the portygee-第40章
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to have nothing to do with any other fellow。 True she had refused
to promise and consequently he also was unbound； but that made no
differenceshould not make any。 So he put the photograph at the
back of the drawer where he kept his collars and ties； with a
resolve never to look at it。 He did not look at itvery often。
Then came another long winter。 He ground away at the bookkeeping
he was more proficient at it； but he hated it as heartily as ever
and wrote a good deal of verse and some prose。 For the first time
he sold a prose article； a short story； to a minor magazine。 He
wrote long letters to Helen and she replied。 She was studying
hard； she liked her work； and she had been offered the opportunity
to tutor in a girls' summer camp in Vermont during July and August
and meant to accept provided her father's health continued good。
Albert protested violently against her being absent from South
Harniss for so long。 〃You will scarcely be home at all；〃 he wrote。
〃I shall hardly see you。 What am I going to do？ As it is now I
miss you〃 and so on for four closely written pages。 Having
gotten into the spirit of composition he； so to speak； gloried in
his loneliness； so much so that Helen was moved to remonstrate。
〃Your letter made me almost miserable；〃 she wrote； 〃until I had
read it over twice。 Then I began to suspect that you were enjoying
your wretchedness； or enjoying writing about it。 I truly don't
believe anyoneyou especiallycould be quite as lonesome as all
that。 Honestly now； Albert； weren't you exaggerating a little？ I
rather think you were？〃
He had been； of course； but it irritated him to think that she
recognized the fact。 She had an uncanny faculty of seeing through
his every pretense。 In his next letter he said nothing whatever
about being lonesome。
At home； and at the office； the war was what people talked about
most of the time。 Since the Lusitania's sinking Captain Zelotes
had been a battle charger chafing at the bit。 He wanted to fight
and to fight at once。
〃We've got to do it； Mother；〃 he declared； over and over again。
〃Sooner or later we've got to fight that Kaiser gang。 What are we
waitin' for； will somebody tell me that？〃
Olive； as usual； was mild and unruffled。
〃Probably the President knows as much about it as you and me；
Zelotes；〃 she suggested。 〃I presume likely he has his own
reasons。〃
〃Humph！ When Seth Bassett got up in the night and took a drink out
of the bottle of Paris Green by mistake 'Bial Cahoon asked him what
in time he kept Paris Green in his bedroom for； anyhow。 All that
Seth would say was that he had his own reasons。 The rest of the
town was left to guess what those reasons was。 That's what the
President's doin'keepin' us guessin'。 By the everlastin'； if I
was younger I'd ship aboard a British lime…juicer and go and fight；
myself！〃
It was Rachel Ellis who caused the Captain to be a bit more
restrained in his remarks。
〃You hadn't ought to talk that way； Cap'n Lote；〃 she said。 〃Not
when Albert's around； you hadn't。〃
〃Eh？ Why not？〃
〃Because the first thing you know he'll be startin' for Canada to
enlist。 He's been crazy to do it for 'most a year。〃
〃He has？ How do you know he has？〃
〃Because he's told me so； more'n once。〃
Her employer looked at her。
〃Humph！〃 he grunted。 〃He seems to tell you a good many things he
doesn't tell the rest of us。〃
The housekeeper nodded。 〃Yes；〃 she said gravely； 〃I shouldn't
wonder if he did。〃 A moment later she added； 〃Cap'n Lote； you will
be careful； won't you？ You wouldn't want Al to go off and leave Z。
Snow and Company when him and you are gettin' on so much better。
You ARE gettin' on better； ain't you？〃
The captain pulled at his beard。
〃Yes；〃 he admitted； 〃seems as if we was。 He ain't any wonder at
bookkeepin'； but he's better'n he used to be； and he does seem to
try hard； I'll say that for him。〃
Rachael beamed gratification。 〃He'll be a Robert Penfold yet；〃 she
declared； 〃see if he isn't。 So you musn't encourage him into
enlistin' in the Canadian army。 You wouldn't want him to do that
any more'n the rest of us would。〃
The captain gazed intently into the bowl of the pipe which he had
been cleaning。 He made no answer。
〃You wouldn't want him to do that； would you？〃 repeated the
housekeeper。
Captain Lote blew through the pipe stem。 Then he said； 〃No； I
wouldn't 。 。 。 but I'm darn glad he's got the spunk to WANT to do
it。 We may get that Portygee streak out of him； poetry and all；
give us time； eh； Rachael？〃
It was the first time in months that he had used the word 〃Portygee〃
in connection with his grandson。 Mrs。 Ellis smiled to herself。
In April the arbutus buds began to appear above the leaf mold
between the scrub oaks in the woods； and the walls of Fletcher
Fosdick's new summer home began to rise above the young pines on
the hill by the Inlet in the Bay Road。 The Item kept its readers
informed； by weekly installments； of the progress made by the
builders。
The lumber for Mr。 Fletcher Fosdick's new cottage is beginning to
be hauled to his property on Inlet Hill in this town。 Our
enterprising firm of South Harniss dealers； Z。 Snow & Co。； are
furnishing said lumber。 Mr。 Nehemiah Nickerson is to do the mason
work。 Mr。 Fosdick shows good judgment as well as a commendable
spirit in engaging local talent in this way。 We venture to say he
will never regret it。
A week later：
Mr。 Fletcher Fosdick's new residence is beginning building； the
foundation being pretty near laid。
And the following week：
The Fosdick mansion is growing fast。 South Harniss may well be
proud of its new ornament。
The rise in three successive numbers from 〃cottage〃 to 〃mansion〃 is
perhaps sufficient to indicate that the Fosdick summer home was to
be； as Issachar Price described it； 〃Some considerable house！ Yes
sir； by crimus； some considerable！〃
In June； Helen came home for a week。 At the end of the week she
left to take up her new duties at the summer camp for girls in
Vermont。 Albert and she were together a good deal during that
week。 Anticipating her arrival； the young man's ardent imagination
had again fanned what he delighted to think of as his love for her
into flame。 During the last months of the winter he had not played
the languishing swain as conscientiously as during the autumn。
Like the sailor in the song 〃is 'eart was true to Poll〃 always； but
he had broken away from his self…imposed hermitage in his room at
the Snow place several times to attend sociables； entertainments
and； even； dances。 Now； when she returned he was eagerly awaiting
her and would have haunted the parsonage before and after working
hours of every day as well as the evening； if she had permitted；
and when with her assumed a proprietary air which was so obvious
that even Mr。 Price felt called upon to comment on it。
〃Say； Al；〃 drawled Issachar； 〃cal'late you've cut out Eddie Raymond
along with Helen； ain't ye？ Don't see him hangin' around any since
she got back； and the way you was actin' when I see you struttin'
into the parsonage yard last night afore mail time made me think
you must have a first mortgage on Helen and her pa and the house
and the meetin'…house and two…thirds of the graveyard。 I never see
such an important…lookin' critter in MY life。 Haw； haw！ Eh？ How
'bout it？〃
Albert did not mind the Price sarcasm； instead he felt rather
grateful to have the proletariat recognize that he had triumphed
again。 The fly in his ointment； so to speak； was the fact that
Helen herself did not in the least recognize that triumph。 She
laughed at him。
〃Don't look at me like that； please； please； don't；〃 she begged。
〃Why not？〃 with a repetition of the look。
〃Because it is silly。〃
〃Silly！ Well； I like that！ Aren't you and I engaged？ Or just the
same as engaged？〃
〃No； of course we are not。〃
〃But we promised each other〃
〃No； we did not。 And you know we didn't。〃
〃Helen； why do you treat me that way？ Don't you know thatthat I
just worship the ground you tread on？ Don't you know you're the
only girl in this world I could ever care for？ Don't you know
tha
