The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-04-03
not make hard or unloyely.

She suddenly seized her umbrella
and, turning it toward him, pressed it
down between them. The action was
SO quick and unexpected that the man
Gid not move back, and the ferrule
striking him on the cheek, furrowed a
long scratch on the smooth skin. A
drop of blood rose to the surface.
With an oath, he seized the umbrella
and. tearing it from her grasp, sent it
flying into the street. Here the wind
snatched it, and its inverted shape, like
a large black mushroom, went sweep
ing forward, tilted and already half full
of water. before the angry gusts.
Essex tried to keep his own over her,
still retaining his hold on her arm.
Come, be reasonable" he said;
there's no use angering me for moth
ing. This is wet place for lovers to
have meetings. Give me my answer,
and l swear I'll not detain you. When
will you marry me?"
What's the good of talking that
way? You know perfectly what I'll
say. 1t will always be the same
I'm not so sure of that. I've got
something to say that may make you
change your mind"
He pushed the umbrella back that the
light might fall directly on her. 1t fell
on him also. She saw his face under
the brim of his soaked hat, shining
with rain, pallidly sinister, the trickle
of blood on one cheek.
Nothing that you can say will ever
make me change my mind. Mr.. Essex,
L am wet and tired; won't you please,
let me go?"
She tried to eliminate dislike and fear
from her voice and spoke with gentle
ness that she hoped would soften him.
He heard 1t with thrill; but it had an
exactly contrary effect TO what she had
desired.
II would like never to let you go. Just
to hold you here and look at you. Mari
posa, you don't know what this love is
have for you. 1t grows with absence.
and then when 1 see you 1T grows again
into me like a poison. / can't get away
from 1t. You loved me once, why have
you changed? What has come over you?
Is 1T because I made a foolish mistake?
I'm ready to do anything you suggest
crawl in the dust. kneel now in the rain,
and ask you to forgive it, Don't be hard
and revengeful: It's not like you. Be
kind, be merciful to man who, If he
said what hurt you, has repented il with
all his soul ever since. / am ready to
give my whole life to make amends. Say
you forgive me. Say you love me-"
He was speaking the truth Passion
had outrun cupidity. Mariposa, poor or
rich. had become the end and aim of his
existence.
It's not a question of forgiveness"
she answered, seeing he still persisted
in the thought that she was hiding her
question Of love. I-I-don't like you.
Can't you understand that? 1 don't like
you
Grated. You love me-say you do"
He shook her by the arm as though to
shake the words out of her reluctant
lips. The brutal roughness of the action
Spurred her from fear to indignation.
It's not love. It's not even hate. It's
just repulsion and dislike. 1 can't bear
to look at you, or have you come near
me. and to have you hold me. you're
doing now, is as If some horrible thing
like spider or snake was crawling
on me-"
Amid the rustlfng and the splashing of
the rain they again looked at each other
for fierce. pallid moment, Another
drop of blood or his cheek detached it
self and ran down. He had no free hand
with which to wipe 1t off.
Yet you're going to marry me-" he
said softly.
I've heard enough of this" she cried
I'm not going to stand here talking to a
houses are full Of people. If 1 give one
cry every window will go up. l don't
want to make a scene here on the street,
but if you detain me any longer talking
in this crazy way, that's what I'll have
to do
Just wait one moment before you
take such desperate measures. I want
to ask you a question before you. call out
the neighborhood to protect you. How
do you think the story of your mothers
and fathers early history will look on
the front page of The Era?
In the light of the window that fell
across them both he had the satisfaction
of seeing her face freeze into Mortified
amaZement.
ut will be the greatest scoop The
Shackleton,s property There's not q
soul here that even suspects it, 1t will
be bombsheL to the city. involving peo-
pie of the highest position. like the
Shackletons, and people of the most UNI
questioning responsibility, like the Nor
eaus. Oh-it will be good readingl'
Her eyes. fastened on him., were full
her In the stress of the moment her
mind remained clear and active.
rs the world interested In stories OF
the dead?" she heard herself saying in
a cold voice.
'Everybody's interested in scandals
And what scandal it is. How people
will smack their lips over it, Shackle-
mate child Your mother and father,
that all the world honored, common free
lovers. Your mother sold to your father
for a pair of horses, and living with him
before they even attempted to straight
en- things out by a bogus marriage cere-
mony. Why, it's splendid story! The
Era's had nothing with as much ginger
as that for monthsi"
And who'd believe you? Who are you
to know about the early histories of the
pioneer families? Who'd believe the
words of man who comes from nobody
knows where, whose very name people
doubt? If Mrs. Shackleton and 1 deny
the truth of your story, who'd believe
you thenr
you forget that have under my
hand the man who was witness Of the
transaction whereby Moreau bought
your mother from Shackleton for a pair
of horses.
"A drunken thief! He stole all my
father had and ran away. Can his word
carry the same weight as mine to
whose interest 1t would be to prove my
self Shackleton's daughter? No. The
only real proof in existence Is the mar
rage certificate. And I have that. And
so long as 1 have that any story you
choose to publish I can get up and
deny"
He knew she was right. Even with
Harvey his story would be discredited,
unbacked by the one piece of genuine
evidence of the first marriage-the GER
tificate which she possessed. Her unex-
pected recognition of the point stag
gered him. He had thought to break her
resistance by threats which even to him