the lost road-第85部分

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his　waistcoat。　　His　fingers　trembled；　and　when　he　laughed　his
voice　trembled。

〃Miss　the　boat！〃　the　head　clerk　exclaimed。　　〃If　she　gets　away　from
Millie　and　me　she's　got　to　start　now。　　We'll　go　on　board　to…night！〃

A　half…hour　later　Millie　was　on　her　knees　packing　a　trunk；　and
her　husband　was　telephoning　to　the　drug…store　for　a　sponge…bag
and　a　cure　for　seasickness。

Owing　to　the　joy　in　her　heart　and　to　the　fact　that　she　was　on　her
knees；　Millie　was　alternately　weeping　into　the　trunk…tray　and
offering　up　incoherent　prayers　of　thanksgiving。　　Suddenly　she
sank　back　upon　the　floor。

〃John！〃　she　cried；　〃doesn't　it　seem　sinful　to　sail　away　in　a
'royal　suite'　and　leave　this　beautiful　flat　empty？〃

Over　the　telephone　John　was　having　trouble　with　the　drug　clerk。

〃No！〃　he　explained；　〃I'm　not　seasick　now。　　The　medicine　I　want　is
to　be　taken　later。　　I　know　I'm　speaking　from　the　Pavonia；　but　the
Pavonia　isn't　a　ship；　it's　an　apartment…house。〃

He　turned　to　Millie。　　〃We　can't　be　in　two　places　at　the　same
time；〃　he　suggested。

〃But；　think；〃　insisted　Millie；　〃of　all　the　poor　people　stifling
to…night　in　this　heat；　trying　to　sleep　on　the　roofs　and　fire…escapes；
and　our　flat　so　cool　and　big　and　prettyand　no　one　in　it。〃

John　nodded　his　head　proudly。

〃I　know　it's　big；〃　he　said；　〃but　it　isn't　big　enough　to　hold　all
the　people　who　are　sleeping　to…night　on　the　roofs　and　in　the
parks。〃

〃I　was　thinking　of　your　brotherand　Grace；〃　said　Millie。　　〃They've
been　married　only　two　weeks　now；　and　they're　in　a　stuffy　hall
bedroom　and　eating　with　all　the　other　boarders。　　Think　what　our
flat　would　mean　to　them；　to　be　by　themselves；　with　eight　rooms
and　their　own　kitchen　and　bath；　and　our　new　refrigerator　and　the
gramophone！　It　would　be　heaven！　It　would　be　a　real　honeymoon！〃

Abandoning　the　drug　clerk；　John　lifted　Millie　in　his　arms　and
kissed　her；　for；　next　to　his　wife；　nearest　his　heart　was　the
younger　brother。


The　younger　brother　and　Grace　were　sitting　on　the　stoop　of　the
boarding…house。　　On　the　upper　steps；　in　their　shirt…sleeves；　were
the　other　boarders；　so　the　bride　and　bridegroom　spoke　in　whispers。
The　air　of　the　cross　street　was　stale　and　stagnant；　from　it　rose
exhalations　of　rotting　fruit；　the　gases　of　an　open　subway；　the
smoke　of　passing　taxicabs。　　But　between　the　street　and　the　hall
bedroom；　with　its　odors　of　a　gas…stove　and　a　kitchen；　the　choice
was　difficult。

〃We've　got　to　cool　off　somehow；〃　the　young　husband　was　saying；
〃or　you　won't　sleep。　　Shall　we　treat　ourselves　to　ice…cream　sodas
or　a　trip　on　the　Weehawken　ferry…boat？〃

〃The　ferry…boat！〃　begged　the　girl；　〃where　we　can　get　away　from
all　these　people。〃

A　taxicab　with　a　trunk　in　front　whirled　into　the　street；　kicked
itself　to　a　stop；　and　the　head　clerk　and　Millie　spilled　out　upon
the　pavement。　　They　talked　so　fast；　and　the　younger　brother　and
Grace　talked　so　fast；　that　the　boarders；　although　they　listened
intently；　could　make　nothing　of　it。

They　distinguished　only　the　concluding　sentences：

〃Why　don't　you　drive　down　to　the　wharf　with　us；〃　they　heard　the
elder　brother　ask；　〃and　see　our　royal　suite？〃

But　the　younger　brother　laughed　him　to　scorn。

〃What's　your　royal　suite；〃　he　mocked；　〃to　our　royal　palace？〃

An　hour　later；　had　the　boarders　listened　outside　the　flat　of　the
head　clerk；　they　would　have　heard　issuing　from　his　bathroom　the
cooling　murmur　of　running　water　and　from　his　gramophone　the
jubilant　notes　of　〃Alexander's　Rag…time　Band。〃

When　in　his　private　office　Carroll　was　making　a　present　of　the
royal　suite　to　the　head　clerk；　in　the　main　office　Hastings；　the
junior　partner；　was　addressing　〃Champ〃　Thorne；　the　bond　clerk。
He　addressed　him　familiarly　and　affectionately　as　〃Champ。〃　　This
was　due　partly　to　the　fact　that　twenty…six　years　before　Thorne　had
been　christened　Champneys　and　to　the　coincidence　that　he　had
captained　the　football　eleven　of　one　of　the　Big　Three　to　the
championship。

〃Champ；〃　said　Mr。　Hastings；　〃last　month；　when　you　asked　me　to
raise　your　salary；　the　reason　I　didn't　do　it　was　not　because　you
didn't　deserve　it；　but　because　I　believed　if　we　gave　you　a　raise
you'd　immediately　get　married。〃

The　shoulders　of　the　ex…football　captain　rose　aggressively；　he
snorted　with　indignation。

〃And　why　should　I　not　get　married？〃　he　demanded。　　〃You're　a　fine
one　to　talk！　You're　the　most　offensively　happy　married　man　I　ever
met。〃

〃Perhaps　I　know　I　am　happy　better　than　you　do；〃　reproved　the
junior　partner；　〃but　I　know　also　that　it　takes　money　to　support　a
wife。〃

〃You　raise　me　to　a　hundred　a　week；〃　urged　Champ；　〃and　I'll　make
it　support　a　wife　whether　it　supports　me　or　not。〃

〃A　month　ago；〃　continued　Hastings；　〃we　could　have　promised　you　a
hundred；　but　we　didn't　know　how　long　we　could　pay　it。　　We　didn't
want　you　to　rush　off　and　marry　some　fine　girl〃

〃Some　fine　girl！〃　muttered　Mr。　Thorne。　　〃The　finest　girl！〃

〃The　finer　the　girl；〃　Hastings　pointed　out；　〃the　harder　it　would
have　been　for　you　if　we　had　failed　and　you　had　lost　your　job。〃

The　eyes　of　the　young　man　opened　with　sympathy　and　concern。

〃Is　it　as　bad　as　that？〃　he　murmured。

Hastings　sighed　happily。

〃It　was；〃　he　said；　〃but　this　morning　the　Young　Man　of　Wall　Street
did　us　a　good　turnsaved　ussaved　our　creditors；　saved　our　homes；
saved　our　honor。　　We're　going　to　start　fresh　and　pay　our　debts；　and
we　agreed　the　first　debt　we　paid　would　be　the　small　one　we　owe　you。
You've　brought　us　more　than　we've　given；　and　if　you'll　stay　with　us
we're　going　to　'see'　your　fifty　and　raise　it　a　hundred。　　What　do　you
say？〃

Young　Mr。　Thorne　leaped　to　his　feet。　　What　he　said　was：　〃Where'n
hell's　my　hat？〃

But　by　the　time　he　had　found　the　hat　and　the　door　he　mended　his
manners。

〃I　say；　'Thank　you　a　thousand　times；〃'　he　shouted　over　his
shoulder。　　〃Excuse　me；　but　I've　got　to　go。　　I've　got　to　break　the
news　to〃

He　did　not　explain　to　whom　he　was　going　to　break　the　news；　but
Hastings　must　have　guessed；　for　again　he　sighed　happily　and　then；
a　little　hysterically　laughed　aloud。　　Several　months　had　passed
since　he　had　laughed　aloud。

In　his　anxiety　to　break　the　news　Champ　Thorne　almost　broke　his
neck。　　In　his　excitement　he　could　not　remember　whether　the　red
flash　meant　the　elevator　was　going　down　or　coming　up；　and　sooner
than　wait　to　find　out　he　started　to　race　down　eighteen　flights　of
stairs　when　fortunately　the　elevator…door　swung　open。

〃You　get　five　dollars；〃　he　announced　to　the　elevator　man；　〃if　you
drop　to　the　street　without　a　stop。　　Beat　the　speed　limit！　Act　like
the　building　is　on　fire　and　you're　trying　to　save　me　before　the
roof　falls。〃

Senator　Barnes　and　his　entire　family；　which　was　his　daughter
Barbara；　were　at　the　Ritz…Carlton。　　They　were　in　town　in　August
because　there　was　a　meeting　of　the　directors　of　the　Brazil　and
Cuyaba　Rubber　Company；　of　which　company　Senator　Barnes　was
president。　　It　was　a　secret　meeting。　　Those　directors　who　were
keeping　cool　at　the　edge　of　the　ocean　had　been　summoned　by
telegraph；　those　who　were　steaming　across　the　ocean；　by　wireless。

Up　from　the　equator　had　drifted　the　threat　of　a　scandal；　sickening；
grim；　terrible。　　As　yet　it　burned　beneath　the　surface；　giving　out　only
an　odor；　but　an　odor　as　rank　as　burning　rubber　itself。　　At　any　moment
it　might　break　into　flame。　　For　the　directors；　was　it　the　better　wisdom
to　let　the　scandal　smoulder；　and　take　a　chance；　or　to　be　the　first　to　give
the　alarm；　the　first　to　lead　the　way　to　the　horror　and　stamp　it　out？

It　was　to　decide　this　that；　in　the　heat　of　August；　the　directors　and　the
president　had　foregathered。

Champ　Thorne　knew　nothing　of　this；　he　knew　only　that　by　a　miracle
Barbara　Barnes　was　in　town；　that　at　last　he　was　in　a　position　to　ask
her　to　marry　him；　that　she　would　certainly　say　she　would。　　That　was
all　he　cared　to　know。

A　year　before　he　had　issued　his　declaration　of　independence。
Before　he　could　marry；　he　told　her；　he　must　be　able　to　support　a
wife　on　what　he　earned；　without　her　having　to　accept　money　from
her　father；　and　until　he　received　〃a　minimum　wage〃　of　five　thousand
dollars　they　must　wait。

〃What　is　the　matter　with　my　father's　money？〃　Barbara　had　demanded。

Thorne　had　evaded　the　direct　question。

〃There　is　too　much　of　it；〃　he　said。

〃Do　you　object　to　the　way　he　makes　it？〃　insisted　Barbara。　〃Because
rubber　is　most　useful。　　You　put　it　in　golf　balls　and　auto　tires　and
galoshes。　　There　is　nothing　so　perfectly　respectable　as　galoshes。
And　what　is　there　'tainted'　about　a　raincoat？〃

Thorne　shook　his　head　unhappily。

〃It's　not　the　finished　product　to　which　I　refer；〃　he　stammered；　〃it's
the　way　they　get　the　raw　material。〃

〃They　get　it　out　of　trees；〃　said　Barbara。　　Then　she　exclaimed　with
enlightenment〃Oh！〃　she　cried；　〃you　are　thinking　of　the　Congo。
There　it　is　terrible！　That　is　slavery。　　But　there　are　no　slaves　on　the
Amazon。　　The　natives　are　free　and　the　work　is　easy。　　They　just　tap
the　trees　the　way　the　farmers　gather　sugar　in　Vermont。　　Father　has
told　me　about　it　often。〃

Thorne　had　made　no　comment。　　He　could　abuse　a　friend；　if　the
friend　were　among　those　present；　but　denouncing　any　one　he
disliked　as　heartily　as　he　disliked　Senator　Barnes　was　a　public
service