the riverman-第41章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



butwell；　good…bye；　dear；　and　you；　sir；　be　good　to　her。　　And　write　

your　daddy；　Carroll。　　He'll　be　lonesome　for　you。〃　　He　blew　his　nose　

very　loudly　and　wiped　his　glasses。　　〃Now；　run　along；　run　along；〃　he　

hurried　them。　　〃Let　us　not　have　any　scenes。　　Here；　my　dear；　open　

this　envelope　when　you　are　well　started。　　It　may　help　cheer　the　

journey。　　Not　a　word！〃



He　hurried　them　through　the　gate；　paying　no　heed　to　what　they　were　

trying　to　say。　　Then　he　steamed　away　and　bustled　into　a　cab　without　

once　looking　back。



When　the　train　had　passed　the　Harlem　River　and　was　swaying　its　

uneven　way　across　the　open　country；　Carroll　opened　the　envelope。　　It　

contained　a　check　for　a　thousand　dollars。



〃Dear　old　daddy！〃　she　murmured。　　〃Our　only　wedding　present！〃



〃You　are　the　capitalist　of　the　family；〃　said　Orde。　　〃You　don't　know　

how　poor　a　man　you've　married。　　I　haven't　much　more　than　the　

proverbial　silver　watch　and　bad　nickel。〃



She　reached　out　to　press　his　hand　in　reassurance。　　He　compared　it　

humorously　with　his　own。



〃What　a　homely；　knotted；　tanned　old　thing　it　is　by　yours；〃　said　he。



〃It's　a　strong　hand；〃　she　replied　soberly；　〃it's　a　dear　hand。〃　　

Suddenly　she　snatched　it　up　and　pressed　it　for　a　fleeting　instant　

against　her　cheek；　looking　at　him　half　ashamed。







XXI





The　winter　months　were　spent　at　Monrovia；　where　Orde　and　his　wife　

lived　for　a　time　at　the　hotel。　　This　was　somewhat　expensive；　but　

Orde　was　not　quite　ready　to　decide　on　a　home；　and　he　developed　

unexpected　opposition　to　living　at　Redding　in　the　Orde　homestead。



〃No；　I've　been　thinking　about　it；〃　he　told　Grandma　Orde。　　〃A　young　

couple　should　start　out　on　their　own　responsibility。　　I　know　you'd　

be　glad　to　have　us；　but　I　think　it's　better　the　other　way。　　Besides；　

I　must　be　at　Monrovia　a　good　deal　of　the　time；　and　I　want　Carroll　

with　me。　　She　can　make　you　a　good　long　visit　in　the　spring；　when　I　

have　to　go　up　river。〃



To　this　Grandma　Orde；　being　a　wise　old　lady；　had　to　nod　her　assent；　

although　she　would　much　have　liked　her　son　near　her。



At　Monrovia；　then；　they　took　up　their　quarters。　　Carroll　soon　became　

acquainted　with　the　life　of　the　place。　　Monrovia；　like　most　towns　of　

its　sort　and　size；　consisted　of　an　upper　stratum　of　mill　owners　and　

lumber　operators；　possessed　of　considerable　wealth；　some　

cultivation；　and　definite　social　ideas；　a　gawky；　countrified；　middle　

estate　of　storekeepers；　catering　both　to　the　farm　and　local　trade　

and　the　lumber　mill　operatives；　generally　of　Holland　extraction；　who　

dwelt　in　simple　unpainted　board　shanties。　　The　class　first　mentioned　

comprised　a　small　coterie；　among　whom　Carroll　soon　found　two　or　

three　congenialsEdith　Fuller；　wife　of　the　young　cashier　in　the　

bank；　Valerie　Cathcart；　whose　husband　had　been　killed　in　the　Civil　

War；　Clara　Taylor；　wife　of　the　leading　young　lawyer　of　the　village；　

and；　strangely　enough；　Mina　Heinzman；　the　sixteen…year…old　daughter　

of　old　Heinzman；　the　lumberman。　　Nothing　was　more　indicative　of　the　

absolute　divorce　of　business　and　social　life　than　the　unbroken　

evenness　of　Carroll's　friendship　for　the　younger　girl。　　Though　later　

the　old　German　and　Orde　locked　in　serious　struggle　on　the　river；　

they　continued　to　meet　socially　quite　as　usual；　and　the　daughter　of　

one　and　the　wife　of　the　other　never　suspected　anything　out　of　the　

ordinary。　　This　impersonality　of　struggle　has　always　been　

characteristic　of　the　pioneer　business　man's　good…nature。



Newmark　received　the　news　of　his　partner's　sudden　marriage　without　

evincing　any　surprise；　but　with　a　sardonic　gleam　in　one　corner　of　

his　eye。　　He　called　promptly；　conversed　politely　for　a　half　hour；　

and　then　took　his　leave。



〃How　do　you　like　him？〃　asked　Orde；　when　he　had　gone。



〃He　looks　like　a　very　shrewd　man；〃　replied　Carroll；　picking　her　

words　for　fear　of　saying　the　wrong　thing。



Orde　laughed。



〃You　don't　like　him；〃　he　stated。



〃I　don't　dislike　him；〃　said　Carroll。　　〃I've　not　a　thing　against　him。　　

But　we　could　never　be　in　the　slightest　degree　sympathetic。　　He　and　I　

don'tdon't〃



〃Don't　jibe；〃　Orde　finished　for　her。　　〃I　didn't　much　think　you　

would。　　Joe　never　was　much　of　a　society　bug。〃　　It　was　on　the　tip　of　

Carroll's　tongue　to　reply　that　〃society　bugs〃　were　not　the　only　sort　

she　could　appreciate；　but　she　refrained。　　She　had　begun　to　realise　

the　extent　of　her　influence　over　her　husband's　opinion。



Newmark　did　not　live　at　the　hotel。　　Early　in　the　fall　he　had　rented　

a　small　one…story　house　situated　just　off　Main　Street；　set　well　back　

from　the　sidewalk　among　clumps　of　oleanders。　　Into　this　he　retired　

as　a　snail　into　its　shell。　　At　first　he　took　his　meals　at　the　hotel；　

but　later　he　imported　an　impassive；　secretive　man…servant；　who　took　

charge　of　him　completely。　　Neither　master　nor　man　made　any　friends；　

and　in　fact　rebuffed　all　advances。　　One　Sunday；　Carroll　and　Orde；　

out　for　a　walk；　passed　this　quaint　little　place；　with　its　picket　

fence。



〃Let's　go　in　and　return　Joe's　call；〃　suggested　Orde。



Their　knock　at　the　door　brought　the　calm　valet。



〃Mr。　Newmark　is　h'out；　sir；〃　said　he。　　〃Yes；　sir；　I'll　tell　him　that　

you　called。〃



They　turned　away。　　As　they　sauntered　down　the　little　brick…laid　

walk；　Carroll　suddenly　pressed　close　to　her　husband's　arm。



〃Jack；〃　she　begged；　〃I　want　a　little　house　like　that；　for　our　very　

own。〃



〃We　can't　afford　it；　sweetheart。〃



〃Not　to　own；〃　she　explained；　〃just　to　rent。　　It　will　be　next　best　to　

having　a　home　of　our　own。〃



〃We'd　have　to　have　a　girl；　dear；〃　said　Orde；　〃and　we　can't　even　

afford　that；　yet。〃



〃A　girl！〃　cried　Carroll　indignantly。　　〃For　us　two！〃



〃You　couldn't　do　the　housework　and　the　cooking；〃　said　Orde。　　〃You've　

never　done　such　a　thing　in　your　life；　and　I　won't　have　my　little　

girl　slaving。〃



〃It　won't　be　slaving；　it　will　be　funjust　like　play…housekeeping；〃　

protested　Carroll。　　〃And　I've　got　to　learn　some　time。　　I　was　brought　

up　most　absurdly；　and　I　realise　it　now。〃



〃We'll　see；〃　said　Orde　vaguely。



The　subject　was　dropped　for　the　time　being。　　Later　Carroll　brought　

it　up　again。　　She　was　armed　with　several　sheets　of　hotel　stationery；　

covered　with　figures　showing　how　much　cheaper　it　would　be　to　keep　

house　than　to　board。



〃You　certainly　make　out　a　strong　caseon　paper；〃　laughed　Orde。　　〃If　

you　buy　a　rooster　and　a　hen；　and　she　raises　two　broods；　at　the　end　

of　a　year　you'll　have　twenty…six；　and　if　they　all　breedeven　

allowing　half　roostersyou'll　have　over　three　hundred；　and　if　they　

all　breed；　you'll　have　about　thirty…five　hundred；　and　if〃



〃Stop！　stop！〃　cried　Carroll；　covering　her　ears。



〃All　right；〃　agreed　Orde　equably；　〃but　that's　the　way　it　figures。　　

Funny　the　earth　isn't　overrun　with　chickens；　isn't　it？〃



She　thrust　her　tables　of　figures　into　her　desk　drawer。　　〃You're　just　

making　fun　of　me　always；〃　she　said　reproachfully。



Two　days　later　Orde　took　her　one　block　up　the　street　to　look　at　a　

tiny　little　house　tucked　on　a　fifty…foot　lot　beneath　the　shadow　of　

the　church。



〃It's　mighty　little；〃　said　he。　　〃I'll　have　to　go　out　in　the　hall　to　

change　my　collar；　and　we　couldn't　have　more　than　two　people　at　a　

time　to　call　on　us。〃



〃It's　a　dear！〃　said　she；　〃and　I'm　not　so　e…nor…mous　myself；　whatever　

YOU　may　be。〃



They　ended　by　renting　the　little　house；　and　Carroll　took　charge　of　

it　delightedly。　　What　difficulties　she　overcame；　and　what　laughable　

and　cryable　mistakes　she　made　only　those　who　have　encountered　a　like　

situation　could　realise。　　She　learned　fast；　however；　and　took　a　real　

pride　in　her　tiny　box　of　a　home。　　A　piano　was；　of　course；　out　of　the　

question；　but　the　great　golden　harp　occupied　one　corner；　or　rather　

one　side；　of　the　parlour。　　Standing　thus　enshrouded　in　its　covering；　

it　rather　resembled　an　august　and　tremendous　veiled　deity。　　To　

Carroll's　great　delight；　Orde　used　solemnly