Jeff Briggs's Love Story

by Bret Harte

improvements o' yours."

  Coloring a little at this new count in the general indictment againstthe uselessness of the "Half-way House," Jeff asked if there were "anypassengers?"

  Yuba Bill indicated the meek stranger with a jerk of his thumb. "And hiswife and darter in the coach. They're all right and tight, ez if theywas in the Fifth Avenue Hotel. But I reckon he allows to fetch 'em upyer," added Bill, as if he strongly doubted the wisdom of the transfer.

  The meek man, much meeker for the presence of Bill, here suggested thatsuch indeed was his wish, and further prayed that Jeff would accompanyhim to the coach to assist in bringing them up. "It's rather wet anddark," said the man apologetically; "my daughter is not strong. Have yousuch a thing as a waterproof?"

  Jeff had not; but would a bear-skin do?

  It would.

  Jeff ran, tore down his extempore window curtain, and returned with it.Yuba Bill, who had quietly and disapprovingly surveyed the proceeding,here disengaged himself from the bar with evident reluctance.

  "You'll want another man," he said to Jeff, "onless ye can carry double.Ez HE," indicating the stranger, "ez no sort o' use, he'd better stayhere and 'tend bar,' while you and me fetch the wimmen off. 'Speciallyez I reckon we've got to do some tall wadin' by this time to reach 'em."

  The meek man sat down helplessly in a chair indicated by Bill, who atonce strode after Jeff. In another moment they were both fightingtheir way, step by step, against the storm, in that peculiar, drunken,spasmodic way so amusing to the spectator and so exasperating tothe performer. It was no time for conversation, even interjectionalprofanity was dangerously exhaustive.

  The coach was scarcely a thousand yards away, but its bright lights werereflected in a sheet of dark silent water that stretched between it andthe two men. Wading and splashing, they soon reached it, and a gullywhere the surplus water was pouring into the valley below. "Fower feeto' water round her, but can't get any higher. So ye see she's all rightfor a month o' sich weather." Inwardly admiring the perspicacity of hiscompanion, Jeff was about to open the coach door when Bill interrupted.

  "I'll pack the old woman, if you'll look arter the darter and ennylittle traps."

  A female face, anxious and elderly, here appeared at the window.

  "Thet's my little game," said Bill, sotto voce.

  "Is there any danger? where is my husband?" asked the woman impatiently.

  "Ez to the danger, ma'am,--thar ain't any. Yer ez safe HERE ez ye'd bein a Sacramento steamer; ez to your husband, he allowed I was to comeyer and fetch yer up to the hotel. That's his look-out!" With thischeering speech, Bill proceeded to make two or three ineffectual scoopsinto the dark interior, manifestly with the idea of scooping out thelady in question. In another instant he had caught her, lifted hergently but firmly in his arms, and was turning away.

  "But my child!--my daughter! she's asleep!"--expostulated the woman; butBill was already swiftly splashing through the darkness. Jeff, left tohimself, hastily examined the coach: on the back seat a slight smallfigure, enveloped in a shawl, lay motionless. Jeff threw the bear-skinover it gently, lifted it on one arm, and gathering a few travellingbags and baskets with the other, prepared to follow his quicklydisappearing leader. A few feet from the coach the water appeared todeepen, and the bear-skin to draggle. Jeff drew the figure up higher, invain.

  "Sis," he said softly.

  No reply.

  "Sis," shaking her gently.

  There was a slight movement within the wrappings.

  "Couldn't ye climb up on my shoulder, honey? that's a good child!"

  There were one or two spasmodic jerks of the bear-skin, and, aided byJeff, the bundle was presently seated on his shoulder.

  "Are you all right now, Sis?"

  Something like a laugh came from the bear-skin. Then a childish voicesaid, "Thank you, I think I am!"

  "Ain't you afraid you'll fall off?"

  "A little."

  Jeff hesitated. It was beginning to blow again.

  "You couldn't reach down and put your arm round my neck, could ye,honey?"

  "I am afraid not!"--although there WAS a slight attempt to do so.

  "No?"

  "No!"

  "Well, then, take a good holt, a firm strong holt, o' my hair! Don't beafraid!"

  A small hand timidly began to rummage in Jeff's thick curls.

  "Take a firm holt; thar, just back o' my neck! That's right."

  The little hand closed over half a dozen curls. The little figure shook,and giggled.

  "Now don't you see, honey, if I'm keerless with you, and don't keepyou plump level up thar, you jist give me a pull and fetch me up allstanding!"

  "I see!"

  "Of course you do! That's because you're a little lady!"

  Jeff strode on. It was pleasant to feel the soft warm fingers in hishair, pleasant to hear the faint childish voice, pleasant to draw thefeet of the enwrapped figure against his broad breast. Altogether hewas sorry when they reached the dry land and the lee of the "Half-wayHouse," where a slight movement of the figure expressed a wish todismount.

  "Not yet, missy," said Jeff; "not yet! You'll get blown away, sure! Andthen what'll they say? No, honey! I'll take you right in to your papa,just as ye are!"

  A few steps more and Jeff strode into the hall, made his way tothe sitting-room, walked to the sofa, and deposited his burden. Thebear-skin fell back, the shawl fell back, and Jeff--fell back too!For before him lay a small, slight, but beautiful and perfectly formedwoman.

  He had time to see that the meek man, no longer meek, but apparently astern uncompromising parent, was standing at the head of the sofa; thatthe elderly and nervous female was hovering at the foot, that his aunt,with every symptom of religious and moral disapproval of his conduct,sat rigidly in one of the rigid chairs--he had time to see all thisbefore the quick, hot blood, flying to his face, sent the water into hiseyes, and he could see nothing!

  The cause of all this smiled--a dazzling smile though a faint one--thatmomentarily lit up the austere gloom of the room and its occupants. "Youmust thank this gentleman, papa," said she, languidly turning to herfather, "for his kindness and his trouble. He has carried me here asgently and as carefully as if I were a child." Seeing symptoms of areturn of Jeff's distress in his coloring face, she added softly, asif to herself, "It's a great thing to be strong--a greater thing to bestrong AND gentle."

  The voice thrilled through Jeff. But into this dangerous human voicetwanged the accents of special spiritual revelation, and called himto himself again, "Be ye wise as sarpints, but harmless as duvs," saidJeff's aunt, generally, "and let 'em be thankful ez doesn't aboos thestren'th the Lord gives 'em, but be allers ready to answer for it at thebar o' their Maker." Possibly some suggestion in her figure of speechreminded her of Jeff's forgotten duties, so she added in the same breathand tone, "especially when transient customers is waiting for theirlicker, and Yuba Bill hammerin' on the counter with his glass; and yerye stand, Jeff, never even takin' up that wet bar-skin--enuff to givethat young woman her death."

  Stammering out an incoherent apology, addressed vaguely to the occupantsof the room, but looking toward the languid goddess on the sofa, Jeffseized the bear-skin and backed out the door. Then he flew to his roomwith it, and then returned to the bar-room; but the impatient William ofYuba had characteristically helped himself and gone off to the stable.Then Jeff stole into the hall and halted before the closed door of thesitting-room. A bold idea of going in again, as became a landlord of the"Half-way House," with an inquiry if they wished anything further, hadseized him, but the remembrance that he had always meekly allowed thatduty to devolve upon his aunt, and that she would probably resent itwith scriptural authority and bring him to shame again, stayed histimid knuckles at the door. In this hesitation he stumbled upon his auntcoming down the stairs with an armful of blankets and pillows, attendedby their small Indian servant, staggering under a mattress.

  "Is everything all right, aunty?"

  "Ye kin be thankful
to the Lord, Jeff Briggs, that this didn't happenlast week when I was down on my back with rheumatiz. But ye're nevergrateful."

  "The young lady--is SHE comfortable?" said Jeff, accepting his aunt'sprevious remark as confirmatory.

  "Ez well ez enny critter marked by the finger of the Lord with gallopin'consumption kin be, I reckon. And she, ez oughter be putting off airthlyvanities, askin' for a lookin'-glass! And you! trapesin' through thehall with her on yer shoulder, and dancin' and