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for him had always been shown in excessive and depressing
commiseration of him in even his lightest moments； that afternoon
seemed to add a prophetic and Cassandra…like sympathy for some
vague future of his that would require all her ministration。 〃You
won't need them new boots； Milty dear； in the changes that may be
comin' to ye； so don't be bothering your poor father in his
worriments over his new plans。〃
〃What new plans； mommer？〃 asked the boy abruptly。 〃Are we goin'
away from here？〃
〃Hush； dear； and don't ask questions that's enough for grown folks
to worry over； let alone a boy like you。 Now be good；〃a quality
in Mrs。 Harkutt's mind synonymous with ceasing from troubling；
〃and after supper； while I'm in the parlor with your father and
sisters； you kin sit up here by the fire with your book。〃
〃But；〃 persisted the boy in a flash of inspiration； 〃is popper
goin' to join in business with those surveyors；a surveyin'？〃
〃No； child； what an idea！ Run away there；and mind！don't bother
your father。〃
Nevertheless John Milton's inspiration had taken a new and
characteristic shape。 All this； he reflected； had happened since
the surveyors camesince they had weakly displayed such a
shameless and unmanly interest in his sisters！ It could have but
one meaning。 He hung around the sitting…room and passages until he
eventually encountered Clementina； taller than ever； evidently
wearing a guilty satisfaction in her face； engrafted upon that
habitual bearing of hers which he had always recognized as
belonging to a vague but objectionable race whose members were
individually known to him as 〃a proudy。〃
〃Which of those two surveyor fellows is it； Clemmy？〃 he said with
an engaging smile； yet halting at a strategic distance。
〃Is what？〃
〃Wot you're goin' to marry。〃
〃Idiot！〃
〃That ain't tellin' which；〃 responded the boy darkly。
Clementina swept by him into the sitting…room； where he heard her
declare that 〃really that boy was getting too low and vulgar for
anything。〃 Yet it struck him； that being pressed for further
explanation； she did NOT specify why。 This was 〃girls' meanness！〃
Howbeit he lingered late in the road that evening； hearing his
father discuss with the search…party that had followed the banks of
the creek； vainly looking for further traces of the missing 'Lige；
the possibility of his being living or dead； of the body having
been carried away by the current to the bay or turning up later in
some distant marsh when the spring came with low water。 One who
had been to his cabin beside the embarcadero reported that it was；
as had been long suspected； barely habitable； and contained neither
books； papers； nor records which would indicate his family or
friends。 It was a God…forsaken； dreary； worthless place； he
wondered how a white man could ever expect to make a living there。
If Elijah never turned up again it certainly would be a long time
before any squatter would think of taking possession of it。 John
Milton knew instinctively； without looking up； that his father's
eyes were fixed upon him； and he felt himself constrained to appear
to be abstracted in gazing down the darkening road。 Then he heard
his father say； with what he felt was an equal assumption of
carelessness： 〃Yes； I reckon I've got somewhere a bill of sale of
that land that I had to take from 'Lige for an old bill； but I
kalkilate that's all I'll ever see of it。〃
Rain fell again as the darkness gathered； but he still loitered on
the road and the sloping path of the garden； filled with a half
resentful sense of wrong； and hugging with gloomy pride an
increasing sense of loneliness and of getting dangerously wet。 The
swollen creek still whispered； murmured and swirled beside the
bank。 At another time he might have had wild ideas of emulating
the surveyors on some extempore raft and so escaping his present
dreary home existence； but since the disappearance of 'Lige； who
had always excited an odd boyish antipathy in his heart； although
he had never seen him； he shunned the stream contaminated with the
missing man's unheroic fate。 Presently the light from the open
window of the sitting…room glittered on the wet leaves and sprays
where he stood； and the voices of the family conclave came fitfully
to his ear。 They didn't want him there。 They had never thought of
asking him to come in。 Well！who cared？ And he wasn't going to
be bought off with a candle and a seat by the kitchen fire。 No！
Nevertheless he was getting wet to no purpose。 There was the tool…
house and carpenter's shed near the bank； its floor was thickly
covered with sawdust and pine…wood shavings； and there was a mouldy
buffalo skin which he had once transported thither from the old
wagon…bed。 There； too； was his secret cache of a candle in a
bottle； buried with other piratical treasures in the presence of
the youthful Peters； who consented to be sacrificed on the spot in
buccaneering fashion to complete the unhallowed rites。 He
unearthed the candle； lit it； and clearing away a part of the
shavings stood it up on the floor。 He then brought a prized；
battered； and coverless volume from a hidden recess in the rafters；
and lying down with the buffalo robe over him； and his cap in his
hand ready to extinguish the light at the first footstep of a
trespasser； gave himself upas he had given himself up； I fear；
many other timesto the enchantment of the page before him。
The current whispered； murmured； and sang； unheeded at his side。
The voices of his mother and sisters； raised at times in eagerness
or expectation of the future； fell upon his unlistening ears。 For
with the spell that had come upon him； the mean walls of his
hiding…place melted away； the vulgar stream beside him might have
been that dim； subterraneous river down which Sindbad and his bale
of riches were swept out of the Cave of Death to the sunlight of
life and fortune； so surely and so simply had it transported him
beyond the cramped and darkened limits of his present life。 He was
in the better world of boyish romance；of gallant deeds and high
emprises； of miraculous atonement and devoted sacrifice； of brave
men； and those rarer； impossible women；the immaculate conception
of a boy's virgin heart。 What mattered it that behind that
glittering window his mother and sisters grew feverish and excited
over the vulgar details of their real but baser fortune？ From the
dark tool…shed by the muddy current； John Milton； with a battered
dogs'…eared chronicle； soared on the wings of fancy far beyond
their wildest ken！
CHAPTER V。
Prosperity had settled upon the plains of Tasajara。 Not only had
the embarcadero emerged from the tules of Tasajara Creek as a
thriving town of steamboat wharves； warehouses； and outlying mills
and factories； but in five years the transforming railroad had
penetrated the great plain itself and revealed its undeveloped
fertility。 The low…lying lands that had been yearly overflowed by
the creek； now drained and cultivated； yielded treasures of wheat
and barley that were apparently inexhaustible。 Even the helpless
indolence of Sidon had been surprised into activity and change。
There was nothing left of the straggling settlement to recall its
former aspect。 The site of Harkutt's old store and dwelling was
lost and forgotten in the new mill and granary that rose along the
banks of the creek。 Decay leaves ruin and traces for the memory to
linger over； prosperity is unrelenting in its complete and smiling
obliteration of the past。
But Tasajara City； as the embarcadero was now called； had no
previous record； and even the former existence of an actual settler
like the forgotten Elijah Curtis was unknown to the present
inhabitants。 It was Daniel Harkutt's idea carried out in Daniel
Harkutt's land； with Daniel Harkutt's capital and energy。 But
Daniel Harkutt had become Daniel Harcourt； and Harcourt Avenue；
Harcourt Square； and Harcourt House； ostentatiously proclaimed the
new spelling of his patronymic。 When the change was made and for
what reason； who suggested it and under what authority； were not
easy to determine； as the sign on his former store had borne
nothing but the legend； Goods and Provisions； and his name did not
appear on written record until after the occupation of Tasajara；
but it is presumed that it was at the instigation of his daughters；
and there was no one to oppose it。 Harcourt was a pretty name for
a street； a square； or a hotel； even the few in Sidon who had
called it Harkutt admitted that it was an improvement quite
consistent with the change from the fever…haunted tules and sedges
of the creek to the broad； level； and handsome squares of Tasajara
City。
This might have been the opinion of a visitor at the Harcourt
House； who arrived one summer afternoon from the Stockton boat； but
whose shrewd； half…critical