the portygee-第75节

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Z。　Snow　and　Co。　　YOU　won't　come　in；　and；〃　with　a　twinkle；　〃I　need
somebody　to　keep　my　name　from　gettin'　lonesome　on　the　sign。〃

Albert　was　delighted。

〃Bully　for　you；　Grandfather！〃　he　exclaimed。　　〃You　couldn't　do　a
better　thing　for　Labe　or　for　the　firm。　　And　he　deserves　it；　too。〃

〃Ye…es；　I　think　he　does。　　Labe's　a　mighty　faithful；　capable　feller；
and　now　that　he's　sworn　off　on　those　vacations　of　his　he　can　be
trusted　anywheres。　　Yes；　I've　as　good　as　made　up　my　mind　to　take
him　in。　　Of　course；〃　with　the　twinkle　in　evidence　once　more；
〃Issachar'll　be　a　little　mite　jealous；　but　we'll　have　to　bear　up
under　that　as　best　we　can。〃

〃I　wonder　what　Labe　will　say　when　you　tell　him？〃

〃He'll　say　yes。　　I'll　tell　Rachel　first　and　she'll　tell　him　to　say
it。　　And　then　I'll　tell　'em　both　I　won't　do　it　unless　they　agree　to
get　married。　　I've　always　said　I　didn't　want　to　die　till　I'd　been
to　that　weddin'。　　I　want　to　hear　Rachel　tell　the　minister　she'll
'obey'　Labe。　　Ho；　ho！〃

〃Do　you　suppose　they　ever　will　be　married？〃

〃Why；　yes；　I　kind　of　think　so。　　I　shouldn't　wonder　if　they　would　be
right　off　now　if　it　wasn't　that　Rachel　wouldn't　think　of　givin'　up
keepin'　house　for　your　grandmother。　　She　wouldn't　do　that　and　Labe
wouldn't　want　her　to。　　I've　got　to　fix　that　somehow。　　Perhaps　they
could　live　along　with　us。　　Land　knows　there's　room　enough。　　They're
all　right；　those　two。　　Kind　of　funny　to　look　at；　and　they　match　up
in　size　like　a　rubber　boot　and　a　slipper；　but　I　declare　I　don't
know　which　has　got　the　most　common…sense　or　the　biggest　heart。　　And
'twould　be　hard　to　tell　which　thinks　the　most　of　you；　Al。　。　。　。
Eh？　　Why；　it's　after　half…past　twelve　o'clock！　　Olive'll　be　for
combin'　our　topknots　with　a　belayin'　pin　if　we　keep　her　dinner
waitin'　like　this。〃

As　they　were　putting　on　their　coats　the　captain　spoke　again。

〃I　hadn't　finished　what　I　was　sayin'　to　you　when　Labe　came　in；〃　he
observed。　　〃'Twasn't　much　account；　just　a　sort　of　confession；　and
they　say　that's　good　for　the　soul。　　I　was　just　goin'　to　say　that
when　you　first　came　here　I　was　prejudiced　against　you；　not　only
because　your　father　and　I　didn't　agree；　but　because　he　was　what　he
was。　　Because　he　waswas〃

Albert　finished　the　sentence　for　him。

〃A　Portygee；〃　he　said。

〃Why；　yes；　that's　what　I　called　him。　　That's　what　I　used　to　call
about　everybody　that　wasn't　born　right　down　here　in　Yankeeland。　　I
used　to　be　prejudiced　against　you　because　you　was　what　I　called　a
half…breed。　　I'm　sorry；　Al。　　I'm　ashamed。　　See　what　you've　turned
out　to　be。　　I　declare；　I〃

〃Shh！　shh！　　Don't；　Grandfather。　　When　I　came　here　I　was　a　little
snob；　a　conceited；　insufferable　little〃

〃Here；　here！　　Hold　on！　　No；　you　wa'n't；　neither。　　Or　if　you　was；
you　was　only　a　boy。　　I　was　a　man；　and　I　ought　to〃

〃No；　I'm　going　to　finish。　　Whatever　I　am　now；　or　whatever　I　may　be。
I　owe　to　you；　and　to　Grandmother；　and　Rachel　and　Labanand　Helen。
You　made　me　over　between　you。　　I　know　that　now。〃

They　walked　home　instead　of　riding　in　the　new　car。　　Captain　Zelotes
declared　he　had　hung　on　to　that　steering　wheel　all　the　forenoon　and
he　was　afraid　if　he　took　it　again　his　fingers　would　grow　fast　to
the　rim。　　As　they　emerged　from　the　office　into　the　open　air；　he
said：

〃Al；　regardin'　that　makin'…over　business；　I　shouldn't　be　surprised
if　it　was　a　kind　ofermutual　thing　between　you　and　me。　　We　both
had　some　prejudices　to　get　rid　of；　eh？〃

〃Perhaps　so。　　I'm　sure　I　did。〃

〃And　I'm　sartin　sure　I　did。　　And　the　war　and　all　that　came　with　it
put　the　finishin'　touches　to　the　job。　　When　I　think　of　what　the
thousands　and　thousands　of　men　did　over　there　in　those　hell…holes
of　trenches；　men　with　names　that　run　all　the　way　from　Jones　and
Kelly　toer〃

〃Speranza。〃

〃Yes；　and　Whiskervitch　and　the　land　knows　what　more。　　When　I　think
of　that　I'm　ready　to　take　off　my　hat　to　'em　and　swear　I'll　never　be
so　narrow　again　as　to　look　down　on　a　feller　because　he　don't　happen
to　be　born　in　Ostable　County。　　There's　only　one　thing　I　ask　of　'em；
and　that　is　that　when　they　come　here　to　liveto　stayunder　our
laws　and　takin'　advantage　of　the　privileges　we　offer　'emthey'll
stop　bein'　Portygees　or　Russians　or　Polacks　or　whatever　they　used
to　be　or　their　folks　were；　and　just　be　Americanslike　you；　Al。〃

〃That's　what　we　must　work　for　now；　Grandfather。　　It's　a　big　job；
but　it　must　be　done。〃

They　walked　on　in　silence　for　a　time。　　Then　the　captain　said：

〃It's　a　pretty　fine　country；　after　all；　ain't　it；　Albert？〃

Albert　looked　about　him　over　the　rolling　hills；　the　roofs　of　the
little　town；　the　sea；　the　dunes；　the　pine　groves；　the　scene　which
had　grown　so　familiar　to　him　and　which　had　become　in　his　eyes　so
precious。

〃It　is　MY　country；〃　he　declared；　with　emphasis。

His　grandfather　caught　his　meaning。

〃I'm　glad　you　feel　that　way；　son；〃　he　said；　〃but　'twasn't　just
South　Harniss　I　meant　then。　　I　meant　all　of　it；　the　whole　United
States。　　It's　got　its　faults；　of　course；　lots　of　'em。　　And　if　I　was
an　Englishman　or　a　Frenchman　I'd　probably　say　it　wasn't　as　good　as
England　or　France；　whichever　it　happened　to　be。　　That's　all　right；
I　ain't　findin'　any　fault　with　'em　for　thatthat's　the　way　they'd
ought　to　feel。　　But　you　and　I；　Al；　we're　Americans。　　So　the　rest　of
the　world　must　excuse　us　if　we　say　that；　take　it　by　and　large；　it's
a　mighty　good　country。　　We've　planned　for　it；　and　worked　for　it；
and　fought　for　it；　and　we　know。　　Eh？〃

〃Yes。　　We　know。〃

〃Yes。　　And　no　howlin'；　wild…eyed　bunch　from　somewhere　else　that
haven't　done　any　of　these　things　are　goin'　to　come　here　and　run　it
their　way　if　we　can　help　itwe　Americans；　eh？〃

Alberto　Miguel　Carlos　Speranza；　American；　drew　a　long　breath。

〃No！〃　he　said；　with　emphasis。

〃You　bet！　　Well；　unless　I'm　mistaken；　I　smell　salt　fish　and　potatoes；
which；　accordin'　to　Cape　Cod　notion；　is　a　good　American　dinner。
I　don't　know　how　you　feel；　Al；　but　I'm　hungry。〃







End