children of the whirlwind-第26部分

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e　had　just　chatted　with　in　the　restaurants　where　he　had　made　his　brief　visits。　But　such；　he　now　recognized；　were　rather　BLASEES；　rather　too　obvious。　They　were　the　blown　rose。　But　Maggie　was　fresh；　and　once　she　was　properly　broken　in；　she　would　be　his　perfect　instrument。　Yes；　perfect！

Barney's　plans　soared　on。　Some　day；　when　it　fitted　in　just　right　with　his　plans；　he　was　going　to　marry　Maggie；　It　was　only　recently　that　he　had　seen　her　full　charms；　and　still　more　recently　that　he　had　determined　upon　marriage。　That　decision　had　materially　altered　certain　details　of　the　career　Barney　had　blue…printed　for　himself。　Barney　had　long　regarded　marriage　as　an　asset　for　himself；　a　valuable　resource　which　he　must　hold　in　reserve　and　not　liquidate；　or　capitalize；　until　his　own　market　was　at　its　peak。　He　knew　that　he　was　good…looking；　an　excellent　dancer；　that　he　had　the　metropolitan　finish。　He　had　calculated　that　sometime　some　rich　girl；　perhaps　from　the　West；　who　did　not　know　the　world　too　well；　would　fall　under　the　spell　of　his　charms；　and　he　would　marry　her　promptly　while　she　was　still　infatuated；　before　she　could　learn　too　much　about　him。　Such　had　been　Barney's　idea　of　marriage　for　himself；　which　is　very　similar　to　ideas　held　by　thousands　of　gentlemen；　young　and　otherwise；　in　this　broad　land　of　ours；　who　consider　themselves　neither　law…breakers　nor　adventurers。

But　that　was　all　changed　now。　Now　it　was　Maggie；　though　Maggie　in　pursuit　of　their　joint　advantage　might　possibly　first　have　to　go　through　the　marriage　ceremony　with　some　other　man。　Of　course；　a　very；　very　rich　man！　Barney　already　had　this　man　marked。　He　hoped；　though；　they　would　not　have　to　go　so　far　as　marriage。　However；　he　was　willing　to　wait　his　proper　turn。　As　he　had　told　Maggie；　you　could　not　put　over　a　big　thing　in　a　hurry。

As　for　Larry；　he'd　certainly　handled　that　business　in　swell　fashion！　He'd　certainly　put　a　crimp　in　what　had　been　developing　between　Larry　and　Maggie。　And　he'd　get　Larry　in　time；　too。　The　drag…net　was　too　large　and　close　of　mesh　for　Larry　to　hope　to　escape　it。　The　word　he'd　slipped　that　boob　Gavegan　had　sure　done　the　business！　And　the　indirect　way　he　had　tipped　off　the　police　about　Red　Hannigan　and　Jack　Rosenfeldt　and　had　then　made　his　pals　think　Larry　had　squealedthat　was　sure　playing　the　game；　too！　Jack　and　Red　would　get　off　easythere　was　nothing　on　them；　but　little　old　Barney　Palmer　had　certainly　used　his　bean　in　the　way　he　had　set　the　machinery　of　the　police　and　the　under…world　in　motion　against　Larry！

While　other　occupants　of　the　cafe；　particularly　the　women；　stole　looks　at　the　handsome；　flawlessly　dressed；　interesting…looking　Barney；　Barney　had　yet　another　of　those　concoctions　which　the　discreet　waiter　served　in　a　tea…cup。　He'd　done　a　great　little　job；　you　bet！　Not　another　man　in　New　York　could　have　done　better。　He　was　sure　going　to　put　Maggie　across！　And　in　doing　so；　he　was　going　to　do　what　was　right　by　yours　truly。

All　seemed　perfect　in　Barney's　world。　。　。　。

And　while　Barney　sat　exulting　over　triumphs　already　achieved　and　those　inevitably　to　be　achieved；　Maggie　lay　in　her　new　bed　dreaming　exultant　dreams　of　her　own：　heedless　of　the　regular　snoring　which　resounded　in　the　adjoining　roomfor　the　excellent　Miss　Grierson；　while　able　to　keep　her　every　act　in　perfect　form　while　in　the　conscious　state；　unfortunately　when　unconscious　had　no　more　control　of　the　goings…on　of　her　mortal　functions　than　the　lowliest　washwoman。　Maggie's　flights　of　fancy　circled　round　and　round　Larry。　She　stifled　any　excuses　or　insurgent　yearnings　for　him。　He'd　deserved　what　he　had　got。　Already；　contrary　to　his　predictions；　she　had　made　a　tremendous　advance　into　her　brilliant　future。　She　would　show　him！　Yes；　she　would　show　him！　Oh；　but　she　was　going　to　do　things！

But　while　she　dreamed　thus；　shaping　a　magnificent　destinyan　independent；　self…engineered　young　woman；　so　very；　very　confident　of　the　great　future　she　was　going　to　achieve　through　the　supremacy　of　her　own　will　and　her　own　abilitiesno　slightest　surmise　came　into　her　mind　that　Barney　Palmer　was　making　plans　by　which　her　will　was　to　count　as　naught　and　by　which　he　was　to　be　the　master　of　her　fate；　and　that　the　furtive；　yielding　Old　Jimmie　was　also　dreaming　a　patient　dream　in　which　she　was　to　be　a　mere　chess…piece　which　was　to　capture　a　long…cherished　game。

And　yet；　after　all；　Maggie's　dreams；　aside　from　the　peculiar　twist　life　had　given　them；　were　fundamentally　just　the　ordinary　dreams　of　youth：　of　willful　confident　youth；　to　whom　but　a　small　part　of　the　world　has　yet　been　opened；　who　in　fact　does　not　yet　half　know　its　own　nature。




CHAPTER　XV


No　prison　could　have　been　more　agreeablethat　is；　no　prison　from　which　Maggie　was　omittedthan　this　in　which　Larry　was　now　confined。　He　had　the　run　of　the　apartment；　Dick　Sherwood　outfitted　him　liberally　with　clothing　from　his　superabundance　of　the　best；　Judkins　and　the　other　servants　treated　him　as　the　member　of　the　family　which　they　had　been　informed　he　was；　the　lively　Dick；　with　his　puppy…like　friendliness；　asked　never　an　uncomfortable　question；　and　placed　Larry　almost　on　the　footing　of　a　chum；　and　the　whimsically　smiling　Miss　Sherwood　treated　Larry　exactly　as　she　might　have　treated　any　well…bred　gentleman　and　in　every　detail　made　good　on　her　promise　to　give　him　a　chance。　In　fact；　in　all　his　life　Larry　had　never　lived　so　well。

As　for　Miss　Sherwood's　aunt；　a　sister　of　Miss　Sherwood's　mother　and　a　figure　of　pale；　absent…minded　dignity；　she　kept　very　much　to　her　own　sitting…room。　She　was　a　recent　convert　to　the　younger　English　novelists；　and　was　forced　to　her　seclusion　by　the　amazing　fecundity　with　which　they　kept　repopulating　her　reading…table。　Larry　she　accepted　with　a　hazy；　preoccupied　politeness；　eager　always　to　get　back　to　the　more　substantial　characters　of　her　latest　fiction。

Of　course　Miss　Sherwood　did　not　make　of　Larry　a　complete　confidant。　For　all　her　smiling；　easy　frankness；　he　knew　that　there　were　many　doors　of　her　being　which　she　never　unlocked　for　him。　What　he　saw　was　so　interesting　that　he　could　not　help　being　interested　about　the　rest。　Of　course　many　details　were　open　to　him。　She　was　an　excellent　sportswoman；　a　rare　dancer；　there　were　many　men　interested　in　her；　she　dined　out　almost　every　other　evening　at　some　social　affair　blooming　belatedly　in　May　（most　of　her　friends　were　already　settled　in　their　country　homes；　and　she　was　still　in　town　only　because　her　place　on　Long　Island　was　in　disorder　due　to　a　two　months'　delay　in　the　completion　of　alterations　caused　by　labor　difficulties）；　she　had　made　a　study　of　beetles；　she　had　a　tiny　vivarium　in　the　apartment　and　here　she　would　sit　studying　her　pets　with　an　interest　and　patience　not　unlike　that　of　old　Fabre　upon　his　stony　farm。　Also；　as　Larry　learned　from　her　accounts；　there　was　a　day　nursery　on　the　East　Side　whose　lack　of　a　deficit　was　due　to　her。

All　in　all　she　was　a　healthy；　normal；　intelligent；　unself…sacrificing　woman　who　belonged　distinctly　to　her　own　day；　who　gave　a　great　deal　to　life；　and　who　took　a　great　deal　from　life。

Often　Larry　wished　she　would　speak　of　Hunt。　He　was　curious　about　Hunt；　of　whom　he　thought　daily；　and　such　talk　might　yield　him　information　about　the　blusterin