sunshine sketches of a little town-第20部分

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geraniums　and　is　too　old　to　keep；　anyway？

As　for　politics；　well；　it　all　seemed　reasonable　enough。　When　the
Conservatives　got　in　anywhere；　Pepperleigh　laughed　and　enjoyed　it；
simply　because　it　does　one　good　to　see　a　straight；　fine；　honest　fight
where　the　best　man　wins。　When　a　Liberal　got　in；　it　made　him　mad；　and
he　said　so；not；　mind　you；　from　any　political　bias；　for　his　office
forbid　it；but　simply　because　one　can't　bear　to　see　the　country　go
absolutely　to　the　devil。

I　suppose；　too；　it　was　partly　the　effect　of　sitting　in　court　all　day
listening　to　cases。　One　gets　what　you　might　call　the　judicial　temper
of　mind。　Pepperleigh　had　it　so　strongly　developed　that　I've　seen　him
kick　a　hydrangea　pot　to　pieces　with　his　foot　because　the　accursed
thing　wouldn't　flower。　He　once　threw　the　canary　cage　clear　into　the
lilac　bushes　because　the　〃blasted　bird　wouldn't　stop　singing。〃　It　was
a　straight　case　of　judicial　temper。　Lots　of　judges　have　it；　developed
in　just　the　same　broad；　all…round　way　as　with　Judge　Pepperleigh。

I　think　it　must　be　passing　sentences　that　does　it。　Anyway；
Pepperleigh　had　the　aptitude　for　passing　sentences　so　highly
perfected　that　he　spent　his　whole　time　at　it　inside　of　court　and　out。
I've　heard　him　hand　out　sentences　for　the　Sultan　of　Turkey　and　Mrs。
Pankhurst　and　the　Emperor　of　Germany　that　made　one's　blood　run　cold。
He　would　sit　there　on　the　piazza　of　a　summer　evening　reading　the
paper；　with　dynamite　sparks　flying　from　his　spectacles　as　he
sentenced　the　Czar　of　Russia　to　ten　years　in　the　salt　minesand　made
it　fifteen　a　few　minutes　afterwards。　Pepperleigh　always　read　the
foreign　newsthe　news　of　things　that　he　couldn't　alteras　a　form　of
wild　and　stimulating　torment。

So　you　can　imagine　that　in　some　ways　the　judge's　house　was　a　pretty
difficult　house　to　go　to。　I　mean　you　can　see　how　awfully　hard　it　must
have　been　for　Mr。　Pupkin。　I　tell　you　it　took　some　nerve　to　step　up
on　that　piazza　and　say；　in　a　perfectly　natural；　off…hand　way：　〃Oh；
how　do　you　do；　judge？　Is　Miss　Zena　in？　No；　I　won't　stay；　thanks；　I
think　I　ought　to　be　going。　I　simply　called。〃　A　man　who　can　do　that
has　got　to　have　a　pretty　fair　amount　of　savoir　what　do　you　call　it；
and　he's　got　to　be　mighty　well　shaved　and　have　his　cameo　pin　put　in
his　tie　at　a　pretty　undeniable　angle　before　he　can　tackle　it。　Yes；
and　even　then　he　may　need　to　hang　round　behind　the　lilac　bushes　for
half　an　hour　first；　and　cool　off。　And　he's　apt　to　make　pretty　good
time　down　Oneida　Street　on　the　way　back。

Still；　that's　what　you　call　love；　and　if　you've　got　it；　and　are　well
shaved；　and　your　boots　well　blacked；　you　can　do　things　that　seem
almost　impossible。　Yes；　you　can　do　anything；　even　if　you　do　trip　over
the　dog　in　getting　off　the　piazza。

Don't　suppose　for　a　moment　that　Judge　Pepperleigh　was　an
unapproachable　or　a　harsh　man　always　and　to　everybody。　Even　Mr。
Pupkin　had　to　admit　that　that　couldn't　be　so。　To　know　that；　you　had
only　to　see　Zena　Pepperleigh　put　her　arm　round　his　neck　and　call　him
Daddy。　She　would　do　that　even　when　there　were　two　or　three　young　men
sitting　on　the　edge　of　the　piazza。　You　know；　I　think；　the　way　they
sit　on　the　edge　in　Mariposa。　It　is　meant　to　indicate　what　part　of　the
family　they　have　come　to　see。　Thus　when　George　Duff；　the　bank
manager；　came　up　to　the　Pepperleigh　house；　he　always　sat　in　a　chair
on　the　verandah　and　talked　to　the　judge。　But　when　Pupkin　or　Mallory
Tompkins　or　any　fellow　like　that　came；　he　sat　down　in　a　sidelong
fashion　on　the　edge　of　the　boards　and　then　they　knew　exactly　what　he
was　there　for。　If　he　knew　the　house　well；　he　leaned　his　back　against
the　verandah　post　and　smoked　a　cigarette。　But　that　took　nerve。

But　I　am　afraid　that　this　is　a　digression；　and；　of　course；　you　know
all　about　it　just　as　well　as　I　do。　All　that　I　was　trying　to　say　was
that　I　don't　suppose　that　the　judge　had　ever　spoken　a　cross　word　to
Zena　in　his　life。Oh；　he　threw　her　novel　over　the　grape…vine；　I
don't　deny　that；　but　then　why　on　earth　should　a　girl　read　trash　like
the　Errant　Quest　of　the　Palladin　Pilgrim；　and　the　Life　of　Sir
Galahad；　when　the　house　was　full　of　good　reading　like　The　Life　of　Sir
John　A。　Macdonald；　and　Pioneer　Days　in　Tecumseh　Township？

Still；　what　I　mean　is　that　the　judge　never　spoke　harshly　to　Zena；
except　perhaps　under　extreme　provocation；　and　I　am　quite　sure　that　he
never；　never　had　to　Neil。　But　then　what　father　ever　would　want　to
speak　angrily　to　such　a　boy　as　Neil　Pepperleigh？　The　judge　took　no
credit　himself　for　that；　the　finest　grown　boy　in　the　whole　county　and
so　broad　and　big　that　they　took　him　into　the　Missinaba　Horse　when　he
was　only　seventeen。　And　clever；so　clever　that　he　didn't　need　to
study；　so　clever　that　he　used　to　come　out　at　the　foot　of　the　class　in
mathematics　at　the　Mariposa　high　school　through　sheer　surplus　of
brain　power。　I've　heard　the　judge　explain　it　a　dozen　times。　Why；
Neil　was　so　clever　that　he　used　to　be　able　to　play　billiards　at　the
Mariposa　House　all　evening　when　the　other　boys　had　to　stay　at　home
and　study。

Such　a　powerful　looking　fellow；　too！　Everybody　in　Mariposa　remembers
how　Neil　Pepperleigh　smashed　in　the　face　of　Peter　McGinnis；　the
Liberal　organizer；　at　the　big　electionyou　recall　itwhen　the　old
Macdonald　Government　went　out。　Judge　Pepperleigh　had　to　try　him　for
it　the　next　morninghis　own　son。　They　say　there　never　was　such　a
scene　even　in　the　Mariposa　court。　There　was；　I　believe；　something
like　it　on　a　smaller　scale　in　Roman　history；　but　it　wasn't　half　as
dramatic。　I　remember　Judge　Pepperleigh　leaning　forward　to　pass　the
sentence；for　a　judge　is　bound；　you　know；　by　his　oath；and　how
grave　he　looked　and　yet　so　proud　and　happy；　like　a　man　doing　his　duty
and　sustained　by　it；　and　he　said：

〃My　boy；　you　are　innocent。　You　smashed　in　Peter　McGinnis's　face；　but
you　did　it　without　criminal　intent。　You　put　a　face　on　him；　by
Jehoshaphat！　that　he　won't　lose　for　six　months；　but　you　did　it
without　evil　purpose　or　malign　design。　My　boy；　look　up！　Give　me　your
hand！　You　leave　this　court　without　a　stain　upon　your　name。〃

They　said　it　was　one　of　the　most　moving　scenes　ever　enacted　in　the
Mariposa　Court。

But　the　strangest　thing　is　that　if　the　judge　had　known　what　every　one
else　in　Mariposa　knew；　it　would　have　broken　his　heart。　If　he　could
have　seen　Neil　with　the　drunken　flush　on　his　face　in　the　billiard
room　of　the　Mariposa　House；if　he　had　known；　as　every　one　else　did；
that　Neil　was　crazed　with　drink　the　night　he　struck　the　Liberal
organizer　when　the　old　Macdonald　Government　went　out；if　he　could
have　known　that　even　on　that　last　day　Neil　was　drunk　when　he　rode
with　the　Missinaba　Horse　to　the　station　to　join　the　Third　Contingent
for　the　war；　and　all　the　street　of　the　little　town　was　one　great　roar
of　people

But　the　judge　never　knew；　and　now　he　never　will。　For　if　you　could
find　it　in　the　meanness　of　your　soul　to　tell　him；　it　would　serve　no
purpose　now　except　to　break　his　heart；　and　there　would　rise　up　to
rebuke　you　the　pictured　vision　of　an　untended　grave　somewhere　in　the
great　silences　of　South　Africa。

Did　I　say　above；　or　seem　to　imply；　that　the　judge　sometimes　spoke
harshly　to　his　wife？　Or　did　you　gather　for　a　minute　that　her　lot　was
one　to　lament　over　or　feel　sorry　for？　If　so；　it　just　shows　that　you
know　nothing　about　such　things；　and　that　marriage；　at　least　as　it
exists　in　Mariposa；　is　a　sealed　book　to　you。　You　are　as　ignorant　as
Miss　Spiffkins；　the　biology　teacher　at　the　high　school；　who　always
says　how　sorry　she　is　for　Mrs。　Pepperleigh。　You　get　that　impression
simply　because　the　judge　howled　like　an　Algonquin　Indian　when　he　saw
the　sprinkler　running　on　the　lawn。　But　are　you　sure　you　know　the
other　side　of　it？　Are　you　quite　sure　when　you　talk　like　Miss
Spiffkins　does　about　the　rights　of　it；　that　you　are　taking　all　things
into　account？　You　might　have　thought　differently　perhaps　of　the
Pepperleighs；　anyway；　if　you　had　been　there　that　evening　when　the
judge　came　home　to　his　wife　with　one　hand　pressed　to　his　temple　and
in　the　other　the　cablegram　that　said　that　Neil　had　been　killed　in
action　in　South　Africa。　That　night　they　sat　together　with　her　hand　in
his；　just　as　they　had　sat　together　thirty　years　ago　when　he　was　a　law
student　in　the　city。

Go　and　tell　Miss　Spiffkins　that！　Hydrangeas；canaries；
temper；blazes！　What　does　Miss　Spiffkins　know　about　it　all？

But　in　any　case；　if　you　tried　to　tell　Judge　Pepperleigh　about　Neil
now　he　wouldn't　believe　it。　He'd　laugh　it　to　scorn。　That　is　Neil's
picture；　in　uniform；　hanging　in　the　dining…room　beside　the　Fathers　of
Confederation。　That　military…looking　man　in　the　picture　beside　him　is
General　Kitchener；　whom　you　may　perhaps　have　heard　of；　for　he　was
very　highly　spoken　of　in　Neil's　letters。　All　round　the　room；　in　fact；
and　still　more　in　the　judge's　library　upstairs；　you　will　see　pictures
of　South　Africa　and　the　departure　of　the　Canadians　（there　are　none　of
the　return）；　and　of　Mounted　Infantry　and　of　Unmounted　Cavalry　and　a
lot　of　things　that　only　soldiers　and　the　fathers　of　soldiers　know
about。

So　you　can　realize　that　for　a　fellow　who　isn't　military；　and　who
wears　nothing　nearer　to　a　uniform　than　a　daffodil　tennis　blazer；　the
judge's　house　is　a　devil　of　a　house　to　come　to。

I　think　you　remember　young　Mr。　Pupkin；　do　you　not？　I　have　referred　to
him　several　times　already　as　the　junior　teller　in　the　Exchange　Bank。
But　if　you　know　Mariposa　at　all　you　have　often　seen　him。　You　have
noticed　him；　I　am　sure；　going　for　the　bank　mail　in　the　morning　in　an
office　suit　effect　of　clinging　grey　with　a　gold　necktie　pin　shaped
like　a　riding　whip。　You　have　seen　him　often　enough　going　down　to　the
lake　front　after　supper；　in　tennis　things；　smoking　a　cigarette　and
with　a　paddle　and　a　crimson　canoe　cushion　under　his　arm。　You　have
seen　him　entering　Dean　Drone's　church　in　a　top　hat　and　a　long　frock
coat　nearly　to　his　feet。　You　have　seen　him；　perhaps；　playing　poker　in
Peter　Glover's　room　over　the　hardware　store　and　trying　to　look　as　if
he　didn't　hold　three　aces；in　fact；　giving　absolutely　no　sign　of　it
beyond　the　wild　flush　in　his　face　and　the　fact　that　his　hair　stands
on　end。

That　kind　of　reticence　is　a　thing　you　simply　have　to　learn　in
banking。　I　mean；　if　you've　got