CHAPTER XIV
A WEDDING AND A PARTING
Miss Holmes led her guest to her room, where she might refreshherself, and provided her with some garments, as they were nearly of asize. Carmen was too excited to be hungry. She did not attempt todisguise her dislike and fear for the man chosen to be her husband,but Chadsey knew family fortunes were often united that way, and girlshad little voice in the matter. That she loved young Hudson was quiteapparent. Miss Holmes smiled. She had thought Carmen a rather proud,stolid girl, quite captious about Americans.
Jason and Miss Holmes considered after the girls had gone to bed. Itwas a rather risky thing to harbor her and consent to a marriage, butthe escape had been so well managed, they would hardly look for her inthe city. Telegraphs did not flash news from everywhere then.
"But suppose this young man is not quite trustworthy?" said prudentMiss Holmes.
"Oh, you don't know Hudson. He is straight as a yardstick. And,somehow, I hate to spoil the romance and the love. We can wait untilSaturday. Yes, I think that will be better."
Laverne was not to go to school the next day, lest she mightinadvertently touch upon the adventure. And so the two girls steepedthemselves in Romance. Carmen had heard more than one confidencewithin the cloistered walls that had never gone to confession. Therewere girls with their destinies mapped out before them as hers hadbeen, sent there to keep them from the grasp of another love which hadalready caught them, girls praying for husbands with the life of a nunbefore them. They went out and sat under the pine tree.
"Oh," said Carmen, "if you have had no greater love and no greatersorrow than that for a bird, your life has flowed evenly enough. Butyou Americanos are so much colder of blood."
In the main, it was a wonderful day to Laverne, but she felt that shedid not need any other love than that of Uncle Jason.
"You are such a child," Carmen said almost pityingly. Yet it was anunknown childhood to her.
Miss Holmes brought down one of her frocks, that, with a spasm ofeconomy, she had meant to make over for the child. She had grown alittle stouter in this wonderful climate, and could not wear it. Sheglanced at the slender virginal form, and decided what could be done.Carmen was handy with her needle, there had been need enough in herstraitened life.
No one came near them. Pablo had forgotten about the Estenegas, orthought of them vaguely as children, and this was a friend of Missy's.
Jason Chadsey was much puzzled what course to pursue. The right wayseemed to be to send word to the Senora Estenega. But the tidingscould just as well be sent if he found Joseph Hudson untrustworthy.The vessel came in Saturday afternoon. The master was watching out,and saw Mr. Chadsey on the pier. He waved his broad-fronted tarpaulin,and was answered by the return wave of a hand. There were some ordersto give, the boat was made fast, and Hudson sprang ashore. And as theelder man looked full into the young, trusty face, his heart went outto the lovers, and he resolved to befriend them.
So he brought him home to supper, and it was planned that they wouldgo over to Sausalito on the morrow and find a priest to marry them.Then he must secure a vessel going northward, and be out of the waysome months at least, for he knew Spanish vengeance was quick andsharp. He had heard a few stories about Pascuel Estenega's treatmentof servants that were rather chilling. The matter had been so wellmanaged that he had not been suspicioned at all, and when the vesselleft Monterey, the disappearance had not been whispered outside theconvent walls. But that was not to say no search had been made.
Jason Chadsey accompanied them, and stood as sort of sponsor for themarriage. The priest was old and not inquisitive, or perhaps the feein hand convinced him that all things were right. The sponsor wascuriously touched by the unalloyed delight of the young couple, whoseemed now so perfectly content that they made love in the mostunabashed fashion, while before, Carmen had appeared shy and interror.
They returned to the home that had sheltered them, and Hudson thoughtit best to take some trip up northward, perhaps settle there for awhile. Already there was much trading up to the Columbia River.Chadsey hated to give up so trusty and capable a man. He might fit outa vessel with miscellaneous stores; indeed, that was the way to carrytrade to strange places. He would put Joseph Hudson in as captain, andleave the bargain-making in his hands.
Miss Holmes did some shopping for the young wife, as it was not deemedprudent for Carmen to venture out. She longed ardently to see herlittle sisters, and begged that Laverne might go and call on them. Thelatter had not seen them for a long while, the watchful sister haddiscouraged any intimacy.
Laverne had begun school on Monday with many injunctions from MissHolmes to be most watchful over herself. She had a wonderful secretnow. Olive Personette never had had anything like it, for her sister'sengagement had been announced at once. And she was so full of that,and the marriage in the early autumn, that she could hardly steady hermind sufficiently to pass her examinations. Then she was going to theAcademy next year. They were all young ladies in the department, youhad nothing to do with little girls. There were to be threebridesmaids, and their attendants were to wear full military costumes.
"Don't you think I might go over to the sisters?" Laverne pleaded. "Iwould be very, very cautious. Carmen wants so to hear about them."
Miss Holmes was almost afraid, but the pleading eyes conquered.
She went after school. There was the long, bare corridor, with onetable and a big registry book, two wooden benches, and a few chairs.The adobe floor had been painted gray, like the walls, and it lookedcheerless to the American girl.
Sister Anasticia was not quite sure. The children were busy with thestudy hour. But Laverne pleaded with the same eyes that she had wonMiss Holmes, and presently the sister brought the children in, andseated herself at the table with some needlework.
They were full of quiet joy, and squeezed Laverne's hands with the oldfriendliness. And they had so much to tell her. Carmen was to bemarried soon, the wedding gowns were being made, and they werebeautiful. The old home had been dismantled, the city was to cutstreets through it. They did not care, it was a lonely old place. Theywere going to Monterey to live, and they were so glad. Carmen would bea great lady, and live on a fine estate, ride around in her carriage,and give balls, and they would all be so happy.
Juana resembled her mother in face and figure. But Anesta had shot upinto a tall girl, and suggested Carmencita, carried her head ratherhaughtily.
The sister rapped on the table with her thimble, raising her eyes.
"You are too noisy and too frivolous," she said, with severity.
They kissed each other good-by.
"I wish we could come over and see you," Juana whispered. "We alwayshad such a good time. Perhaps you will come to Monterey," wistfully.
"Oh, I think I shall," was the hopeful reply.
Carmen was so glad to hear about them, and how they looked, and ifthey seemed happy. She had considered writing letters to them a greathardship, now she felt she could fill pages and pages. She wonderedhow it was that her heart was so overflowing with love. And thethought that she might never see them again filled her eyes withtears.
"Oh, I do wonder if Pascuel will desire to marry either of the girls?"she cried in half affright.
"But if he is so old----"
"That doesn't seem to matter where there is money. And Papa Estenegawanted both branches of the family united. And if I had not had ason!"
She shuddered, thinking of the poor wife who had drowned herself.
It was not until the last of the week that Captain Hudson was ready tostart with his venture. Carmen packed her plain trousseau, and wasmost grateful for all the kindness.
"I shall see you sometime again," she said, in a broken voice, "butnot in quite a while. It will be best to stay until they haveforgotten about me. I shall be cast out, you know. They will take myname off the books, and excommunicate me, I think. But I shall be anAmerican, and you do not fear such things, so I will try not to. Oh,how good you have all be
en to me. I can never repay, but I shall praynight and morning, and you will live in my thoughts."
They started out Saturday afternoon. Jason Chadsey pressed a roll ofmoney in the bride's hands. In those days wedding gifts were purefriendship. There would be a full moon, and they could sail all night,for a full moon on the Pacific Coast was something really beyonddescription. Jason Chadsey sat out on the step enjoying it. He alwaysfelt beauty keenly, though he had no words for it. This was why hedelighted in the child's prattle. She had so much imagination.
Had he been young once and loved like that? Young people of to-day puttheir love in passionate words, rapturous kisses. They were not afraidof making it the best thing of life, as it was. And his love had onlysipped the dregs.
Was Laverne crying? "What is it, dear?" he asked.
"The house seems so lonely, just as if some one had been buried, as itdid when Balder was killed. Uncle Jason, couldn't we go somewhere? Orif something would happen again. I liked Captain Hudson so much. AndCarmencita has grown so sweet. Oh, it has been such a lovely week, butit went so rapidly. Does the time pass quickly when you are happy, andslowly when you are a little dull?"
"But you have me," he said jealously.
"I couldn't live without you." She nestled closer.
"I want you always, always."
"And sometime we might go up North. It is a queer, wild country,grand, but not as beautiful as the southland, with its millions offlowers. Something like Maine, I reckon."
"I've almost forgotten about Maine."
"Up there the mountain peaks are covered with snow the year round."
"Then it is like the Alps."
"And the great Columbia River. No towns to speak of, but stations,hunters, and trappers, and fur animals, and wildness of every kind,game of every kind."
Something of the old adventurous life stirred within him. But he hadthe little girl. And when they began their travels, she would be olderand have a taste for beautiful things.
Yes, the house _did_ seem lonesome, but Laverne was very busy, andevents began to happen. Mrs. Folsom made another move, this time toquite a fine family hotel, and she gave a housewarming on going in.Old friends, there were not many of them, and new friends, of whomthere was an abundance, for she was a favorite as a householder. Dickhad grown up into a jaunty, well-looking young fellow, and had notplunged into ruinous excesses, partly because his mother had kept asharp oversight, and the rest his clean New England stamina, thewrecks had filled him with disgust and repulsion.
All the old friends met, of course. Mrs. Dawson was rosy and plump,and had retired to a stylish house with servants and carriage. TheDawson Cafe was one of the better-class institutions of the town, andcoining money. Miss Gaines stood at the head of fashionable modistes,and there was no appeal from her dictum. You could accept her style orgo elsewhere. There had been offers of marriage, too, she laughinglyadmitted to her friends. "Ten years ago I should have accepted one ofthem gratefully; now I value my independence."
Dick Folsom went over to Laverne.
"I haven't seen you in so long and you have grown so, I hardly knewyou," he said. "May I beg the honor of your hand for this quadrille?"
She was quite longing to dance and accepted.
"We oughtn't forget each other after that five months' journeytogether," he remarked in one of the pauses. "Does it ever seem queerto you, as if it was something you dreamed? I can't make it real. Butthey've improved the overland so much, and when we get therailroad--presto; you will see a change! If we were only nearerEngland. But there's China, if we are not swamped by the pigtails andpointed slippers! How queer they are! We don't need to go to foreignlands to study the nations. I sometimes wonder what the outcome of allthis conglomeration will be!"
"We are so far off," she replied in a sort of tentative fashion. "It'salmost like another town."
"Yes. They'll tumble you down presently, as they did before. Youwouldn't know the old place, would you? They've carted away stones anddebris to fill up the marshy edges of the bay. And there's a long,straight street, a drive out to fine country ways. Is there any otherland so full of flowers, I wonder!"
"And they are so royally lovely. Think of great patches of callas inblossom nearly all the time. Miss Holmes said when she was at home sheused to nurse up one to blossom about Easter. If she had two flowersshe thought it quite a marvel."
What a soft, musical laugh the child had! They used to run races onthe boat, he remembered, and he had enough boyish gallantry to let herwin. They ought to be dear old friends.
"Do you ever go out to drive on Sunday afternoon?"
"It's Uncle Jason's day, the only leisure he has. And we spend ittogether."
"He's had stunning luck, too. Getting to be a rich man."
"Is he?" she said simply.
"Is he? Well, you ought to know," laughing.
"He doesn't talk much about business."
"A great country this is for making fortunes! The trouble is that youcan spend them so easily. But I'm bound to hold on to mine, when I getit made."
Some one else took her. He looked after her. She would be a prettygirl presently and quite worth considering. He had a good opinion ofhimself, and was not going to be lightly thrown away.
They trudged up the hill just after midnight. Laverne was gay andchatty, recounting her good times. It seemed as if she had as muchattention as Olive from the younger men, and Olive was always so proudof that.
Uncle Jason gave a sigh.
"Oh," she cried, "you look tired. Don't you like parties? I thought itsplendid!"
"I'm getting old, dear----"
"Oh, you mustn't get old!" she interrupted impulsively. "Why can'tpeople turn back a little somewhere along, and be young again? For,you know, I can't get old very fast, and I think--yes, I am quite sureI don't want to. I'm having such a splendid time since you were solovely to Carmen, and made her happy. I sometimes think if you hadsent her back to Monterey--but you couldn't have done that, couldyou?"
"No, dear," he answered softly.
He had heard a point discussed this evening that did trouble him alittle. They were talking of lowering Telegraph Hill again. He was notready to go yet. In two years maybe. She would not have any lovers bythat time, and then they could start off together. He must not growold too fast.
The next happening in their little circle did interest her a gooddeal. Howard Personette had finished his year's term at college, andcome home quite unexpectedly, when his father had intended him tofinish and take a degree.
"I'm not a student, I'm convinced of that," he announced ratherdoggedly. "I don't see any sense in keeping at what you don't like,and don't mean to follow. I want the stir and rush of business insteadof splitting hairs about this and that. I've been awfully homesick thelast year, and dissatisfied, but I knew you would not agree to mycoming home, so I just came. And if there's nothing else for me to do,I'll go to work on the streets."
Students were expected to study in those days. Athletics had not comein for their diversion. Mr. Personette was disappointed. He wanted tomake a lawyer out of his son, and to lay a good foundation for theyears to come.
Mrs. Personette rather sympathized with the eager young fellow, whowas ready to take up any active life.
"The East is so different," he explained. "Perhaps if I hadn't beenborn here and breathed this free, exhilarating air all my life, Imight have toned myself down and stayed. But I had begun to hatebooks, and what was the use maundering away several years?"
Olive thought him quite a hero. Captain Franklin said if there was anylack of employment in the city he could come out to Alcantraz. Theywould be very glad to have a fellow who was not afraid to work.
"Why, I should feel proud of him, shouldn't you?" Laverne asked ofUncle Jason.
"That depends," he answered, with a shake of the head.
But if one came home from an indifference to study, another was goingto take a greater absence. Four years without coming home at all! Thejourney was long a
nd expensive, and there seemed a better use forvacations.
This was Victor Savedra, who had many student longings. And so oneafternoon the two sat out under the pine, their favorite place, and hewas explaining to Laverne his plans for a few years to come.
"Father wanted me to go to Paris," he said. "If I meant to be aphysician, I think I would. But first and last and always I mean to bean American citizen. I suppose I might go to Yale or Harvard, but thatseems almost as far away, and my choice appears more satisfactory allaround," smiling a little. "We like the new, but we have a hankeringfor the old civilizations, and the accretions of knowledge."
They both looked out over the Golden Gate, the ocean. There weredancing sails, jungles of masts, cordage like bits of webs, tossingwhitecaps in strong contrast to the blue, and over beyond, the green,wooded shores. The old semaphore's gaunt arms were dilapidated, andit was to come down. But it had thrilled hundreds of hearts with itstidings that friends, neighbors, and greatest joy of all, letters fromloved ones in lands that seemed so distant then.
Now the lack of rain had dried up vegetation, except the cactus andsome tufts of hardy grass. The little rivulet was spent, there wasonly a bed of stones. But they had managed to keep something green andinviting about the house. A riotous Madeira vine flung out longstreamers of fragrant white blooms that seemed to defy fatelaughingly. Down below they were levelling again, this time for a lastgrade, it was said.
"It will all be so changed when I return. I wonder where you will go?For you cannot climb up to this eyrie. You would be perhaps a hundredfeet up. They want the sand and the debris to fill in the big piersthey are building. Why, they will almost sweep the great hill away,but they will have to leave the rocks by the sea. It will be a new SanFrancisco."
"Why, it is almost new now," and she smiled.
"Everything will have changed. And we shall change, too. I shall betwenty-three when I come back."
Laverne looked at him wonderingly. They had all been big boys to her,and she had been a little girl. True, he had grown to man's estate inheight, and there was a dainty line of darkness on his upper lip. Ithad been so imperceptible that just now it seemed new to her.
"And I shall be--why, I shall be past nineteen then," she commented insurprise.
"And--and married," he hazarded. The thought gave him a pang, for thatwas new, too.
"No," she returned, looking up at him out of innocent eyes, while thefaint rose tint in her cheek never deepened. "No, I shall not bemarried in a long, long time. Presently Uncle Jason and Miss Holmesand I are to set out on a journey, just as they do in some of thestories. We shall go to the strange lands he tells me about, we shallsee the people in their native element," and she smiled at theconceit, "where we see only a dozen or two here. What do you supposedraws them to California?"
"Why, the stories of gold, of course." Their coming and going did notinterest him. "I wonder if you will be in London?" he inquired.
"Oh, of course. I want to see the Queen and the palaces, andEdinburgh, and Holyrood, and all the places those proud old Scotsfought over, and poor Marie Stuart! And Sweden and Norway, and themidnight sun, and the Neva, and St. Petersburg----"
She paused, out of breath.
"London is what interests me," he interposed. "And if you could comeover next summer----"
She shook her head. "No, it won't be next summer, but it may be theyear after," she returned gravely.
"And if it was my vacation. Then I might join you for a few weeks."
"That would be splendid." Her soft eyes glowed.
"I shall keep thinking of that."
"Oh, will you? Then I will think of it, too. And it is queer how timeruns away. You hardly notice it until the bells ring out for NewYear's."
"I wonder--if you will miss me any?" and his voice fell a trifle,though he tried to keep anxiety out of it.
"Miss you? Why, of course!" She was full of wondering, and to him,delicious surprise. "We have been such friends, haven't we? Ever sincethat night you showed me about the dancing? I've been amazed sincethat I had the courage, when I hardly knew a step, but after all itwas very much like dancing to the singing of the birds, and I hadoften done that. Olive didn't like it. We were not good friends forever so long afterwards."
"Olive wants to be head and front of everything, and have the mainattention. I'm sorry not to stay to the wedding--it will be a grandaffair. And no doubt next year Olive will go off. You haven't manygirl friends, have you?"
"Well,"--she hesitated delicately and smiled in a half absent butadorable fashion,--"I do not believe I have. You see, we seem to livea little apart up on this hill, and there have been lessons, andriding about on the pony, and going over to your house, and most ofthe girls are larger----"
"The children all adore you. Oh, I hope you will go over often. Idon't know what Isola would do without you."
"Yes, I shall," she said. "I'm so fond of music. If I were a poet, areal poet, you know," and she flushed charmingly, "I should writelittle songs to her music. They go through my brain with lovely words,and I can see them, but they don't stay long enough to be writtendown. Oh, yes, I shall go over often. And we shall talk about you. Ofcourse, you will write to your father, and we shall hear."
"Yes." Something, perhaps not quite new, but deeper and stronger thanany emotion he had ever known before, stirred within him. If he weregoing to stay here he would insist upon being her best friend, heradmirer, her---- He choked down some poignant pain that was deliciousin spite of the hurt. He hated to think of leaving her behind, twolong years. She would be seventeen then; yes, old enough for any manto marry--but she did not mean to marry, that was the comfort. And hebelieved it because he wanted to so very much. She was such aninnocent child. If this tumult within him was love, it would frightenher, she would not know what it meant.
She slipped her hand in his. "We shall all be so sorry to have you go,but then you _will_ return. And perhaps--oh, yes, I shall beg to go toLondon first," she cried eagerly.
He was different from an impulsive American. He had been trained tohave great respect for the sacredness of young girls, and he owed aduty to his father, who had planned out a prosperous life for him.
The sun was dropping down into the ocean, and the fog, creeping along,sent gray and soft purplish dun tints to soften and almost hide thegold. And, oh, how the birds sang, freed most of them from familycares. The meadowlark, the oriole, the linnets, and the eveninggrosbeak, with a clear whistling chorus after the few melodious notesof his song. They both rose, and went scrambling down the winding paththat defied Pablo's efforts to keep in order. The shifting sand andthe stones so often loosened and made rough walking, so he held herup, and she skipped from one solid place to another.
Down below they were moving some houses on the newly cut street, so asto prepare for the next.
"They ought to begin at the top," she said, "but I am glad theydidn't. What a great city it is!"
"And if one could see the little town it was twenty years ago!"
He would not stay to supper--he did sometimes. He wanted to be alone,to disentangle his tumultuous thoughts, and wonder if this thing thathad swept over him was the romance of love.
The next fortnight was very full. They went over to Alcantraz to viewthe foundations for the new fortress. They went up to Mare's Island,where, in days to come, was to be the splendid navy yard, and then ona day's excursion down the bay. There was no railroad all along thecoast line, though it was talked of. And after a little they left theshipping and the business behind them. All along were little clustersof houses that were some day to be thriving cities. Then longstretches of field where sheep were browsing, the wheat and oatshaving been cut long before, clumps of timber reaching back to themountain ridge, clothed in a curious half shade from the slanting sun.
They left the boat at the little cove, and found a fine level wherethey spread out the luncheon, and decorated it with flowers, wildgeranium, or rather geraniums growing wild, some of it in tall trees.Vines
creeping everywhere, grapes ripening, figs and fruits ofvarious kinds, that later, under cultivation, were to be the marvelsof the world.
Isabel and her betrothed, Olive and a young lieutenant, werechaperoned by Mrs. Personette. Mrs. Savedra, the governess, and allthe children, with the two from "the Hill," and Isabel's dearestfriend and chosen first bridesmaid. And now Olive cared very littlefor her cousin, if he was a handsome young man. He was going away, andshe would be married before his return, then he was too much of astudent, although an elegant dancer. So he could well be apportionedto his sister and Laverne, neither in the realm of real womanhood, orsociety.
They sailed up the western side of the bay, following some of theindentations, and in the clear air the Pacific did not seem so faraway. The elders had enjoyed the converse with each other. The youngpeople were merry, not even the lovers were unduly sentimental. Mrs.Savedra watched her daughter and noted a great improvement.
"If we could have Miss Holmes and Laverne all the time," she thought.