CHAPTER VII.--_From Alameda to San Diego._
The Darrell house was now finished, the furniture had arrived, beenunpacked and distributed in the rooms, but the house seemed to oldDarrell entirely too sumptuous for the plain folks, that his familyought to be. That was a truth.
"Look here, Clarence, haven't you been too extravagant in buying suchexpensive carpets, such fine furniture? For gracious sake, how big isthe bill for all this grandeur?"
"I don't know yet the price of every item, but don't be alarmed, I amsure they would not go beyond the limit I gave Hubert (Hubert made thepurchases), and I assure you, it will all be paid with our volunteercrop."
"Don't be sure of that."
"O, but I am sure--only not too much so--which is the right way of beingsure," he replied.
Clarence was now a regular caller at the Alamar and the Mechlin houses.He felt that in both places the welcome he received was sincere, foreven the silent Gabriel was always ready to talk to him. As forVictoriano, his attachment to Clarence was now an acknowledged andaccepted fact,--not rejected by Senor Alamar, to judge byappearances,--and certainly fully and sincerely reciprocated byClarence. Both found great pleasure in each other's society, and saweach other every day.
It was now time for Clarence to go to Alameda to bring down the family.He and Victoriano talked about it walking towards the Alamar house fromthe Darrells, discussing the probable time of his return.
"Clarence has come to bid us good-by," said Victoriano, walking into theparlor, followed by Clarence.
"Why! Where is he going?" said Mercedes, rising, dropping the book shewas reading.
"Don't be alarmed, he is only going to bring his mother and sistersdown," added Victoriano, maliciously, causing the blood to rush to herforehead.
"Oh!" she exclaimed, sitting down, with a resentful look toward herbrother, and a half appealing, half deprecating one to Clarence, who wascontemplating her in ecstatic silence.
"I think the Holman girls will be coming about the same time. I wastelling Clarence to look after them a little, if convenient, and if theyare not sea-sick," said Victoriano.
"They will require my services more if they are sick," said Clarence,laughing.
"If you are a good nurse," Victoriano observed; adding, "Imagine CorinaHolman nursed by a strange young gentleman; that would kill her sure."
"I would try and prevent that," said Clarence.
"Thank you, for my friends. I do not think they will be very ill; but Iam sure it will be pleasant for them to have so good an escort," saidMercedes.
Clarence promised, therefore, to look after the Misses Holman, and letthem know which steamer would be best to take coming to San Diego.
Mercedes said she would write notifying them of this arrangement.
There was a great _something_ in Clarence's mind that he wished to sayto Mercedes before leaving, but he had neither courage nor opportunityto say it, so he left, carrying with him the burden of his thoughtsuntold.
His voyage was accomplished in safety, the steamer arriving at SanFrancisco at the regular time. Hubert Haverly came to meet him, andtogether they went to a restaurant for breakfast.
"Give us the most secluded room and the nicest breakfast yourestablishment can produce, for this gentleman is very particular, and Iam very hungry," said Hubert.
The waiter smiled, showed them to the best room in the house, andretired.
"Now let us talk," said Hubert, "I am dying to tell you how rich youare, and scold you for not letting me keep your stock longer and makingyou richer. Why were you so anxious to sell? The stock kept risingsteadily. I was a 'bull' all the time. There was a slight breakonce--only once. Some fellows wanted to pull the stock down, and got afew 'bears' to work with them. It lowered a little, but only a few ofthe heavy holders had any fear, and it soon recovered, shooting uphigher than ever. I got your order to sell about that time, and did so,but I assure you my heart ached when I did it."
"I wrote you immediately after that, it was only the first hundredshares I wanted sold."
"Yes, but that letter I got three days after I had sold all. I almostcried like a girl, with disappointment, when you wrote that I was tosend you only $6000. Now, you could have made a whole million with yourthousand shares."
"A whole million?"
"Most assuredly. Look at yesterday's quotations, and the stock is stillrising."
"Truly," said Clarence, reading the stock report; "the last paper I sawwas dated six days ago. But even then 'Crown Point' was still veryhigh."
"And so it was, but it is very disappointing to get one-half of amillion when you might as well get a whole million. I shall never ceasescolding you for it."
"Well, I'll bear the scolding patiently, considering that it was toavoid scoldings that I gave you the order to sell."
"To avoid scolding? How so? From whom?"
"From my father. He is terribly down on mining stocks. He would considerme next to a thief if he thought I bought stocks."
"That is absurd. You needn't tell him how much money you have. Here ismy statement of all I made; my commission and moneys paid for you. Isold your stock at a fraction over $800 per share. Oh, Clarence, why didyou make me sell? Look at this. After buying the government bonds asordered you have left $260,000, when you might have had half a millionover."
"Never mind. I made enough. I'd rather let some one else make thebalance than to sell when things begin to tumble down. Did you say$260,000?"
"Yes, $260,000, when it ought to be $400,000 at least."
Clarence laughed at Hubert's rueful face.
The waiter brought in their breakfast.
"Broiled oysters on toast! Oysters baked in the shell! Broiled chicken.Let us discuss them in preference to stock," said Clarence.
Having helped his friend and then himself, Hubert said:
"What are you going to do with your $260,000 now since you are not tobuy stock?"
"I have not thought about it, but I guess the best thing would be toinvest all in government bonds."
"Which is the same as burying your cash."
"I'll tell you what I'd like to do. I would like to make a safeinvestment that would give me about $30,000 a year, and then I couldafford to let you gamble with the balance, if there was any balanceleft," Clarence said.
"I'll see to-day what government bonds are selling for, and report toyou this evening."
"That can't be, as I am to take the two o'clock boat for Alameda."
"When will you be back?"
"To-morrow evening if you want me, but if not I shall wait until thefamily comes down."
"What a lucky fellow he is," said Hubert, walking towards the StockExchange, after promising Clarence to see him to the boat at twoo'clock. "In two years he has made a fortune with a capital of $2000."
Hubert was right. Clarence had been a lucky investor. With the sum of$2000 bequeathed to him by Mrs. Darrell's Aunt Newton, when he was onlyfive years old, and which sum she ordered should be put at interestuntil he was twenty-one years of age, Clarence speculated, and now hewas worth close on to a million dollars.
Everything was ready for the journey when Clarence arrived at hisAlameda home.
"Don't you know that it pulls my heart string to tear you away from thisplace?" Clarence said, looking towards the nice orchard and fieldbeyond.
"You'll make us cry if you talk like that," said Mrs. Darrell. "Alicehas nearly cried her eyes out already."
"Never mind, our lease of this place won't be out for two years yet, andwe can come back if the other don't suit," said Clarence encouragingly.
Two days after, the Darrells left Alameda on their way to San Diego,stopping for a couple of days only at San Francisco. On board thesteamer Clarence met Mr. Alfred Holman, who had accompanied hisdaughters and now placed them under Clarence's care--"According toinstructions from Miss Mercedes"--Mr. Holman added, making Clarence'sblood rush to his head, as it always did whenever that sweetest of allnames was mentioned in his presence. "Tel
l the Alamares I shall be downsoon. I am only waiting for Tom Scott to escort me." So saying, Mr.Holman laughed and hurriedly kissing his daughters, ran down the gangplank.
Clarence lost no time in presenting the Misses Holman to his mother,sisters and brothers, all of whom received them with politeness, thoughwith different degrees of warmth, according to the natural share ofaffability or that diffidence which half of Darrell's children inheritedfrom him, especially the two eldest daughters. The amiability of Aliceand her mother's gentle, winning ways, however, soon dispelled the dampchill that Jane and Lucy's reserve generally managed to throw overstrangers, thus before the steamer got under way, all were conversingand laughing like old friends, discussing things in general and peoplein particular.
"I think you have made a conquest," said Amelia Holman to Alice. "Orperhaps two, for I saw a little yellow haired man with a very red neck,come this way and look at you. Then a loose jointed fellow who walks asif his feet are too heavy to lift and just drags them, follows, and hetoo looks at you beseechingly."
"Mercy! I don't want to be so fascinating as all that might indicate,"said Alice, laughing, and a little man gesticulating, and a big man withshuffling gait and hands in the pockets of his pantaloons, listeningwearily, were seen coming.
"I know who they are," said Clarence. "The little one is married, soAlice can rest her hopes on the big footed one only."
"Gracious, how very repulsive the small one is," Corina exclaimed.
"Who are they?" Mrs. Darrell asked when they had turned to go back.
"The large fellow is Dick Mason, brother-in-law of the littlered-skinned one, who told me his name is Peter Roper, and he is a lawyerbound for San Diego to practice law there (no matter by what means), hesays. He gave me this information himself when I went to check ourbaggage. He introduced himself and his brother Dick on the strength ofhis being acquainted with father. He also asked permission to presenthis wife, to my mother and sisters."
"Did you give that permission?" asked Jane, sternly.
"I did, of course; but if his skin is not so thick as it is red he willnever avail himself of it. I noticed he had been drinking, so I told himthat at present my mother and sisters wished to converse alone with theMisses Holman, of whom we are the escort, but that before we reached SanDiego I thought there might be an opportunity to present his wife,perhaps."
"What did he say to that?" Alice asked.
"He grinned and said: 'Pretty large escort, ain't it? About a dozenpeople.' Yes, I said, but the young ladies are very nice, and require agreat deal of attention. 'Do they?' said he, and his yellow eyes leered,and sticking his tongue to one side of his mouth, made his cheek bulgeout; he then raised his shoulders and lifted his elbows, as if he wouldhave flown aloft had his arms been wings."
"How impertinent and vulgar," Jane exclaimed.
"He is of the genus _hoodlum_. A bird aboriginal of the San Franciscosand dunes, resembling the peacock," said Corina Holman.
"What did you do when he made those grimaces?" Alice asked.
"Nothing. I looked at him as if I expected nothing else, consideringthat it must be natural to him to act like a monkey. My impassibilityrather disconcerted him, as evidently he expected me to consider himvery funny, and laugh at his droll antics. He added, 'Any time will do,as my wife is not over-anxious to make acquaintances generally.' Sosaying, he threw back the lappels of his coat, putting his thumbs in thearm-holes of his vest, and strutted off, leaving me to guess whether hewas making fun of his wife's exclusiveness or ours. He turned back soon,though, and said, 'We'll call it square, if you come and take a drink.'When I declined that also, he went off again, and this time angry ingood earnest."
"I hope he will remain so, and not come near you again," said Jane.
Vain wish! When the boat stopped at Santa Barbara, Roper took thatopportunity to present his wife to Mrs. Darrell on the strength of hisacquaintance with her husband. He grinned and suppressed a giggle,thinking it was very funny to claim friendly relations with Darrell,whom he had never seen. It was a matter of perfect indifference to himthat Mrs. Darrell would find out his falsehood afterward. All that hewanted now was to become acquainted with the Darrell and Holman ladies.In this he succeeded, and what is more, succeeded according to hisprinciples, in utter disregard of truth or self-respect. He trusted tohis inventive genius to explain how he came to imagine he was acquaintedwith Mr. Darrell.
When the boat arrived at San Diego, Gabriel and Elvira came to the wharfto meet the Misses Holman. They thanked Clarence for the excellent carehe had taken of them, and Elvira asked him to present her to his motherand sisters. This was done with pleasure, and he was glad to see thatElvira and Gabriel seemed pleased with his family.
The Holmans would remain in town for a couple of days at a friend'shouse, after that they would go to the Alamar rancho to make their visitthere. Elvira and Gabriel would remain with them to be their escort.Such was Elvira's message home sent with Clarence.
Mr. Darrell came on board to meet his family, but Mr. Peter Roper wastoo intently occupied with his baggage to renew his acquaintance; infact, he rather hurried off the boat to avoid him.
The Darrells arrived at the hotel about the same time, but Peter wasthen particularly engaged making important inquiries from one of thehotel clerks.
He was saying: "So, you think there is no lawyer of any prominence; notone that might be called a leading lawyer?"
"I didn't say that; I only said I don't know of any."
"Exactly. You hear, though, who has the largest practice?"
"If you call a large practice to get people into trouble by spying aboutpeople's business and getting commercial agencies (I believe that iswhat he calls to spy and pry into people's affairs), then old Hornbloweris the leading lawyer, for he leads people into long law suits always,and bleeds them and makes money."
"That's the man for me," said Roper, showing his purple gums in a broadgrin, and the orange and green of his eyes expanding with felineinstincts.
Romeo Hancock had been engaged by Clarence before leaving, to takecharge of hauling their effects to the rancho. Romeo, therefore, wasthere with three large wagons, and two vaqueros to convey Mrs. Darrell'spretty Jersey cows. But Clarence had to see that everything started ingood order before he joined his family at the hotel.
"I brought the Concord wagon for the women folks and the light springwagon for the boys and Tisha," said Mr. Darrell. "The Concord holds sixpeople well, and at a pinch, eight. The light wagon the same; so youdon't have to have any extra conveyances."
"No, father, I have not hired any," Clarence replied, and exchanging alook with his brothers, said that everything was ready to start, and allwalked down stairs.
In front of the ladies' entrance was a very handsome carriage which Mrs.Darrell and her daughters had admired very much on board the steamer;next to it was a pretty phaeton which they also had admired, and behindthe phaeton was Mr. Darrell's Concord. He frowned and said:
"There was no use in hiring those carriages, Clarence."
"Count noses, father," said Clarence, going about busily carryingparcels to the carriages assisted by his brothers, allowing no time fordiscussion--"Let us see. Mother and father in the back seat; Jane andLucy in the front, Clementina with Everett, the driver. In the phaeton Iwill take Alice, her lap dog and our two satchels, and last but notleast, Webster will take 'the Concord' with Willie in the front seat andTisha in the back in state, with the cockatoos and canaries andparcels," said Clarence, patting Tisha on the back.
All laughed, approving the disposition of forces.
"Are these carriages ours, Clary?" asked Clementine.
"It looks like it," said Clarence, lifting her to her place, "and youshall see how soon the phaeton distances the big carriage."