drift from two shores(漂流)-第37节
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not； you know （a feeble； half…apologetic laugh here）； receive that reward；
you know； for these services which； etc。； etc。
I asked him if he had any particular or definite office in view。
Well； no。 He had left that to Gashwiler。 Gashwiler had saidhe
remembered his very words： 〃Leave it all to me； I'll look through the
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different departments； and see what can be done for a man of your
talents。〃
And
He's looking。 I'm expecting him back here every minute。 He's gone
over to the Department of Tape； to see what can be done there。 Ah！ here
he comes。
A large man approached us。 He was very heavy； very unwieldy； very
unctuous and oppressive。 He affected the 〃honest farmer；〃 but so badly
that the poorest husbandman would have resented it。 There was a
suggestion of a cheap lawyer about him that would have justified any self…
respecting judge in throwing him over the bar at once。 There was a
military suspicion about him that would have entitled him to a court…
martial on the spot。 There was an introduction； from which I learned that
my office…seeking friend's name was Expectant Dobbs。 And then
Gashwiler addressed me：
〃Our young friend here is waiting； waiting。 Waiting； I may say； on
the affairs of State。 Youth；〃 continued the Hon。 Mr。 Gashwiler；
addressing an imaginary constituency； 〃is nothing but a season of waiting…
…of preparationha； ha！〃
As he laid his hand in a fatherly mannera fatherly manner that was as
much of a sham as anything else about himI don't know whether I was
more incensed at him or his victim； who received it with evident pride and
satisfaction。 Nevertheless he ventured to falter out：
〃Has anything been done yet？〃
〃Well； no； I can't say that anythingthat is； that anything has been
COMPLETED； but I may say we are in excellent position for an advance
ha； ha！ But we must wait； my young friend； wait。 What is it the Latin
philosopher says？ 'Let us by all means hasten slowly'ha； ha！〃 and he
turned to me as if saying confidentially； 〃Observe the impatience of these
boys！〃 〃I met； a moment ago； my old friend and boyhood's companion；
Jim McGlasher； chief of the Bureau for the Dissemination of Useless
Information； and；〃 lowering his voice to a mysterious but audible whisper；
〃I shall see him again to…morrow。〃
The 〃All aboard！〃 of the railway omnibus at this moment tore me from
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the presence of this gifted legislator and his protege； but as we drove away
I saw through the open window the powerful mind of Gashwiler operating；
so to speak； upon the susceptibilities of Mr。 Dobbs。
I did not meet him again for a week。 The morning of my return I saw
the two conversing together in the hall； but with the palpable distinction
between this and their former interviews； that the gifted Gashwiler seemed
to be anxious to get away from his friend。 I heard him say something
about 〃committees〃 and 〃to…morrow；〃 and when Dobbs turned his freckled
face toward me I saw that he had got at last some expression into it
disappointment。
I asked him pleasantly how he was getting on。
He had not lost his pride yet。 He was doing well； although such was
the value set upon his friend Gashwiler's abilities by his brother members
that he was almost always occupied with committee business。 I noticed
that his clothes were not in as good case as before； and he told me that he
had left the hotel； and taken lodgings in a by…street； where it was less
expensive。 Temporarily of course。
A few days after this I had business in one of the great departments。
From the various signs over the doors of its various offices and bureaus it
always oddly reminded me of Stewart's or Arnold and Constable's。 You
could get pensions； patents； and plants。 You could get land and the seeds
to put in it； and the Indians to prowl round it； and what not。 There was a
perpetual clanging of office desk bells； and a running hither and thither of
messengers strongly suggestive of 〃Cash 47。〃
As my business was with the manager of this Great National Fancy
Shop； I managed to push by the sad…eyed； eager…faced crowd of men and
women in the anteroom； and entered the secretary's room； conscious of
having left behind me a great deal of envy and uncharitableness of spirit。
As I opened the door I heard a monotonous flow of Western speech which
I thought I recognized。 There was no mistaking it。 It was the voice of the
Gashwiler。
〃The appointment of this man； Mr。 Secretary； would be most
acceptable to the people in my deestrict。 His family are wealthy and
influential； and it's just as well in the fall elections to have the supervisors
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and county judge pledged to support the administration。 Our delegates to
the State Central Committee are to a man〃but here； perceiving from the
wandering eye of Mr。 Secretary that there was another man in the room； he
whispered the rest with a familiarity that must have required all the
politician in the official's breast to keep from resenting。
〃You have some papers； I suppose？〃 asked the secretary； wearily。
Gashwiler was provided with a pocketful； and produced them。 The
secretary threw them on the table among the other papers； where they
seemed instantly to lose their identity； and looked as if they were ready to
recommend anybody but the person they belonged to。 Indeed； in one
corner the entire Massachusetts delegation； with the Supreme Bench at
their head； appeared to be earnestly advocating the manuring of Iowa
waste lands； and to the inexperienced eye； a noted female reformer had
apparently appended her signature to a request for a pension for wounds
received in battle。
〃By the way；〃 said the secretary； 〃I think I have a letter here from
somebody in your district asking an appointment； and referring to you？
Do you withdraw it？〃
〃If anybody has been presuming to speculate upon my patronage；〃 said
the Hon。 Mr。 Gashwiler； with rising rage。
〃I've got the letter somewhere here；〃 said the secretary； looking
dazedly at his table。 He made a feeble movement among the papers； and
then sank back hopelessly in his chair； and gazed out of the window as if
he thought and rather hoped it might have flown away。 〃It was from a Mr。
Globbs； or Gobbs； or Dobbs； of Remus；〃 he said finally； after a
superhuman effort of memory。
〃Oh； that's nothinga foolish fellow who has been boring me for the
last month。〃
〃Then I am to understand that this application is withdrawn？〃
〃As far as my patronage is concerned； certainly。 In fact； such an
appointment would not express the sentimentsindeed； I may say； would
be calculated to raise active opposition in the deestrict。〃
The secretary uttered a sigh of relief； and the gifted Gashwiler passed
out。 I tried to get a good look at the honorable scamp's eye； but he
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evidently did not recognize me。
It was a question in my mind whether I ought not to expose the
treachery of Dobbs's friend； but the next time I met Dobbs he was in such
good spirits that I forebore。 It appeared that his wife had written to him
that she had discovered a second cousin in the person of the Assistant
Superintendent of the Envelope Flap Moistening Bureau of the
Department of Tape； and had asked his assistance； and Dobbs had seen
