the portygee-第29节

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to　say？〃

〃No…o；　not　quite。　　II　wanted　to　say　that　which　ever　way　it　turned
out；　II　hoped　weyou　and　I；　you　knowwould　agree　to　beto　be
good…natured　about　it　andand　friends　just　the　same。　　II
Well；　there！　　That's　all；　I　guess。　　I　haven't　put　it　very　well；　I'm
afraid；　butbut　what　do　you　think　about　it；　Grandfather？〃

And　now　Captain　Zelotes　did　look　up。　　The　old　twinkle　was　in　his
eye。　　His　first　remark　was　a　question　and　that　question　was　rather
surprising。

〃Al；〃　he　asked；　〃Al；　who's　been　talkin'　to　you？〃

The　blood　rushed　to　his　grandson's　face。　　〃Talking　to　me？〃　he
stammered。　　〃Whywhy；　what　do　you　mean？〃

〃I　mean　just　that。　　You　didn't　think　out　this　scheme　all　by
yourself。　　Somebody's　been　talkin'　to　you　and　puttin'　you　up　to　it。
Haven't　they？〃

〃Whywhy；　Grandfather；　I〃

〃Haven't　they？〃

〃Why　　Well；　yes；　someone　has　been　talking　to　me；　but　the　whole
idea　isn't　theirs。　　I　WAS　sorry　for　speaking　to　you　as　I　did　and
sorry　to　think　of　leaving　you　and　grandmother。　　II　was　sitting　up
there　in　my　room　and　feeling　blue　and　mean　enough　andand〃

〃And　then　Rachel　came　aboard　and　gave　you　your　sailin'　orders；　eh？〃

Albert　gasped。　　〃For　heaven's　sake　how　did　you　know　that？〃　he
demanded。　　〃She　　Why；　she　must　have　told　you；　after　all！　　But　she
said〃

〃Hold　on；　boy；　hold　on！〃　Captain　Lote　chuckled　quietly。　　〃No；〃　he
said；　〃Rachel　didn't　tell　me；　I　guessed　she　was　the　one。　　And　it
didn't　take　a　Solomon　in　all　his　glory　to　guess　it；　neither。　　Labe
Keeler's　been　talkin'　to　ME；　and　when　you　come　down　here　and　began
proposin'　the　same　scheme　that　I　was　just　about　headin'　up　to　your
room　with　to　propose　to　you；　thenwell；　then　the　average　whole…
witted　person　wouldn't　need　more'n　one　guess。　　It　couldn't　be　Labe；
'cause　he'd　been　whisperin'　in　MY　ear；　so　it　must　have　been　the
other　partner　in　the　firm。　　That's　all　the　miracle　there　is　to　it。〃

Albert's　brain　struggled　with　the　situation。　　〃I　see；〃　he　said；
after　a　moment。　　〃She　hinted　that　someone　had　been　talking　to　you
along　the　same　line。　　Yes；　and　she　was　so　sure　you　would　agree。　　I
might　have　known　it　was　Laban。〃

〃Um…hm；　so　you　might。　。　。　。　　Well；　there　have　been　times　when　if　a
man　had　talked　to　me　as　Labe　did　to…night　I'd　have　knocked　him
down；　or　told　him　to　go　toumwell；　the　tropicstold　him　to　mind
his　own　business；　at　least。　　But　Labe　is　Labe；　and　besides　MY
conscience　was　plaguin'　me　a　little　mite；　maybe　。　。　。　maybe。〃

The　young　man　shook　his　head。　　〃They　must　have　talked　it　over；
those　two；　and　agreed　that　one　should　talk　to　you　and　the　other　to
me。　　By　George；　I　wonder　they　had　the　nerve。　　It　wasn't　their
business；　really。〃

〃Not　a　darn　bit。〃

〃Yetyet　II'm　awfully　glad　she　said　it　to　me。　　II　needed　it；
I　guess。〃

〃Maybe　you　did；　son。　。　。　。　　Andhumphwell；　maybe　I　needed　it；
too。　。　。　。　　Yes；　I　know　that's　consider'ble　for　me　to　say；〃　he
added　dryly。

Albert　was　still　thinking　of　Laban　and　Rachel。

〃They're　queer　people；〃　he　mused。　　〃When　I　first　met　them　I　thought
they　were　about　the　funniest　pair　I　ever　saw。　　Butbut　now　I　can't
help　liking　them　andand　　Say；　Grandfather；　they　must　think　a
lot　of　yourof　our　family。〃

〃Cal'late　they　do；　son。　。　。　。　　Well；　boy；　we've　had　our　sermon；　you
and　me；　what　shall　we　do？　　Willin'　to　sign　for　the　five　years　trial
cruise　if　I　will；　are　you？〃

Albert　couldn't　help　smiling。　　〃It　was　three　years　Rachel　proposed；
not　five；〃　he　said。

〃Was；　eh？　　Suppose　we　split　the　difference　and　make　it　four？
Willin'　to　try　that？〃

〃Yes；　sir。〃

〃Agreement　bein'　that　you　shall　stick　close　to　Z。　Snow　and　Co。
durin'　work　hours　and　write　as　much　poetry　as　you　darned　please
other　times；　neither　side　to　interfere　with　those　arrangements？
That　right？〃

〃Yes；　sir。〃

〃Good！　　Shall　we　shake　hands　on　it？〃

They　shook；　solemnly。　　Captain　Lote　was　the　first　to　speak　after
ratification　of　the　contract。

〃There；　now　I　cal'late　I'll　go　aloft　and　turn　in；〃　he　observed。
Then　he　added；　with　a　little　hesitation；　〃Say；　Al；　maybe　we'd
better　not　trouble　your　grandma　about　all　this　fool　businessthe
row　this　afternoon　and　all。　　'Twould　only　worry　her　and〃　he
paused；　looked　embarrassed；　cleared　his　throat；　and　said；　〃to　tell
you　the　truth；　I'm　kind　of　ashamed　of　my　part…ererthat　is；
some　of　it。〃

His　grandson　was　very　much　astonished。　　It　was　not　often　that
Captain　Zelotes　Snow　admitted　having　been　in　the　wrong。　　He　blurted
out　the　question　he　had　been　dying　to　ask。

〃Grandfather；〃　he　queried；　〃had　youdid　you　really　mean　what　you
said　about　starting　to　come　to　my　room　andand　propose　this　scheme
of　oursI　mean　of　Rachel's　and　Labe'sto　me？〃

〃Eh？　。　。　。　　Ye…esyes。　　I　was　on　my　way　up　there　when　I　met　you
just　now。〃

〃Well；　Grandfather；　II〃

〃That's　all　right；　boy；　that's　all　right。　　Don't　let's　talk　any
more　about　it。〃

〃We　won't。　　Andand　　But；　Grandfather；　I　just　want　you　to　know
that　I　guess　I　understand　things　a　little　better　than　I　did；　and
and　when　my　father〃

The　captain's　heavy　hand　descended　upon　his　shoulder。

〃Heave　short；　Al！〃　he　commanded。　　〃I've　been　doin'　consider'ble
thinkin'　since　Labe　finished　hiserdiscourse　and　pronounced　the
benediction；　and　I've　come　to　a　pretty　definite　conclusion　on　one
matter。　　I've　concluded　that　you　and　I　had　better　cut　out　all　the
bygones　from　this　new　arrangement　of　ours。　　We　won't　have　fathers
ororelopementsor　past…and…done…with　disapp'intments　in　it。
This　new　dealthis　four　year　trial　v'yage　of　ourswill　be　just
for　Albert　Speranza　and　Zelotes　Snow；　and　no　others　need　apply。　。　。　。
Eh？　。　。　。　　Well；　good　night；　Al。〃



CHAPTER　VIII


So　the　game　under　the　〃new　deal〃　began。　　At　first　it　was　much
easier　than　the　old。　　And；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　it　was　never　as
hard　as　before。　　The　heart　to　heart　talk　between　Captain　Zelotes
and　his　grandson　had　given　each　a　glimpse　of　the　other's　inner
self；　a　look　from　the　other's　point　of　view；　and　thereafter　it　was
easier　to　make　allowances。　　But　the　necessity　for　the　making　of
those　allowances　was　still　there　and　would　continue　to　be　there。
At　first　Albert　made　almost　no　mistakes　in　his　bookkeeping；　was
almost　painfully　careful。　　Then　the　carefulness　relaxed；　as　it　was
bound　to　do；　and　some　mistakes　occurred。　　Captain　Lote　found　little
fault；　but　at　times　he　could　not　help　showing　some　disappointment。
Then　his　grandson　would　set　his　teeth　and　buckle　down　to　painstaking
effort　again。　　He　was　resolved　to　live　up　to　the　very　letter　of　the
agreement。

In　his　spare　time　he　continued　to　write　and　occasionally　he　sold
something。　　Whenever　he　did　so　there　was　great　rejoicing　among　the
feminine　members　of　the　Snow　household；　his　grandmother　and　Rachel
Ellis　were　enraptured。　　It　was　amusing　to　see　Captain　Zelotes
attempt　to　join　the　chorus。　　He　evidently　felt　that　he　ought　to
praise；　or　at　least　that　praise　was　expected　from　him；　but　it　was
also　evident　that　he　did　not　approve　of　what　he　was　praising。

〃Your　grandma　says　you　got　rid　of　another　one　of　your　poetry
pieces；　Al；〃　he　would　say。　　〃Pay　you　for　it；　did　they？〃

〃Not　yet；　but　they　will；　I　suppose。〃

〃I　see；　I　see。　　How　much；　think　likely？〃

〃Oh；　I　don't　know。　　Ten　dollars；　perhaps。〃

〃Um…hm　。　。　。　I　see。　。　。　。　　Well；　that's　pretty　good；　considerin'；　I
suppose。　。　。　。　　We　did　first…rate　on　that　Hyannis　school…house
contract；　didn't　we。　　Nigh's　I　can　figger　it　we　cleared　over
fourteen　hundred　and　eighty　dollars　on　that。〃

He　invariably　followed　any　reference　to　the　profit　from　the　sale　of
verses　by　the　casual　mention　of　a　much　larger　sum　derived　from　the
sale　of　lumber　or　hardware。　　This　was　so　noticeable　that　Laban
Keeler　was　impelled　to　speak　of　it。

〃The　old　man　don't　want　you　to　forget　that　you　can　get　more　for
hard　pine　than　you　can　for　soft　sonnets；　sellin'　'em　both　by　the
foot；〃　observed　Labe；　peering　over　his　spectacles。　　〃More　money　in
shingles　than　there　is　in　jingles；　he　cal'lates。　。　。　。　　Um。　。　。　。
Yes；　yes。　。　。　。　　Consider'ble　more；　consider'ble。〃

Albert　smiled；　but　it　astonished　him　to　find　that　Mr。　Keeler　knew
what　a　sonnet　was。　　The　little　bookkeeper　occasionally　surprised
him　by　breaking　out　unexpectedly　in　that　way。

From　the　indiscriminate　praise　at　home；　or　the　reluctant　praise　of
his　grandfather；　he　found　relief　when　he　discussed　his　verses　with
Helen　Kendall。　　Her　praise　was　not　indiscriminate；　in　fact
sometimes　she　did　not　praise　at　all；　but　expressed　disapproval。
They　had　some　disagreements；　marked　disagreements；　but　it　did　not
affect　their　friendship。　　Albert　was　a　trifle　surprised　to　find
that　it　did　not。

So　as　the　months　passed　he　ground　away　at　the　books　of　Z。　Snow　and
Company　during　office　hours　and　at　the　poetry　mill　between　times。
The　seeing　of　his　name　in　print　was　no　longer　a　novelty　and　he
poetized　not　quite　as　steadily。　　Occasionally　he　attempted　prose；
but　the　two　or　three　short　stories　of　his　composition　failed　to
sell。　　Helen；　however；　urged　him　to　try　again　and　keep　trying。　　〃I
know　you　can　write　a　good　story　and　some　day　you　are　going　to；〃　she
said。

His　first　real　literary　success；　that　which　temporarily　lifted　him
into　the　outer　circle　of　the　limelight　of　fame；　was　a　poem　written
the　day　following　that　upon　which　came　the　news　of　the　sink