children of the whirlwind-第32节

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Larry　decided　to　manipulate　his　design　through　Dick　Sherwood。　Late　that　afternoon；　when　Dick；　just　returned　from　the　city；　dropped　into；　as　was　his　before…dinner　custom；　the　office…study　which　had　been　set　aside　for　Larry's　use；　Larry；　after　an　adroit　approach　to　his　subject；　continued：

〃And　since　I've　been　wished　on　you　as　a　sort　of　step…uncle；　there's　something　I'd　like　to　suggestif　I　don't　seem　to　be　fairly　jimmying　my　way　into　your　affairs。〃

〃Door's　unlocked　and　wide　open；　Captain；〃　said　Dick。　〃Walk　right　in　and　take　the　best　chair。〃

〃Thanks。　Remember　telling　me　about　a　young　woman　you　recently　met？　A　Miss　MaggieMaggie〃

〃Miss　Cameron；〃　Dick　prompted。　〃Of　course　I　remember。〃

〃And　remember　your　telling　me　that　this　time　it's　the　real　thing？〃

〃And　it　IS　the　real　thing！〃

〃You　haven'texcuse　measked　her　to　marry　you　yet？〃

〃No。　I've　been　trying　to　get　up　my　nerve。〃

〃Here's　where　you've　got　to　excuse　me　once　more；　Dickit's　not　my　business　to　tell　you　what　should　be　your　relations　with　your　family　but　have　you　told　your　sister？〃

〃No。〃　Dick　hesitated。　〃I　suppose　I　should。　But　I　hadn't　thought　of　it…　…yet。　You　see〃　Again　Dick　hesitated。

〃Yes？〃　prompted　Larry。

〃There　are　her　relativesthat　cousin　and　uncle。　I　guess　it　must　have　been　my　thinking　of　them　that　prevented　my　thinking　of　what　you　suggest。〃

〃But　you　told　me　they　hadn't　interfered　much；　and　never　would　interfere。〃　Larry　gently　pressed　his　point：　〃And　look　at　it　from　Miss　Cameron's　angle　of　view。　If　it's　the　real　thing；　and　you're　behaving　that　way　toward　her；　hasn't　she　good　grounds　for　thinking　it　strange　that　you　haven't　introduced　her　to　your　family？〃

〃By　George；　you're　right；　Captain！　I'll　see　to　that　at　once。〃

〃Of　course；　Dick；〃　Larry　went　on；　carefully　feeling　his　way；　〃you　know　much　better　than　I　the　proper　way　to　do　such　thingsbut　don't　you　think　it　would　be　rather　nice；　when　you　tell　your　sister；　that　you　suggest　to　her　that　she　invite　Miss　Cameron　out　here　for　a　little　visit？　If　they　are　to　meet；　I　know　Miss　Cameron；　or　any　girl；　would　take　it　as　more　of　a　tribute　to　be　received　in　your　own　home　than　merely　to　meet　in　a　big　commonplace　hotel。〃

〃Right　again；　Captain！　I'd　tell　Isabel　to…night；　and　ask　her　to　send　the　invitationonly　I'm　booked　to　scoot　right　back　to　the　city　for　a　little　party　as　soon　as　I　get　some　things　together；　and　I'll　stay　overnight　in　the　apartment。　But　I'll　attend　to　the　thing　to…morrow　night；　sure。〃

〃May　I　ask　just　one　favor　in　the　meantime？〃

〃One　favor？　A　dozen；　Captain！〃

〃I'll　take　the　other　eleven　later。　Just　now　I　only　ask；　since　you　haven't　proposed；　that　you　won'tercommit　yourself　any　further；　in　any　way；　with　Miss　Cameron　until　after　you've　told　your　sister　and　until　after　Miss　Cameron　has　been　out　here。〃

〃Oh；　I　say　now！〃　protested　Dick。

〃I　am　merely　suggesting　that　affairs　remain　in　statu　quo　until　after　Miss　Cameron's　visit　with　your　sister。　That's　not　asking　much　of　you；　Dicknor　asking　it　for　a　very　long　time。〃

〃Oh；　of　course　I'll　do　it；　Captain；〃　grumbled　Dick　affectionately。　〃You've　got　me　where　I'll　do　almost　anything　you　want　me　to　do。〃

But　Dick　did　not　speak　to　his　sister　the　following　evening。　The　next　morning　news　came　to　Miss　Sherwood　of　a　friend's　illness；　and　she　and　her　novel…reading　aunt　hurried　off　at　once　on　what　was　to　prove　to　be　a　week's　absence。　But　this　delay　in　his　plan　did　not　worry　Larry　greatly　as　it　otherwise　would　have　done；　for　Dick　repeated　his　promise　to　hold　a　stiff　rein　upon　himself　until　after　he　should　have　spoken　to　his　sister。　And　Larry　believed　he　could　rely　upon　Dick's　pledged　word。

During　this　week　of　waiting　and　necessary　inactivity　Larry　concentrated　upon　another　phase　of　his　many…sided　planto　make　of　himself　a　business　success。　As　has　been　said；　he　saw　his　chance　of　this　in　the　handling　of　Miss　Sherwood's　affairs；　and　saw　it　particularly　in　an　idea　that　had　begun　to　grow　upon　him　since　he　became　aware；　through　statements　and　letters　from　the　agents　turned　over　to　him；　of　the　extent　of　the　Sherwood　real…estate　holdings　and　since　he　had　got　some　glimmering　of　their　condition。　His　previous　venturings　about　the　city　had　engendered　in　him　a　sense　of　moderate　security；　so　he　now　began　to　make　flying　trips　into　New　York　in　the　smart　roadster　Miss　Sherwood　had　placed　at　his　disposal。

On　each　trip　Larry　made　swift　visits　to　several　of　the　properties；　until　finally　he　had　covered　the　entire　list　Miss　Sherwood　had　furnished　him　through　the　agents。　His　survey　corroborated　his　surmise。　The　property；　mostly　neglected　apartment　and　tenement　houses；　was　in　an　almost　equally　bad　way　whether　one　regarded　it　from　the　standpoint　of　sanitation；　comfort；　or　cold　financial　returns。　The　fault　for　this　was　due　to　the　fact　that　the　Sherwoods　had　left　the　property　entirely　in　the　care　of　the　agents；　and　the　agents；　being　old；　old…fashioned；　and　weary　of　business　to　the　point　of　being　almost　ready　to　retire；　had　left　the　property　to　itself。

Prompted　by　these　bad　conditions；　and　to　some　degree　by　the　then　critical　housing　famine；　with　its　records　of　some　thousands　of　families　having　no　place　at　all　to　go　and　some　thousands　of　families　being　compelled　for　the　sake　of　mere　shelter　to　pay　two　and　three　times　what　they　could　afford　for　a　few　poor　rooms；　and　with　its　records　of　profiteering　landlords；　Larry　began　to　make　notes　for　a　plan　which　he　intended　later　to　elaboratea　plan　which　he　tentatively　entitled：　〃Suggestions　for　the　Development　of　Sherwood　Real…Estate　Holdings。〃　Larry；　knowing　from　the　stubs　of　Miss　Sherwood's　checkbook　what　would　be　likely　to　please　her；　gave　as　much　consideration　to　Service　as　to　Profit。　The　basis　of　his　growing　plan　was　good　apartments　at　fair　rentals。　That　he　saw　as　the　greatest　of　public　services　in　the　present　crisis。　But　the　return　upon　the　investment　had　to　be　a　reasonable　one。　Larry　did　not　believe　in　Charity；　except　for　extreme　cases。　He　believed；　and　his　belief　had　grown　out　of　a　wide　experience　with　many　kinds　of　people；　that　Charity；　of　course　to　a　smaller　extent；　was　as　definitely　a　source　of　social　evil　as　the　then　much…talked…of　Profiteering。

In　the　meantime　he　was　seeing　his　old　friend；　Joe　Ellison；　every　day；　perhaps　smoking　with　Ellison　in　his　cottage　after　he　had　finished　his　day's　work　among　the　roses；　perhaps　walking　along　the　bluff　which　hung　above　the　Sound；　whose　cool；　clear　waters　splashed　with　vacation　laziness　upon　the　shingle。　The　two　men　rarely　spoke；　and　never　of　the　past。　Larry　was　well　acquainted　with；　and　understood；　the　older　man's　deep…rooted　wish　to　avoid　all　talk　bearing　upon　deeds　and　associates　of　other　days；　that　was　a　part　of　his　life　and　a　phase　of　existence　that　Joe　Ellison　was　trying　to　forget；　and　Larry　by　his　silence　deferred　to　his　friend's　desire。

On　the　day　after　Joe　Ellison's　visit　to　the　Duchess；　Larry　had　received　a　note　from　his　grandmother；　addressed；　of　course；　to　〃Mr。　Brandon。〃　There　was　no　danger　in　her　writing　Larry　if　she　took　adequate　precautions：　mail　addressed　to　Cedar　Crest　was　not　bothered　by　postal　and　police　officials；　it　was　only　mail　which　came　to　the　house　of　the　Duchess　which　received　the　attention　of　these　gentlemen。

The　note　was　one　which　the　Duchess；　after　that　night　of　thought　which　had　so　shaken　her　old　heart；　had　decided　to　be　a　necessity　if　her　plan　of　never　telling　of　her　discovery　of　Maggie's　real　paternity　were　to　be　a　success。　The　major　portion　of　her　note　dwelt　upon　a　generality　with　which　Larry　already　was　acquainted：　Joe's　desire　to　keep　clear　of　all　talk　touching　upon　the　deeds　and　the　people　of　his　past。　And　then　in　a　careless…seeming　last　sentence　the　Duchess　packed　the　carefully　calculated　substance　of　her　entire　note：

〃It　may　not　be　very　importantbut　particularly　avoid　ever　mentioning　the　mere　name　of　Jimmie　Carlisle。　They　used　to　know　each　other；　and　their　acquaintance　is　about　the　bitterest　thing　Joe　Ellison　has　to　remember。〃

Of　course　he'd　never　mention　Old　Jimmie　Carlisle；　Larry　said　to　himself　as　he　destroyed　the　notenever　guessing；　in　making　this　natural　response　to　what　seemed　a　most　natural　request；　that　he　had　become　an　unconscious　partner　in　the　plan　of　the　warm…hearted；　scheming　Duchess。

There　was　one　detail　of　Joe　Ellison's　behavior　which　aroused　Larry's　mild　curiosity。　Directly　beneath　one　of　Joe's　gardens；　hardly　a　hundred　yards　away；　was　a　bit　of　beach　and　a　pavilion　which　were　used　in　common　by　the　families　from　the　surrounding　estates。　The　girls　and　younger　women　were　just　home　from　schools　and　colleges；　and　at　high　tide　were　always　on　the　beach。　At　this　period；　whenever　he　was　at　Cedar　Crest；　Larry　saw　Joe；　his　work　apparently　forgotten；　gazing　fixedly　down　upon　the　young　figures　splashing　about　the　water　in　their　bright　bathing…suits　or　lounging　about　the　pavilion　in　their　smart　summer　frocks。

This　interest　made　Larry　wonder；　though　to　be　sure　not　very　seriously。　For　he　had　never　a　guess　of　how　deep　Joe's　interest　was。　He　did　not　know；　could　not　know；　that　that　tall；　fixed　figure；　with　its　one　absorbing　idea；　was　thinking　of　his　daughter。　He　could　not　know　that　Joe　Ellison；　emotionally　elated　and　with　a　hungry；　self…denying　affection　that　reached　out　toward　them　all；　was　seeing　his　daughter　as　just　such