01-the $30,000 bequest-第3章

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immoral　piety；　I　only　meantmeantwell；　conventional　piety；

you　know；　ershop　piety；　thethewhy；　YOU　know　what　I　mean。　

Aleckthewell；　where　you　put　up　that　plated　article　and　play

it　for　solid；　you　know；　without　intending　anything　improper；

but　just　out　of　trade　habit；　ancient　policy；　petrified　custom；

loyalty　totohang　it；　I　can't　find　the　right　words；　but　YOU

know　what　I　mean；　Aleck；　and　that　there　isn't　any　harm　in　it。　

I'll　try　again。　　You　see；　it's　this　way。　　If　a　person〃



〃You　have　said　quite　enough；〃　said　Aleck；　coldly；　〃let　the　subject

be　dropped。〃



〃I'M　willing；〃　fervently　responded　Sally；　wiping　the　sweat　from

his　forehead　and　looking　the　thankfulness　he　had　no　words　for。　

Then；　musingly；　he　apologized　to　himself。　　〃I　certainly　held　threes

I　KNOW　itbut　I　drew　and　didn't　fill。　　That's　where　I'm　so　often

weak　in　the　game。　　If　I　had　stood　patbut　I　didn't。　I　never　do。　

I　don't　know　enough。〃



Confessedly　defeated；　he　was　properly　tame　now　and　subdued。　

Aleck　forgave　him　with　her　eyes。



The　grand　interest；　the　supreme　interest；　came　instantly　to　the

front　again；　nothing　could　keep　it　in　the　background　many　minutes

on　a　stretch。　　The　couple　took　up　the　puzzle　of　the　absence

of　Tilbury's　death…notice。　They　discussed　it　every　which　way；

more　or　less　hopefully；　but　they　had　to　finish　where　they　began；

and　concede　that　the　only　really　sane　explanation　of　the　absence

of　the　notice　must　beand　without　doubt　wasthat　Tilbury　was

not　dead。　　There　was　something　sad　about　it；　something　even　a

little　unfair；　maybe；　but　there　it　was；　and　had　to　be　put　up　with。　

They　were　agreed　as　to　that。　　To　Sally　it　seemed　a　strangely

inscrutable　dispensation；　more　inscrutable　than　usual；　he　thought；

one　of　the　most　unnecessary　inscrutable　he　could　call　to　mind；

in　factand　said　so；　with　some　feeling；　but　if　he　was　hoping

to　draw　Aleck　he　failed；　she　reserved　her　opinion；　if　she　had　one；

she　had　not　the　habit　of　taking　injudicious　risks　in　any　market；

worldly　or　other。



The　pair　must　wait　for　next　week's　paperTilbury　had

evidently　postponed。　　That　was　their　thought　and　their　decision。　

So　they　put　the　subject　away　and　went　about　their　affairs

again　with　as　good　heart　as　they　could。





Now；　if　they　had　but　known　it；　they　had　been　wronging　Tilbury

all　the　time。　　Tilbury　had　kept　faith；　kept　it　to　the　letter；

he　was　dead；　he　had　died　to　schedule。　　He　was　dead　more　than　four

days　now　and　used　to　it；　entirely　dead；　perfectly　dead；　as　dead

as　any　other　new　person　in　the　cemetery；　dead　in　abundant　time　to　get

into　that　week's　SAGAMORE；　too；　and　only　shut　out　by　an　accident；

an　accident　which　could　not　happen　to　a　metropolitan　journal；

but　which　happens　easily　to　a　poor　little　village　rag　like　the　SAGAMORE。　

On　this　occasion；　just　as　the　editorial　page　was　being　locked　up；

a　gratis　quart　of　strawberry　ice…water　arrived　from　Hostetter's

Ladies　and　Gents　Ice…Cream　Parlors；　and　the　stickful　of　rather

chilly　regret　over　Tilbury's　translation　got　crowded　out　to　make

room　for　the　editor's　frantic　gratitude。



On　its　way　to　the　standing…galley　Tilbury's　notice　got　pied。　

Otherwise　it　would　have　gone　into　some　future　edition；　for　WEEKLY

SAGAMORES　do　not　waste　〃live〃　matter；　and　in　their　galleys　〃live〃

matter　is　immortal；　unless　a　pi　accident　intervenes。　　But　a　thing

that　gets　pied　is　dead；　and　for　such　there　is　no　resurrection；

its　chance　of　seeing　print　is　gone；　forever　and　ever。　　And　so；

let　Tilbury　like　it　or　not；　let　him　rave　in　his　grave　to　his　fill；

no　matterno　mention　of　his　death　would　ever　see　the　light　in　the

WEEKLY　SAGAMORE。







CHAPTER　IV





Five　weeks　drifted　tediously　along。　　The　SAGAMORE　arrived　regularly　on

the　Saturdays；　but　never　once　contained　a　mention　of　Tilbury　Foster。　

Sally's　patience　broke　down　at　this　point；　and　he　said；　resentfully：



〃Damn　his　livers；　he's　immortal！〃



Aleck　give　him　a　very　severe　rebuke；　and　added　with　icy　solemnity：



〃How　would　you　feel　if　you　were　suddenly　cut　out　just　after　such

an　awful　remark　had　escaped　out　of　you？〃



Without　sufficient　reflection　Sally　responded：



〃I'd　feel　I　was　lucky　I　hadn't　got　caught　with　it　IN　me。〃



Pride　had　forced　him　to　say　something；　and　as　he　could　not　think

of　any　rational　thing　to　say　he　flung　that　out。　　Then　he　stole　a　base

as　he　called　itthat　is；　slipped　from　the　presence；　to　keep　from

being　brayed　in　his　wife's　discussion…mortar。



Six　months　came　and　went。　　The　SAGAMORE　was　still　silent　about　Tilbury。　

Meantime；　Sally　had　several　times　thrown　out　a　feelerthat　is；

a　hint　that　he　would　like　to　know。　　Aleck　had　ignored　the　hints。　

Sally　now　resolved　to　brace　up　and　risk　a　frontal　attack。　

So　he　squarely　proposed　to　disguise　himself　and　go　to　Tilbury's

village　and　surreptitiously　find　out　as　to　the　prospects。　

Aleck　put　her　foot　on　the　dangerous　project　with　energy　and　decision。　

She　said：



〃What　can　you　be　thinking　of？　　You　do　keep　my　hands　full！　

You　have　to　be　watched　all　the　time；　like　a　little　child；　to　keep

you　from　walking　into　the　fire。　　You'll　stay　right　where　you　are！〃



〃Why；　Aleck；　I　could　do　it　and　not　be　found　outI'm　certain　of　it。〃



〃Sally　Foster；　don't　you　know　you　would　have　to　inquire　around？〃



〃Of　course；　but　what　of　it？　　Nobody　would　suspect　who　I　was。〃



〃Oh；　listen　to　the　man！　　Some　day　you've　got　to　prove　to　the

executors　that　you　never　inquired。　　What　then？〃



He　had　forgotten　that　detail。　　He　didn't　reply；　there　wasn't

anything　to　say。　　Aleck　added：



〃Now　then；　drop　that　notion　out　of　your　mind；　and　don't　ever　meddle

with　it　again。　　Tilbury　set　that　trap　for　you。　　Don't　you　know　it's

a　trap？　　He　is　on　the　watch；　and　fully　expecting　you　to　blunder

into　it。　　Well；　he　is　going　to　be　disappointedat　least　while　I

am　on　deck。　　Sally！〃



〃Well？〃



〃As　long　as　you　live；　if　it's　a　hundred　years；　don't　you　ever　make

an　inquiry。　　Promise！〃



〃All　right；〃　with　a　sigh　and　reluctantly。



Then　Aleck　softened　and　said：



〃Don't　be　impatient。　　We　are　prospering；　we　can　wait；　there　is

no　hurry。　　Our　small　dead…certain　income　increases　all　the　time；

and　as　to　futures；　I　have　not　made　a　mistake　yetthey　are　piling

up　by　the　thousands　and　tens　of　thousands。　　There　is　not　another

family　in　the　state　with　such　prospects　as　ours。　　Already　we　are

beginning　to　roll　in　eventual　wealth。　　You　know　that；　don't　you？〃



〃Yes；　Aleck；　it's　certainly　so。〃



〃Then　be　grateful　for　what　God　is　doing　for　us　and　stop　worrying。　

You　do　not　believe　we　could　have　achieved　these　prodigious　results

without　His　special　help　and　guidance；　do　you？〃



Hesitatingly；　〃N…no；　I　suppose　not。〃　　Then；　with　feeling

and　admiration；　〃And　yet；　when　it　comes　to　judiciousness

in　watering　a　stock　or　putting　up　a　hand　to　skin　Wall　Street

I　don't　give　in　that　YOU　need　any　outside　amateur　help；　if　I　do　wish　I〃



〃Oh；　DO　shut　up！　　I　know　you　do　not　mean　any　harm　or　any　irreverence；

poor　boy；　but　you　can't　seem　to　open　your　mouth　without　letting　out

things　to　make　a　person　shudder。　　You　keep　me　in　constant　dread。　

For　you　and　for　all　of　us。　　Once　I　had　no　fear　of　the　thunder；

but　now　when　I　hear　it　I〃



Her　voice　broke；　and　she　began　to　cry；　and　could　not　finish。　

The　sight　of　this　smote　Sally　to　the　heart　and　he　took　her　in　his

arms　and　petted　her　and　comforted　her　and　promised　better　conduct；

and　upbraided　himself　and　remorsefully　pleaded　for　forgiveness。　

And　he　was　in　earnest；　and　sorry　for　what　he　had　done　and　ready　for　any

sacrifice　that　could　make　up　for　it。



And　so；　in　privacy；　he　thought　long　and　deeply　over　the　matter；

resolving　to　do　what　should　seem　best。　　It　was　easy　to　PROMISE　reform；

indeed　he　had　already　promised　it。　　But　would　that　do　any　real　good；

any　permanent　good？　　No；　it　would　be　but　temporaryhe　knew

his　weakness；　and　confessed　it　to　himself　with　sorrowhe　could

not　keep　the　promise。　　Something　surer　and　better　must　be　devised；

and　he　d