children of the whirlwind-第11部分

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's　what　you　want　to　do；　go　to　it；　and　may　luck　be　with　you；　and　may　the　devil　stay　in　hell。　The　morals　of　other　people　are　out　of　my　linenone　of　my　business。　I'm　a　painter；　and　it's　my　business　to　paint　people　as　I　find　them。　But　Maggie　certainly　did　put　her　finger　on　the　tough　spot　in　your　proposition：　for　a　crook　to　find　a　job　and　win　the　confidence　of　people。　It's　up　grade　all　the　way；　and　it　takes　ten　men's　nerve　to　stick　it　out　to　the　top。　Yep；　Maggie　was　sure　right！〃

And　then　the　Duchess　broke　her　accustomed　silence　with　her　thin　croak：

〃Never　you　mind　Maggie！　She　thinks　she　knows　everything；　but　she　doesn't　know　anything。〃

Larry　looked　in　surprise　at　his　grandmother。　There　was　a　flash　in　her　old　eyes；　but　the　next　moment　the　spark　was　gone。

〃Sure　you're　up　against　itbut　I'll　be　rooting　for　you。〃　Hunt　was　grinning。　〃But　say；　young　fellow；　what　made　you　decide　to　vote　the　other　ticket？〃

Larry　was　trained　at　reading　faces；　and　in　the　rough…hewn；　grinning　features　of　Hunt　he　read　good…fellowship。　Larry　swiftly　responded　in　kind；　for　from　the　moment　he　had　pulled　the　mask　of　being　a　fool　from　the　painter　and　shown　him　to　be　a　real　artist；　he　had　felt　drawn　toward　this　impecunious　swashbuckler　of　the　arts。　So　he　now　repeated　the　business　motives　which　he　had　presented　to　Barney　and　Old　Jimmie。　As　Larry　talked　he　became　more　spontaneous；　and　after　a　time　he　was　telling　of　the　effect　upon　him　of　seeing　various　shrewd　men　locked　up　and　unexercised　in　prison。　And　presently　his　reminiscence　settled　upon　one　prison　acquaintance：　a　man　past　middle　age；　clever　in　his　generation；　who　had　already　done　some　fifteen　years　of　a　long　sentence。　He　was；　said　Larry；　grim　and　he　rarely　spoke；　but　a　close；　wordless　friendship　had　developed　between　them。　Only　once；　in　an　unusually　relaxed　mood；　had　the　old　convict　spoken　of　himself；　but　what　he　had　then　said　had　had　a　greater　part　in　rousing　Larry　to　his　new　decision　than　the　words　of　any　other　man。

〃It　was　a　queer　story　Joe　let　out；〃　continued　Larry。　〃Before　he　was　sent　away　he　had　a　kid；　just　a　baby　whose　mother　was　dead。　He　told　me　he　wanted　to　have　his　kid　brought　up　without　ever　knowing　anything　about　the　kind　of　people　he　knew　and　the　kind　of　life　he'd　lived。　He　wanted　it　to　grow　up　among　decent　people。　He　had　money　put　away　and　he　had　an　old　friend；　a　pal；　that　he'd　trust　with　anything。　So　he　turned　over　his　money　and　his　baby　to　his　friend；　and　gave　orders　that　the　kid　was　to　be　brought　up　decent；　sent　to　school；　and　that　the　kid　was　never　to　know　anything　about　Joe。　Of　course　the　baby　was　too　young　then　ever　to　remember　him；　and　when　he　gets　out　he's　going　to　keep　absolutely　clear　of　the　kid's　lifehe　wants　his　kid　to　have　the　best　possible　chance。〃

〃What　is　his　whole　name；　and　what　was　he　sent　up　for？〃　queried　the　Duchess；　that　flickering　fire　of　interest　once　more　in　her　old　eyes。

〃Joe　Ellison。　He　was　an　old…time　confidence　man。　He　got　caught　in　a　jamthere　had　been　drinkingthere　was　some　shootingand　he　had　attempted　manslaughter　tacked　on　to　the　charge　of　swindling。　But　Joe　said　everybody　had　been　drinking　and　that　the　shooting　was　accidental。〃

〃Joe　EllisonI　knew　him；〃　said　the　Duchess。　〃He　was　about　the　cleverest　man　of　his　day。　But　I　never　knew　he　had　a　child。　Who　was　this　best　friend　of　his？〃

〃Joe　Ellison　didn't　mention　his　name；〃　answered　Larry。　〃You　see　Joe　spoke　of　his　story　only　once。　But　he　then　said　that　he'd　had　letters　once　a　month　telling　how　fine　the　kid　was　getting　ontill　three　or　four　years　ago　when　he　got　word　that　his　friend　had　died。　The　way　things　stand　now；　Joe　won't　know　how　to　find　the　kid　when　he　gets　out　even　if　he　should　want　to　find　itand　he　wouldn't　know　it　even　if　he　saw　it。　Up　in　Sing　Sing　when　I　had　nothing　else　to　do；〃　concluded　Larry；　〃I　tell　you　I　thought　a　lot　about　that　situationfor　it　certainly　is　some　situation：　Joe　Ellison　for　fifteen　years　in　prison　with　just　one　big　idea　in　his　life；　the　idea　being　the　one　thing　he　felt　he　was　really　doing　or　ever　could　do；　his　very　life　built　on　that　one　idea：　that　outside；　somewhere；　was　his　kid　growing　up　into　a　fine　young　personnever　guessing　it　had　such　a　fatherand　Joe　never　intending　to　see　it　again　and　not　being　able　to　know　it　if　he　ever　should　see　it。　I　tell　you；　after　learning　Joe's　story；　it　made　me　feel　that　I'd　had　enough　of　the　old　life。〃

Again　the　Duchess　spoke。　〃Did　Joe　ever　mention　its　name？〃

〃No；　he　just　spoke　of　it　as　'his　kid。'〃

Larry　was　quiet　a　moment。　〃You　see；〃　he　added；　〃I　want　to　get　settled　before　Joe　comes　outhis　time's　up　in　a　few　monthsso　that　I　can　give　him　some　sort　of　place　near　me。　He's　all　right；　Joe　is；　but　he's　too　old　to　have　any　show　at　a　fresh　start　if　he　tries　to　make　it　all　on　his　own。〃

〃Larry；　you　haven't　got　such　a　tough　piece　of　old　brass　for　a　heart　yourself；〃　commented　Hunt。　〃What　are　your　own　plans？〃

〃I　know　I've　got　the　makings　of　a　real　business　manI've　already　told　you　that；〃　said　Larry　confidently。　He　had　thought　this　out　carefully　during　his　days　as　a　coal…passer　and　his　long　nights　upon　the　eighteen…inch　bunk　in　his　cell。　〃I've　got　a　lot　of　the　finishing　touches；　I　know　the　high　spots。　What　I　need　are　the　rudimentsthe　fundamentalsconnecting　links。　You　see；　I　had　part　of　a　business　college　training　a　long　time　before　I　went　to　work　in　a　broker's　office；　stenography　and　typewriting；　I've　been　a　secretary　in　the　warden's　office　the　last　few　months　and　I've　brushed　up　on　the　old　stuff　and　I'm　pretty　good。　That　ought　to　land　me　a　job。　Then　I'm　going　to　study　nights。　Of　course；　I'd　get　on　faster　if　I　could　have　private　lessons　with　one　of　the　head　men　of　one　of　these　real　business　schools。　I'd　mop　up　this　stuff　about　organization　and　management　mighty　quick；　for　that　business　stuff　comes　natural　to　me。　A　bit　of　that　sort　of　going　to　school　would　connect　up　and　give　a　working　unity　to　what　I　already　know。　But　then　I'll　find　a　job　and　work　the　thing　out　some　way。　I'm　in　this　to　win　out；　and　win　out　big！〃

Once　more　the　rarely　heard　voice　of　the　Duchess　sounded；　and　though　thin　it　had　a　positive　quality：

〃You're　not　going　to　take　any　job　at　first。　First　thing；　you're　going　to　give　all　your　time　to　those　private　lessons。〃

Larry　gazed　at　the　Duchess；　surprised　by　the　tone　in　which　she　spoke。　〃But；　grandmother；　these　lessons　cost　money。　And　I　didn't　have　a　thin　dime　left　when　my　lawyers　finished　with　me。〃

〃I've　got　plenty　of　moneyand　it's　yours。　And　the　money　you　get　from　me　will　be　honest　money；　too；　the　interest　on　loans　made　in　my　pawnshop　is　honest　all　right。　It'll　be　better；　anyhow；　for　you　to　be　out　in　the　world　a　few　days；　getting　used　to　it；　before　you　take　a　job。〃

〃Why；　grandmother！〃

The　explanation　seemed　bald　and　inadequate；　but　Larry　did　not　know　what　else　to　say；　he　was　so　taken　aback。　The　Duchess；　as　far　as　he　had　been　able　to　see；　had　never　shown　much　interest　in　him。　And　now；　unless　he　was　mistaken；　there　was　something　very　much　like　emotion　quavering　in　her　thin　voice　and　shining　in　her　old　eyes。

〃I　don't　interfere　with　what　people　want　to　do；〃　she　continued〃but；　Larry；　I'm　glad　you've　decided　to　go　straight。〃

And　then　the　Duchess　went　on　to　make　the　longest　speech　that　any　living　person　had