XXXVI
THE HARVEST-HOME
The hay-harvest was still going on when Curtis and Jennie drove down thevalley to meet Elsie and Lawson at Pinon City. "Father is much changed,"Elsie had written. "You will hardly know him now. He has forgotten allabout his campaign; he remembers you only momentarily, so that you neednot feel any resentment. He will probably meet you as if he had neverseen you before. Please do not show any surprise, no matter what hesays."
Curtis expected to find Brisbane a poor shambling wreck of a man, moroseand sorrowful to look upon, and his astonishment was correspondinglyprofound as the ex-Senator descended from the train. His step wasvigorous, and his face was placid and of good color; thus much the youngsoldier took in at a glance, then he forgot all the world in the radiantface of his heart's beloved.
As she put up her lips to be kissed, Elsie's eyes were dim with tears,and she hurried to Jennie as if for relief from her emotion. When sheturned, her father was shaking hands urbanely with Curtis.
"Glad to meet you, sir," he said, in the tone of the suave man ofposition. "I didn't catch the name."
A spasm of pain crossed Elsie's face. "This is Mr. Curtis, papa. Don'tyou remember Captain Curtis?"
"Ah, yes, so it is," he replied. "I remember you spoke of him oncebefore. I am very glad to make your acquaintance--very glad indeed,sir."
To meet this calm politeness in a man who, in his right mind, would haverefused to shake hands, was deeply moving to the young officer. To alloutward appearance the great promoter was the same, and on all mattersconcerning his first campaign and first term, and especially on theevents of his early life, he spoke with freedom, even with humor, but ofthe incidents of the later campaign he had no recollection. That he hadbeen defeated and humbled seemed also to have left no lasting mark uponhis mind.
"The fact is, my memory has grown very bad," he explained. "I canremember faces in a dim way, but anything that is said to me I forgetinstantly."
For a time the thought of Brisbane's mental decay threw a gloom over theparty, but Elsie said: "Please don't mind him. I have reached a certainphilosophic calm in the matter. I can do him no good by sorrowing. Ihave, therefore, determined to be as happy as I can."
Curtis cheerfully called: "We must start at once. Will your father gowith us?"
"Oh no! I am afraid to have him undertake that. He will go on to CopperCity with his secretary."
"Of course, that is best," replied Curtis, vastly relieved.
Brisbane parted with Elsie quite matter-of-factly, and his urbanityremained unbroken as he shook hands with Curtis. "Pleased to have metyou, sir," he said, and, in spite of her resolution, the tears filledthe daughter's eyes. The old warrior's smiling forgetfulness of feudswas tragic.
As they rode homeward, Curtis and Elsie sat as before on the forwardseat, and he detailed what had taken place at the agency, and shelistened, genuinely absorbed. She laughed and she wept a little as hisstory touched on the pathetic incidents of the year.
"You are like a father confessor," she said. "You hold in your hands themost intimate secrets of your people. I don't understand your patiencewith them. Do you feel that you have made your demonstration?"
"What I have done is written in lines of gold and green on the earth.The sky is too bright to remember my gray days," he replied, mostexultantly.
She looked at him quizzically. "You are developing new and singularpowers."
"I have a new and singular teacher."
"New?" she queried.
"New to me," he answered, and in such enigmatic way they expressed theiremotion while Lawson and Jennie chatted gayly and in clear prose behind.Part of the time Elsie drove, and that gave Curtis an excuse to lay hishand on her wrist when he wished her to drive slow. At the half-wayhouse she shuddered and made a mouth of disgust. "Let's hurry past here;I have a bad heart when I think of those horrible men."
"They are thinning out, and this ranch has 'changed hands' as they sayon restaurant signs in Chicago. Here's our north line of fence," hesaid, as they came to a big, new gate. "I hastened to build this atonce before anything happened to prevent. This keeps the stock of thewhite man out, and has stopped all friction."
As they came in sight of the flag-pole, Elsie cried out: "Just think!This is the third time I have driven up this road in this way. Twicewith you."
"I know it is wonderful. I don't intend you to go away without me."
She was ignoring every one of his suggestions now, but the flush of hercheek and a certain softness in her eyes encouraged him to go on.
As they alighted at the door, Jennie remained to look after her bundles,and Curtis and Elsie entered the library together. He who had waited soeagerly for this moment turned and folded her close in his arms. "I needyou, sweetest! I'll never let you go again. Never!"
This was her moment to protest; but she was silent, with her faceagainst his shoulder.
Jennie bounced into the hall with a great deal of premonitory clatterand hurried Elsie to her room to rest.
"And now you're to be my really truly sister," she said, closing thedoor behind her.
"I think--George," she hesitated a little, and blushed before speakinghis name, "expects it--rather confidently."
"Then give me a good hug, you glorious thing!"