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Page 34
Sincerity and persistency in a man goes a great way with even the
best of women. Mrs. Price, who had at first received Spindler's
request as an amusing originality, now began to incline secretly
towards it. And, of course, began to suggest objections.
"I'm afraid it won't do," she said thoughtfully, awakening to the
fact that it would do and could be done. "You see, I've promised
to spend Christmas at Sacramento with my nieces from Baltimore.
And then there's Mrs. Saltover and my sister to consult."
But here Spindler's simple face showed such signs of distress that
the widow declared she would "think it over,"--a process which the
sanguine Spindler seemed to consider so nearly akin to talking it
over that Mrs. Price began to believe it herself, as he hopefully
departed.
She "thought it over" sufficiently to go to Sacramento and excuse
herself to her nieces. But here she permitted herself to "talk it
over," to the infinite delight of those Baltimore girls, who
thought this extravaganza of Spindler's "so Californian and
eccentric!" So that it was not strange that presently the news
came back to Rough and Ready, and his old associates learned for
the first time that he had never seen his relatives, and that they
would be doubly strangers. This did not increase his popularity;
neither, I grieve to say, did the intelligence that his relatives
were probably poor, and that the Reverend Mr. Saltover had approved
of his course, and had likened it to the rich man's feast, to which
the halt and blind were invited. Indeed, the allusion was supposed
to add hypocrisy and a bid for popularity to Spindler's defection,
for it was argued that he might have feasted "Wall-eyed Joe" or
"Tangle-foot Billy,"--who had once been "chawed" by a bear while
prospecting,--if he had been sincere. Howbeit, Spindler's faith
was oblivious to these criticisms, in his joy at Mr. Saltover's
adhesion to his plans and the loan of Mrs. Price as a hostess. In
fact, he proposed to her that the invitation should also convey
that information in the expression, "by the kind permission of the
Rev. Mr. Saltover," as a guarantee of good faith, but the widow
would have none of it. The invitations were duly written and
dispatched.
"Suppose," suggested Spindler, with a sudden lugubrious
apprehension,--"suppose they shouldn't come?"
"Have no fear of that," said Mrs. Price, with a frank laugh.
"Or ef they was dead," continued Spindler.
"They couldn't all be dead," said the widow cheerfully.
"I've written to another cousin by marriage," said Spindler
dubiously, "in case of accident; I didn't think of him before,
because he was rich."
"And have you ever seen him either, Mr. Spindler?" asked the widow,
with a slight mischievousness.
"Lordy! No!" he responded, with unaffected concern.
Only one mistake was made by Mrs. Price in her arrangements for the
party. She had noticed what the simple-minded Spindler could never
have conceived,--the feeling towards him held by his old associates,
and had tactfully suggested that a general invitation should be
extended to them in the evening.
"You can have refreshments, you know, too, after the dinner, and
games and music."
"But," said the unsophisticated host, "won't the boys think I'm
playing it rather low down on them, so to speak, givin' 'em a kind
o' second table, as ef it was the tailings after a strike?"
"Nonsense," said Mrs. Price, with decision. "It's quite
fashionable in San Francisco, and just the thing to do."
To this decision Spindler, in his blind faith in the widow's
management, weakly yielded. An announcement in the "Weekly Banner"
that, "On Christmas evening Richard Spindler, Esq., proposed to
entertain his friends and fellow citizens at an 'at home,' in his
own residence," not only widened the breach between him and the
"boys," but awakened an active resentment that only waited for an
outlet. It was understood that they were all coming; but that they
should have "some fun out of it" which might not coincide with
Spindler's nor his relatives' sense of humor seemed a foregone
conclusion.
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