the portygee-第48部分

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was；　naturally；　elated。

〃Isn't　it　splendid！〃　he　wrote。　　〃The　best　part　of　it；　of　course；　is
that　he　asked　to　publish；　I　did　not　ask　him。　　Please　send　me　my
scrapbook　and　all　loose　manuscript。　　When　the　book　will　come　out
I'm　sure　I　don't　know。　　In　fact　it　may　never　come　out；　we　have　not
gotten　as　far　as　terms　and　contracts　yet；　but　I　feel　we　shall。
Send　the　scrapbook　and　manuscript　right　away；　PLEASE。〃

They　were　sent。　　In　his　next　letter　Albert　was　still　enthusiastic。

〃I　have　been　looking　over　my　stuff；〃　he　wrote；　〃and　some　of　it　is
pretty　good；　if　you　don't　mind　my　saying　so。　　Tell　Grandfather　that
when　this　book　of　mine　is　out　and　selling　I　may　be　able　to　show　him
that　poetry　making　isn't　a　pauper's　job；　after　all。　　Of　course　I
don't　know　how　much　it　will　sellperhaps　not　more　than　five　or　ten
thousand　at　firstbut　even　at　ten　thousand　at；　say；　twenty…five
cents　royalty　each；　would　be　twenty…five　hundred　dollars；　and
that's　something。　　Why；　Ben　Hur；　the　novel；　you　know；　has　sold　a
million；　I　believe。〃

Mrs。　Snow　and　Rachel　were　duly　impressed　by　this　prophecy　of
affluence；　but　Captain　Zelotes　still　played　the　skeptic。

〃A　million　at　twenty…five　cents　a　piece！〃　exclaimed　Olive。　　〃Why；
Zelotes；　that'sthat's　an　awful　sight　of　money。〃

Mental　arithmetic　failing　her；　she　set　to　work　with　a　pencil　and
paper　and　after　a　strenuous　struggle　triumphantly　announced　that　it
came　to　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　dollars。

〃My　soul　and　body！〃　she　cried。　　〃Two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand
DOLLARS！　　My　SOUL；　Zelotes！　　Supposeonly　suppose　Albert's　book
brought　him　in　as　much　as　that！〃

Her　husband　shook　his　head。　　〃I　can't；　Olive；〃　he　said；　without
looking　up　from　his　newspaper。　　〃My　supposer　wouldn't　stand　the
strain。〃

〃But　it　might；　Zelotes；　it　MIGHT。　　Suppose　it　did；　what　would　you
say　then？〃

The　captain　regarded　her　over　the　top　of　the　Transcript。　　〃I
shouldn't　say　a　word；　Olive；〃　he　answered；　solemnly。　　〃I　should　be
down　sick　by　the　time　it　got　up　as　far　as　a　thousand；　and　anything
past　two　thousand　you　could　use　to　buy　my　tombstone　with。　。　。　。
There；　there；　Mother；〃　he　added；　noticing　the　hurt　look　on　her
face；　〃don't　feel　bad。　　I'm　only　jokin'。　　One　of　these　days　Al's
goin'　to　make　a　nice；　comf'table　livin'　sellin'　lumber　and　hardware
right　here　in　South　Harniss。　　I　can　SEE　that　money　in　the　offin'。
All　this　million　or　two　that's　comin'　from　poetry　and　such　is　out
of　sight　in　the　fog。　　It　may　be　there　buthumph！　well；　I　KNOW
where　Z。　Snow　and　Co。　is　located。〃

Olive　was　not　entirely　placated。　　〃I　must　say　I　think　you're　awful
discouragin'　to　the　poor　boy；　Zelotes；〃　she　said。　　Her　husband　put
down　his　paper。

〃No；　no；　I　ain't；　Mother；〃　he　replied；　earnestly。　　〃At　least　I
don't　mean　to　be。　　Way　I　look　at　it；　this　poetry…makin'　and　writin'
yarns　and　that　sort　of　stuff　is　just　part　of　the　youngster'ser
growin'　up；　as　you　might　say。　　Give　him　time　he'll　grow　out　of　it；
same　as　I　cal'late　he　will　out　of　this　girl　business；　thiser
Madelhumpherahem。　。　。　。　　Looks　like　a　good　day　to…morrow；
don't　it。〃

He　pulled　up　suddenly；　and　with　considerable　confusion。　　He　had
kept　the　news　of　his　grandson's　infatuation　and　engagement　even
from　his　wife。　　No　one　in　South　Harniss　knew　of　it；　no　one　except
the　captain。　　Helen　Kendall　knew；　but　she　was　in　Boston。

Rachel　Ellis　picked　up　the　half　knitted　Red　Cross　mitten　in　her
lap。　　〃Well；　I　don't　know　whether　he's　right　or　you　are；　Cap'n
Lote；〃　she　said；　with　a　sigh；　〃but　this　I　do　knowI　wish　this
awful　war　was　over　and　he　was　back　home　again。〃

That　remark　ended　the　conversation。　　Olive　resumed　her　own　knitting；
seeing　it　but　indistinctly。　　Her　husband　did　not　continue　his
newspaper　reading。　　Instead　he　rose　and；　saying　something　about
cal'latin'　he　would　go　for　a　little　walk　before　turning　in；　went　out
into　the　yard。

But　the　war　did　not　end；　it　went　on；　so　too　did　the　enlisting　and
training。　　In　the　early　summer　Albert　came　home　for　a　two　days'
leave。　　He　was　broader　and　straighter　and　browner。　　His　uniform
became　him　and；　more　than　ever；　the　eyes　of　South　Harniss's
youthful　femininity；　native　or　imported；　followed　him　as　he　walked
the　village　streets。　　But　the　glances　were　not　returned；　not　in
kind；　that　is。　　The　new　Fosdick　home；　although　completed；　was　not
occupied。　　Mrs。　Fosdick　had；　that　summer；　decided　that　her　duties
as　mover　in　goodness　knows　how　many　war　work　activities　prevented
her　taking　her　〃usual　summer　rest。〃　　Instead　she　and　Madeline
occupied　a　rented　villa　at　Greenwich；　Connecticut；　coming　into　town
for　meetings　of　all　sorts。　　Captain　Zelotes　had　his　own　suspicions
as　to　whether　war　work　alone　was　the　cause　of　the　Fosdicks'
shunning　of　what　was　to　have　been　their　summer　home；　but　he　kept
those　suspicions　to　himself。　　Albert　may　have　suspected　also；　but
he；　too；　said　nothing。　　The　censored　correspondence　between
Greenwich　and　the　training　camp　traveled　regularly；　and　South
Harniss　damsels　looked　and　longed　in　vain。　　He　saw　them；　he　bowed
to　them；　he　even　addressed　them　pleasantly　and　charmingly；　but　to
him　they　were　merely　incidents　in　his　walks　to　and　from　the　post…
office。　　In　his　mind's　eye　he　saw　but　one；　and　she；　alas；　was　not
present　in　the　flesh。

Then　he　returned　to　the　camp　where；　later　on；　Captain　Zelotes　and
Olive　visited　him。　　As　they　came　away　the　captain　and　his　grandson
exchanged　a　few　significant　words。

〃It　is　likely　to　be　almost　any　time；　Grandfather；〃　said　Albert；
quietly。　　〃They　are　beginning　to　send　them　now；　as　you　know　by　the
papers；　and　we　have　had　the　tip　that　our　turn　will　be　soon。　　So〃

Captain　Lote　grasped　the　significance　of　the　uncompleted　sentence。

〃I　see；　Al；〃　he　answered；　〃I　see。　　Well；　boy；　II　　Good　luck。〃

〃Good　luck；　Grandfather。〃

That　was　all；　that　and　one　more　handclasp。　　Our　Anglo…Saxon
inheritance　descends　upon　us　in　times　like　these。　　The　captain　was
silent　for　most　of　the　ride　to　the　railroad　station。

Then　followed　a　long；　significant　interval　during　which　there　were
no　letters　from　the　young　soldier。　　After　this　a　short　reassuring
cablegram　from　〃Somewhere　in　France。〃　　〃Safe。　　Well；〃　it　read　and
Olive　Snow　carried　it　about　with　her；　in　the　bosom　of　her　gown；　all
that　afternoon　and　put　it　upon　retiring　on　her　bureau　top　so　that
she　might　see　it　the　first　thing　in　the　morning。

Another　long　interval；　then　letters；　the　reassuring　but　so
tantalizingly　unsatisfactory　letters　we　American　families　were；
just　at　that　time；　beginning　to　receive。　　Reading　the　newspapers
now　had　a　personal　interest；　a　terrifying；　dreadful　interest。　　Then
the　packing　and　sending　of　holiday　boxes；　over　the　contents　of
which　Olive　and　Rachel　spent　much　careful　planning　and　anxious
preparation。　　Then　another　interval　of　more　letters；　letters　which
hinted　vaguely　at　big　things　just　ahead。

Then　no　letter　for　more　than　a　month。

And　then；　one　noon；　as　Captain　Zelotes　returned　to　his　desk　after
the　walk　from　home　and　dinner；　Laban　Keeler　came　in　and　stood
beside　that　desk。

The　captain；　looking　up；　saw　the　little　bookkeeper's　face。　　〃What
is　it；　Labe？〃　he　asked；　sharply。

Laban　held　a　yellow　envelope　in　his　hand。

〃It　came　while　you　were　gone　to　dinner；　Cap'n；〃　he　said。　　〃Ben
Kelley　fetched　it　from　the　telegraph　office　himself。　　Hehe　said
he　didn't　hardly　want　to　take　it　to　the　house。　　He　cal'lated　you'd
better　have　it　here；　to　read　to　yourself；　fust。　　That's　what　he
saidyes；　yesthat's　what　'twas；　Cap'n。〃

Slowly　Captain　Zelotes　extended　his　hand　for　the　envelope。　　He　did
not　take　his　eyes　from　the　bookkeeper's　face。

〃BenBen；　he　told　me　what　was　in　it；　Cap'n　Lote；〃　faltered　Laban。
〃II　don't　know　what　to　say　to　you；　I　don'tno；　no。〃

Without　a　word　the　captain　took　the　envelope　from　Keeler's　fingers；
and　tore　it　open。　　He　read　the　words　upon　the　form　within。

Laban　leaned　forward。

〃For　the　Lord　sakes；　Lote　Snow；〃　he　cried；　in　a　burst　of　agony；
〃why　couldn't　it　have　been　some　darn　good…for…nothin'　like　me
insteadinstead　of　him？　　Oh；　my　God　A'mighty；　what　a　world　this
is！　　WHAT　a　world！〃

Still　Captain　Zelotes　said　nothing。　　His　eyes　were　fixed　upon　the
yellow　sheet　of　paper　on　the　desk　before　him。　　After　a　long　minute
he　spoke。

〃Well；〃　he　said；　very　slowly；　〃well；　Labe；　there　goesthere　goes
Z。　Snow　and　Company。〃



CHAPTER　XIV


The　telegram　from　the　War　Department　was　brief；　as　all　such
telegrams　were　perforce　obliged　to　be。　　The　Secretary　of　War；
through　his　representative；　regretted　to　inform　Captain　Zelotes
Snow　that　Sergeant　Albert　Speranza　had　been　killed　in　action　upon　a
certain　day。　　It　was　enough；　howeverfor　the　time　quite　enough。
It　was　not　until　later　that　the　little　group　of　South　Harniss
recovered　sufficiently　from　the　stunning　effect　of　those　few　words
to　think　of　seeking　particulars。　　Albert　was　dead；　what　did　it
matter；　then；　to　know　how　he　died？

Olive　bore　the　shock　surprisingly　well。　　Her　husband's　fears　for
her　seemed　quite　unnecessary。　　The　Captain；　knowing　how　she　had
idolized　her　daughter's　boy；　had　dreaded　the　effect　which　the　news
might　have　upon　her。　　She　was　broken　down　by　it；　it　is　true；　but
she　was　quiet　and　braveastonishingly；　wonderfully　quiet　and
brave。　　And　it　was　she；　rather　than　her　husband；　who　played　the
part　of　the　comforter　in　those　black　hours。

〃He's　gone；　Zelotes；〃　she　said。　　〃It　don't　seem　possible；　I　know；
but　he's　gone。　　And　he　died　doin'　his　duty；　same　as　he　would　have
wanted　to　die　if　he'd　known　'twas　comin'；　poor　boy。　　Soso　we　must
do　ours；　I　suppose；　and　bear　up　under　it　the　very　best　we　can。　　It
won't　be　very　long；　Zelotes；〃　she　added。　　〃We're　both　gettin'　old。〃

Captain　Lote　made　no　reply。　　He　was　standing　by　the　window　of　the
sitting…room　looking　out　into　the　wet　backyard　across　which　the
wind…driven　rain　was　beating　in　stormy　gusts。

〃We　must　be　brave；　Zelotes；〃　whispered　Olive；　tremulously。　　〃He'd
want　us　to　be　and　we　MUST　be。〃

He　put　his　arm　about　her　in　a　sudden　heat　of　admiration。　　〃I'd　be
ashamed　not　to　be　after　seein'　you；　Mother；〃　he　exclaimed。

He　went　out　to　the　barn　a　few　moments　later　and　Rachel；　entering
the　sitting…room；　found　Olive　crumpled　down　in　the　big　rocker　in　an
agony　of　grief。

〃Oh；　don't；　Mrs。　Snow；