children of the whirlwind-第30节

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in　the　thin　voice　of　the　bent；　gestureless　figure。

〃For　your　sake　I'm　sorry；　grandmother。　But　I　can't。〃

〃Then　it's　only　fair　to　tell　you；　Larry；〃　she　said　in　a　more　composed　tone　which　expressed　a　finality　of　decision；　〃that　if　there's　ever　anything　I　can　do　to　stop　this；　I'll　do　it。　For　she's　bad　for　you　what　with　her　stiff　spiritand　the　ideas　Old　Jimmie　has　put　into　herand　the　way　Old　Jimmie　has　brought　her　up。　I'll　stop　things　if　I　can。〃

Larry　made　no　reply。　The　Duchess　continued　looking　at　him　steadily　for　a　long　space。　He　knew　she　was　thinking；　and　he　was　wondering　what　was　passing　through　that　shrewd　old　brain；　when　she　remarked：

〃By　the　way；　Larry；　I　just　remembered　what　you　told　me　of　that　old　Sing　Sing　friendJoe　Ellison。　Have　you　heard　from　him　recently？〃

〃He's　out；　and　he's　working　where　I　am。〃

〃Yes？　What's　he　doing？〃

〃He's　working　there　as　a　gardener。〃

Again　she　was　silent　a　space；　her　sunken　eyes　steady　With　thought。　Then　she　said：

〃From　the　time　he　was　twenty　till　he　was　thirty　I　knew　Joe　Ellison　wellbetter　than　I've　ever　told　you。　He　knew　your　mother　when　she　was　a　girl；　Larry。　I　wish　you'd　ask　him　to　come　in　to　see　me。　As　soon　as　he　can　manage　it。〃

Larry　promised。　His　grandmother　said　no　more　about　Maggie；　and　presently　Larry　bade　her　good…night　and　made　his　cautious　way；　ever　on　the　lookout　for　danger；　to　where　he　had　left　his　roadster；　and　thence　safely　out　to　Cedar　Crest。　But　the　Duchess　sat　for　hours　exactly　as　he　had　left　her；　her　accounts　unheeded；　thinking；　thinking；　thinking　over　an　utterly　impossible　possibility　that　had　first　presented　itself　faintly　to　her　several　days　before。　She　did　not　see　how　the　thing　could　be；　and　yet　somehow　it　might　be；　for　many　a　strange　thing　did　happen　in　this　border　world　where　for　so　long　she　had　lived。　When　finally　she　went　to　bed　she　slept　little；　her　busy　conjectures　would　not　permit　sleep。　And　though　the　next　day　she　went　about　her　shop　seemingly　as　usual；　she　was　still　thinking。

That　night　Joe　Ellison　came。　They　met　as　though　they　had　last　seen　each　other　but　yesterday。

〃Good…evening；　Joe。〃

〃Glad　to　see　you；　Duchess。〃

She　held　out　to　him　a　box　of　the　best　cigars；　which　she　had　bought　against　his　coming；　for　she　had　remembered　Joe　Ellison's　once　fastidious　taste　regarding　tobacco。　He　lit　one；　and　they　fell　into　the　easy　silence　of　old　friends；　taking　up　their　friendship　exactly　where　it　had　been　broken　off。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　Joe　Ellison　might　have　been　her　son…in…law　but　for　her　own　firm　attitude。　He　had　known　her　daughter　very　much　better　than　her　words　to　Larry　the　previous　evening　had　indicated。　Not　only　had　Joe　known　her　while　a　girl　down　here；　but　much　later　he　had　learned　in　what　convent　she　was　going　to　school　and　there　had　been　surreptitious　love…making　despite　convent　rules　and　boundariestill　the　Duchess　had　learned　what　was　going　on。　She　had　had　a　square　out…and…out　talk　with　Joe；　the　romance　had　suddenly　ended；　and　later　Larry's　mother　had　married　elsewhere。　But　the　snuffed…out　romance　had　made　no　difference　in　the　friendship　between　the　Duchess　and　Joe；　each　had　recognized　the　other　as　square；　as　that　word　was　understood　in　their　border　world。

To　Joe　Ellison　the　Duchess　was　changed　but　little　since　twenty…odd　years　ago。　She　had　seemed　old　even　then；　though　as　a　youth　he　had　known　old　men　who　had　talked　of　her　beauty　when　a　young　woman　and　of　how　she　had　queened　it　among　the　reckless　spirits　of　that　far　time。　But　to　the　Duchess　the　change　in　Joe　Ellison　was　astounding。　She　had　last　seen　him　in　his　middle　thirties：　black…haired；　handsome；　careful　of　dress；　powerful　of　physique；　dominant；　fiery…tempered；　fearless　of　any　living　thing；　but　with　these　hot　qualities　checked　into　a　surface　appearance　of　unruffled　equanimity　by　his　self…control　and　his　habitual　reticence。　And　now　to　see　him　thin；　white…haired；　bent；　his　old　fire　seemingly　burned　to　gray　ashesthe　Duchess；　who　had　seen　much　in　her　generations；　was　almost　appalled　at　the　transformation。

At　first　the　Duchess　skillfully　guided　the　talk　among　commonplaces。

〃Larry　tells　me　you're　out　with　him。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Joe。　〃Larry's　been　a　mighty　good　pal。〃

〃What're　you　going　to　do　when　you　get　back　your　strength？〃

〃The　same　as　I'm　doing　nowif　they'll　let　me。〃

And　after　a　pause：　〃Perhaps　later；　if　I　had　the　necessary　capital；　I'd　like　to　start　a　little　nursery。　Or　else　grow　flowers　for　the　market。〃

〃Not　going　back　to　the　old　thing；　then？〃

Joe　shook　his　white　head。　〃I'm　all　through　there。　Flowers　are　a　more　interesting　proposition。〃

〃Whenever　you　get　ready　to　start；　Joe；　you　can　have　all　the　capital　you　want　from　me。　And　it　will　cost　you　nothing。　Or　if　you'd　rather　pay；　it'll　cost　you　the　same　as　at　a　banksix　per　cent。〃

〃Thanks。　I'll　remember。〃　Joe　Ellison　could　not　have　spoken　his　gratitude　more　strongly。

The　Duchess　now　carefully　guided　the　talk　in　the　direction　of　the　thing　of　which　she　had　thought　so　constantly。

〃By　the　way；　Joe；　Larry　told　me　something　about　you　I'd　never　heard　beforethat　you　had　been　married；　and　had　a　child。〃

〃Yes。　You　didn't　hear　because　I　wasn't　telling　anybody　about　it　when　it　happened；　and　it　never　came　out。〃

〃Mind　telling　me　about　it；　Joe？〃

He　pulled　at　his　perfecto　while　assembling　his　facts；　and　then　he　made　one　of　the　longest　speeches　Joe　Ellison〃Silent　Joe〃　some　of　his　friends　had　called　him　in　the　old　dayswas　ever　known　to　utter。　But　there　was　reason　for　its　length；　it　was　an　epitome　of　the　most　important　period　of　his　life。

〃I　had　a　nice　little　country　place　over　in　Jersey　for　three　or　four　years。　It　all　happened　there。　No　one　knew　me　for　what　I　was；　they　took　me　for　what　I　pretended　to　be；　a　small　capitalist　whose　interests　required　his　taking　occasional　trips。　Nice　neighbors。　That's　where　I　met　my　wife。　She　was　fine　every　way。　That's　why　I　kept　all　that　part　of　my　life　from　my　pals；　I　was　afraid　they　might　leak　and　the　truth　would　spoil　everything。　My　wife　was　an　orphan；　niece　of　the　widow　of　a　broker　who　lived　out　there。　She　never　knew　the　truth　about　me。　She　died　when　the　baby　was　born。　When　the　baby　was　a　year　and　a　half　my　big　smash　came；　and　I　went　up　the　river。　But　I　was　never　connected　up　with　the　man　who　lived　over　in　Jersey　and　who　suddenly　cancelled　his　lease　and　moved　away。〃

The　Duchess　drew　nearer　to　the　heart　of　her　thoughts。

〃Was　the　baby　a　boy　or　girl；　Joe？〃

〃Girl。〃

The　Duchess　did　not　so　much　as　blink。　〃How　old　would　she　be　by　this　time？〃

〃Eighteen。〃

〃What　was　her　name？〃

〃Maryafter　her　mother。　But　of　course　I　ordered　it　to　be　changed。　I　don't　know　what　her　name　is　now。〃

The　Duchess　pressed　closer。

〃What　became　of　her；　Joe？〃

A　glow　began　to　come　into　the　somber　eyes　of　Joe　Ellison。　〃I　told　you　her　mother　was　a　fine　woman；　and　she　never　knew　anything　bad　about　me。　I　wanted　my　girl　to　grow　up　like　her　mother。　I　wanted　her　to　have　as　good　a　chance　as　any　of　those　nice　girls　over　in　JerseyI　wanted　her　never　to　know　any　of　the　lot　I've　knownI　wanted　her　never　to　have　the　stain　of　knowing　her　father　was　a　crookI　wanted　her　never　to　know　even　who　her　father　was。〃

〃How　did　you　manage　it？〃

〃Her　mother　had　left　a　little　fortune；　about　twenty…five　thousand　twelve　or　fifteen　hundred　a　year。　I　turned　the　money　and　the　girl　over　to　my　best　paland　the　squarest　pal　a　man　ever　hadthe　only　one　I'd　let　know　about　my　Jersey　life。　I　told　him　what　to　do。　She　was　an　awfully　bright　little　thing；　at　a　year　and　a　half；　when　I　saw　her　last；　she　was　already　talking。　She　was　to　be　brought　up　among　nice；　simple　peoplego　to　a　good　schoolgrow　up　to　be　a　nice；　simple　girl。　And　especially　never　to　know　anything　about　me。　She　was　to　believe　herself　an　orphan。　And　my　pal　did　just　as　I　ordered。　He　wrote　me　how　she　was　getting　on　till　about　four　years　ago；　then　I　had　news　that　he　was　dead　and　that　the　trust　fund　had　been　transferred　to　a　firm　of　lawyers；　though　I　wasn't　given　the　name　of　the　lawyers。　That　doesn't　make　any　difference　since　she's　getting　the　money　just　the　same。

〃What　was　your　pal's　name；　Joe？〃

〃Jimmie　Carlisle。〃

The　Duchess　had　been　certain　what　this　name　would　be；　but　nevertheless　she　could　not　repress　a　start。

〃What's　the　matter？〃　Joe　asked　sharply。　〃Did　you　know　him？〃

〃Not　in　those　days；〃　said　the　Duchess；　recovering　her　even　tone。　〃Though　I　got　to　know　him　later。　By　the　way；〃　she　added　casually；　〃did　Jimmie　Carlisle　have　any　children　of　his　own？〃

〃Not　before　I　went　away。　He　wasn't　even　married。〃

There　was　now　no　slightest　doubt　left　in　the　Duchess's　mind。　Maggie　was　really　Joe　Ellison's　daughter。

Joe　Ellison　went　on；　the　glow　of　his　sunken　eyes　becoming　yet　more　exalted。　He　was　almost　voicing　his　thoughts　to　himself　alone；　for　his　friendship　with　the　Duchess　was　so　old　that　her　presence　was　no　inhibition。　His　low　words　were　almost　identical　in　substance　with　what　Larry　had　tolda　summary　of　what　had　come　to　be　his　one　great　hope　and　dream；　the　nearest　thing　he　had　to　a　religion。

〃Somewhere；　in　a　nice　place；　my　girl　is　now　growing　up　like　her　mother。　Clean　of　everything　I　was　and　I　knew。　She　must　be　practically　a　woman　now。　I　don't　know　where　she　isthere's　now　no　way　for　me　to　learn。　And　I　don't　want　to　know。　And　I　don't　want　her　ever　to　know