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chorus that she with difficulty suppressed a hysterical laugh。
〃That's the way to take it；〃 said the woman； putting her own good…
humored interpretation upon Mrs。 Tucker's expression。 〃Now； look
here！ I'll tell you all about it。〃 She carefully selected the
most comfortable chair； and sitting down； lightly crossed her hands
in her lap。 〃Well； I left here on the 13th of last January on the
ship Argo； calculating that your husband would join the ship just
inside the Heads。 That was our arrangement； but if anything
happened to prevent him； he was to join me in Acapulco。 Well！ He
didn't come aboard； and we sailed without him。 But it appears now
he did attempt to join the ship； but his boat was capsized。 There；
now； don't be alarmed！ he wasn't drowned； as Patterson can swear
tono； catch HIM！ not a hair of him was hurt； but II was bundled
off to the end of the earth in Mexico； alone； without a cent to
bless me。 For true as you live； that hound of a captain； when he
found； as he thought； that Spencer was nabbed； he just confiscated
all his trunks and valuables and left me in the lurch。 If I hadn't
met a man down there that offered to marry me and brought me here；
I might have died there； I reckon。 But I did； and here I am。 I
went down there as your husband's sweetheart； I've come back as the
wife of an honest man； and I reckon it's about square！〃
There was something so startlingly frank； so hopelessly self…
satisfied； so contagiously good…humored in the woman's perfect
moral unconsciousness； that even if Mrs。 Tucker had been less
preoccupied her resentment would have abated。 But her eyes were
fixed on the gloomy face of Patterson； who was beginning to unlock
the sepulchres of his memory and disinter his deeply buried
thoughts。
〃You kin bet your whole pile on what this Mrs。 Capting Baxterez
used to be French Inez of New Orleanshez told ye。 Ye kin take
everything she's unloaded。 And it's only doin' the square thing to
her to say； she hain't done it out o' no cussedness； but just to
satisfy herself； now she's a married woman and past such
foolishness。 But that ain't neither here nor there。 The gist of
the whole matter is that Spencer Tucker was at the tienda the day
after she sailed and after his boat capsized。〃 He then gave a
detailed account of the interview； with the unnecessary but
truthful minutiae of his class； adding to the particulars already
known that the following week he visited the Summit House and was
surprised to find that Spencer had never been there； nor had he
ever sailed from Monterey。
〃But why was this not told to me before？〃 said Mrs。 Tucker；
suddenly。 〃Why not at the time？ Why；〃 she demanded almost
fiercely； turning from the one to the other； 〃has this been kept
from me？〃
〃I'll tell ye why；〃 said Patterson； sinking with crushed submission
into a chair。 〃When I found he wasn't where he ought to be； I got
to lookin' elsewhere。 I knew the track of the hoss I lent him by a
loose shoe。 I examined； and found he had turned off the high road
somewhere beyond the lagoon； jist as if he was makin' a bee line
here。〃
〃Well；〃 said Mrs。 Tucker； breathlessly。
〃Well；〃 said Patterson； with the resigned tone of an accustomed
martyr； 〃mebbe I'm a God…forsaken idiot； but I reckon he DID come
yer。 And mebbe I'm that much of a habitooal lunatic； but thinking
so； I calkilated you'ld know it without tellin'。〃
With their eyes fixed upon her； Mrs。 Tucker felt the quick blood
rush to her cheeks； although she knew not why。 But they were
apparently satisfied with her ignorance； for Patterson resumed；
yet more gloomily：
〃Then if he wasn't hidin' here beknownst to you； he must have
changed his mind agin and got away by the embarcadero。 The only
thing wantin' to prove that idea is to know how he got a boat；
and what he did with the hoss。 And thar's one more idea； and ez
that can't be proved；〃 continued Patterson； sinking his voice
still lower； 〃mebbe it's accordin' to God's laws。〃
Unsympathetic to her as the speaker had always been and still
was； Mrs。 Tucker felt a vague chill creep over her that seemed
to be the result of his manner more than his words。 〃And that
idea is 。 。 。 ？〃 she suggested with pale lips。
〃It's this！ Fust； I don't say it means much to anybody but me。
I've heard of these warnings afore now； ez comin' only to folks ez
hear them for themselves alone； and I reckon I kin stand it； if
it's the will o' God。 The idea is thenthatSpencer TuckerWAS
DROWNDED in that boat； the idea is〃his voice was almost lost in a
hoarse whisper〃that it was no living man that kem to me that
night； but a spirit that kem out of the darkness and went back into
it！ No eye saw him but mineno ears heard him but mine。 I reckon
it weren't intended it should。〃 He paused； and passed the flap of
his hat across his eyes。 〃The pie； you'll say； is agin it；〃 he
continued in the same tone of voice；〃the whiskey is agin ita
few cuss words that dropped from him； accidental like； may have
been agin it。 All the same they mout have been only the little
signs and tokens that it was him。〃
But Mrs。 Baxter's ready laugh somewhat rudely dispelled the
infection of Patterson's gloom。 〃I reckon the only spirit was that
which you and Spencer consumed；〃 she said； cheerfully。 〃I don't
wonder you're a little mixed。 Like as not you've misunderstood his
plans。〃 Patterson shook his head。 〃He'll turn up yet； alive and
kicking！ Like as not； then； Poindexter knows where he is all the
time。〃
〃Impossible！ He would have told me；〃 said Mrs。 Tucker； quickly。
Mrs。 Baxter looked at Patterson without speaking。 Patterson
replied by a long lugubrious whistle。
〃I don't understand you；〃 said Mrs。 Tucker； drawing back with cold
dignity。
〃You don't？〃 returned Mrs。 Baxter。 〃Bless your innocent heart！
Why was he so keen to hunt me up at first； shadowing my friends and
all that； and why has he dropped it now he knows I'm here； if he
didn't know where Spencer was？〃
〃I can explain that；〃 interrupted Mrs。 Tucker； hastily； with a
blush of confusion。 〃That isI〃
〃Then mebbe you kin explain too；〃 broke in Patterson with gloomy
significance； 〃why he has bought up most of Spencer's debts
himself； and perhaps you're satisfied it ISN'T to hold the whip
hand of him and keep him from coming back openly。 Pr'aps you know
why he's movin' heaven and earth to make Don Jose Santierra sell
the ranch； and why the Don don't see it all。〃
〃Don Jose sell Los Cuervos！ Buy it； you mean？〃 said Mrs。 Tucker。
〃I offered to sell it to him。〃
Patterson arose from the chair； looked despairingly around him；
passed his hand sadly across his forehead； and said： 〃It's come！ I
knew it would。 It's the warning！ It's suthing betwixt jim…jams
and doddering idjiocy。 Here I'd hev been willin' to swear that
Mrs。 Baxter here told me SHE had sold this yer ranch nearly two
years ago to Don Jose