第55章

"Don't ky, mamma," whispered Carry, with a vague retrospect of their recent conversation."Don't ky.I fink I SHOULD like a new papa, if he loved you very much--very, very much!"A month afterward, to everybody's astonishment, Mrs.Tretherick was married.The happy bridegroom was one Col.Starbottle, recently elected to represent Calaveras County in the legislative councils of the State.As I cannot record the event in finer language than that used by the correspondent of "The Sacramento Globe," I venture to quote some of his graceful periods."The relentless shafts of the sly god have been lately busy among our gallant Solons.We quote 'one more unfortunate.' The latest victim is the Hon.C.

Starbottle of Calaveras.The fair enchantress in the case is a beautiful widow, a former votary of Thespis, and lately a fascinating St.Cecilia of one of the most fashionable churches of San Francisco, where she commanded a high salary.""The Dutch Flat Intelligencer" saw fit, however, to comment upon the fact with that humorous freedom characteristic of an unfettered press."The new Democratic war-horse from Calaveras has lately advented in the legislature with a little bill to change the name of Tretherick to Starbottle.They call it a marriage-certificate down there.Mr.Tretherick has been dead just one month; but we presume the gallant colonel is not afraid of ghosts." It is but just to Mrs.Tretherick to state that the colonel's victory was by no means an easy one.To a natural degree of coyness on the part of the lady was added the impediment of a rival,--a prosperous undertaker from Sacramento, who had first seen and loved Mrs.

Tretherick at the theatre and church; his professional habits debarring him from ordinary social intercourse, and indeed any other than the most formal public contact with the sex.As this gentleman had made a snug fortune during the felicitous prevalence of a severe epidemic, the colonel regarded him as a dangerous rival.Fortunately, however, the undertaker was called in professionally to lay out a brother-senator, who had unhappily fallen by the colonel's pistol in an affair of honor; and either deterred by physical consideration from rivalry, or wisely concluding that the colonel was professionally valuable, he withdrew from the field.

The honeymoon was brief, and brought to a close by an untoward incident.During their bridal-trip, Carry had been placed in the charge of Col.Starbottle's sister.On their return to the city, immediately on reaching their lodgings, Mrs.Starbottle announced her intention of at once proceeding to Mrs.Culpepper's to bring the child home.Col.Starbottle, who had been exhibiting for some time a certain uneasiness which he had endeavored to overcome by repeated stimulation, finally buttoned his coat tightly across his breast, and, after walking unsteadily once or twice up and down the room, suddenly faced his wife with his most imposing manner.

"I have deferred," said the colonel with an exaggeration of port that increased with his inward fear, and a growing thickness of speech,--"I have deferr--I may say poshponed statement o' fack thash my duty ter dishclose ter ye.I did no wish to mar sushine mushal happ'ness, to bligh bud o' promise, to darken conjuglar sky by unpleasht revelashun.Musht be done--by G-d, m'm, musht do it now.The chile is gone!""Gone!" echoed Mrs.Starbottle.

There was something in the tone of her voice, in the sudden drawing-together of the pupils of her eyes, that for a moment nearly sobered the colonel, and partly collapsed his chest.

"I'll splain all in a minit," he said with a deprecating wave of the hand."Every thing shall be splained.The-the-the-melencholly event wish preshipitate our happ'ness--the myster'us prov'nice wish releash you--releash chile! hunerstan?--releash chile.The mom't Tretherick die--all claim you have in chile through him--die too.

Thash law.Whose chile b'long to? Tretherick? Tretherick dead.

Chile can't b'long dead man.Damn nonshense b'long dead man.I'sh your chile? no! who's chile then? Chile b'long to 'ts mother.

Unnerstan?"

"Where is she?" said Mrs.Starbottle with a very white face and a very low voice.

"I'll splain all.Chile b'long to 'ts mother.Thash law.I'm lawyer, leshlator, and American sis'n.Ish my duty as lawyer, as leshlator, and 'merikan sis'n to reshtore chile to suff'rin mother at any coss--any coss.""Where is she?" repeated Mrs.Starbottle with her eyes still fixed on the colonel's face.

"Gone to 'ts m'o'r.Gone East on shteamer, yesserday.Waffed by fav'rin gales to suff'rin p'rent.Thash so!"Mrs.Starbottle did not move.The colonel felt his chest slowly collapsing, but steadied himself against a chair, and endeavored to beam with chivalrous gallantry not unmixed with magisterial firmness upon her as she sat.

"Your feelin's, m'm, do honor to yer sex, but conshider situashun.

Conshider m'or's feelings--conshider MY feelin's." The colonel paused, and, flourishing a white handkerchief, placed it negligently in his breast, and then smiled tenderly above it, as over laces and ruffles, on the woman before him."Why should dark shedder cass bligh on two sholes with single beat? Chile's fine chile, good chile, but summonelse chile! Chile's gone, Clar'; but all ish'n't gone, Clar'.Conshider dearesht, you all's have me!"Mrs.Starbottle started to her feet."YOU!" she cried, bringing out a chest note that made the chandeliers ring,--"you that Imarried to give my darling food and clothes,--YOU! a dog that Iwhistled to my side to keep the men off me,--YOU!"She choked up, and then dashed past him into the inner room, which had been Carry's; then she swept by him again into her own bedroom, and then suddenly re-appeared before him, erect, menacing, with a burning fire over her cheek-bones, a quick straightening of her arched brows and mouth, a squaring of jaw, and ophidian flattening of the head.