the portygee-第4章

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rosy　and　very　business…like。　　She　whisked　the　platter　of　fried
mackerel　and　the　dishes　of　baked　potatoes；　stewed　corn；　hot
biscuits　and　all　the　rest；　to　the　table　is　no　time；　and　then；　to
Albert's　astonishment；　sat　down　at　that　table　herself。　　Mrs。　Snow
did　the　honors。

〃Albert；〃　she　said；　〃this　is　Mrs。　Ellis；　who　helps　me　keep　house。
Rachel；　this　is　my　grandson；　AlberterSperanza。〃

She　pronounced　the　surname　in　a　tone　almost　apologetic。　　Mrs。　Ellis
did　not　attempt　to　pronounce　it。　　She　extended　a　plump　hand　and
observed：　　〃Is　that　so？　　Real　glad　to　know　you；　Albert。　　How　do　you
think　you're　goin'　to　like　South　Harniss？〃

Considering　that　his　acquaintance　with　the　village　had　been　so
decidedly　limited；　Albert　was　somewhat　puzzled　how　to　reply。　　His
grandfather　saved　him　the　trouble。

〃Lord　sakes；　Rachel；〃　he　declared；　〃he　ain't　seen　more'n　three
square　foot　of　it　yet。　　It's　darker'n　the　inside　of　a　nigger's
undershirt　outdoors　to…night。　　Well；　AlAlbert；　I　mean；　how　are
you　on　mackerel？　　Pretty　good　stowage　room　below　decks？　　About　so
much；　eh？〃

Mrs。　Snow　interrupted。

〃Zelotes；〃　she　said　reprovingly；　〃ain't　you　forgettin'　somethin'？〃

〃Eh？　　Forgettin'？　　Heavens　to　Betsy；　so　I　am！　　Lord；　we　thank　thee
for　these　and　all　other　gifts；　Amen。　　What　did　I　do　with　the　fork；
swallow　it？〃

As　long　as　he　lives　Albert　Speranza　will　not　forget　that　first　meal
in　the　home　of　his　grandparents。　　It　was　so　strange；　so　different
from　any　other　meal　he　had　ever　eaten。　　The　food　was　good　and　there
was　an　abundance　of　it；　but　the　surroundings　were　so　queer。
Instead　of　the　well…ordered　and　sedate　school　meal；　here　all　the
eatables　from　fish　to　pie　were　put　upon　the　table　at　the　same　time
and　the　servantor　housekeeper；　which　to　his　mind　were　one　and　the
samesat　down；　not　only　to　eat　with　the　family；　but　to　take　at
least　an　equal　part　in　the　conversation。　　And　the　conversation
itself　was　so　different。　　Beginning　with　questions　concerning　his
own　journey　from　the　New　York　town　where　the　school　was　located；　it
at　length　reached　South　Harniss　and　there　centered　about　the
diminutive　person　of　Laban　Keeler；　his　loquacious　and　tuneful
rescuer　from　the　platform　of　the　railway　station。

〃Where　are　your　things；　Albert？〃　asked　Mrs。　Snow。　　〃Your　trunk　or
travelin'　bag；　or　whatever　you　had；　I　mean？〃

〃My　trunks　are　coming　by　express；〃　began　the　boy。　　Captain　Zelotes
interrupted　him。

〃Your　trunks？〃　he　repeated。　　〃Got　more'n　one；　have　you？〃

〃Whywhy；　yes；　there　are　three。　　Mr。　Holdenhe　is　the　headmaster；
you　know〃

〃Eh？　　Headmaster？　　Oh；　you　mean　the　boss　teacher　up　there　at　the
school？　　Yes；　yes。　　Um…hm。〃

〃Yes；　sir。　　Mr。　Holden　says　the　trunks　should　get　here　in　a　few
days。〃

Mrs。　Ellis；　the　housekeeper；　made　the　next　remark。　　〃Did　I
understand　you　to　say　you　had　THREE　trunks？〃　she　demanded。

〃Why；　yes。〃

〃Three　trunks　for　one　boy！　　For　mercy　sakes；　what　have　you　got　in
'em？〃

〃Whywhy；　my　things。　　My　clothes　andandeverything。〃

〃Everything；　or　just　about；　I　should　say。　　Goodness　gracious　me；
when　I　go　up　to　Boston　I　have　all　I　can　do　to　fill　up　one　trunk。
And　I'm　bigger'n　you　arebigger　'round；　anyway。〃

There　was　no　doubt　about　that。　　Captain　Zelotes　laughed　shortly。

〃That　statement　ain't　what　I'd　call　exaggerated；　Rachel；〃　he
declared。　　〃Every　time　I　see　you　and　Laban　out　walkin'　together　he
has　to　keep　on　the　sunny　side　or　be　in　a　total　eclipse。　　And；　by
the　way；　speakin'　of　Laban　　Say；　son；　how　did　you　and　he　get
along　comin'　down　from　the　depot？〃

〃All　right。　　It　was　pretty　dark。〃

〃I'll　bet　you！　　Laban　wasn't　very　talkative；　was　he？〃

〃Why；　yes；　sir；　he　talked　a　good　deal　but　he　sang　most　of　the
time。〃

This　simple　statement　appeared　to　cause　a　most　surprising　sensation。
The　Snows　and　their　housekeeper　looked　at　each　other。　　Captain
Zelotes　leaned　back　in　his　chair　and　whistled。

〃Whew！〃　he　observed。　　〃Hum！　　Sho！　　Thunderation！〃

〃Oh；　dear！〃　exclaimed　his　wife。

Mrs。　Ellis；　the　housekeeper；　drew　a　long　breath。　　〃I　might　have
expected　it；〃　she　said　tartly。　　〃It's　past　time。　　He's　pretty　nigh
a　month　overdue；　as　'tis。〃

Captain　Snow　rose　to　his　feet。　　〃I　was　kind　of　suspicious　when　he
started　for　the　barn；〃　he　declared。　　〃Seemed　to　me　he　was　singin'
then。　　WHAT　did　he　sing；　boy？〃　he　asked；　turning　suddenly　upon　his
grandson。

〃Whywhy；　I　don't　know。　　I　didn't　notice　particularly。　　You　see；
it　was　pretty　cold　and〃

Mrs。　Ellis　interrupted。　　〃Did　he　sing　anything　about　somebody's
bein'　his　darlin'　hanky…panky　and　wearin'　a　number　two？〃　she
demanded　sharply。

〃Whywhy；　yes；　he　did。〃

Apparently　that　settled　it。　　Mrs。　Snow　said；　〃Oh；　dear！〃　again　and
the　housekeeper　also　rose　from　the　table。

〃You'd　better　go　right　out　to　the　barn　this　minute；　Cap'n　Lote；〃
she　said；　〃and　I　guess　likely　I'd　better　go　with　you。〃

The　captain　already　had　his　cap　on　his　head。

〃No；　Rachel；〃　he　said；　〃I　don't　need　you。　　Cal'late　I　can　take　care
of　'most　anything　that's　liable　to　have　happened。　　If　he　ain't　put
the　bridle　to　bed　in　the　stall　and　hung　the　mare　up　on　the　harness
pegs　I　judge　I　can　handle　the　job。　　Wonder　how　fur　along　he'd　got。
Didn't　hear　him　singin'　anything　about　'Hyannis　on　the　Cape；'　did
you；　boy？〃

〃No。〃

〃That's　some　comfort。　　Now；　don't　you　worry；　Mother。　　I'll　be　back
in　a　few　minutes。〃

Mrs。　Snow　clasped　her　hands。　　〃Oh；　I　HOPE　he　hasn't　set　the　barn
afire；〃　she　wailed。

〃No　danger　of　that；　I　guess。　　No；　Rachel；　you　'tend　to　your　supper。
I　don't　need　you。〃

He　tramped　out　into　the　hall　and　the　door　closed　behind　him。　　Mrs。
Snow　turned　apologetically　to　her　puzzled　grandson；　who　was
entirely　at　a　loss　to　know　what　the　trouble　was　about。

〃You　see；　Albert；〃　she　hesitatingly　explained；　〃LabanMr。　Keeler
the　man　who　drove　you　down　from　the　depothehe's　an　awful　nice
man　and　your　grandfather　thinks　the　world　and　all　of　him；　butbut
every　once　in　a　while　he　　Oh；　dear；　I　don't　know　how　to　say　it　to
you；　but〃

Evidently　Mrs。　Ellis　knew　how　to　say　it；　for　she　broke　into　the
conversation　and　said　it　then　and　there。

〃Every　once　in　a　while　he　gets　tipsy；〃　she　snapped。　　〃And　I　only
wish　I　had　my　fingers　this　minute　in　the　hair　of　the　scamp　that
gave　him　the　liquor。〃

A　light　broke　upon　Albert's　mind。　　〃Oh！　　Oh；　yes！〃　he　exclaimed。
〃I　thought　he　acted　a　little　queer；　and　once　I　thought　I　smelt
Oh；　that　was　why　he　was　eating　the　peppermints！〃

Mrs。　Snow　nodded。　　There　was　a　moment　of　silence。　　Suddenly　the
housekeeper；　who　had　resumed　her　seat　in　compliance　with　Captain
Zelotes'　order；　slammed　back　her　chair　and　stood　up。

〃I've　hated　the　smell　of　peppermint　for　twenty…two　year；〃　she
declared；　and　went　out　into　the　kitchen。　　Albert；　looking　after
her；　felt　his　grandmother's　touch　upon　his　sleeve。

〃I　wouldn't　say　any　more　about　it　before　her；〃　she　whispered。
〃She's　awful　sensitive。〃

Why　in　the　world　the　housekeeper　should　be　particularly　sensitive
because　the　man　who　had　driven　him　from　the　station　ate　peppermint
was　quite　beyond　the　boy's　comprehension。　　Nor　could　he　thoroughly
understand　why　the　suspicion　of　Mr。　Keeler's　slight　inebriety
should　cause　such　a　sensation　in　the　Snow　household。　　He　was
inclined　to　think　the　tipsiness　rather　funny。　　Of　course　alcohol
was　lectured　against　often　enough　at　school　and　on　one　occasion　a
member　of　the　senior　classa　twenty…year…old　〃hold…over〃　who
should　have　graduated　the　fall　beforehad　been　expelled　for　having
beer　in　his　room；　but　during　his　long　summer　vacations；　spent
precariously　at　hotels　or　in　short　visits　to　his　father's　friends；
young　Speranza　had　learned　to　be　tolerant。　　Tolerance　was　a
necessary　virtue　in　the　circle　surrounding　Speranza　Senior；　in　his
later　years。　　The　popping　of　corks　at　all　hours　of　the　night　and
bottles　full；　half　full　or　empty；　were　sounds　and　sights　to　which
Albert　had　been　well　accustomed。　　When　one　has　more　than　once　seen
his　own　father　overcome　by　conviviality　and　the　affair　treated　as
a　huge　joke；　one　is　not　inclined　to　be　too　censorious　when　others
slip。　　What　if　the　queer　old　Keeler　guy　was　tight？　　Was　that
anything　to　raise　such　a　row　about？

Plainly；　he　decided；　this　was　a　strange　place；　this　household　of
his