按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
a pretty lonesome place； I cal'late。 Your grandma'll miss you
dreadful and so will I； butbut I have a notion that your
grandpa's goin' to miss you more'n anybody else。〃
He shook his head。 〃Oh； not as much as all that； Rachel；〃 he said。
〃He and I have been getting on much better than we used to and we
have come to understand each other better； but he is still
disappointed in me。 I'm afraid I don't count for much as a
business man； you see； and； besides； Grandfather can never quite
forget that I am the son of what he calls a Portygee play actor。〃
Mrs。 Ellis looked at him earnestly。 〃He's forgettin' it better
every day； Albert；〃 she said。 〃I do declare I never believed
Capt'n Lote Snow could forget it the way he's doin'。 And you
well； you've forgot a whole lot； too。 Memory's a good thing； the
land knows；〃 she added； sagely； 〃but a nice healthy forgetery is
worth consider'blesome times and in some cases。〃
Issachar Price's comments on his fellow employee's decision to
become a soldier were pointed。 Issy was disgusted。
〃For thunder sakes； Al；〃 he demanded； 〃'tain't true that you've
enlisted to go to war and fight them Germans； is it？〃
Albert smiled。 〃I guess it is； Issy；〃 he replied。
〃Well； by crimus！〃
〃Somebody had to go； you see； Is。〃
〃Well； by crimustee！〃
〃What's the matter； Issy？ Don't you approve？〃
〃Approve！ No； by crimus； I don't approve！ I think it's a divil of
a note； that's what I think。〃
〃Why？〃
〃WHY？ Who's goin' to do the work in this office while you're gone？
Labe and me； that's who； and I'll do the heft of it。 Slavin'
myself half to death as 'tis and now Oh； by crimustee！ This war
is a darned nuisance。 It hadn't ought to be allowed。 There'd
ought to be a law against it。〃
But of all the interviews which followed Albert's decision the most
surprising and that which he was the least likely to forget was his
interview with Laban Keeler。 It took place on the evening of the
third day following the announcement of his intention to enlist。
All that day； and indeed for several days； Albert had noted in the
little bookkeeper certain symptoms； familiar symptoms they were and
from experience the young man knew what they portended。 Laban was
very nervous； his fingers twitched as he wrote； occasionally he
rose from his chair and walked up and down the room； he ran his
hand through his scanty hair； he was inclined to be irritablethat
is； irritable for him。 Albert had noted the symptoms and was
sorry。 Captain Zelotes noted them and frowned and pulled his
beard。
〃Al；〃 he said to his grandson； 〃if you can put off goin' up to
enlist for a little spell； a few days； I wish you would。 Labe's
gettin' ready to go on one of his vacations。〃
Albert nodded。 〃I'm afraid he is；〃 he said。
〃Oh； it's as sartin as two and two makes four。 I've lived with him
too many years not to know the signs。 And I did hope；〃 he added；
regretfully； 〃that maybe he was tryin' to break off。 It's been a
good long spell； an extry long spell； since he had his last spree。
Ah hum！ it's a pity a good man should have that weak spot in him；
ain't it？ But if you could hang around a few more days； while the
vacation's goin' on； I'd appreciate it； Al。 I kind of hate to be
left here alone with nobody but Issachar to lean on。 Issy's a good
deal like a post in some ways； especially in the makeup of his
head； but he's too ricketty to lean on for any length of time。〃
That evening Albert went to the post…office for the mail。 On his
way back as he passed the dark corner by the now closed and
shuttered moving…picture theater he was hailed in a whisper。
〃Al；〃 said a voice； 〃Al。〃
Albert turned and peered into the deep shadow of the theater
doorway。 In the summer this doorway was a blaze of light and
gaiety； now it was cold and bleak and black enough。 From the
shadow a small figure emerged on tiptoe。
〃Al；〃 whispered Mr。 Keeler。 〃That's you； ain't it？ Yes； yesyes；
yes； yesI thought 'twas； I thought so。〃
Albert was surprised。 For one thing it was most unusual to see the
little bookkeeper abroad after nine…thirty。 His usual evening
procedure； when not on a vacation； was to call upon Rachel Ellis at
the Snow place for an hour or so and then to return to his room
over Simond's shoe store； which room he had occupied ever since the
building was erected。
There he read； so people said； until eleven sharp； when his lamp was
extinguished。 During or at the beginning of the vacation periods he
usually departed for some unknown destination； destinations which；
apparently； varied。 He had been seen； hopelessly intoxicated； in
Bayport； in Ostable； in Boston； once in Providence。 When he
returned he never seemed to remember exactly where he had been。
And； as most people were fond of and pitied him； few questions were
asked。
〃Why； Labe！〃 exclaimed Albert。 〃Is that you？ What's the matter？〃
〃Busy； are you； Al？〃 queried Laban。 〃In a hurry； eh？ Are you？ In
a hurry； Al； eh？〃
〃Why no； not especially。〃
〃Could youcould you spare me two or three minutes？ Two or three
minutesyes； yes？ Come up to my room； could youcould you； Al？〃
〃Yes indeed。 But what is it； Labe？〃
〃I want to talk。 Want to talk； I do。 Yes； yes； yes。 Saw you go
by and I've been waitin' for you。 Waitin'yes； I haveyes。〃
He seized his assistant by the arm and led him across the road
toward the shoe store。 Albert felt the hand on his arm tremble
violently。
〃Are you cold； Labe？〃 he asked。 〃What makes you shiver so？〃
〃Eh？ Cold？ No； I ain't coldno； no； no。 Come； Al； come。〃
Albert sniffed suspiciously； but no odor of alcohol rewarded the
sniff。 Neither was there any perfume of peppermint； Mr。 Keeler's
transparent camouflage at a vacation's beginning。 And Laban was
not humming the refrain glorifying his 〃darling hanky…panky。〃
Apparently he had not yet embarked upon the spree which Captain
Lote had pronounced imminent。 But why did he behave so queerly？
〃I ain't the way you think； Al；〃 declared the little man； divining
his thought。 〃I'm just kind of shaky and nervous； that's all。
That's all； that's all； that's all。 Yes； yes。 Come； come！ COME！〃
The last 〃come〃 burst from him in an agony of impatience。 Albert
hastened up the narrow stairs； Laban leading the way。 The latter
fumbled with a key； his companion heard it rattling against the
keyhole plate。 Then the door opened。 There was a lamp； its wick
turned low； burning upon the table in the room。 Mr。 Keeler turned
it up； making a trembly job of the turning。 Albert looked about
him； he had never been in that room before。
It was a small room and there was not much furniture in it。 And it
was a neat room； for the room of an old bachelor who was his own
chambermaid。 Most things seemed to have places where they belonged
and most of them appeared to be in those places。 What impressed
Albert even more was the number of books。 There were books
everywhere； in the cheap bookcase； on the pine shelf between the
windows； piled in the corners； heaped on the table beside the lamp。
They were worn and shabby volumes for the most part； some with but
half a cover remaining； some with none。 He picked up one of the
latter。 It was Locke on The Human Understanding； and next it； to
his astonishment； was Alice's Adventures in Wonderland。
Mr。 Keeler looked over his shoulder and； for an instant； the
whimsical smile which was characteristic of him curved his lip。
〃Philosophy； Al；〃 he observed。 〃If Locke don't suit you try the
'mad hatter' feller。 I get consider'ble comfort out of the hatter；
myself。 Do you remember when the mouse was tellin' the story about
the three sisters that lived in the well？ He said they lived on
everything that began with M。 Alice says 'Why with an M？' And the
hatter； or the March hare； I forget which 'twas； says prompt； 'Why
not？' 。 。 。 Yes； yes； why not？ that's what he said。 。 。 。 There's
some philosophy in that； Al。 Why does a hen go across the road？
Why not？ Why is Labe Keeler a disgrace to all his friends and the
town he lives in？ Why not？ 。 。 。 Eh？ 。 。 。 Yes； yes。 That's it
why not？〃
He smiled again； but there was bitterness and not humor in the
smile。 Albert put a hand on his shoulder。
〃Why； Labe；〃 he asked； in concern； 〃what is it？〃
Laban turned away。
〃Don't mind； me； Al；〃 he said； hurriedly。 〃I mean don't mind if I
act funny。 I'mI'm kind ofof Oh； good Lord A'mighty； DON'T
look at me like that！ 。 。 。 I beg your pardon； Al。 I didn't mean
to bark like a dog at you。 No； I didn'tno； no。 Forgive me； will
you？ Will you； Al； eh？〃
〃Of course I will。 But what is the matter； Labe？ Sit down and
tell me about it。〃
Instead of sitting the little bookkeeper began to walk up and down。
〃Don't mind me； Al；〃 he said； hurriedly。 〃Don't mind me。 Let me
go my own gait。 My own gaityes； yes。 You see； Al； II'm tryin'
to enlist； same as you're goin' to do； andand MY fight's begun
already。 Yes indeedyes； yesit has so。〃
Albert was more astonished than ever。 There was no smell of
alcohol； and Keeler had declared that he had not been drinking；
but
〃You're going to ENLIST？〃 repeated Albert。 〃YOU？ Why； Labe； w