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They were the last words he addressed them。 For when the fog had
begun to creep inshore； hastening their departure； he only answered
their farewells by a silent pressure of the hand； mute lips； and
far…off eyes。
When the sound of their laboring oars grew fainter； he told Antonio
to lead him and Sanchicha again to the buried boat。 There he bade
her kneel beside him。 〃We will do penance here； thou and I；
daughter；〃 he said gravely。 When the fog had drawn its curtain
gently around the strange pair； and sea and shore were blotted out；
he whispered； 〃Tell me； it was even so； was it not； daughter； on
the night she came？〃 When the distant clatter of blocks and rattle
of cordage came from the unseen vessel； now standing out to sea； he
whispered again； 〃So； this is what thou didst hear； even then。〃
And so during the night he marked； more or less audibly to the
half…conscious woman at his side； the low whisper of the waves； the
murmur of the far…off breakers； the lightening and thickening of
the fog； the phantoms of moving shapes； and the slow coming of the
dawn。 And when the morning sun had rent the veil over land and
sea； Antonio and Jose found him； haggard； but erect； beside the
trembling old woman； with a blessing on his lips； pointing to the
horizon where a single sail still glimmered：
〃Va Usted con Dios。〃
A BLUE GRASS PENELOPE
CHAPTER I
She was barely twenty…three years old。 It is probable that up to
that age； and the beginning of this episode； her life had been
uneventful。 Born to the easy mediocrity of such compensating
extremes as a small farmhouse and large lands； a good position and
no society； in that vast grazing district of Kentucky known as the
〃Blue Grass〃 region； all the possibilities of a Western American
girl's existence lay before her。 A piano in the bare…walled house；
the latest patented mower in the limitless meadows； and a silk
dress sweeping the rough floor of the unpainted 〃meeting…house〃
were already the promise of those possibilities。 Beautiful she
was； but the power of that beauty was limited by being equally
shared with her few neighbors。 There were small； narrow； arched
feet besides her own that trod the uncarpeted floors of outlying
log…cabins with equal grace and dignity； bright； clearly opened
eyes that were equally capable of looking unabashed upon princes
and potentates； as a few later did； and the heiress of the county
judge read her own beauty without envy in the frank glances and
unlowered crest of the blacksmith's daughter。 Eventually she had
married the male of her species； a young stranger； who； as
schoolmaster in the nearest town； had utilized to some local extent
a scant capital of education。 In obedience to the unwritten law of
the West； after the marriage was celebrated the doors of the
ancestral home cheerfully opened； and bride and bridegroom issued
forth； without regret and without sentiment； to seek the further
possibilities of a life beyond these already too familiar voices。
With their departure for California as Mr。 and Mrs。 Spencer Tucker；
the parental nest in the Blue Grass meadows knew them no more。
They submitted with equal cheerfulness to the privations and
excesses of their new conditions。 Within three years the
schoolmaster developed into a lawyer and capitalist； the Blue Grass
bride supplying a grace and ease to these transitions that were all
her own。 She softened the abruptness of sudden wealth； mitigated
the austerities of newly acquired power； and made the most glaring
incongruity picturesque。 Only one thing seemed to limit their
progress in the region of these possibilities。 They were
childless。 It was as if they had exhausted the future in their own
youth； leaving little or nothing for another generation to do。
A southwesterly storm was beating against the dressing…room windows
of their new house in one of the hilly suburbs of San Francisco；
and threatening the unseasonable frivolity of the stucco
ornamentation of cornice and balcony。 Mrs。 Tucker had been called
from the contemplation of the dreary prospect without by the
arrival of a visitor。 On entering the drawing…room she found him
engaged in a half…admiring； half…resentful examination of its new
furniture and hangings。 Mrs。 Tucker at once recognized Mr。 Calhoun
Weaver； a former Blue Grass neighbor； with swift feminine intuition
she also felt that his slight antagonism was likely to be
transferred from her furniture to herself。 Waiving it with the
lazy amiability of Southern indifference； she welcomed him by the
familiarity of a Christian name。
〃I reckoned that mebbee you opined old Blue Grass friends wouldn't
naturally hitch on to them fancy doins；〃 he said； glancing around
the apartment to avoid her clear eyes； as if resolutely setting
himself against the old charm of her manner as he had against the
more recent glory of her surroundings； 〃but I thought I'd just drop
in for the sake of old times。〃
〃Why shouldn't you； Cal？〃 said Mrs。 Tucker with a frank smile。
〃Especially as I'm going up to Sacramento to…night with some
influential friends；〃 he continued； with an ostentation calculated
to resist the assumption of her charms and her furniture。 〃Senator
Dyce of Kentucky； and his cousin Judge Briggs； perhaps you know
'em； or may be SpencerI mean Mr。 Tuckerdoes。〃
〃I reckon；〃 said Mrs。 Tucker smiling； 〃but tell me something about
the boys and girls at Vineville； and about yourself。 YOU'RE
looking well； and right smart too。〃 She paused to give due
emphasis to this latter recognition of a huge gold chain with which
her visitor was somewhat ostentatiously trifling。
〃I didn't know as you cared to hear anything about Blue Grass；〃 he
returned； a little abashed。 〃I've been away from there some time
myself；〃 he added； his uneasy vanity taking fresh alarm at the
faint suspicion of patronage on the part of his hostess。 〃They're
doin' well； though； perhaps as well as some others。〃
〃And you're not married yet；〃 continued Mrs。 Tucker； oblivious of
the innuendo。 〃Ah； Cal；〃 she added archly； 〃I am afraid you are as
fickle as ever。 What poor girl in Vineville have you left pining？〃
The simple face of the man before her flushed with foolish
gratification at this old…fashioned； ambiguous flattery。 〃Now look
yer； Belle；〃 he said； chuckling； 〃if you're talking of old times
and you think I bear malice agin Spencer； why〃
But Mrs。 Tucker interrupted what might have been an inopportune
sentimental retrospect with a finger of arch but languid warning。
〃That will do！ I'm dying to know all about it； and you must stay
to dinner and tell me。 It's right mean you can't see Spencer too；
but he isn't back from Sacramento yet。〃
Grateful as a tete…a…tete with his old neighbor in her more
prosperous surroundings would have been； if only for the sake of
later gossiping about it； he felt it would be inconsisten