第9章

类别:其他 作者:佚名字数:18949更新时间:18/12/14 13:47:05
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