children of the whirlwind-第63部分

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〃What　of　that！〃　cried　Dick。

〃That　is　the　nicest　part　of　what　I　have　to　tell　you；〃　she　continued　relentlessly。　〃My　supposed　relatives；　Jimmie　Carlisle　and　Barney　Palmer；　are　no　relatives　at　all；　but　are　two　clever　confidence　men。　I　have　been　in　with　them；　working　on　a　scheme　they　have　framed。　Everything　I　have　seemed　to　be；　everything　I　have　done；　even　this　expensive　apartment；　have　all　been　parts　of　that　scheme。　The　idea　of　that　scheme　was　to　swindle　some　rich　man　out　of　a　lot　of　money　through　my　playing　on　his　susceptibilities。〃

〃Maggie！〃　he　gasped。

〃More　concretely；　the　idea　was　to　trick　some　rich　man　into　falling　in　love　with　me；　to　get　him　to　propose；　then　to　have　me　confess　that　I　was　already　married；　but　to　a　man　who　would　give　me　a　divorce　if　he　were　paid　enough。　The　rich　man　would　then　drive　a　bargain　with　my　supposed　husband；　pay　over　a　lot　of　moneyafter　which　Barney；　Old　Jimmie；　and　I　would　disappear　with　our　profits。〃

〃Maggie！〃　he　repeated；　stupefied　with　his　incredulous　amazement。　But　the　unflinching　gaze　she　held　upon　him　convinced　him　she　was　speaking　the　truth。　〃Then；　if　that　was　your　game；　why　are　you　telling　me　now？　Why　didn't　you　say　'yes'　when　I　proposed　a　week　ago？　I　would　have　fallen　for　the　game；　you　would　have　succeeded。〃

Not　till　that　moment　did　Maggie　realize　the　full　truth；　not　till　then　did　she　realize　the　solid　influence　Larry　Brainard　had　been　in　the　background　of　her　life　all　these　months。

〃I　didn't　go　through　with　it　because　of　Larry　Brainard。〃

〃Larry　Brainard！〃　His　astonishment　increased。　〃You　know　Larry　Brainard；　then？〃

〃I've　known　him　for　several　years。〃

〃And　you've　been　coming　out；　and　he's　been　pretending　not　to　know　you！　Of　course　I　knew　what　Larry　Brainard　has　been。　But　is　he　in　this；　too？〃

〃No。　He's　exactly　what　you　think　him。　From　the　start　he's　been　trying　to　keep　me　out　of　this。　He　was　behind　my　coming　to　your　house；　he's　told　me　so。　His　reason　for　getting　me　there　was　his　belief　that　my　being　treated　by　you　and　your　sister　as　I　was　would　make　me　ashamed　of　myself　and　make　me　want　to　quit　what　I　was　doing。　And　I　thinkI　think　he　was　rightpartly。〃

〃And　Larryhe's　the　reason　you're　telling　me　now？〃

〃I　think　so。　But　there　are　other　reasons。〃　Making　a　clean　breast　of　things　though　she　was；　she　felt　she　dared　not　trust　Dick　with　the　secret　of　her　father。　〃II　wanted　to　clear　things　up　as　far　as　I　was　responsible。　That's　one　reason　I'm　telling　you。　There　was　the　chance　you　might　sometime　find　out　that　Larry　had　known　me　and　suspect　him；　I　wanted　you　to　know　the　truth　of　what　he'd　really　done。　And　I　wanted　to　tell　you　the　truth　about　myself；　so　you'd　despise　and　forget　me；　instead　of　perhaps　carrying　around　romantic　delusions　about　me　after　I've　gone。　And　there's　another　reason。　I'd　like　to　tell　youfor　you've　been　everything　that's　fine　to　meif　it　won't　offend　you。〃

〃Go　on；〃　he　said　huskily。

〃Barney　Palmer　picked　you　out　as　the　victimyou　didn't　know　you　were　being　picked　outbecause　he　said　that　you　were　an　easy　mark。　That　you　took　things　for　exactly　what　they　pretended　to　be；　and　didn't　care　what　you　did　with　your　money。　That　you　never　would　settle　down　into　a　responsible　person。　I'm　telling　you　all　this；　Dick；　because　I　don't　want　you　to　be　what　Barney　said。〃

Dick　slumped　into　a　chair；　at　last　beaten　down　by　this　cumulative　revelation。　He　buried　his　face　in　his　hands　and　his　panting　breath　was　convulsive　with　unuttered　sobs。　Maggie　looked　down　upon　the　young　boy；　with　pity；　remorse；　and　an　increasing　recognition　of　the　wide…spread　suffering　she　had　wrought。

〃To　think　that　this　has　all　been　horrible　make…believe！〃　he　at　last　groaned。　〃That　all　the　while　I've　been　looked　on　as　just　a　young　fool　who　would　always　remain　a　fool！〃

Maggie；　in　her　sense　of　guilt；　was　helpless　to　make　any　reply　that　would　soften　his　agony；　and　for　a　space　neither　spoke。

Presently　Dick　stood　suddenly　up。　His　face　was　still　marked　by　suffering；　but　somehow　it　seemed　to　have　grown　older　without　losing　its　youth。　There　was　a　new　blaze　of　determination　in　the　direct　look　he　held　on　Maggie。

〃You　say　you　have　never　loved　me？〃　he　demanded。

She　shook　her　head。　〃But　I've　told　you　that　I've　always　liked　you。〃

〃Larry　Brainard's　doing　what　he　has　kept　on　doing　for　youthat　means　that　he　loves　you；　doesn't　it？〃　he　pressed　on。

〃He　has　told　me　so。〃

〃And　you　love　him？〃

〃What　difference　does　that　make？since　I　am　going　away　as　soon　as　I　get　everything　I'm　wholly　or　partly　responsible　for　cleared　up。〃

〃If　Larry　Brainard　has　known　you　for　a　long　while；　then　how　about　Barney　Palmer　and　Jimmie　Carlisle？〃

〃They've　known　me　as　long；　or　longer。〃

〃Then　you　must　have　all　known　each　other？〃

〃Yes。　Years　ago　Larry　worked　with　Barney　and　Jimmie　Carlisle。〃

〃What　was　the　attitude　of　those　two　toward　Larry；　when　he　was　trying　to　balk　them　by　making　you　give　up　the　plan？〃

〃They　hated　him。　They　are　the　causeespecially　Barneyof　all　of　Larry's　trouble　with　the　police　and　with　the　old　crowd　he's　quit。　To　try　to　clear　Larry；　that's　the　most　important　thing　I'm　going　to　try　to　do。〃

〃And　that's　where　you've　got　to　let　me　help　you！〃　Dick　cried　with　sudden　energy。　〃Larry's　been　a　mighty　good　friend　to　mehe's　tried　to　head　me　rightand　I　owe　him　a　lot。　And　I'd　like　a　chance　to　show　that　Barney　Palmer　I'm　not　going　to　keep　on　being　the　eternal　fool　he　sized　me　up　to　be！〃

Maggie　was　startled　by　this　swift　transformation。　〃Whywhy；　Dick！〃　she　breathed。

〃What's　your　plan　to　clear　Larry？〃

〃I　hadn't　got　so　far　as　to　have　a　clear　plan。　I　had　only　just　realized　that　there　had　to　be　a　plan。　But　since　they　have　set　the　police　on　Larry；　it　came　to　me　that　the　idea　behind　any　plan　would　be　for　the　police　to　really　capture　Barney　and　Jimmie　Carlisleget　them　out　of　Larry's　way。〃

〃That's　it！〃　Dick　Sherwood　had　a　mind　which；　given　an　interesting　stimulus；　could　work　swiftly；　and　it　worked　swiftly　now。　〃They　were　planning　to　trim　me。　Let's　use　that　plan　you　outlined　to　meuse　it　to…night。　You　can　tell　them　some　story　which　will　make　immediate　action　seem　necessary　and　we'll　all　get　together　this　evening。　I'll　play　my　part　all　rightdon't　you　worry　about　me！　I'll　come　with　a　roll　of　money　that　I'll　dig　up　somewhere；　and　it'll　be　marked　money。　When　it's　passedbingo！a　couple　of　detectives　that　we'll　have　planted　to　watch　the　proceedings　will　step　right　up　and　nab　the　two！〃

She　was　taken　aback　by　the　very　idea　of　him；　the　victim；　after　her　confession；　throwing　his　lot　in　with　her。　〃Why；　Dick〃she　stammered　〃to　think　of　you　offering　to　do　such　a　thing！〃

〃I　owe　that　much　to　Larry　Brainard；〃　he　declared。　〃Andand　I　owe　that　much　to　your　desire　to　help　set　him　straight。　Well；　what　about　my　plan？〃

Since　he　seemed　eager　to　lend　himself　to　it；　it　seemed　to　her　altogether　wonderful；　and　she　told　him　so。　They　discussed　details　for　several　minutes；　for　there　was　much　to　be　done　and　it　had　all　to　be　done　most　adroitly。　It　was　agreed　that　he　should　come　at　ten　o'clock；　when　the　stage　would　all　be　set。

As　he　was　leaving　to　attend　to　his　part　of　the　play；　a　precautionary　idea　flashed　upon　Maggie。

〃Better　telephone　me　just　before　you　come。　Something　may　have　happened　to　change　our　plans。〃