a hazard of new fortunes v1-第16部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


and　showed　me　everything。　　Well；　it　was　wonderful；　and　it　was　beautiful；
too！　　To　see　a　whole　community　stirred　up　like　that　wasjust　like　a　big
boy；　all　hope　and　high　spirits；　and　no　discount　on　the　remotest　future；
nothing　but　perpetual　boom　to　the　end　of　timeI　tell　you　it　warmed　your
blood。　　Why；　there　were　some　things　about　it　that　made　you　think　what　a
nice　kind　of　world　this　would　be　if　people　ever　took　hold　together；
instead　of　each　fellow　fighting　it　out　on　his　own　hook；　and　devil　take
the　hindmost。　　They　made　up　their　minds　at　Moffitt　that　if　they　wanted
their　town　to　grow　they'd　got　to　keep　their　gas　public　property。　　So　they
extended　their　corporation　line　so　as　to　take　in　pretty　much　the　whole
gas　region　round　there；　and　then　the　city　took　possession　of　every　well
that　was　put　down；　and　held　it　for　the　common　good。　　Anybody　that's　a
mind　to　come　to　Moffitt　and　start　any　kind　of　manufacture　can　have　all
the　gas　he　wants　free；　and　for　fifteen　dollars　a　year　you　can　have　all
the　gas　you　want　to　heat　and　light　your　private　house。　　The　people　hold
on　to　it　for　themselves；　and；　as　I　say；　it's　a　grand　sight　to　see　a　whole
community　hanging　together　and　working　for　the　good　of　all；　instead　of
splitting　up　into　as　many　different　cut…throats　as　there　are　able…bodied
citizens。　　See　that　fellow？〃　　Fulkerson　broke　off；　and　indicated　with　a
twirl　of　his　head　a　short；　dark；　foreign…looking　man　going　out　of　the
door。　　〃They　say　that　fellow's　a　Socialist。　　I　think　it's　a　shame　they're
allowed　to　come　here。　　If　they　don't　like　the　way　we　manage　our　affairs
let　'em　stay　at　home；〃　Fulkerson　continued。　　〃They　do　a　lot　of　mischief；
shooting　off　their　mouths　round　here。　　I　believe　in　free　speech　and　all
that；　but　I'd　like　to　see　these　fellows　shut　up　in　jail　and　left　to　jaw
one　another　to　death。　　We　don't　want　any　of　their　poison。〃

March　did　not　notice　the　vanishing　Socialist。　　He　was　watching；　with　a
teasing　sense　of　familiarity；　a　tall；　shabbily　dressed；　elderly　man；　who
had　just　come　in。　　He　had　the　aquiline　profile　uncommon　among　Germans；
and　yet　March　recognized　him　at　once　as　German。　　His　long；　soft　beard　and
mustache　had　once　been　fair；　and　they　kept　some　tone　of　their　yellow　in
the　gray　to　which　they　had　turned。　　His　eyes　were　full；　and　his　lips　and
chin　shaped　the　beard　to　the　noble　outline　which　shows　in　the　beards　the
Italian　masters　liked　to　paint　for　their　Last　Suppers。　　His　carriage　was
erect　and　soldierly；　and　March　presently　saw　that　he　had　lost　his　left
hand。　　He　took　his　place　at　a　table　where　the　overworked　waiter　found
time　to　cut　up　his　meat　and　put　everything　in　easy　reach　of　his　right
hand。

〃Well；〃　Fulkerson　resumed；　〃they　took　me　round　everywhere　in　Moffitt；　and
showed　me　their　big　wellslit　'em　up　for　a　private　view；　and　let　me　hear
them　purr　with　the　soft　accents　of　a　mass…meeting　of　locomotives。　　Why；
when　they　let　one　of　these　wells　loose　in　a　meadow　that　they'd　piped　it
into　temporarily；　it　drove　the　flame　away　forty　feet　from　the　mouth　of
the　pipe　and　blew　it　over　half　an　acre　of　ground。　　They　say　when　they　let
one　of　their　big　wells　burn　away　all　winter　before　they　had　learned　how
to　control　it；　that　well　kept　up　a　little　summer　all　around　it；　the　grass
stayed　green；　and　the　flowers　bloomed　all　through　the　winter。　　I　don't
know　whether　it's　so　or　not。　　But　I　can　believe　anything　of　natural　gas。
My！　but　it　was　beautiful　when　they　turned　on　the　full　force　of　that　well
and　shot　a　roman　candle　into　the　gasthat's　the　way　they　light　itand　a
plume　of　fire　about　twenty　feet　wide　and　seventy…five　feet　high；　all　red
and　yellow　and　violet；　jumped　into　the　sky；　and　that　big　roar　shook　the
ground　under　your　feet！　You　felt　like　saying：

'Don't　trouble　yourself；　I'm　perfectly　convinced。　　I　believe　in　Moffitt。'
We…e…e…ll！〃　drawled　Fulkerson；　with　a　long　breath；　〃that's　where　I　met
old　Dryfoos。〃

〃Oh　yes！Dryfoos；〃　said　March。　　He　observed　that　the　waiter　had　brought
the　old　one…handed　German　a　towering　glass　of　beer。

〃Yes；〃　Fulkerson　laughed。　　〃We've　got　round　to　Dryfoos　again。　　I　thought
I　could　cut　a　long　story　short；　but　I　seem　to　be　cutting　a　short　story
long。　　If　you're　not　in　a　hurry；　though〃

〃Not　in　the　least。　　Go　on　as　long　as　you　like。〃

〃I　met　him　there　in　the　office　of　a　real…estate　manspeculator；　of
course；　everybody　was；　in　Moffitt；　but　a　first…rate　fellow；　and　public…
spirited　as　all　get…out；　and　when　Dryfoos　left　he　told　me　about　him。
Dryfoos　was　an　old　Pennsylvania　Dutch　farmer；　about　three　or　four　miles
out　of　Moffitt；　and　he'd　lived　there　pretty　much　all　his　life；　father　was
one　of　the　first　settlers。　　Everybody　knew　he　had　the　right　stuff　in　him；
but　he　was　slower　than　molasses　in　January；　like　those　Pennsylvania
Dutch。　　He'd　got　together　the　largest　and　handsomest　farm　anywhere　around
there；　and　he　was　making　money　on　it；　just　like　he　was　in　some　business
somewhere；　he　was　a　very　intelligent　man；　he　took　the　papers　and　kept
himself　posted；　but　he　was　awfully　old…fashioned　in　his　ideas。　　He　hung
on　to　the　doctrines　as　well　as　the　dollars　of　the　dads；　it　was　a　real
thing　with　him。　　Well；　when　the　boom　began　to　come　he　hated　it　awfully；
and　he　fought　it。　　He　used　to　write　communications　to　the　weekly
newspaper　in　Moffittthey've　got　three　dailies　there　nowand　throw　cold
water　on　the　boom。　　He　couldn't　catch　on　no　way。　　It　made　him　sick　to
hear　the　clack　that　went　on　about　the　gas　the　whole　while；　and　that
stirred　up　the　neighborhood　and　got　into　his　family。　　Whenever　he'd　hear
of　a　man　that　had　been　offered　a　big　price　for　his　land　and　was　going　to
sell　out　and　move　into　town；　he'd　go　and　labor　with　him　and　try　to　talk
him　out　of　it；　and　tell　him　how　long　his　fifteen　or　twenty　thousand　would
last　him　to　live　on；　and　shake　the　Standard　Oil　Company　before　him；　and
try　to　make　him　believe　it　wouldn't　be　five　years　before　the　Standard
owned　the　whole　region。

〃Of　course；　he　couldn't　do　anything　with　them。　　When　a　man's　offered　a
big　price　for　his　farm；　he　don't　care　whether　it's　by　a　secret　emissary
from　the　Standard　Oil　or　not；　he's　going　to　sell　and　get　the　better　of
the　other　fellow　if　he　can。　　Dryfoos　couldn't　keep　the　boom　out　of　has
own　family　even。　　His　wife　was　with　him。　　She　thought　whatever　he　said
and　did　was　just　as　right　as　if　it　had　been　thundered　down　from　Sinai。
But　the　young　folks　were　sceptical；　especially　the　girls　that　had　been
away　to　school。　　The　boy　that　had　been　kept　at　home　because　he　couldn't
be　spared　from　helping　his　father　manage　the　farm　was　more　like　him；　but
they　contrived　to　stir　the　boy　upwith　the　hot　end　of　the　boom；　too。
So　when　a　fellow　came　along　one　day　and　offered　old　Dryfoos　a　cool
hundred　thousand　for　his　farm；　it　was　all　up　with　Dryfoos。　　He'd　'a'
liked　to　'a'　kept　the　offer　to　himself　and　not　done　anything　about　it；
but　his　vanity　wouldn't　let　him　do　that；　and　when　he　let　it　out　in　his
family　the　girls　outvoted　him。　　They　just　made　him　sell。

〃He　wouldn't　sell　all。　　He　kept　about　eighty　acres　that　was　off　in　some
piece　by　itself；　but　the　three　hundred　that　had　the　old　brick　house　on
it；　and　the　big　barnthat　went；　and　Dryfoos　bought　him　a　place　in
Moffitt　and　moved　into　town　to　live　on　the　interest　of　his　money。　　Just
What　he　had　scolded　and　ridiculed　everybody　else　for　doing。　　Well；　they
say　that　at　first　he　seemed　like　he　would　go　crazy。　　He　hadn't　anything
to　do。　　He　took　a　fancy　to　that　land…agent；　and　he　used　to　go　and　set　in
his　office　and　ask　him　what　he　should　do。　　'I　hain't　got　any　horses；　I
hain't　got　any　cows；　I　hain't　got　any　pigs；　I　hain't　got　any　chickens。
I　hain't　got　anything　to　do　from　sun…up　to　sun…down。'　　The　fellow　said
the　tears　used　to　run　down　the　old　fellow's　cheeks；　and　if　he　hadn't　been
so　busy　himself　he　believed　he　should　'a'　cried；　too。　　But　most　o'　people
thought　old　Dryfoos　was　down　in　the　mouth　because　he　hadn't　asked　more
for　his　farm；　when　he　wanted　to　buy　it　back　and　found　they　held　it　at　a
hundred　and　fifty　thousand。　　People　couldn't　believe　he　was　just　homesick
and　heartsick　for　the　old　place。　　Well；　perhaps　he　was　sorry　he　hadn't
asked　more；　that's　human　nature；　too。

〃After　a　while　something　happened。　　That　land…agent　used　to　tell　Dryfoos
to　get　out　to　Europe　with　his　money　and　see　life　a　little；　or　go　and　live
in　Washington；　where　he　could　be　somebody；　but　Dryfoos　wouldn't；　and　he
kept　listening　to　the　talk　there；　and　all　of　a　sudden　he　caught　on。　　He
came　into　that　fellow's　one　day　with　a　plan　for　cutting　up　the　eighty
acres　he'd　kept　into　town　lots；　and　he'd　got　it　all　plotted　out　so…well；
and　had　so　many　practical　ideas　about　it；　that　the　fellow　was　astonished。
He　went　right　in　with　him；　as　far　as　Dryfoos　would　let　him；　and　glad　of
the　chance；　and　they　were　working　the　thing　for　all　it　was　worth　when　I
struck　Moffitt。　　Old　Dryfoos　wanted　me　to　go　out　and　see　the　Dryfoos　&
Hendry　Additionguess　he　thought　maybe　I'd　write　it　up；　and　he　drove　me
out　there　himself。　　Well；　it　was　funny　to　see　a　town　made：　streets　driven
through；　two　rows　of　shadetrees；　hard　and　soft；　planted；　cellars　dug　and
houses　put　up…regular　Queen　Anne　style；　too；　with　stained　glass…all　at
once。　　Dryfoos　apologized　for　the　streets　because　they　were　hand…made；
said　they　expected　their　street…making　machine　Tuesday；　and　then　they
intended　to　push　things。〃

Fulkerson　enjoyed　the　effect　of　his　picture　on　March　for　a　moment；　and
then　went　on：　〃He　was　mighty　intelligent；　too；　and　he　questioned　me　up
about　my　business　as　sharp　as　I　ever　was　questioned；　seemed　to　kind　of
strike　his　fancy；　I　guess　he　wanted　to　find　out　if　there　was　any　money　in
it。　　He　was　making　money；　hand　over　hand；　then；　and　he　never　stopped
speculating　and　improving　till　he'd　scraped　together　three　or　four
hundred　thousand　dollars；　they　said　a　million；　but　they　like　round
numbers　at　Moffitt　；　and　I　guess　half　a　million　would　lay　over　it
comfortably　and　leave　a　few　thousands　to　spare；　probably。　　Then　he　came
on　to　New　York。〃

Fulkerson　struck　a　match　against　the　ribbed　side　of　the　porcelain　cup
that　held　the　matches　in　the　centre　of　the　table；　and　lit　a　cigarette；
which　he　began　to　smoke；　throwing　his　head　back　with　a　leisurely　effect；
as　if　he　had　got　to　t