01-the $30,000 bequest-第3部分

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〃How　would　you　feel　if　you　were　suddenly　cut　out　just　after　such

an　awful　remark　had　escaped　out　of　you？〃



Without　sufficient　reflection　Sally　responded：



〃I'd　feel　I　was　lucky　I　hadn't　got　caught　with　it　IN　me。〃



Pride　had　forced　him　to　say　something；　and　as　he　could　not　think

of　any　rational　thing　to　say　he　flung　that　out。　　Then　he　stole　a　base

as　he　called　itthat　is；　slipped　from　the　presence；　to　keep　from

being　brayed　in　his　wife's　discussion…mortar。



Six　months　came　and　went。　　The　SAGAMORE　was　still　silent　about　Tilbury。　

Meantime；　Sally　had　several　times　thrown　out　a　feelerthat　is；

a　hint　that　he　would　like　to　know。　　Aleck　had　ignored　the　hints。　

Sally　now　resolved　to　brace　up　and　risk　a　frontal　attack。　

So　he　squarely　proposed　to　disguise　himself　and　go　to　Tilbury's

village　and　surreptitiously　find　out　as　to　the　prospects。　

Aleck　put　her　foot　on　the　dangerous　project　with　energy　and　decision。　

She　said：



〃What　can　you　be　thinking　of？　　You　do　keep　my　hands　full！　

You　have　to　be　watched　all　the　time；　like　a　little　child；　to　keep

you　from　walking　into　the　fire。　　You'll　stay　right　where　you　are！〃



〃Why；　Aleck；　I　could　do　it　and　not　be　found　outI'm　certain　of　it。〃



〃Sally　Foster；　don't　you　know　you　would　have　to　inquire　around？〃



〃Of　course；　but　what　of　it？　　Nobody　would　suspect　who　I　was。〃



〃Oh；　listen　to　the　man！　　Some　day　you've　got　to　prove　to　the

executors　that　you　never　inquired。　　What　then？〃



He　had　forgotten　that　detail。　　He　didn't　reply；　there　wasn't

anything　to　say。　　Aleck　added：



〃Now　then；　drop　that　notion　out　of　your　mind；　and　don't　ever　meddle

with　it　again。　　Tilbury　set　that　trap　for　you。　　Don't　you　know　it's

a　trap？　　He　is　on　the　watch；　and　fully　expecting　you　to　blunder

into　it。　　Well；　he　is　going　to　be　disappointedat　least　while　I

am　on　deck。　　Sally！〃



〃Well？〃



〃As　long　as　you　live；　if　it's　a　hundred　years；　don't　you　ever　make

an　inquiry。　　Promise！〃



〃All　right；〃　with　a　sigh　and　reluctantly。



Then　Aleck　softened　and　said：



〃Don't　be　impatient。　　We　are　prospering；　we　can　wait；　there　is

no　hurry。　　Our　small　dead…certain　income　increases　all　the　time；

and　as　to　futures；　I　have　not　made　a　mistake　yetthey　are　piling

up　by　the　thousands　and　tens　of　thousands。　　There　is　not　another

family　in　the　state　with　such　prospects　as　ours。　　Already　we　are

beginning　to　roll　in　eventual　wealth。　　You　know　that；　don't　you？〃



〃Yes；　Aleck；　it's　certainly　so。〃



〃Then　be　grateful　for　what　God　is　doing　for　us　and　stop　worrying。　

You　do　not　believe　we　could　have　achieved　these　prodigious　results

without　His　special　help　and　guidance；　do　you？〃



Hesitatingly；　〃N…no；　I　suppose　not。〃　　Then；　with　feeling

and　admiration；　〃And　yet；　when　it　comes　to　judiciousness

in　watering　a　stock　or　putting　up　a　hand　to　skin　Wall　Street

I　don't　give　in　that　YOU　need　any　outside　amateur　help；　if　I　do　wish　I〃



〃Oh；　DO　shut　up！　　I　know　you　do　not　mean　any　harm　or　any　irreverence；

poor　boy；　but　you　can't　seem　to　open　your　mouth　without　letting　out

things　to　make　a　person　shudder。　　You　keep　me　in　constant　dread。　

For　you　and　for　all　of　us。　　Once　I　had　no　fear　of　the　thunder；

but　now　when　I　hear　it　I〃



Her　voice　broke；　and　she　began　to　cry；　and　could　not　finish。　

The　sight　of　this　smote　Sally　to　the　heart　and　he　took　her　in　his

arms　and　petted　her　and　comforted　her　and　promised　better　conduct；

and　upbraided　himself　and　remorsefully　pleaded　for　forgiveness。　

And　he　was　in　earnest；　and　sorry　for　what　he　had　done　and　ready　for　any

sacrifice　that　could　make　up　for　it。



And　so；　in　privacy；　he　thought　long　and　deeply　over　the　matter；

resolving　to　do　what　should　seem　best。　　It　was　easy　to　PROMISE　reform；

indeed　he　had　already　promised　it。　　But　would　that　do　any　real　good；

any　permanent　good？　　No；　it　would　be　but　temporaryhe　knew

his　weakness；　and　confessed　it　to　himself　with　sorrowhe　could

not　keep　the　promise。　　Something　surer　and　better　must　be　devised；

and　he　devised　it。　　At　cost　of　precious　money　which　he　had　long

been　saving　up；　shilling　by　shilling；　he　put　a　lightning…rod　on

the　house。



At　a　subsequent　time　he　relapsed。



What　miracles　habit　can　do！　and　how　quickly　and　how　easily　habits

are　acquiredboth　trifling　habits　and　habits　which　profoundly　change　us。　

If　by　accident　we　wake　at　two　in　the　morning　a　couple　of　nights

in　succession；　we　have　need　to　be　uneasy；　for　another　repetition　can

turn　the　accident　into　a　habit；　and　a　month's　dallying　with　whiskey

but　we　all　know　these　commonplace　facts。



The　castle…building　habit；　the　day…dreaming　habithow　it　grows！

what　a　luxury　it　becomes；　how　we　fly　to　its　enchantments　at　every

idle　moment；　how　we　revel　in　them；　steep　our　souls　in　them；

intoxicate　ourselves　with　their　beguiling　fantasiesoh　yes；

and　how　soon　and　how　easily　our　dram　life　and　our　material　life

become　so　intermingled　and　so　fused　together　that　we　can't　quite

tell　which　is　which；　any　more。



By　and　by　Aleck　subscribed　to　a　Chicago　daily　and　for　the　WALL

STREET　POINTER。　　With　an　eye　single　to　finance　she　studied　these

as　diligently　all　the　week　as　she　studied　her　Bible　Sundays。　

Sally　was　lost　in　admiration；　to　note　with　what　swift　and　sure　strides

her　genius　and　judgment　developed　and　expanded　in　the　forecasting　and

handling　of　the　securities　of　both　the　material　and　spiritual　markets。　

He　was　proud　of　her　nerve　and　daring　in　exploiting　worldly　stocks；

and　just　as　proud　of　her　conservative　caution　in　working　her

spiritual　deals。　　He　noted　that　she　never　lost　her　head　in　either　case；

that　with　a　splendid　courage　she　often　went　short　on　worldly　futures；

but　heedfully　drew　the　line　thereshe　was　always　long　on　the　others。　

Her　policy　was　quite　sane　and　simple；　as　she　explained　it　to　him：　

what　she　put　into　earthly　futures　was　for　speculation；　what　she　put

into　spiritual　futures　was　for　investment；　she　was　willing　to　go　into

the　one　on　a　margin；　and　take　chances；　but　in　the　case　of　the　other；

〃margin　her　no　margins〃she　wanted　to　cash　in　a　hundred　cents　per

dollar's　worth；　and　have　the　stock　transferred　on　the　books。



It　took　but　a　very　few　months　to　educate　Aleck's　imagination

and　Sally's。　Each　day's　training　added　something　to　the　spread

and　effectiveness　of　the　two　machines。　　As　a　consequence；　Aleck　made

imaginary　money　much　faster　than　at　first　she　had　dreamed　of　making　it；

and　Sally's　competency　in　spending　the　overflow　of　it　kept　pace　with

the　strain　put　upon　it；　right　along。　　In　the　beginning；　Aleck　had

given　the　coal　speculation　a　twelvemonth　in　which　to　materialize；

and　had　been　loath　to　grant　that　this　term　might　possibly　be　shortened

by　nine　months。　　But　that　was　the　feeble　work；　the　nursery　work；

of　a　financial　fancy　that　had　had　no　teaching；　no　experience；

no　practice。　　These　aids　soon　came；　then　that　nine　months　vanished；

and　the　imaginary　ten…thousand…dollar　investment　came　marching

home　with　three　hundred　per　cent。　　profit　on　its　back！



It　was　a　great　day　for　the　pair　of　Fosters。　　They　were　speechless

for　joy。　　Also　speechless　for　another　reason：　　after　much　watching

of　the　market；　Aleck　had　lately；　with　fear　and　trembling；　made　her

first　flyer　on　a　〃margin；〃　using　the　remaining　twenty　thousand　of

the　bequest　in　this　risk。　　In　her　mind's　eye　she　had　seen　it　climb；

point　by　pointalways　with　a　chance　that　the　market　would　break

until　at　last　her　anxieties　were　too　great　for　further　endurance

she　being　new　to　the　margin　business　and　unhardened；　as　yetand　she

gave　her　imaginary　broker　an　imaginary　order　by　imaginary　telegraph

to　sell。　　She　said　forty　thousand　dollars'　profit　was　enough。　

The　sale　was　made　on　the　very　day　that　the　coal　venture　had　returned

with　its　rich　freight。　　As　I　have　said；　the　couple　were　speechless。　

they　sat　dazed　and　blissful　that　night；　trying　to　realize　that　they　were

actually　worth　a　hundred　thousand　dollars　in　clean；　imaginary　cash。　

Yet　so　it　was。



It　was　the　last　time　that　ever　Aleck　was　afraid　of　a　margin；

at　least　afraid　enough　to　let　it　break　her　sleep　and　pale　her　cheek

to　the　extent　that　this　first　experience　in　that　line　had　done。



Indeed　it　was　a　memorable　night。　　Gradually　the　realization　that　they

were　rich　sank　securely　home　into　the　souls　of　the　pair；　then　they

began　to　place　the　money。　　If　we　could　have　looked　out　through

the　eyes　of　these　dreamers；　we　should　have　seen　their　tidy　little

wooden　house　disappear；　and　two…story　brick　with　a　cast…iron　fence

in　front　of　it　take　its　place；　we　should　have　seen　a　three…globed

gas…chandelier　grow　down　from　the　parlor　ceiling；　we　should　have　seen

the　homely　rag　carpet　turn　to　noble　Brussels；　a　dollar　and　a　half

a　yard；　we　should　have　seen　the　plebeian　fireplace　vanish　away　and

a　recherch'e；　big　base…burner　with　isinglass　windows　take　position

and　spread　awe　around。　　And　we　should　have　seen　other　things；

too；　among　them　the　buggy；　the　lap…robe；　the　stove…pipe　hat；　and　so　on。



From　that　time　forth；　although　the　daughters　and　the　neighbors

saw　only　the　same　old　wooden　house　there；　it　was　a　two…story

brick　to　Aleck　and　Sally　and　not　a　night　went　by　that　Aleck　did

not　worry　about　the　imaginary　gas…bills；　and　get　for　all　comfort

Sally's　reckless　retort：　　〃What　of　it？　　We　can　afford　it。〃



Before　the　couple　went　to　bed；　that　first　night　that　they　were　rich；

they　had　decided　that　they　must　celebrate。　　They　must　give　a　party

that　was　the　idea。　　But　how　to　explain　itto　the　daughters　and

the　neighbors？　　They　could　not　expose　the　fact　that　they　were　rich。　

Sally　was　willing；　even　anxious；　to　do　it；　but　Aleck　kept　her　head

and　would　not　allow　it。　　She　said　that　although　the　money　was　as

good　as　in；　it　would　be　as　well　to　wait　until　it　was　actually　in。　

On　that　policy　she　took　her　stand；　and　would　not　budge。　

The　great　secret　must　be　kept；　she　saidkept　from　the　daughters　and

everybody　else。



The　pair　were　puzzled。　　They　must　cele