the cost-第19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！


ttering；　he　rose　and　in　the　starlight　looked　from　his　window。　　Scarborough　was　going　up　the　deserted　street　on　his　way　to　the　woods　for　his　morning　exercise。　　His　head　was　thrown　back　and　his　chest　extended；　and　his　long　legs　were　covering　four　feet　at　a　stride。　　〃You　old　devil！〃　said　Pierson；　his　tone　suggesting　admiration　and　affection　rather　than　anger。　　〃But　I'll　outwit　you。〃

By　a　subterfuge　in　which　a　sympathetic　doctor　was　the　main　factor；　he　had　himself　permanently　excused　from　chapel。　　Then　he　said　to　Scarborough：　　〃You　get　up　too　late；　old　man。　　My　grandfather　used　to　say　that　only　a　drone　lies　abed　after　two　in　the　morning；　wasting　the　best　part　of　the　day。　　You　ought　to　turn　in；　say；　at　half…past　nine　and　rise　in　time　to　get　your　hardest　work　out　of　the　way　before　the　college　day　begins。〃

〃That　sounds　reasonable；〃　replied　Scarborough；　after　a　moment's　consideration。　　〃I'll　try　it。〃

And　so　it　came　to　pass　that　Pierson　went　to　bed　at　the　sound　of　Scarborough's　two…o'clock　rising　gong　and　pieced　out　his　sleep　with　an　occasional　nap　in　recitations　and　lectures　and　for　an　hour　or　two　late　in　the　afternoon。　　He　was　able　once　more　to　play　poker　as　late　as　he　liked；　and　often　had　time　for　reading　before　the　gong　sounded。　　And　Scarborough　was　equally　delighted　with　the　new　plan。　　〃I　gain　at　least　one　hour　a　day；　perhaps　two；〃　he　said。　　〃Your　grandfather　was　a　wise　man。〃

Toward　spring；　Mills；　western　manager　of　the　publishing　house　for　which　Scarborough　had　sold　Peaks　of　Progress　through　Michigan；　came　to　Battle　Field　to　see　him。

〃You　were　far　and　away　the　best　man　we　had　out　last　year；〃　said　he。　　〃You're　a　born　book　agent。〃

〃Thank　you；〃　said　Scarborough；　sincerely。　　He　appreciated　that　a　man　can　pay　no　higher　compliment　than　to　say　that　another　is　master　of　his　own　trade。

〃We　got　about　fifty　orders　from　people　who　thought　it　over　after　you'd　tried　to　land　them　and　failedthat　shows　the　impression　you　made。　　And　you　sold　as　many　books　as　our　best　agent　in　our　best　field。〃

〃I'll　never　go　as　agent　again；〃　said　Scarborough。　　〃The　experience　was　invaluablebut　sufficient。〃

〃We　don't　want　you　to　go　as　agent。　　Our　proposition　is　for　much　easier　and　more　dignified　work。〃

At　the　word　dignified；　Scarborough　could　not　restrain　a　smile。　　〃I've　practically　made　my　plans　for　the　summer；〃　he　said。

〃I　think　we've　got　something　worth　your　while；　Mr。　Scarborough。　　Our　idea　is　for　you　to　select　about　a　hundred　of　the　young　fellows　who're　working　their　way　through　here；　and　train　them　in　your　methods　of　approaching　people。　　Then　you'll　take　them　to　Wisconsin　and　Minnesota　and　send　them　out；　each　man　to　a　district　you　select　for　him。　　In　that　way　you'll　help　a　hundred　young　men　to　earn　a　year　at　college　and　you'll　make　a　good　sum　for　yourselftwo　or　three　times　what　you　made　last　summer。〃

Scarborough　had　intended　to　get　admitted　to　the　bar　in　June；　to　spend　the　summer　at　an　apprenticeship　in　a　law　office　and　to　set　up　for　himself　in　the　fall。　　But　this　plan　was　most　attractiveit　would　give　him　a　new　kind　of　experience　and　would　put　him　in　funds　for　the　wait　for　clients。　　The　next　day　he　signed　an　advantageous　contracthis　expenses　for　the　summer　and　a　guaranty　of　not　less　than　three　thousand　dollars　clear。

He　selected　a　hundred　young　men　and　twelve　young　women；　the　most　intelligent　of　the　five　hundred　self…supporting　students　at　Battle　Field。　　Pierson；　having　promised　to　behave　himself；　was　permitted　to　attend　the　first　lesson。　　The　scholars　at　the　Scarborough；　School　for　Book　Agents　filled　his　quarters　and　overflowed　in　swarms　without　the　windows　and　the　door。　　The　weather　was　still　cool；　but　all　must　hear；　and　the　rooms　would　hold　barely　half　the　brigade。

〃I　assume　that　you've　read　the　book；〃　began　Scarborough。　　He　was　standing　at　the　table　with　the　paraphernalia　of　a　book　agent　spread　upon　it。　　〃But　you　must　read　it　again　and　again；　until　you　know　what's　on　every　page；　until　you　have　by　heart　the　passages　I'll　point　out　to　you。〃　　He　looked　at　Drexela　freshman　of　twenty…two；　with　earnest；　sleepless　eyes　and　a　lofty　forehead；　in　the　past　winter　he　had　become　acquainted　with　hunger　and　with　that　cold　which　creeps　into　the　room；　crawls　through　the　thin　covers　and　closes　in；　icy　as　death；　about　the　heart。　　〃What　do　you　think　of　the　book；　Drexel？〃

The　young　manhe　is　high　in　the　national　administration　to…dayflushed　and　looked　uneasy。

〃Speak　frankly。　　I　want　your　candid　opinion。〃

〃Well；　I　must　say；　Mr。　Scarborough；　I　think　it's　pretty　bad。〃

〃Thank　you；〃　said　Scarborough；　and　he　glanced　round。　　〃Does　anybody　disagree　with　Mr。　Drexel？〃

There　was　not　a　murmur。　　Pierson　covered　his　face　to　hide　his　smile　at　this　〃jolt〃　for　his　friend。　　In　the　group　round　one　of　the　windows　a　laugh　started　and　spread　everywhere　except　to　seven　of　the　twelve　young　women　and　to　those　near　ScarboroughTHEY　looked　frightened。

〃I　expected　Mr。　Drexel's　answer；〃　began　Scarborough。　　〃Before　you　can　sell　Peaks　of　Progress　each　of　you　must　be　convinced　that　it's　a　book　he　himself　would　buy。　　And　I　see　you've　not　even　read　it。　　You've　at　most　glanced　at　it　with　unfriendly　eyes。　　This　book　is　not　literature；　gentlemen。　　It　is　a　storehouse　of　facts。　　It　is　an　educational　work　so　simply　written　and　so　brilliantly　illustrated　that　the　very　children　will　hang　over　its　pages　with　delight。　　If　you　attend　to　your　training　in　our　coming　three　months　of　preliminary　work　you'll　find　during　the　summer　that　the　book's　power　to　attract　the　children　is　its　strongest　point。　　I　made　nearly　half　my　sales　last　summer　by　turning　from　the　parents　to　the　children　and　stirring　their　interest。〃

Pierson　was　now　no　more　inclined　to　smile　than　were　the　pupils。

〃When　I　started　out；〃　continued　Scarborough；　〃I；　too；　had　just　glanced　at　the　book　and　had　learned　a　few　facts　from　the　prospectus。　　And　I　failed　to　sell；　except　to　an　occasional　fool　whom　I　was　able　to　overpower。　　Every　one　instinctively　felt　the　estimate　I　myself　placed　upon　my　goods。　　But　as　I　went　on　the　book　gradually　forced　itself　upon　me。　　And；　long　before　the　summer　was　over；　I　felt　that　I　was　an　ambassador　of　education　to　those　eager　people。　　And　I'm　proud　that　I　sold　as　many　books　as　I　did。　　Each　book；　I　know；　is　a　radiating　center　of　pleasure；　of　thought；　of　aspiration　to　higher　things。　　No；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　you　must　first　learn　that　these　eight　hundred　pages　crowded　with　facts　of　history；　these　six　hundred　illustrations　taken　from　the　best　sources　and　flooding　the　text　with　light；　together　constitute　a　work　that　should　be　in　all　humble　households。〃

Scarborough　had　his　audience　with　him　now。

〃Never　sneer；〃　he　said　in　conclusion。　　〃Sneering　will　accomplish　nothing。　　Learn　your　business。　　Put　yourself；　your　BEST　self；　into　it。　　And　then　you　may　hope　to　succeed　at　it。〃

He　divided　his　pupils　into　six　classes　of　about　twenty　each　and　dismissed　them；　asking　the　first　class　to　come　at　three　the　next　afternoon。　　The　young　men　and　young　women　went　thoughtfully　away；　they　were　revolving　their　initial　lesson　in　the　cardinal　principle　of　successenthusiasm。　　When　the　two　friends　were　alone　Pierson　said：　　〃Do　you　know；　I'm　beginning　to　get　a　glimpse　of　you。　　And　I　see　there　isn't　anything　beyond　your　reach。　　You'll　get　whatever　you　want。〃

Scarborough's　reply　was　a　sudden　look　of　dejection；　an　impatient　shrug。　　Then　he　straightened　himself；　lifted　his　head　with　a　lion…like　toss　that　shook　back　the　obstinate　lock　of　hair　from　his　forehead。　　He　laid　his　hand　on　his　friend's　shoulder。　　〃Yes；〃　he　said；　〃because　I'm　determined　to　want　whatever　I　get。　　Good　fortune　and　badeverything　shall　be　grist　for　THIS　mill。〃

Pierson　attended　next　day's　class　and　afterward　went　to　Olivia　with　an　account　of　it。

〃You　ought　to　have　seen　him　put　those　fellows　through；　one　at　a　time。　　I　tell　you；　he'll　teach　them　more　in　the　next　three　months　than　they'll　learn　of　the　whole　faculty。　　And　this　summer　he'll　get　every　man　and　woman　of　them　enough　to　pay　their　way　through　college　next　year。〃

〃What　did　he　do　to…day？〃　asked　Olivia。　　Of　the　many　qualities　she　loved　in　Pierson；　the　one　she　loved　most　was　his　unbounded；　unselfish　admiration　for　his　friend。

〃He　took　each　man　separately；　the　others　watching　an