stories of a western town-第24章

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s　moods；　sometimes　it　was　a　beautiful　face；　yet　it　did　not　have　a　single　perfect　feature　except　the　mouth；　whichat　least　so　Harry　Lossing　told　his　mothermight　have　been　stolen　from　the　Venus　of　Milo。　Even　the　mouth；　some　critics　called　too　small　for　her　nose；　but　it　is　as　easy　to　call　her　nose　too　large　for　her　mouth。　The　instant　she　turned　her　back　on　the　bustle　of　the　station；　all　the　lines　in　her　face　seemed　to　waver　and　the　eyes　to　brighten。　Finally；　when　the　train　rolled　up　to　the　platform　and　a　young…looking　elderly　man　swung　himself　nimbly　off　the　steps；　the　color　flared　up　in　her　cheeks；　only　to　sink　as　suddenly；　like　a　candle　flame　in　a　gust　of　wind。　Mr。　Armorer　put　his　two　arms　and　his　umbrella　and　travelling…bag　about　the　charming　shape　in　blue；　at　the　same　time　exclaiming；　〃You're　a　good　girl　to　come　out　so　early；　Essie！　　How's　Aunt　Meg？〃　〃Oh；　very　well。　　She　would　have　come　too；　but　she　hasn't　come　back　from　training。〃　〃Training？〃　〃Yes；　dear；　she　has　a　regular　trainer；　like　John　L。　Sullivan；　you　know。　She　drives　out　to　the　park　with　Eliza　and　me；　and　walks　and　runs　races；　and　does　gymnastics。　　She　has　lost　ten　pounds。〃　Armorer　wagged　his　head　with　a　grin：　　〃I　dare　say。　　I　thought　so　when　you　began。　　Meg　is　always　moaning　and　groaning　because　she　isn't　a　sylph！　She　will　make　her　cook's　life　a　burden　for　about　two　months　and　lose　ten　pounds；　and　then　she　will　revel　in　ice…cream！　　Last　time；　she　was　raving　about　Dr。　Salisbury　and　living　on　beefsteak　sausages；　spending　a　fortune　starving　herself。〃　〃She　had　Dr。　Salisbury's　pamphlet；　but　Cardigan　told　her　it　was　a　long　way　out；　so　she　said　she　hated　to　have　it　do　no　one　any　good；　and　she　gave　it　to　Maria；　one　of　the　maids；　who　is　always　fretting　because　she　is　so　thin。〃　〃But　the　thing　was　to　cure　fat　people！〃　〃Precisely。〃　Esther　laughed　a　little　low　laugh；　at　which　her　father's　eyes　shone；　〃but　you　see　she　told　Maria　to　exactly　reverse　the　advice　and　eat　everything　that　was　injurious　to　stout　people；　and　it　would　be　just　right　for　her。〃　〃I　perceive；〃　said　Armorer；　dryly；　〃very　ingenious　and　feminine　scheme。　But　who　is　Cardigan？〃　〃Shuey　Cardigan？　　He　is　the　trainer。　　He　is　a　fireman　in　a　furniture　shop；　now；　but　he　used　to　be　the　boxing　teacher　for　some　Harvard　men；　and　he　was　a　distinguished　pugilist；　once。　He　said　to　me；　modestly；　'I　don't　suppose　you　will　have　seen　my　name　in　the　_Police　Gazette_；　miss？'　　But　he　really　is　a　very　sober；　decent　man；　notwithstanding。〃　〃Your　Aunt　Meg　always　was　picking　up　queer　birds！　　Pray；　who　introduced　this　decent　pugilist？〃　Esther　was　getting　into　the　carriage；　her　face　was　turned　from　him；　but　he　could　see　the　pink　deepen　in　her　ear　and　the　oval　of　her　cheek。　She　answered　that　it　was　a　friend　of　theirs；　Mr。　Lossing。　　As　if　the　name　had　struck　them　both　dumb；　neither　spoke　for　a　few　moments。　Armorer　bit　a　sigh　in　two。　　〃Essie；〃　said　he；　〃I　guess　it　is　no　use　to　side…track　the　subject。　　You　know　why　I　came　here；　don't　you？〃　〃Aunt　Meg　told　me　what　she　wrote　to　you。〃　〃I　knew　she　would。　　She　had　compunctions　of　conscience　letting　him　hang　round　you；　until　she　told　me；　and　then　she　had　awful　gripes　because　she　had　told；　and　had　to　confess　to　YOU！〃　He　continued　in　a　different　tone：　　〃Essie；　I　have　missed　your　mother　a　long　while；　and　nobody　knows　how　that　kind　of　missing　hurts；　but　it　seems　to　me　I　never　missed　her　as　I　do　to…day。　I　need　her　to　advise　me　about　you；　Essie。　　It　is　like　this：　　I　don't　want　to　be　a　stern　parent　any　more　than　you　want　to　elope　on　a　rope　ladder。　We　have　got　to　look　at　this　thing　together；　my　dear　little　girl；　and　try　toto　trust　each　other。〃　〃Don't　you　think；　papa；〃　said　Esther；　smiling　rather　tremulously；　〃that　we　would　better　wait；　before　we　have　all　these　solemn　preparations；　until　we　know　surely　whether　Mr。　Lossing　wants　me？〃　〃Don't　you　know　surely？〃　〃He　has　never　said　anything　ofof　thatkind。〃　〃Oh；　he　is　in　love　with　you　fast　enough；〃　growled　Armorer；　but　a　smile　of　intense　relief　brightened　his　face。　　〃Now；　you　see；　my　dear；　all　I　know　about　this　young　man；　except　that　he　wants　my　daughter　which　you　will　admit　is　not　likely　to　prejudice　me　in　his　favor　is　that　he　is　mayor　of　this　town　and　has　a　furniture　store　〃　〃A　manufactory；　it　is　a　very　large　business！〃　〃All　right；　manufactory；　then；　all　the　same　he　is　not　a　brilliant　match　for　my　daughter；　not　such　a　husband　as　your　sisters　have。〃　Esther's　lip　quivered　and　her　color　rose　again；　but　she　did　not　speak。　〃Still　I　will　say　that　I　think　a　fellow　who　can　make　his　own　fortune　is　better　than　a　man　with　twice　that　fortune　made　for　him。　My　dear；　if　Lossing　has　the　right　stuff　in　him　and　he　is　a　real　good　fellow；　I　shan't　make　you　go　into　a　decline　by　objecting；　but　you　see　it　is　a　big　shock　to　me；　and　you　must　let　me　get　used　to　it；　and　let　me　size　the　young　man　up　in　my　own　way。　There　is　another　thing；　Esther；　I　am　going　to　Europe　Thursday；　that　will　give　me　just　a　day　in　Chicago　if　I　go　to…morrow；　and　I　wish　you　would　come　with　me。　　Will　you　mind？〃　Either　she　changed　her　seat　or　she　started　at　the　proposal。　But　how　could　she　say　that　she　wanted　to　stay　in　America　with　a　man　who　had　not　said　a　formal　word　of　love　to　her？　〃I　can　get　ready；　I　think；　papa；〃　said　Esther。　They　drove　on。　　He　felt　a　crawling　pain　in　his　heart；　for　he　loved　his　daughter　Esther　as　he　had　loved　no　other　child　of　his；　and　he　knew　that　he　had　hurt　her。　　Naturally；　he　grew　the　more　angry　at　the　impertinent　young　man　who　was　the　cause　of　the　flitting；　for　the　whole　European　plan　had　been　cooked　up　since　the　receipt　of　Mrs。　Ellis's　letter。　They　were　on　the　very　street　down　which　he　used　to　walk　（for　it　takes　the　line　of　the　hills）　when　he　was　a　poor　boy；　a　struggling；　ferociously　ambitious　young　man。　　He　looked　at　the　changed　rows　of　buildings；　and　other　thoughts　came　uppermost　for　a　moment。　〃It　was　here　father's　church　used　to　stand；　it's　gone；　now；〃　he　said。　〃It　was　a　wood　church；　painted　a　kind　of　gray；　mother　had　a　bonnet　the　same　color；　and　she　used　to　say　she　matched　the　church。　I　bought　it　with　the　very　first　money　I　earned。　　Part　of　it　came　from　weeding；　and　the　weather　was　warm；　and　I　can　feel　the　way　my　back　would　sting　and　creak；　now！　　I　would　want　to　stop；　often；　but　I　thought　of　mother　in　church　with　that　bonnet；　and　I　kept　on！　There's　the　place　where　Seeds；　the　grocer　that　used　to　trust　us；　had　his　store；　it　was　his　children　had　the　scarlet　fever；　and　mother　went　to　nurse　them。　　My！　but　how　dismal　it　was　at　home！　We　always　got　more　whippings　when　mother　was　away。　　Your　grandfather　was　a　good　man；　too　honest　for　this　world；　and　he　loved　every　one　of　his　seven　children；　but　he　brought　us　up　to　fear　him　and　the　Lord。　We　feared　him　the　most；　because　the　Lord　couldn't　whip　us！　He　never　whipped　us　when　we　did　anything；　but　waited　until　next　day；　that　he　might　not　punish　in　anger；　so　we　had　all　the　night　to　anticipate　it。　　Did　I　ever　tell　you　of　the　time　he　caught　me　in　a　lie？　I　was　lame　for　a　week　after　it。　　He　never　caught　me　in　another　lie。〃　〃I　think　he　was　cruel；　I　can't　help　it；　papa；〃　cried　Esther；　with　whom　this　was　an　old　argument；　〃still　it　did　good；　that　time！〃　〃Oh；　no；　he　wasn't　cruel；　my　dear；〃　said　Armorer；　with　a　queer　smile　that　seemed　to　take　only　one…half　of　his　face；　not　answering　the　last　words；　〃he　was　too　sure　of　his　interpretation　of　the　Scripture；　that　was　all。　　Why；　that　man　just　slaved　to　educate　us　children；　he'd　have　gone　to　the　stake　rejoicing　to　have　made　sure　that　we　should　be　saved。　　And　of　the　whole　seven　only　one　is　a　church　member。　Is　that　the　road？〃　They　could　see　a　car　swinging　past；　on　a　parallel　street；　its　bent　pole　hitching　along　the　trolley…wire。

〃Pretty　scrubby…looking　cars；〃　commented　Armorer；　〃but　get　our　new　ordinance　through　the　council；　we　can　save　enough　to　afford　some　fine　new　cars。　　Has　Lossing　said　anything　to　you　about　the　ordinance　and　our　petition　to　be　allowed　to　leave　off　the　conductors？〃　〃He　hasn't　said　anything；　but　I　read　about　it　in　the　papers。　Is　it　so　very　important　that　it　should　be　passed？〃　〃Saving　money　is　always　important；　my　dear；〃　said　Armorer；　seriously。　The　horses　turned　again。　　They　were　now　opposite　a　fair　lawn　and　a　house　of　wood　and　stone　built　after　the　old　colonial　pattern；　as　modern　architects　see　it。　　Esther　pointed