children of the whirlwind-第51章

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hat　I　tell　you　as　absolute　facts。　You　are　by　birth　a　very　different　person　from　what　you　believe　yourself。　Your　father　is　not　Jimmie　Carlisle。　And　your　mother…　…〃

〃Larry！〃　She　tensely　gripped　his　arm。

〃Your　mother　was　of　a　good　family。　I　imagine　something　like　Miss　Sherwood's　kindthough　not　so　rich　and　not　having　such　social　standing。　She　died　when　you　were　born。　She　never　knew　what　your　father's　business　actually　was；　he　passed　for　a　country　gentleman。　He　was　about　the　smoothest　and　biggest　crook　of　his　time；　and　a　straight　crook　if　there　is　such　a　thing。〃

〃Larry！〃　she　breathed。

〃He　kept　this　gentleman…farmer　side　of　his　life　and　his　marriage　entirely　hidden　from　his　crook　acquaintances；　that　is；　from　all　except　one　whom　he　trusted　as　his　most　loyal　friend。　Before　you　were　old　enough　to　remember；　he　was　tripped　up　and　sent　away　on　a　twenty…year　sentence。〃

〃And　he'she's　still　in　prison？〃　whispered　Maggie。

Larry　did　not　heed　the　interruption。　〃He　had　developed　the　highest　kind　of　ambition　for　you。　He　wanted　you　to　grow　up　a　fine　simple　woman　like　your　mothersomething　like　Miss　Sherwood。　He　did　not　want　you　ever　to　know　the　sort　of　life　he　had　known；　and　he　did　not　want　you　to　be　handicapped　by　the　knowledge　that　you　had　a　crook　for　a　father。　He　still　had　intact　your　mother's　fortune；　a　small　one；　but　an　honest　one。　So　he　put　you　and　the　money　in　the　hands　of　his　trusted　friend；　with　the　instructions　that　you　were　to　be　brought　up　as　the　girls　of　the　nicest　families　are　brought　up；　and　believing　yourself　an　orphan。〃

〃That　friend　of　his；　Larry？〃　she　whispered　tensely。

〃Jimmie　Carlisle。〃

〃Ooh！〃

〃I　don't　know　what　Jimmie　Carlisle's　motives　were　for　what　he　has　done。　Perhaps　to　get　your　money；　perhaps　some　grudge　against　your　father；　which　he　was　afraid　to　show　while　your　father　was　free；　for　your　father　was　always　his　master。　But　Old　Jimmie　has　brought　you　up　exactly　contrary　to　the　orders　he　received。　If　revenge　was　Old　Jimmie's　motive；　his　cunning；　cowardly　brain　could　not　have　conceived　a　more　diabolical　revenge；　one　that　would　hurt　your　father　more。　Till　a　few　years　ago；　when　word　was　sent　to　your　father　that　Old　Jimmie　was　dead；　Jimmie　regularly　wrote　your　father　about　the　success　of　his　plan；　about　how　splendidly　you　were　developing　and　getting　on　with　the　best　people。　And　your　fatherI　knew　him　in　prisonnow　believes　you　have　grown　up　into　exactly　the　kind　of　young　woman　he　planned。〃

〃Larry！〃　she　choked　in　a　numbed　voice。　〃Larry！〃

〃Your　father　is　now　as　happy　as　it　is　possible　for　him　to　be；　for　he　has　lived　for　years　and　still　lives　in　the　belief　that　his　great　dream；　the　only　big　thing　left　for　him　to　do；　has　come　to　pass：　that　somewhere　out　in　the　world　is　his　daughter；　grown　into　a　nice；　simple；　wholesome　young　woman；　with　a　clean；　wholesome　life　before　her。　And　though　she　is　the　one　thing　in　all　the　world　to　him；　he　never　intends　to　see　her　again　for　fear　that　his　seeing　her　might　somehow　result　in　an　accident　that　would　destroy　her　happy　ignorance。　Maggie；　can　you　conceive　the　tremendous　meaning　to　your　father　of　what　he　believes　he　has　created？　And　can　you　conceive　the　tremendous　difference　between　the　dream　he　lives　upon；　and　the　reality？〃

She　was　white；　staring；　wilted。　For　once　all　the　defiance；　self…　confidence；　bravado；　melted　out　of　her；　and　she　was　just　an　appalled　and　frightened　young　girl。

After　a　moment　she　managed　to　repeat　the　question　Larry　had　ignored：　〃Is　my　real　fatherstill　in　prison？〃

〃You'd　like　to　see　your　real　father？〃　he　asked　her。

〃I　thinkI'd　like　to　have　a　glimpse　of　him；〃　she　breathed。

Larry；　just　before　this；　had　noted　Joe　Ellison　in　his　blue　overalls　and　wide　straw　hat　cleaning　out　a　bank　of　young　dahlias　a　distance　up　the　bluff。　He　now　took　Maggie's　arm　and　guided　her　in　that　direction。

〃See　that　man　there　working　among　the　dahlias？the　man　who　once　brought　you　a　bunch　of　roses？　Joe　Ellison　is　his　name。　He's　the　man　I've　been　talking　aboutyour　father。〃

He　felt　her　quivering　under　his　hand　for　a　moment；　and　heard　her　breath　come　in　swift；　spasmodic　pants。　He　was　wondering　what　was　the　effect　upon　her　of　this　climax　of　his　revelation；　when　she　whispered：

〃Do　you　supposeI　can　speakto　my　father？〃

〃Of　course。　He　likes　all　young　women。　And　I　told　you　that　he　and　I　were　close　friends。〃

〃Thencome　on。〃　She　arose；　clinging　to　him；　and　drew　him　after　her。　Halfway　to　Joe　she　breathed：　〃You　please　say　something　first。　Anything。〃

He　recognized　this　as　the　appeal　of　one　whose　faculties　were　reeling。　There　had　never　been　any　attempt　here　at　Cedar　Crest　to　conceal　Joe　Ellison's　past；　and　in　Larry's　case　there　had　been　only　such　concealment　as　might　help　his　evasion　of　his　dangers。　And　so　Larry　remarked　as　Joe　Ellison　took　his　wide　hat　off　his　white　hair　and　stood　bareheaded　before　them：

〃Joe；　Miss　Cameron　knows　who　I　really　am；　and　about　my　having　been　in　Sing　Sing；　and　I've　just　told　her　about　our　having　been　friends　there。　Also　I　told　her　about　your　having　a　daughter。　It　interested　her　and　she　asked　me　if　she　couldn't　talk　to　you；　so　I　brought　her　over。〃

Larry　stood　aside　and　tensely　watched　this　meeting　between　father　and　daughter。　Joe　bowed　slightly；　and　with　a　dignified　grace　that　overalls　and　over　fifteen　years　of　prison　could　not　take　from　one　who　during　his　early　and　middle　manhood　had　been　known　as　the　perfection　of　the　finished　gentleman。　His　gray　eyes　warmed　with　appreciation　of　the　young　figure　before　him；　just　as　Larry　had　seen　them　grow　bright　watching　the　young　figures　disporting　in　the　Sound。

〃It　is　very　gracious　for　a　young　woman　like　you；　Miss　Cameron；〃　he　said　in　a　voice　of　grave　courtesy；　〃to　be　interested　enough　in　an　old　man　like　me　to　want　to　talk　with　him。〃

Maggie　made　the　supreme　effort　of　her　life　to　keep　herself　in　hand。　〃I　wanted　to　talk　to　you　because　of　something　Mr。　Brainard　told　me　about…　…about　your　having　a　daughter。〃

Larry　felt　that　this　was　too　sacred　a　scene　for　him　to　intrude　upon。　〃Would　you　mind　excusing　me；〃　he　said；　〃there　are　some　calculations　I've　got　to　rush　out〃and　he　returned　to　the　bench　on　which　they　had　been　sitting　and　pretended　to　busy　himself　over　a　pocket　notebook。

While　Larry　had　been　speaking　and　moving　away；　Maggie　had　swiftly　been　appraising　her　father。　His　gray　eyes　were　direct　as　against　the　furtiveness　of　Jimmie's；　his　mouth　had　a　firm　kindliness　as　against　the　wrinkled　cunning　of　Jimmie's；　his　bearing　was　erect；　self…　possessed；　as　against　Jimmie's　bent；　shuffling　carriage。　Maggie　felt　no　swift…born　daughter　love　for　this　stranger　who　was　her　father。　The　turmoil　of　her　discovery　filled　her　too　completely　to　admit　a　full…　grown　affection；　but　she　thrilled　with　the　sense　of　the　vast　difference　between　her　supposed　father　and　this　her　real　father。

In　the　meantime　her　father　had　spoken。　Joe　would　have　been　more　reserved　with　men　or　with　older　women；　but　with　this　girl；　so　much　the　sort　of　girl　he　had　long　dreamed　about；　his　reserve　vanished　without　resistance；　and　in　its　place　was　a　desire　to　talk　to　this　beautiful　creature　who　came　out　of　the　world　which　the　big　white　house　represented。

〃I　have　a　daughter；　yes；〃　he　said。　〃But　LarryMr。　Brainard　perhaps　I　should　sayhas　likely　told　you　all　there　is　to　tell。〃

〃I'd　like　to　hear　it　from　you；　pleaseif　you　don't　mind。〃

〃There's　really　not　much　to　tell；〃　he　said。　〃You　know　what　I　was　and　what　happened。　When　I　went　to　prison　my　daughter　was　too　young　to　remember　meless　than　two　years　old。　I　didn't　want　her　ever　to　be　drawn　into　the　sort　of　life　that　had　been　mine；　or　be　the　sort　of　woman　that　a　girl　becomes　who　gets　into　that　life。　And　I　didn't　want　her　ever　to　have　the　stigma；　and　the　handicap；　of　her　knowing　and　the　world　knowing　that　her　father　was　a　convict。　You　can't　understand　it　fully；　Miss　Cameron；　but　perhaps　you　can　understand　a　little　how　disgraced　you　would　feel；　what　a　handicap　it　would　be；　if　your　father　were　a　convict。　I　had　a　good　friend　I　could　trust。　So　I　turned　my　daughter　over　to　him；　to　be　brought　up　with　no　knowledge　of　my　existence；　and　with　every　reasonable　advantage　that　a　nice　girl　should　have。　I　guess　that's　all；　Miss　Cameron。〃

〃This　friendwhat　was　his　name？〃

〃CarlisleJimmie　Carlisle。　But　hi