01-the $30,000 bequest-第4章

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

and　he　devised　it。　　At　cost　of　precious　money　which　he　had　long

been　saving　up；　shilling　by　shilling；　he　put　a　lightning…rod　on

the　house。



At　a　subsequent　time　he　relapsed。



What　miracles　habit　can　do！　and　how　quickly　and　how　easily　habits

are　acquiredboth　trifling　habits　and　habits　which　profoundly　change　us。　

If　by　accident　we　wake　at　two　in　the　morning　a　couple　of　nights

in　succession；　we　have　need　to　be　uneasy；　for　another　repetition　can

turn　the　accident　into　a　habit；　and　a　month's　dallying　with　whiskey

but　we　all　know　these　commonplace　facts。



The　castle…building　habit；　the　day…dreaming　habithow　it　grows！

what　a　luxury　it　becomes；　how　we　fly　to　its　enchantments　at　every

idle　moment；　how　we　revel　in　them；　steep　our　souls　in　them；

intoxicate　ourselves　with　their　beguiling　fantasiesoh　yes；

and　how　soon　and　how　easily　our　dram　life　and　our　material　life

become　so　intermingled　and　so　fused　together　that　we　can't　quite

tell　which　is　which；　any　more。



By　and　by　Aleck　subscribed　to　a　Chicago　daily　and　for　the　WALL

STREET　POINTER。　　With　an　eye　single　to　finance　she　studied　these

as　diligently　all　the　week　as　she　studied　her　Bible　Sundays。　

Sally　was　lost　in　admiration；　to　note　with　what　swift　and　sure　strides

her　genius　and　judgment　developed　and　expanded　in　the　forecasting　and

handling　of　the　securities　of　both　the　material　and　spiritual　markets。　

He　was　proud　of　her　nerve　and　daring　in　exploiting　worldly　stocks；

and　just　as　proud　of　her　conservative　caution　in　working　her

spiritual　deals。　　He　noted　that　she　never　lost　her　head　in　either　case；

that　with　a　splendid　courage　she　often　went　short　on　worldly　futures；

but　heedfully　drew　the　line　thereshe　was　always　long　on　the　others。　

Her　policy　was　quite　sane　and　simple；　as　she　explained　it　to　him：　

what　she　put　into　earthly　futures　was　for　speculation；　what　she　put

into　spiritual　futures　was　for　investment；　she　was　willing　to　go　into

the　one　on　a　margin；　and　take　chances；　but　in　the　case　of　the　other；

〃margin　her　no　margins〃she　wanted　to　cash　in　a　hundred　cents　per

dollar's　worth；　and　have　the　stock　transferred　on　the　books。



It　took　but　a　very　few　months　to　educate　Aleck's　imagination

and　Sally's。　Each　day's　training　added　something　to　the　spread

and　effectiveness　of　the　two　machines。　　As　a　consequence；　Aleck　made

imaginary　money　much　faster　than　at　first　she　had　dreamed　of　making　it；

and　Sally's　competency　in　spending　the　overflow　of　it　kept　pace　with

the　strain　put　upon　it；　right　along。　　In　the　beginning；　Aleck　had

given　the　coal　speculation　a　twelvemonth　in　which　to　materialize；

and　had　been　loath　to　grant　that　this　term　might　possibly　be　shortened

by　nine　months。　　But　that　was　the　feeble　work；　the　nursery　work；

of　a　financial　fancy　that　had　had　no　teaching；　no　experience；

no　practice。　　These　aids　soon　came；　then　that　nine　months　vanished；

and　the　imaginary　ten…thousand…dollar　investment　came　marching

home　with　three　hundred　per　cent。　　profit　on　its　back！



It　was　a　great　day　for　the　pair　of　Fosters。　　They　were　speechless

for　joy。　　Also　speechless　for　another　reason：　　after　much　watching

of　the　market；　Aleck　had　lately；　with　fear　and　trembling；　made　her

first　flyer　on　a　〃margin；〃　using　the　remaining　twenty　thousand　of

the　bequest　in　this　risk。　　In　her　mind's　eye　she　had　seen　it　climb；

point　by　pointalways　with　a　chance　that　the　market　would　break

until　at　last　her　anxieties　were　too　great　for　further　endurance

she　being　new　to　the　margin　business　and　unhardened；　as　yetand　she

gave　her　imaginary　broker　an　imaginary　order　by　imaginary　telegraph

to　sell。　　She　said　forty　thousand　dollars'　profit　was　enough。　

The　sale　was　made　on　the　very　day　that　the　coal　venture　had　returned

with　its　rich　freight。　　As　I　have　said；　the　couple　were　speechless。　

they　sat　dazed　and　blissful　that　night；　trying　to　realize　that　they　were

actually　worth　a　hundred　thousand　dollars　in　clean；　imaginary　cash。　

Yet　so　it　was。



It　was　the　last　time　that　ever　Aleck　was　afraid　of　a　margin；

at　least　afraid　enough　to　let　it　break　her　sleep　and　pale　her　cheek

to　the　extent　that　this　first　experience　in　that　line　had　done。



Indeed　it　was　a　memorable　night。　　Gradually　the　realization　that　they

were　rich　sank　securely　home　into　the　souls　of　the　pair；　then　they

began　to　place　the　money。　　If　we　could　have　looked　out　through

the　eyes　of　these　dreamers；　we　should　have　seen　their　tidy　little

wooden　house　disappear；　and　two…story　brick　with　a　cast…iron　fence

in　front　of　it　take　its　place；　we　should　have　seen　a　three…globed

gas…chandelier　grow　down　from　the　parlor　ceiling；　we　should　have　seen

the　homely　rag　carpet　turn　to　noble　Brussels；　a　dollar　and　a　half

a　yard；　we　should　have　seen　the　plebeian　fireplace　vanish　away　and

a　recherch'e；　big　base…burner　with　isinglass　windows　take　position

and　spread　awe　around。　　And　we　should　have　seen　other　things；

too；　among　them　the　buggy；　the　lap…robe；　the　stove…pipe　hat；　and　so　on。



From　that　time　forth；　although　the　daughters　and　the　neighbors

saw　only　the　same　old　wooden　house　there；　it　was　a　two…story

brick　to　Aleck　and　Sally　and　not　a　night　went　by　that　Aleck　did

not　worry　about　the　imaginary　gas…bills；　and　get　for　all　comfort

Sally's　reckless　retort：　　〃What　of　it？　　We　can　afford　it。〃



Before　the　couple　went　to　bed；　that　first　night　that　they　were　rich；

they　had　decided　that　they　must　celebrate。　　They　must　give　a　party

that　was　the　idea。　　But　how　to　explain　itto　the　daughters　and

the　neighbors？　　They　could　not　expose　the　fact　that　they　were　rich。　

Sally　was　willing；　even　anxious；　to　do　it；　but　Aleck　kept　her　head

and　would　not　allow　it。　　She　said　that　although　the　money　was　as

good　as　in；　it　would　be　as　well　to　wait　until　it　was　actually　in。　

On　that　policy　she　took　her　stand；　and　would　not　budge。　

The　great　secret　must　be　kept；　she　saidkept　from　the　daughters　and

everybody　else。



The　pair　were　puzzled。　　They　must　celebrate；　they　were　determined

to　celebrate；　but　since　the　secret　must　be　kept；　what　could

they　celebrate？　　No　birthdays　were　due　for　three　months。　

Tilbury　wasn't　available；　evidently　he　was　going　to　live　forever；

what　the　nation　COULD　they　celebrate？　　That　was　Sally's　way

of　putting　it；　and　he　was　getting　impatient；　too；　and　harassed。　

But　at　last　he　hit　itjust　by　sheer　inspiration；　as　it　seemed　to　him

and　all　their　troubles　were　gone　in　a　moment；　they　would　celebrate

the　Discovery　of　America。　　A　splendid　idea！



Aleck　was　almost　too　proud　of　Sally　for　wordsshe　said　SHE　never　would

have　thought　of　it。　　But　Sally；　although　he　was　bursting　with　delight

in　the　compliment　and　with　wonder　at　himself；　tried　not　to　let　on；

and　said　it　wasn't　really　anything；　anybody　could　have　done　it。　

Whereat　Aleck；　with　a　prideful　toss　of　her　happy　head；　said：



〃Oh；　certainly！　　Anybody　couldoh；　anybody！　　Hosannah　Dilkins；

for　instance！　　Or　maybe　Adelbert　Peanutoh；　DEARyes！　　Well；　I'd　like

to　see　them　try　it；　that's　all。　　Dear…me…suz；　if　they　could　think

of　the　discovery　of　a　forty…acre　island　it's　more　than　_I_　believe

they　could；　and　as　for　the　whole　continent；　why；　Sally　Foster；

you　know　perfectly　well　it　would　strain　the　livers　and　lights

out　of　them　and　THEN　they　couldn't！〃



The　dear　woman；　she　knew　he　had　talent；　and　if　affection　made

her　over…estimate　the　size　of　it　a　little；　surely　it　was　a　sweet

and　gentle　crime；　and　forgivable　for　its　source's　sake。







CHAPTER　V





The　celebration　went　off　well。　　The　friends　were　all　present；

both　the　young　and　the　old。　　Among　the　young　were　Flossie　and

Gracie　Peanut　and　their　brother　Adelbert；　who　was　a　rising　young

journeyman　tinner；　also　Hosannah　Dilkins；　Jr。；　journeyman　plasterer；

just　out　of　his　apprenticeship。　　For　many　months　Adelbert　and　Hosannah

had　been　showing　interest　in　Gwendolen　and　Clytemnestra　Foster；

and　the　parents　of　the　girls　had　noticed　this　with　pri