sunshine sketches of a little town-第21部分

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on　end。

That　kind　of　reticence　is　a　thing　you　simply　have　to　learn　in
banking。　I　mean；　if　you've　got　to　be　in　a　position　where　you　know　for
a　fact　that　the　Mariposa　Packing　Company's　account　is　overdrawn　by
sixty…four　dollars；　and　yet　daren't　say　anything　about　it；　not　even
to　the　girls　that　you　play　tennis　with；I　don't　say；　not　a　casual
hint　as　a　reference；　but　not　really　tell　them；　not；　for　instance；
bring　down　the　bank　ledger　to　the　tennis　court　and　show　them；you
learn　a　sort　of　reticence　and　self…control　that　people　outside　of
banking　circles　never　can　attain。

Why；　I've　known　Pupkin　at　the　Fireman's　Ball　lean　against　the　wall　in
his　dress　suit　and　talk　away　to　Jim　Eliot；　the　druggist；　without
giving　the　faintest　hint　or　indication　that　Eliot's　note　for
twenty…seven　dollars　had　been　protested　that　very　morning。　Not　a　hint
of　it。　I　don't　say　he　didn't　mention　it；　in　a　sort　of　way；　in　the
supper　room；　just　to　one　or　two；　but　I　mean　there　was　nothing　in　the
way　he　leant　up　against　the　wall　to　suggest　it。

But；　however；　I　don't　mention　that　as　either　for　or　against　Mr。
Pupkin。　That　sort　of　thing　is　merely　the　A　B　C　of　banking；　as　he
himself　told　me　when　explaining　why　it　was　that　he　hesitated　to
divulge　the　exact　standing　of　the　Mariposa　Carriage　Company。　Of
course；　once　you　get　past　the　A　B　C　you　can　learn　a　lot　that　is
mighty　interesting。

So　I　think　that　if　you　know　Mariposa　and　understand　even　the
rudiments　of　banking；　you　are　perfectly　acquainted　with　Mr。　Pupkin。
What？　You　remember　him　as　being　in　love　with　Miss　Lawson；　the　high
school　teacher？　In　love　with　HER？　What　a　ridiculous　idea。　You　mean
merely　because　on　the　night　when　the　Mariposa　Belle　sank　with　every
soul　on　board；　Pupkin　put　off　from　the　town　in　a　skiff　to　rescue　Miss
Lawson。　Oh；　but　you're　quite　wrong。　That　wasn't　LOVE。　I've　heard
Pupkin　explain　it　himself　a　dozen　times。　That　sort　of
thing；paddling　out　to　a　sinking　steamer　at　night　in　a　crazy
skiff；may　indicate　a　sort　of　attraction；　but　not　real　love；　not
what　Pupkin　came　to　feel　afterwards。　Indeed；　when　he　began　to　think
of　it；　it　wasn't　even　attraction；　it　was　merely　respect；that's　all
it　was。　And　anyway；　that　was　long　before；　six　or　seven　months　back；
and　Pupkin　admitted　that　at　the　time　he　was　a　mere　boy。

Mr。　Pupkin；　I　must　explain；　lived　with　Mallory　Tompkins　in　rooms　over
the　Exchange　Bank；　on　the　very　top　floor；　the　third；　with　Mullins's
own　rooms　below　them。　Extremely　comfortable　quarters　they　were；　with
two　bedrooms　and　a　sitting…room　that　was　all　fixed　up　with　snowshoes
and　tennis　rackets　on　the　walls　and　dance　programmes　and　canoe　club
badges　and　all　that　sort　of　thing。

Mallory　Tompkins　was　a　young　man　with　long　legs　and　check　trousers
who　worked　on　the　Mariposa　Times…Herald。　That　was　what　gave　him　his
literary　taste。　He　used　to　read　Ibsen　and　that　other　Dutch
authorBumstone　Bumstone；　isn't　it？and　you　can　judge　that　he　was　a
mighty　intellectual　fellow。　He　was　so　intellectual　that　he　was；　as　he
himself　admitted；　a　complete　eggnostic。　He　and　Pupkin　used　to　have
the　most　tremendous　arguments　about　creation　and　evolution；　and　how
if　you　study　at　a　school　of　applied　science　you　learn　that　there's　no
hell　beyond　the　present　life。

Mallory　Tompkins　used　to　prove　absolutely　that　the　miracles　were　only
electricity；　and　Pupkin　used　to　admit　that　it　was　an　awfully　good
argument；　but　claimed　that　he　had　heard　it　awfully　well　answered　in　a
sermon；　though　unfortunately　he　had　forgotten　how。

Tompkins　used　to　show　that　the　flood　was　contrary　to　geology；　and
Pupkin　would　acknowledge　that　the　point　was　an　excellent　one；　but
that　he　had　read　a　book；the　title　of　which　he　ought　to　have　written
down；which　explained　geology　away　altogether。

Mallory　Tompkins　generally　got　the　best　of　the　merely　logical　side　of
the　arguments；　but　Pupkinwho　was　a　tremendous　Christianwas　much
stronger　in　the　things　he　had　forgotten。　So　the　discussions　often
lasted　till　far　into　the　night；　and　Mr。　Pupkin　would　fall　asleep　and
dream　of　a　splendid　argument；　which　would　have　settled　the　whole
controversy；　only　unfortunately　he　couldn't　recall　it　in　the　morning。

Of　course；　Pupkin　would　never　have　thought　of　considering　himself　on
an　intellectual　par　with　Mallory　Tompkins。　That　would　have　been
ridiculous。　Mallory　Tompkins　had　read　all　sorts　of　things　and　had
half　a　mind　to　write　a　novel　himselfeither　that　or　a　play。　All　he
needed；　he　said；　was　to　have　a　chance　to　get　away　somewhere　by
himself　and　think。　Every　time　he　went　away　to　the　city　Pupkin
expected　that　he　might　return　with　the　novel　all　finished；　but　though
he　often　came　back　with　his　eyes　red　from　thinking；　the　novel　as　yet
remained　incomplete。

Meantime；　Mallory　Tompkins；　as　I　say；　was　a　mighty　intellectual
fellow。　You　could　see　that　from　the　books　on　the　bamboo　bookshelves
in　the　sitting…room。　There　was；　for　instance；　the　〃Encyclopaedia
Metropolitana〃　in　forty　volumes；　that　he　bought　on　the　instalment
plan　for　two　dollars　a　month。　Then　when　they　took　that　away；　there
was　the　〃History　of　Civilization；〃　in　fifty　volumes　at　fifty　cents　a
week　for　fifty　years。　Tompkins　had　read　in　it　half…way　through　the
Stone　Age　before　they　took　it　from　him。　After　that　there　was　the
〃Lives　of　the　Painters；〃　one　volume　at　a　timea　splendid　thing　in
which　you　could　read　all　about　Aahrens；　and　Aachenthal；　and　Aax　and
men　of　that　class。

After　all；　there's　nothing　like　educating　oneself。　Mallory　Tompkins
knew　about　the　opening　period　of　all　sorts　of　things；　and　in　regard
to　people　whose　names　began　with　〃A〃　you　couldn't　stick　him。

I　don't　mean　that　he　and　Mr。　Pupkin　lived　a　mere　routine　of　studious
evenings。　That　would　be　untrue。　Quite　often　their　time　was　spent　in
much　less　commendable　ways　than　that；　and　there　were　poker　parties　in
their　sitting…room　that　didn't　break　up　till　nearly　midnight。
Card…playing；　after　all；　is　a　slow　business；　unless　you　put　money　on
it；　and；　besides；　if　you　are　in　a　bank　and　are　handling　money　all
day；　gambling　has　a　fascination。

I've　seen　Pupkin　and　Mallory　Tompkins　and　Joe　Milligan；　the　dentist；
and　Mitchell　the　ticket　agent；　and　the　other　〃boys〃　sitting　round　the
table　with　matches　enough　piled　up　in　front　of　them　to　stock　a
factory。　Ten　matches　counted　for　one　chip　and　ten　chips　made　a
centso　you　see　they　weren't　merely　playing　for　the　fun　of　the
thing。　Of　course　it's　a　hollow　pleasure。　You　realize　that　when　you
wake　up　at　night　parched　with　thirst；　ten　thousand　matches　to　the
bad。　But　banking　is　a　wild　life　and　everybody　knows　it。

Sometimes　Pupkin　would　swear　off　and　keep　away　from　the　cursed　thing
for　weeks；　and　then　perhaps　he'd　see　by　sheer　accident　a　pile　of
matches　on　the　table；　or　a　match　lying　on　the　floor　and　it　would
start　the　craze　in　him。　I　am　using　his　own　wordsa　〃craze〃that's
what　he　called　it　when　he　told　Miss　Lawson　all　about　it；　and　she
promised　to　cure　him　of　it。　She　would　have；　too。　Only；　as　I　say；
Pupkin　found　that　what　he　had　mistaken　for　attraction　was　only
respect。　And　there's　no　use　worrying　a　woman　that　you　respect　about
your　crazes。

It　was　from　Mallory　Tompkins　that　Pupkin　learned　all　about　the
Mariposa　people；　because　Pupkin　came　from　away　offsomewhere　down　in
the　Maritime　Provincesand　didn't　know　a　soul。　Mallory　Tompkins　used
to　tell　him　about　Judge　Pepperleigh；　and　what　a　wonderfully　clever
man　he　was　and　how　he　would　have　been　in　the　Supreme　Court　for
certain　if　the　Conservative　Government　had　stayed　in　another　fifteen
or　twenty　years　instead　of　coming　to　a　premature　end。　He　used　to　talk
so　much　about　the　Pepperleighs；　that　Pupkin　was　sick　of　the　very
name。　But　just　as　soon　as　he　had　seen　Zena　Pepperleigh　he　couldn't
hear　enough　of　them。　He　would　have　talked　with　Tompkins　for　hours
about　the　judge's　dog　Rover。　And　as　for　Zena；　if　he　could　have
brought　her　name　over　his　lips；　he　would　have　talked　of　her　forever。

He　first　saw　herby　one　of　the　strangest　coincidences　in　the
worldon　the　Main　Street　of　Mariposa。　If　he　hadn't　happened　to　be
going　up　the　street　and　she　to　be　coming　down　it；　the　thing　wouldn't
have　happened。　Afterwards　they　both　admitted　that　it　was　one　of　the
most　peculiar　coincidences　they　ever　heard　of。　Pupkin　owned　that　he
had　had　the　strangest　feeling　that　morning　as　if　something　were　going
to　happena　feeling　not　at　all　to　be　classed　with　the　one　of　which
he　had　once　spoken　to　Miss　Lawson；　and　which　was；　at　the　most；　a　mere
anticipation　of　respect。

But；　as　I　say；　Pupkin　met　Zena　Pepperleigh　on　the　26th　of　June；　at
twenty…five　minutes　to　eleven。　And　at　once　the　whole　world　changed。
The　past　was　all　blotted　out。　Even　in　the　new　forty　volume　edition
of　the　〃Instalment　Record　of　Humanity〃　that　Mallory　Tompkins　had　just
received　Pupkin　wouldn't　have　bothered　with　it。

Shethat　word　henceforth　meant　Zenahad　just　come　back　from　her
boarding…school；　and　of　all　times　of　year　coming　back　from　a
boarding…school　and　for　wearing　a　white　shirt　waist　and　a　crimson　tie
and　for　carrying　a　tennis　racket　on　the　stricken　street　of　a
towncommend　me　to　the　month　of　June　in　Mariposa。

And；　for　Pupkin；　straight　away　the　whole　town　was　irradiated　with
sunshine；　and　there　was　such　a　singing　of　the　birds；　and　such　a
dancing　of　the　rippled　waters　of　the　lake；　and　such　a　kindliness　in
the　faces　of　all　the　people；　that　only　those　who　have　lived　in
Mariposa；　and　been　young　there；　can　know　at　all　what　he　felt。

The　simple　fact　is　that　just　the　moment　he　saw　Zena　Pepperleigh；
Mr。　Pupkin　was　clean；　plumb；　straight；　flat；　absolutely　in　love　with
her。

Which　fact　is　so　important　that　it　would　be　folly　not　to　close　the
chapter　and　think　about　it。



EIGHT

The　Fore…ordained　Attachment　of　Zena　Pepperleigh　and　Peter　Pupkin

Zena　Pepperleigh　used　to　sit　reading　novels　on　the　piazza　of　the
judge's　house；　half　hidden　by　the　Virginia　creepers。　At　times　the
book　would　fall　upon　her　lap　and　there　was　such　a　look　of　unstilled
yearning　in　her　violet　eyes　that　it　did　not　entirely　disappear　even
when　she　picked　up　the　apple　that　lay　beside　her　and　took　another
bite　out　of　it。

With　hands　clasped　she　would　sit　there　dreaming　all　the　beautiful
day…dreams　of　girlhood。　When　you　saw　that　faraway　look　in　he