the voice of the city-第13章

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fession　of　heir　presumptive。〃



〃People　might　like　you；　Old　Bryson；〃　said　Gillian；

always　unruffled；　〃if　you　wouldn't　moralize。　　I　asked

you　to　tell　me　what　I　could　do　with　a　thousand

dollars。〃



〃You？〃　said　Bryson；　with　a　gentle　laugh。

〃Why；　Bobby　Gillian；　there's　only　one　logical　thing

you　could　do。　　You　can　go　buy　Miss　Lotta　Lauriere

a　diamond　pendant　with　the　money；　and　then　take

yourself　off　to　Idaho　and　inflict；　your　presence　upon　a

ranch。　　I　advise　a　sheep　ranch；　as　I　have　a　particular

dislike　for　sheep。〃



〃Thanks；〃　said　Gillian；　rising；　〃I　thought　I

could　depend　upon　you；　Old　Bryson。　　You've　hit　on

the　very　scheme。　　I　wanted　to　chuck　the　money　in　a

lump；　for　I've　got　to　turn　in　an　account　for　it；　and

I　hate　itemizing。〃



Gillian　phoned　for　a　cab　and　said　to　the　driver：

〃The　stage　entrance　of　the　Columbine　Theatre。〃…

Miss　Lotta　Lauriere　was　assisting　nature　with　a

powder　puff；　almost　ready　for　her　call　at　a　crowded

Matinee；　when　her　dresser　mentioned　the　name　of　Mr。

Gillian。



〃Let　it　in；〃　said　Miss　Lauriere。　　〃　Now；　what　is

it；　Bobby？　　I'm　going　on　in　two　minutes。〃



〃Rabbit…foot　your　right　ear　a　little；〃　suggested

Gillian；　critically。　　〃　That's　better。　　It　won't　take

two　minutes　for　me。　　What　do　you　say　to　a　little

thing　in　the　pendant　line？　　I　can　stand　three　ciphers

with　a　figure　one　in　front　of　'em。〃



〃Oh；　just　as　you　say；〃　carolled　Miss　Lauriere。

my　right　glove；　Adams。　　Say；　Bobby；　did　you　see

that　necklace　Della　Stacey　had　on　the　other　night？

Twenty…two　hundred　dollars　it　cost　at　Tiffany's。

But；　of　course　…pull　my　sash　a　little　to　the　left；

Adams。〃



〃Miss　Lauriere　for　the　opening　chorus！〃　　cried　the

call　boy　without。



Gillian　strolled　out　to　where　his　cab　was　waiting。



〃What　would　you　do　with　a　thousand　dollars　if

you　had　it？〃　be　asked　the　driver。



〃Open　a　s'loon；〃　said　the　cabby；　promptly　and

huskily。　　〃　I　know　a　place　I　could　take　money　in　with

both　hands。　　It's　a　four…story　brick　on　a　corner。

I've　got　it　figured　out。　　Second　story　…　Chinks　and

chop　suey；　third　floor　…manicures　and　foreign　mis…

sions；　fourth　floor　…poolroom。　　If　you　was　think…

of　putting　up　the　capital。



〃Oh；　no；〃　said　Gillian；　　I　merely　asked　from　cu…

riosity。　　I　take　you　by　the　hour。　　Drive　'til　I　tell　you

to　stop。〃



Eight　blocks　down　Broadway　Gillian　poked　up

the　trap　with　his　cane　and　got　out。　　A　blind　man　sat

upon　a　stool　on　the　sidewalk　selling　pencils。　　Gillian

went　out　and　stood　before　him。



〃Excuse　me；〃　he　said；　〃　but　would　you　mind　tell…

ing　me　what　you　would　do　if　you　bad　a　thousand

dollars？〃



〃You　got　out　of　that　cab　that　just　drove　up；

didn't　you？　　〃　asked　the　blind　man。



〃I　did；〃　said　Gillian。



〃　guess　you　are　all　right；〃　said　the　pencil　dealer；

〃to　ride　in　a　cab　by　daylight。　　Take　a　look　at　that；

if　you　like。〃



He　drew　a　small　book　from　his　coat　pocket　and

held　it　out。　　Gillian　opened　it　and　saw　that　it　was　a

bank　deposit　book。　　It　showed　a　balance　of　1；785　to

the　blind　man's　credit。



Gillian　returned　the　book　and　got　into　the　cab。



〃I　forgot　something；〃　be　said。　　〃You　may　drive

to　the　law　offices　of　Tolman　&　Sharp；　at　…　Broad…

way。〃

Lawyer　Tolman　looked　at　him　hostilely　and　in…

quiringly　through　his　gold…rimmed　glasses。



〃　I　beg　your　pardon；〃　said　Gillian；　cheerfully；

〃but　may　I　ask　you　a　question？　　It　is　not　an　im…

pertinent　one；　I　hope。　　Was　Miss　Hayden　left　any…

thing　by　my　uncle's　will　besides　the　ring　and　the

10？〃



〃　Nothing；〃　said　Mr。　Tolman。



〃　I　thank　you　very　much；　sir；〃　said　Gillian；　and

on　he　went　to　his　cab。　　He　gave　the　driver　the　ad…

dress　of　his　late　uncle's　home。



Miss　Hayden　was　writing　letters　in　the　library。

She　was　small　and　slender　and　clothed　in　black。　　But

you　would　have　noticed　her　eyes。　　Gillian　drifted

in　with　his　air　of　regarding　the　world　as　inconse…

quent。



I've　just　come　from　old　Tolman's；〃　he　explained。

They've　been　going　over　the　papers　down　there。

They　found　a　…　Gillian　searched　his　memory　for　a

legal　term　…　they　found　an　amendment　or　a　post…

script　or　something　to　the　will。　　It　seemed　that　the

old　boy　loosened　up　a　little　on　second　thoughts　and

willed　you　a　thousand　dollars。　　I　was　driving　up　this

way　and　Tolman　asked　me　to　bring　you　the　money。

Here　it　is。　　You'd　better　count　it　to　see　if　it's　right。〃



Gillian　laid　the　money　beside　her　hand　on　the　desk。

Miss　Hayden　turned　white。　　〃Oh！　〃　she　said；　and

again　〃Oh　！〃



Gillian　half　turned　and　looked　out　the　window。

〃I　suppose；　of　course；〃　be　said；　in　a　low　voice；

that　you　know　I　love　you。〃



〃I　am　sorry；〃　said　Miss　Hayden；　taking　up　her

money。



〃　There　is　no　use？　　〃　asked　Gillian；　almost　light…

heartedly。



〃　I　am　sorry；〃　she　said　again。



〃　May　I　write　a　note？　　〃　asked　Gillian；　with　a　smile；

I…re　seated　himself　at　the　big　library　table。　　She　sup…

plied　him　with　paper　and　pen；　and　then　went　back　to

her　secretaire。



Gillian　made　out　his　account　of　his　expenditure　of

the　thousand　dollars　i；i　these　words：



Paid　by　the　black　sheep；　Robert　Gillian；　1；000

on　account　of　the　eternal　happiness；　owed　by　Heaven

to　the　best　and　dearest　woman　on　earth。〃



Gillian　slipped　his　writing　into　an　envelope；　bowed

and　went　his　way。



His　cab　stopped　again　at　the　offices　of　Tolman　&

Sharp。



〃I　have　expended　the　thousand　dollars；〃　he　said

cheerily；　to　Tolman　of　the　gold　glasses；　〃　and　I　have

come　to　render　account　of　it；　as　I　agreed。　　There　is

quite　a　feeling　of　summer　in　the　air　…　do　you　not

think　so；　Mr。　Tolman？〃　He　tossed　a　white　envelope

on　the　lawyer's　table。　You　will　find　there　a　memo…

randum；　sir；　of　the　modus　operandi　of　the　vanishing

of　the　dollars。〃



Without　touching　the　envelope；　Mr。　Tolman　went

to　a　door　and　called　his　partner；　Sharp。　　Together

they　explored　the　caverns　of　an　immense　safe。　Forth

they　dragged；　as　trophy　of　their　search　a　big　envelope

sealed　with　　wax。　This　they　forcibly　invaded；　and

wagged　their　venerable　heads　together　over　its　con…

tents。　　Then　Tolman　became　spokesman。



〃Mr。　Gillian；〃　he　said；　formally；　〃there　was　a

codicil　to　your　uncle's　will。　　It　was　intrusted　to　us

privately；　with　instructions　that　it　be　not　opened　until

you　had　furnished　us　with　a　full　account　of　your

handling　of　the　1；000　bequest　in　the　will。　　As　you

have　fulfilled　the　conditions；　my　partner　and　I　have

read　the　codicil。　　I　do　not　wish　to　encumber　your

understanding　with　its　legal　phraseology；　but　I　will

acquaint　you　with　the　spirit　of　its　contents。



In　the　event　that　your　disposition　of　the　1；000

demonstrates　that　you　possess　any　of　the　qualifica…

tions　that　deserve　reward；　much　benefit　will

accrue　to　you。　Mr。　Sharp　and　I　are　named

as　the　judges；　and　I　assure　you　that　we　will　do　our

duty　strictly　according　to　justice…with　liberality。

We　are　not　at　all　unfavorably　disposed　toward　you；

Mr。　Gillian。　　But　let　us　return　to　the　letter　of　the

codicil。　　If　your　disposal　of　the　money　in　question　has

been　prudent；　wise；　or　unselflish；　it　is　in　our　power　to

hand　you　over　bonds　to　the　value　of　50；000；　which

have　been　placed　in　our　hands　for　that　purpose。　　But

if　…　as　our　client；　the　late　Mr。　Gillian；　explicitly

provides　…　you　have　used　this　money　as　you　have

money　in　the　past；　I　quote　the　late　Mr。　Gillian

…　in　reprehensible　dissipation　among　disreputable

associates　…　the　50；000　is　to　be　paid　to　Miriam

Hayden；　ward　of　the　late　Mr。　Gillian；　without　delay。

Now；　Mr。　Gillian；　Mr。　Sharp　and　I　will　examine　your

account　in　regard　to　the　1；000。　　You　submit　it　in

writing；　I　believe。　　I　hope　you　will　repose　confidence

in　our　decision。〃



Mr。　Tolman　reached　for　the　envelope。　　Gillian

was　a　little　the　quicker　in　taking　it　up。　　He　tore　the

account　and　its　cover　leisurely　into　strips　and　dropped

them　into　his　pocket。



〃It's　all　right；〃　he　said；　smilingly。　　〃There　isn't　a

bit　of　n