It was the middle of May. Down in the earth the strong heart of
reawakened nature throbbed with a pulsating force that sent new life
forth on its errand of rejuvenation. The apple trees had peeped out with
pink eyes, and seeing the summer maiden stalking through the land, had
thrown off their timid coyness and shaken loose a drapery of white, all
rose-tinted and green-shaded, that turned their broad-acred homes into
fairy ball rooms. And for music the bees, and the birds, and shrill
fife-playing frogs volunteered out of sheer joyousness of life.
Tiny shavings of green wag, the gentle spring grass, lay strewn about
the ballroom floor, and glistened in the warm light that was of one
high-hung chandelier, the sun.
But all the newborn awakening, all the sweet strength of soul and life
that was borne to the waiting land on the wings of soft winds, brought
not the hoped-for allotment to John Porter.
At Ringwood they had waited for the springtime. That would work the cure
the doctor's skill had failed of. A man of outdoors, it was the house
caging that was killing him, keeping him back.
These things were said; but Doctor Rathbone only shook his wise, old
head, with its world of good sense, and answered: “It is none of these
things. The trouble is in his mind; he is fretting. A sensitive man,
well in body, may be brought to illness by anticipated disaster. That
could not have been the case with John Porter well, but John Porter ill
is quite a different matter. It's as I have said before, give him hope,
win him races.”
So Allis was really glad at the near approach of the time of her trial.
The day was coming fast, soon, when She was to go forth with her
little band of horses, as a man almost in everything, to strive for the
fulfillment of that which had been put upon her.
The nearness of the not-to-be-shirked responsibility drove into her
veins an unlooked-for exhilaration of strength. She had thought that she
would look with dread upon the going away from Ringwood; that a feeling
much akin to stage fright would quite unnerve her at the very last. The
riding at home, the horse lore, and the almost constant companionship
with her father, always among horses and horsemen, though it appeared
somewhat dreadful to the village folks had been as nothing to her. Now
that she needed strength for the newer, stranger endeavor, it came to
her, even as the blossoms came to the swaying apple trees, great and
small.
What wouldn't she do? she asked herself many times, to bring a
strength-giving peace to her father's troubled mind. Even Mrs. Porter,
implacably bitter against racing, must condone what was so evidently
Allis's study, if it tended to their happiness; the mother had softened
somewhat in the austerity of her opposition.
Evening after evening they had discussed the gloomy outlook, with,
always from Allis's side, a glimmer of hopeful light. The girl's patient
resolve had worn down the mother's pessimistic dread of anticipated
evil.
“You know, Allis,” she had said, “how I look upon this thoroughly
unchristian pursuit. Nothing can justify it from a true woman's point of
view, absolutely nothing--not even poverty. I would willingly suffer the
loss of all we possess--that it is so little is due to this dreadful,
immoral horse racing--but I would sacrifice even what remains, if
your father were well and willing to start afresh in some occupation
befitting his noble character. I would help him, to endure every
hardship, even deprivation, without a murmur.”
“But, mother,” interrupted Allis, “it's impossible now; I think it
always was, for, as you know, father knew nothing of other business.
Nothing would tempt him to be dishonest in racing, and he always enjoyed
it because of his love for horses. But with all that, mother, if he had
been in a position to please you, if he had felt that we--you, and Alan,
and I--would not have suffered, I am sure he would have listened to
your pleadings and given it up. He might perhaps have gone on breeding
horses, for you wouldn't have objected to that, would you, mother?”
“No, it's the wicked associations of the race course which I felt
degraded a man of your father's character. But I'm not going to
dishearten you, Allis, nor hamper you now in your brave acceptance
of the task that has come to you, because of wrong done before. It is
distasteful to me, of course; it would be to any right-minded mother,
to have her daughter in a position so repellant; but, strange as it may
seem I'd rather you went with the horses than Alan.”
“Alan couldn't go, mother; he couldn't give up his place in the bank;
besides, father has purposely kept him from racing.”
“I know it, Allis; I wasn't thinking of that, though. Alan has the
gambling spirit born in him; it's not his fault; it's the visitation of
the sins of the father upon the son. It came to your father in just the
same way. No, I'm not even blaming your father for it; it has come down
from generation to generation; but there has never been dishonor, thank
God--there has never been a dishonest Porter in my husband's family,
and, please God, there never may be. That would be too much! It would
kill me. And it's better that you go, Allis, for Alan is but a boy,
and the temptations to a young man at the race course must be almost
impossible to resist. Besides, your going may bring new life to your
father; the doctor is so hopeful--he says it will. He was afraid that
he had shocked me, when he said you were to win races for your father's
good. It displeased the pastor; I know it did, but perhaps he doesn't
quite understand how much we have at stake.”
“He's so narrow, mother.”
“The Reverend Mr. Dolman thinks only of our souls, daughter; naturally,
too, and one can hardly be a Christian and race horses. But we have got
so much to consider. I hope I am not wrong in feeling glad that you are
able to look after our interests. I should like to pray for your success
even, Allis. It might be wrong; I might feel guilty; but if it makes
your father better, don't you think I'd be forgiven?”
“I'm sure you would, mother, and it would make me stronger. I'm so glad.
I didn't want to displease you. I wanted you to feel that I was doing
right. It will be lighter now; I sha'n't mind what anybody says if
you're with me, mother. Now everything will come out right; I know it
will. And if it does, if father gets strong, just out of thankfulness,
I'll coax him to try something else, for your sake, mother.”
“No, for his own, Allis. I think only of him in this matter.” The
prospective commencement of the racing campaign seemed to foreshadow a
complete fulfillment of the doctor's prophecy should success smile upon
this modern Joan of Arc; for the bustle of preparation was music to
the ears of the stricken man, and he fought the lethargic fever of
discontent that was over him until his eyes brightened and his face took
on a hopeful look of interest.
“Brave little woman,” he said to Allis, “it's a shame for a great hulk
as I am to lie up here, while you fight the sharks that were almost too
much for your father.”
Then he spoke a little lower, as a man utters unfamiliar words for the
first time. “Your mother said that Providence would look after you.
Sounds strange, doesn't it, girl? But I'm glad. Your mother was so
bitter--I don't blame her--now she's turned right around. And, Allis,
I believe with a little tempting, a little coaxing, she'd almost have
a bet on Lucretia in your hands. Funny, isn't it?” And he gave a little
chuckle.
Allis hadn't heard her father laugh for a long time. It wasn't much of
a laugh, very dry, and very short lived, hardly lighting up his face at
all, but still it was the feeble pulsation of humor which showed that
the old John Porter spirit was not quite broken.
“About the betting, Allis, you must have Dixon come down here to see me,
for the horses are to go to his stable again, aren't they?”
“Yes, father.”
“That's right. I thought we had arranged it that way, but I seem to
forget things since that bad tumble.”
“You don't forget much now, father; you're getting stronger in every
way.”
“Blarney, girl. But I don't mind; your blarney is like the sunshine,
that comes through the window every day at ten. Ah, I know to the very
minute when to look for it. But about Dixon. Have him come down, for we
must arrange to back Lucretia--she's worth it. She's been doing well,
hasn't she, girl? O God! why can't I go out into the open and see the
little mare do just one gallop? And then I'd like to sit and look at
the trees sway back and forth in the wind. Their swing is like the free
gallop of a good horse.”
He dropped the brief, fretful remonstrance against fate with an
apologetic turning away of his head, and continued about the Trainer.
“Lucretia's in the Brooklyn, Allis; you know that, of course. If Dixon
starts her, the stake alone will be about enough to run for, for a
three-year-old has a tough job ahead in that mob of picked horses.
But you'll get a line on her there--I think she'll win with ninety-two
pounds up; but if she shows good form, then she'll have to be backed for
the Brooklyn Derby. Lucretia's the best three-year-old in the land, I
know. We'll have to arrange for that money. There will be a couple of
thousand to be had if it seems safe business. You and Dixon will judge
of that. You're taking Lauzanne, girl. Is it worth while?”
“Lauzanne is going to do great things for us, father. I'm sure of it.”
“Still young, Allis. I talked like that when I was your age. Fancy and
horse racing go arm in arm always, and they're like an experienced man
of forty hobnobbing with the little love god; they're just about as well
mated.”
Porter's irrelevant simile caused Allis to start, and Crane's relentless
eyes came and peeped at her through the narrow-slitted lids.
“All right, though, little girl; your faith may make Lauzanne win, and I
think Lucretia's speed will carry her to the front, so you may strike a
bit of luck at last.”