the american claimant-第36节
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to do； I do everything wrong。 You are going？and you won't say even
good…nightor good…bye？ Ah； we have not parted like this before。〃
〃Oh； I want to run andno； go； now。〃 A pausethen she said； 〃You may
bring the message when it comes。〃
〃Oh； may I？ God bless you。〃
He was gone； and none too soon； her lips were already quivering； and now
she broke down。 Through her sobbings her words broke from time to time。
〃Oh； he is gone。 I have lost him； I shall never see him any more。 And
he didn't kiss me good…bye； never even offered to force a kiss from me；
and he knowing it was the very； very last； and I expecting he would； and
never dreaming he would treat me so after all we have been to each other。
Oh； oh； oh； oh； what shall I do； what shall I do！ He is a dear； poor；
miserable； good…hearted； transparent liar and humbug； but oh； I do love
him so！〃 After a little she broke into speech again。 〃How dear he is！
and I shall miss him so； I shall miss him so！ Why won't he ever think to
forge a message and fetch it？but no； he never will； he never thinks of
anything； he's so honest and simple it wouldn't ever occur to him。
Oh； what did possess him to think he could succeed as a fraudand he
hasn't the first requisite except duplicity that I can see。 Oh； dear；
I'll go to bed and give it all up。 Oh； I wish I had told him to come and
tell me whenever he didn't get any telegramand now it's all my own
fault if I never see him again。 How my eyes must look！〃
CHAPTER XXIV。
Next day； sure enough； the cablegram didn't come。 This was an immense
disaster； for Tracy couldn't go into the presence without that ticket；
although it wasn't going to possess any value as evidence。 But if the
failure of the cablegram on that first day may be called an immense
disaster； where is the dictionary that can turn out a phrase sizeable
enough to describe the tenth day's failure？ Of course every day that the
cablegram didn't come made Tracy all of twenty…four hours' more ashamed
of himself than he was the day before； and made Sally fully twenty…four
hours more certain than ever that he not only hadn't any father anywhere；
but hadn't even a confederateand so it followed that he was a double…
dyed humbug and couldn't be otherwise。
These were hard days for Barrow and the art firm。 All these had their
hands full； trying to comfort Tracy。 Barrow's task was particularly
hard； because he was made a confidant in full； and therefore had to humor
Tracy's delusion that he had a father； and that the father was an earl；
and that he was going to send a cablegram。 Barrow early gave up the idea
of trying to convince Tracy that he hadn't any father； because this had
such a bad effect on the patient； and worked up his temper to such an
alarming degree。 He had tried； as an experiment； letting Tracy think he
had a father； the result was so good that he went further； with proper
caution； and tried letting him think his father was an earl； this wrought
so well； that he grew bold； and tried letting him think he had two
fathers； if he wanted to； but he didn't want to； so Barrow withdrew one
of them and substituted letting him think he was going to get a
cablegramwhich Barrow judged he wouldn't； and was right； but Barrow
worked the cablegram daily for all it was worth； and it was the one thing
that kept Tracy alive； that was Barrow's opinion。
And these were bitter hard days for poor Sally； and mainly delivered up
to private crying。 She kept her furniture pretty damp； and so caught
cold； and the dampness and the cold and the sorrow together undermined
her appetite； and she was a pitiful enough object； poor thing。 Her state
was bad enough； as per statement of it above quoted； but all the forces
of nature and circumstance seemed conspiring to make it worseand
succeeding。 For instance； the morning after her dismissal of Tracy；
Hawkins and Sellers read in the associated press dispatches that a toy
puzzle called Pigs in the Clover； had come into sudden favor within the
past few weeks； and that from the Atlantic to the Pacific all the
populations of all the States had knocked off work to play with it；
and that the business of the country had now come to a standstill by
consequence； that judges； lawyers； burglars； parsons； thieves； merchants；
mechanics； murderers； women； children； babieseverybody； indeed； could
be seen from morning till midnight； absorbed in one deep project and
purpose； and only oneto pen those pigs； work out that puzzle
successfully； that all gayety； all cheerfulness had departed from the
nation； and in its place care； preoccupation and anxiety sat upon every
countenance； and all faces were drawn； distressed； and furrowed with the
signs of age and trouble； and marked with the still sadder signs of
mental decay and incipient madness； that factories were at work night and
day in eight cities； and yet to supply the demand for the puzzle was thus
far impossible。 Hawkins was wild with joy； but Sellers was calm。 Small
matters could not disturb his serenity。 He said
〃That's just the way things go。 A man invents a thing which could
revolutionize the arts； produce mountains of money； and bless the earth；
and who will bother with it or show any interest in it？ and so you are
just as poor as you were before。 But you invent some worthless thing to
amuse yourself with； and would throw it away if let alone； and all of a
sudden the whole world makes a snatch for it and out crops a fortune。
Hunt up that Yankee and collect； Hawkins half is yours； you know。
Leave me to potter at my lecture。〃
This was a temperance lecture。 Sellers was head chief in the Temperance
camp； and had lectured； now and then in that interest； but had been
dissatisfied with his efforts； wherefore he was now about to try a new
plan。 After much thought he had concluded that a main reason why his
lectures lacked fire or something； was； that they were too transparently
amateurish； that is to say； it was probably too plainly perceptible that
the lecturer was trying to tell people about the horrid effects of liquor
when he didn't really know anything about those effects except from
hearsay； since he had hardly ever tasted an intoxicant in his life。
His scheme； now； was to prepare himself to speak from bitter experience。
Hawkins was to stand by with the bottle； calculate the doses； watch the
effects； make notes of results； and otherwise assist in the preparation。
Time was short； for the ladies would be along about noonthat is to say；
the temperance organization called the Daughters of Siloamand Sellers
must be ready to head the procession。
The time kept slipping along…Hawkins did not returnSellers could not
venture to wait longer； so he attacked the bottle himself； and proceeded
to note the effects。 Hawkins got back at last； took one comprehensive
glance at the lecturer； and went down and headed off the procession。
The ladies were grieved to hear that the champion had been taken suddenly
ill and violently so； but glad to hear that it was hoped he would be out
again in a few days。
As it turned out； the old gentleman didn't turn over or show any signs of
life worth speaking of for twenty…four hours。 Then he asked after the
procession； and learned what had happened about it。 He was sorry； said
he had been 〃fixed〃 for it。 He remained abed several days； and his wife
and daughter took turns in sitting with him and ministering to his wants。
Often he patted Sally's head and tried to comfort her。
〃Don't cry； my child； don't cry so； you know your old father did it by
mistake and didn't mean a bit of harm； you know he wouldn't intentionally
do anything to make you ashamed for the world； you know he was trying to
do good and only made the mistake through ignorance； not knowing the
right doses and Washington not there to help。 Don't cry so； dear； it
breaks my old heart to see you； and think I've brought this humiliation
on you and you so dear to me and so good。 I won't ever do it again；
indeed I won't； now be comforted； honey； that's a good child。〃
But when she wasn't on duty at the bedside the crying went on just the
same； then the mother would try to comfort her； and say：
〃Don't cry； dear； he never meant any harm； it was all one of those
happens that you can't guard against when you are trying experiments；
that way。 You see I don't cry。 It's because I know him so well。
I could never look anybody in the face again if he had got into such an
amazing condition as that a…purpose； but bless you his intention was；
pure and high； and that makes the act pure； though it was higher than was
necessary。 We're not humiliated； dear； he did it under a noble impulse
and we don't need to be ashamed。 There； don't cry any more； honey。〃
Thus； the old gentleman was useful to Sally； during several days； as an
explanation of her tearfulness。 She felt thankful to him for the shelter
he was affording her； but often said to herself； 〃It's a shame to let him
see in my cryings a reproachas if he could ever do anything that could
make me reproach him！ But I can't confess； I've got to go on using him
for a pretext； he's the only one I've got in the world； and I do need one
so much。〃
