THE OCTOPUS A Story of California by Frank Norris ... - Pink Monkey

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look Harran and Lyman in the face? And, yet--and, yet--back swung the pendulum--to neglect his Chance meant failure; a life begun in promise, and ended in obscurity, perhaps in financial ruin, poverty even. To seize it meant achievement, fame, influence, prestige, possibly great wealth. "I am so sorry to interrupt," said Mrs. Derrick, as she came up. "I hope Mr. Annixter will excuse me, but I want Magnus to open the safe for me. I have lost the combination, and I must have some money. Phelps is going into town, and I want him to pay some bills for me. Can't you come right away, Magnus? Phelps is ready and waiting." Annixter struck his heel into the ground with a suppressed oath. Always these fool feemale women came between him and his plans, mixing themselves up in his affairs. Magnus had been on the very point of saying something, perhaps committing himself to some course of action, and, at precisely the wrong moment, his wife had cut in. The opportunity was lost. The three returned toward the ranch house; but before saying good-bye, Annixter had secured from Magnus a promise to the effect that, before coming to a definite decision in the matter under discussion, he would talk further with him. Presley met him at the porch. He was going into town with Phelps, and proposed to Annixter that he should accompany them. "I want to go over and see old Broderson," Annixter objected. But Presley informed him that Broderson had gone to Bonneville earlier in the morning. He had seen him go past in his buckboard. The three men set off, Phelps and Annixter on horseback, Presley on his bicycle. When they had gone, Mrs. Derrick sought out her husband in the office of the ranch house. She was at her prettiest that morning, her cheeks flushed with excitement, her innocent, wideopen eyes almost girlish. She had fastened her hair, still moist, with a black ribbon tied at the back of her head, and the soft mass of light brown reached to below her waist, making her look very young. "What was it he was saying to you just now," she exclaimed, as she came through the gate in the green-painted wire railing of the office. "What was Mr. Annixter saying? I know. He was
trying to get you to join him, trying to persuade you to be dishonest, wasn't that it? Tell me, Magnus, wasn't that it?" Magnus nodded. His wife drew close to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "But you won't, will you? You won't listen to him again; you won't so much as allow him--anybody--to even suppose you would lend yourself to bribery? Oh, Magnus, I don't know what has come over you these last few weeks. Why, before this, you would have been insulted if any one thought you would even consider anything like dishonesty. Magnus, it would break my heart if you joined Mr. Annixter and Mr. Osterman. Why, you couldn't be the same man to me afterward; you, who have kept yourself so clean till now. And the boys; what would Lyman say, and Harran, and every one who knows you and respects you, if you lowered yourself to be just a political adventurer!" For a moment, Derrick leaned his head upon his hand, avoiding her gaze. At length, he said, drawing a deep breath: "I am troubled, Annie. These are the evil days. I have much upon my mind." "Evil days or not," she insisted, "promise me this one thing, that you will not join Mr. Annixter's scheme." She had taken his hand in both of hers and was looking into his face, her pretty eyes full of pleading. "Promise me," she repeated; "give me your word. Whatever happens, let me always be able to be proud of you, as I always have been. Give me your word. I know you never seriously thought of joining Mr. Annixter, but I am so nervous and frightened sometimes. Just to relieve my mind, Magnus, give me your word." "Why--you are right," he answered. "No, I never thought seriously of it. Only for a moment, I was ambitious to be--I don't know what--what I had hoped to be once--well, that is over now. Annie, your husband is a disappointed man." "Give me your word," she insisted. "We can talk about other things afterward." Again Magnus wavered, about to yield to his better instincts and to the entreaties of his wife. He began to see how perilously
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THE OCTOPUS A Story of California b
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Presley was impatient to be on his
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eucalyptus trees. On the lawn at th
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the packet of letters and papers. "
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"But the stuff is HERE," he muttere
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marked the limits of the ranch. Her
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stood by the company. You know that
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"De La Cuesta held the grant of Los
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leaving the restaurant and the Plaz
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He was wealthy. Only a year previou
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"I suppose Magnus thinks the land h
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to move on, a curious thing occurre
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mirage; he sank below the horizons;
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his college vacations. But he prefe
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While Presley had been reflecting u
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The Mission of San Juan, built of b
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and, drawing from the pocket of his
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hill, emerging from the canyon, and
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In some way, the herd of sheep--Van
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you, Phelps?" and without waiting f
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"Bread would be as good as cake, th
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hair. Magnus Derrick's wife looked
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That he--outside of his few chosen
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a competitor in wheat production. I
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carriage stiffened the set of Magnu
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"The lowest rates," continued S. Be
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load of stuff for Bonneville that c
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anch house, Magnus asked about what
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of it, in fact. There were certain
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I'll leave it to Magnus here." "Oh,
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sideboard, scrutinising his reflect
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pretty rose-colour of her cheeks, o
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had just vacated. "To hell with the
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coat hanging in the hallway and swu
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head toward the railroad, "to mend
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ploughs away from his ranch, at thi
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"As soon as the railroad wants to t
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Some tom fool idea. Haven't we got
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"Buck" before Magnus's wife. This g
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"In any case," hazarded Magnus, "it
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of Commissioners don't you see that
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jury to be bribed, it is S. Behrman
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"Your idea, YOUR idea!" cried Annix
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there was one legitimate hope that
Page 89 and 90: "Oh, he did, did he?" exclaimed Ost
Page 91 and 92: "Fool!" muttered Annixter when the
Page 93 and 94: eyed; it's dirt from start to finis
Page 95 and 96: counted upon having these in hand l
Page 97 and 98: trilling of a whistle. At once the
Page 99 and 100: law, untamed, savage, natural, subl
Page 101 and 102: irresistibly. Near to that tower, j
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Page 105 and 106: the more weakened." "Perhaps I shou
Page 107 and 108: seeds. All over the country the See
Page 109 and 110: of the Corinthians to whom Paul wro
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Page 113 and 114: "Good-night, my boy." Vanamee was l
Page 115 and 116: low-arched door opposite the pulpit
Page 117 and 118: the manifestation, the Miracle. The
Page 119 and 120: Suddenly Vanamee returned to himsel
Page 121 and 122: had been done, he continued to sit
Page 123 and 124: finance the affair--Osterman, old B
Page 125 and 126: modulation of her chin, the reflect
Page 127 and 128: Did not her manner imply, vaguely,
Page 129 and 130: sure not earning any money. He shoo
Page 131 and 132: "Ach, Meest'r Ennixter," cried the
Page 133 and 134: horizon to the northward; the blur
Page 135 and 136: Politics, so scathing in his attack
Page 137 and 138: "No," said Mrs. Derrick, "Harran we
Page 139: it. All Tulare County, all the San
Page 143 and 144: Disconcerted at Annixter's directne
Page 145 and 146: metropolitan, debonair, stood about
Page 147 and 148: Genslinger's rag about the grading
Page 149 and 150: "I'll make it a cash payment, money
Page 151 and 152: "Two cents a pound?" "Yes, two cent
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Page 155 and 156: marking him with their teeth, yet n
Page 157 and 158: it smooth, with quick little caress
Page 159 and 160: "I suppose she'll quit now," he mut
Page 161 and 162: sunset, the horizons purple, the sm
Page 163 and 164: At length Vanamee spoke. Leaning ba
Page 165 and 166: would be that anything SHOULD happe
Page 167 and 168: ecite the whole of 'Snow Bound,' en
Page 169 and 170: oad cinches. The rates on hops ARE
Page 171 and 172: "Hello, Pres," he called. "Come ove
Page 173 and 174: Annixter, last of all the other wor
Page 175 and 176: Annixter. "Why?" "Well, well,--I do
Page 177 and 178: The flame in the lamp on the wall i
Page 179 and 180: decorations or watching with intens
Page 181 and 182: endt, dot maks me laugh some laughs
Page 183 and 184: seen. Magnus's entry caused no litt
Page 185 and 186: evening when he had drawn attention
Page 187 and 188: "Vertilizer, hey? Dots some fine jo
Page 189 and 190: the barn, deathly pale, his hand up
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hit. He called Osterman to him, whi
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However, when this matter had been
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Annixter was smitten with uneasines
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"Get back, get away to one side. Th
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The other affected to be overwhelme
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the evening's enjoyment, resolved t
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The crowd gaped with delight. There
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"Eh--wh--what?" murmured Broderson,
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two companies, the dancers on the f
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But for a long moment this was the
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een laying out. There's thousands o
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"We have a committee at work alread
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this frantic crowd, into this hot,
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Annixter, in the doorway of the gre
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He was between thirty-one and thirt
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different railways of the State wer
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Only the committee knew of this cor
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decision the next day. Very soon af
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e acknowledging the railroad's owne
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dry, to exhaust it, seemed their po
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up the idea. There's so much intere
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his hearers, he unburdened himself.
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little further. The manufacturer's
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No doubt, the invitations for the o
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There was a meeting. Salutations we
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More frequently the public of the c
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the people's eyes." The group turne
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vivid. The great gambler perceived
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San Joaquin, reeking with fruitfuln
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then, if only she were a little gir
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times. "Miss Hilma," he said abrupt
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other corner of his mouth. "Pretty
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tenderness and affection she slid h
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I wouldn't even want a single serva
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The conference of the committee wit
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abroad, shouted him a "Goot mornun"
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ploughs, bunches of fruit and even
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The banker, railroad agent, and pol
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"Our regular rate on hops is five c
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The ex-engineer stepped back a pace
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aimlessly in the direction of the Y
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oad towards Derrick's ranch house.
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your little girl ask you why you al
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fearless, upright, struck down by a
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afraid of her any longer, now that
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the flat, bare earth--two immensiti
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did not want--he should not desire
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It was Presley's work table, and wa
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He made a careful copy of what he h
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"I know," he said, "your journal."
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of the twilight. Presley was left a
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a single green shoot. For a moment,
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come a second night to the garden,
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One night, after hours of waiting,
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time, raising his head, he sent his
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slanting upwards toward the temples
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Presley's Socialistic poem, "The To
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stays there for hours, and listens
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But this was not so. Some subtle el
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facing the park. Between Annixter a
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"I don't know what you want me to s
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furniture, pictures, fixtures, lamp
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The porters began taking up the ste
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"I won't listen, I won't listen, I
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"What's the next stop?" "Goshen. We
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"Maybe they stopped to take on wood
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looked out. Sure enough, the train
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had been shot. The robbers had been
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took five thousand in gold coin; th
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As Annixter's team trotted through
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through that scene of robbery and m
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had only accentuated the beautiful
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"Oh, my son, my son," she cried, "m
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it? Just because you love me true."
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"Mr. Broderson, my son, Lyman, my e
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"We have reduced grain rates by ten
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The other spread out his hands. "As
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"Lyman," he said, "I adjure you--I-
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disarray, caught up his hat and coa
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through the miles of standing wheat
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a box in the Safety Deposit Vaults
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all that the Railroad has done for
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unfortunately, from the commissione
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uneasiness made itself heard. Was t
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on the driveway, he was surprised t
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"Come on in, Pres," he cried. "Nobo
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ecause they happen to be stupid; an
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The other turned, levelling his pis
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on the Los Muertos stock range. The
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and the roll of hoofs on the Lower
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He found himself settling to the ol
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all the duel, exposed, reckless, th
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space around the division house. Th
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considerations, at the sight of thi
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him, the sheriff, on foot, leading
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cramping their feet, leaned from th
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Vacca driving. Harran and Presley b
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"Oh, say, she don't know what the d
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fearlessly in the eyes. At last, th
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line went forward. At first, they a
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Harran, approached and looked over
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air about him that he did not under
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must tell Hilma this." Hooven ran u
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else. I thought YOU would bring mor
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The others stared. Was this Annixte
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come near, not ANY ONE, understand?
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In reply to the Leaguers' questions
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marshal, beyond question--rode at t
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"They ought to come back," cried Os
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irrigating ditch and Osterman laid
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tissue paper, the pretty tinted pho
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"Where is my husband?" The other di
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consciousness. He lay upon the floo
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on the cow-puncher's breast. "Well?
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multitude. But at this point a mome
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Hilma followed the farm wagon in th
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Broderson is dead, that Hooven is d
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was running, not one of the through
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thronged around Hooven's place by t
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violence. He informed them that arm
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his arms uplifted in fierce, wild g
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NOT a crowned goddess, beautiful, i
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danger. At the instant he was the P
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paid organ of the corporation. You
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lie in his face, in his voice? What
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"Well, I can easily suppose it," an
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"So, the Railroad are in possession
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feet had been drawn. After this, ho
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and smitten with an idea, stood for
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eadth of the shoulders was what, at
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"I've seen the picture called 'The
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could not deny it. It rang with the
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where were they gone? Lost, lost, a
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night. One of those for fifteen cen
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ailroad thereabouts, houses, small
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that she had found her way into the
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"I?" she cried. "Oh, I'VE gone to h
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involutions in very high relief, th
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down the length of the sidewalks. O
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alms of so many sphinxes. She went
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One after another, she let them go
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By Friday afternoon, she was very w
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another. Little Honora Gerard turne
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in India. Now, you horrid reactionn
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Muertos and Quien Sabe and the irri
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her shawl about her. The infinite,
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two or three other men bending over
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knew just how great was his share i
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"Finished," replied S. Behrman. The
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courageous, more jovial. This was t
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When all the papers were in one pil
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at it? There's a salary of fifty a
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it? They can't get at you through t
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the impression of a queen in exile.
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"And you, Mrs. Dyke," he asked as h
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nations, the feeder of an entire wo
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lived. Never judge of the whole rou
Page 505 and 506:
He picked his way across the railro
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his nostrils, the vigorous, pungent
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And all the while without stop, inc
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vengeance, isn't he? And our own de
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it rose in his memory, portentous,
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