VI
CURTIS SEEKS A TRUCE
"Our artists are going to flit," remarked Jennie, one evening, as theywere taking seats at luncheon.
He looked up quickly. "Are they?"
"Yes, Miss Brisbane is going back to Washington, and Mr. Lawson willfollow, no doubt."
He unfolded his napkin with unmoved countenance. "Well, they are wise;we are likely to have a norther any day now."
The soldier had all the responsibilities and perplexities he couldmaster without the addition of Elsie Brisbane's disturbing lure. Thevalue of her good opinion was enormously enhanced by the news of herintended departure, and for a day or two Curtis went about his dutieswith absent-minded ineffectiveness; he even detected himself once ortwice sitting with his pen in his hand creating aimless markings on hisblotting-pad. Wilson, the clerk, on one occasion waited full fiveminutes for an answer while his chief debated with himself whether tocall upon Miss Brisbane at the studio or at the house. He began to findexcuses for her--"A man who is a villain in business may be a veryattractive citizen in private life--and she may have been very fond ofSennett. From her point of view--anyhow, she is a lovely young girl,and it is absurd to place her among my enemies." The thought of her faceset in bitter scorn against him caused his heart to contract painfully."I've been too harsh. These people are repugnant to one so dainty andsuperrefined. There are excuses for her prejudice. I can't let her goaway in anger." And in this humble mood he stopped at the door of herstudio one morning, prepared to be very patient and very persuasive.
"Good-morning, Miss Brisbane. May I come in?"
"Certainly, if my work will interest you," she replied; "you'll excusemy going on. I want to finish this portrait of Little Peta to-day."
"By all means--I do not intend to interrupt." He took a seat to thefront and a little to the left of her, and sat in silence for a fewmoments. Her brown hair, piled loosely on her head, brought out theexquisite fairness of her complexion, and the big, loose sleeve of herblouse made her hand seem like a child's, but it was strong and steady.She was working with her whole mind, breathing quickly as she mixed hercolors, holding her breath as she put her brush against the canvas. Sheused the apparently aimless yet secure movement of the born painter.With half-closed eyes and head a little to one side, with small handlifted to measure and compare, she took on a new expression, abewitching intentness, which quite transformed her.
"I hear you are going away," said Curtis at last, speaking with someeffort, uncertain of her temper.
"Yes, we break up and vacate to-morrow."
"Why break up? You will want to come back next spring. Leave the placeas it is."
She gave him a quick, keen glance, and put her head again on one side tosquint.
"I have no intention of returning."
"Have you exhausted Indian subjects?"
"Oh no!" she exclaimed, with sudden, artistic enthusiasm. "I have justbegun to see what I want to do."
"Then why not come back?" She did not reply, and he resumed, with tendergravity: "I hope I haven't made it so unpleasant for you that you arerunning away to escape _me_?"
She turned with a sharp word on her tongue, but he was so frank and sohandsome, and withal so humble, that she instantly relented. She wasused to this humility in men and knew the meaning thereof, and a flushof gratified pride rose to her face. The proud soldier had become asuitor like the others.
"Oh no--you have nothing to do with it," she replied, carelessly.
"I am glad of that. I was afraid you might think me unsympathetic, but Iam not. I am here this morning to offer you my cordial assistance, for Iam eager to see this people put into art. So far as I know, they havenever been adequately treated in painting or in sculpture."
"Thank you," she said, "I don't think I shall go very far with them.They are very pleasant on canvas, but there are too many disagreeablethings connected with painting them. I don't see how you endure thethought of living here among them." She shuddered. "I hate them!"
"I don't understand that hardness in you, Miss Brisbane," he replied.
"I'm sure it isn't mysterious. I hate dirt and rags, even when painted.Now Little Peta here is quite different. She is a dear little thing. Seeher sigh--she gets so tired, but she's patient."
"You are making a beautiful picture of her. Your skill is marvellous."His method of approach was more adroit than he realized; she softenedyet again.
"Thank you. I seem to have hit her off very well."
"Will you exhibit in Washington this winter?" he asked, with boyisheagerness.
"I may--I haven't quite decided," she said, quite off guard at last.
"If you do I wish you would let me know. I may be able to visit theexhibition and witness your triumph."
She began to suspect his motives. "Oh, my little row of paintingscouldn't be tortured into a triumph. I've stolen the time for them fromMr. Lawson, whose illustrations I have neglected." She was again coldand repellent.
"Miss Brisbane, this whole situation has become intolerable to me." Herose and faced her, very sincere and deeply earnest. "I do not like tohave you go away carrying an unpleasant impression of me. What can I doto change it? If I have been boorish or presuming in any way I sincerelybeg your pardon."
She motioned to Peta. "You can go now, dear, I've done all I canto-day."
Curtis took up his hat. "I hope I have not broken up your sitting. Itwould be unpardonable in me."
She squinted back at the picture with professional gravity. "Oh no; Ionly had a few touches to put in under the chin--that luminous shadow isso hard to get. I'm quite finished."
She went behind a screen for a few moments, and when she reappearedwithout her brushes and her blouse she was the society young lady intone and manner.
"Would you like to look at my sketches?" she asked. "They're jollyrubbish, the whole lot, but they represent a deal of enthusiasm."
Her tone was friendly--too friendly, considering the point at which hehad paused, and he was a little hurt by it. Was she playing with him?
His tone was firm and his manner direct as he said: "Miss Brisbane, I amaccustomed to deal directly with friends as well as enemies, and I liketo have people equally frank with me. I know you are angry because of myaction in the case of your uncle. I do not ask pardon for that; I wasacting there in line of my duty. But if I have spoken harshly or withoutdue regard to your feelings at any time I ask you to forgive me."
He made a powerful appeal to her at this moment, but she wilfullyreplied: "You made no effort to soften my uncle's disgrace."
"I didn't know he was your uncle at that time," he said, but his facegrew grave quickly. "It would have made no difference if I had--myorders were to step between him and the records of the office. So far asmy orders enlightened me, he was a man to be watched." He turned towardsthe door. "Is there anything I can do to help you reach the stationto-morrow? My sister and I would gladly drive you down."
She was unrelenting, but very lovely as she replied: "Thank you; you arevery kind, but all arrangements are made."
"Good-afternoon, Miss Brisbane."
"Good-bye, Captain Curtis."
"She is hard--hard as iron," he said, as he walked away. "Her father'sdaughter in every fibre."
He was ashamed to acknowledge how deeply he felt her rejection of hisfriendship, and the thought of not seeing her again gave him a suddensense of weakness and loneliness.
Elsie, on her part, was surprised to find a new nerve tingling in herbrain, and this tremor cut into the complete self-satisfaction sheexpected to feel over her refusal of the peace-pipe. Several timesduring the afternoon, while superintending her packing, she foundherself standing in an attitude of meditation--her inward eye revertingto the fine, manly figure he made, while his grave, sweet voice vibratedin her ears. She began to see herself in an unpleasant light, and whenat the dinner-table Lawson spoke of Curtis, she listened to him withmore real interest than ever before.
"He is making wonderful changes here," L
awson was saying. "Everywhereyou go you see Tetongs working at fence-building, bridge-making,cabin-raising, with their eagle feathers fluttering in the winds, theirsmall hands chapped with cold. They are sawing boards and piling grainin the warehouse and daubing red paint on the roofs. They are in afrenzy of work. Every man has his rations and is happy. In some way hehas persuaded the chiefs to bring in all the school-children, and thebenches are full of the little shock-heads, wild as colts."
"A new broom, etc.," murmured Elsie.
"His predecessor never was a new broom," retorted Lawson, quickly."Sennett always had a nasty slaunch to him. He never in his life cleanedthe dirt from the corners, and I don't see exactly why you take suchpains in defending him."
"Because he is my uncle," she replied.
"Uncle Boot-jack! That is pure fudge, Bee Bee. You didn't speak to himonce a week; you privately despised him--anybody could see that. You aresimply making a cudgel of him now to beat Curtis with--and, to speakplainly, I think it petty of you. More than this, you'd better hedge,for I'm not at all sure that Sennett has not been peculating."
Elsie stopped him with an angry gesture. "I'll not have you accusing himbehind his back."
Lawson threw out his hands in a gesture of despair. "All right! But makea note of it: you'll regret this taking sides with a disreputable oldbummer against an officer of Captain Curtis's reputation."
"You are not my master!" she said, and her eyes were fiercely bright. "Ido not wish to hear you use that tone to me again! I resent it!" and shestruck the floor with her foot. "Henceforth, if we are to remainfriends, you will refrain from lecturing me!" and she left the room witha feeling of having done two men a wrong by being unjust to herself, andthis feeling deepened into shame as she lay in her bed that night. Itwas her first serious difference with Lawson and she grew unhappy overit. "But he shouldn't take sides against me like that," she said, in anattempt to justify her anger.
On the second morning thereafter Lawson came into the office and said:"Well, Captain, we leave you this morning."
Curtis looked up into his visitor's fine, sensitive face, and exclaimed,abruptly--almost violently: "I'm going to miss you, old man."
"My heart's with you," replied Lawson. "And I shall return next spring."
"Bring Miss Brisbane with you."
"I'd like to do so, but she is vastly out of key--and I doubt.Meanwhile, if I can be of any use to you in Washington let me know."
"Thank you, Lawson, I trust you perfectly," Curtis replied, with a glowof warm liking.
As he stood at the gate looking up into Elsie's face, she seemed verymuch softened, and he wished to reach his hand and stay her where shesat; but the last word was spoken, and the wagon rolled away with nomore definite assurance of her growing friendship than was to be read ina polite smile.
Jennie was tearful as she said: "After all, they were worth while."
Curtis sighed as he said: "Sis, the realities of our position begin tomake themselves felt. Play-spells will be fewer now that our artists aregone."
"They certainly broke our fall," replied Jennie, soberly. "OsborneLawson is fine, and I don't believe Elsie Bee Bee is as ferocious as shepretends to be."
"It's her training. She has breathed the air of rapacity fromchildhood. I can't blame her for being her father's child."
Jennie looked at him as if he were presented from a new angle of vision."George, there _is_ a queer streak in you--for a soldier; you're toosoft-hearted. But don't you get too much interested in Elsie Bee Bee;she's dangerous--and, besides, Mr. Lawson wears an air of command."