whirligigs-第29部分
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not Ophelia or Juliet that she is playing。 Do you wonder
now at our impatience？ Tears for the gorilla song！
The play is lost！〃
Out of her bewitchment； whatever it was； the wood
nymph flared suddenly； and pointed a desperate finger
at Delmars。
〃It is you you who have done this；〃 she cried
wildly。 〃You never sang that song that way until lately。
It is your doing。〃
〃I give it up；〃 said the sergeant。
And then the gray…haired matron of the police station
came forward from behind the sergeant's chair。
〃Must an old woman teach you all？〃 she said。 She
went up to Miss Carroll and took her hand。
〃The man's wearing his heart out for you； my dear。
Couldn't you tell it the first note you heard him sing？
All of his monkey flip…flops wouldn't have kept it
from me。 Must you be deaf as well as blind？ That's
why you couldn't act your part； child。 Do you
love him or must he be a gorilla for the rest of his
days？〃
Miss Carroll whirled around and caught Delmars
with a lightning glance of her eye。 He came toward her；
melancholy。
〃Did you hear； Mr。 Delmars？〃 she asked； with a
catching breath。
〃I did；〃 said the comedian。 〃It is true。 I didn't
think there was any use。 I tried to let you know with
the song。〃
〃Silly！〃 said the matron； 〃why didn't you speak？〃
〃No； no；〃 cried the wood nymph； 〃his way was the
best。 I didn't know； but it was just what I wanted；
Bobby。〃
She sprang like a green grasshopper； and the comedian
opened his arms； and smiled。
〃Get out of this；〃 roared the desk sergeant to the
waiting waiter from the restaurant。 〃There's nothing
doing here for you。〃
ONE DOLLAR'S WORTH
The judge of the United States court of the district
lying along the Rio Grande border found the following
letter one morning in his mail：
JUDGE：
When you sent me up for four years you made a talk。
Among other hard things； you called me a rattlesnake。
Maybe I am one anyhow； you hear me rattling now。
One year after I got to the pen； my daughter died of
well； they said it was poverty and the disgrace together。
You've got a daughter； Judge； and I'm going to make
you know how it feels to lose one。 And I'm going to
bite that district attorney that spoke against me。 I'm
free now； and I guess I've turned to rattlesnake all right。
I feel like one。 I don't say much； but this is my rattle。
Look out when I strike。
Yours respectfully；
RATTLESNAKE。
Judge Derwent threw the letter carelessly aside。 It
was nothing new to receive such epistles from desperate
men whom he had been called upon to judge。 He felt
no alarm。 Later on he showed the letter to Littlefield；
the young district attorney； for Littlefield's name was
included in the threat； and the judge was punctilious in
matters between himself and his fellow men。
Littlefield honoured the rattle of the writer； as far as
it concerned himself； with a smile of contempt； but he
frowned a little over the reference to the Judge's daughter；
for he and Nancy Derwent were to be married in the
fall。
Littlefield went to the clerk of the court and looked
over the records with him。 They decided that the letter
might have been sent by Mexico Sam； a half…breed border
desperado who had been imprisoned for manslaughter
four years before。 Then official duties crowded the mat…
ter from his mind； and the rattle of the revengeful serpent
was forgotten。
Court was in session at Brownsville。 Most of the cases
to be tried were charges of smuggling； counterfeiting；
post…office robberies； and violations of Federal laws along
the border。 One case was that of a young Mexican；
Rafael Ortiz； who had been rounded up by a clever
deputy marshal in the act of passing a counterfeit silver
dollar。 He had been suspected of many such deviations
from rectitude； but this was the first time that anything
provable had been fixed upon him。 Ortiz languished
cozily in jail； smoking brown cigarettes and waiting for
trial。 Kilpatrick； the deputy； brought the counterfeit
dollar and handed it to the district attorney in his office
in the court…house。 The deputy and a reputable druggist
were prepared to swear that Ortiz paid for a bottle of
medicine with it。 The coin was a poor counterfeit； soft；
dull…looking； and made principally of lead。 It was the
day before the morning on which the docket would reach
the case of Ortiz； and the district attorney was preparing
himself for trial。
〃Not much need of having in high…priced experts to
prove the coin's queer； is there； Kil？〃 smiled Littlefield；
as he thumped the dollar down upon the table； where it
fell with no more ring than would have come from a lump
of putty。
〃I guess the Greaser's as good as behind the bars；〃
said the deputy； easing up his holsters。 〃You've got
him dead。 If it had been just one time； these Mexicans
can't tell good money from bad； but this little yaller
rascal belongs to a gang of counterfeiters； I know。 This
is the first time I've been able to catch him doing the trick。
He's got a girl down there in them Mexican jacals on
the river bank。 I seen her one day when I was watching
him。 She's as pretty as a red heifer in a flower bed。〃
Littlefield shoved the counterfeit dollar into his pocket；
and slipped his memoranda of the case into an envelope。
Just then a bright； winsome face； as frank and jolly as
a boy's； appeared in the doorway； and in walked Nancy
Derwent。
〃Oh； Bob； didn't court adjourn at twelve to…day until
to…morrow？〃 she asked of Littlefield。
〃It did；〃 said the district attorney； 〃and I'm very glad
of it。 I've got a lot of rulings to look up； and 〃
〃Now； that's just like you。 I wonder you and father
don't turn to law books or rulings or something！ I
want you to take me out plover…shooting this afternoon。
Long Prairie is just alive with them。 Don't say no；
please！ I want to try my new twelve…bore hammerless。
I've sent to the livery stable to engage Fly and Bess for
the buckboard； they stand fire so nicely。 I was sure you
would go。〃
They were to be married in the fall。 The glamour was
at its height。 The plovers won the day or； rather； the
afternoon over the calf…bound authorities。 Littlefield
began to put his papers away。
There was a knock at the door。 Kilpatrick answered
it。 A beautiful； dark…eyed girl with a skin tinged with
the faintest lemon colour walked into the room。 A black
shawl was thrown over her head and wound once around
her neck。
She began to talk in Spanish； a voluble； mournful
stream of melancholy music。 Littlefield did not under…
stand Spanish。 The deputy did； and he translated her
talk by portions； at intervals holding up his hand to check
the flow of her words。
〃She came to see you； Mr。 Littlefield。 Her name's
Joya Trevi馻s。 She wants to see you about well；
she's mixed up with that Rafael Ortiz。 She's his she's
his girl。 She says he's innocent。 She says she made
the money and got him to pass it。 Don't you believe
her； Mr。 Little…field。 That's the way with these Mexi…
can girls； they'll lie； steal； or kill for a fellow when they
get stuck on him。 Never trust a woman that's in love！〃
〃Mr。 Kilpatrick！〃
Nancy Derwent's indignant exclamation caused the
deputy to flounder for a moment in attempting to explain
that he had misquoted his own sentiments； and then he
event on with the translation：
〃She says she's willing to take his place in the jail if
you'll let him out。 She says she was down sick with the
fever； and the doctor said she'd die if she didn't have
medicine。 That's why he passed the lead dollar on the
drug store。 She says it saved her life。 This Rafal。
seems to be her honey； all right； there's a lot of stuff in
her talk about love and such things that you don't want to
hear。〃
It was an old story to the district attorney。
〃Tell her；〃 said he； 〃that I can do nothing。 The case
comes up in the morning； and he will have to make his
fight before the court。〃
Nancy Derwent was not so hardened。 She was look…
ing with sympathetic interest at Joya Trevi馻s and at
Littlefield alternately。 The deputy repeated the dis…
trict attorney's words to the girl。 She spoke a sentence
or two in a low voice； pulled her shawl closely about her
face； and left the room。
〃What did she say then？〃 asked the district attorney。
〃Nothing special；〃 said the deputy。 〃She said： 'If
the life of the one' let's see how it went 'Si la vida
de ella a quien tu amas if the life of the girl you love is
ever in danger； remember Rafael Ortiz。'〃
Kilpatrick strolled out through the corridor in the
direction of the marshal's office。
〃Can't you do anything for them； Bob？〃 asked Nancy。
〃It's such a little thing just one counterfeit dollar
to ruin the happiness of two lives！ She was in danger
of death； and he did it to save her。 Doesn't the law know
the feeling of pity？〃
〃It hasn't a place in jurisprudence； Nan；〃 said Little…
field； 〃especially in re the district attorney's duty。 I'll
promise you that the prosecution will not be vindictive；
but the man is as good as convicted when the case is called。
Witnesses will swear to his passing the bad dollar which
I have in my pocket at this moment as 'Exhibit A。' There
are no Mexicans on the jury； and it will vote Mr。 Greaser
guilty without leaving the box。〃
The plover…shooting was fine that afternoon； and in
the excitement of the sport the case of Rafael and the
grief of Joya Trevi馻s was forgotten。 The district attor…
ney and Nancy Derwent drove out from the town three
miles along a smooth； grassy road； and then struck across
a rolling prairie toward a heavy line of timber on Piedra
Creek。 Beyond this creek la
