the turmoil-第21章

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to　come　there。　　I　don't　THINK　Edith　WOULD　be　that　　way；　she's　too　crazy　to

have　you　take　her　around　with　the　smart　crowd；　　but　if　she　DID；　you　needn't

worry。　　And　another　thingI　guess　you　　won't　mind　Jim's　own　sister…in…law

speaking　of　it。　　Of　course；　I　don't　　know　just　how　matters　stand　between　you

and　Jim；　but　Jim　and　Roscoe　are　　about　as　much　alike　as　two　brothers　can　be；

and　Roscoe　was　very　slow　　making　up　his　mind；　sometimes　I　used　to　think　he

actually　never　WOULD。　　　Now；　what　I　mean　is；　sisters…in…law　can　do　lots　of

things　to　help　matters　　on　like　that。　　There's　lots　of　little　things　can　be

said；　and　lots〃



She　stopped；　puzzled。　　Mary　Vertrees　had　gone　from　pale　to　scarlet；　and　　now；

still　scarlet　indeed；　she　rose；　without　a　word　of　explanation；　or　　any　other

kind　of　word；　and　walked　slowly　to　the　open　door　and　out　of　the　　room。



Sibyl　was　a　little　taken　aback。　　She　supposed　Mary　had　remembered　　something

neglected　and　necessary　for　the　instruction　of　a　servant；　and　　that　she　would

return　in　a　moment；　but　it　was　rather　a　rude　excess　of　　absent…mindedness　not

to　have　excused　herself；　especially　as　her　guest　　was　talking。　　And；　Mary's

return　being　delayed；　Sibyl　found　time　to　think　　this　unprefaced　exit　odder

and　ruder　than　she　had　first　considered　it。　　　There　might　have　been　more

excuse　for　it；　she　thought；　had　she　been　　speaking　of　matters　less

importantoffering　to　do　the　girl　all　the　　kindness　in　her　power；　too！



Sibyl　yawned　and　swung　her　muff　impatiently；　she　examined　the　sole　of　her

show；　she　decided　on　a　new　shape　of　heel；　she　made　an　inventory　of　the

furniture　of　the　room；　of　the　rugs；　of　the　wall…paper　and　engravings。　　　Then

she　looked　at　her　watch　and　frowned；　went　to　a　window　and　stood　　looking　out

upon　the　brown　lawn；　then　came　back　to　the　chair　she　had　　abandoned；　and　sat

again。　　There　was　no　sound　in　the　house。



A　strange　expression　began　imperceptibly　to　alter　the　planes　of　her　face；　　and

slowly　she　grew　as　scarlet　as　Maryscarlet　to　the　ears。　　She　looked　　at　her

watch　againand　twenty…five　minutes　had　elapsed　since　she　had　　looked　at　it

before。



She　went　into　the　hall；　glanced　over　her　shoulder　oddly；　then　she　let　　herself

softly　out　of　the　front　door；　and　went　across　the　street　to　her　　own　house。



Roscoe　met　her　upon　the　threshold；　gloomily。　　〃Saw　you　from　the　window；〃　　he

explained。　　〃You　must　find　a　lot　to　say　to　that　old　lady。〃



〃What　old　lady？〃



〃Mrs。　Vertrees。　　I　been　waiting　for　you　a　long　time；　and　I　saw　the　　daughter

come　out；　fifteen　minutes　ago；　and　post　a　letter；　and　then　walk　　on　up　the

street。　　Don't　stand　out　on　the　porch；〃　he　said；　crossly。　　　〃Come　in　here。

There's　something　it's　come　time　I'll　have　to　talk　to　you　　about。　　Come　in！〃



But　as　she　was　moving　to　obey　he　glanced　across　at　his　father's　house　and

started。　　He　lifted　his　hand　to　shield　his　eyes　from　the　setting　sun；　　staring

fixedly。　　〃Something's　the　matter　over　there；〃　he　muttered；　and　　then；　more

loudly；　as　alarm　came　into　his　voice；　he　said；　〃What's　the　　matter　over

there？〃



Bibbs　dashed　out　of　the　gate　in　an　automobile　set　at　its　hightest　speed；　　and

as　he　saw　Roscoe　he　made　a　genture　singularly　eloquent　of　calamity；　　and　was

lost　at　once　in　a　cloud　of　dust　down　the　street。　　Edith　had　　followed　part　of

the　way　down　the　drive；　and　it　could　be　seen　that　she　　was　crying　bitterly。

She　lifted　both　arms　to　Roscoe；　summoning　him。



〃By　George！〃　gasped　Roscoe。　　〃I　believe　somebody's　dead！〃



And　he　started　for　the　New　House　at　a　run。





Sheridan　had　decided　to　conclude　his　day's　work　early　that　afternoon；　and　　at

about　two　o'clock　he　left　his　office　with　a　man　of　affairs　from　　foreign

parts；　who　had　traveled　far　for　a　business　conference　with　　Sheridan　and　his

colleagues。　　Herr　Favre；　in　spite　of　his　French　name；　　was　a　gentleman　of

Bavaria。　　It　was　his　first　visit　to　our　country；　and　　Sheridan　took　pleasure

in　showing　him　the　sights　of　the　country's　finest　　city。　　They　got　into　an

open　car　at　the　main　entrance　of　the　Sheridan　　Building；　and　were　driven

first；　slowly　and　momentously；　through　the　　wholesale　district　and　the　retail

district；　then　more　rapidly　they　　inspected　the　packing…houses　and　the

stock…yards；　then　skirmished　over　　the　〃park　system〃　and　〃boulevards〃；　and

after　that　whizzed　through　the　　〃residence　section〃　on　their　way　to　the

factories　and　foundries。



〃All　cray；〃　observed　Herr　Favre；　smilingly。



〃'Cray'？〃　echoed　Sheridan。　　〃I　don't　know　what　you　mean。　'Cray'？〃



〃No　white；〃　said　Herr　Favre；　with　a　wave　of　his　hand　toward　the　long　rows　　of

houses　on　both　sides　of　the　street。　　〃No　white　lace　window…curtains；　　all　cray

lace　window…curtains。〃



〃Oh。　I　see！〃　　Sheridan　laughed　indulgently。　　〃You　mean　'GRAY。'　　No；　they

ain't；　they're　white。　　I　never　saw　any　gray　ones。〃



Herr　Favre　shook　his　head；　much　amused。　　〃There　are　NO　white　ones；〃　he　　said。

〃There　is　no　white　ANYTHING　in　your　city；　no　white　　window…curtains；　no　white

house；　no　white　peeble！〃　　He　pointed　upward。　　　〃Smoke！〃　　Then　he　sniffed　the

air　and　clasped　his　nose　between　forefinger　　and　thumb。　　〃Smoke！　　Smoke

ef'rywhere。　　Smoke　in　your　insites。〃　　He　　tapped　his　chest。　　〃Smoke　in　your

lunks！〃



〃Oh！　　SMOKE！〃　　Sheridan　cried　with　gusto；　drawing　in　a　deep　breath　and

patently　finding　it　delicious。　　〃You　BET　we　got　smoke！〃



〃Exbensif！〃　said　Herr　Favre。　　〃Ruins　foliage；　ruins　fabrics。　　Maybe　in　　summer

it　iss　not　so　bad；　but　I　wonder　your　wifes　will　bear　it。〃



Sheridan　laughed　uproariously。　　〃They　know　it　means　new　spring　hats　for　'em！〃



〃They　must　need　many；　too！〃　said　the　vistior。　　〃New　hats；　new　all　things；　　but

nothing　white。　　In　Munchen　we　could　not　do　it；　we　are　a　safing　peeble。〃



〃Where's　that？〃



〃In　Munchen。　　You　say　'Munich。'〃



〃Well；　I　never　been　to　Munich；　but　I　took　in　the　Mediterranean　trip；　and　　I

tell　you；　outside　o'　some　right　good　scenery；　all　I　saw　was　mighty　　dirty　and

mighty　shiftless　and　mighty　run…down　at　the　heel。　　Now　comin'　　right　down　TO

it；　Mr。　Farver；　wouldn't　you　rather　live　here　in　this　town　　than　in　Munich？　　I

know　you　got　more　enterprise　up　there　than　the　part　of　　the　old　country　I　saw；

and　I　know　YOU'RE　a　live　business　man　and　you're　　associated　with　others　like

you；　but　when　it　comes　to　LIVIN'　in　a　place；　　wouldn't　you　heap　rather　be　here

than　over　there？〃



〃For　me；〃　said　Herr　Favre；　〃no。　　Here　I　should　not　think　I　was　living。　　　It

would　be　like　the　miner　who　goes　into　the　mine　to　work；　nothing　else。〃



〃We　got　a　good　many　good　citizens　here　from　your　part　o'　the　world。　　THEY

like　it。〃



〃Oh　yes。〃　　And　Herr　Favre　laughed　deprecatingly。　　〃The　first　generation；　　they

bring　their　Germany　with　them；　then；　after　that；　they　are　Americans；　　like

you。〃　　He　tapped　his　host's　big　knee　genially。　　〃You　are　patriot；　so　　are

they。〃



〃Well；　I　reckon　you　must　be　a　pretty　hot　little　patriot　yourself；　Mr。

Farver！〃　Sheridan　exclaimed；　gaily。　　〃You　certainly　stand　up　for　your　own

town；　if　you　stick　to　sayin'　you'd　rather　live　there　than　you　would　　here。

Yes；　SIR！　　You　sure　are　some　patriot　to　say　THATafter　you've　　seen　our　city！

It　ain't　reasonable　in　you；　but　I　must　say　I　kind　of　　admire　you　for　it；　every

man　ought　to　stick　up　for　his　own；　even　when　he　　sees　the　other　fellow's　got

the　goods　on　him。　　Yet　I　expect　way　down　deep　　in　your　heart；　Mr。　Farver；

you'd　rather　live　right　here　than　any　place　　else　in　the　world；　if　you　had

your　choice。　　Man　alive！　this　is　God's　　country；　Mr。　Farver；　and　a　blind　man

couldn't　help　seein'　it！　　You　　couldn't　stand　where　you　do　in　a　business　way

and　NOT　see　it。　　Soho；　　boy！　　Here　we　are。　　This　is　the　big　works；　and　I'll

show　you　something　　now　that　'll　make　your　eyes　stick　out！〃



They　had　arrived　at　the　Pump　Works；　and　for　an　hour　Mr。　Favre　was　　personally

conducted　and　personally　instructed　by　the　founder　and　　president；　the　buzzing

queen　bee　of　those　buzzing　hives。



〃Now　I'll　take　you　for　a　spin　in　the