stories of a western town-第6章

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long　tail　and　drooped　its　untrammelled　neck　in　front　of　the　gate。　The　wagon　to　which　it　was　harnessed　was　new　and　had　just　been　washed。　Near　the　gate　stood　a　girl　and　boy　who　seemed　to　be　mutually　studying　each　other's　person。　　Decidedly　the　girl's　slim；　light　figure　in　its　dainty　frock　repaid　one's　eyes　for　their　trouble；　and　her　face；　with　its　brilliant　violet　eyes；　its　full；　soft　chin；　its　curling　auburn　hair　and　delicate　tints；　was　charming；　but　her　brother's　look　was　anything　but　approving。　His　lip　curled　and　his　small　gray　eyes　grew　smaller　under　his　scowling　brows。　〃Is　THAT　your　best　suit？〃　said　the　girl。　〃Yes；　it　is；　and　it's　GOING　to　be　for　one　while；〃　said　the　boy。　It　was　a　suit　of　the　cotton　mixture　that　looks　like　wool　when　it　is　new；　and　cuts　a　figure　on　the　counters　of　every　dealer　in　cheap　ready…made　clothing。　　It　had　been　Tim　Powell's　best　attire　for　a　year；　perhaps　he　had　not　been　careful　enough　of　it；　and　that　was　why　it　no　longer　cared　even　to　imitate　wool；　it　was　faded　to　the　hue　of　a　clay　bank；　it　was　threadbare；　the　trousers　bagged　at　the　knees；　the　jacket　bagged　at　the　elbows；　the　pockets　bulged　flabbily　from　sheer　force　of　habit；　although　there　was　nothing　in　them。　〃I　thought　you　were　to　have　a　new　suit；〃　said　the　girl。　〃Uncle　told　me　himself　he　was　going　to　buy　you　one　yesterday　when　you　went　to　town。〃　〃I　wouldn't　have　asked　him　to　buy　me　anything　yesterday　for　more'n　a　suit　of　clothes。〃　〃Why？〃　　The　girl　opened　her　eyes。　　〃Didn't　he　do　anything　with　the　lawyer？　Is　that　why　you　are　both　so　glum　this　morning？〃　〃No；　he　didn't。　The　lawyer　says　the　woman　that　owns　the　mortgage　has　got　to　have　the　money。　　And　it's　due　next　week。〃　The　girl　grew　pale　all　over　her　pretty　rosy　cheeks；　her　eyes　filled　with　tears　as　she　gasped；　〃Oh；　how　hateful　of　her；　when　she　promised　〃　〃She　never　promised　nothing；　Eve；　it　ain't　been　hers　for　more　than　three　months。　　Sloan；　that　used　to　have　it；　died；　and　left　his　property　to　be　divided　up　between　his　nieces；　and　the　mortgage　is　her　share。　　See？〃　〃I　don't　care；　it's　just　as　mean。　　Mr。　Sloan　promised。〃　〃No；　he　didn't；　he　jest　said　if　Uncle　was　behind　he　wouldn't　press　him；　and　he　did　let　Uncle　get　behind　with　the　interest　two　times　and　never　kicked。　　But　he　died；　and　now　the　woman；　she　wants　her　money！〃　〃I　think　it　is　mean　and　cruel　of　her　to　turn　us　out！　Uncle　says　mortgages　are　wicked　anyhow；　and　I　believe　him！〃　〃I　guess　he　couldn't　have　bought　this　place　if　he　didn't　give　a　mortgage　on　it。　　And　he'd　have　had　enough　to　pay　cash；　too；　if　Richards　hadn't　begged　him　so　to　lend　it　to　him。〃　〃When　is　Richards　going　to　pay　him？〃　〃It　come　due　three　months　ago；　Richards　ain't　never　paid　up　the　interest　even；　and　now　he　says　he's　got　to　have　the　mortgage　extended　for　three　years；　anyhow　for　two。〃　〃But　don't　he　KNOW　we've　got　to　pay　our　own　mortgage？　How　can　we　help　HIM？　　I　wish　Uncle　would　sell　him　out！〃　The　boy　gave　her　the　superior　smile　of　the　masculine　creature。　〃I　suppose；〃　he　remarked　with　elaborate　irony；　〃that　he's　like　Uncle　and　you；　he　thinks　mortgages　are　wicked。〃　〃And　just　as　like　as　not　Uncle　won't　want　to　go　to　the　carnival；〃　Eve　went　on；　her　eyes　filling　again。　Tim　gazed　at　her；　scowling　and　sneering；　but　she　was　absorbed　in　dreams　and　hopes　with　which　as　yet　his　boyish　mind　had　no　point　of　contact。　〃All　the　girls　in　the　A　class　were　going　to　go　to　see　the　fireworks　together；　and　George　Dean　and　some　of　the　boys　were　going　to　take　us；　and　we　were　going　to　have　tea　at　May　Arlington's　house；　and　I　was　to　stay　all　night；〃this　came　in　a　half　sob。　　〃I　think　it　is　just　too　mean！　I　never　have　any　good　times！〃　〃Oh；　yes；　you　do；　sis；　lots！　　Uncle　always　gits　you　everything　you　want。　And　he　feels　terrible　bad　when　Iwhen　he　knows　he　can't　afford　to　git　something　you　want　〃　〃I　know　well　enough　who　tells　him　we　can't　afford　things！〃　〃Well；　do　you　want　us　to　git　things　we　can't　afford？　I　ain't　never　advised　him　except　the　best　I　knew　how。　I　told　him　Richards　was　a　blow…hard；　and　I　told　him　those　Alliance　grocery　folks　he　bought　such　a　lot　of　truck　of　would　skin　him；　and　they　did；　those　canned　things　they　sold　him　was　all　musty；　and　they　said　there　wasn't　any　freight　on　'em；　and　he　had　to　pay　freight　and　a　fancy　price　besides；　and　I　don't　believe　they　had　any　more　to　do　with　the　Alliance　than　our　cow！〃　〃Uncle　always　believes　everything。　　He　always　is　so　sure　things　are　going　to　turn　out　just　splendid；　and　they　don'tonly　just　middling；　and　then　he　loses　a　lot　of　money。〃　〃But　he　is　an　awful　good　man；〃　said　the　boy；　musingly。　〃I　don't　believe　in　being　so　good　you　can't　make　money。　I　don't　want　always　to　be　poor　and　despised；　and　have　the　other　girls　have　prettier　clothes　than　me！〃　〃I　guess　you　can　be　pretty　good　and　yet　make　money；　if　you　are　sharp　enough。　　Of　course　you　got　to　be　sharper　to　be　good　and　make　money　than　you　got　to　be；　to　be　mean　and　make　money。〃　〃Well；　I　know　one　thing；　that　Uncle　ain't　EVER　going　to　make　money。　He　〃　The　last　word　shrivelled　on　her　lips；　which　puckered　into　a　confused　smile　at　the　warning　frown　of　her　brother。　　The　man　that　they　were　discussing　had　come　round　to　them　past　the　henhouse。　How　much　had　he　overheard？　He　didn't　seem　angry；　anyhow。　　He　called：　　〃Well；　Evy；　ready？〃　and　Eve　was　glad　to　run　into　the　house　for　her　hat　without　looking　at　him。　It　was　a　relief　that　she　must　sit　on　the　back　seat　where　she　need　not　face　Uncle　Nelson。　　Tim　sat　in　front；　but　Tim　was　so　stupid　he　wouldn't　mind。　Nor　did　he；　it　was　Nelson　Forrest　that　stole　furtive　glances　at　the　lad's　profile；　the　knitted　brows；　the　freckled　cheeks；　the　undecided　nose；　and　firm　mouth。　The　boyish　shoulders　slouched　forward　at　the　same　angle　as　that　of　the　fifty…year…old　shoulders　beside　him。　Nelson；　through　long　following　of　the　plough；　had　lost　the　erect　carriage　painfully　acquired　in　the　army。　He　was　a　handsome　man；　whose　fresh…colored　skin　gave　him　a　perpetual　appearance　of　having　just　washed　his　face。　The　features　were　long　and　delicate。　　The　brown　eyes　had　a　liquid　softness　like　the　eyes　of　a　woman。　　In　general　the　countenance　was　alertly　intelligent；　he　looked　younger　than　his　years；　but　this　afternoon　the　lines　about　his　mouth　and　in　his　brows　warranted　every　gray　hair　of　his　pointed　short　beard。　There　was　a　reason。　　Nelson　was　having　one　of　those　searing　flashes　of　insight　that　do　come　occasionally　to　the　most　blindly　hopeful　souls。　　Nelson　had　hoped　all　his　life。　He　hoped　for　himself；　he　hoped　for　the　whole　human　race。　He　served　the　abstraction　that　he　called　〃PROgress〃　with　unflinching　and　unquestioning　loyalty。　　Every　new　scheme　of　increasing　happiness　by　force　found　a　helper；　a　fighter；　and　a　giver　in　him；　by　turns　he　had　been　an　Abolitionist；　a　Fourierist；　a　Socialist；　a　Greenbacker；　a　Farmers'　Alliance　man。　　Disappointment　always　was　followed　hard　on　its　heels　by　a　brand…new　confidence。　Progress　ruled　his　farm　as　well　as　his　politics；　he　bought　the　newest　implements　and　subscribed　trustfully　to　four　agricultural　papers；　but　being　a　born　lover　of　the　ground；　a　vein　of　saving　doubt　did　assert　itself　sometimes　in　his　work；　and；　on　the　whole；　as　a　farmer　he　was　successful。　But　his　success　never　ventured　outside　his　farm　gates。　At　buying　or　selling；　at　a　bargain　in　any　form；　the　fourteen…year…old　Tim　was　better　than　Nelson　with　his　fifty　years'　experience　of　a　wicked　and　bargaining　world。　Was　that　any　part　of　the　reason；　he　wondered　to…day；　why　at　the　end　of　thirty　years　of　unflinching　toil　and　honesty；　he　found　himself　with　a　vast　budget　of　experience　in　the　ruinous　loaning　of　money；　with　a　mortgage　on　the　farm　of　a　friend；　and　a　mortgage　on　his　own　farm　likely　to　be　foreclosed？　Perhaps　it　might　have　been　better　to　stay　in　Henry　County。　He　had　paid　for　his　farm　at　last。　　He　had　known　a　good　moment；　too；　that　day　he　drove　away　from　the　lawyer's　with　the　cancelled　mortgage　in　his　pocket　and　Tim　hopping　up　and　down　on　the　seat　for　joy。　But　the　next　day　Richardsjust　to　give　him　the　chance　of　a　good　thing　had　brought　out　that　Maine　man　who　wanted　to　buy　him　out。　He　was　anxious　to　put　the　money　down　for　the　new　farm；　to　have　no　whip…lash　of　debt　forever　whistling　about　his　ears　as　he　ploughed；　ready　to　sting　did　he　stumble　in　the　furrows；　and　Tim　was　more　anxious　than　he；　butthere　was　Richards！　　Ric