children of the whirlwind-第9节

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〃It　was　a　queer　story　Joe　let　out；〃　continued　Larry。　〃Before　he　was　sent　away　he　had　a　kid；　just　a　baby　whose　mother　was　dead。　He　told　me　he　wanted　to　have　his　kid　brought　up　without　ever　knowing　anything　about　the　kind　of　people　he　knew　and　the　kind　of　life　he'd　lived。　He　wanted　it　to　grow　up　among　decent　people。　He　had　money　put　away　and　he　had　an　old　friend；　a　pal；　that　he'd　trust　with　anything。　So　he　turned　over　his　money　and　his　baby　to　his　friend；　and　gave　orders　that　the　kid　was　to　be　brought　up　decent；　sent　to　school；　and　that　the　kid　was　never　to　know　anything　about　Joe。　Of　course　the　baby　was　too　young　then　ever　to　remember　him；　and　when　he　gets　out　he's　going　to　keep　absolutely　clear　of　the　kid's　lifehe　wants　his　kid　to　have　the　best　possible　chance。〃

〃What　is　his　whole　name；　and　what　was　he　sent　up　for？〃　queried　the　Duchess；　that　flickering　fire　of　interest　once　more　in　her　old　eyes。

〃Joe　Ellison。　He　was　an　old…time　confidence　man。　He　got　caught　in　a　jamthere　had　been　drinkingthere　was　some　shootingand　he　had　attempted　manslaughter　tacked　on　to　the　charge　of　swindling。　But　Joe　said　everybody　had　been　drinking　and　that　the　shooting　was　accidental。〃

〃Joe　EllisonI　knew　him；〃　said　the　Duchess。　〃He　was　about　the　cleverest　man　of　his　day。　But　I　never　knew　he　had　a　child。　Who　was　this　best　friend　of　his？〃

〃Joe　Ellison　didn't　mention　his　name；〃　answered　Larry。　〃You　see　Joe　spoke　of　his　story　only　once。　But　he　then　said　that　he'd　had　letters　once　a　month　telling　how　fine　the　kid　was　getting　ontill　three　or　four　years　ago　when　he　got　word　that　his　friend　had　died。　The　way　things　stand　now；　Joe　won't　know　how　to　find　the　kid　when　he　gets　out　even　if　he　should　want　to　find　itand　he　wouldn't　know　it　even　if　he　saw　it。　Up　in　Sing　Sing　when　I　had　nothing　else　to　do；〃　concluded　Larry；　〃I　tell　you　I　thought　a　lot　about　that　situationfor　it　certainly　is　some　situation：　Joe　Ellison　for　fifteen　years　in　prison　with　just　one　big　idea　in　his　life；　the　idea　being　the　one　thing　he　felt　he　was　really　doing　or　ever　could　do；　his　very　life　built　on　that　one　idea：　that　outside；　somewhere；　was　his　kid　growing　up　into　a　fine　young　personnever　guessing　it　had　such　a　fatherand　Joe　never　intending　to　see　it　again　and　not　being　able　to　know　it　if　he　ever　should　see　it。　I　tell　you；　after　learning　Joe's　story；　it　made　me　feel　that　I'd　had　enough　of　the　old　life。〃

Again　the　Duchess　spoke。　〃Did　Joe　ever　mention　its　name？〃

〃No；　he　just　spoke　of　it　as　'his　kid。'〃

Larry　was　quiet　a　moment。　〃You　see；〃　he　added；　〃I　want　to　get　settled　before　Joe　comes　outhis　time's　up　in　a　few　monthsso　that　I　can　give　him　some　sort　of　place　near　me。　He's　all　right；　Joe　is；　but　he's　too　old　to　have　any　show　at　a　fresh　start　if　he　tries　to　make　it　all　on　his　own。〃

〃Larry；　you　haven't　got　such　a　tough　piece　of　old　brass　for　a　heart　yourself；〃　commented　Hunt。　〃What　are　your　own　plans？〃

〃I　know　I've　got　the　makings　of　a　real　business　manI've　already　told　you　that；〃　said　Larry　confidently。　He　had　thought　this　out　carefully　during　his　days　as　a　coal…passer　and　his　long　nights　upon　the　eighteen…inch　bunk　in　his　cell。　〃I've　got　a　lot　of　the　finishing　touches；　I　know　the　high　spots。　What　I　need　are　the　rudimentsthe　fundamentalsconnecting　links。　You　see；　I　had　part　of　a　business　college　training　a　long　time　before　I　went　to　work　in　a　broker's　office；　stenography　and　typewriting；　I've　been　a　secretary　in　the　warden's　office　the　last　few　months　and　I've　brushed　up　on　the　old　stuff　and　I'm　pretty　good。　That　ought　to　land　me　a　job。　Then　I'm　going　to　study　nights。　Of　course；　I'd　get　on　faster　if　I　could　have　private　lessons　with　one　of　the　head　men　of　one　of　these　real　business　schools。　I'd　mop　up　this　stuff　about　organization　and　management　mighty　quick；　for　that　business　stuff　comes　natural　to　me。　A　bit　of　that　sort　of　going　to　school　would　connect　up　and　give　a　working　unity　to　what　I　already　know。　But　then　I'll　find　a　job　and　work　the　thing　out　some　way。　I'm　in　this　to　win　out；　and　win　out　big！〃

Once　more　the　rarely　heard　voice　of　the　Duchess　sounded；　and　though　thin　it　had　a　positive　quality：

〃You're　not　going　to　take　any　job　at　first。　First　thing；　you're　going　to　give　all　your　time　to　those　private　lessons。〃

Larry　gazed　at　the　Duchess；　surprised　by　the　tone　in　which　she　spoke。　〃But；　grandmother；　these　lessons　cost　money。　And　I　didn't　have　a　thin　dime　left　when　my　lawyers　finished　with　me。〃

〃I've　got　plenty　of　moneyand　it's　yours。　And　the　money　you　get　from　me　will　be　honest　money；　too；　the　interest　on　loans　made　in　my　pawnshop　is　honest　all　right。　It'll　be　better；　anyhow；　for　you　to　be　out　in　the　world　a　few　days；　getting　used　to　it；　before　you　take　a　job。〃

〃Why；　grandmother！〃

The　explanation　seemed　bald　and　inadequate；　but　Larry　did　not　know　what　else　to　say；　he　was　so　taken　aback。　The　Duchess；　as　far　as　he　had　been　able　to　see；　had　never　shown　much　interest　in　him。　And　now；　unless　he　was　mistaken；　there　was　something　very　much　like　emotion　quavering　in　her　thin　voice　and　shining　in　her　old　eyes。

〃I　don't　interfere　with　what　people　want　to　do；〃　she　continued〃but；　Larry；　I'm　glad　you've　decided　to　go　straight。〃

And　then　the　Duchess　went　on　to　make　the　longest　speech　that　any　living　person　had　ever　heard　issue　from　her　lips；　and　to　reveal　more　than　had　yet　been　heard　of　that　unmysterious　mystery　which　lived　within　her　shriveled；　misshapen　figure：

〃That's　what　made　me　interested　in　Joe　Ellison's　storyhis　wanting　to　get　his　child　clear　of　the　life　he　was　living；　though　I　didn't　know　he　had　any　such　ideas　till　you　told　me。　Larry；　I　couldn't　get　out　of　this　life　myself；　I　was　part　of　it；　I　belonged　to　it。　But　I　felt　the　same　as　Joe　Ellison；　and　over　forty　years　ago　I　got　your　mother　out　of　it；　and　your　mother　never　came　back　to　it。　I　did　that　much。　After　she　died　it　made　me　sick　when　you；　all　I've　got　left；　began　to　go　crooked。　But　I　had　no　control　over　you；　I　couldn't　do　anything。　So　I'm　glad　that　at　last　you're　going　to　go　straight。　I'm　glad；　Larry！　〃

The　emotion　that　had　given　her　voice　a　strange　and　increasing　vibrance；　was　suddenly　brought　under　control　or　snuffed　out；　and　she　added　in　her　usual　thin；　mechanical　tone：　〃The　money　will　be　ready　for　you　in　the　morning。〃

Startled　and　embarrassed　by　this　outbreak　of　things　long　hidden　beneath　the　dust　in　the　secret　chambers　of　her　being；　and　wishing　to　avoid　the　further　embarrassment　of　thanks；　the　Duchess　turned　quickly　and　awkwardly　back　to　her　desk；　and　her　bent　old　body　became　fixed　above　her　figures。　In　a　moment　the　ever…alert　Hunt　had　out　the　little　block　of　drawing…paper　he　always　carried　in　a　pocket；　and　with　swift；　eager　strokes　he　was　sketching　the　outline　of　that　bent；　shrunken　shape　that　had　subsided　so　swiftly　from　emotion　to　the　commonplace。

Larry　gazed　at　the　Duchess　in　silent　bewilderment。　He　had　thought　he　had　known　his　grandmother。　He　was　now　realizing　that　perhaps　he　did　not　know　his　grandmother　at　all。




CHAPTER　VIII


That　night　Larry　slept　on　a　cot　set　up　in　Hunt's　studio。　Hunt　had　made　the　proposition　that　Larry　consider　the　studio　his　headquarters　for　the　present；　and　Larry　had　accepted。　Of　course　the　cot　and　the　rough…　and…ready　furnishings　of　the　studio　were　grotesquely　short　of　the　luxury　of　those　sunny　days　when　Larry　had　had　plenty　of　easy　money　and　had　been　free　to　gratify　his　taste　for　the　best　of　everything；　but　the　quarters　were　infinitely　more　luxurious　and　comfortable　than　his　more　recent　three…by…seven　room　at　Sing　Sing　with　its　damp　and　chilly　stone　walls。

There　were　many　reasons　why　Larry　was　appealed　to　by　the　idea　of　making　his　home　for　the　present　in　this　old　house　in　this　dingy；　unexciting；　unromantic　street。　He　was　drawn　toward　this　bluff；　outspoken；　autocratic　painter；　and　was　curious　about　him。　And　then　the　way　his　grandmother　had　spoken；　the　gleam　in　her　old　eyes；　had　stirred　an　affection　for　her　that　he　had　never　before　felt。　And　then　there　was　Maggie；　with　her　startlingly　new　dusky　beauty；　her　admiration　of　him　that　had　so　swiftly　altered　to　defiance；　her　challenge　to　a　duel　of　purposes。

Yes；　for　the　present；　this　dingy　old　house　in　this　dingy　old　street　was　just　the　place　he　preferred　to　be。

It　was　not　the　part　of　wisdom　to　start　forth　on　the　beginning　of　his　new　career　in　his　shapeless　prison　shoddy；　so　the　next　day　Larry　pottered　about　the　studio；　acting　as　maid…of…all…work；　while　the　clothes　in　his　trunk　which　had　been　stored　with　the　Duchess　were　being　sponged　and　pressed　by　the　little　tailor　down　the　street；　and　while　a　laundress；　driven　by　the　Duchess；　was　preparing　the　rest　of　his　outfit　for　his　debut。　In　his　capacity　of　maid；　with　a　basket　on　his　arm；　he　went　out　into　the　little　street；　where　in　his　shabby　clothes　he　was　recognized　by　none　and　leaned　for　a　time　against　the　mongrel；　underfed　tree　that　was　hesitatingly　greeting　the　spring　with　a　few　half…hearted　leaves。　He　bathed　himself　in　the　warm　sun　which　seemed　over…glorious　for　so　mean　a　street；　he　filled　his　lungs　with　the　tangy　May　air；　yes；　it　was　wonderful　to　be　free　again！

Then　he　strolled　about　the　street　on　his　business　of　marketing。　It　amused　him　to　be　buying　three　pounds　of　potatoes　and　a　pound　of　chopped　meat　and　a　package　of　macaroni；　and　to　be