children of the whirlwind-第24部分

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〃A　companion！〃　exclaimed　Maggie。　〃What　for？〃

〃To　teach　you　the　fine　points　of　manners；　and　to　help　you　buy　clothes。　She's　a　classy　bird　all　right。　I　advertised　and　picked　her　out　of　a　dozen　who　applied。〃

〃Barney！〃　breathed　Maggie。　She　was　silent　a　dazed　moment；　then　asked：　〃Justjust　what　am　I　going　to　do？〃

〃Listen；　Maggie：　I'll　spill　you　the　whole　idea。　I'd　have　told　you　before；　but　it's　developed　rather　sudden；　and　I've　not　had　a　real　chance；　and；　besides；　I　knew　you'd　be　all　for　it。　Jimmie　and　I　have　canned　that　stock…selling　scheme　for　goodunless　an　easy　chance　for　it　develops　later。　Our　big　idea　now　is　to　put　YOU　across！〃　Barney　believed　that　there　might　still　remain　in　Maggie　some　lurking　admiration　for　Larry；　some　influence　of　Larry　over　her；　and　to　eradicate　these　completely　by　the　brilliance　of　what　he　offered　was　the　chief　purpose　of　his　further　quick…spoken　words。　〃To　put　you　across　in　the　biggest　kind　of　a　way；　Maggie！　A　beautiful；　clever　woman　who　knows　how　to　use　her　brains；　and　who　has　brainy　handling；　can　bring　in　more　money；　and　in　a　safer　way；　than　any　dozen　men！　And　I　tell　you；　Maggie；　I'll　make　you　a　star！〃

〃Barney！　。　。　。　But　you　haven't　told　me　just　what　I'm　to　do。〃

〃The　first　thing　will　be　just　a　try…out；　it'll　help　finish　your　education。　I've　got　it　doped　out；　but　I'll　not　tell　you　till　later。　The　main　idea　is　not　to　use　you　in　just　one　game；　Maggie；　but　to　finish　you　off　so　you'll　fit　into　dozens　of　gamesbe　good　year　after　year。　A　big　actress　who　can　step　right　into　any　big　part　that　comes　her　way。　That's　what　pays！　I　tell　you；　Maggie；　there's　no　other　such　good；　steady　proposition　on　earth　as　the　right　kind　of　woman。　And　that's　what　you're　going　to　be！〃

Maggie　had　heard　much　this　same　talk　often　before。　Then　it　had　been　vague；　and　had　dealt　with　an　indefinite　future。　Now　she　was　too　dazzled　by　this　picture　of　near　events　which　the　eager　Barney　was　drawing　to　be　able　to　make　any　comment。

〃I'll　be　right　behind　you　in　everything；　and　so　will　Jimmie；〃　Barney　continued　in　his　exciting　manner〃but　you'll　be　the　party　out　in　front　who　really　puts　the　proposition　over。　And　we'll　keep　to　things　where　the　police　can't　touch　us。　Get　a　man　with　coin　and　position　tangled　up　right　in　a　deal　with　a　woman；　and　he'll　never　let　out　a　peep　and　he'll　come　across　with　oodles　of　money。　Hundreds　of　ways　of　working　that。　A　strong　point　about　you；　Maggie；　is　you　have　no　police　record。　Neither　have　I；　though　the　police　suspect　mebut；　as　I　said；　I'll　keep　off　the　stage　as　much　as　I　can。　I　tell　you；　Maggie；　we're　going　to　put　over　some　great　stuff！　Great；　I　tell　you！〃

Maggie　felt　no　repugnance　to　what　had　been　said　and　implied　by　Barney。　How　could　she；　when　since　her　memory　began　she　had　lived　among　people　who　talked　just　these　same　things？　To　Maggie　they　seemed　the　natural　order。　At　that　moment　she　was　more　concerned　by　a　fascinating　necessity　which　Barney's　flamboyant　enterprise　entailed。

〃But　to　do　anything　like　that；　won't　I　need　clothes？〃

〃You'll　need　'em；　and　you'll　have　'em！　You're　going　to　have　one　of　the　swellest　outfits　that　ever　happened。　You'll　make　Paris　ashamed　of　itself！〃

〃No　use　blowing　the　whole　roll　on　Maggie's　clothes；〃　put　in　Old　Jimmie；　speaking　for　the　first　time。

Barney　turned　on　him　caustically；　almost　savagely。　〃You're　a　hell　of　a　father；　you　arecounting　the　pennies　on　his　own　daughter！　I　told　you　this　was　no　piker's　game；　and　you　agreed　to　itso　cut　out　the　idea　you're　in　any　nickel…in…the…slot　business！〃

Old　Jimmie　felt　physical　pain　at　the　thought　of　parting　from　money　on　such　a　scale。　His　earlier　plans　concerning　Maggie　had　never　contemplated　any　such　extravagance。　But　he　was　silenced　by　the　dominant　force　behind　Barney's　sarcasm。

〃Miss　Griersonshe's　your　companionknows　what's　what　about　clothes；〃　continued　Barney　to　Maggie。　〃Here's　the　dope　as　I've　handed　it　to　her。　You're　an　orphan　from　the　West；　with　some　dough；　who's　come　to　New　York　as　my　ward　and　Jimmie's　and　we　want　you　to　learn　a　few　things。　To　her　and　to　any　new　people　we　meet　I'm　your　cousin　and　Jimmie　is　your　uncle。　You've　got　that　all　straight？〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Maggie。

〃You're　to　use　another　name。　I've　picked　out　Margaret　Cameron　for　you。　We　can　call　you　Maggie　and　it　won't　be　a　slip…upsee？　If　any　of　the　coppers　who　know　you　should　tumble　on　to　you；　just　tell　'em　you　dropped　your　own　name　so's　to　get　clear　of　your　old　life。　They　can't　do　anything　to　you。　And　tell　'em　you　inherited　a　little　coin；　that's　why　you're　living　so　swell。　They　can't　do　anything　about　that　either。　。　。　。　Here's　where　we　get　out。　Got　a　sitting…room；　two　bedrooms　and　a　bath　hired　for　you　here。　But　we'll　soon　move　you　into　a　classier　hotel。〃

The　taxi　had　stopped　in　front　of　one　of　the　unpretentious；　respectable　hotels　in　the　Thirties；　just　off　Fifth　Avenue；　and　Maggie　followed　the　two　men　in。　This　hotel　did；　indeed；　in　its　people；　its　furnishings；　its　atmosphere；　seem　sober　and　commonplace　after　the　Ritzmore；　but　at　the　Ritzmore　she　had　been　merely　a　cigarette…girl；　a　paid　onlooker　at　the　gayety　of　others。　Here　she　was　a　real　guesthere　her　great　life　was　beginning！　Maggie's　heart　beat　wildly。

Up　in　her　sitting…room　Barney　introduced　her　to　Miss　Grierson；　then　departed　with　a　significant　look　at　Old　Jimmie；　saying　he　would　return　presently　and　leaving　Old　Jimmie　behind。　Old　Jimmie　withdrew　into　a　corner；　turned　to　the　racing　part　of　the　Evening　Telegram；　which；　with　the　corresponding　section　of　the　Morning　Telegraph；　was　his　sole　reading；　and　left　Maggie　to　the　society　of　Miss　Grierson。

Maggie　studied　this　strange　new　being；　her　hired　〃companion；〃　with　furtive　keenness；　and　after　a　few　minutes；　though　she　was　shyly　obedient　in　the　manner　of　an　untutored　orphan　from　the　West；　she　had　no　fear　of　the　other。　Miss　Grierson　was　a　large；　flat…backed　woman　who　was　on　the　descending　slope　of　middle　age。　She　was　really　a　〃gentlewoman；〃　in　the　self…pitying　and　self…praising　sense　in　which　those　who　advertise　themselves　as　such　use　that　word。　She　was　all　the　social　forms；　all　the　proprieties。　She　was　deferentially　autocratic；　her　voice　was　monotonously　dignified　and　cultured；　and　she　was　tired；　which　she　had　a　right　to　be；　for　she　had　been　in　this　business　of　being　a　gentlewomanly　hired　aunt　to　raw　young　girls　for　over　a　quarter　of　a　Century。

To　the　tired　but　practical　eye　of　Miss　Grierson；　here　was　certainly　a　young　woman　who　needed　a　lot　of　working　over　to　make　into　a　lady。　And　though　weary　and　unthrillable　as　an　old　horse；　Miss　Grierson　was　conscientious；　and　she　was　going　to　do　her　best。

Maggie　made　a　swift　survey　of　her　new　home。　The　rooms　were　just　ordinary　hotel　rooms；　furnished　with　the　dingy；　wholesale　pretentiousness　of　hotels　of　the　second　rate。　But　they　were　the　essence　of　luxury　compared　to　her　one　room　at　the　Duchess's　with　its　view　of　dreary　back　yards。　These　rooms　thrilled　her。　They　were　her　first　material　evidence　that　she　was　now　actually　launched　upon　her　great　adventure。

Maggie　had　dinner　in　her　sitting…room　with　Old　Jimmie　and　Miss　Griersonand　of　that　dinner；　mediocre　and　sloppy；　and　chilled　by　its　transit　of　twelve　stories　from　the　kitchen；　Miss　Grierson；　by　way　of　an　introductory　lesson；　made　an　august　f