the portygee-第78章

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Rachel？〃　he　inquired。　　〃That's　queer；　ain't　it？　　Seemed　to　me　_I_
heard　somebody　sayin'　somethin'　as　I　come　up　the　path　just　now。
Seemed　as　if　they　was　sayin'　it　right　here　in　the　kitchen；　too。
'Twasn't　your　voice；　Albert；　and　it　couldn't　have　been　Rachel's；
'cause　she　NEVER　talks'specially　to　you。　　It's　too　bad；　the
prejudice　she's　got　against　you；　Albert；〃　he　added；　with　a　wink。
〃Um…hm；　too　badyes；　'tisyes；　yes。〃

Mrs。　Ellis　sniffed。

〃And　that's　what　the　newspapers　in　war　time　used　to　callerer
oh；　dear；　what　was　it？camelseems's　if　'twas　somethin'　about　a
camel〃

〃Camouflage？〃　suggested　Albert。

〃That's　it。　　All　that　talk　about　me　is　just　camouflage　to　save　him
answerin'　my　question。　　But　he's　goin'　to　answer　it。　　What　are　you
doin'　away　from　the　office　this　time　in　the　afternoon；　I　want　to
know？〃

Mr。　Keeler　perched　his　small　figure　on　the　corner　of　the　kitchen
table。

〃Well；　to　tell　you　the　truth；　Rachel；〃　he　said　solemnly。　　〃I'm　here
to　do　what　the　folks　in　books　call　demand　an　explanation。　　You　and
I；　Rachel；　are　just　as　good　as　engaged　to　be　married；　ain't　we？
I've　been　keepin'　company　with　you　for　the　last　twenty；　forty　or
sixty　years；　some　such　spell　as　that。　　Now；　just　as　I'm　gettin'
used　to　it　and　beginnin'　to　consider　it　a　settled　arrangement；　as
you　may　say；　I　come　into　this　house　and　find　you　shut　up　in　the
kitchen　with　another　man。　　Now；　what〃

The　housekeeper　advanced　toward　him　with　the　dripping　dishcloth。

〃Laban　Keeler；〃　she　threatened；　〃if　you　don't　stop　your　foolishness
and　answer　my　question；　I　declare　I'll〃

Laban　slid　from　his　perch　and　retired　behind　the　table。

〃Another　man；〃　he　repeated。　　〃And　SOME　folksnot　many；　of　course；
but　somemight　be　crazy　enough　to　say　he　was　a　better…lookin'　man
than　I　am。　　Now；　bein'　ragin'　jealous；　　All　right；　Rachel；　all
right；　I　surrender。　　Don't　hit　me　with　all　those　soapsuds。　　I　don't
want　to　go　back　to　the　office　foamin'　at　the　mouth。　　The　reason　I'm
here　is　that　I　had　to　go　down　street　to　see　about　the　sheathin'　for
the　Red　Men's　lodge　room。　　Issy　took　the　order；　but　he　wasn't　real
sure　whether　'twas　sheathin'　or　scantlin'　they　wanted；　so　I　told
Cap'n　Lote　I'd　run　down　myself　and　straighten　it　out。　　On　the　way
back　I　saw　you　two　through　the　window　and　I　thought　I'd　drop　in　and
worry　you。　　So　here　I　am。〃

Mrs。　Ellis　nodded。　　〃Yes；〃　she　sniffed。　　〃And　all　that　camel
camel　　Oh；　DEAR；　what　DOES　ail　me？　　All　that　camel　　No　use；
I've　forgot　it　again。〃

〃Never　mind；　Rachel；〃　said　Mr。　Keeler　consolingly。　　〃All　theer
menagerie　was　just　that　and　nothin'　more。　　Oh；　by　the　way；　Al；〃　he
added；　〃speakin'　of　camelsdon't　you　think　I've　done　pretty　well
to　go　so　long　without　anyerliquid　nourishment？　　Not　a　drop
since　you　and　I　enlisted　together。　。　。　。　　Oh；　she　knows　about　it
now；〃　he　added；　with　a　jerk　of　his　head　in　the　housekeeper's
direction。　　〃I　felt　'twas　fairly　safe　and　settled；　so　I　told　her。
I　told　her。　　Yes；　yes；　yes。　　Um…hm；　so　I　did。〃

Albert　turned　to　the　lady。

〃You　should　be　very　proud　of　him；　Rachel；〃　he　said　seriously。　　〃I
think　I　realize　a　little　something　of　the　fight　he　has　made；　and　it
is　bully。　　You　should　be　proud　of　him。〃

Rachel　looked　down　at　the　little　man。

〃I　am；〃　she　said　quietly。　　〃I　guess　likely　he　knows　it。〃

Laban　smiled。　　〃The　folks　in　Washington　are　doin'　their　best　to
help　me　out；〃　he　said。　　〃They're　goin'　to　take　the　stuff　away　from
everybody　so's　to　make　sure　_I_　don't　get　any　more。　　They'll
probably　put　up　a　monument　to　me　for　startin'　the　thing；　don't　you
think　they　will；　Al？　　Eh？　　Don't　you；　now？〃

Albert　and　he　walked　up　the　road　together。　　Laban　told　a　little
more　of　his　battle　with　John　Barleycorn。

〃I　had　half　a　dozen　spells　when　I　had　to　set　my　teeth；　those　I've
got　left；　and　hang　on；〃　he　said。　　〃And　the　hangin'…on　wa'n't　as
easy　as　stickin'　to　fly…paper；　neither。　　Honest；　though；　I　think
the　hardest　was　when　the　news　came　that　you　was　alive；　Al。　　II
just　wanted　to　start　in　and　celebrate。　　Wanted　to　whoop　her　up；　I
did。〃　　He　paused　a　moment　and　then　added；　〃I　tried　whoopin'　on
sass'parilla　and　vanilla　sody；　but　'twa'n't　satisfactory。　　Couldn't
seem　to　raise　a　real　loud　whisper；　let　alone　a　whoop。　　No；　I
couldn'tno；　no。〃

Albert　laughed　and　laid　a　hand　on　his　shoulder。　　〃You're　all　right；
Labe；〃　he　declared。　　〃I　know　you；　and　I　say　so。〃

Laban　slowly　shook　his　head。　　His　smile；　as　he　answered；　was　rather
pathetic。

〃I'm　a　long；　long　ways　from　bein'　all　right；　Al；〃　he　said。　　〃A　long
ways　from　that；　I　am。　　If　I'd　made　my　fight　thirty　year　ago；　I
might　have　been　nigher　to　amountin'　to　somethin'。　。　。　。　　Oh；　well；
for　Rachel's　sake　I'm　glad　I've　made　it　now。　　She's　stuck　to　me
when　everybody　would　have　praised　her　for　chuckin'　me　to　Tophet。　　I
was　readin'　one　of　Thackeray's　books　t'other　nightHenry　Esmond；
'twas；　you've　read　it；　Al；　of　course；　I　was　readin'　it　t'other
night　for　the　ninety…ninth　time　or　thereabouts；　and　I　run　across
the　place　where　it　says　it's　strange　what　a　man　can　do　and　a　woman
still　keep　thinkin'　he's　an　angel。　　That's　true；　too；　Al。　　Not；〃
with　the　return　of　the　slight　smile；　〃that　Rachel　ever　went　so　far
as　to　call　me　an　angel。　　No；　no。　　There's　limits　where　you　can't
stretch　her　common…sense　any　farther。　　Callin'　me　an　angel　would　be
just　past　the　limit。　　Yes；　yes；　yes。　　I　guess　SO。〃

They　spoke　of　Captain　Zelotes　and　Olive　and　of　their　grief　and
discouragement　when　the　news　of　Albert's　supposed　death　reached
them。

〃Do　you　know；〃　said　Labe；　〃I　believe　Helen　Kendall's　comin'　there
for　a　week　did　'em　more　good　than　anything　else。　　She　got　away　from
her　soldier　nursin'　somehowmust　have　been　able　to　pull　the
strings　consider'ble　harder'n　the　average　to　do　itand　just　came
down　to　the　Snow　place　and　sort　of　took　charge　along　with　Rachel。
Course　she　didn't　live　there；　her　father　thought　she　was　visitin'
him；　I　guess　likely；　but　she　was　with　Cap'n　Lote　and　Olive　most　of
the　time。　　Rachel　says　she　never　made　a　fuss；　you　understand；　just
was　there　and　helped　and　was　quiet　and　soft…spoken　and　capable　and
and　comfortin'；　that's　about　the　word；　I　guess。　　Rachel　always
thought　a　sight　of　Helen　afore　that；　but　since　then　she　swears　by
her。〃

That　eveningor；　rather；　that　night；　for　they　did　not　leave　the
sitting　room　until　after　twelveMrs。　Snow　heard　her　grandson
walking　the　floor　of　his　room；　and　called　to　ask　if　he　was　sick。

〃I'm　all　right；　Grandmother；〃　he　called　in　reply。　　〃Just　taking　a
little　exercise　before　turning　in；　that's　all。　　Sorry　if　I
disturbed　you。〃

The　exercise　was；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　almost　entirely　mental；　the
pacing　up　and　down　merely　an　unconscious　physical　accompaniment。
Albert　Speranza　was　indulging　in　introspection。　　He　was　reviewing
and　assorting　his　thoughts　and　his　impulses　and　trying　to　determine
just　what　they　were　and　why　they　were　and　whither　they　were
tending。　　It　was　a　mental　and　spiritual　picking　to　pieces　and　the
result　was　humiliating　and　in　its　turn　resulted　in　a　brand…new
determination。

Ever　since　his　meeting　with　Helen；　a　meeting　which　had　been　quite
unpremeditated；　he　had　thought　of　but　little　except　her。　　During
his　talk　with　her　in　the　parsonage　sitting　room　he　had　beenthere
was　no　use　pretending　to　himself　that　it　was　otherwisemore
contented　with　the　world；　more　optimistic；　happier；　than　he　had
been　for　months；　it　seemed　to　him　for　years。　　Even　while　he　was
speaking　to　her　of　his　uneasiness　and　dissatisfaction　he　was　dimly
conscious　that　at　that　moment　he　was　less　uneasy　and　less
dissatisfied；　conscious　that　the　solid　ground　was　beneath　his　feet
at　last；　that　here　was　the　haven　after　the　storm；　here　was

He　pulled　up　sharply。　　This　line　of　thought　was　silly；　dangerous；
wicked。　　What　did　it　mean？　　Three　days　before；　only　three　days；　he
had　left　Madeline　Fosdick；　the　girl　whom　he　had　worshiped；　adored；
and　who　had　loved　him。　　Yes；　there　was　no　use　pretending　there；
either；　he　and　Madeline　HAD　loved　each　other。　　Of　course　he
realized　now　that　their　love　had　nothing　permanently　substantial
about　it。　　It　was　the　romance　of　youth；　a　dream　which　they　had
shared　together　and　from　which；　fortunately　for　both；　they　had
awakened　in　time。　　And