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INDISCRETION that she may commit in the presence of these strangers
whose company she would seem to prefer to ours。〃
〃But I don't understand you； madam；〃 said Mallory； sternly； 〃you
are speaking of my daughter； and〃
〃Excuse me； Mr。 Mallory；〃 said Mrs。 Randolph； lifting her hand with
her driest deprecation and her most desiccating smile； 〃I'm not
passing judgment or criticism。 I am of a foreign race； and
consequently do not understand the freedom of American young
ladies； and their familiarity with the opposite sex。 I make no
charges； I only wish to assure you that she will no doubt be found
in the company and under the protection of her own countrymen。
There is；〃 she added with ironical distinctness； 〃a young mechanic；
or field hand； or 'quack well…doctor；' whom she seems to admire；
and with whom she appears to be on equal terms。〃
Mallory regarded her for a moment fixedly； and then his sternness
relaxed to a mischievously complacent smile。 〃That must be young
Bent； of whom I've heard；〃 he said with unabated cheerfulness。
〃And I don't know but what she may be with him； after all。 For now
I think of it； a chuckle…headed fellow； of whom a moment ago I
inquired the way to your house； told me I'd better ask the young
man and young woman who were 'philandering through the wheat'
yonder。 Suppose we look for them。 From what I've heard of Bent
he's too much wrapped up in his inventions for flirtation； but it
would be a good joke to stumble upon them。〃
Mrs。 Randolph's eyes sparkled with a mingling of gratified malice
and undisguised contempt for the fatuous father beside her。 But
before she could accept or decline the challenge； it had become
useless。 A murmur of youthful voices struck her ear； and she
suddenly stood upright and transfixed in the carriage。 For
lounging down slowly towards them out of the dim green aisles of
the arbored wheat； lost in themselves and the shimmering veil of
their seclusion； came the engineer； Thomas Bent； and on his arm；
gazing ingenuously into his face； the figure of Adele；her own
perfect daughter。
〃I don't think； my dear；〃 said Mr。 Mallory； as the anxious Rose
flew into his arms on his return to San Jose； a few hours later；
〃that it will be necessary for you to go back again to Major
Randolph's before we leave。 I have said 'Good…by' for you and
thanked them； and your trunks are packed and will be sent here。
The fact is； my dear； you see this affair of the earthquake and the
disaster to the artesian well have upset all their arrangements；
and I am afraid that my little girl would be only in their way just
now。〃
〃And you have seen Mr。 Dawsonand you know why he sent for you？〃
asked the young girl； with nervous eagerness。
〃Ah； yes；〃 said Mr。 Mallory thoughtfully； 〃THAT was really
important。 You see； my child；〃 he continued； taking her hand in
one of his own and patting the back of it gently with the other；
〃we think； Dawson and I； of taking over the major's ranch and
incorporating it with the Excelsior in one； to be worked on shares
like the Excelsior； and as Mrs。 Randolph is very anxious to return
to the Atlantic States with her children； it is quite possible。
Mrs。 Randolph； as you have possibly noticed；〃 Mr。 Mallory went on；
still patting his daughter's hand； 〃does not feel entirely at home
here； and will consequently leave the major free to rearrange； by
himself； the ranch on the new basis。 In fact； as the change must
be made before the crops come in； she talks of going next week。
But if you like the place； Rose； I've no doubt the major and Dawson
will always find room for you and me when we run down there for a
little fresh air。〃
〃And did you have all that in your mind； papa； when you came down
here； and was that what you and Mr。 Dawson wanted to talk about？〃
said the astonished Rose。
〃Mainly； my dear； mainly。 You see I'm a capitalist now； and the
real value of capital is to know how and when to apply it to
certain conditions。〃
〃And this Mr。Mr。 Bentdo you thinkhe will go on and find the
water； papa？〃 said Rose； hesitatingly。
〃Ah！ BentTom Bentoh； yes；〃 said Mallory； with great heartiness。
〃Capital fellow； Bent！ and mighty ingenious！ Glad you met him！
Well；〃 thoughtfully but still heartily； 〃he may not find it exactly
where he expected； but he'll find it or something better。 We can't
part with him； and he has promised Dawson to stay。 We'll utilize
HIM； you may be sure。〃
It would seem that they did； and from certain interviews and
conversations that took place between Mr。 Bent and Miss Mallory on
a later visit； it would also appear that her father had exercised a
discreet reticence in regard to a certain experiment of the young
inventor； of which he had been an accidental witness。
A MAECENAS OF THE PACIFIC SLOPE
CHAPTER I
As Mr。 Robert Rushbrook； known to an imaginative press as the
〃Maecenas of the Pacific Slope；〃 drove up to his country seat；
equally referred to as a 〃palatial villa；〃 he cast a quick but
practical look at the pillared pretensions of that enormous shell
of wood and paint and plaster。 The statement； also a reportorial
one； that its site； the Canyon of Los Osos； 〃some three years ago
was disturbed only by the passing tread of bear and wild…cat；〃 had
lost some of its freshness as a picturesque apology； and already
successive improvements on the original building seemingly cast the
older part of the structure back to a hoary antiquity。 To many it
stood as a symbol of everything Robert Rushbrook did or had done
an improvement of all previous performances； it was like his own
lifean exciting though irritating state of transition to
something better。 Yet the visible architectural result； as here
shown； was scarcely harmonious； indeed； some of his friendsand
Maecenas had manyprofessed to classify the various improvements
by the successive fortunate ventures in their owner's financial
career； which had led to new additions； under the names； of 〃The
Comstock Lode Period；〃 〃The Union Pacific Renaissance；〃 〃The Great
Wheat Corner；〃 and 〃Water Front Gable Style；〃 a humorous trifling
that did not； however； prevent a few who were artists from
accepting Maecenas's liberal compensation for their services in
giving shape to those ideas。
Relinquishing to a groom his fast…trotting team； the second relay
in his two hours' drive from San Francisco； he leaped to the ground
to meet the architect； already awaiting his orders in the
courtyard。 With his eyes still fixed upon the irregular building
before him； he mingled his greeting and his directions。
〃Look here； Barker； we'll have a wing thrown out here； and a
hundred…foot ballroom。 Something to hold a crowd； something that
can be used for musicsabe？a concert； or a show。〃
〃Have you thought of any style； Mr。 Rushbrook？〃 suggested the
architect。
〃No；〃 said Rushbrook； 〃I've been thinking of the timethirty days；
and everything to be in。 You'll stop to dinner。 I'll have you sit
near Jack Somers。 You can talk style to him。 Say I told you。〃
〃You wish it completed in thirty days？〃 repeated the architect；
dubiously。
〃Well； I shouldn't mind if it were less。 You can begin at once。
There's a telegraph in the house。 Patrick will take any message；
and you can send up to San Francisco and fix things before dinner。〃
Before the man could reply； Rushbrook was already giving a hurried
interview to the gardener and others on his way to the front porch。
In another moment he had entered his own hall；a wonderful temple
of white and silver plaster； formal； yet friable like the sugared
erection of a wedding cake；where his major…domo awaited him。
〃Well； who's here？〃 asked Rushbrook； still advancing towards his
apartments。
〃Dinner is set for thirty； sir；〃 said the functionary； keeping step
demurely with his master； 〃but Mr。 Appleby takes ten over to San
Mateo； and some m