Oneofthem——theonenexttothebarber-shop——hadacrossitsfrontanample,jig-sawedveranda,whereaforetime,nodoubt,thefatherofafamilyhadfannedhimselfwithapalm-leaffanonSundayafternoons,watchingthesurreysgoby,andwherehisdaughterlistenedtomandolinsandbadinageonstarlitevenings;
but,althoughyouthstillheldtheveranda,boththeyouthandtheverandawereindecay。Thefourorfiveyoungmenwholoungedtherethisafternoonwereofatypeknowntoshadypool-parlours。Hatsfoundnofavourwiththem;allofthemworecaps;andtheirtightclothes,apparentlyfromacommonsource,showedavivaciousfancyforobliquepockets,falsebelts,andEaster-eggcolourings。Anotherthingcommontothegroupwastheexpressionofeyeandmouth;andAlice,inthemidstofherotherthoughts,hadadistastefulthoughtaboutthis。
Theverandawaswithinadozenfeetofthesidewalk,andassheandherescortcamenearer,shetooknoteoftheyoungmen,herfacehardeningalittle,evenbeforeshesuspectedtheremightbearesemblancebetweenthemandanyonesheknew。Thensheobservedthateachoftheseloungersworenotfortheoccasion,butasofhabit,alookoffurtivelyamusedcontempt;themouthsmiledtoonesideasifnottodislodgeacigarette,whiletheeyeskeptlanguidlysuperior。AllatonceAlicewasremindedofWalter;andtheslightfrowncausedbythisideahadjustbeguntodarkenherforeheadwhenWalterhimselfsteppedoutoftheopendoorofthehouseandappearedupontheveranda。Uponhisheadwasanewstrawhat,andinhishandwasaMalaccastickwithanivorytop,forAlicehadfinallydecidedagainstitforherselfandhadgivenittohim。Hismoodwaslively:hetwirledthestickthroughhisfingerslikeadrum-major\'sbaton,andwhistledloudly。
Moreover,hewasindeedaccompanied。Withhimwasathingirlwhohadmadeaviolentblack-and-whiteposterofherself:blackdress,blackflimsyboa,blackstockings,whiteslippers,greatblackhatdownupontheblackeyes;andbeneaththehatacurveofcheekandchinmadewhiteaswhitewash,andinstrongbilateralmotionwithgum。
Theloungersontheverandawerefamiliarsofthepair;hailedthemwithcacklings;andonebegantosing,inavoicealltin:
\"Thenmyskirt,Sal,andmedidgoRightstraighttothemoving-pitchershow。
OH,youbashfulvamp!\"
Thegirllaughedairily。\"God,butyouguysarewise!\"shesaid。
\"Comeon,Wallie。\"
Walterstaredathissister;thengrinnedfaintly,andnoddedatRussellasthelatterliftedhishatinsalutation。Aliceutteredanincoherentsyllableofexclamation,and,asshebegantowalkfaster,shebitherliphard,notinordertolookwistful,thistime,buttohelpherkeeptearsofangerfromhereyes。
Russelllaughedcheerfully。\"Yourbrothercertainlyseemstohavefoundtheplacefor\'colour\'today,\"hesaid。\"Thatgirl\'stalkmustbefullofit。\"
ButAlicehadforgottenthecoloursheherselfhadusedinaccountingforWalter\'speculiarities,andshedidnotunderstand。\"What?\"shesaid,huskily。
\"Don\'tyouremembertellingmeabouthim?Howhewasgoingtowrite,probably,andwouldgoanywheretopickuptypesandgetthemtotalk?\"
Shekepthereyesahead,andsaidsharply,\"Ithinkhisliterarytastesscarcelycoverthiscase!\"
\"Don\'tbetoosure。Hedidn\'tlookatalldisconcerted。Hedidn\'tseemtomindyourseeinghim。\"
\"That\'salltheworse,isn\'tit?\"
\"Why,no,\"herfriendsaid,genially。\"Itmeanshedidn\'tconsiderthathewasengagedinanythingoutoftheway。Youcan\'texpecttounderstandeverythingboysdoathisage;theydoallsortsofqueerthings,andoutgrowthem。Yourbrotherevidentlyhasatasteforqueerpeople,andverylikelyhe\'sbeenatleasthalfsincerewhenhe\'smadeyoubelievehehadaliterarymotivebehindit。Weallgothrough——\"
\"Thanks,Mr。Russell,\"sheinterrupted。\"Let\'sdon\'tsayanymore。\"
Helookedatherflushedfaceandenlargedeyes;andhelikedherallthebetterforherindignation:thiswashowgoodsistersoughttofeel,hethought,failingtounderstandthatmostofwhatshefeltwasnotaboutWalter。Heventuredonlyawordmore。\"Trynottominditsomuch;itreallydoesn\'tamounttoanything。\"
Sheshookherhead,andtheywentoninsilence;shedidnotlookathimagainuntiltheystoppedbeforeherownhouse。Thenshegavehimonlyoneglimpseofhereyesbeforeshelookeddown。
\"It\'sspoiled,isn\'tit?\"shesaid,inalowvoice。
\"What\'s\'spoiled?\'\"
\"Ourwalk——well,everything。Somehowitalways——is。\"
\"\'Alwaysis\'what?\"heasked。
\"Spoiled,\"shesaid。
Helaughedatthat;butwithoutlookingathimshesuddenlyofferedhimherhand,and,ashetookit,hefeltahurried,violentpressureuponhisfingers,asifshemeanttothankhimalmostpassionatelyforbeingkind。Shewasgonebeforehecouldspeaktoheragain。
Inherroom,withthedoorlocked,shedidnotgotohermirror,buttoherbed,flingingherselffacedown,notcaringhowfarthepillowsputherhatawry。Sheergriefhadfollowedheranger;griefforthecalamitousendofherbrightafternoon,griefforthe\"endofeverything,\"asshethoughtthen。
Nevertheless,shegraduallygrewmorecomposed,and,whenhermothertappedonthedoorpresently,letherin。Mrs。Adamslookedatherwithquickapprehension。
\"Oh,poorchild!Wasn\'the——\"
Alicetoldher。\"Youseehowit——howitmademelook,mama,\"shequavered,havingconcludedhernarrative。\"I\'dtriedtocoverupWalter\'sawfulnessatthedancewiththatstoryabouthisbeing\'literary,\'butnostorywasbigenoughtocoverthisup——andoh!
itmustmakehimthinkItellstoriesaboutotherthings!\"
\"No,no,no!\"Mrs。Adamsprotested。\"Don\'tyousee?Attheworst,allHEcouldthinkisthatWaltertoldstoriestoyouaboutwhyhelikestobewithsuchdreadfulpeople,andyoubelievedthem。That\'sallHE\'Dthink;don\'tyousee?\"
Alice\'sweteyesbegantoshowalittlehopefulness。\"Youhonestlythinkitmightbethatway,mama?\"
\"Why,fromwhatyou\'vetoldmehesaid,IKNOWit\'sthatway。
Didn\'thesayhewantedtocomeagain?\"
\"N-no,\"Alicesaid,uncertainly。\"ButIthinkhewill。AtleastIbegintothinksonow。He——\"Shestopped。
\"Fromallyoutellme,heseemstobeaverydesirableyoungman,\"Mrs。Adamssaid,primly。
Herdaughterwassilentforseveralmoments;thennewtearsgathereduponherdowncastlashes。\"He\'sjust——dear!\"shefaltered。
Mrs。Adamsnodded。\"He\'stoldyouheisn\'tengaged,hasn\'the?\"
\"No。ButIknowheisn\'t。Maybewhenhefirstcameherehewasnearit,butIknowhe\'snot。\"
\"IguessMildredPalmerwouldLIKEhimtobe,allright!\"Mrs。
Adamswasfrankenoughtosay,rathertriumphantly;andAlice,withaloweredhead,murmured:
\"Anybody——would。\"
Thewordswereallbutinaudible。
\"Don\'tyouworry,\"hermothersaid,andpattedherontheshoulder。\"Everythingwillcomeoutallright;don\'tyoufear,Alice。Can\'tyouseethatbesideanyothergirlintownyou\'rejustaperfectQUEEN?Doyouthinkanyyoungmanthatwasn\'tprejudiced,orsomething,wouldneedmorethanjustonelookto——\"
ButAlicemovedawayfromthecaressinghand。\"Nevermind,mama。
Iwonderhelooksatmeatall。Andifhedoesagain,afterseeingmybrotherwiththosehorriblepeople——\"
\"Now,now!\"Mrs。Adamsinterrupted,expostulatingmournfully。
\"I\'msureWalter\'saGOODboy——\"
\"Youare?\"Alicecried,withasuddenvigour。\"YouARE?\"
\"I\'msurehe\'sGOOD,yes——andifheisn\'t,it\'snothisfault。
It\'smine。\"
\"Whatnonsense!\"
\"No,it\'strue,\"Mrs。Adamslamented。\"Itriedtobringhimuptobegood,Godknows;andwhenhewaslittlehewasthebestboyIeversaw。WhenhecamefromSunday-schoolhe\'dalwaysruntomeandwe\'dgooverthelessontogether;andheletmecomeinhisroomatnighttohearhisprayersalmostuntilhewassixteen。Mostboyswon\'tdothatwiththeirmothers——notnearlythatlong。Itriedsohardtobringhimupright——butifanything\'sgonewrongit\'smyfault。\"
\"Howcoulditbe?You\'vejustsaid——\"
\"It\'sbecauseIdidn\'tmakeyourfatherthis——thisnewstepearlier。ThenWaltermighthavehadalltheadvantagesthatother——\"
\"Oh,mama,PLEASE!\"Alicebeggedher。\"Let\'sdon\'tgooverallthatagain。Isn\'titmoreimportanttothinkwhat\'stobedoneabouthim?Ishegoingtobeallowedtogoondisgracingusashedoes?\"
Mrs。Adamssighedprofoundly。\"Idon\'tknowwhattodo,\"sheconfessed,unhappily。\"Yourfather\'ssoupsetabout——aboutthisnewstephe\'staking——Idon\'tfeelasifweoughtto——\"
\"No,no!\"Alicecried。\"Papamustn\'tbedistressedwiththis,ontopofeverythingelse。ButSOMETHING\'SgottobedoneaboutWalter。\"
\"Whatcanbe?\"hermotherasked,helplessly。\"Whatcanbe?\"
Aliceadmittedthatshedidn\'tknow。
Atdinner,anhourlater,Walter\'shabituallyveiledglancelifted,nowandthen,totouchherfurtively;——hewaswaiting,ashewouldhavesaid,forherto\"springit\";andhehadpreparedabriefandsinceredefensetotheeffectthathemadehisownliving,andwouldliketoinquirewhosebusinessitwastoofferintrusivecommentuponhisprivateconduct。Butshesaidnothing,whilehisfatherandmotherwereassilentasshe。
Walterconcludedthattherewastobenoattack,butchangedhismindwhenhisfather,whoateonlyalittle,andbroodinglyatthat,rosetoleavethetableandspoketohim。
\"Walter,\"hesaid,\"whenyou\'vefinishedIwishyou\'dcomeuptomyroom。IgotsomethingIwanttosaytoyou。\"
Waltershotahardlookathisapatheticsister,thenturnedtohisfather。\"Makeitto-morrow,\"hesaid。\"ThisisSatad\'ynightandIgotadate。\"
\"No,\"Adamssaid,frowning。\"Youcomeupbeforeyougoout。
It\'simportant。\"
\"Allright;I\'vehadallIwanttoeat,\"Walterreturned。\"Igotafewminutes。Makeitquick。\"
Hefollowedhisfatherupstairs,andwhentheywereintheroomtogetherAdamsshutthedoor,satdown,andbegantorubhisknees。
\"Rheumatism?\"theboyinquired,slyly。\"Thatwhatyouwanttotalktomeabout?\"
\"No。\"ButAdamsdidnotgoon;heseemedtobeindifficultiesforwords,andWalterdecidedtohelphim。
\"Hopaheadandspringit,\"hesaid。\"Getitoffyourmind:I\'lltelltheworld_I_shouldworry!Youaren\'tgoin\'tobotherME
any,sowhybotheryourself?Alicehoppedhomeandtoldyoushesawmeplayin\'aroundwithsomeprettygay-lookin\'berriesandyou——\"
\"Alice?\"hisfathersaid,obviouslysurprised。\"It\'snothingaboutAlice。\"
\"Didn\'tshetellyou——\"
\"Ihaven\'ttalkedwithherallday。\"
\"Oh,Isee,\"Waltersaid。\"Shetoldmotherandmothertoldyou。\"
\"No,neitherof\'emhavetoldmeanything。Whatwastheretotell?\"
Walterlaughed。\"Oh,it\'snothin\',\"hesaid。\"Iwasjuststartin\'outtobuyagirlfriendo\'minearhinestonebuckleI
losttoheronabet,thisafternoon,andAlicecamealongwiththatbigRussellfish;andIthoughtshelookedsore。Sheexpectsmetolikethekindshelikes,andIdon\'tlike\'em。I
thoughtshe\'dprob\'lygotyouallstirredupaboutit。\"
\"No,no,\"hisfathersaid,peevishly。\"Idon\'tknowanythingaboutit,andIdon\'tcaretoknowanythingaboutit。Iwanttotalktoyouaboutsomethingimportant。\"
Then,ashewasagainsilent,Waltersaid,\"Well,TALKaboutit;
I\'mlistening。\"
\"It\'sthis,\"Adamsbegan,heavily。\"It\'saboutmegoingintothisgluebusiness。Yourmother\'stoldyou,hasn\'tshe?\"
\"Shesaidyouweregoin\'toleavetheoldplacedown-townandstartagluefactory。That\'sallIknowaboutit;Igotmyownaffairsto\'tendto。\"
\"Well,thisisyouraffair,\"hisfathersaid,frowning。\"Youcan\'tstaywithLambandCompany。\"
Walterlookedalittlestartled。\"Whatyoumean,Ican\'t?Whynot?\"
\"You\'vegottohelpme,\"Adamsexplainedslowly;andhefrownedmoredeeply,asiftheinterviewweregrowingincreasinglylaboriousforhim。\"It\'sgoingtobeabigpulltogetthisbusinessonitsfeet。\"
\"Yes!\"Walterexclaimedwithasharpskepticism。\"Ishouldsayitwas!\"Hestaredathisfatherincredulously。\"Lookhere;
aren\'tyoujustalittlebitsudden,thewayyou\'regoin\'aboutthings?You\'veletmothershoveyoualittletoofast,haven\'tyou?Doyouknowanythingaboutwhatitmeanstosetupanewbusinessthesedays?\"
\"Yes,Iknowallaboutit,\"Adamssaid。\"Aboutthisbusiness,I
do。\"
\"Howdoyou?\"
\"BecauseImadealongstudyofit。I\'mnotafraidofgoingaboutitthewrongway;butit\'sahardjobandyou\'llhavetoputinallwhateversenseandstrengthyou\'vegot。\"
Walterbegantobreathequickly,andhislipswereagitated;thenhesetthemobstinately。\"Oh;Iwill,\"hesaid。
\"Yes,youwill,\"Adamsreturned,notnoticingthathisson\'sinflectionwassatiric。\"It\'sgoingtotakeeverybitofenergyinyourbody,andalltheenergyIgotleftinmine,andeverycentofthelittleI\'vesaved,besidessomethingI\'llhavetoraiseonthishouse。I\'mgoingrightatit,nowI\'vegotto;andyou\'llhavetoquitLamb\'sbytheendofnextweek。\"
\"Oh,Iwill?\"Walter\'svoicegrewlouder,andtherewasashrillnessinit。\"IgottoquitLamb\'stheendofnextweek,haveI?\"Hesteppedforward,angrily。\"Listen!\"hesaid。\"I\'mnotwalkin\'outo\'Lamb\'s,see?I\'mnotquittin\'downthere:I
staywith\'em,see?\"
Adamslookedupathim,astonished。\"You\'llleavetherenextSaturday,\"hesaid。\"I\'vegottohaveyou。\"
\"Youdon\'tanythingo\'thekind,\"Waltertoldhim,sharply。\"Doyouexpecttopaymeanything?\"
\"I\'dpayyouaboutwhatyoubeengettingdownthere。\"
\"Thenpaysomebodyelse;_I_don\'tknowanythingaboutglue。Yougetsomebodyelse。\"
\"No。You\'vegotto——\"
Waltercuthimoffwiththeutmostvehemence。\"Don\'ttellmewhatIgottodo!IknowwhatIgottodobetter\'nyou,Iguess!
IstayatLamb\'s,see?\"
Adamsroseangrily。\"You\'lldowhatItellyou。Youcan\'tstaydownthere。\"
\"Whycan\'tI?\"
\"BecauseIwon\'tletyou。\"
\"Listen!Keeponnotlettin\'me:I\'llbetherejustthesame。\"
Atthathisfatherbrokeintoasourlaughter。\"THEYwon\'tletyou,Walter!Theywon\'thaveyoudownthereaftertheyfindoutI\'mgoing。\"
\"Whywon\'tthey?Youdon\'tthinkthey\'regoin\'tobeallshottopiecesoverlosin\'YOU,doyou?\"
\"Itellyoutheywon\'tletyoustay,\"hisfatherinsisted,loudly。
\"Why,whatdotheycarewhetheryougoornot?\"
\"They\'llcareenoughtofireYOU,myboy!\"
\"Lookhere,then;showmewhy。\"
\"They\'lldoit!\"
\"Yes,\"Walterjeered;\"youkeepsayin\'theywill,butwhenIaskyoutoshowmewhy,youkeepsayin\'theywill!ThatmakeslittleheadwaywithME,Icantellyou!\"
Adamsgroaned,and,rubbinghishead,begantopacethefloor。
Walter\'srefusalwassomethinghehadnotanticipated;andhefelttheweaknessofhisownattempttomeetit:heseemedpowerlesstodoanythingbututterangrywords,which,asWaltersaid,madelittleheadway。\"Oh,my,my!\"hemuttered,\"OH,my,my!\"
Walter,usuallysallow,hadgrownpale:hewatchedhisfathernarrowly,andnowtookasuddenresolution。\"Lookhere,\"hesaid。\"WhenyousayLamb\'sislikelytofiremebecauseyou\'regoin\'toquit,youtalklikethepeoplethathavetobelockedup。Idon\'tknowwhereyougetsuchthingsinyourhead;LambandCompanywon\'tknowyou\'regone。Listen:IcanstaytherelongasIwantto。ButI\'lltellyouwhatI\'lldo:makeitworthmywhileandI\'llhookupwithyouroldgluefactory,afterall。\"
Adamsstoppedhispacingabruptly,andstaredathim。\"\'Makeitworthyourwhile?\'Whatyoumean?\"
\"Igotagooduseforthreehundreddollarsrightnow,\"Waltersaid。\"LetmehaveitandI\'llquitLamb\'stoworkforyou。
Don\'tletmehaveitandISWEARIwon\'t!\"
\"Areyoucrazy?\"
\"Iseverybodycrazythatneedsthreehundreddollars?\"
\"Yes,\"Adamssaid。\"TheyareiftheyaskMEforit,whenIgottostretcheverycentIcanlaymyhandsontomakeitlooklikeadollar!\"
\"Youwon\'tdoit?\"
Adamsburstoutathim。\"Youlittlefool!IfIhadthreehundreddollarstothrowaway,besidesthepayIexpectedtogiveyou,haven\'tyougotsenseenoughtoseeIcouldhireamanworththreehundreddollarsmoretomethanyou\'dbe?It\'saFINEtimetoaskmeforthreehundreddollars,isn\'tit!WhatFOR?
Rhinestonebucklestothrowaroundonyour\'girlfriends?\'Shameonyou!AskmetoBRIBEyoutohelpyourselfandyourownfamily!\"
\"I\'llgiveyoualastchance,\"Waltersaid。\"EitheryoudowhatIwant,orIwon\'tdowhatyouwant。Don\'taskmeagainafterthis,because——\"
Adamsinterruptedhimfiercely。\"\'Askyouagain!\'Don\'tworryaboutthat,myboy!AllIaskyouistogetouto\'myroom。\"
\"Lookhere,\"Waltersaid,quietly;andhislopsidedsmiledistortedhislividcheek。\"Lookhere:IexpectYOUwouldn\'tgivemethreehundreddollarstosavemylife,wouldyou?\"
\"Youmakemesick,\"Adamssaid,inhisbitterness。\"Getoutofhere。\"
Walterwentout,whistling;andAdamsdroopedintohisoldchairagainasthedoorclosed。\"OH,my,my!\"hegroaned。\"Oh,Lordy,Lordy!Thewayofthetransgressor——\"
CHAPTERXVI
Hemeanthisowntransgressionandhisownway;forWalter\'sstubbornrefusalappearedtoAdamsjustthenasoneoftheinexplicablebutrighteousbesettingshemustencounterinfollowingthatway。\"Oh,Lordy,Lord!\"hegroaned,andthen,asresentmentmovedhim——\"Thatdangboy!Dangidiot\"YetheknewhimselfforagreateridiotbecausehehadnotbeenabletotellWalterthetruth。Hecouldnotbringhimselftodoit,noreventostatehiscaseinitsbestterms;andthatwasbecausehefeltthateveninitsbesttermsthecasewasabadone。
Ofallhisregretsthegreatestwasthatinamomentofvanityandtenderness,twenty-fiveyearsago,hehadtoldhisyoungwifeabusinesssecret。Hehadwantedtoshowhowimportantherhusbandwasbecoming,andhowmuchtheheadoftheuniverse,J。
A。Lamb,trustedtohisintegrityandability。Thegreatmanhadanidea:hethoughtof\"branchingoutalittle,\"hetoldAdamsconfidentially,andtherewerepossibilitiesofprofitinglue。
Whathewantedwasaliquidgluetobeputintolittlebottlesandsoldcheaply。\"Thekindofthingthatsellsitself,\"hesaid;\"thekindofthingthatpaysitsownsmallwayasitgoesalong,untilithasprofitsenoughtobeginadvertisingitright。
Everybodyhastouseglue,andifImakemineconvenientandcheap,everybody\'llbuymine。Butit\'sgottobegluethat\'llSTICK;it\'sgottobethebest;andifwefindhowtomakeitwe\'vegot,tokeepitabigsecret,ofcourse,oranybodycanstealitfromus。Therewasamanherelastmonth;heknewaformulahewantedtosellme,\'sightunseen\';buthewasinsuchahurryIgotsuspicious,andIfoundhe\'dmanagedtostealit,workingforthebigpackersintheirglue-works。We\'vegottofindabettergluethanthat,anyhow。I\'mgoingtosetyouandCampbellatit。You\'reapractical,wide-awakeyoungfeller,andCampbell\'samightygoodchemist;Iguessyoutwoboysoughttomakesomethinghappen。\"
Hisguesswasshrewdenough。Workinginashedalittlewayoutsidethetown,wheretheircheeryemployervisitedthemsometimestostudytheirmalodorousstews,thetwoyoungmenfoundwhatLambhadsetthemtofind。ButCampbellwasthoughtfuloverthediscovery。\"Lookhere,\"hesaid。\"Whyain\'tthisjustaboutyoursandmine?Afterall,itmaybeLamb\'smoneythat\'spaidforthestuffwe\'veused,butithasn\'tcostmuch。\"
\"ButhepaysUS,\"Adamsremonstrated,horrifiedbyhiscompanion\'sidea。\"Hepaidustodoit。Itbelongsabsolutelytohim。\"
\"Oh,IknowheTHINKSitdoes,\"Campbelladmitted,plaintively。
\"Isupposewe\'vegottolethimtakeit。It\'snotpatentable,andhe\'llhavetodoprettywellbyuswhenhestartshisfactory,becausehe\'sgottodependonustorunthemakingofthestuffsothattheworkmencan\'tgetontotheprocess。YoubetteraskhimthesamesalaryIdo,andmine\'sgoingtobehigh。
Butthehighsalary,thuspleasantlyimagined,wasneverpaid。
Campbelldiedoftyphoidfever,thatsummer,leavingAdamsandhisemployertheonlypossessorsoftheformula,anunwrittenone;andAdams,pleasedtothinkhimselfmoreimportanttothegreatmanthanever,toldhiswifethattherecouldbelittledoubtofhisbeingputinsolechargeoftheprospectiveglue-works。Unfortunately,theenterpriseremainedprospective。
Itsprojectorhadalreadybecome\"inveigledintoanotherside-line,\"ashetoldAdams。Oneofhissonshadpersuadedhimtotakeupa\"cough-lozenge,\"tobecalledthe\"JalambBalmTrochee\";andthelozengedidwellenoughtoamuseMr。Lambandoccupyhissparetime,whichwasreallyaboutallhehadaskedoftheglueproject。Hehad\"alltheMONEYanybodyoughttowant,\"
hesaid,whenAdamsurgedhim;andhecould\"startupthislittleglueside-line\"atanytime;theformulawassafeintheirtwoheads。
AtintervalsAdamswouldseekopportunitytospeakof\"thelittleglueside-line\"tohispatron,andtosuggestthattheyearswerepassing;butLamb,pettingotherhobbies,hadlostinterest。
\"Oh,I\'llstartitupsomeday,maybe。IfIdon\'t,Imayturnitovertomyheirs:it\'salwaysanasset,worthsomethingorother,ofcourse。We\'llprobablytakeitupsomeday,though,youandI。\"
Thesunpersistentlydeclinedtoriseonthatday,and,astimewenton,Adamssawthathisrathertimidurgingsboredhisemployer,andheceasedtobringupthesubject。Lambapparentlyforgotallaboutglue,butAdamsdiscoveredthatunfortunatelytherewassomeoneelsewhorememberedit。
\"It\'sreallyYOURS,\"sheargued,thatpainfuldaywhenforthefirsttimeshesuggestedhisusinghisknowledgeforthebenefitofhimselfandhisfamily。\"Mr。Campbellmighthavehadarighttopartofit,buthediedanddidn\'tleaveanykin,soitbelongstoyou。\"
\"SupposeJ。A。Lambhiredmetosawsomewood,\"Adamssaid。
\"Wouldthesticksbelongtome?\"
\"Hehasn\'tgotanyrighttotakeyourinventionandburyit,\"sheprotested。\"Whatgoodisitdoinghimifhedoesn\'tDOanythingwithit?WhatgoodisitdoingANYBODY?Noneintheworld!Andwhatharmwoulditdohimifyouwentaheadanddidthisforyourselfandforyourchildren?Noneintheworld!AndwhatcouldhedotoyouifheWASoldpigenoughtogetangrywithyoufordoingit?Hecouldn\'tdoasinglething,andyou\'veadmittedhecouldn\'t,yourself。Sowhat\'syourreasonfordeprivingyourchildrenandyourwifeofthebenefitsyouknowyoucouldgive\'em?\"
\"Nothingbutdecency,\"heanswered;andshehadherreplyreadyforthat。Itseemedtohimthat,striveashewould,hecouldnotreachhermindwitheventheplainestlanguage;whileeverythingthatshesaidtohim,withsuchvehemence,soundedlikesomuchobstinategibberish。Overandoverhepressedherwiththesameillustration,onthepointofownership,thoughhethoughthewasvaryingit。
\"Supposehehiredmetobuildhimahouse:wouldthatbeMY
house?\"
\"Hedidn\'thireyoutobuildhimahouse。YouandCampbellinvented——\"
\"Lookhere:supposeyougiveacookasoup-boneandsomevegetables,andpayhertomakeyouasoup:hasshegotarighttotakeandsellit?Youknowbetter!\"
\"IknowONEthing:ifthatoldmantriedtokeepyourowninventionfromyouhe\'snobetterthanarobber!\"
Theyneverfoundanypointofcontactinalltheirpassionatediscussionsofthisethicalquestion;andthequestionwasnomoresettledbetweenthem,nowthatAdamshadsuccumbed,thanithadeverbeen。Butatleastthewranglingaboutitwasover:
theyweregravetogether,almostsilent,andanuneasinessprevailedwithherasmuchaswithhim。
Hehadalreadybeenoutofthehouse,towalkaboutthesmallgreenyard;andonMondayafternoonhesentforataxicabandwentdown-town,butkeptalongwayfromthe\"wholesalesection,\"
wherestoodtheformidableoldoblongpileofLambandCompany。
Hearrangedforthesaleofthebondshehadlaidaway,andforplacingamortgageuponhishouse;andonhiswayhome,afterfiveo\'clock,hewenttoseeanoldfriend,amanwhosetermofservicewithLambandCompanywasevenalittlelongerthanhisown。
Thisveteran,returnedfromtheday\'swork,wassittinginfrontoftheapartmenthousewherehelived,butwhenthecabstoppedatthecurbheroseandcameforward,offeringajoculargreeting。\"Well,well,VirgilAdams!Ialwaysthoughtyouhadasportystreakinyou。Travelinyourownhiredprivateautomobilenowadays,doyou?Pamperin\'yourselfbecauseyou\'restilllayin\'offsick,Iexpect。\"
\"Oh,I\'mwellenoughagain,CharleyLohr,\"Adamssaid,ashegotoutandshookhands。Then,tellingthedrivertowait,hetookhisfriend\'sarm,walkedtothebenchwithhim,andsatdown。\"I
beenpracticallywellforsometime,\"hesaid。\"I\'mfixin\'togetintoharnessagain。\"
\"Bein\'sickhascertainlyproducedachangeofheartinyou,\"hisfriendlaughed。\"You\'rethelastmanIeverexpectedtoseeblowin\'yourself——oranybodyelsetoataxicab!Forthatmatter,Ineverheardofyoubein\'inANYkindofacab,\'less\'nitmightbewhenyoubeenpall-bearerforsomebody。What\'scomeoveryou?\"
\"Well,Igottoturnoveranewleaf,andthat\'safact,\"Adamssaid。\"Igotalottodo,andtheonlywaytoaccomplishit,it\'sgottobedonesoon,orIwon\'thaveanythingtoliveonwhileI\'mdoingit。\"
\"Whatyoutalkin\'about?Whatyougottodoexcepttogetstrongenoughtocomebacktotheoldplace?\"
\"Well——\"Adamspaused,thencoughed,andsaidslowly,\"Factis,CharleyLohr,IbeenthinkinglikelyIwouldn\'tcomeback。\"
\"What!Whatyoutalkin\'about?\"
\"No,\"saidAdams。\"IbeenthinkingImightlikelykindofbranchoutonmyownaccount。\"
\"Well,I\'llbedoggoned!\"OldCharleyLohrwasamazed;heruffleduphisgraymoustachewiththumbandforefinger,leavinghismouthopenbeneath,likeadarkcaveunderatangledwintrythicket。\"Why,that\'sthedoggonedestthingIeverheard!\"hesaid。\"Ialreadyamtheoldestinhabitantdownthere,butifyougo,therewon\'tbeanybodyelseoftheoldgenerationatall。
Whatonearthyouthinkin\'ofgoin\'into?\"
\"Well,\"saidAdams,\"Iratheryoudidn\'tmentionittillIgetstartedofcourseanybody\'llknowwhatitisbythen——butIHAVE
beenkindofplanningtoputaliquidglueonthemarket。\"
Hisfriend,stillrufflingthegraymoustacheupward,staredathiminfrowningperplexity。\"Glue?\"hesaid。\"GLUE!\"
\"Yes。Ibeensortofmillingovertheideaoftakingupsomethinglikethat。\"
\"Handlin\'itforsomefirm,youmean?\"
\"No。Makingit。Sortofaglue-workslikely。\"
Lohrcontinuedtofrown。\"Letmethink,\"hesaid。\"Didn\'ttheolemanhavesomesuchideaonce,himself?\"
Adamsleanedforward,rubbinghisknees;andhecoughedagainbeforehespoke。\"Well,yes。Factis,hedid。Thatistosay,amightylongwhileagohedid。\"
\"Iremember,\"saidLohr。\"HeneversaidanythingaboutitthatI
knowof;butseemstomeIrecollectwehadsortofarumouraroundtheplacehowyouandthatman——le\'ssee,wasn\'thisnameCampbell,thatdiedoftyphoidfever?Yes,thatwasit,Campbell。Didn\'ttheolemanhaveyouandCampbellworkin\'sortofprivateonsomegluepropositionorother?\"
\"Yes,hedid。\"Adamsnodded。\"Ifoundoutagooddealaboutgluethen,too。\"
\"Beenworkin\'onitsince,Isuppose?\"
\"Yes。Keptitinmymindandstudiedoutnewthingsaboutit。\"
Lohrlookedserious。\"Well,butseehere,\"hesaid。\"Ihopeitain\'tanythingtheoleman\'llthinkmightinfringeonwhateverhehadyoudoin\'forHIM。Youknowhowheis:broad-minded,liberal,free-handedmanaswalksthisearth,andifhethoughtheowedyouacenthe\'dsellhisrighthandforapork-choptopayit,ifthatwastheonlyway;butifhegottheideaanybodywastryin\'togetthebetterofhim,he\'dsellBOTHhishands,ifhehadto,tokeep\'emfromdoin\'it。Yes,ateighty,hewould!
NotthatImeanIthinkyoumightbetryin\'togetthebetterofhim,Virg。You\'reamightycloseolecodger,butsuchathingain\'tinyou。WhatImean:Ihopethereain\'tanychancefortheolemantoTHINKyoumightbe——\"
\"Oh,no,\"Adamsinterrupted。\"Asamatteroffact,Idon\'tbelievehe\'lleverthinkaboutitatall,andifhedidhewouldn\'thaveanyrealrighttofeeloffendedatme:theprocessI\'mgoingtouseisoneIexpecttochangeandimprovealotdifferentfromtheoneCampbellandIworkedonforhim。\"
\"Well,that\'sgood,\"saidLohr。\"Ofcourseyouknowwhatyou\'reupto:you\'reoldenough,Godknows!\"Helaughedruefully。\"My,butitwillseemfunnytome——downtherewithyougone!IexpectyouandIbothbeengettin\'tobeprettymuchdead-woodintheplace,thewaytheyoungfellowslookatit,andtheonlyonethat\'dmisseitherofuswouldbetheotherone!Haveyoutoldtheolemanyet?\"
\"Well——\"Adamsspokelaboriously。\"No。No,Ihaven\'t。I
thought——well,that\'swhatIwantedtoseeyouabout。\"
\"WhatcanIdo?\"
\"IthoughtI\'dwritehimaletterandgetyoutohandittohimforme。\"
\"Mysoul!\"hisfriendexclaimed。\"Whyonearthdon\'tyoujustgodownthereandtellhim?\"
Adamsbecamepitiablyembarrassed。Hestammered,coughed,stammeredagain,wrinklinghisfacesodeeplyheseemedabouttoweep;butfinallyhecontrivedtoutteranapologeticlaugh。\"I
oughttodothat,ofcourse;butinsomewayorotherIjustdon\'tseemtobeableto——tomanageit。\"
\"Whyintheworldnot?\"themystifiedLohrinquired。
\"Icouldhardlytellyou——\'less\'nitistosaythatwhenyoubeenwithonebossallyourlifeit\'sso——sokindofembarrassing——toquithim,Ijustcan\'tmakeupmymindtogoandspeaktohimaboutit。No;Igotitinmyheadaletter\'stheonlysatisfactorywaytodoit,andIthoughtI\'daskyoutohandittohim,\"
\"Well,ofcourseIdon\'tminddoin\'thatforyou,\"Lohrsaid,mildly。\"Butwhyintheworlddon\'tyoujustmailittohim?\"
\"Well,I\'lltellyou,\"Adamsreturned。\"Youknow,likethat,it\'dhavetogothroughaclerkandthatsecretaryofhis,andI
don\'tknowwhoall。There\'sacoupleofkindofdelicatepointsIwanttoputinit:forinstance,IwanttoexplaintohimhowmuchimprovementandsoonI\'mgoingtointroduceontheoldprocessIhelpedtoworkoutwithCampbellwhenwewereworkingforhim,so\'the\'llunderstandit\'sadifferentarticleandnoinfringementatall。Thenthere\'sanotherthing:youseeallduringwhileIwassickhehadmysalarypaidtomeitamountstoconsiderable,Iwasonmybacksolong。Underthecircumstances,becauseI\'mquitting,Idon\'tfeelasifIoughttoacceptit,andsoI\'llhaveacheckforhiminthelettertocoverit,andI
wanttobesureheknowsit,andgetsitpersonally。Ifithadtogothroughalotofotherpeople,thewayitwouldifIputitinthemail,why,youcan\'ttell。SowhatIthought:ifyou\'dhandittohimforme,andmaybeifhehappenedtoreaditrightthen,oranything,itmightbeyou\'dnoticewhateverhe\'dhappentosayaboutit——andyoucouldtellmeafterward。\"
\"Allright,\"Lohrsaid。\"Certainlyifyou\'dratherdoitthatway,I\'llhandittohimandtellyouwhathesays;thatis,ifhesaysanythingandIhearhim。Gotitwritten?\"
\"No;I\'llsenditaroundtoyoulastoftheweek。\"Adamsmovedtowardhistaxicab。\"Don\'tsayanythingtoanybodyaboutit,Charley,especiallytillafterthat。\"
\"Allright。\"
\"And,Charley,I\'llbemightyobligedtoyou,\"Adamssaid,andcamebacktoshakehandsinfarewell。\"There\'sonethingmoreyoumightdo——ifyou\'deverhappentofeellikeit。\"Hekepthiseyesrathervaguelyfixedonapointabovehisfriend\'sheadashespoke,andhisvoicewasnotwellcontrolled。\"Ibeen——IbeendownthereagoodmanyyearsandImaynot\'a\'beensomuchuselatelyasIwasatfirst,butIalwaystriedtodomybestfortheoldfirm。Ifanythingturnedoutso\'stheyDIDkindoftakeoffensewithme,downthere,why,justsayagoodwordforme——ifyou\'dhappentofeellikeit,maybe。\"
OldCharleyLohrassuredhimthathewouldspeakagoodwordifopportunitybecameavailable;then,afterthecabhaddrivenaway,hewentuptohissmallapartmentonthethirdfloorandmutteredruminativelyuntilhiswifeinquiredwhathewastalkingtohimselfabout。
\"OleVirgAdams,\"hetoldher。\"He\'soutagainafterhislongspellofsickness,andthewayitlookstomehe\'dbetterstayedinbed。\"
\"Youmeanhestilllookstoobadtobeout?\"
\"Oh,Iexpecthe\'sgettin\'hisHEALTHback,\"Lohrsaid,frowning。
\"Thenwhat\'sthematterwithhim?Youmeanhe\'slosthismind?\"
\"Mygoodness,butwomendojumpatconclusions!\"heexclaimed。
\"Well,\"saidMrs。Lohr,\"whatotherconclusiondidyouleavemetojumpat?\"
Herhusbandexplainedwithalittleheat:\"PeoplecanhaveasicknessthatAFFECTStheirmind,can\'tthey?Theirmindcangetsomeaffectedwithoutbein\'LOST,can\'tit?\"
\"Thenyoumeanthepoorman\'sminddoesseemaffected?\"
\"Why,no;I\'dscarcelygoasfarasthat,\"Lohrsaid,inconsistently,anddeclinedtobemoredefinite。
Adamsdevotedthelatterpartofthateveningtothecompositionofhisletter——adisquietingtasknotcompletedwhen,ateleveno\'clock,heheardhisdaughtercomingupthestairs。Shewassingingtoherselfinalow,sweetvoice,andAdamspausedtolistenincredulously,withhispenliftedandhismouthopen,asifheheardthestrangestsoundintheworld。Thenhesetdownthepenuponablotter,wenttohisdoor,andopenedit,lookingoutatherasshecame。
\"Well,dearie,youseemtobefeelingprettygood,\"hesaid。
\"Whatyoubeendoing?\"
\"Justsittingoutonthefrontsteps,papa。\"
\"Allalone,Isuppose。\"
\"No。Mr。Russellcalled。\"
\"Oh,hedid?\"Adamspretendedtobesurprised。\"Whatallcouldyouandhefindtotalkabouttillthishouro\'thenight?\"
Shelaughedgaily。\"Youdon\'tknowme,papa!\"
\"How\'sthat?\"
\"You\'veneverfoundoutthatIalwaysdoallthetalking。\"
\"Didn\'tyoulethimgetawordinallevening?\"
\"Oh,yes;everynowandthen。\"
Adamstookherhandandpettedit。\"Well,whatdidhesay?\"
Alicegavehimaradiantlookandkissedhim。\"Notwhatyouthink!\"shelaughed;thenslappedhischeekwithsaucyaffection,pirouettedacrossthenarrowhallandintoherownroom,andcurtsiedtohimassheclosedherdoor。
Adamswentbacktohiswritingwithalighterheart;forsinceAlicewasbornshehadbeentohimtheappleofhiseye,hisownphraseinthinkingofher;andwhathewasdoingnowwasforher。
Hesmiledashepickeduphispentobeginanewdraftofthepainfulletter;butpresentlyhelookedpuzzled。Afterall,shecouldbehappyjustasthingswere,itseemed。Thenwhyhadhetakenwhathiswifecalled\"thisnewstep,\"whichhehadsolongresisted?
Hecouldonlysighandwonder。\"Lifeworksoutprettypeculiarly,\"hethought;forhecouldn\'tgobacknow,thoughthereasonhecouldn\'twasnotclearlyapparent。Hehadtogoahead。
CHAPTERXVII
Hewasoutinhistaxicabagainthenextmorning,andbynoonhehadsecuredwhathewanted。
Itwascuriouslysignificantthatheworkedsoquickly。Alltheyearsduringwhichhiswifehadpressedhimtowardhispresentshifthehadsworntohimself,aswellastoher,thathewouldneveryield;andyetwhenhedidyieldhehadnoplanstomake,becausehefoundthemalreadypreparedandworkedoutindetailinhismind;asifhehadlongcontemplatedthe\"step\"hebelievedhimselfincapableoftaking。
Sometimeshehadthoughtofimprovinghisincomebyexchanginghislittlecollectionofbondsfora\"smallrentalproperty,\"ifhecouldfind\"agoodbuy\";andhehadspentmanyofhissparehoursramblingovertheenormouslyspreadingcityanditspurlieus,lookingfortheideal\"buy。\"Itremainedunattainable,sofarashewasconcerned;buthefoundotherthings。
Nottwiceacrow\'smilefromhisownhousetherewasadismalandslummishquarter,adecayed\"industrialdistrict\"ofearlierdays。Mostoftheindustriesweresmall;someofthemdied,perishingofbankruptcyorfire;andafewhadmoved,leavingtheirshells。Oftherelics,thebestwasabrickbuildingwhichhadbeenthelargestandmostimportantfactoryinthequarter:
ithadbeeninjuredbyalongvacancyalmostasseriousasafire,ineffect,andAdamshadoftenguessedatthesumneededtoputitinrepair。
Whenhepassedit,hewouldlookatitwithaninterestwhichhesupposeddetachedandidlyspeculative。\"That\'dbejustthething,\"hethought。\"Ifafellowhadmoneyenough,andtookanotiontosetupsomenewbusinessonabigscale,thiswouldbeaprettygoodplace——tomakeglue,forinstance,ifthatwasn\'toutofthequestion,ofcourse。Itwouldtakealotofmoney,though;agreatdealtoomuchformetoexpecttohandle——evenifI\'deverdreamofdoingsuchathing。\"
Oppositethedismantledfactorywasamuddy,openlotoftwoacresorso,andnearthemiddleofthelot,alongbrickshedstoodinadesolateabandonment,nothappilydecoratedbyoldcoatingsoftheatricalandmedicinaladvertisements。Butthebrickshedhadtwowoodenells,and,thoughbothshedandellswereofasinglestory,herewasemptyspaceenoughforamodestenterprise——\"spaceenoughforalmostanything,tostartwith,\"
Adamsthought,ashewalkedthroughthelowbuildings,oneday,whenhewasprospectinginthatsection。\"Yes,IsupposeICOULD
swingthis,\"hethought。\"Iftheprocessbelongedtome,say,insteadofbeingoutofthequestionbecauseitisn\'tmyproperty——orifIwasthekindofmantodosuchathinganyhow,herewouldbesomethingIcouldprobablygetholdofprettycheap。They\'dwantalotofmoneyforaleaseonthatbigbuildingovertheway——butthis,why,Ishouldthinkit\'dbepracticallynothingatall。\"
Then,bychance,meetinganagentheknew,hemadeinquiries——merelytosatisfyacasualcuriosity,hethought——andhefoundmattersmuchashehadsupposed,exceptthattheownersofthebigbuildingdidnotwishtolet,buttosellit,andthisatapricesoexorbitantthatAdamslaughed。Butthelongbrickshedinthegreatmuddylotwasforsaleortolet,or\"prettyneartobegivenaway,\"helearned,ifanybodywouldtakeit。
Adamstookitnow,thoughwithoutseeingthathehadbeendestinedtotakeit,andthatsomedrearywizardinthebackofhisheadhadforeseenallalongthathewouldtakeit,andplannedtobeready。Hedroveinhistaxicabtolooktheplaceoveragain,thendown-towntoarrangeforalease;andcamehometolunchwithhiswifeanddaughter。Thingswere\"moving,\"hetoldthem。
Heboastedalittleofhavingactedsodecisively,andsaidthatsincethedangthinghadtobedone,itwas\"goingtobedoneRIGHT!\"Hewasalmostcheerful,inafeverishway,andwhenthecabcameforhimagain,soonafterlunch,heexplainedthatheintendednotonlytogetthingsdoneright,butalsoto\"get\'emdonequick!\"Alice,followinghimtothefrontdoor,lookedathimanxiouslyandaskedifshecouldn\'thelp。Helaughedathergrimly。
\"Thenletmegoalongwithyouinthecab,\"shebegged。\"Youdon\'tlookabletostartinsohard,papa,justwhenyou\'rebarelybeginningtogetyourstrengthback。DoletmegowithyouandseeifIcan\'thelp——oratleasttakecareofyouifyoushouldgettofeelingbadly。\"
Hedeclined,butuponpressureletherputatinybottleofspiritsofammoniainhispocket,andpromisedtomakeuseofitifhe\"feltfaintorany-thing。\"Thenhewasoffagain;andthenextmorninghadmenatworkinhissheds,thoughthewageshehadtopayfrightenedhim。
Hedirectedtheworkmenineverydetail,hurryingthembyexampleandexhortations,andreceiving,inconsequence,severaldeclarationsofindependence,aswellasoneresignation,whichtookeffectimmediately。\"Youscapitalustsseemtothinkaman\'sgotnothin\'todobutbreakhisbackp\'doosin\'wealthferyoustosquander,\"theresigningpersonloudlycomplained。\"Youlookout:thetoiler\'sdayisa-comin\',anditain\'tsofuroff,neither!\"Butthecapitalistwasalreadyoutofhearing,gonetofindamantotakethisorator\'splace。
Bytheendoftheweek,Adamsfeltthathehadmovedsatisfactorilyforwardinhispreparationsforthesimpleequipmentheneeded;buthehatedthepauseofSunday。Hedidn\'tWANTanyrest,hetoldAliceimpatiently,whenshesuggestedthattheidledaymightbegoodforhim。
LatethatafternoonhewalkedovertotheapartmenthousewhereoldCharleyLohrlived,andgavehisfriendtheletterhewantedtheheadofLambandCompanytoreceive\"personally。\"\"I\'lltakeitasamightygreatfavourinyoutohandittohimpersonally,Charley,\"hesaid,inparting。\"Andyouwon\'tforget,incasehesaysanythingaboutit——andrememberifyoueverdogetachancetoputinagoodwordformelater,youknow——\"
OldCharleypromisedtoremember,and,whenMrs。Lohrcameoutofthe\"kitchenette,\"afterthedoorclosed,hesaidthoughtfully,\"Justskinandbones。\"
\"YoumeanMr。Adamsis?\"Mrs。Lohrinquired。
\"Who\'dyouthinkImeant?\"hereturned。\"Oneo\'thesepartridgesinthewall-paper?\"
\"Didhelooksobadly?\"
\"Lookedkindofdistractedtome,\"herhusbandreplied。\"Theselittlethinfellerscanstandaheapsometimes,though。He\'llbeoverhereagainMonday。\"
\"Didhesayhewould?\"
\"No,\"saidLohr。\"Buthewill。You\'llsee。He\'llbeovertofindoutwhatthebigbosssayswhenIgivehimthisletter。
ExpectI\'dbekindofanxious,myself,ifIwashim。\"
\"Whywouldyou?What\'sMr。Adamsdoingtobesoanxiousabout?\"
Lohr\'sexpressionbecameoneofreserve,thelookofamanwhohasfoundthatwhenhespeakshisinnerthoughtshiswifejumpstoofartoconclusions。\"Oh,nothing,\"hesaid。\"Ofcourseanymanstartingupanewbusinessisboundtobeprettynervousawhile。He\'llbeoverhereto-morrowevening,allright;you\'llsee。\"
Thepredictionwasfulfilled:AdamsarrivedjustafterMrs。Lohrhadremovedthedinnerdishestoher\"kitchenette\";butLohrhadlittleinformationtogivehiscaller。
\"Hedidn\'tsayaword,Virgil;naryaword。Itookitintohisofficeandhandedittohim,andhejustsatandreadit;that\'sall。IkindofstoodaroundaslongasIcould,buthewassittin\'athisdeskwithhissidetome,andheneverturnedaroundfulltowardme,asitwere,soIcouldn\'thardlyeventellanything。AllIknow:hejustreadit。\"
\"Well,butseehere,\"Adamsbegan,nervously。\"Well——\"
\"Wellwhat,Virg?\"
\"Well,butwhatdidhesaywhenheDIDspeak?\"
\"Hedidn\'tspeak。NotsolongIwasinthere,anyhow。Hejustsatthereandreadit。Readkindofslow。Then,whenhecametotheend,heturnedbackandstartedtoreaditalloveragain。
Bythattimetherewasthreeorfourothermenstandin\'aroundintheofficewaitin\'tospeaktohim,andIhadtogo。\"
Adamssighed,andstaredatthefloor,irresolute。\"Well,I\'llbegettingalongbackhomethen,Iguess,Charley。Soyou\'resureyoucouldn\'ttellanythingwhathemighthavethoughtaboutit,then?\"
\"Notathingintheworld。I\'vetoldyouallIknow,Virg。\"
\"Iguessso,Iguessso,\"Adamssaid,mournfully。\"Ifeelmightyobligedtoyou,CharleyLohr;mightyobliged。Good-nighttoyou。\"Andhedeparted,sighinginperplexity。
Onhiswayhome,preoccupiedwithmanythoughts,hewalkedsoslowlythatonceortwicehestoppedandstoodmotionlessforafewmoments,withoutbeingawareofit;andwhenhereachedthejunctureofthesidewalkwiththeshortbrickpaththatledtohisownfrontdoor,hestoppedagain,andstoodformorethanaminute。\"Ah,IwishIknew,\"hewhispered,plaintively。\"IdowishIknewwhathethoughtaboutit。\"
Hewasrousedbyalaughthatcamelightlyfromthelittleverandanearby。\"Papa!\"Alicecalledgaily。\"Whatareyoustandingtheremutteringtoyourselfabout?\"
\"Oh,areyouthere,dearie?\"hesaid,andcameupthepath。A
tallfigurerosefromachairontheveranda。
\"Papa,thisisMr。Russell。\"
Thetwomenshookhands,Adamssaying,\"Pleasedtomakeyouracquaintance,\"astheylookedateachotherinthefaintlightdiffusedthroughtheopaqueglassintheupperpartofthedoor。
Adams\'simpressionwasofastrongandtallyoungman,fashionablebutgentle;andRussell\'swasofadried,littleoldbusinessmanwithagrizzledmoustache,worriedbrighteyes,shapelessdarkclothes,andahomelymanner。
\"Niceevening,\"Adamssaidfurther,astheirhandsparted。\"Nicetimeo\'yearitis,butwedon\'talwayshaveasgoodweatherasthis;that\'sthetroubleofit。Well——\"Hewenttothedoor。
\"Well——Ibidyougoodevening,\"hesaid,andretiredwithinthehouse。
Alicelaughed。\"He\'stheold-fashionedestmanintown,Isupposeandfrightfullyimpressedwithyou,Icouldsee!\"
\"Whatnonsense!\"saidRussell。\"Howcouldanybodybeimpressedwithme?\"
\"Whynot?Becauseyou\'requiet?Goodgracious!Don\'tyouknowthatyou\'rethemostimpressivesort?Wechatterersspendallourtimeplayingtoyouquietpeople。\"
\"Yes;we\'reonlytheaudience。\"
\"\'Only!\'\"sheechoed。\"Why,weliveforyou,andwecan\'tlivewithoutyou。\"
\"Iwishyoucouldn\'t,\"saidRussell。\"Thatwouldbeanewexperienceforbothofus,wouldn\'tit?\"
\"Itmightbearatherbleakoneforme,\"sheanswered,lightly。
\"I\'mafraidI\'llmissthesesummereveningswithyouwhenthey\'reover。I\'llmissthemenough,thanks!\"
\"Dotheyhavetobeoversometime?\"heasked。
\"Oh,everything\'soversometime,isn\'tit?\"
Russelllaughedather。\"Don\'tlet\'slooksofaraheadasthat,\"
hesaid。\"Wedon\'tneedtobealreadythinkingofthecemetery,dowe?\"
\"Ididn\'t,\"shesaid,shakingherhead。\"Oursummereveningswillbeoverbeforethen,Mr。Russell。\"
\"Why?\"heasked。
\"Goodheavens!\"shesaid。\"THERE\'Slaconiceloquence:almostaproposalinasingleword!Nevermind,Ishan\'tholdyoutoit。
Buttoansweryou:well,I\'malwayslookingahead,andsomehowI
usuallyseeabouthowthingsarecomingout。\"
\"Yes,\"hesaid。\"Isupposemostofusdo;atleastitseemsasifwedid,becausewesoseldomfeelsurprisedbythewaytheydocomeout。Butmaybethat\'sonlybecauselifeisn\'tlikeaplayinatheatre,andmostthingscomeaboutsograduallywegetusedtothem。\"
\"No,I\'msureIcanseequitealongwayahead,\"sheinsisted,gravely。\"Anditdoesn\'tseemtomeasifoursummereveningscouldlastverylong。Something\'llinterfere——somebodywill,I