01-the $30,000 bequest-第2节

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wholly　appeased。



〃Why；　Aleck；　we'll　HAVE　it；　you　knowand　so　soon；　too。　　He's　probably

out　of　his　troubles　before　this；　it's　a　hundred　to　nothing　he's

selecting　his　brimstone…shovel　this　very　minute。　　Now；　I　think〃



Aleck　shuddered；　and　said：



〃How　CAN　you；　Sally！　　Don't　talk　in　that　way；　it　is　perfectly　scandalous。〃



〃Oh；　well；　make　it　a　halo；　if　you　like；　_I_　don't　care　for　his　outfit；

I　was　only　just　talking。　　Can't　you　let　a　person　talk？〃



〃But　why　should　you　WANT　to　talk　in　that　dreadful　way？　　How　would

you　like　to　have　people　talk　so　about　YOU；　and　you　not　cold　yet？〃



〃Not　likely　to　be；　for　ONE　while；　I　reckon；　if　my　last　act　was

giving　away　money　for　the　sake　of　doing　somebody　a　harm　with　it。　

But　never　mind　about　Tilbury；　Aleck；　let's　talk　about　something　worldly。　

It　does　seem　to　me　that　that　mine　is　the　place　for　the　whole　thirty。　

What's　the　objection？〃



〃All　the　eggs　in　one　basketthat's　the　objection。〃



〃All　right；　if　you　say　so。　　What　about　the　other　twenty？　

What　do　you　mean　to　do　with　that？〃



〃There　is　no　hurry；　I　am　going　to　look　around　before　I　do　anything

with　it。〃



〃All　right；　if　your　mind's　made　up；〃　signed　Sally。　　He　was　deep

in　thought　awhile；　then　he　said：



〃There'll　be　twenty　thousand　profit　coming　from　the　ten　a　year

from　now。　　We　can　spend　that；　can　we；　Aleck？〃



Aleck　shook　her　head。



〃No；　dear；〃　she　said；　〃it　won't　sell　high　till　we've　had　the　first

semi…annual　dividend。　　You　can　spend　part　of　that。〃



〃Shucks；　only　THATand　a　whole　year　to　wait！　　Confound　it；　I〃



〃Oh；　do　be　patient！　　It　might　even　be　declared　in　three　months

it's　quite　within　the　possibilities。〃



〃Oh；　jolly！　oh；　thanks！〃　and　Sally　jumped　up　and　kissed　his　wife

in　gratitude。　　〃It'll　be　three　thousandthree　whole　thousand！

how　much　of　it　can　we　spend；　Aleck？　　Make　it　liberal！do；　dear；

that's　a　good　fellow。〃



Aleck　was　pleased；　so　pleased　that　she　yielded　to　the　pressure　and

conceded　a　sum　which　her　judgment　told　her　was　a　foolish　extravagance

a　thousand　dollars。　　Sally　kissed　her　half　a　dozen　times　and　even

in　that　way　could　not　express　all　his　joy　and　thankfulness。　

This　new　access　of　gratitude　and　affection　carried　Aleck　quite

beyond　the　bounds　of　prudence；　and　before　she　could　restrain

herself　she　had　made　her　darling　another　granta　couple

of　thousand　out　of　the　fifty　or　sixty　which　she　meant　to　clear

within　a　year　of　the　twenty　which　still　remained　of　the　bequest。　

The　happy　tears　sprang　to　Sally's　eyes；　and　he　said：



〃Oh；　I　want　to　hug　you！〃　　And　he　did　it。　　Then　he　got　his

notes　and　sat　down　and　began　to　check　off；　for　first　purchase；

the　luxuries　which　he　should　earliest　wish　to　secure。　

〃Horsebuggycutterlap…robepatent…leathersdogplug…hat

church…pewstem…windernew　teethSAY；　Aleck！〃



〃Well？〃



〃Ciphering　away；　aren't　you？　　That's　right。　　Have　you　got　the　twenty

thousand　invested　yet？〃



〃No；　there's　no　hurry　about　that；　I　must　look　around　first；

and　think。〃



〃But　you　are　ciphering；　what's　it　about？〃



〃Why；　I　have　to　find　work　for　the　thirty　thousand　that　comes　out

of　the　coal；　haven't　I？〃



〃Scott；　what　a　head！　　I　never　thought　of　that。　　How　are　you

getting　along？　　Where　have　you　arrived？〃



〃Not　very　fartwo　years　or　three。　　I've　turned　it　over　twice；

once　in　oil　and　once　in　wheat。〃



〃Why；　Aleck；　it's　splendid！　　How　does　it　aggregate？〃



〃I　thinkwell；　to　be　on　the　safe　side；　about　a　hundred　and　eighty

thousand　clear；　though　it　will　probably　be　more。〃



〃My！　isn't　it　wonderful？　　By　gracious！　luck　has　come　our　way　at　last；

after　all　the　hard　sledding；　Aleck！〃



〃Well？〃



〃I'm　going　to　cash　in　a　whole　three　hundred　on　the　missionaries

what　real　right　have　we　care　for　expenses！〃



〃You　couldn't　do　a　nobler　thing；　dear；　and　it's　just　like　your

generous　nature；　you　unselfish　boy。〃



The　praise　made　Sally　poignantly　happy；　but　he　was　fair　and　just

enough　to　say　it　was　rightfully　due　to　Aleck　rather　than　to　himself；

since　but　for　her　he　should　never　have　had　the　money。



Then　they　went　up　to　bed；　and　in　their　delirium　of　bliss　they　forgot

and　left　the　candle　burning　in　the　parlor。　　They　did　not　remember

until　they　were　undressed；　then　Sally　was　for　letting　it　burn；

he　said　they　could　afford　it；　if　it　was　a　thousand。　　But　Aleck　went

down　and　put　it　out。



A　good　job；　too；　for　on　her　way　back　she　hit　on　a　scheme　that　would

turn　the　hundred　and　eighty　thousand　into　half　a　million　before　it

had　had　time　to　get　cold。







CHAPTER　III





The　little　newspaper　which　Aleck　had　subscribed　for　was　a　Thursday　sheet；

it　would　make　the　trip　of　five　hundred　miles　from　Tilbury's　village

and　arrive　on　Saturday。　　Tilbury's　letter　had　started　on　Friday；

more　than　a　day　too　late　for　the　benefactor　to　die　and　get　into

that　week's　issue；　but　in　plenty　of　time　to　make　connection　for　the

next　output。　　Thus　the　Fosters　had　to　wait　almost　a　complete　week　to

find　out　whether　anything　of　a　satisfactory　nature　had　happened　to　him

or　not。　　It　was　a　long；　long　week；　and　the　strain　was　a　heavy　one。　

The　pair　could　hardly　have　borne　it　if　their　minds　had　not　had　the

relief　of　wholesome　diversion。　　We　have　seen　that　they　had　that。　

The　woman　was　piling　up　fortunes　right　along；　the　man　was　spending　them

spending　all　his　wife　would　give　him　a　chance　at；　at　any　rate。



At　last　the　Saturday　came；　and　the　WEEKLY　SAGAMORE　arrived。　

Mrs。　Eversly　Bennett　was　present。　　She　was　the　Presbyterian

parson's　wife；　and　was　working　the　Fosters　for　a　charity。　

Talk　now　died　a　sudden　deathon　the　Foster　side。　　Mrs。　Bennett

presently　discovered　that　her　hosts　were　not　hearing　a　word　she

was　saying；　so　she　got　up；　wondering　and　indignant；　and　went　away。　

The　moment　she　was　out　of　the　house；　Aleck　eagerly　tore　the　wrapper

from　the　paper；　and　her　eyes　and　Sally's　swept　the　columns　for　the

death…notices。　Disappointment！　　Tilbury　was　not　anywhere　mentioned。　

Aleck　was　a　Christian　from　the　cradle；　and　duty　and　the　force　of

habit　required　her　to　go　through　the　motions。　　She　pulled　herself

together　and　said；　with　a　pious　two…per…cent。　trade　joyousness：



〃Let　us　be　humbly　thankful　that　he　has　been　spared；　and〃



〃Damn　his　treacherous　hide；　I　wish〃



〃Sally！　　For　shame！〃



〃I　don't　care！〃　retorted　the　angry　man。　　〃It's　the　way　YOU　feel；

and　if　you　weren't　so　immorally　pious　you'd　be　honest　and　say　so。〃



Aleck　said；　with　wounded　dignity：



〃I　do　not　see　how　you　can　say　such　unkind　and　unjust　things。　

There　is　no　such　thing　as　immoral　piety。〃



Sally　felt　a　pang；　but　tried　to　conceal　it　under　a　shuffling　attempt

to　save　his　case　by　changing　the　form　of　itas　if　changing　the　form

while　retaining　the　juice　could　deceive　the　expert　he　was　trying

to　placate。　　He　said：



〃I　didn't　mean　so　bad　as　that；　Aleck；　I　didn't　really　mean

immoral　piety；　I　only　meantmeantwell；　conventional　piety；

you　know；　ershop　piety；　thethewhy；　YOU　know　what　I　mean。　

Aleckthewell；　where　you　put　up　that　plated　article　and　play

it　for　solid；　you　know；　without　intending　anything　improper；

but　just　out　of　trade　habit；　ancient　policy；　petrified　custom；

loyalty　totohang　it；　I　can't　find　the　right　words；　but　YOU

know　what　I　mean；　Aleck；　and　that　there　isn't　any　harm　in　it。　

I'll　try　again。　　You　see；　it's　this　way。　　If　a　person〃



〃You　have　said　quite　enough；〃　said　Aleck；　coldly；　〃let　the　subject

be　dropped。〃



〃I'M　willing；〃　fervently　responded　Sally；　wiping　the　sweat　from

his　forehead　and　looking　the　thankfulness　he　had　no　words　for。　

Then；　musingly；　he　apologized　to　himself。　　〃I　certainly　held　threes

I　KNOW　itbut　I　drew　and　didn't　fill。　　That's　where　I'm　so　often

weak　in　the　game。　　If　I　had　stood　patbut　I　didn't。　I　never　do。　

I　don't　know　enough。〃



Confessedly　defeated；　he　was　properly　tame　now　and　subdued。　

Aleck　forgave　him　with　her　eyes。



The　grand　interest；　the　supreme　interest；　came　instantly　to　the

front　again；　nothing　could　keep　it　in　the　background　many　minutes

on　a　stretch。　　The　couple　took　up　the　puzzle　of　the　absence

of　Tilbury's　death…notice。　They　discussed　it　every　which　way；

more　or　less　hopefully；　but　they　had　to　finish　where　they　began；

and　concede　that　the　only　really　sane　explanation　of　the　absence

of　the　notice　must　beand　without　doubt　wasthat　Tilbury　was

not　dead。　　There　was　something　sad　about　it；　something　even　a

little　unfair；　maybe；　but　there　it　was；　and　had　to　be　put　up　with。　

They　were　agreed　as　to　that。　　To　Sally　it　seemed　a　strangely

inscrutable　dispensation；　more　inscrutable　than　usual；　he　thought；

one　of　the　most　unnecessary　inscrutable　he　could　call　to　mind；

in　factand　said　so；　with　some　feeling；　but　if　he　was　hoping

to　draw　Aleck　he　failed；　she　reserved　her　opinion；　if　she　had　one；

she　had　not　the　habit　of　taking　injudicious　risks　in　any　market；

worldly　or　other。



The　pair　must　wait　for　next　week's　paperTilbury　had

evidently　postpo