stories of a western town-第9章

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of　hammers；　but　nothing　came　of　it　all。　They　sat　in　the　darkness；　waiting；　and　there　came　to　Nelson　a　strange　sensation　of　being　alone　and　apart　from　all　the　breathing　world　with　this　woman。　　He　did　not　perceive　that　Tim　had　quietly　returned　with　a　box　which　did　very　well　for　a　seat；　and　was　sitting　with　his　knees　against　the　chair…rungs。　He　seemed　to　be　somehow　outside　of　all　the　tumult　and　the　spectacle。　　It　was　the　vainglorying　triumph　of　this　world。　He　was　the　soul　outside；　the　soul　that　had　missed　its　triumph。　In　his　perplexity　and　loneliness　he　felt　an　overwhelming　longing　for　sympathy；　neither　did　it　strike　Nelson；　who　believed　in　all　sorts　of　occult　influences；　that　his　confidence　in　a　stranger　was　unwarranted。　He　would　have　told　you　that　his　〃psychic　instincts〃　never　played　him　false；　although　really　they　were　traitors　from　their　astral　cradles　to　their　astral　graves。　He　said　in　a　hesitating　way：　　〃You　must　excuse　me　being　kinder　dull；　I've　got　some　serious　business　on　my　mind　and　I　can't　help　thinking　of　it。〃　〃Is　that　so？　　Well；　I　know　how　that　is；　I　have　often　stayed　awake　nights　worrying　about　things。　　Lest　I　shouldn't　suit　and　all　that　especially　after　mother　took　sick。〃　〃I　s'pose　you　had　to　give　up　and　nurse　her　then？〃　〃That　was　what　Ebenezer　and　Ralph　were　for　having　me　do；　but　mother　my　mother　always　had　so　much　sensemother　says；　'No；　Alma；　you've　got　a　good　place　and　a　chance　in　life；　you　sha'n't　give　it　up。　We'll　hire　a　girl。　　I　ain't　never　lonesome　except　evenings；　and　then　you　will　be　home。　　I　should　jest　want　to　die；'　she　says；　'if　I　thought　I　kept　you　in　a　kind　of　prison　like　by　my　being　sicknow；　just　when　you　are　getting　on　so　well。'　There　never　WAS　a　woman　like　my　mother！〃　　Her　voice　shook　a　little；　and　Nelson　asked　gently：　〃Ain't　your　mother　living　now？〃　〃No；　she　died　last　year。〃　　She　added；　after　a　little　silence；　〃I　somehow　can't　get　used　to　being　lonesome。〃　〃It　IS　hard；〃　said　Nelson。　　〃I　lost　my　wife　three　years　ago。〃　〃That's　hard；　too。〃　〃My　goodness！　　I　guess　it　is。　　And　it's　hardest　when　trouble　comes　on　a　man　and　he　can't　go　nowhere　for　advice。〃　〃Yes；　that's　so；　too。　　Buthave　you　any　children？〃　〃Yes；　ma'am；　that　is；　they　ain't　my　own　children。　　Lizzie　and　I　never　had　any；　but　these　two　we　took　and　they　are　most　like　my　own。　The　girl　is　eighteen　and　the　boy　rising　of　fourteen。〃　〃They　must　be　a　comfort　to　you；　but　they　are　considerable　of　a　responsibility；　too。〃　〃Yes；　ma'am；〃　he　sighed　softly　to　himself。　　〃Sometimes　I　feel　I　haven't　done　the　right　way　by　them；　though　I've　tried。　Not　that　they　ain't　good　children；　for　they　areno　better　anywhere。　Tim；　he　will　work　from　morning　till　night；　and　never　need　to　urge　him；　and　he　never　gives　me　a　promise　he　don't　keep　it；　no　ma'am；　never　did　since　he　was　a　little　mite　of　a　lad。　And　he　is　a　kind　boy；　too；　always　good　to　the　beasts；　and　while　he　may　speak　up　a　little　short　to　his　sister；　he　saves　her　many　a　step。　　He　doesn't　take　to　his　studies　quite　as　I　would　like　to　have　him；　but　he　has　a　wonderful　head　for　business。　There　is　splendid　stuff　in　Tim　if　it　could　only　be　worked　right。〃　While　Nelson　spoke；　Tim　was　hunching　his　shoulders　forward　in　the　darkness；　listening　with　the　whole　of　two　sharp　ears。　His　face　worked　in　spite　of　him；　and　he　gave　an　inarticulate　snort。　〃Well；〃　the　woman　said；　〃I　think　that　speaks　well　for　Tim。　Why　should　you　be　worried　about　him？〃　〃I　am　afraid　he　is　getting　to　love　money　and　worldly　success　too　well；　and　that　is　what　I　fear　for　the　girl；　too。　　You　see；　she　is　so　pretty；　and　the　idols　of　the　tribe　and　the　market；　as　Bacon　calls　them；　are　strong　with　the　young。〃　〃Yes；　that's　so；〃　the　woman　assented　vaguely；　not　at　all　sure　what　either　Bacon　or　his　idols　might　be。　　〃Are　the　children　relations　of　yours？〃　〃No；　ma'am；　it　was　like　this：　　When　I　was　up　in　Henry　County　there　came　a　photographic　artist　to　the　village　near　us；　and　pitched　his　tent　and　took　tintypes　in　his　wagon。　He　had　his　wife　and　his　two　children　with　him。　　The　poor　woman　fell　ill　and　died；　so　we　took　the　two　children。　　My　wife　was　willing；　she　was　a　wonderfully　good　woman；　member　of　the　Methodist　church　till　she　died。　　II　am　not　a　church　member　myself；　ma'am；　I　passed　through　that　stage　of　spiritual　development　a　long　while　ago。〃　He　gave　a　wistful　glance　at　his　companion's　dimly　outlined　profile。　〃But　I　never　tried　to　disturb　her　faith；　it　made　HER　happy。〃　〃Oh；　I　don't　think　it　is　any　good　fooling　with　other　people's　religions；〃　said　the　woman；　easily。　　〃It　is　just　like　trying　to　talk　folks　out　of　drinking；　nobody　knows　what　is　right　for　anybody　else's　soul　any　more　than　they　do　what　is　good　for　anybody　else's　stomach！〃　〃Yes；　ma'am。　You　put　things　very　clearly。〃　〃I　guess　it　is　because　you　understand　so　quickly。　But　you　were　saying　〃　〃That's　all　the　story。　　We　took　the　children；　and　their　father　was　killed　by　the　cars　the　next　year；　poor　man；　and　so　we　have　done　the　best　we　could　ever　since　by　them。〃　〃I　should　say　you　had　done　very　well　by　them。〃　〃No；　ma'am；　I　haven't　done　very　well　somehow　by　anyone；　myself　included；　though　God　knows　I've　tried　hard　enough！〃　Then　followed　the　silence　natural　after　such　a　confession　when　the　listener　does　not　know　the　speaker　well　enough　to　parry　abasement　by　denial。　〃I　am　impressed；〃　said　Nelson；　simply；　〃to　talk　with　you　frankly。　It　isn't　polite　to　bother　strangers　with　your　troubles；　but　I　am　impressed　that　you　won't　mind。〃　〃Oh；　no；　I　won't　mind。〃　It　was　not　extravagant　sympathy；　but　Nelson　thought　how　kind　her　voice　sounded；　and　what　a　musical　voice　it　was。　Most　people　would　have　called　it　rather　sharp。　He　told　herwith　surprisingly　little　egotism；　as　the　keen　listener　notedthe　story　of　his　life；　the　struggle　of　his　boyhood；　his　random　self…education；　his　years　in　the　army　（he　had　criticised　his　superior　officers；　thereby　losing　the　promotion　that　was　coming　for　bravery　in　the　field）；　his　marriage　（apparently　he　had　married　his　wife　because　another　man　had　jilted　her）；　his　wrestle　with　nature　（whose　pranks　included　a　cyclone）　on　a　frontier　farm　that　he　eventually　lost；　having　put　all　his　savings　into　a　〃Greenback〃　newspaper；　and　being　thus　swamped　with　debt；　his　final　slow　success　in　paying　for　his　Iowa　farm；　and　his　purchase　of　the　new　farm；　with　its　resulting　disaster。　〃I've　farmed　in　Kansas；〃　he　said；　〃in　Nebraska；　in　Dakota；　in　Iowa。　I　was　willing　to　go　wherever　the　land　promised。　　It　always　seemed　like　I　was　going　to　succeed；　but　somehow　I　never　did。　The　world　ain't　fixed　right　for　the　workers；　I　take　it。　A　man　who　has　spent　thirty　years　in　hard；　honest　toil　oughtn't　to　be　staring　ruin　in　the　face　like　I　am　to…day。　They　won't　let　it　be　so　when　we　have　the　single　tax　and　when　we　farmers　send　our　own　men　instead　of　city　lawyers；　to　the　Legislature　and　halls　of　Congress。　Sometimes　I　think　it's　the　world　that's　wrong　and　sometimes　I　think　it's　me！〃　The　reply　came　in　crisp　and　assured　accents；　which　were　the　strongest　contrast　to　Nelson's　soft；　undecided　pipe：　　〃Seems　to　me　in　this　last　case　the　one　most　to　blame　is　neither　you　nor　the　world　at　large；　but　this　man　Richards；　who　is　asking　YOU　to　pay　for　HIS　farm。　And　I　notice　you　don't　seem　to　consider　your　creditor　in　this　business。　How　do　you　know　she　don't　need　the　money？　　Look　at　me；　for　instance；　I'm　in　some　financial　difficulty　myself。　　I　have　a　mortgage　for　two　thousand　dollars；　and　that　mortgagefor　which　good　value　was　given；　mind　youfalls　due　this　month。　　I　want　the　money。　　I　want　it　bad。　I　have　a　chance　to　put　my　money　into　stock　at　the　factory。　I　know　all　about　the　investment；　I　haven't　worked　there　all　these　years　and　not　know　how　the　business　stands。　　It　is　a　chance　to　make　a　fortune。　I　ain't　likely　to　ever　have　another　like　it；　and　it　won't　wait　for　me　to　make　up　my　mind　forever；　either。　　Isn't　it　hard　on　me；　too？〃　〃Lord　knows　it　is；　ma'am；〃　said　Nelson；　despondently；　〃it　is　hard　on　us　all！　　Sometimes　I　don't　see　the　end　of　it　all。　A　vast　social　revolution　〃　〃Social　fiddlesticks！　　I　beg　your　pardon；　Mr。　Forrest；　but　it　puts　me　out　of　patience　to　have　people　expecting　to　be　allowed　to　make　every　mortal　kind　of　fools　of　themselves　and　then　have　'a　social　revolution'　jump　in　to　slue　off　the　consequences。　　Let　us　understand　each　other。　Who　do　you　suppose　I　am？〃　〃MissMiss　Almer；　ai