stories of a western town-第13章

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re　more　grateful　for　the　flowers　than　for　the　oratorical　drilling。　　No　doubt　they　thought　that　their　Tommy　could　have　done　as　well　in　any　case；　but　the　splendid　horseshoe　was　another　matter！　Ten　years　passed　before　Mrs。　Carriswood　saw　her　pupil　again。　During　those　years　the　town　had　increased　and　prospered；　so　had　the　Lossing　Art　Furniture　Works。　　It　was　after　Harry　Lossing　had　disappointed　his　father。　　This　is　not　saying　that　he　had　done　anything　out　of　the　way；　he　had　simply　declined　to　be　the　fourth　Harry　Lossing　on　the　rolls　of　Harvard　College。　Instead；　he　proposed　to　enter　the　business　and　to　begin　by　learning　his　own　trade。　　He　was　so　industrious；　he　kept　at　it　with　such　energy　that　his　first　convert　was　his　father　no；　I　am　wrong；　Mrs。　Carriswood　was　the　first；　Mrs。　Lossing　was　not　a　convert；　SHE　had　believed　in　Harry　from　the　beginning。　But　all　this　was　years　before　Mrs。　Carriswood's　visit。　Another　of　Master　Harry's　notions　was　his　belief　in　the　necessity　of　his　〃meddling〃so　his　father　put　itin　the　affairs　of　the　town；　the　state；　and　the　nation；　as　well　as　those　of　the　Lossing　furniture　company。　　But；　though　he　was　pleased　to　make　rather　cynical　fun　of　his　son's　political　enthusiasm；　esteeming　it　in　a　sense　a　diverting　and　therefore　reprehensible　pursuit　for　a　business　man；　the　elder　Lossing　had　a　sneaking　pride　in　it；　all　the　same。　He　liked　to　bring　out　Harry's　political　shrewdness。　〃Fancy；　Margaret；〃　says　he；　〃whom　do　you　think　Harry　has　brought　over　to　our　side　now？　　The　shrewdest　ward　politician　in　the　town　why；　you　saw　him　when　he　was　a　boyTommy　Fitzmaurice。〃　Then　Mrs。　Carriswood　remembered；　she　asked；　amused；　how　was　Tommy　and　where　was　he？　〃Tommy？　　Oh；　he　went　to　the　State　university；　the　old　man　was　bound　to　send　him；　and　he　was　more　dutiful　than　some　sons。　He　was　graduated　with　honors；　and　came　back　to　a　large；　ready…made　justice　court's　practice。　　Of　course　he　drifted　into　criminal　practice；　but　he　has　made　a　fine　income　out　of　that；　and　is　the　shrewdest；　some　folks　say　the　least　scrupulous；　political　manager　in　the　county。　　And　so；　Harry；　you　have　persuaded　him　to　cast　in　his　lot　with　the　party　of　principle；　have　you？　and　he　is　packing　the　primaries？〃　〃I　see　nothing　dishonest　in　our　trying　to　get　our　friends　out　to　vote　at　the　primaries；　sir。〃　〃Of　course　not；　but　he　may　not　stop　there。　　However；　I　want　Bailey　elected；　and　I　am　glad　he　will　work　for　us；　what's　his　price？〃　Harry　blushed　a　little。　　〃I　believe　he　would　like　to　be　city　attorney；　sir；〃　said　he；　and　Mr。　Lossing　laughed。　〃Would　he　make　a　bad　one？〃　asked　Mrs。　Carriswood。　〃He　would　make　the　best　kind　of　a　one；〃　replied　Harry；　with　youthful　fervor；　〃he's　a　ward　politician　and　all　that；　I　know；　but　he　has　it　in　him　to　be　an　uncommon　deal　more！　And　I　say；　sir；　do　you　know　that　he　and　the　old　man　will　take　twenty…five　thousand　of　the　stock　at　par　if　we　turn　ourselves　into　a　corporation？〃　〃How　about　this　new　license　measure？　won't　that　bear　a　little　bit　hard　on　the　old　man？〃　　This　from　Mr。　Lossing；　who　was　biting　his　cigar　in　deep　thought。　〃That　will　not　prevent　his　doing　his　duty；　why；　the　old　man　for　very　pride　will　be　the　first　to　obey　the　law。　　You'll　SEE！〃　Six　months　later　they　did　see；　since　it　was　mostly　due　to　Fitzmaurice's　efforts　that　the　reform　candidate　was　elected；　as　a　consequence；　Tommy　became　prosecuting　attorney；　and；　to　the　amazement　of　the　critics；　made　the　best　prosecuting　attorney　that　the　city　had　ever　known。　It　was　during　the　campaign　that　Mrs。　Carriswood　met　him。　Her　goddaughter；　daughter　of　the　friend　to　whom　years　ago　she　described　Tommy；　was　with　her。　　This　time　Mrs。　Carriswood　had　recently　added　Florida　to　her　disappointments　in　climates；　and　was　back；　as　she　told　Mrs。　Lossing；　〃with　a　real　sense　of　relief　in　a　climate　that　was　too　bad　to　make　any　pretensions。〃　She　had　brought　Miss　Van　Harlem　to　see　the　shops。　It　may　be　that　she　would　not　have　been　averse　to　Harry　Lossing's　growing　interested　in　young　Margaret。　　She　had　seen　a　great　deal　of　Harry　while　he　was　East　at　school；　and　he　remained　her　first　favorite；　while　Margaret　was　as　good　as　she　was　pretty；　and　had　half　a　million　of　dollars　in　her　own　right。　They　had　seen　Harry；　and　he　was　showing　them　through　the　different　buildings　or　〃shops；〃　when　a　man　entered　who　greeted　him　cordially；　and　whom　he　presented　to　Mrs。　Carriswood。　It　was　Tommy　Fitzmaurice；　grown　into　a　handsome　young　man。　He　brought　his　heels　together　and　made　the　ladies　a　solemn　bow。　〃Pleased　to　meet　you；　ladies；　how　do　you　like　the　West？〃　said　Tommy。　His　black　locks　curled　about　his　ears；　which　seemed　rather　small　now；　he　had　a　good　nose　and　a　mobile；　clean…shaven　face。　　His　hands　were　very　white　and　soft；　and　the　rim　of　linen　above　them　was　dazzling。　His　black　frock…coat　was　buttoned　snugly　about　his　slim　waist。　He　brushed　his　face　with　a　fine　silk　handkerchief；　and　thereby　diffused　the　fragrance　of　the　best　imported　cologne　among　the　odors　of　wood　and　turpentine。　　A　diamond　pin　sparkled　from　his　neckscarf。　The　truth　is；　he　knew　that　the　visitors　were　coming　and　had　made　a　state　toilet。　　〃He　looks　half　like　an　actor　and　half　like　a　clergyman；　and　he　IS　all　a　politician；〃　thought　Mrs。　Carriswood；　〃I　don't　think　I　shall　like　him　any　more。〃　　While　she　thought；　she　was　inclining　her　slender　neck　toward　him；　and　the　gentlest　interest　and　pleasure　beamed　out　of　her　beautiful；　dark　eyes。　〃We　like　the　West；　but　_I_　have　liked　it　for　ten　years；　this　is　not　my　first　visit；〃　said　Mrs。　Carriswood。　〃I　have　reason　to　be　glad　for　that；　madam。　　I　never　made　another　speech　so　good。〃　He　had　remembered　her；　she　laughed。　　〃I　had　thought　that　you　would　forget。〃　〃How　could　I；　when　you　have　not　changed　at　all？〃　〃But　you　have；〃　says　Mrs。　Carriswood；　hardly　knowing　whether　to　show　the　young　man　his　place　or　not。　〃Yes；　ma'am；　naturally。　　But　I　have　not　learned　how　to　make　a　speech　yet。〃　〃Ah；　but　you　make　very　good　ones；　Harry　tells　me。〃　〃Much　obliged；　Harry。　　No；　ma'am；　Harry　is　a　nice　boy；　but　he　doesn't　know。　　I　know　there　is　a　lot　to　learn；　and　I　guess　a　lot　to　unlearn；　and　I　feel　all　outside；　I　don't　even　know　how　to　get　at　it。　　I　have　wished　a　thousand　times　that　I　could　talk　with　the　lady　who　taught　me　to　speak　in　the　first　place。〃　　He　walked　on　by　her　side；　talking　eagerly。　〃You　don't　know　how　many　times　I　have　felt　I　would　give　most　anything　for　the　opportunity　of　just　seeing　you　and　talking　with　you；　those　things　you　said　to　me　I　always　remembered。〃　He　had　a　hundred　questions　evidently　stinging　his　tongue。　And　some　of　them　seemed　to　Mrs。　Carriswood　very　apposite。　〃I'm　on　the　outside　of　such　a　lot　of　things；〃　says　he。　〃When　I　first　began　to　suspect　that　I　was　on　the　outside　was　when　I　went　to　the　High　School；　and　sometimes　I　was　invited　to　Harry's；　that　was　my　first　acquaintance　with　cultivated　society。　You　can't　learn　manners　from　books；　ma'am。　I　learned　them　at　Harry's。　That　is；〃he　colored　and　laughed；〃I　learned　SOME。　There's　plenty　left；　I　know。　　Then；　I　went　to　the　University。　Some　of　the　boys　came　from　homes　like　Harry's；　and　some　of　the　professors　there　used　to　ask　us　to　their　houses；　and　I　saw　engravings　and　oil　paintings；　and　heard　the　conversation　of　persons　of　culture。　All　this　only　makes　me　know　enough　to　KNOW　I　am　outside。　I　can　see　the　same　thing　with　the　lawyers；　too。　There　is　a　set　of　them　that　are　after　another　kind　of　things；　that　think　themselves　above　me　and　my　sort　of　fellows。　You　know　all　the　talk　about　this　being　a　free　and　equal　country。　That's　the　tallest　kind　of　humbug；　madam！　　It　is　that。　There　are　sets；　one　above　another；　everywhere；　big　bugs　and　little　bugs；　if　you　will　excuse　the　expression。　And　you　can't　influence　the　big　ones　without　knowing　how　they　feel。　A　fellow　can't　be　poking　in　the　dark　in　a　speech　or　anywhere　else。　Now；　these　fellows　here；　they　go　into　politics；　sometimes；　and　there；　I　tell　you；　we　come　the　nearest　to　a　fair　field　and　no　favor！　It　is　the　best　fellow　gets　the　prize　therethe　sharpest…witted；　the　nerviest；　and　stanchest。　　Oh；　talk　of　machine　politics！　all　the　soft　chaps　who　ain't　willing　to　get　up　early　in　the　morning；　or　to　go　out　in　the　wet；　THEY　howl　about　the　primaries　and　corruption；　let　them　get　up　and　clean　the　primaries　instead　of　holding　their　noses！　Those　fellows；　I'm　not　nic