children of the whirlwind-第13部分

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ut　there's　a　woman　in　your　case？〃

〃Of　course　there　isthere's　always　a　woman；　that's　another　reason　I'm　here；〃　Hunt　answered。　〃She　didn't　believe　in　medidn't　believe　I　could　paintdidn't　believe　in　the　things　I　wanted　to　doso　I　just　picked　up　my　playthings　and　walked　out　of　her　existence。〃

〃Wife？〃　queried　Larry。

〃Thank　God；　no！〃　exclaimed　Hunt　emphatically。　〃No'I　thank　whatever　gods　there　be；　I　am　the　captain　of　my　soul！'　Oh；　she's　all　right　altogether　too　good　for　me；〃　he　added。　〃Here；　try　this　tobacco。〃

Larry　picked　up　the　pouch　flung　him　and　accepted　without　remark　this　being　abruptly　shunted　off　the　track。　But　he　surmised　that　this　woman　in　the　background　of　Hunt's　life　meant　a　great　deal　more　to　the　painter　than　Hunt　tried　to　indicate　by　his　attempt　to　dismiss　her　casuallyand　Larry　wondered　what　kind　of　woman　she　was；　and　what　the　story　had　been。

The　following　day；　clean…shaven　and　in　his　freshened　clothesthey　were　smart　and　well…tailored；　though　sober　indeed　compared　with　Barney's；　and　two　years　behind　the　style　of　which　Barney's　were　the　extreme　expressionLarry　passed　Maggie　on　the　stairway　with　a　smile；　who　gave　him　no　smile　in　return；　and　started　forth　upon　his　quest。　He　was　well…dressed；　he　had　money　in　his　pockets；　he　had　a　plan；　and　the　air　of　freedom　of　a　new　life　was　sweet　in　his　nostrils。　He　was　going　to　succeed！

It　was　easy　enough；　with　his　mind　alert　for　what　he　wanted；　and　with　the　Duchess's　liberal　allowance　to　pay　for　what　he　wanted；　for　Larry　to　find　in　this　city　of　ten　thousand　institutes　teaching　business　methods；　the　particular　article　which　suited　his　especial　needs。　He　found　this　article　in　an　institute　whose　black…faced　headline　in　its　advertisements　was；　〃We　Make　You　a　50；000　Executive〃；　and　the　article　which　he　found；　by　payment　of　a　special　fee；　was　an　old　man　who　had　been　the　manager　of　a　big　brokerage　concern　until　his　growing　addiction　to　drink　and　later　to　drugs　had　rendered　him　undependable。　But　old　Bronson　certainly　did　know　the　fundamentals　and　intricacies　of　the　kind　of　big　business　which　is　straight；　and　it　was　a　delight　to　him　to　pour　out　his　knowledge　to　a　keen　intelligence。

Larry；　in　his　own　words；　simply　〃mopped　it　up。〃　His　experience　had　been　so　wide　and　varied　that　he　now　had　only　to　be　shown　a　bone　of　fact　and　almost　instantly　he　visioned　in　their　completeness　unextinct　ichthyosauri　of　business。　By　day　he　fairly　consumed　old　Bronson；　he　read　dry　books　far　into　the　night。　Thus　he　rapidly　filled　the　holes　in　the　walls　of　his　knowledge；　and　strengthened　its　rather　sketchy　foundation。　Of　course　he　realized　that　what　he　was　learning　was　in　a　sense　academic；　it　had　to　be　tested　and　developed　and　made　flexible　by　experience；　but　then　much　of　it　became　instantly　a　living　enlargement　of　the　things　of　which　he　was　already　a　master。

Old　Bronson　was　delighted；　he　had　never　had　so　apt　a　pupil。　〃In　less　than　no　time　you'll　be　the　real　head　of　that　house　you're　with！〃　he　proudly　declared。　Larry　had　not　seen　it　as　needful　to　tell　the　truth　about　himself；　his　casual　story　was　that　he　was　there　putting　to　use　a　month's　holiday　granted　him　by　a　mythical　firm　in　Chicago。

The　Duchess's　statement　that　it　would　be　best　for　him　not　to　seek　work　at　once　was　founded　on　wisdom。　Larry　was　busy　and　interested；　but　he　did　not　yet　have　to　face　the　constant　suspicion　and　hostility　which　are　usually　the　disheartening　lot　of　the　ex…convict　who　asks　for　a　position。　In　this　period　his　confidence　and　his　purpose　expanded　with　new　vitality。

As　the　busy　days　passed　down　in　the　little　street；　the　bantering　fellowship　between　Larry　and　Hunt　took　deeper　root。　The　Duchess　did　not　again　show　any　of　the　emotion　which　had　gleamed　in　her　briefly　when　Larry　had　announced　his　new　plan；　but　bent　and　silent　went　like　an　oddly　revivified　mummy　about　her　affairs。　And　during　these　days　he　did　not　again　see　Barney　or　Old　Jimmie；　he　had　learned　that　on　the　day　following　his　conference　with　them　they　had　gone　to　Chicago　on　a　very　private　matter　of　business。

He　saw　Maggie　daily；　but　she　maintained　the　same　attitude　toward　him。　He　was　now　conscious　that　he　was　in　love。　He　saw　splendid　qualities　in　her；　most　of　them　latent。　Maggie　had　determination；　high　spirits；　cleverness；　courage；　and　capacity　for　sympathy　and　affection；　she　had　head；　heart；　and　beauty；　the　makings　of　an　unusual　woman；　if　only　she　could　be　swung　into　a　different　attitude　of　mind。　But　he　realized　that　there　was　small　chance　indeed　of　his　working　any　alteration　in　her；　much　less　winning　her　admitted　regard；　until　he　was　definitely　a　success；　until　he　had　definitely　proven　himself　right。　So　he　took　her　rebuffs　with　a　smile；　and　waited　his　time。

He　understood　her　point　of　view；　and　sympathized　with　her；　for　her　point　of　view　had　once　been　his　own。　With　a　growing　understanding　he　saw　her　as　the　natural　product　of　such　a　fathership　as　Old　Jimmie's；　and　of　the　cynical　environment　which　Old　Jimmie　had　given　her　in　which　crime　was　a　matter　of　course。　In　this　connection　one　matter　that　had　previously　interested　him　began　to　engage　his　speculation　more　and　more。　All　her　life；　until　recently；　Old　Jimmie　had　apparently　shown　little　more　concern　over　Maggie　than　one　shows　over　a　piece　of　baggage　which　is　stored　in　this　and　that　warehouseand　so　valueless　a　piece　of　baggage　in　Old　Jimmie's　case　that　it　had　always　been　stored　in　the　worst　warehouses。　What　was　behind　Old　Jimmie's　new　interest　in　his　daughter？

Old　Jimmie　had　in　late　months　awakened　to　the　value　to　him　of　Maggie　as　a　business　propositionthat　was　Larry's　answer　to　his　own　question。

As　for　Maggie；　during　these　days；　the　mere　fact　that　Larry　smiled　at　her　and　refused　to　get　angry　angered　her　all　the　more。　Her　anger　at　him；　the　manner　in　which　he　had　refused　her　offered　and　long…dreamed…　of　partnership；　would　not　permit　her　pride　and　self…confidence　to　consider　any　justification　for　him　to　enter　her　mind　and　argue　in　his　behalf。　The　great　dream　she　had　nourished　had　been　destroyed。　And；　moreover；　he　had　proclaimed　himself　a　fool。

Yes；　despite　him　and　all　he　could　do；　she　was　going　to　go　the　brilliant；　exciting　way　she　had　planned！

In　fairness　to　Maggie　it　must　be　remembered　that　despite　her　assumed　maturity　and　self…confident　wisdom；　she　really　was　only　eighteen；　and　perhaps　did　not　yet　fully　know　herself；　and　had　all　the　world　yet　to　learn。　And　it　must　be　remembered　that　she　believed　herself　entirely　in　the　right。　This　was　a　world　where　strength　and　cunning　were　the　qualities　that　counted；　and　every　one　was　trying　to　outwit　his　neighbor；　and　all　who　acted　otherwise　were　either　weak…witted　fools　or　else　pretenders　who　saw　in　their　hypocrisy　the　keenest　game　of　all。　Living　under　the　influence　of　Old　Jimmie；　and　later　of　Barney；　and　of　the　environment　in　which　she　had　been　bred；　these　beliefs　had　come　to　be　her　religion。　She　was　thoroughly　orthodox；　and　had　the　defensive　and　aggressive　fervor　which　is　the　temper　of　militant　orthodoxy。

And　so　more　keenly　than　ever；　because　she　was　more　determined　than　ever；　Maggie　studied　the　groups　of　well…dressed　men　and　women　who　ate　and　danced　at　the　Ritzmore；　among　whom　she　circulated　in　her　short；　smart　skirt　with　her　cigarette　tray　swung　from　he