Show by I 1 to ioe MARTHA I 1 WL a ruiA ue LL ln 0 MARTHA SERVICE CHAPTER X 13 it was only a ruse on the part of 0 the laird to despatch autumn to town on business that he could have attended to as well himself on his next visit H he a wanted the hou house se to himself he would have hav tion contrived some means of getting old hannah out of the way as well but there were limits after all beyond which a man of self respect will refuse to go for that matter he would have permitted autumn to remain at home had it not been that he feared the hurt to tier her feelings which the presence of young landor in the house would occasion for the laird had bad asked bruce to come over and talk to him on matters t ers that could not be discussed with any degree of satisfaction over the telephone jarvis of course might have gone to the landor place and talked with bruce but some instinct some sentiment perhaps forbade that besides young landor had not shown the slightest antipathy to the suggestion that he should visit the laird in his own house and now as s he sat and waited for the boy h he was strangely moved in a few minutes he would be talking face to face with the son of geoffrey landor talking as titan man to man though it was difficult to think that young bruce had really come to mans estate in all these years he had never talked to bruce more than to exchange a greeting when they met let or to make some polite enquiry regarding his mothers health in that he had often told himself he had not been wholly to blame the boy had been raised under the influence of jane landor whose bitterness had lasted until the day of her death bruce had been quite as aloof of as he had been at jane lan dors funeral jarvis had been deeply moved by the boys bereavement and had wished with all his heart that he might have been able to summon the courage to take him aside and speak to him for in spite of all that had kept them apart he had never been free of a desire to play the part of a father to bruce landor landon the sound of a car coming to a stop before the house brought jarvis to his window he saw bru bruce ce step from his car and approach the door he turned from his window and seated himself in his big chair before his desk presently he heard old hannahs voice in the hall below and in a moment bruce landor lander presented himself in the library doorway jarvis looked up as his visitor announced himself it might have been geoffrey landor lander himself he carried himself with such ease of manner and a bearing so erect and challenging he was dressed in riding breeches and a soft gray shirt I 1 that was open at the throat good morning landor jarvis greeted him without getting up come in and sit down bruce entered the room and remained standing before the laird you wanted to talk to me he prompted yes jarvis replied sit down sit down he waved a hand to a vacant chair and bruce seated himself and glanced quickly about the room there followed an awkward pause which bruce sought to break at once 1 I hope you are well mr dean he ventured with determined cordiality from beneath his shaggy brows the lairds severe eyes pierced bruce with a look that would have brought discomfort to anyone with a less easy conscience well enough well enough jarvis replied A man of my years find fault if he hes s taken with an ache or pain now and then 11 youre good for a long while yet mr dean bruce said I 1 quite possible quite possible the laird said taking a cigar from the box on his table and nipping the end with his teeth better smoke landor he said then well both talk better id offer you a cigar but you yo young mg fellows 1 I have some cigarettes with me thanks bruce told him as he took a package from his shirt pocket and selected one he struck a match and held it to the lairds cigar oddly moved by this momentary intimacy with a man who had been a mysterious and forbidding figure to him as long as he could remember you have lost some sheep the laird began as soon as bruce had bad seated himself thirty four bruce replied your prize merinos marinos Me they were yes sir bruce said too bad too bad jarvis observed gilly tells me they were poisoned strychnine in the salt trough youre sure of that the vets report was waiting tor for me when agot home aye so I 1 understand he tells me too that lyou you suspect this man boort belfort we have no proof of it bruce said 1 I have my own opinion and it amounts to a conviction you might be wrong of course bruce smiled certainly sir but I 1 dont think I 1 am this time the laird leaned forward and tapped the ash from his cigar 1 I admit the man would do it hes the kind that would if habad he had any rea son for or it but even a bad man act without a motive 1 I supplied him with a motive im afraid bruce replied directly agyei aye I I was coming to that you had some sort of a rumpus with him in town last week im told 1 I had bruce admitted it was over something that belfort had to say about my daughter it the laird asked 1 I should have done precisely what w hat I 1 did sir whether it had been be an your daughter or any other woman jarvis dismissed the suggestion with a wave ot of his hand certainly my boy certainly but that has nothing whatever to do with the business he paused and drew a deep breath then relaxed into his chair you are still a very young man landor he went od on and I 1 am an old man my opinion may count very little to a man of your years but it if a young woman chooses to make a trollop of herself I 1 dont see how it improves matters to make it the cause of a public brawl your daughter has not made a trollop of herself sir bruce protested besides I 1 did what I 1 did because I 1 had little choice in the in matter atter would it not have been better it if you had left well enough alone instead of making both my daughter and yourself the laughing stock of the countryside im afraid we cant agree on that sir bruce replied 1 I am of course sorry for any unpleasantness it may have caused either you or autumn jarvis deans face darkened be that as it may landor he said id prefer to look after such things myself in the future when they concern me or one ot of my own house very good sir bruce returned his lips tightening in fact my boy I 1 mean to do whatever w I 1 can to wipe out the unfortunate results of this affair how much do you figure those se merinos marinos of yours were worth to you bruce flushed bushed 1 I figured that out exactly mr dean he replied put your own price on them then and let me know what it is I 1 w want ant to make it good to you bruce looked at jarvis aware of a quick surge ot of feeling within him he was silent tor for a moment there were times when a man might pardonably give way to anger but this was not such a time he told himself in a resolute effort at self con arol after all the laird was making what he undoubtedly felt to be a generous 9 onerous gesture 1 I understand what you mean mr dean he said at last but my loss is my own I 1 brought it on myself and ill foot the bill the great hands of jarvis dean came down heavily upon the arms ot of his chair as he leaned toward bruce you dont mean you are not refusing my offer he demanded harshly bruce laughed outright you surely expect me to accept it he replied 1 I come to that yet sir A livid vein stood out cout upon jarvis forehead he got to his feet with astonishing and fiery swiftness that landor is is sheer impudence he gasped bruce who had risen promptly when jarvis stood up looked steadily into the older mans eyes are you not being a bit unreasonable mr dean he asked the laird 6 snorted enough sir and more than enough I 1 he replied 1 I have made you a gent lemans offer and you have refused it do I 1 understand you aright sir 1 I think of accepting it mr dean very well landor very welli well you may have it your way then but from this day forward there will be no dealings between us do you understand you are a stranger to us to me and my daughter for the rest of our days he stepped toward bruce and thrust his great head forward do you understand that he demanded perfectly I 1 think bruce replied and tumbled in his breast pocket for another cigarette the hand that struck the match was not altogether steady but he knew now that he had his feelings under control when he turned toward jarvis dean again he was startled quite off his guard at the shocking change that had come over the old man the laird was leaning heavily with one hand on the back of his chair his head bowed forward his other hand passing uncertainly across his bis eyes as though to brush from them something that obscured his vision bruce took an apprehensive step toward him but immediately jarvis dr drew ew himself erect although his face was drawn and white he made a curt bow good day Lan landor darl he said and stood awaiting braces withdrawal bruce looked at him tor for one brief moment in frowning perplexity and with a feeling of some unfathomable uneasiness then he bade the laird a quiet goodby good by and turned away As he left the room jarvis dean slumped heavily into his chair and sat listening to the sound of braces footsteps ae descending sc ending the stairs the laird was still in his library at an hour or so later when autumn returned from town when he heard I 1 her mounting the stairway presently he closed the large leather bound journal in which he was writing and laid it carefully away in the drawer of his table he locked the drawer and returned the small key to its wonted place above the desk he turned as autumn came int into the room youre back he said it take you long ive been gone three hours she remarked there much to do did you see snyder 1 I found him in his bis office heu hell be out to see you tomorrow afternoon jarvis got up from his table and tood stood a before the fireplace replace fl 1 I had it ad young landor lander out to see me he be said abruptly hannah told me autumn replied was there some some trouble between you hannah says hannah talks too much the laird interrupted whatever trouble there was was of Lan dors own making hes turned out to be an impudent young whelp that autumn moved mo ved to the window windo w and looked out toward the west where good day landerl Lan dort dorl bruce LanU Lant lors ors ranch lay are you sure you are being quite fair da she asked quietly he need you to defend him my girl jarvis reproved her 1 I know that autumn replied and I 1 dont mean to defend him either after all I 1 know nothing of what passed between you 1 I offered to pay him for the me he lost jarvis informed her autumn turned from the window he accept it did he what why he accept it the laird demanded whose fault was it that he lost them autumn regarded her father silently for a moment it was my fault da she said at last 1 I admit it but the score between us could not be settled like that perhaps you can suggest the proper form of settlement then jarvis said scornfully im not sure that it can ever be settled she said its settled now then jarvis replied from this day forth there will be nothing more between young landor and the deans autumn looked quickly at her father did he accept that she asked 1 I ask him the laird said 1 I told him it would be so and I 1 ha have V a a right to demand compliance with my wishes my girl autumn smiled patiently you have always had it da she observed then turned away and went to her room for the remainder of the day bruce was unable to shake from his mind the oppressive thought of the virulent and altogether disproportionate resentment which the old laird bore toward him he gave it as little thought as he could however and went furiously to work on the building improvements he had planned lanned earlier in the season with the he help of his foreman andrew gilly he laid out the ground for his new dipping plant while he helped to prepare the ground for excavate ing ng however or while he hauled cedar posts for the framework his mind remained heavy with the knowledge of jarvis deans violent bitterness toward toward him at the end of the day he found himself on edge with his men and ils his work and himself and in an altogether frame of mind he hurried through his supper with scarcely a word to gilly who sat opposite him the motionless heat of the evening droned dronek in his senses insects crawled up and down the window screens with tiny unpleasant activity against the vi olet tinted rectangle of 0 twilight beyond the screen door he could already a see the bats swooping down in black and noisome parabolas para bolas when he be had finished his meal he got ap up abruptly and with a brief word or two to gilly left the table and went out of the house half an hour later he tied his horse to a birch tree near his herd ers cabin in the ravine rubbed the me animals muzzle affectionately and gave him a lump jump of sugar in response to a peremptory whinny within the cabin bruce undressed quickly threw about himself the old bathrobe he had brought along and with a towel on his arm emerged end and walked down into the ravine and up the creek to where the mountain stream narrowed and deepened alter after a dip in the cool water and a brisk toweling he tied his robe a bout about him and stood for a moment listening to the mountain voices es that drew from the steeps above him plaintive spaced in piquant intervals sometimes all but unheard a hoot owls reproachful enquiry the sleepy last note of a bird dropped like a soft jewel into the twilight the scurry of some small animal into the underbrush the sigh of a dying wind in the tall pines but the beauty and significance of the night conspired s against him tore down the d defensive efen sive structure he had erected about his being it had all converged suddenly into an intense desire for autumn dean I 1 in a rage at himself he be turned brusquely and made his way back to the cabin where he dressed hurriedly in the half darkness he was gathering up the things he had brought with him when he heard his horse whinny and a moment later a sound at the doorway caused him to glance up quickly softly outlined against the deepening dusk autumn dean stood as she had stood one other night in her b black ac riding clothes her manner halt half diffident ident d ff half audacious bruce tossed the dressing gown and towel down upon a chair and came with slow deliberateness to the door he placed one hand against the doorframe door frame and the other on his hip and stood looking down at her a contemplative half smile about his mouth that drew his right cheek up into a quizzical long hol low lowthan that hollow that she had pictured in all her tormenting thoughts of him he was waiting for her to speak bruce she began and knew how desolately her voice faltered mr guly gilly told me I 1 should fand you here ive been wanting to talk to you you too bruce t remarked the dean family has suddenly su acquired a vivid interest in me it seems she fumbled with her gloves she raised her head and looked at him with blank eyes 1 I should like to come in if you please she ventured bruce laughed caustically as he opened the door for her and stood well to one side you are quite welcome he said it happens I 1 have no kerosene in the lamp I 1 expecting a guest he lighted a cigarette and offered the package to her autumn shook her head As you will tie he said and replaced the package in his shirt pocket autumn seated herself in the dim light close to the door while bruce leaned against the tables edge with his feet crossed idly before him she could see him looking at her reflectively through the dimness and the half smile did not leave his face you were over to see father this morning she began at his invitation bruce replied H he a wi wished S hed to re reimburse 1 me 1 for or some sheep I 1 lost he H a told me so he should have told y you also so og that we were to have nothing to say to each other in the future he told me that too Is this visit then just another little gesture on your part A |