the portygee-第47章

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believe　I　see　all　you　do；　or　know　all　you　do。　　I've　been　young
myself；　and　when　I　get　to　thinkin'　how　much　I　know　about　you　I　try
to　set　down　and　remember　how　much　my　dad　didn't　know　about　me　when
I　was　your　age。　　Thaterhelps　some　toward　givin'　me　my　correct
position　on　the　chart。〃

He　paused。　　Albert's　brain　was　vainly　striving　to　guess　what　all
this　meant。　　What　was　he　driving　at？　　The　captain　crossed　his　legs
and　continued。

〃I　did　think　for　a　spell；〃　he　said；　〃that　you　and　Helen　Kendall　were
gettin'　to　understand　each　other　pretty　well。　　Well；　Helen's　a　good
girl　and　your　grandma　and　I　like　her。　　Course　we　didn't　cal'late
anything　very　serious　was　liable　to　come　of　the　understandin'；　not
for　some　time；　anyhow；　for　with　your　salary　andwell；　sort　of
unsettled　prospects；　I　gave　you　credit　for　not　figgerin'　on　pickin'
a　wife　right　away。　。　。　。　　Haven't　got　much　laid　by　to　support　a　wife
on；　have　you；　Al？〃

Albert's　expression　had　changed　during　the　latter　portion　of　the
speech。　　Now　he　was　gazing　intently　at　his　grandfather　and　at　the
letter　in　the　latter's　hands。　　He　was　beginning　to　guess；　to　dread；
to　be　fearful。

〃Haven't　got　much　to　support　a　wife　on；　Al；　have　you？〃　repeated
Captain　Zelotes。

〃No；　sir；　not　now。〃

〃Um。　。　。　。　　But　you　hope　to　have　by　and　by；　eh？　　Well；　I　hope　you
will。　　But　UNTIL　you　have　it　would　seem　to　older　folks　like　me　kind
of　risky　navigatin'　toto　。　。　。　　Oh；　there　was　a　letter　in　the
mail　for　you　this　mornin；　Al。〃

He　put　down　the　envelope　he　had　hitherto　held　in　his　hand　and；
reaching　into　his　pocket；　produced　another。　　Even　before　he　had
taken　it　from　his　grandfather's　hand　Albert　recognized　the
handwriting。　　It　was　from　Madeline。

Captain　Zelotes；　regarding　him　keenly；　leaned　back　again　in　his
chair。　　〃Read　it　if　you　want　to；　Al；〃　he　said。　　〃Maybe　you'd
better。　　I　can　wait。〃

Albert　hesitated　a　moment　and　then　tore　open　the　envelope。　　The
note　within　was　short；　evidently　written　in　great　haste　and
agitation　and　was　spotted　with　tear　stains。　　He　read　it；　his　cheeks
paling　and　his　hand　shaking　as　he　did　so。　　Something　dreadful　had
happened。　　MotherMrs。　Fosdick；　of　coursehad　discovered
everything。　　She　had　found　all　hisAlbert'sletters　and　read
them。　　She　was　furious。　　There　had　been　the　most　terrible　scene。
Madeline　was　in　her　own　room　and　was　smuggling　him　this　letter　by
Mary；　her　maid；


who　will　do　anything　for　me；　and　has　promised　to　mail　it。　　Oh；
dearest；　they　say　I　must　give　you　up。　　They　say　　Oh；　they　say
dreadful　things　about　you！　　Mother　declares　she　will　take　me　to
Japan　or　some　frightful　place　and　keep　me　there　until　I　forget　you。
I　don't　care　if　they　take　me　to　the　ends　of　the　earth；　I　shall
NEVER　forget　you。　　I　will　neverneverNEVER　give　you　up。　　And　you
mustn't　give　me　up；　will　you；　darling？　　They　say　I　must　never　write
you　again。　　But　you　see　I　haveand　I　shall。　　Oh；　what　SHALL　we　do？
I　was　SO　happy　and　now　I　am　so　miserable。　　Write　me　the　minute　you
get　this；　but　oh；　I　KNOW　they　won't　let　me　see　your　letters　and
then　I　shall　die。　　But　write；　write　just　the　same；　every　day。　　Oh
what　SHALL　we　do？

Yours；　always　and　always；　no　matter　what　everyone　does　or　says；
lovingly　and　devotedly；

MADELINE。


When　the　reading　was　finished　Albert　sat　silently　staring　at　the
floor；　seeing　it　through　a　wet　mist。　　Captain　Zelotes　watched　him；
his　heavy　brows　drawn　together　and　the　smoke　wreaths　from　his　pipe
curling　slowly　upward　toward　the　office　ceiling。　　At　length　he
said：

〃Well；　Al；　I　had　a　letter；　too。　　I　presume　likely　it　came　from　the
same　port　even　if　not　from　the　same　member　of　the　family。　　It's
about　you；　and　I　think　you'd　better　read　it；　maybe。　　I'll　read　it
to　you；　if　you'd　rather。〃

Albert　shook　his　head　and　held　out　his　hand　for　the　second　letter。
His　grandfather　gave　it　to　him；　saying　as　he　did　so：　　〃I'd　like　to
have　you　understand；　Al；　that　I　don't　necessarily　believe　all　that
she　says　about　you　in　this　thing。〃

〃Thanks；　Grandfather；〃　mechanically。

〃All　right；　boy。〃

The　second　letter　was；　as　he　had　surmised；　from　Mrs。　Fosdick。　　It
had　evidently　been　written　at　top　speed　and　at　a　mental　temperature
well　above　the　boiling　point。　　Mrs。　Fosdick　addressed　Captain
Zelotes　Snow　because　she　had　been　given　to　understand　that　he　was
the　nearest　relative；　or　guardian；　or　whatever　it　was；　of　the
person　concerning　whom　the　letter　was　written　and　therefore；　it　was
presumed；　might　be　expected　to　have　some　measure　of　control　over
that　person's　actions。　　The　person　was；　of　course；　one　Albert
Speranza；　and　Mrs。　Fosdick　proceeded　to　set　forth　her　version　of
his　conduct　in　sentences　which　might　almost　have　blistered　the
paper。　　Taking　advantage　of　her　trust　in　her　daughter's　good　sense
and　ability　to　take　care　of　herselfwhich　trust　it　appeared　had
been　in　a　measure　misplacedhe；　the　Speranza　person；　had
sneakingly；　underhandedly　and　in　a　despicably　clandestine　fashion
the　lady's　temper　had　rather　gotten　away　from　her　heresucceeded
in　meeting　her　daughter　in　various　places　and　by　various
disgraceful　means　and　had　furthermore　succeeded　in　ensnaring　her
youthful　affections；　et　cetera；　et　cetera。


〃The　poor　child　actually　believes　herself　in　love　with　him；〃　wrote
the　poor　child's　mother。　　〃She　protests　ridiculously　that　she　is
engaged　to　him　and　will　marry　him　in　spite　of　her　father　or　myself
or　the　protests　of　sensible　people。　　I　write　to　you；　therefore；
assuming　you　likewise　to　be　a　sensible　person；　and　requesting　that
you　use　your　influence　with　theto　put　the　most　charitable
interpretation　of　his　conductmisguided　and　foolish　young　man　and
show　him　the　preposterous　folly　of　his　pretended　engagement　to　my
daughter。　　Of　course　the　whole　affair；　CORRESPONDENCE　INCLUDED；
must　cease　and　terminate　AT　ONCE。〃


And　so　on　for　two　more　pages。　　The　color　had　returned　to　Albert's
cheeks　long　before　he　finished　reading。　　When　he　had　finished　he
rose　to　his　feet　and；　throwing　the　letter　upon　his　grandfather's
desk；　turned　away。

〃Well；　Al？〃　queried　Captain　Zelotes。

Albert's　face；　when　he　turned　back　to　answer；　was　whiter　than　ever；
but　his　eyes　flashed　fire。

〃Do　you　believe　that？〃　he　demanded。

〃What？〃

〃Thatthat　stuff　about　my　being　aa　sneak　andand　ensnaring　her
and　all　the　rest？　　Do　you？〃

The　captain　took　his　pipe　from　his　mouth。

〃Steady；　son；　steady；〃　he　said。　　〃Didn't　I　tell　you　before　you
begun　to　read　at　all　that　I　didn't　necessarily　believe　it　because
that　woman　wrote　it。〃

〃Youyou　or　no　one　else　had　better　believe　it。　　It's　a　lie。〃

〃All　right；　I'm　glad　to　hear　you　say　so。　　But　there's　a　little　mite
of　truth　here　and　there　amongst　the　lies；　I　presume　likely。　　For
instance；　you　and　this　Fosdick　girl　have　beenerkeepin'　company？〃

〃Her　name　is　Madelineand　we　are　engaged　to　be　married。〃

〃Oh！　　HumI　seeI　see。　　And；　bein'　as　the　old　ladyher　mother；
Mrs。　Fosdick；　I　meanhasn't　suspected　anything；　or；　at　any　rate；
hasn't　found　out　anything　until　now；　yesterday；　or　whenever　it　was；
I　judge　you　have　been　meetin'erMadeline　at　places　where　there
wasn'twell；　too　large　a　crowd。　　Eh？〃

Albert　hesitated　and　was；　momentarily；　a　trifle　embarrassed。　　But
he　recovered　at　once。

〃I　met　her　first　at　the　drug　store　last　summer；〃　he　said　defiantly。
〃Then　I　met　her　after　that　at　the　post　office　and　at　the　hotel
dance　last　fall；　and　so　on。　　This　year　I　met　herwell；　I　met　her
first　down　by　the　beach；　where　I　went　to　write。　　She　liked　poetry
andand　she　helped　me　with　mine。　　After　that　she　camewell；　she
came　to　help　me　again。　　And　after　thatafter　that〃

〃After　that　it　just　moved　along　kind　of　natural；　eh？　　Um…hm；　I
see。〃

〃Look　here；　Grandfather；　I　want　you　to　understand　that　she　isis
by　George；　she　is　the　cleanest；　finest；　best　girl　in　the　world。
Don't　you　get　the　idea　thatthat　she　isn't。　　She　came　to　meet　me
just　because　she　was　interested　in　my　verse　and　wanted　to　help。　　It
wasn't　until　the　very　last　that　wethat　we　found　out　we　cared　for
each　other。〃

〃All　right；　boy；　all　right。　　Go　on；　tell　me　the　whole　yarn；　if　you
feel　like　it。　　I　don't　want　to　pry　too　much　into　your　affairs；　but；
after　all；　I　AM　interested　in　those　affairs；　Al。　　Tell　me　as　much
as　you　can。〃