stories of a western town-第14章

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；　let　them　get　up　and　clean　the　primaries　instead　of　holding　their　noses！　Those　fellows；　I'm　not　nice　enough　for　them；　but　I　can　beat　them　every　time。　　They　make　a　monstrous　racket　in　the　newspapers；　but　when　election　comes　on　they　can't　touch　side；　edge；　or　bottom！〃　Discoursing　in　this　fashion；　with　digressions　to　Harry　in　regard　to　the　machines；　the　furniture；　and　the　sales；　that　showed　Mrs。　Carriswood　that　he　meant　to　keep　an　eye　on　his　twenty　odd　thousand　dollars；　he　strolled　at　her　side。　To　Miss　Van　Harlem　he　scarcely　said　three　words。　　In　fact；　he　said　exactly　three　words；　uttered　as　Miss　Margaret's　silken　skirts　swung　too　near　a　pot　of　varnish。　They　were　〃Look　out；　miss！〃　and　at　the　same　second；　Tommy　（who　was　in　advance；　with　really　no　call　to　know　of　the　danger）；　turned　on　his　heel　and　whisked　the　skirts　away；　turning　back　to　pick　up　the　sentence　he　had　dropped。　Tommy　told　Harry　that　Miss　Van　Harlem　was　a　very　handsome　lady；　but　haughty…looking。　Then　he　talked　for　half　an　hour　about　the　cleverness　of　Mrs。　Carriswood。　〃I　am　inclined　to　think　Tommy　will　rise。〃　　（Mrs。　Carriswood　was　describing　the　interview　to　her　cousin；　the　next　day。）　〃What　do　you　think　he　said　to　me　last　of　all？　　'How；'　said　he；　'does　a　man；　a　gentleman'it　had　a　touch　of　the　pathetic；　don't　you　know；　the　little　hesitation　he　made　on　the　word'how　does　he　show　his　gratitude　to　a　lady　who　has　done　him　a　great　service？'　'Young　or　old？'　　I　said。　　'Oh；　a　married　lady；'　he　said；　'very　much　admired；　who　has　been　everywhere。'　　Wasn't　that　clever　of　him？　　I　told　him　that　a　man　usually　sent　a　few　flowers。　You　saw　the　basket　to…dayevidently　regardless　of　expense。　And　fancy；　there　was　a　card；　a　card　with　a　gilt　edge　and　his　name　written　on　it。〃　〃The　card　was　his　mother's。　She　has　visiting　cards；　now；　and　pays　visits　once　a　year　in　a　livery　carriage。　　Poor　Mrs。　Fitzmaurice；　she　is　always　so　scared；　and　she　is　such　a　good　soul！　Tommy　is　very　good　to　her。〃　〃How　about　the　father？　　Does　he　still　keep　that　'nice'　saloon？〃　〃Yes；　but　he　talks　of　retiring。　　They　are　not　poor　at　all；　and　Tommy　is　their　only　child；　the　others　died。　　It　is　hard　on　the　old　man　to　retire；　for　he　isn't　so　very　old　in　fact；　but　if　he　once　is　convinced　that　his　calling　stands　in　the　way　of　Tommy's　career；　he　won't　hesitate　a　second。〃　〃Poor　people；〃　said　Mrs。　Carriswood；　〃do　you　know；　Grace；　I　can　see　Tommy's　future；　he　will　grow　to　be　a　boss；　a　political　boss。　He　will　become　rich　by　keeping　your　streets　always　being　cleaned　which　means　never　cleanand　giving　you　the　worst　fire　department　and　police　to　be　obtained　for　money；　and；　by　and　by；　a　grateful　machine　will　make　him　mayor；　or　send　him　to　the　Legislature；　very　likely　to　Congress；　where　he　will　misrepresent　the　honest　State　of　Iowa。　Then　he　will　bloom　out　in　a　social　way；　and　marry　a　gentlewoman；　and　they　will　snub　the　old　people　who　are　so　proud　of　him。〃　〃Well；　we　shall　see；〃　said　Mrs。　Lossing；　〃I　think　better　things　of　Tommy。　So　does　Harry。〃　Part　of　the　prophecy　was　to　be　speedily　fulfilled。　Two　years　later；　the　Honorable　Thomas　Fitzmaurice　was　elected　mayor　of　his　city；　elected　by　the　reform　party；　on　account　of　his　eminent　servicesand　because　he　was　the　only　man　in　sight　who　had　the　ghost　of　a　chance　of　winning。　Harry's　version　was：　　〃Tommy　jests　at　his　new　principles；　but　that　is　simply　because　he　doesn't　comprehend　what　they　are。　He　laughs　at　reform　in　the　abstract；　but　every　concrete；　practical　reform　he　is　as　anxious　as　I　or　anybody　to　bring　about。　And　he　will　get　them　here；　too。〃　He　was　as　good　as　his　word；　he　gave　the　city　an　admirable　administration；　with　neither　fear　nor　favor。　　Some　of　the　〃boys〃　still　clung　to　him；　these；　according　to　Harry；　were　the　better　〃boys；〃　who　had　the　seeds　of　good　in　them　and　only　needed　opportunity　and　a　leader。　　Tommy　did　not　flag　in　zeal；　rather；　as　the　time　went　on　and　he　soared　out　of　the　criminal　courts　into　big　civil　cases　involving　property；　he　grew　up　to　the　level　of　his　admirers'　praises。　　〃Tommy；〃　wrote　Mr。　Lossing；　presently；　〃is　beginning　to　take　himself　seriously。　He　has　been　told　so　often　that　he　is　a　young　lion　of　reform；　that　he　begins　to　study　the　role　in　dead　earnest。　I　don't　talk　this　way　to　Harry；　who　believes　in　him　and　is　training　him　for　the　representative　for　our　district。　What　harm？　　Verily；　his　is　the　faith　that　will　move　mountains。　Besides；　Tommy　is　now　rich；　he　must　be　worth　a　hundred　thousand　dollars；　which　makes　a　man　of　wealth　in　these　parts。　It　is　time　for　him　to　be　respectable。〃　Notwithstanding　this　preparation；　Mrs。　Carriswood　（then　giving　Washington　the　benefit　of　her　doubts　of　climate）　was　surprised　one　day　to　receive　a　perfectly　correct　visiting　card　whereon　was　engraved；　〃Mr。　Thomas　Sackville　Fitzmaurice；　M。C。〃　The　young　lady　who　was　with　her　lifted　her　brilliant　hazel　eyes　and　half　smiled。　　〃Is　it　the　droll　young　man　we　met　once　at　Mrs。　Lossing's？　　Pray　see　him；　Aunt　Margaret；〃　said　Miss　Van　Harlem。　Mrs。　Carriswood　shrugged　her　shoulders　and　ordered　the　man　to　show　him　up。　There　entered；　in　the　wake　of　the　butler；　a　distinguished…looking　personage　who　held　out　his　hand　with　a　perfect　copy　of　the　bow　that　she　saw　forty　times　a　day。　　〃He　is　taking　himself　very　seriously；〃　she　sighed；　〃he　is　precisely　like　anybody　else！〃　And　she　felt　her　interest　snuffed　out　by　Tommy's　correctness。　But；　directly；　she　changed　her　mind；　the　unfailing　charm　of　his　race　asserted　itself　in　Tommy；　she　decided　that　he　was　a　delightful；　original　young　man；　and　in　ten　minutes　they　were　talking　in　the　same　odd　confidence　that　had　always　marked　their　relation。　〃How　perfectly　you　are　gotten　up！　　Are　you　INSIDE；　now？〃　〃Ah；　do　you　remember　that？〃　said　he；　〃that's　awfully　good　of　you。　Which　is　so　fortunate　as　to　please　you；　my　clothes　or　my　deportment？〃　〃Both。　They　are　very　good。　　Where　did　you　get　them；　Tommy？　　I　shall　take　the　privilege　of　my　age　and　call　you　Tommy。〃　〃Thank　you。　　The　clothes？　　Oh；　I　asked　Harry　for　the　proper　thing；　and　he　recommended　a　tailor。　　I　think　Harry　gave　me　the　manners；　too。〃　〃And　your　new　principles？〃　　She　could　not　resist　this　little　fling。　〃I　owe　a　great　deal　in　that　way　to　Harry；　also；〃　answered　he；　with　gravity。　Gone　were　the　days　of　sarcastic　ridicule；　of　visionary　politics。　Tommy　talked　of　the　civil　service　in　the　tone　of　Harry　himself。　He　was　actually　eloquent。　〃Why；　Aunt　Margaret；　he　is　a　remarkable　young　man；〃　exclaimed　Miss　Van　Harlem；　〃his　honesty　and　enthusiasm　are　refreshing　in　this　pessimist　place。　　I　hope　he　will　come　again。　Did　you　notice　what　lovely　eyes　he　has？〃　Before　long　it　was　not　pure　good…nature　that　caused　Mrs。　Carriswood　to　ask　Fitzmaurice　to　her　house。　　He　was　known　as　a　rising　young　man；　One　met　him　at　the　best　houses；　yet　he　was　a　prodigious　worker；　and　had　made　his　mark　in　committees；　before　the　celebrated　speech　that　sent　him　into　all　the　newspaper　columns；　or　that　stubborn　and　infinitely　versatile　fight　against　odds　which　inspired　the　artist　of　PUCK。　Tommy　bore　the　cartoon　to　Mrs。　Carriswood；　beaming。　She　had　not　seen　that　light　in　his　face　since　the　memorable　June　afternoon　in　the　Opera…house。　He　sent　the　paper　to　his　mother；　who　vowed　the　picture　〃did　not　favor　Tommy　at　all；　at　all。　Sure　Tommy　never　had　such　a　red　nose！〃　　The　old　man；　however；　went　to　his　ex…saloon；　and　sat　in　state　all　the　morning；　showing　Tommy's　funny　picture。　It　was　about　this　time　that　Mrs。　Carriswood　observed　something　that　took　her　breath　away：　　Tommy　Fitzmaurice　had　the　presumption　to　be　attentive　to　my　lady's　goddaughter；　Miss　Van　Harlem。　Nor　was　this　the　worst；　there　were　indications　that　Miss　Van　Harlem；　who　had　refused　the　noble　names　and　titles　of　two　or　three　continental　nobles；　and　the　noble　name　unaccompanied　by　a　title　of　the　younger　son　of　an　English　earl；　without　mentioning　the　half…dozen　〃nice〃　American　claimantsMiss　Van　Harlem　was　not　angry。　The　day　this　staggering　blow　fell　on　her；　Mrs。　Carriswood　was　in　her　dressing…room；　peacefully　watching　Derry　unpack　a　box　from　Paris；　in　anticipation　of　a　state　dinner。　　And　Miss　Van　Harlem；　in　a　bewitching　wrapper；　sat　on　the　lounge　and　admired。　Upon　this　scene　of　feminine　peace　and　happiness　enter　the　Destroyer；　in　the　shape　of　a　note　from　Tommy　Fitzmaurice！　　Were　they　going　on　Beatoun's　little　excursion　to　Alexandri