　with　his

head　down；　watching　Mason　hopelessly；　almost　indifferently；　his

face　blank　and　sunken。　　The　ticking　of　the　bronze　clock　on　the

mantel　shelf　was　loud；　painfully　loud。　　Suddenly　Mason　drew　his

knees　in　and　bent　over；　put　both　his　bony　hands　on　the　table；　and

looked　at　Walcott。



〃Sir；〃　he　said；　〃this　matter　is　in　such　shape　that　there　is　only

one　thing　to　do。　　This　growth　must　be　cut　out　at　the　roots；　and　cut

out　quickly。　　This　is　the　first　fact　to　be　determined；　and　a　fool

would　know　it。　　The　second　fact　is　that　you　must　do　it　yourself。

Hired　killers　are　like　the　grave　and　the　daughters　of　the　horse

leech；they　cry　always；　'Give；　Give。'　　They　are　only　palliatives；

not　cures。　　By　using　them　you　swap　perils。　　You　simply　take　a　stay

of　execution　at　best。　　The　common　criminal　would　know　this。　　These

are　the　facts　of　your　problem。　　The　master　plotters　of　crime　would

see　here　but　two　difficulties　to　meet：



〃A　practical　method　for　accomplishing　the　body　of　the　crime。



〃A　cover　for　the　criminal　agent。



〃They　would　see　no　farther；　and　attempt　to　guard　no　farther。　　After

they　had　provided　a　plan　for　the　killing；　and　a　means　by　which　the

killer　could　cover　his　trail