children of the whirlwind-第45节

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e　plastic！　Not　Joe　Ellison　or　Old　Jimmie　Carlisle；　who　had　almost　lived　out　their　lives　and　whose　natures　were　now　settled　into　what　they　would　be　until　the　end。　By　playing　upon　the　finer　elements　in　Maggie's　character　he　had　all　but　succeeded　in　rousing　to　dominance　that　best　nature　which　existed　within　her。　He　would　privately　tell　Maggie　the　truth；　and　tell　only　her　and　leave　the　using　of　that　knowledge　to　her　alone。　The　shock　of　that　knowledge；　the　effect　of　its　revelations　upon　her；　together　with　the　responsibility　of　what　she　should　do　with　this　information；　might　be　just　the　final　forces　necessary　to　make　Maggie　break　away　from　all　that　she　had　been　and　swing　over　to　all　that　he　believed　she　might　be。

Yes；　that　was　the　thing　to　do！　And　he　would　do　it　within　the　next　twelve　hours；　for　Dick　had　told　him　that　Maggie　was　coming　out　again　to　Cedar　Crest　on　the　afternoon　of　the　day　which　was　now　rousing　from　its　sleep。　That　is；　he　would　do　it　if　the　police　or　the　allies　of　his　one…time　friends　did　not　locate　him　before　Maggie　came。　But　of　that　he　had　no　serious　fear；　he　knew　he　had　made　a　clean　get…away　from　the　Grantham；　and　that　the　shrewd　Duchess　had　left　no　scent　by　which　those　bloodhounds　of　the　Police　Department　could　trail　her。

Larry　did　not　even　try　to　sleep；　he　knew　it　would　be　of　no　avail。　Back　in　his　own　room　he　sat　going　over　the　situation；　and　his　decision。　He　tingled　with　the　sense　of　the　tremendous　power　which　had　been　delivered　into　his　hands。　Yes；　tremendous！　But　what　were　going　to　be　Maggie's　reactions　the　moment　he　told　her？just　what　would　be　her　course　after　she　knew　the　truth？




CHAPTER　XXX


Larry　undressed；　had　a　bath；　shaved；　dressed　again；　and　started　to　work。　But　that　day　the　most　Larry　did　was　abstractedly　going　through　the　motions　of　work。　He　was　completely　filled　with　the　situation　and　its　many　questions；　and　with　the　suspense　of　waiting　for　Maggie　to　come　and　of　how　he　was　going　to　manage　to　see　her　privately。

The　meeting；　however；　proved　no　difficulty；　for　Maggie；　who　arrived　at　four；　had　come　primarily　on　Larry's　account　and　she　herself　maneuvered　the　encounter。　While　they　were　on　the　piazza；　Dick　having　gone　into　the　house　for　a　fresh　supply　of　cigarettes；　and　Miss　Sherwood　being　in　an　animated　discussion　with　Hunt；　Maggie　said：

〃Miss　Sherwood；　I've　never　had　a　real　look　down　at　the　Sound　from　the　edge　of　your　bluff。　Do　you　mind　if　Mr。　Brandon　shows　me？〃

〃Not　at　all。　Tea　won't　be　served　for　half　an　hour；　so　take　your　time。　Have　Mr。　Brandon　show　you　the　view　from　just　the　other　side　of　that　old　rose…bench；　that's　the　best　view。〃

They　walked　away　chatting　mechanically　until　they　were　in　a　garden　seat　behind　the　rose…bench。　The　rose…bench　was　a　rather　sorry　affair；　for　it　had　been　set　out　in　this　exposed　place　by　a　former　gardener　who　had　forgotten　that　the　direct　winds　from　the　Sound　are　malgracious　to　roses。　However；　it　screened　the　two；　and　was　far　enough　removed　so　that　ordinary　tones　would　not　carry　to　the　house。

〃Did　your　grandmother　get　you　word　about　the　police？〃　Maggie　asked　with　suppressed　excitement　as　soon　as　they　were　seated。

〃Yes。　She　came　out　here　about　midnight。〃

〃Then　why；　while　you　still　had　time；　didn't　you　get　farther　away　from　New　York　than　this？〃

〃If　I'm　to　be　caught；　I'm　to　be　caught；　in　the　meantime；　this　is　as　safe　a　place　as　any　other　for　me。　Besides；　I　wanted　to　have　at　least　one　more　talk　with　youafter　something　new　grandmother　told　me　about　you。〃

〃Something　new　about　me？〃　echoed　Maggie；　startled　by　his　grave　tone。　〃What？〃

〃About　your　father；〃　he　said；　watching　closely　for　the　effect　upon　her　of　his　revelations。

〃What　about　my　father？　What's　he　been　doing　that　I　don't　know　about？〃

〃You　do　not　know　a　single　thing　that　your　father　has　done。〃

〃What！〃

〃Because　you　do　not　know　who　your　father　is。〃

〃What！〃　she　gasped。

〃Listen；　Maggie。　What　I'm　going　to　tell　you　may　seem　unbelievable；　but　you've　got　to　believe　it；　because　it's　the　truth。　I　can　see　that　you　have　proofs　if　you　want　proofs。　But　you　can　accept　what　I　tell　you　as　absolute　facts。　You　are　by　birth　a　very　different　person　from　what　you　believe　yourself。　Your　father　is　not　Jimmie　Carlisle。　And　your　mother…　…〃

〃Larry！〃　She　tensely　gripped　his　arm。

〃Your　mother　was　of　a　good　family。　I　imagine　something　like　Miss　Sherwood's　kindthough　not　so　rich　and　not　having　such　social　standing。　She　died　when　you　were　born。　She　never　knew　what　your　father's　business　actually　was；　he　passed　for　a　country　gentleman。　He　was　about　the　smoothest　and　biggest　crook　of　his　time；　and　a　straight　crook　if　there　is　such　a　thing。〃

〃Larry！〃　she　breathed。

〃He　kept　this　gentleman…farmer　side　of　his　life　and　his　marriage　entirely　hidden　from　his　crook　acquaintances；　that　is；　from　all　except　one　whom　he　trusted　as　his　most　loyal　friend。　Before　you　were　old　enough　to　remember；　he　was　tripped　up　and　sent　away　on　a　twenty…year　sentence。〃

〃And　he'she's　still　in　prison？〃　whispered　Maggie。

Larry　did　not　heed　the　interruption。　〃He　had　developed　the　highest　kind　of　ambition　for　you。　He　wanted　you　to　grow　up　a　fine　simple　woman　like　your　mothersomething　like　Miss　Sherwood。　He　did　not　want　you　ever　to　know　the　sort　of　life　he　had　known；　and　he　did　not　want　you　to　be　handicapped　by　the　knowledge　that　you　had　a　crook　for　a　father。　He　still　had　intact　your　mother's　fortune；　a　small　one；　but　an　honest　one。　So　he　put　you　and　the　money　in　the　hands　of　his　trusted　friend；　with　the　instructions　that　you　were　to　be　brought　up　as　the　girls　of　the　nicest　families　are　brought　up；　and　believing　yourself　an　orphan。〃

〃That　friend　of　his；　Larry？〃　she　whispered　tensely。

〃Jimmie　Carlisle。〃

〃Ooh！〃

〃I　don't　know　what　Jimmie　Carlisle's　motives　were　for　what　he　has　done。　Perhaps　to　get　your　money；　perhaps　some　grudge　against　your　father；　which　he　was　afraid　to　show　while　your　father　was　free；　for　your　father　was　always　his　master。　But　Old　Jimmie　has　brought　you　up　exactly　contrary　to　the　orders　he　received。　If　revenge　was　Old　Jimmie's　motive；　his　cunning；　cowardly　brain　could　not　have　conceived　a　more　diabolical　revenge；　one　that　would　hurt　your　father　more。　Till　a　few　years　ago；　when　word　was　sent　to　your　father　that　Old　Jimmie　was　dead；　Jimmie　regularly　wrote　your　father　about　the　success　of　his　plan；　about　how　splendidly　you　were　developing　and　getting　on　with　the　best　people。　And　your　fatherI　knew　him　in　prisonnow　believes　you　have　grown　up　into　exactly　the　kind　of　young　woman　he　planned。〃

〃Larry！〃　she　choked　in　a　numbed　voice。　〃Larry！〃

〃Your　father　is　now　as　happy　as　it　is　possible　for　him　to　be；　for　he　has　lived　for　years　and　still　lives　in　the　belief　that　his　great　dream；　the　only　big　thing　left　for　him　to　do；　has　come　to　pass：　that　somewhere　out　in　the　world　is　his　daughter；　grown　into　a　nice；　simple；　wholesome　young　woman；　with　a　clean；　wholesome　life　before　her。　And　though　she　is　the　one　thing　in　all　the　world　to　him；　he　never　intends　to　see　her　again　for　fear　that　his　seeing　her　might　somehow　result　in　an　accident　that　would　destroy　her　happy　ignorance。　Maggie；　can　you　conceive　the　tremendous　meaning　to　your　father　of　what　he　believes　he　has　created？　And　can　you　conceive　the　tremendous　difference　between　the　dream　he　lives　upon；　and　the　reality？〃

She　was　white；　staring；　wilted。　For　once　all　the　defiance；　self…　confidence；　bravado；　melted　out　of　her；　and　she　was　just　an　appalled　and　frightened　young　girl。

After　a　moment　she　managed　to　repeat　the　question　Larry　had　ignored：　〃Is　my　real　fatherstill　in　prison？〃

〃You'd　like　to　see　your　real　father？〃　he　asked　her。

〃I　thinkI'd　like　to　have　a　glimpse　of　him；〃　she　breathed。

Larry；　just　before　this；　had　noted　Joe　Ellison　in　his　blue　overalls　and　wide　straw　hat　cleaning　out　a　bank　of　young　dahlias　a　distance　up　the　bluff。　He　now　took　Maggie's　arm　and　guided　her　in　that　direction。

〃See　that　man　there　working　among　the　dahlias？the　man　who　once　brought　you　a　bunch　of　roses？　Joe　Ellison　is　his　name。　He's　the　man　I've　been　talking　aboutyour　father。〃

He　felt　her　quivering　under　his　hand　for　a　moment；　and　heard　her　breath　come　in　swift；　spasmodic　pants。　He　was　wondering　what　was　the　effect　upon　her　of　this　climax　of　his　revelation；　when　she　whispered：

〃Do　you　supposeI　can　speakto　my　father？〃

〃Of　course。　He　likes　all　young　women。　And　I　told　you　that　he　and　I　were　close　friends。〃

〃Thencome　on。〃　She　arose；　clinging　to　him；　and　drew　him　after　her。　Halfway　to　Joe　she　breathed：　〃You　please　say　something　first。　Anything。〃

He　recognized　this　as　the　appeal　of　one　whose　faculties　were　reeling。　There　had　never　been　any　attempt　here　at　Cedar　Crest　to　conceal　Joe　Ellison's　past；　and　in　Larry's　case　there　had　been　only　such　concealment　as　might　help　his　evasion　of　his　dangers。　And　so　Larry　remarked　as　Joe　Ellison　took　his　wide　hat　off　his　white　hair　and　stood　bareheaded　before　them：

〃Joe；　Miss　Cameron　knows　who　I　really　am；　and　about　my　having　been　in　Sing　Sing；　and　I've　just　told　her　about　our　having　been　friends　there。　Also　I　told　her　about　your　having　a　daughter。　It　interested　her　and　she　asked　me　if　she　couldn't　talk　to　you；　so　I　brought　her　over。〃

Larry　stood　aside　and　tensely　watched　this　meeting　between　father　and　daughter