children of the whirlwind-第44部分

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of　Larryof　the　cunning　Jimmie　Carlisle　whom　till　this　day　she　had　believed　her　fatherof　Barney　Palmer。

So　agitated　was　she　with　these　gyrating　thoughts　that　she　was　not　conscious　that　Dick　had　stopped　the　car　on　the　green　roadside　until　he　had　taken　her　hand　and　had　begun　to　speak。　The　happy；　garrulous；　unobservant　Dick　had　not　noticed　anything　out　of　the　way　with　her　more　than　a　pallor　which　she　had　explained　away　as　being　due　to　nothing　more　than　a　bit　of　temporary　dizziness。　And　so　for　the　second　time　Dick　now　poured　out　his　love　to　her　and　asked　her　to　marry　him。

〃Don't；　Dickplease！〃　she　interrupted　him。　〃I　can't　marry　you！　Never！〃

〃What！〃　cried　the　astounded　Dick。　〃Maggiewhy　not？〃

〃I　can't。　That's　final。　And　don't　make　me　talk　to　you　now；　Dick　please！　I　cannot！〃

His　face；　so　fresh　and　happy　the　moment　before；　became　gray　and　lined　with　pain。　But　he　silently　swung　the　car　back　into　the　road。

She　forgot　him　utterly　in　what　was　happening　within　her。　As　they　rode　on；　she　forced　herself　to　think　of　what　she　should　do。　She　saw　herself　as　the　victim　of　much；　and　as　guilty　of　much。　And　then　inspiration　came　upon　her；　or　perhaps　it　was　merely　a　high　frenzy　of　desperation；　and　she　saw　that　the　responsibility　for　the　whole　situation　was　upon　her　alone；　she　saw　it　as　her　duty；　the　role　assigned　her；　to　try　to　untangle　alone　this　tangled　situation；　to　try　to　measure　out　justice　to　every　one。

First　of　all；　as　she　had　told　Larry；　her　father's　dream　of　her　must　remain　unbroken。　Whatever　she　did；　she　must　do　nothing　that　might　possibly　be　a　sharp　blow　to　the　conception　of　his　daughter　which　were　the　roots　and　trunk　and　flowering　branches　of　his　present　happiness。　。　。　。　And　then　came　a　real　inspiration！　She　would；　in　time；　make　herself　into　the　girl　he　believed　hermake　his　dream　the　truth！　She　would　get　rid　of　Old　Jimmie　and　Barneywould　cut　loose　from　everything　pertaining　to　her　former　lifewould　disappear　and　live　for　a　year　or　two　in　the　kind　of　environment　in　which　he　believed　he　had　placed　her…　…and　would　reappear　and　claim　him　for　her　father！　And　for　his　own　sake；　he　should　never　know　the　truth。　Two　years　more　and　he　should　have　the　actuality；　where　he　now　had　only　the　dream！

But　before　she　was　free　to　enter　upon　this　plan；　before　she　could　vanish　out　of　the　knowledge　of　all　who　had　known　her；　there　was　a　great　duty　to　Larry　Brainard　which　she　must　discharge。　He　was　hunted　by　the　police；　he　was　hunted　by　his　former　pals。　And　he　was　in　his　predicament　fundamentally　because　of　her。　Therefore；　it　was　her　foremost　duty　to　clear　Larry　Brainard。

Yes；　she　would　do　that　first！　Somehow！　。　。　。

She　was　considering　this　problem　of　how　she　was　to　clear　Larry；　who　had　tried　to　awaken　her；　who　had　shielded　her；　who　loved　her；　when　Dick　slowed　his　car　down　in　front　of　the　Grantham　and　helped　her　out。　As　he　said　a　subdued　good…bye　and　was　stepping　back　into　his　car；　an　impulse　surged　up　into　heran　impulse　of　this　different　Maggie　whose　birth　was　being　attended　by　such　bewildering　emotions　and　decisions。

〃Dick；　won't　you　please　come　up　for　just　a　little　while？〃

Three　minutes　later　they　were　in　her　sitting…room。　Cap　in　hand　Dick　awaited　her　words　in　the　misery　of　silence。　Her　look　was　drawn；　but　direct。

〃Back　in　the　road；　Dick；　you　asked　me　why　I　couldn't　marry　you。　I　asked　you　up　here　to　tell　you。〃

〃Yes？〃　he　queried　dully。

〃One　reason　is　that；　though　I　like　you；　I　don't　like　you　that　way。　The　more　important　reason　to　you　is　that　I　am　a　fraud。〃

〃A　fraud！〃　he　exclaimed　incredulously。

It　had　come　to　her；　as　she　was　leaving　the　car；　that　the　place　to　start　her　new　life　was　to　start　right；　or　quit　right；　with　Dick。　〃A　fraud；〃　she　repeated〃an　impostor。　There　is　no　Maggie　Cameron。　I　am　born　of　no　good　family　from　the　West。　I　have　no　money。　I　have　always　lived　in　New　Yorkmost　of　the　time　down　on　the　East　Side。　I　used　to　work　in　a　Fifth　Avenue　millinery　shop。　Till　three　months　ago　I　sold　cigarettes　in　one　of　the　big　hotels。〃

〃What　of　that！〃　cried　Dick。

〃That　is　the　nicest　part　of　what　I　have　to　tell　you；〃　she　continued　relentlessly。　〃My　supposed　relatives；　Jimmie　Carlisle　and　Barney　Palmer；　are　no　relatives　at　all；　but　are　two　clever　confidence　men。　I　have　been　in　with　them；　working　on　a　scheme　they　have　framed。　Everything　I　have　seemed　to　be；　everything　I　have　done；　even　this　expensive　apartment；　have　all　been　parts　of　that　scheme。　The　idea　of　that　scheme　was　to　swindle　some　rich　man　out　of　a　lot　of　money　through　my　playing　on　his　susceptibilities。〃

〃Maggie！〃　he　gasped。

〃More　concretely；　the　idea　was　to　trick　some　rich　man　into　falling　in　love　with　me；　to　get　him　to　propose；　then　to　have　me　confess　that　I　was　already　married；　but　to　a　man　who　would　give　me　a　divorce　if　he　were　paid　enough。　The　rich　man　would　then　drive　a　bargain　with　my　supposed　husband；　pay　over　a　lot　of　moneyafter　which　Barney；　Old　Jimmie；　and　I　would　disappear　with　our　profits。〃

〃Maggie！〃　he　repeated；　stupefied　with　his　incredulous　amazement。　But　the　unflinching　gaze　she　held　upon　him　convinced　him　she　was　speaking　the　truth。　〃Then；　if　that　was　your　game；　why　are　you　telling　me　now？　Why　didn't　you　say　'yes'　when　I　proposed　a　week　ago？　I　would　have　fallen　for　the　game；　you　would　have　succeeded。〃

Not　till　that　moment　did　Maggie　realize　the　full　truth；　not　till　then　did　she　realize　the　solid　influence　Larry　Brainard　had　been　in　the　background　of　her　life　all　these　months。

〃I　didn't　go　through　with　it　because　of　Larry　Brainard。〃

〃Larry　Brainard！〃　His　astonishment　increased。　〃You　know　Larry　Brainard；　then？〃

〃I've　known　him　for　several　years。〃

〃And　you've　been　coming　out；　and　he's　been　pretending　not　to　know　you！　Of　course　I　knew　what　Larry　Brainard　has　been。　But　is　he　in　this；　too？〃

〃No。　He's　exactly　what　you　think　him。　From　the　start　he's　been　trying　to　keep　me　out　of　this。　He　was　behind　my　coming　to　your　house；　he's　told　me　so。　His　reason　for　getting　me　there　was　his　belief　that　my　being　treated　by　you　and　your　sister　as　I　was　would　make　me　ashamed　of　myself　and　make　me　want　to　quit　what　I　was　doing。　And　I　thinkI　think　he　was　rightpartly。〃

〃And　Larryhe's　the　reason　you're　telling　me　now？〃

〃I　think　so。　But　there　are　other　reasons。〃　Making　a　clean　breast　of　things　though　she　was；　she　felt　she　dared　not　trust　Dick　with　the　secret　of　her　father。　〃II　wanted　to　clear　things　up　as　far　as　I　was　responsible。　That's　one　reason　I'm　telling　you。　There　was　the　chance　you　might　sometime　find　out　that　Larry　had　known　me　and　suspect　him；　I　wanted　you　to　know　the　truth　of　what　he'd　really　done。　And　I　wanted　to　tell　you　the　truth　about　myself；　so　you'd　despise　and　forget　me；　instead　of　perhaps　carrying　around　romantic　delusions　about　me　after　I've　gone。　And　there's　another　reason。　I'd　like　to　tell　youfor　you've　been　everything　that's　fine　to　meif　it　won't　offend　you。〃

〃Go　on；〃　he　said　huskily。

〃Barney　Palmer　picked　you　out　as　the　victimyou　didn't　know　you　were　being　picked　outbecause　he　said　that　you　were　an　easy　mark。　That　you　took　things　for　exactly　what　they　pretended　to　be；　and　didn't　care　what　you　did　with　your　money。　That　you　never　would　settle　down　into　a　responsible　person。　I'm　telling　you　all　this；　Dick；　because　I　don't　want　you　to　be　what　Barney　said。〃

Dick　slumped　into　a　chair；　at　last　beaten　down　by　this　cumulative　revelation。　He　buried　his　face　in　his　hands　and　his　panting　breath　was　convulsive　with　unuttered　sobs。　Maggie　looked　down　upon　the　young　boy；　with　pity；　remorse；　and　an　increasing　recognition　of　the　wide…spread　suffering　she　had　wrought。

〃To　think　that　this　has　all　been　horrible　make…believe！〃　he　at　last　groaned。　〃That　all　the　while　I've　been　looked　on　as　just　a　young　fool　who　would　always　remain　a　fool！〃

Maggie；　in　her　sense　of　guilt；　was　helpless　to　make　any　reply　that　would　soften　his　agony；　and　for　a　space　neither　spoke。

Presently　Dick　stood　suddenly　up。　His　face　was　still　marked　by　suffering；　but　somehow　it　seemed　to　have　grown　older　without　losing　its　youth。　There　was　a　new　blaze　of　determination　in　the　direct　look　he　held　on　Maggie。

〃You　say　you　have　never　loved　me？〃　he　demanded。

She　shook　her　head。　〃But　I've　told　you　that　I've　always　liked　you。〃

〃Larry　Brainard's　doing　what　he　has　kept　on　doing　for　youthat　means　that　he　loves　you；　doesn't　it？〃　he　pressed　on。

〃He　has　told　me　so。〃

〃And　you　love　him？〃

〃What　difference　does　that　make？since　I　am　going　away　as　soon　as　I　get　everything　I'm　wholly　or　partly　responsible　for　cleared　up。〃

〃If　Larry　Brainard　has　known　you　for　a　long　while；　then　how　about　Barney　Palmer　and　Jimmie　Carlisle？〃

〃They've　known　me　as　long；　or　longer。〃

〃Then　you　must　have　all　known　each　other？〃

〃Yes。　Years　ago　Larry　worked　with　Barney　and　Jimmie　Carlisle。〃

〃What　was　the　attitude　of　those　two　toward　Larry；　when　he　was　trying　to　balk　them　by　making　you　give　up　the　plan？〃

〃They　hated　him。　They　are　the　causeespecially　Barneyof　all　of　Larry's　trouble　with　the　police　and　with　the　old　crowd　he's　quit。　To　try　to　clear　Larry；　that's　the　most　important　thing　I'm　going　to　try　to　do。〃

〃And　that's　where　you've　got　to　let　me　help　you！〃　Dick　cried　with　sudden　energy。　〃Larry's　been　a　mighty　good　friend　to　mehe's　tried　to　head　me　rightand　I　owe　him　a　lot。　And　I'd　like　a　chance　to　show　that　Barney　Palmer　I'm　not　going　to　keep　on　being　the　eternal　fool　he　sized　me　up　to　be！〃

Maggie　was　startled　by　this　swift　transformation。　〃Whywhy；　Dick！〃　she　breathed。

〃What's　your　plan　to　clear　Larry？〃

〃I　hadn't　got　so　far　as　to　have　a　clear　plan。　I　had　only　just　realized　that　there　had　to　be　a　plan。　But　since　they　have　set　the　police　on　Larry；　it　came　to　me　that　the　idea　behind　any　plan　would　be　for　the　police　to　really　capture　Barney　and　Jimmie　Carlisleget　them　out　of　Larry's　way。〃

〃That's　it！〃　Dick　Sherwood　had　a　mind　which；　given　an　interesting　stimulus；　could　work　swiftly；　and　it　worked　swiftly　now。　〃They　were　planning　to　trim　me。　Let's　use　that　plan　you　outlined　to　meuse　it　to…night。　You　can　tell　them　some　story　which　will　make　immediate　action　seem　necessary　and　we'll　all　get　together　this　evening。　I'll　play　my　part　all　rightdon't　you　worry　about　me！　I'll　come　with　a　roll　of　money　that　I'll　dig　up　somewhere；　and　it'll　be　marked　money。　When　it's　passedbi