the portygee-第17章
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learn； if he remained in that office； whether he wanted to or not。
Laban Keeler might be； and evidently was； peculiar in his ways； but
as a bookkeeper he was thoroughness personified。 And as a teacher
of his profession he was just as thorough。 All that forenoon
Albert practiced the first principles of 〃double entry〃 and； after
the blessed hour for dinner； came back to practice the remainder of
the working day。
And so for many days。 Little by little he learned to invoice and
journalize and 〃post in the ledger〃 and all the rest of the detail
of bookkeeping。 Not that his instructor permitted him to do a
great deal of actual work upon the books of Z。 Snow and Co。 Those
books were too spotless and precious for that。 Looking over them
Albert was surprised and obliged to admit a grudging admiration at
the manner in which； for the most part； they had been kept。 Page
after page of the neatest of minute figures； not a blot； not a
blur； not an erasure。 So for months； then； in the minor books；
like the day…book or journal； would suddenly break out an eruption
of smudges and scrawls in the rugged handwriting of Captain
Zelotes。 When he first happened upon one of these Albert
unthinkingly spoke to Mr。 Keeler about it。 He asked the latter
what it meant。
Laban slowly stroked his nose with his thumb and finger； a habit he
had。
〃I cal'late I was away for a spell then；〃 he said； gravely。 〃Yes；
yes 。 。 。 Yes； yes； yes。 I was away for a little spell。〃
He went soberly back to his desk。 His new assistant； catching a
glimpse of his face； felt a pang of real pity for the little man。
Of course the reason for the hiatus in the books was plain enough。
He knew about those 〃little spells。〃 Oddly enough Laban seemed to
feel sorry for them。 He remembered how funny the bookkeeper had
appeared at their first meeting； when one 〃spell〃 was just
developing； and the contrast between the singing； chirruping clown
and the precise； grave little person at the desk struck even his
youthful mind as peculiar。 He had read 〃Doctor Jekyll and Mr。
Hyde；〃 and now here was an example of something similar。 He was
beginning to like Laban Keeler； although he was perfectly sure that
he should never like bookkeeping。
He did not slave at the books all the time； of course。 For
stretches； sometimes lasting whole days； his slavery was of another
sort。 Then he was working in the lumber yard with Issachar； or
waiting on customers in the hardware shop。 The cold of winter set
in in earnest now and handling 〃two by fours〃 and other timber out
where the raw winds swept piercingly through one's overcoat and
garments and flesh to the very bone was a trying experience。 His
hands were chapped and cracked； even though his grandmother had
knit him a pair of enormous red mittens。 He appreciated the warmth
of the mittens； but he hated the color。 Why in the name of all
that was inartistic did she choose red； not a deep； rich crimson；
but a screeching vermilion； like a fireman's shirt？
Issachar； when he had the opportunity； was a hard boss。 It suited
Mr。 Price to display his superior knowledge and to find fault with
his helper's lack of skill。 Albert's hot temper was at the boiling
point many times； but he fought it down。 Occasionally he retorted
in kind； but his usual and most effective weapon was a more or less
delicate sarcasm。 Issachar did not understand sarcasm and under
rapid fire he was inclined to lose his head。
〃Consarn it！〃 he snapped； irritably； on one occasion。 〃Consarn it；
Al； why don't you h'ist up on t'other end of that j'ist？ What do
you cal'late you're out here along of me for； to look harnsome？〃
Albert shook his head。 〃No； Is；〃 he answered； gravely。 〃No； that
wouldn't be any use。 With you around nobody else has a look…in at
the 'handsome' game。 Issy； what do you do to your face？〃
〃Do to it？ What do you mean by do to it？〃
〃What do you do to it to make it look the way it does？ Don't tell
me it grew that way naturally。〃
〃Grew！ Course it grew！ What kind of talk's that？〃
〃Issy； with a face like yours how do you keep the birds away？〃
〃Eh？ Keep the birds away！ Now look here； just〃
〃Excuse me。 Did I say 'birds；' Issy？ I didn't mean birds like
like crows。 Of course a face like yours would keep the crows away
all right enough。 I meant girls。 How do you keep the girls away？
I should think they would be making love all the time。〃
〃Aw； you shut up！ Just 'cause you're Cap'n Lote's grandson I
presume likely you think you can talk any kind of talk； don't ye？〃
〃Not any kind； Is。 I can't talk like you。 Will you teach me？〃
〃Shut up！ Now； by Crimus； youyou furrineryou Speranzy〃
Mr。 Keeler appeared at the office window。 His shrill voice rose
pipingly in the wintry air as he demanded to know what was the
trouble out there。
Mr。 Price； still foaming； strode toward the window； Albert
laughingly followed him。
〃What's the matter？〃 repeated Laban。 〃There's enough noise for a
sewin' circle。 Be still； Is； can't you； for a minute。 Al； what's
the trouble？〃
〃Issy's been talking about his face；〃 explained Albert； soberly。
〃I ain't neither。 I was h'istin' up my end of a j'ist； same as I'm
paid to do； and； 'stead of helpin' he stands there and heaves out
talk aboutabout〃
〃Well； about what？〃
〃Aw； aboutabout me andand girlsand all sorts of dum
foolishness。 I tell ye； I've got somethin' else to do beside
listen to that kind of cheap talk。〃
〃Um。 Yes； yes。 I see。 Well； Al； what have you got to say？〃
〃Nothing。 I'm sure I don't know what it is all about。 I was
working as hard as I could and all at once he began pitching into
me。〃
〃Pitchin' into you？ How？〃
〃Oh； I don't know。 Something about my looks he didn't like； I
guess。 Wanted to know if I thought I was as handsome as he was； or
something like that。〃
〃Eh？ I never neither！ All I said was〃
Mr。 Keeler raised his hand。 〃Seems to be a case for an umpire；〃 he
observed。 〃Um。 Seem's if 'twas； seems so； seems so。 Well；
Captain Lote's just comin' across the road and； if you say the
word； I'll call him in to referee。 What do you say？〃
They said nothing relevant to the subject in hand。 Issachar made
the only remark。 〃Crimus…TEE！〃 he ejaculated。 〃Come on； Al； come
on。〃
The pair hurried away to resume lumber piling。 Laban smiled
slightly and closed the window。 It may be gathered from this
incident that when the captain was in charge of the deck there was
little idle persiflage among the 〃fo'mast hands。〃 They； like
others in South Harniss； did not presume to trifle with Captain
Lote Snow。
So the business education of Alberto Miguel Carlos Speranza
progressed。 At the end of the first six weeks in South Harniss he
had learned a little about bookkeeping； a little about selling
hardware； a little about measuring and marking lumber。 And it must
be admitted that that little had been acquired； not because of
vigorous application on the part of the pupil； but because； being
naturally quick and intelligent； he could not help learning
something。 He liked the work just as little as he had in the
beginning of his apprenticeship。 And； although he was forgetting
his thoughts of running away； of attempting fortune on his own
hook； he was just as rebellious as ever against a future to be
spent in that office and at that work。
Outside the office and the hateful bookkeeping he was beginning to
find several real interests。 At the old house which had for
generations been called 〃the Snow place；〃 he was beginning to feel
almost at home。 He and his grandmother were becoming close
friends。 She was not looking for trouble； she never sat for long
intervals gazing at him as if she were guessing； guessing； guessing
concerning him。 Captain Zelotes did that； but Olive did not。 She
had taken the boy； her 〃Janie's boy；〃 to her heart from the moment
she saw him and she mothered him and loved him in a way whichso
long as it was not done in publiccomforted his lonely soul。 They
had not yet reached the stage where he confided in her to any great
extent； but that was certain to come later。 It was his grandmother's
love and the affection he was
