children of the whirlwind-第35部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



〃Which　d'you　think　we　ought　to　use；　Barney？〃　inquired　Old　Jimmie。

But　Barney　went　on　as　if　the　older　man　had　not　asked　a　question。　〃Both　ways　depend　upon　Sherwood　being　crazy　in　love；　and　upon　his　coming　across　with　a　proposal　and　sticking　to　it。　The　first　way；　after　being　proposed　to；　Maggie　must　break　down　and　confess　she's　married　to　a　man　she　doesn't　love　and　who　doesn't　love　her。　This　husband　would　probably　give　her　a　divorce；　but　he's　a　cagy　guy　and　is　out　for　the　coin；　and　if　he　smelled　that　she　wanted　to　remarry　some　one　with　money　he　would　demand　a　large　price　for　her　freedom。　Maggie　must　further　confess　that　she　really　has　no　money；　and　is　therefore　helpless。　Then　Sherwood　offers　to　meet　the　terms　of　this　brute　of　a　husband。　If　Sherwood　falls　for　this　we　shove　in　a　dummy　husband　who　takes　Sherwood's　doughand　a　big　bank　roll　it　will　be！and　that'll　be　the　last　Sherwood'll　ever　see　of　Maggie。〃

Old　Jimmie　nodded。　〃When　it's　worked　right；　that　always　brings　home　the　kale。〃

〃The　only　question　is；〃　continued　Barney；　〃can　Maggie　put　that　stuff　over？　How　about　it；　Maggie？　Think　you're　good　enough　to　handle　a　proposition　like　that？〃

Looking　the　handsome　Barney　straight　in　the　eyes；　Maggie　for　the　moment　thought　only　of　his　desire　to　manage　her　and　of　the　challenge　in　his　tone。　Larry　and　the　appeal　he　had　made　to　her　were　forgotten；　as　was　also　Dick　Sherwood。

〃Anything　you're　good　enough　to　think　up；　Barney　Palmer；　I　guess　I'm　good　enough　to　put　over；〃　she　answered　coolly。

And　then：　〃What's　the　other　way？〃　she　asked。

〃Old　stuff。　Have　to　be　a　sure…enough　marriage。　Sherwoods　are　big…time　people；　you　know；　a　sister　who's　a　regular　somebody。　After　marriage；　family　permitted　to　learn　truthperhaps　something　much　worse　than　truth。　Family　horrified。　They　pay　Maggie　a　big　wad　for　a　separation　same　as　so　many　horrified　families　get　rid　of　daughters…in…law　they　don't　like。　Which　of　the　ways　suits　you　best；　Maggie？〃

Maggie　shrugged　her　shoulders　with　indifference。　It　suited　her　present　mood　to　maintain　her　attitude　of　being　equal　to　any　enterprise。

〃Which　do　you　like　best；　Barney？〃　Old　Jimmie　asked。

〃The　second　is　safer。　But　then　it's　slower；　and　there　would　be　lawyers'　fees　which　would　eat　into　our　profits；　and　then　because　of　the　publicity　we　might　have　to　wait　some　time　before　it　would　be　safe　to　use　Maggie　again。　The　first　plan　isn't　so　complicated；　it's　quick；　and　at　once　we've　got　Maggie　free　to　use　in　other　operations。　The　first　looks　the　best　bet　to　mebut；　as　I　said；　we　don't　have　to　decide　yet。　We　can　let　developments　help　make　the　actual　decision　for　us。〃

Barney　did　not　add　that　a　further　reason　for　his　objecting　to　the　second　plan　was　that　he　didn't　want　Maggie　actually　tied　in　marriage　to　any　man。　That　was　a　relationship　his　hopes　were　reserving　for　himself。

Barney's　inborn　desire　for　acknowledged　chieftainship　again　craved　assertion　and　pressed　him　on　to　say：

〃You　see；　Maggie；　how　much　depends　on　you。　You've　got　a　whale　of　a　chance　for　a　beginner。　I　hope　you　take　a　big　brace　over　to…night　and　play　up　to　the　possibilities　of　your　part。〃

〃You　take　care　of　your　end；　and　I'll　take　care　of　mine！〃　was　her　sharp　retort。

Barney　was　flustered　for　a　moment　by　his　second　failure　to　dominate　Maggie。　〃Oh；　well；　we'll　not　row；〃　he　tried　to　say　easily。　〃We　understand　each　other；　and　we're　each　trying　to　help　the　other　fellow's　gamethat's　the　main　point。〃

The　two　men　left；　Jimmie　without　kissing　his　daughter　good…night。　This　caused　Maggie　no　surprise。　A　kiss；　not　the　lack　of　it；　would　have　been　the　thing　that　would　have　excited　wonder　in　Maggie。

Barney　went　away　well　satisfied　on　the　whole　with　the　manner　in　which　the　affair　was　progressing；　and　with　his　management　of　it　and　of　Maggie。　Maggie　was　obstinate；　to　be　sure；　but　he'd　soon　work　that　out　of　her。　He　was　now　fully　convinced　of　the　soundness　of　his　explanation　of　Maggie's　poor　performance　of　that　night：　she　had　just　had　an　off　day。

As　for　Maggie；　after　they　had　gone　she　sat　up　long；　thinkingand　her　thoughts　reverted　irresistibly　to　Larry。　His　visit　had　been　most　distracting。　But　she　was　not　going　to　let　it　affect　her　purpose。　If　anything；　she　was　more　determined　than　ever　to　be　what　she　had　told　him　she　was　going　to　be；　to　prove　to　him　that　he　could　not　influence　her。

She　tried　to　keep　her　mind　off　Larry；　but　she　could　not。　He　was　for　her　so　many　questions。　How　had　he　escaped？thrown　off　both　police　and　old　friends？　Where　was　he　now？　What　was　he　doing？　And　when　and　how　was　he　going　to　reappear　and　interfere？for　Maggie　had　no　doubt；　now　that　she　knew　him　to　be　in　New　York；　that　he　would　come　again；　and　again　try　to　check　her。

And　there　was　a　matter　which　she　no　more　understood　than　Larry；　and　this　was　another　of　her　questions：　Why　had　she　gone　into　a　panic　and　aided　his　escape？

Of　course；　she　now　and　then　thought　of　Dick　Sherwood。　She　rather　liked　Dick。　But　thus　far　she　regarded　him　exactly　as　her　scheme　of　life　had　presented　him　to　her：　as　a　pleasant　dupe　who；　in　an　exciting　play　in　which　she　had　the　thrilling　lead；　was　to　be　parted　from　his　money。　She　was　rather　sorry　for　him；　but　this　was　business；　and　her　sorrow　was　not　going　to　interfere　with　what　she　was　going　to　do。

Maggie　Cameron；　at　this　period　of　her　life；　was　not　deeply　introspective。　She　did　not　realize　what；　according　to　other　standards；　this　thing　was　which　she　was　doing。　She　was　merely　functioning　as　she　had　been　taught　to　function。　And　if　any　change　was　beginning　in　her；　she　was　thus　far　wholly　unconscious　of　it。




CHAPTER　XX


Larry's　new　problem　was　the　most　difficult　and　delicate　dilemma　of　his　lifethis　divided　loyalty：　to　balk　Maggie　and　the　two　men　behind　her　without　revealing　the　truth　about　Maggie　to　Dick；　to　protect　Dick　without　betraying　Maggie。　It　certainly　was　a　trying；　baffling　situation。

He　had　no　such　foolish　idea　that　he　could　change　Maggie　by　exposing　her。　At　best　he　would　merely　render　her　incapable　of　continuing　this　particular　course；　he　would　increase　her　bitterness　and　hostility　to　him。　Anyhow；　according　to　the　remnants　of　his　old　code；　that　wouldn't　be　playing　fairparticularly　after　her　aiding　his　escape　when　he　had　been　trapped。

Upon　only　one　point　was　he　clear；　and　on　this　he　became　more　settled　with　every　hour：　whatever　he　did　he　must　do　with　the　idea　of　a　fundamental　awakening　in　Maggie。　Merely　to　foil　her　in　this　one　scheme　would　be　to　solve　the　lesser　part　of　his　problem；　Maggie　would　be　left　unchanged；　or　if　changed　at　all　the　change　would　be　toward　a　greater　hardness；　and　his　major　problem　would　be　made　more　difficult　of　solution。

He　considered　many　ways。　He　thought　of　seeing　Maggie　again；　and　once　more　appealing　to　her。　That　he　vetoed；　not　because　of　the　danger　to　himself；　but　because　he　knew　Maggie　would　not　see　him；　and　if　he　again　did　break　in　upon　her　unexpectedly；　in　her　obstinate　pride　she　would　heed　nothing　he　said。　He　thought　of　seeing　Barney　and　Old　Jimmie　and　somehow　so　throwing　the　fear　of　God　into　that　pair　that　they　would　withdraw　Maggie　from　the　present　enterprise；　but　even　if　he　succeeded　in　so　hazardous　an　undertaking；　again　Maggie　would　be　left　unchanged。　He　thought　of　showing　Miss　Sherwood　the