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the portygee-第14部分

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and the other his grandson's。  These elements were prejudice and
temperament。



CHAPTER IV


The next morning; with much the same feeling that a convict must
experience when he enters upon a life imprisonment; Albert entered
the employ of 〃Z。 Snow and Co。; Lumber and Builders' Hardware。〃
The day; he would have sworn it; was at least a year long。  The
interval between breakfast and dinner was quite six months; yet the
dinner hour itself was the shortest sixty minutes he had ever
known。  Mr。 Keeler had not yet returned to his labors; so there was
no instruction in bookkeeping; but his grandfather gave him letters
to file and long dreary columns of invoice figures to add。  Twice
Captain Zelotes went out and then; just as Albert settled back for
a rest and breathing spell; Issachar Price appeared; warned
apparently by some sort of devilish intuition; and invented
〃checking up stock〃 and similar menial and tiresome tasks to keep
him uncomfortable till the captain returned。  The customers who
came in asked questions concerning him and he was introduced to at
least a dozen citizens of South Harniss; who observed 〃Sho!〃 and
〃I want to know!〃 when told his identity and; in some instances;
addressed him as 〃Bub;〃 which was of itself a crime deserving
capital punishment。

That night; as he lay in bed in the back bedroom; he fell asleep
facing the dreary prospect of another monotonous imprisonment the
following day; and the next day; and the day after that; and after
thatand after thatand so onand onand onforever and ever;
as long as life should last。  This; then; was to be the end of all
his dreams; this drudgery in a country town among these commonplace
country people。  This was the end of his dreams of some day writing
deathless odes and sonnets or thrilling romances; of treading the
boards as the hero of romantic drama while star…eyed daughters of
multi…millionaires gazed from the boxes in spellbound rapture。
This 。 。 。  The thought of the star…eyed ones reminded him of the
girl who had come into the office the afternoon of his first visit
to that torture chamber。  He had thought of her many times since
their meeting and always with humiliation and resentment。  It was
his own foolish tongue which had brought the humiliation upon him。
When she had suggested that he might be employed by Z。 Snow and Co。
he had replied:  〃Me?  Work HERE!  Well; I should say NOT!〃  And
all the time she; knowing who he was; must have known he was doomed
to work there。  He resented that superior knowledge of hers。  He
had made a fool of himself but she was to blame for it。  Well; by
George; he would NOT work there!  He would run away; he would show
her; and his grandfather and all the rest what was what。  Night
after night he fell asleep vowing to run away; to do all sorts of
desperate deeds; and morning after morning he went back to that
office。

On the fourth morning the prodigal came home; the stray lamb
returned to the foldMr。 Keeler returned to his desk and his
duties。  There was a premonition of his return at the Snow breakfast
table。  For three days Mrs。 Ellis had swathed her head in white and
her soul in black。  For three days her favorite accompaniment to
conversation had been a groan or a sigh。  Now; on this fourth
morning; she appeared without the bandage on her brow or the crape
upon her spirit。  She was not hilarious but she did not groan once;
and twice during the meal she actually smiled。 Captain Lote
commented upon the change; she being absent from table momentarily。

〃Whew!〃 he observed; in an undertone; addressing his wife。  〃If it
ain't a comfort to see the wrinkles on Rachel's face curvin' up
instead of down。  I'm scared to death that she'll go out some time
in a cold spell when she's havin' one of them sympathetics of hers;
and her face'll freeze that way。  Well; Albert;〃 turning to his
grandson; 〃the colors'll be h'isted to the truck now instead of
half…mast and life'll be somethin' besides one everlastin' 'last
look at the remains。' Now we can take off the mournin' till the
next funeral。〃

〃Yes;〃 said Olive; 〃and Laban'll be back; too。  I'm sure you must
have missed him awfully; Zelotes。〃

〃Missed him!  I should say so。  For one thing; I miss havin' him
between me and Issy。  When Labe's there Is talks to him and Labe
keeps on thinkin' of somethin' else and so it don't worry him any。
I can't do that; and my eardrums get to wearin' thin and that makes
me nervous。  Maybe you've noticed that Issy's flow of conversation
ain't what you'd call a trickle;〃 he added; turning to Albert。

Albert had noticed it。  〃But;〃 he asked; 〃what makes RachelMrs。
Ellisso cheerful this morning?  Does she know that Mr。 Keeler
will be back at work?  How does she know?  She hasn't seen him; has
she?〃

〃No;〃 replied the captain。  〃She ain't seen him。  Nobody sees him;
far's that goes。  He generally clears out somewheres and locks
himself up in a room; I judge; till his vacation's over。  I suppose
that's one way to have fun; but it ain't what I'd call hilarious。〃

〃Don't; Zelotes;〃 said Mrs。 Snow。  〃I do wish you wouldn't call it
fun。〃

〃I don't; but Laban seems to。  If he don't do it for fun I don't
know what he does it for。  Maybe it's from a sense of duty。  It
ain't to oblige me; I know that。〃

Albert repeated his question。  〃But how does she know he will be
back to…day?〃 he asked。

His grandmother shook her head。  〃That's the mysterious part about
it;〃 she whispered。  〃It makes a person think there may be
somethin' in the sympathetic notion she talks so much about。  She
don't see him at all and yet we can always tell when he's comin'
back to work by her spirits。  If he ain't back to…day he will be
to…morrow; you'll see。  She never misses by more than a day。  _I_
think it's real sort of mysterious; but Zelotes laughs at me。〃

Captain Lote's lip twitched。  〃Yes; Mother;〃 he said; 〃it's about
as mysterious as the clock's strikin' twelve when it's noon。  _I_
know it's morally sartin that Labe'll be back aboard to…day or to…
morrow because his sprees don't ever last more than five days。  I
can't swear to how she knows; but that's how _I_ knowand I'm
darned sure there's no 'sympathy' about my part。〃  Then; as if
realizing that he had talked more than usual; he called; brusquely:
〃Come on; Al; come on。  Time we were on the job; boy。〃

Sure enough; as they passed the window of the office; there; seated
on the stool behind the tall desk; Albert saw the diminutive figure
of the man who had been his driver on the night of his arrival。
He was curious to see how the delinquent would apologize for or
explain his absence。  But Mr。 Keeler did neither; nor did Captain
Snow ask a question。  Instead the pair greeted each other as if
they had parted in that office at the close of business on the
previous day。

〃Mornin'; Cap'n Lote;〃 said Laban; quietly。

〃Mornin'; Labe;〃 replied the captain; just as calmly。

He went on and opened his own desk; leaving his grandson standing
by the door; not knowing whether to speak or offer to shake hands。
The situation was a little difficult; particularly as Mr。 Keeler
gave no sign of recognition; but; after a glance at his employer's
companion; went on making entries in the ledger。

Captain Zelotes looked up a moment later。  His gray eyes inspected
the pair and the expression on Albert's face caused them to twinkle
slightly。  〃Labe;〃 he said; 〃this is my grandson; Albert; the one I
told you was comin' to live with us。〃

Laban turned on the stool; regarded Albert over his spectacles; and
extended a hand。

〃Pleased to meet you;〃 he said。  〃Yes; yes 。 。 。  Yes; yes; yes。 。 。
Pleased to meet you。  Cap'n Lote said you was comin'erer
Alfred。  Howdy do。〃

They shook hands。  Mr。 Keeler's hand trembled a little; but that
was the only symptom of his recent 〃vacation〃 which the youth could
notice。  Certain vivid remembrances of his father's bad humor on
mornings following convivial evenings recurred to him。  Was it
possible that this odd; precise; dried…up little man had been on a
spree for four days?  It did not seem possible。  He looked more as
if he might be expected to rap on the desk and ask the school to
come to order。

〃Albert's goin' to take hold here with us in the office;〃 went on
Captain Lote。  〃You'll remember I spoke to you about that when we
talked about his comin'。  Al; LabeMr。 Keeler herewill start you
in larnin' to bookkeep。  He'll be your first mate from now on。
Don't forget you're a fo'mast hand yet awhile and the way for a
fo'mast hand to get ahead is to obey orders。  And don't;〃 he added;
with a quiet chuckle; 〃do any play…actin' or poetry…makin' when
it's your watch on deck。  Laban nor I ain't very strong for play…
actin'; are we; Labe?〃

Laban; to whom the reference was anything but clear; replied rather
vaguely that he didn't know as he was; very。  Albert's temper
flared up again。  His grandfather was sneering at him once more; he
was always sneering at him。  All right; let him sneernow。  Some
day he would be shown。  He scowled and turned away。  And Captain
Zelotes; noticing the scowl; was reminded of a scowl he had seen
upon the face of a Spanish opera singer some twe
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