The glow of a certain hard pride burned through the careworn languor of her brown cheek. What she had said was strangely true. This raw-boned woman before him, although scarcely middle-aged, had for years occupied a self-imposed maternal and protecting relation, not only to her husband and brothers, but to the three or four men, who as partners, or hired hands, lived at the ranch. An inherited and trained sympathy with what she called her boyss and her men folk, and their needs had partly unsexed her. She was a fair type of a class not uncommon on the Southwestern frontier; women who were ruder helpmeets of their rude husbands and brothers, who had shared their privations and sufferings with surly, masculine endurance, rather than feminine patience; women who had sent their loved ones to hopeless adventure or terrible vendetta as a matter of course, or with partisan fury; who had devotedly nursed the wounded to keep alive the feud, or had received back their dead dry-eyed and revengeful. Small wonder that Cressy McKinstry had developed strangely under this sexless relationship. Looking at the mother, albeit not without a certain respect, Mr. Ford found himself contrasting her with the daughters graceful femininity, and wondering where in Cressys youthful contour the possibility of the grim figure before him was even now hidden.
Hiram allowed to go over to the schoolhouse and see you this mornin, said Mrs. McKinstry, after a pause; but I reckon ez how he had to look up stock on the river. The cattle are that wild this time o year, huntin water, and hangin round the tules, that my men are nigh worrited out o their butes with em. Hank and Jim aint been off their mustangs since sun up, and Hiram, what with partrollen the West Boundary all night, watchin stakes whar them low down Harrisons hev been trespassinhasnt put his feet to the ground in fourteen hours. Mebbee you noticed Hiram ez you kem along? Ef so, ye didnt remember what kind o shootin irons he had with him? I see his rifle over yon. Like ez not hez only got his six-shooter, and them Harrisons are mean enough to lay for him at long range. But, she added, returning to the less important topic, I spose Cressy came all right.
Yes, said the master hopelessly.
I reckon she looked so, continued Mrs. McKinstry, with tolerant abstraction. She allowed to do herself credit in one of them new store gownds that she got at Sacramento. At least thats what some of our men said. Late years, I aint kept tech with the fashions myself. She passed her fingers explanatorily down the folds of her own coarse gown, but without regret or apology.
She seemed well prepared in her lessons, said the master, abandoning for the moment that criticism of his pupils dress, which he saw was utterly futile, but am I to understand that she is coming regularly to schoolthat she is now perfectly free to give her entire attention to her studiesthatthatherengagement is broken off?
Why, didnt she tell ye? echoed Mrs. McKinstry in languid surprise.
SHE certainly did, said the master with slight embarrassment, but
Ef SHE said so, interrupted Mrs. McKinstry abstractedly, she oughter know, and you kin tie to what she says.
But as Im responsible to PARENTS and not to scholars for the discipline of my school, returned the young man a little stiffly, I thought it my duty to hear it from YOU.
Thats so, said Mrs. McKinstry meditatively; then I reckon youd better see Hiram. That ar Seth Davis engagement was a matter of hern and her fathers, and not in MY line. I spose that Hiram natrally allows to set the thing square to you and inquirin friends.
I hope you understand, said the master, slightly resenting the classification, that my reason for inquiring about the permanency of your daughters attendance was simply because it might be necessary to arrange her studies in a way more suitable to her years; perhaps even to suggest to you that a young ladies seminary might be more satisfactory
Sartain, sartain, interrupted Mrs. McKinstry hurriedly, but whether from evasion of annoying suggestion or weariness of the topic, the master could not determine. Youd better speak to Hiram about it. Ony, she hesitated slightly, ez hes got now sorter set and pinted towards your school, and is a trifle worrited with stock and them Harrisons, ye might tech it lightly. He oughter be along yer now. I cant think what keeps him. Her eye wandered again with troubled preoccupation to the corner where her husbands Sharps rifle stood. Suddenly she raised her voice as if forgetful of Mr. Fords presence.
O Cressy!
O Maw!
The response came from the inner room. The next moment Cressy appeared at the door with an odd half-lazy defiance in her manner, which the master could not understand except upon the hypothesis that she had been listening. She had already changed her elaborate toilet for a long clinging, coarse blue gown, that accented the graceful curves of her slight, petticoat-less figure. Nodding her head towards the master, she said, Howdy? and turned to her mother, who practically ignored their personal acquaintance. Cressy, she said, Dads gone and left his Sharps yer, dye mind takin it along to meet him, afore he passes the Boundary corner. Ye might tell him the teachers yer, wantin to see him.
One moment, said the master, as the young girl carelessly stepped to the corner and lifted the weapon. Let ME take it. Its all on my way back to school and Ill meet him.
Mrs. McKinstry looked perturbed. Cressy opened her clear eyes on the master with evident surprise. No, Mr. Ford, said Mrs. McKinstry, with her former maternal manner. Yed better not mix yourself up with these yer doins. Yeve no call to do it, and Cressy has; its all in the family. But its outer YOUR line, and them Harrison whelps go to your school. Fancy the teacher takin weppins betwixt and between!
Its fitter work for the teacher than for one of his scholars, and a young lady at that, said Mr. Ford gravely, as he took the rifle from the hands of the half-amused, half-reluctant girl. Its quite safe with me, and I promise I shall deliver it into Mr. McKinstrys hands and none other.
Perhaps it wouldnt be ez likely to be ginrally noticed ez it would if one of US carried it, murmured Mrs. McKinstry in confidential abstraction, gazing at her daughter sublimely unconscious of the presence of a third party.
Youre quite right, said the master composedly, throwing the rifle over his shoulder and turning towards the door. So Ill say good-afternoon, and try and find your husband.
Mrs. McKinstry constrainedly plucked at the folds of her coarse gown. Yell like a drink afore ye go, she said, in an ill-concealed tone of relief. I clean forgot my manners. Cressy, fetch out that demijohn.
Not for me, thank you, returned Mr. Ford smiling.
Oh, I seeyoure temperance, natrally, said Mrs. McKinstry with a tolerant sigh.
Hardly that, returned the master, I follow no rule, I drink sometimesbut not to-day.
Mrs. McKinstrys dark face contracted. Dont you see, Maw, struck in Cressy quickly. Teacher drinks sometimes, but he dont USE whiskey. Thats all.
Her mothers face relaxed. Cressy slipped out of the door before the master, and preceded him to the gate. When she had reached it she turned and looked into his face.
What did Maw say to yer about seein me just now?