the portygee-第59章
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next letter to his affianced； but that seemed underhanded and
cowardly； so he told her。 And in her next letter to him Madeline
made no reference at all to Helen or her epistle； so he knew she
was displeased。 And he was miserable in consequence。
But his misery did not last long。 The happenings which followed
crowded it from his mind； and from Madeline's also； for that
matter。 One morning； having told no one except his grandfather
of his intention； he took the morning train to Boston。 When he
returned the next day he was Uncle Sam's man； sworn in and
accepted。 He had passed the physical examination with flying
colors and the recruiting officers expressed themselves as being
glad to get him。 He was home for but one day leave； then he must
go to stay。 He had debated the question of going in for a
commission； but those were the early days of our participation in
the war and a Plattsburg training or at least some sort of military
education was almost an essential。 He did not want to wait； as he
had told his grandfather； he wanted to fight。 So he enlisted as a
private。
And when the brief leave was over he took the train for Boston；
no longer Alberto Miguel Carlos Speranza； South Harniss's Beau
Brummel； poet and Portygee； but Private Speranza； U。S。A。 The
farewells were brief and no one criedmuch。 His grandmother
hugged and kissed him； Rachel looked very much as if she wanted to。
Laban and Issachar shook hands with him。
〃Good luck to you； boy；〃 said Mr。 Keeler。 〃All the luck there is。〃
〃Same to you； old man；〃 replied Albert。 Then； in a lower tone； he
added； 〃We'll fight it out together； eh？〃
〃We'll try。 Yes； yes。 We'll try。 So long； Al。〃
Issachar struck the reassuring note。 〃Don't fret about things in
the office；〃 he said。 〃I'll look out for 'em long's I keep my
health。〃
〃Be sure and keep that； Issy。〃
〃You bet you！ Only thing that's liable to break it down is over…
work。〃
Captain Zelotes said very little。 〃Write us when you can； Al；〃 he
said。 〃And come home whenever you get leave。〃
〃You may be sure of that； Grandfather。 And after I get to camp
perhaps you can come and see me。〃
〃Maybe so。 Will if I can。 。 。 。 Well； Al； I 。 。 。 I。 。 。 。 Good
luck to you； son。〃
〃Thank you； Grandfather。〃
They shook hands。 Each looked as if there was more he would have
liked to say but found the saying hard。 Then the engine bell rang
and the hands fell apart。 The little group on the station platform
watched the train disappear。 Mrs。 Snow and Rachel wiped their eyes
with their handkerchiefs。 Captain Zelotes gently patted his wife's
shoulder。
〃The team's waitin'； Mother；〃 he said。 〃Labe'll drive you and
Rachel home。〃
〃Butbut ain't you comin'； too； Zelotes？〃 faltered Olive。 Her
husband shook his head。
〃Not now； Mother；〃 he answered。 〃Got to go back to the office。〃
He stood for an instant looking at the faint smear of smoke above
the curve in the track。 Then； without another word； he strode off
in the direction of Z。 Snow and Co。's buildings。 Issachar Price
sniffed。
〃Crimus；〃 he whispered to Laban； as the latter passed him on the
way to where Jessamine； the Snow horse； was tied； 〃the old man
takes it cool； don't he！ I kind of imagined he'd be sort of shook
up by Al's goin' off to war； but he don't seem to feel it a mite。〃
Keeler looked at him in wonder。 Then he drew a long breath。
〃Is；〃 he said； slowly； 〃it is a mighty good thing for the Seven
Wise Men of Greece that they ain't alive now。〃
It was Issachar's turn to stare。 〃Eh？〃 he queried。 〃The Seven
Wise Men of Which？ Good thing for 'em they ain't alive？ What kind
of talk's that？ Why is it a good thing？〃
Laban spoke over his shoulder。 〃Because；〃 he drawled； 〃if they was
alive now they'd be so jealous of you they'd commit suicide。 Yes；
they would。 。 。 。 Yes； yes。〃
With which enigmatical remark he left Mr。 Price and turned his
attention to the tethered Jessamine。
And then began a new period； a new life at the Snow place and in
the office of Z。 Snow and Co。 Or； rather； life in the old house
and at the lumber and hardware office slumped back into the groove
in which it had run before the opera singer's son was summoned
from the New York school to the home and into the lives of his
grandparents。 Three people instead of four sat down at the breakfast
table and at dinner and at supper。 Captain Zelotes walked alone to
and from the office。 Olive Snow no longer baked and iced large
chocolate layer cakes because a certain inmate of her household was
so fond of them。 Rachel Ellis discussed Foul Play and Robert
Penfold with no one。 The house was emptier； more old…fashioned and
behind the times； more lonelysurprisingly empty and behind the
times and lonely。
The daily mails became matters of intense interest and expectation。
Albert wrote regularly and of course well and entertainingly。 He
described the life at the camp where he and the other recruits were
training； a camp vastly different from the enormous military towns
built later on for housing and training the drafted men。 He liked
the life pretty well； he wrote； although it was hard and a fellow
had precious little opportunity to be lazy。 Mistakes； too； were
unprofitable for the maker。 Captain Lote's eye twinkled when he
read that。
Later on he wrote that he had been made a corporal and his
grandmother； to whom a major general and a corporal were of equal
rank； rejoiced much both at home and in church after meeting was
over and friends came to hear the news。 Mrs。 Ellis declared
herself not surprised。 It was the Robert Penfold in him coming
out； so she said。
A month or two later one of Albert's letters contained an
interesting item of news。 In the little spare time which military
life afforded him he continued to write verse and stories。 Now a
New York publisher； not one of the most prominent but a reputable
and enterprising one； had written him suggesting the collecting of
his poems and their publication in book form。 The poet himself
was； naturally； elated。
〃Isn't it splendid！〃 he wrote。 〃The best part of it； of course； is
that he asked to publish； I did not ask him。 Please send me my
scrapbook and all loose manuscript。 When the book will come out
I'm sure I don't know。 In fact it may never come out； we have not
gotten as far as terms and contracts yet； but I feel we shall。
Send the scrapbook and manuscript right away； PLEASE。〃
They were sent。 In his next letter Albert was still enthusiastic。
〃I have been looking over my stuff；〃 he wrote； 〃and some of it is
pretty good； if you don't mind my saying so。 Tell Grandfather that
when this book of mine is out and selling I may be able to show him
that poetry making isn't a pauper's job； after all。 Of course I
don't know how much it will sellperhaps not more than five or ten
thousand at firstbut even at ten thousand at； say； twenty…five
cents royalty each； would be twenty…five hundred dollars； and
that's something。 Why； Ben Hur； the novel； you know； has sold a
million； I believe。〃
Mrs。 Snow and Rachel were duly impressed by this prophecy of
affluence； but Captain Zelotes still played the skeptic。
〃A million at twenty…five cents a piece！〃 exclaimed Olive。 〃Why；
Zelotes； that'sthat's an awful sight of money。〃
Mental arithmetic failing her； she set to work with a pencil and
paper and after a strenuous struggle triumphantly announced that it
came to two hundred and fifty thousand dollars。
〃My soul and body！〃 she cried。 〃Two hundred and fifty thousand
DOLLARS！ My SOUL； Zelotes！ Supposeonly suppose Albert's book
brought him in as much as that！〃
Her husband shook his head。 〃I can't； Olive；〃 he said； without
looking up from his newspaper。 〃My supposer wouldn't stand the
strain。〃
〃But it might； Zelotes； it MIGHT。 Suppose it did； what would you
say then？〃
The captain regarded her over the top of the Transcript。 〃I
shouldn't say a word； Olive；〃 he answered； solemnly。 〃I should be
down sick by the time it got up as far as a thousand； and anything
past two thousand you could use to buy my tombstone with。 。 。 。
There； there； Mother；〃 he added； noticing the hurt
