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Same as froth sets on top of a wave。'
that would have been all right and true。 But there； don't feel bad
about it。 It's only a little mistake； same as anybody's liable to
make。 Nine persons out of ten wouldn't have noticed it。 I'm extry
partic'lar； I presume likely。 I'm findin' mistakes like that all
the time。〃
Laban's comment was less critical； perhaps； but more reserved。
〃It's pretty good； Al；〃 he said。 〃Yeseryes； sir； it's pretty
good。 It ain't all new； there's some of it that's been written
before； but I rather guess that might have been said about
Shakespeare's poetry when he fust commenced。 It's pretty good； Al。
Yesyes； yes。 It is so。〃
Albert was inclined to resent the qualified strain in the
bookkeeper's praise。 He was tempted to be sarcastic。
〃Well；〃 he observed； 〃of course you've read so much real poetry
that you ought to know。〃
Laban nodded； slowly。 〃I've read a good deal；〃 he said quietly。
〃Readin' is one of the few things I ain't made a failure of in this
life。 Um…hm。 One of the few。 Yes yesyes。〃
He dipped his pen in the inkwell and carefully made an entry in the
ledger。 His assistant felt a sudden pang of compunction。
〃I beg your pardon； Mr。 Keeler；〃 he said。 〃That was pretty fresh
of me。 I'm sorry。〃
Laban looked up in mild surprise。 〃Sorry？〃 he repeated。 〃What
for？ 。 。 。 Oh； that's all right； Al； that's all right。 Lord knows
I'm the last one on earth who'd ought to criticize anybody。 All I
had in mind in sayin' what I did was towell； to kind of keep you
from bein' too well satisfied and not try harder on the next one。
It don't pay to be too well satisfied。 。 。 。 Years ago； I can
remember； _I_ was pretty well satisfiedwith myself and my work。
Sounds like a joke； I know； but 'twas so。 。 。 。 Well； I've had a
nice long chance to get over it。 Um…hm。 Yesyes。 So I have； so
I have。〃
Only Captain Zelotes at first said nothing about the poem。 He read
it； his wife saw to that； but his comment even to her was a non…
committal grunt。
〃But don't you think it's real sort of pretty； Zelotes？〃 she asked。
The captain grunted again。 〃Why； I guess likely 'tis if you say
so； Mother。 I don't know much about such things。〃
〃But everybody says it is。〃
〃Want to know！ Well； then 'twon't make much difference whether I
say it or not。〃
〃But ain't you goin' to say a word to Albert about it； Zelotes？〃
〃Humph！ I don't know's I know what to say。〃
〃Why； say you like it。〃
〃Ye…es； and if I do he'll keep on writin' more。 That's exactly
what I don't want him to do。 Come now； Mother； be sensible。 This
piece of his may be good or it may not； _I_ wouldn't undertake to
say。 But this I do know： I don't want the boy to spend his time
writin' poetry slush for that 'Poets' Corner。' Letitia Makepeace
did thatshe had a piece in there about every weekand she died
in the Taunton asylum。〃
〃But； Zelotes； it wasn't her poetry got her into the asylum。〃
〃Wan't it？ Well； she was in the poorhouse afore that。 I don't
know whether 'twas her poetryin' that got her in there； but I know
darned well it didn't get her out。〃
〃But ain't you goin' to say one word？ 'Twould encourage him so。〃
〃Good Lord！ We don't want to encourage him； do we？ If he was
takin' to thievin' you wouldn't encourage him in that； would you？〃
〃Thievin'！ Zelotes Snow； you don't mean to say you compare a poet
to a THIEF！〃
The captain grinned。 〃No…o； Mother；〃 he observed drily。 〃Sometimes
a thief can manage to earn a livin' at his job。 But there； there；
don't feel bad。 I'll say somethin' to Al； long's you think I ought
to。〃
The something was not much； and yet Captain Zelotes really meant it
to be kindly and to sound like praise。 But praising a thing of
which you have precious little understanding and with which you
have absolutely no sympathy is a hard job。
〃See you had a piece in the Item this week； Al；〃 observed the
captain。
〃Whyyes； sir；〃 said Albert。
〃Um…hm。 I read it。 I don't know much about such things； but they
tell me it is pretty good。〃
〃Thank you； sir。〃
〃Eh？ Oh； you're welcome。〃
That was all。 Perhaps considering its source it was a good deal；
but Albert was not of the age where such considerations are likely
to be made。
Helen's praise was warm and enthusiastic。 〃I knew you could do it
if you only would；〃 she declared。 〃And oh； I'm SO glad you did！
Now you must keep on trying。〃
That bit of advice was quite superfluous。 Young Speranza having
sampled the sublime intoxication of seeing himself in print； was
not ready to sober off yet a while。 He continued to bombard the
Item with verses。 They were invariably accepted； but when he sent
to a New York magazine a poem which he considered a gem； the
promptness with which it was returned staggered his conceit and was
in that respect a good thing for him。
However； he kept on trying。 Helen would not have permitted him to
give up even if he had wished。 She was quite as much interested in
his literary aspirations as he was himself and her encouragement
was a great help to him。 After months of repeated trial and
repeated rejection he opened an envelope bearing the name of a
fairly well…known periodical to find therein a kindly note stating
that his poem； 〃Sea Spaces〃 had been accepted。 And a week later
came a check for ten dollars。 That was a day of days。 Incidentally
it was the day of a trial balance in the office and the assistant
bookkeeper's additions and multiplications contained no less than
four ghastly errors。
The next afternoon there was an interview in the back office。
Captain Zelotes and his grandson were the participants。 The
subject discussed was 〃Business versus Poetry；〃 and there was a
marked difference of opinion。 Albert had proclaimed his triumph at
home； of course； had exhibited his check； had been the recipient of
hugs and praises from his grandmother and had listened to paeans
and hallelujahs from Mrs。 Ellis。 When he hurried around to the
parsonage after supper； Helen had been excited and delighted at the
good news。 Albert had been patted on the back quite as much as was
good for a young man whose bump of self…esteem was not inclined
toward under…development。 When he entered the private office of Z。
Snow and Co。 in answer to his grandfather's summons； he did so
light…heartedly； triumphantly； with self…approval written large
upon him。
But though he came like a conquering hero； he was not received like
one。 Captain Zelotes sat at his desk； the copy of the Boston
morning paper which he had been reading sticking out of the waste
basket into which it had been savagely jammed a half hour before。
The news had not been to the captain's liking。 These were the
September days of 1914； the German Kaiser was marching forward 〃mit
Gott〃 through Belgium； and it began to look as if he could not be
stopped short of Paris。 Consequently； Captain Zelotes； his
sympathies from the first with England and the Allies； was not
happy in his newspaper reading。
Albert entered； head erect and eyes shining。 If Gertie Kendrick
could have seen him then she would have fallen down and worshiped。
His grandfather looked at him in silence for a moment； tapping his
desk with the stump of a pencil。 Albert； too； was silent； he was
already thinking of another poem with which to dazzle the world；
and his head was among the rosy clouds。
〃Sit down； Al；〃 said Captain Zelotes shortly。
Albert reluctantly descended to earth and took the battered
armchair standing beside the desk。 The captain tapped with his
pencil upon the figure…covered sheet of paper before him。 Then he
said：
〃Al； you've been here three years come next December； ain't you？〃
〃Whyyes； sir； I believe I have。〃
〃Um…hm； you have。 And for the heft of that time you've been in
this office。〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃Yes。 And Labe Keeler and I have been doin' our best to make a
business man out of you。 You understand we have； don't you？〃
Albert looked puzzled and a little uneasy。 Into his roseate dreams
was just beginning to filter the idea that his grandfather's tone
and manner were peculiar。
〃Why； yes； sir； of course I understand it；〃 he replied。
〃Well； I asked you because I wasn't quite sure whether you did or
not。 Can you guess what this is I've got on my desk here？〃
He tapped the figure…covered sheet of paper once more。 Before
Albert could speak the captain answered his own question。
〃I'll tell you what it is；〃 he went on。 〃It's one of the latest
samples of your smartness as a business man。 I presume likely you
know that Laban worked here in this office until three o'clock this
mornin'； didn't you？〃
Albert did not know it。 Mr。 Keeler had told him nothing of the
sort。
〃Why； no；〃 he replied。 〃Did he？ What for？〃
〃Ye…es； he did。 And what for？ Why； just to find out what was the
matter with his trial balance； that's all。 When one of Labe's
trial balances starts out for snug harbor and ends up on a reef
with six foot of water in her hold； naturally Labe wants to get her
afloat and pumped dry as quick as possible。 He ain't used to it；
for one thing； and it makes him nervous。〃
Albert's uneasiness grew。