the portygee-第5节

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minute　that　you've　got　a　list　to　starboard。　　When　you　and　I　have
that　talk　that's　comin'　to　us　we　want　to　be　shipshape　and　on　an
even　keel。　　Rachel；　light　that　lamp。〃

The　housekeeper　brought　in　and　lighted　a　small　hand　lamp。　　Mrs。
Snow　took　it　and　led　the　way　to　the　hall　and　the　narrow；　breakneck
flight　of　stairs。　　Captain　Zelotes　laid　a　hand　on　his　grandson's
shoulder。

〃Good…night；　son；〃　he　said　quietly。

Albert　looked　into　the　gray　eyes。　　Their　expression　was　not
unkindly；　but　there　was；　or　he　imagined　there　was；　the　same
quizzical；　sardonic　twinkle。　　He　resented　that　twinkle　more　than
ever；　it　made　him　feel　very　young　indeed；　and　correspondingly
obstinate。　　Something　of　that　obstinacy　showed　in　his　own　eyes　as
he　returned　his　grandfather's　look。

〃Good…nightsir；〃　he　said；　and　for　the　life　of　him　he　could　not
resist　hesitating　before　adding　the　〃sir。〃　　As　he　climbed　the　steep
stairs　he　fancied　he　heard　a　short　sniff　or　chucklehe　was　not
certain　whichfrom　the　big　man　in　the　dining…room。

His　bedroom　was　a　good…sized　room；　that　is；　it　would　have　been　of
good　size　if　the　person　who　designed　it　had　known　what　the　term
〃square〃　meant。　　Apparently　he　did　not；　and　had　built　the　apartment
on　the　hit…or…miss；　higglety…pigglety　pattern；　with　unexpected
alcoves　cut　into　the　walls　and　closets　and　chimneys　built　out　from
them。　　There　were　three　windows；　a　big　bed；　an　old…fashioned
bureau；　a　chest　of　drawers；　a　washstand；　and　several　old…fashioned
chairs。　　Mrs。　Snow　put　the　lamp　upon　the　bureau。　　She　watched　him
anxiously　as　he　looked　about　the　room。

〃Dodo　you　like　it？〃　she　asked。

Albert　replied　that　he　guessed　he　did。　　Perhaps　there　was　not　too
much　certainty　in　his　tone。　　He　had　never　before　seen　a　room　like
it。

〃Oh；　I　hope　you　will　like　it！　　It　was　your　mother's　room；　Albert。
She　slept　here　from　the　time　she　was　seven　untiluntil　she　went
away。〃

The　boy　looked　about　him　with　a　new　interest；　an　odd　thrill。　　His
mother's　room。　　His　mother。　　He　could　just　remember　her；　but　that
was　all。　　The　memories　were　childish　and　unsatisfactory；　but　they
were　memories。　　And　she　had　slept　there；　this　had　been　her　room
when　she　was　a　girl；　before　she　married；　beforelong　before　such　a
person　as　Alberto　Miguel　Carlos　Speranza　had　been　even　dreamed　of。
That　was　strange；　it　was　queer　to　think　about。　　Long　before　he　was
born；　when　she　was　years　younger　than　he　as　he　stood　there　now；　she
had　stood　there；　had　looked　from　those　windows；　had

His　grandmother　threw　her　arms　about　his　neck　and　kissed　him。　　Her
cheek　was　wet。

〃Good…night；　Albert；〃　she　said　chokingly；　and　hurried　out　of　the
room。

He　undressed　quickly；　for　the　room　was　very　cold。　　He　opened　the
window；　after　a　desperate　struggle；　and　climbed　into　bed。　　The
wind；　whistling　in；　obligingly　blew　out　the　lamp　for　him。　　It
shrieked　and　howled　about　the　eaves　and　the　old　house　squeaked　and
groaned。　　Albert　pulled　the　comforter　up　about　his　neck　and
concentrated　upon　the　business　of　going　to　sleep。　　He；　who　could
scarcely　remember　when　he　had　had　a　real　home；　was　desperately
homesick。

Downstairs　in　the　dining…room　Captain　Zelotes　stood；　his　hands　in
his　pockets；　looking　through　the　mica　panes　of　the　stove　door　at
the　fire　within。　　His　wife　came　up　behind　him　and　laid　a　hand　on
his　sleeve。

〃What　are　you　thinkin'　about；　Father？〃　she　asked。

Her　husband　shook　his　head。　　〃I　was　wonderin'；〃　he　said；　〃what　my
granddad；　the　original　Cap'n　Lote　Snow　that　built　this　house；　would
have　said　if　he'd　known　that　he'd　have　a　great…great…grandson　come
to　live　in　it　who　was；〃　scornfully；　〃a　half…breed。〃

Olive's　grip　tightened　on　his　arm。

〃Oh；　DON'T　talk　so；　Zelotes；〃　she　begged。　　〃He's　our　Janie's　boy。〃

The　captain　opened　the　stove　door；　regarded　the　red…hot　coals　for
an　instant；　and　then　slammed　the　door　shut　again。

〃I　know；　Mother；〃　he　said　grimly。　　〃It's　for　the　sake　of　Janie's
half　that　I'm　takin'　in　the　other。〃

〃Butbut；　Zelotes；　don't　you　think　he　seems　like　a　nice　boy？〃

The　twinkle　reappeared　in　Captain　Lote's　eyes。

〃I　think　HE　thinks　he's　a　nice　boy；　Mother；〃　he　said。　　〃There；
there；　let's　go　to　bed。〃



CHAPTER　II


The　story　of　the　events　which　led　up　to　the　coming；　on　this
December　night；　of　a　〃half…breed〃　grandson　to　the　Snow　homestead；
was　an　old　story　in　South　Harniss。　　The　date　of　its　beginning　was
as　far　back　as　the　year　1892。

In　the　fall　of　that　year　Captain　Zelotes　Snow　was　in　Savannah。
He　was　in　command　of　the　coasting　schooner　Olive　S。　and　the　said
schooner　was　then　discharging　a　general　cargo；　preparatory　to
loading　with　rice　and　cotton　for　Philadelphia。　　With　the　captain　in
Savannah　was　his　only　daughter；　Jane　Olivia；　age　a　scant　eighteen；
pretty；　charming；　romantic　and　head　over　heels　in　love　with　a
handsome　baritone　then　singing　in　a　popular…priced　grand　opera
company。　　It　was　because　of　this　handsome　baritone；　who；　by　the
way；　was　a　Spaniard　named　Miguel　Carlos　Speranza；　that　Jane　Snow
was　then　aboard　her　father's　vessel。　　Captain　Lote　was　not　in　the
habit　of　taking　his　women…folks　on　his　voyages　with　him。　　〃Skirts
clutter　up　the　deck　too　much；〃　was　his　opinion。

He　had　taken　Jane；　however；　not　only　on　this　voyage；　but　on　that
preceding　it；　which　had　been　to　Rio。　　It　was　Captain　Lote's　belief；
and　his　wife's　hope；　that　a　succession　of　sea　winds　might　blow　away
recollections　of　Senor　Speranza〃fan　the　garlic　out　of　her　head；〃
as　the　captain　inelegantly　expressed　it。　　Jane　had　spent　her
sixteenth　and　seventeenth　years　at　a　school　for　girls　near　Boston。
The　opera　company　of　which　Speranza　was　a　member　was　performing　at
one　of　the　minor　theaters。　　A　party　of　the　school　girls；　duly
chaperoned　and　faculty…guarded；　of　course；　attended　a　series　of
matinees。　　At　these　matinees　Jane　first　saw　her　hero；　brave　in
doublet　and　hose；　and　braver　still　in　melody　and　romance。　　She　and
her　mates　looked　and　listened　and　worshiped　from　afar；　as　is　the
habit　of　maidenly　youth　under　such　circumstances。　　There　is　no
particular　danger　in　such　worship　provided　the　worshiper　remains
always　at　a　safely　remote　distance　from　the　idol。　　But　in　Jane's
case　this　safety…bar　was　removed　by　Fate。　　The　wife　of　a　friend　of
her　father's；　the　friend　being　a　Boston　merchant　named　Cole　with
whom　Captain　Zelotes　had　had　business　dealings　for　many　years；　was
a　music　lover。　　She　was　in　the　habit　of　giving　what　she　was　pleased
to　call　〃musical　teas〃　at　her　home。　　Jane；　to　whom　Mr。　and　Mrs。
Cole　had　taken　a　marked　fancy；　was　often　invited　to　those　teas　and；
because　the　Coles　were　〃among　our　nicest　people；〃　she　was　permitted
by　the　school　authorities　to　attend。

At　one　of　those　teas　Senor　Miguel　Carlos　Speranza　was　the　brightest
star。　　The　Senor；　then　in　his　twenty…ninth　year；　handsome；　talented
and　picturesque；　shone　refulgent。　　Other　and　far　more　experienced
feminine　hearts　than　Jane　Snow's　were　flutteringly　disturbed　by　the
glory　of　his　rays。　　Jane　and　he　met；　they　shook　hands；　they
conversed。　　And　at　subsequent　teas　they　met　again；　for　Speranza；　on
his　part；　was　strongly　attracted　to　the　simple；　unaffected　Cape　Cod
schoolgirl。　　It　was　not　her　beauty　alonethough　beauty　she　had　and
of　an　unusual　typeit　was　something　else；　a　personality　which
attracted　all　who　met　her。　　The　handsome　Spaniard　had　had　many　love
affairs　of　a　more　or　less　perfunctory　kind；　but　here　was　something
different；　something　he　had　not　known。　　He　began　by　exerting　his
powers　of　fascination　in　a　lazy；　careless　way。　　To　his　astonishment
the　said　powers　were　not　overwhelming。　　If　Jane　was　fascinated　she
was　not　conquered。　　She　remained　sweet；　simple；　direct；　charmingly
aloof。

And　Speranza　was　at　first　puzzled；　then　piqued；　then　himself　madly
fascinated。　　He　wrote　fervid　letters；　he　begged　for　interviews；　he
haunted　each　one　of　Mrs。　Cole's　〃teas。〃　　And；　at　last；　he　wrung
from　Jane　a　confession　of　her　love；　her　promise　to　marry　him。　　And
that　very　week　Miss　Donaldson；　the　head　of　the　school；　discovered
and　read　a　package　of　the　Senor's　letters　to　her　pupil。

Captain　Zelotes　happened　to　be　at　home　from　a　voyage。　　Being
summoned　from　South　Harniss；　he　came　to　Boston　and　heard　the　tale
from　Miss　Donaldson's　agitated　lips。　　Jane　was　his　joy；　his　pride；
her　future　was　the　great　hope　and　dream　of　his　life。　　WHEN　she
marriedwhich　was　not　to　be　thought　of　for　an　indefinite　number　of
years　to　comeshe　would　of　course　marry　awell；　not　a　President
of　the　United　States；　perhapsbut　an　admiral　possibly；　or　a
millionaire；　or　the　owner　of　a　fleet　of　steamships；　or　something
like　that。　　The　idea　that　she　should　even　think　of　marrying　a
play…actor　was　unbelievable。　　The　captain　had　never　attended　the
performance　of　an　opera；　what　was　more；　he　never　expected　to　attend
one。　　He　had　been　given　to　understand　that　a　〃parcel　of　play…actin'
men　and　women　hollered　and　screamed　to　music　for　a　couple　of
hours。〃　　Olive；　his　wife；　had　attended　an　opera　once　and；　according
to　her；　it　was　more　like　a　cat　fight　than　anything　else。　　Nobody
but　foreigners　ever　had　anything　to　do　with　operas。　　And　for
foreigners　of　all　kindsbut　the　Latin　variety　of　foreigner　in
particularCaptain　Zelotes　Snow　cherished　a　detest　which　was
almost　fa