children of the whirlwind-第31章

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〃Which　do　you　like　best；　Barney？〃　Old　Jimmie　asked。

〃The　second　is　safer。　But　then　it's　slower；　and　there　would　be　lawyers'　fees　which　would　eat　into　our　profits；　and　then　because　of　the　publicity　we　might　have　to　wait　some　time　before　it　would　be　safe　to　use　Maggie　again。　The　first　plan　isn't　so　complicated；　it's　quick；　and　at　once　we've　got　Maggie　free　to　use　in　other　operations。　The　first　looks　the　best　bet　to　mebut；　as　I　said；　we　don't　have　to　decide　yet。　We　can　let　developments　help　make　the　actual　decision　for　us。〃

Barney　did　not　add　that　a　further　reason　for　his　objecting　to　the　second　plan　was　that　he　didn't　want　Maggie　actually　tied　in　marriage　to　any　man。　That　was　a　relationship　his　hopes　were　reserving　for　himself。

Barney's　inborn　desire　for　acknowledged　chieftainship　again　craved　assertion　and　pressed　him　on　to　say：

〃You　see；　Maggie；　how　much　depends　on　you。　You've　got　a　whale　of　a　chance　for　a　beginner。　I　hope　you　take　a　big　brace　over　to…night　and　play　up　to　the　possibilities　of　your　part。〃

〃You　take　care　of　your　end；　and　I'll　take　care　of　mine！〃　was　her　sharp　retort。

Barney　was　flustered　for　a　moment　by　his　second　failure　to　dominate　Maggie。　〃Oh；　well；　we'll　not　row；〃　he　tried　to　say　easily。　〃We　understand　each　other；　and　we're　each　trying　to　help　the　other　fellow's　gamethat's　the　main　point。〃

The　two　men　left；　Jimmie　without　kissing　his　daughter　good…night。　This　caused　Maggie　no　surprise。　A　kiss；　not　the　lack　of　it；　would　have　been　the　thing　that　would　have　excited　wonder　in　Maggie。

Barney　went　away　well　satisfied　on　the　whole　with　the　manner　in　which　the　affair　was　progressing；　and　with　his　management　of　it　and　of　Maggie。　Maggie　was　obstinate；　to　be　sure；　but　he'd　soon　work　that　out　of　her。　He　was　now　fully　convinced　of　the　soundness　of　his　explanation　of　Maggie's　poor　performance　of　that　night：　she　had　just　had　an　off　day。

As　for　Maggie；　after　they　had　gone　she　sat　up　long；　thinkingand　her　thoughts　reverted　irresistibly　to　Larry。　His　visit　had　been　most　distracting。　But　she　was　not　going　to　let　it　affect　her　purpose。　If　anything；　she　was　more　determined　than　ever　to　be　what　she　had　told　him　she　was　going　to　be；　to　prove　to　him　that　he　could　not　influence　her。

She　tried　to　keep　her　mind　off　Larry；　but　she　could　not。　He　was　for　her　so　many　questions。　How　had　he　escaped？thrown　off　both　police　and　old　friends？　Where　was　he　now？　What　was　he　doing？　And　when　and　how　was　he　going　to　reappear　and　interfere？for　Maggie　had　no　doubt；　now　that　she　knew　him　to　be　in　New　York；　that　he　would　come　again；　and　again　try　to　check　her。

And　there　was　a　matter　which　she　no　more　understood　than　Larry；　and　this　was　another　of　her　questions：　Why　had　she　gone　into　a　panic　and　aided　his　escape？

Of　course；　she　now　and　then　thought　of　Dick　Sherwood。　She　rather　liked　Dick。　But　thus　far　she　regarded　him　exactly　as　her　scheme　of　life　had　presented　him　to　her：　as　a　pleasant　dupe　who；　in　an　exciting　play　in　which　she　had　the　thrilling　lead；　was　to　be　parted　from　his　money。　She　was　rather　sorry　for　him；　but　this　was　business；　and　her　sorrow　was　not　going　to　interfere　with　what　she　was　going　to　do。

Maggie　Cameron；　at　this　period　of　her　life；　was　not　deeply　introspective。　She　did　not　realize　what；　according　to　other　standards；　this　thing　was　which　she　was　doing。　She　was　merely　functioning　as　she　had　been　taught　to　function。　And　if　any　change　was　beginning　in　her；　she　was　thus　far　wholly　unconscious　of　it。




CHAPTER　XX


Larry's　new　problem　was　the　most　difficult　and　delicate　dilemma　of　his　lifethis　divided　loyalty：　to　balk　Maggie　and　the　two　men　behind　her　without　revealing　the　truth　about　Maggie　to　Dick；　to　protect　Dick　without　betraying　Maggie。　It　certainly　was　a　trying；　baffling　situation。

He　had　no　such　foolish　idea　that　he　could　change　Maggie　by　exposing　her。　At　best　he　would　merely　render　her　incapable　of　continuing　this　particular　course；　he　would　increase　her　bitterness　and　hostility　to　him。　Anyhow；　according　to　the　remnants　of　his　old　code；　that　wouldn't　be　playing　fairparticularly　after　her　aiding　his　escape　when　he　had　been　trapped。

Upon　only　one　point　was　he　clear；　and　on　this　he　became　more　settled　with　every　hour：　whatever　he　did　he　must　do　with　the　idea　of　a　fundamental　awakening　in　Maggie。　Merely　to　foil　her　in　this　one　scheme　would　be　to　solve　the　lesser　part　of　his　problem；　Maggie　would　be　left　unchanged；　or　if　changed　at　all　the　change　would　be　toward　a　greater　hardness；　and　his　major　problem　would　be　made　more　difficult　of　solution。

He　considered　many　ways。　He　thought　of　seeing　Maggie　again；　and　once　more　appealing　to　her。　That　he　vetoed；　not　because　of　the　danger　to　himself；　but　because　he　knew　Maggie　would　not　see　him；　and　if　he　again　did　break　in　upon　her　unexpectedly；　in　her　obstinate　pride　she　would　heed　nothing　he　said。　He　thought　of　seeing　Barney　and　Old　Jimmie　and　somehow　so　throwing　the　fear　of　God　into　that　pair　that　they　would　withdraw　Maggie　from　the　present　enterprise；　but　even　if　he　succeeded　in　so　hazardous　an　undertaking；　again　Maggie　would　be　left　unchanged。　He　thought　of　showing　Miss　Sherwood　the　hidden　portrait　of　Maggie；　of　telling　her　all　and　asking　her　aid；　but　this　he　also　vetoed；　for　it　seemed　a　betrayal　of　Maggie。

He　kept　going　back　to　one　plan：　not　a　plan　exactly；　but　the　idea　upon　which　the　right　plan　might　be　based。　If　only　he　could　adroitly；　with　his　hand　remaining　unseen；　place　Maggie　in　a　situation　where　circumstances　would　appeal　conqueringly　to　her　best　self；　to　her　latent　sense　of　honorthat　was　the　idea！　But　cudgel　his　brain　as　he　would；　Larry　could　not　just　then　develop　a　working　plan　whose　foundation　was　that　idea。

But　even　if　Larry　had　had　a　brilliant　plan　it　would　hardly　have　been　possible　for　him　to　have　devoted　himself　to　its　execution；　for　two　days　after　his　visit　to　Maggie　at　the　Grantham；　the　Sherwoods　moved　out　to　their　summer　place　some　forty　miles　from　the　city　on　the　North　Shore　of　Long　Island；　and　Larry　was　so　occupied　with　routine　duties　pertaining　to　this　migration　that　at　the　moment　he　had　time　for　little　else。　Cedar　Crest　was　individual　yet　typical　of　the　better　class　of　Long　Island　summer　residences。　It　was　a　long　white　building　of　many　piazzas　and　many　wings；　set　on　a　bluff　looking　over　the　Sound；　with　a　broad　stretch　of　silken　lawn；　and　about　it　gardens　in　their　June　glory；　and　behind　the　house　a　couple　of　hundred　acres　of　scrub　pine。

On　the　following　day；　according　to　a　plan　that　had　been　worked　out　between　Larry　and　Miss　Sherwood；　Joe　Ellison　appeared　at　Cedar　Crest　and　was　given　the　assistant　gardener's　cottage　which　stood　apart　on　the　bluff　some　three　hundred　yards　east　of　the　house。　He　was　a　tall；　slightly　bent；　white…haired　man；　apparently　once　a　man　of　physical　strength　and　dominance　of　character　and　with　the　outer　markings　of　a　gentleman；　but　now　seemingly　a　mere　shadow　of　the　forceful　man　of　his　prime。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　Joe　Ellison　had　barely　escaped　that　greatest　of　prison　scourges；　tuberculosis。

The　roses　were　given　over　to　his　care。　For　a　few　brief　years　during　the　height　of　his　prosperity　he　had　owned　a　small　place　in　New　Jersey　and　during　that　period　had　seemingly　been　the　country　gentleman。　Flowers　had　been　his　hobby；　so　that　now　he　could　have　had　no　work　which　would　have　more　suited　him　than　this　guardianship　of　the　roses。　For　himself　he　desired　no　better　thing　than　to　spend　what　remained　of　his　life　in　this　sunlit　privacy　and　communion　with　growing　things。

He　gripped　Larry's　hand　when　they　were　first　alone　in　the　little　cottage。　〃Thanks；　Larry；　I'll　not　forget　this；〃　he　said。　He　said　little　else。　He　did　not　refer　to　his　prison　life；　or　what　had　gone　before　it。　He　had　never　asked　Larry；　even　while　in　prison　together；　about　Larry's　previous　activities　and　associates；　and　he　asked　no　questions　now。　Apparently　it　was　the　desire　of　this　silent　man　to　have　the　bones　of　his　own　past　remain　buried；　and　to　leave　undisturbed　the　graves　of　others'　mistakes。

A　retiring；　unobtrusive　figure；　he　settled　quickly　to　his　work。　He　seemed　content；　even　happy；　and　at　times　there　was　a　far…away；　exultant　look　in　his　gray　eyes。　Miss　Sherwood　caught　this　on　several　occasions；　it　puzzled　her；　and　she　spoke　of