the portygee-第24章
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Young。
〃'Here's to the good old whiskey；
Drink 'er daown！
Here's to the good old whiskey；
It makes you feel so frisky；
Drink 'er'
Git up there； blank blank ye！ What the blankety blank you stoppin'
here for？ Git up！〃
The horse was not the only creature that got up。 Mrs。 Calvin rose
from her chair and gazed in horror at the window。 Her husband；
being already on his feet； could not rise but he broke off short
the opening sentence of his 〃few words〃 and stared and listened。
Each Welfare Worker stared and listened also。
〃Git up； you blankety blank blank；〃 repeated Ves Young； with
cheerful enthusiasm。 Mr。 Mullen； from the top of the load of
lumber； caroled dreamily on：
〃'Here's to the good old rum；
Drink 'er daown！
Here's to the good old rum；
Drink 'er daown！
Here's to the good old rum；
Ain't you glad that you've got some？
Drink 'er daown！ Drink 'er daown！
Drink 'er daown！'〃
And floating； as it were； upon the waves of melody came the odor of
the Young wagon； an odor combining deceased fish and late lamented
cow and goodness knows what beside。
The dissipated vehicle stopped beneath the parlor windows of the
Calvin cottage。 Mr。 Young called to his assistant。
〃Here we be； Simp！〃 he yelled。 〃A…a…ll ashore that's goin' ashore！
Wake up there； you unmentionably described old rum barrel and help
unload this everlastingly condemned lumber。〃
Mr。 Calvin rushed to the window。 〃What does this mean？〃 he
demanded； in frothing indignation。
Vessie waved at him reassuringly。 〃'Sall right； Mr。 Calvin；〃 he
shouted。 〃Here's your lumber from Ze…lotes Snow and Co。； South
Harniss； Mass。； U。 S。 A。 'Sall right。 Let 'er go； Simp！ Let 'er
blankety…blank go！〃
Mr。 Mullen responded with alacrity and a whoop。 A half dozen
boards crashed to the ground beneath the parlor windows。 Mrs。
Calvin rushed to her husband's side。
〃This is DREADFUL； Seabury！〃 she cried。 〃Send those creatures and
and that horrible wagon away at once。〃
The Reverend Calvin tried to obey orders。 He commanded Mr。 Young
to go away from there that very moment。 Vessie was surprised。
〃Ain't this your lumber？〃 he demanded。
〃It doesn't make any difference whether it is or not； I〃
〃Didn't you tell Z。 Snow and Co。 that this lumber'd got to be
delivered to…day or you'd cancel the order？〃
〃Never mind。 That is my business； sir。 You〃
〃Hold on！ Ho…o…ld on！ _I_ got a business； too。 My business is
deliverin' what I'm paid to deliver。 Al Speranzy he says to me：
'Ves；' he says； 'if you don't deliver that lumber to old man Calvin
to…day you don't get no money； see。 Will you deliver it？' Says I；
'You bet your crashety…blank life I'll （hic） d'liver it！ What I
say I'll do； I'll do！' And I'm deliverin' it； ain't I？ Hey？
Ain't I？ Well； then； what the〃 And so forth and at length；
while Mrs。 Calvin collapsed half fainting in an easy…chair； and
horrified Welfare Workers covered their earsand longed to cover
their noses。
The lumber was delivered that day。 Its delivery was； from the
viewpoint of Messrs。 Young and Mullen； a success。 The spring
meeting of the Welfare Workers was not a success。
The following day Mr。 Calvin called at the office of Z。 Snow and
Co。 He had things to say and said them。 Captain Zelotes； who had
returned from Boston； listened。 Then he called his grandson。
〃Tell him what you've just told me； Mr。 Calvin；〃 he said。
The reverend gentleman told it； with added details。
〃And in my opinion； if you'll excuse me； Captain Snow；〃 he said； in
conclusion； 〃this young man knew what he was doing when he sent
those drunken scoundrels to my house。 He did it purposely； I am
convinced。〃
Captain Zelotes looked at him。
〃Why？〃 he asked。
〃Why； becausebecause ofof what I said to himererwhen I
called here yesterday morning。 HeI presume he took offense and
and this outrage is the result。 I am convinced that〃
〃Wait a minute。 What did you say for him to take offense at？〃
〃I demanded that order should be delivered as promised。 I am
accustomed to do business with business men and〃
〃Hold on just a minute more； Mr。 Calvin。 We don't seem to be
gettin' at the clam in this shell as fast as we'd ought to。 Al；
what have you got to say about all this business？〃
Albert was white； almost as white as when he fought Sam Thatcher；
but as he stood up to Sam so also did he face the irate clergyman。
He told of the latter's visit to the office； of the threat to
cancel the order unless delivery was promised that day； of how his
promise to deliver was exacted； of his effort to keep that promise。
〃I HAD to deliver it； Grandfather；〃 he said hotly。 〃He had all but
called me a liar andand by George； I wasn't going to〃
His grandfather held up a warning hand。
〃Sshh！ Ssh！〃 he said。 〃Go on with your yarn； boy。〃
Albert told of the lame horse； of his effort to hire another team；
and finally how in desperation he had engaged Ves Young as a last
resort。 The captain's face was serious but there was the twinkle
under his heavy brows。 He pulled at his beard。
〃Humph！〃 he grunted。 〃Did you know Ves and Simp had been drinkin'
when you hired 'em？〃
〃Of course I didn't。 After they had gone Issy said he suspected
that they had been drinking a little； but _I_ didn't know it。 All
I wanted was to prove to HIM；〃 with a motion toward Mr。 Calvin；
〃that I kept my word。〃
Captain Zelotes pulled at his beard。 〃All right； Al；〃 he said；
after a moment； 〃you can go。〃
Albert went out of the private office。 After he had gone the
captain turned to his irate customer。
〃I'm sorry this happened； Mr。 Calvin；〃 he said； 〃and if Keeler or I
had been here it probably wouldn't。 But；〃 he added； 〃as far as I
can see； the boy did what he thought was the best thing to do。
And；〃 the twinkle reappeared in the gray eyes； 〃you sartinly did
get your lumber when 'twas promised。〃
Mr。 Calvin stiffened。 He had his good points； but he suffered from
what Laban Keeler once called 〃ingrowin' importance；〃 and this
ailment often affected his judgment。 Also he had to face Mrs。
Calvin upon his return home。
〃Do I understand；〃 he demanded； 〃that you are excusing that young
man for putting that outrage upon me？〃
〃We…ll； as I say； I'm sorry it happened。 But； honest； Mr。 Calvin；
I don't know's the boy's to blame so very much； after all。 He
delivered your lumber； and that's somethin'。〃
〃Is that all you have to say； Captain Snow？ Is thatthat impudent
young clerk of yours to go unpunished？〃
〃Why； yes； I guess likely he is。〃
〃Then I shall NEVER buy another dollar's worth of your house again；
sir。〃
Captain Zelotes bowed。 〃I'm sorry to lose your trade； Mr。 Calvin；〃
he said。 〃Good mornin'。〃
Albert； at his desk in the outer office； was waiting rebelliously
to be called before his grandfather and upbraided。 And when so
called he was in a mood to speak his mind。 He would say a few
things； no matter what happened in consequence。 But he had no
chance to say them。 Captain Zelotes did not mention the Calvin
affair to him； either that day or afterward。 Albert waited and
waited； expecting trouble； but the trouble； so far as his
grandfather was concerned； did not materialize。 He could not
understand it。
But if in that office there was silence concerning the unusual
delivery of the lumber for the Calvin porch； outside there was talk
enough and to spare。 Each Welfare Worker talked when she reached
home and the story spread。 Small boys shouted after Albert when he
walked down the main street； demanding to know how Ves Young's cart
was smellin' these days。 When he entered the post office some one
in the crowd was almost sure to hum； 〃Here's to the good old
whiskey； drink her down。〃 On the train on the way to the picnic；
girls and young fellows had slyly nagged him about it。 The affair
and its consequence were the principal causes of his mood that day；
this particular 〃Portygee streak〃 was due to it。
The path along the edge of the high bluff entered a grove of
scraggy pitch pines about a mile from the lighthouse and the picnic
ground。
