children of the whirlwind-第39部分

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〃Yes。　You　didn't　hear　because　I　wasn't　telling　anybody　about　it　when　it　happened；　and　it　never　came　out。〃

〃Mind　telling　me　about　it；　Joe？〃

He　pulled　at　his　perfecto　while　assembling　his　facts；　and　then　he　made　one　of　the　longest　speeches　Joe　Ellison〃Silent　Joe〃　some　of　his　friends　had　called　him　in　the　old　dayswas　ever　known　to　utter。　But　there　was　reason　for　its　length；　it　was　an　epitome　of　the　most　important　period　of　his　life。

〃I　had　a　nice　little　country　place　over　in　Jersey　for　three　or　four　years。　It　all　happened　there。　No　one　knew　me　for　what　I　was；　they　took　me　for　what　I　pretended　to　be；　a　small　capitalist　whose　interests　required　his　taking　occasional　trips。　Nice　neighbors。　That's　where　I　met　my　wife。　She　was　fine　every　way。　That's　why　I　kept　all　that　part　of　my　life　from　my　pals；　I　was　afraid　they　might　leak　and　the　truth　would　spoil　everything。　My　wife　was　an　orphan；　niece　of　the　widow　of　a　broker　who　lived　out　there。　She　never　knew　the　truth　about　me。　She　died　when　the　baby　was　born。　When　the　baby　was　a　year　and　a　half　my　big　smash　came；　and　I　went　up　the　river。　But　I　was　never　connected　up　with　the　man　who　lived　over　in　Jersey　and　who　suddenly　cancelled　his　lease　and　moved　away。〃

The　Duchess　drew　nearer　to　the　heart　of　her　thoughts。

〃Was　the　baby　a　boy　or　girl；　Joe？〃

〃Girl。〃

The　Duchess　did　not　so　much　as　blink。　〃How　old　would　she　be　by　this　time？〃

〃Eighteen。〃

〃What　was　her　name？〃

〃Maryafter　her　mother。　But　of　course　I　ordered　it　to　be　changed。　I　don't　know　what　her　name　is　now。〃

The　Duchess　pressed　closer。

〃What　became　of　her；　Joe？〃

A　glow　began　to　come　into　the　somber　eyes　of　Joe　Ellison。　〃I　told　you　her　mother　was　a　fine　woman；　and　she　never　knew　anything　bad　about　me。　I　wanted　my　girl　to　grow　up　like　her　mother。　I　wanted　her　to　have　as　good　a　chance　as　any　of　those　nice　girls　over　in　JerseyI　wanted　her　never　to　know　any　of　the　lot　I've　knownI　wanted　her　never　to　have　the　stain　of　knowing　her　father　was　a　crookI　wanted　her　never　to　know　even　who　her　father　was。〃

〃How　did　you　manage　it？〃

〃Her　mother　had　left　a　little　fortune；　about　twenty…five　thousand　twelve　or　fifteen　hundred　a　year。　I　turned　the　money　and　the　girl　over　to　my　best　paland　the　squarest　pal　a　man　ever　hadthe　only　one　I'd　let　know　about　my　Jersey　life。　I　told　him　what　to　do。　She　was　an　awfully　bright　little　thing；　at　a　year　and　a　half；　when　I　saw　her　last；　she　was　already　talking。　She　was　to　be　brought　up　among　nice；　simple　peoplego　to　a　good　schoolgrow　up　to　be　a　nice；　simple　girl。　And　especially　never　to　know　anything　about　me。　She　was　to　believe　herself　an　orphan。　And　my　pal　did　just　as　I　ordered。　He　wrote　me　how　she　was　getting　on　till　about　four　years　ago；　then　I　had　news　that　he　was　dead　and　that　the　trust　fund　had　been　transferred　to　a　firm　of　lawyers；　though　I　wasn't　given　the　name　of　the　lawyers。　That　doesn't　make　any　difference　since　she's　getting　the　money　just　the　same。

〃What　was　your　pal's　name；　Joe？〃

〃Jimmie　Carlisle。〃

The　Duchess　had　been　certain　what　this　name　would　be；　but　nevertheless　she　could　not　repress　a　start。

〃What's　the　matter？〃　Joe　asked　sharply。　〃Did　you　know　him？〃

〃Not　in　those　days；〃　said　the　Duchess；　recovering　her　even　tone。　〃Though　I　got　to　know　him　later。　By　the　way；〃　she　added　casually；　〃did　Jimmie　Carlisle　have　any　children　of　his　own？〃

〃Not　before　I　went　away。　He　wasn't　even　married。〃

There　was　now　no　slightest　doubt　left　in　the　Duchess's　mind。　Maggie　was　really　Joe　Ellison's　daughter。

Joe　Ellison　went　on；　the　glow　of　his　sunken　eyes　becoming　yet　more　exalted。　He　was　almost　voicing　his　thoughts　to　himself　alone；　for　his　friendship　with　the　Duchess　was　so　old　that　her　presence　was　no　inhibition。　His　low　words　were　almost　identical　in　substance　with　what　Larry　had　tolda　summary　of　what　had　come　to　be　his　one　great　hope　and　dream；　the　nearest　thing　he　had　to　a　religion。

〃Somewhere；　in　a　nice　place；　my　girl　is　now　growing　up　like　her　mother。　Clean　of　everything　I　was　and　I　knew。　She　must　be　practically　a　woman　now。　I　don't　know　where　she　isthere's　now　no　way　for　me　to　learn。　And　I　don't　want　to　know。　And　I　don't　want　her　ever　to　know　about　me。　I　don't　ever　want　to　be　the　cause　of　making　her　feel　disgraced；　or　of　dragging　her　down　from　among　the　people　where　she　belongs。〃

The　Duchess　gave　no　visible　sign　of　emotion；　but　her　ancient　heart…　strings　were　set　vibrating　by　that　tense；　low…pitched　voice。　She　had　a　momentary　impulse　to　tell　him　the　truth。　But　just　then　the　Duchess　was　a　confusion　of　many　conflicting　impulses；　and　the　balance　of　their　strength　was　for　the　moment　against　telling。　So　she　said　nothing。

Their　talk　drifted　back　to　commonplaces；　and　presently　Joe　Ellison　went　away。　The　Duchess　sat　motionless　at　her　desk；　again　thinking　thinkingthinking；　and　when　Joe　Ellison　was　back　in　his　gardener's　cottage　at　Cedar　Crest　and　was　happily　asleep；　she　still　sat　where　he　had　left　her。　During　her　generations　of　looking　upon　life　from　the　inside；　she　had　seen　the　truth　of　many　strange　situations　of　which　the　world　had　learned　only　the　wildest　rumors　or　the　most　respectable　versions；　but　during　the　long　night　hours；　perhaps　because　the　affair　touched　her　so　closely；　this　seemed　to　her　the　strangest　situation　she　had　ever　known。　A　father　believing　with　the　firm　belief　of　established　certainty　that　his　daughter　had　been　brought　up　free　from　all　taint　of　his　own　life；　carefully　bred　among　the　best　of　people。　In　reality　the　girl　brought　up　in　a　criminal　atmosphere；　with　criminal　ideas　implanted　in　her　as　normal　ideas；　and　carefully　trained　in　criminal　ways　and　ambitions。　And　neither　father　nor　daughter　having　a　guess　of　the　truth。

Indeed　it　was　a　strange　situation！　A　situation　charged　with　all　kinds　of　unforeseeable　results。

The　Duchess　now　understood　the　unfatherly　disregard　Old　Jimmie　had　shown　for　the　ordinary　welfare　of　Maggie。　Not　being　her　father；　he　had　not　cared。　Superficially；　at　least；　Jimmie　Carlisle　must　have　been　a　much　more　plausible　individual　twenty　years　earlier；　to　have　won　the　implicit　trust　of　Joe　Ellison　and　to　have　become　his　foremost　friend。　She　understood　one　reason　why　Old　Jimmie　had　always　boarded　Maggie　in　the　cheapest　and　lowest　places；　his　hidden　cupidity　had　thereby　been　pocketing　about　a　thousand　dollars　a　year　of　trust　money　for　over　sixteen　years。

But　there　was　one　queer　problem　here　to　which　the　Duchess　could　not　at　this　time　see　the　answer。　If　Jimmie　Carlisle　had　wished　to　gratify　his　cupidity　and　double…cross　his　friend；　why　had　he　not　at　the　very　start　placed　Maggie　in　an　orphanage　where　she　would　have　been　neither　charge　nor　cost　to　him；　and　thus　have　had　the　use　of　every　penny　of　the　trust　fund？　Why　had　he　chosen　to　keep　her　by　him；　and　train　her　carefully　to　be　exactly　what　her　father　had　most　wished　her　not　to　be？　There　must　have　been　some　motive　in　the　furtive；　tortuous　mind　of　Old　Jimmie；　that　now　would　perhaps　forever　remain　a　mystery。

Of　course　she　saw；　or　thought　she　saw；　the　reason　for　the　report　of　Old　Jimmie's　death　to　Joe　Ellison。　That　report　had　been　sent　to　escape　an　accounting。

As　she　sat　through　the　night　hours　the　Duchess　for　the　first　time　felt　warmth　creep　over　her　for　Maggie。