The fire dropped out of Miss Mayfield's eyes and cheeks.She turned toward the stranger.
"Please step this way."
She always hated her own childish treble.But just at that moment she thought she had put force and dignity into it,and was correspondingly satisfied.The deputy sheriff was equally pleased,and came towards the upright little figure with open admiration.
"Your name is Dodd--James Dodd?"
"Yes,miss."
"You are the deputy sheriff of the county?Don't look round--there is no one here!""Well,miss--if you say so--yes!"
"My father--Mr.Mayfield--understood so.I regret he is not here.
I regret still more I could not have seen you before you saw Mr.
Briggs,as he wished me to."
"Yes,miss."
"My father is a friend of Mr.Briggs,and knows something of his affairs.There was a debt to a Mr.Parker"(here Miss Mayfield apparently consulted an entry in her tablets)"of one hundred and twelve dollars and seventy-five cents--am I right?"The deputy,with great respect:"That is the figgers.""Which he wished to pay without the knowledge of Mr.Briggs,who would not have consented to it."The official opened his eyes."Yes,miss."
"Well,as Mr.Mayfield is NOT here,I am here to pay it for him.
You can take a check on Wells,Fargo &Co.I suppose?""Certainly,miss."
She took a check-book and pen and ink from her reticule,and filled up a check.She handed it to him,and the pen and ink."You are to give me a receipt."The deputy looked at the matter-of-fact little figure,and signed and handed over the receipted bill.
"My father said Mr.Briggs was not to know this.""Certainly not,miss."
"It was Mr.Briggs's intention to let the judgment take its course,and give up the house.You are a man of business,Mr.Dodd,and know that this is ridiculous!"The deputy laughed."In course,miss."
"And whatever Mr.Briggs may have proposed to you to do,when you go back to the Forks,you are to write him a letter,and say that you will simply hold the judgment without levy.""All right,miss,"said the deputy,not ill-pleased to hold himself in this superior attitude to Jeff.
"And--"
"Yes,miss?"
She looked steadily at him."Mr.Briggs told my father that he would pay you ten dollars for the privilege of staying here.""Yes,miss."
"And,of course,THAT'S not necessary now."
"No-o,miss."
A very small white hand--a mere child's hand--was here extended,palm uppermost.
The official,demoralized completely,looked at it a moment,then went into his pockets and counted out into the palm the coins given by Jeff;they completely filled the tiny receptacle.
Miss Mayfield counted the money gravely,and placed it in her portemonnaie with a snap.
Certain qualities affect certain natures.This practical business act of the diminutive beauty before him--albeit he was just ten dollars out of pocket by it--struck the official into helpless admiration.He hesitated.
"That's all,"said Miss Mayfield coolly;"you need not wait.The letter was only an excuse to get Mr.Briggs out of the way.""I understand ye,miss."He hesitated still."Do you reckon to stop in these parts long?""I don't know."
"'Cause ye ought to come down some day to the Forks.""Yes."
"Good morning,miss."
"Good morning."
Yet at the corner of the house the rascal turned and looked back at the little figure in the sunlight.He had just been physically overcome by a younger man--he had lost ten dollars--he had a wife and three children.He forgot all this.He had been captivated by Miss Mayfield!
That practical heroine sat there five minutes.At the end of that time Jeff came bounding down the hill,his curls damp with perspiration;his fresh,honest face the picture of woe,HER woe,for the letter could not be found!
"Never mind,Mr.Jeff.I wrote another and gave it to him."Two tears were standing on her cheeks.Jeff turned white.
"Good God,miss!"
"It's nothing.You were right,Mr.Jeff!I ought not to have walked down here alone.I'm very,very tired,and--so--so miserable."What woman could withstand the anguish of that honest boyish face?
I fear Miss Mayfield could,for she looked at him over her handkerchief,and said:"Perhaps you had something to say to your friend,and I've sent him off.""Nothing,"said Jeff hurriedly;and she saw that all his other troubles had vanished at the sight of her weakness.She rose tremblingly from her seat."I think I will go in now,but I think--I think--I must ask you to--to--carry me!"
Oh,lame and impotent conclusion!
The next moment,Jeff,pale,strong,passionate,but tender as a mother,lifted her in his arms and brought her into the sitting-room.A simultaneous ejaculation broke from Aunt Sally and Mrs.
Mayfield--the possible comment of posterity on the whole episode.
"Well,Jeff,I reckoned you'd be up to suthin'like that!""Well,Jessie!I knew you couldn't be trusted."Mr.James Dodd did not return from the Forks that afternoon,to Jeff's vague uneasiness.Towards evening a messenger brought a note from him,written on the back of a printed legal form,to this effect:
DEAR SIR--Seeing as you Intend to act on the Square in regard to that little Mater I have aranged Things so that I ant got to stop with you but I'll drop in onct in a wile to keep up a show for a Drink--respy yours,J.DODD.
In this latter suggestion our legal Cerberus exhibited all three of his heads at once.One could keep faith with Miss Mayfield,one could see her "onct in a wile,"and one could drink at Jeff's expense.Innocent Jeff saw only generosity and kindness in the man he had half-choked,and a sense of remorse and shame almost outweighed the relief of his absence."He might hev been ugly,"said Jeff.He did not know how,in this selfish world,there is very little room for gratuitous,active ugliness.
