the american claimant-第36部分

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to　do；　I　do　everything　wrong。　　You　are　going？and　you　won't　say　even
good…nightor　good…bye？　　Ah；　we　have　not　parted　like　this　before。〃

〃Oh；　I　want　to　run　andno；　go；　now。〃　　A　pausethen　she　said；　〃You　may
bring　the　message　when　it　comes。〃

〃Oh；　may　I？　　God　bless　you。〃

He　was　gone；　and　none　too　soon；　her　lips　were　already　quivering；　and　now
she　broke　down。　　Through　her　sobbings　her　words　broke　from　time　to　time。

〃Oh；　he　is　gone。　　I　have　lost　him；　I　shall　never　see　him　any　more。　　And
he　didn't　kiss　me　good…bye；　never　even　offered　to　force　a　kiss　from　me；
and　he　knowing　it　was　the　very；　very　last；　and　I　expecting　he　would；　and
never　dreaming　he　would　treat　me　so　after　all　we　have　been　to　each　other。
Oh；　oh；　oh；　oh；　what　shall　I　do；　what　shall　I　do！　　He　is　a　dear；　poor；
miserable；　good…hearted；　transparent　liar　and　humbug；　but　oh；　I　do　love
him　so！〃　　After　a　little　she　broke　into　speech　again。　　〃How　dear　he　is！
and　I　shall　miss　him　so；　I　shall　miss　him　so！　　Why　won't　he　ever　think　to
forge　a　message　and　fetch　it？but　no；　he　never　will；　he　never　thinks　of
anything；　he's　so　honest　and　simple　it　wouldn't　ever　occur　to　him。
Oh；　what　did　possess　him　to　think　he　could　succeed　as　a　fraudand　he
hasn't　the　first　requisite　except　duplicity　that　I　can　see。　　Oh；　dear；
I'll　go　to　bed　and　give　it　all　up。　　Oh；　I　wish　I　had　told　him　to　come　and
tell　me　whenever　he　didn't　get　any　telegramand　now　it's　all　my　own
fault　if　I　never　see　him　again。　　How　my　eyes　must　look！〃




CHAPTER　XXIV。

Next　day；　sure　enough；　the　cablegram　didn't　come。　　This　was　an　immense
disaster；　for　Tracy　couldn't　go　into　the　presence　without　that　ticket；
although　it　wasn't　going　to　possess　any　value　as　evidence。　　But　if　the
failure　of　the　cablegram　on　that　first　day　may　be　called　an　immense
disaster；　where　is　the　dictionary　that　can　turn　out　a　phrase　sizeable
enough　to　describe　the　tenth　day's　failure？　　Of　course　every　day　that　the
cablegram　didn't　come　made　Tracy　all　of　twenty…four　hours'　more　ashamed
of　himself　than　he　was　the　day　before；　and　made　Sally　fully　twenty…four
hours　more　certain　than　ever　that　he　not　only　hadn't　any　father　anywhere；
but　hadn't　even　a　confederateand　so　it　followed　that　he　was　a　double…
dyed　humbug　and　couldn't　be　otherwise。

These　were　hard　days　for　Barrow　and　the　art　firm。　　All　these　had　their
hands　full；　trying　to　comfort　Tracy。　　Barrow's　task　was　particularly
hard；　because　he　was　made　a　confidant　in　full；　and　therefore　had　to　humor
Tracy's　delusion　that　he　had　a　father；　and　that　the　father　was　an　earl；
and　that　he　was　going　to　send　a　cablegram。　　Barrow　early　gave　up　the　idea
of　trying　to　convince　Tracy　that　he　hadn't　any　father；　because　this　had
such　a　bad　effect　on　the　patient；　and　worked　up　his　temper　to　such　an
alarming　degree。　　He　had　tried；　as　an　experiment；　letting　Tracy　think　he
had　a　father；　the　result　was　so　good　that　he　went　further；　with　proper
caution；　and　tried　letting　him　think　his　father　was　an　earl；　this　wrought
so　well；　that　he　grew　bold；　and　tried　letting　him　think　he　had　two
fathers；　if　he　wanted　to；　but　he　didn't　want　to；　so　Barrow　withdrew　one
of　them　and　substituted　letting　him　think　he　was　going　to　get　a
cablegramwhich　Barrow　judged　he　wouldn't；　and　was　right；　but　Barrow
worked　the　cablegram　daily　for　all　it　was　worth；　and　it　was　the　one　thing
that　kept　Tracy　alive；　that　was　Barrow's　opinion。

And　these　were　bitter　hard　days　for　poor　Sally；　and　mainly　delivered　up
to　private　crying。　　She　kept　her　furniture　pretty　damp；　and　so　caught
cold；　and　the　dampness　and　the　cold　and　the　sorrow　together　undermined
her　appetite；　and　she　was　a　pitiful　enough　object；　poor　thing。　　Her　state
was　bad　enough；　as　per　statement　of　it　above　quoted；　but　all　the　forces
of　nature　and　circumstance　seemed　conspiring　to　make　it　worseand
succeeding。　　For　instance；　the　morning　after　her　dismissal　of　Tracy；
Hawkins　and　Sellers　read　in　the　associated　press　dispatches　that　a　toy
puzzle　called　Pigs　in　the　Clover；　had　come　into　sudden　favor　within　the
past　few　weeks；　and　that　from　the　Atlantic　to　the　Pacific　all　the
populations　of　all　the　States　had　knocked　off　work　to　play　with　it；
and　that　the　business　of　the　country　had　now　come　to　a　standstill　by
consequence；　that　judges；　lawyers；　burglars；　parsons；　thieves；　merchants；
mechanics；　murderers；　women；　children；　babieseverybody；　indeed；　could
be　seen　from　morning　till　midnight；　absorbed　in　one　deep　project　and
purpose；　and　only　oneto　pen　those　pigs；　work　out　that　puzzle
successfully；　that　all　gayety；　all　cheerfulness　had　departed　from　the
nation；　and　in　its　place　care；　preoccupation　and　anxiety　sat　upon　every
countenance；　and　all　faces　were　drawn；　distressed；　and　furrowed　with　the
signs　of　age　and　trouble；　and　marked　with　the　still　sadder　signs　of
mental　decay　and　incipient　madness；　that　factories　were　at　work　night　and
day　in　eight　cities；　and　yet　to　supply　the　demand　for　the　puzzle　was　thus
far　impossible。　　Hawkins　was　wild　with　joy；　but　Sellers　was　calm。　　Small
matters　could　not　disturb　his　serenity。　　He　said

〃That's　just　the　way　things　go。　　A　man　invents　a　thing　which　could
revolutionize　the　arts；　produce　mountains　of　money；　and　bless　the　earth；
and　who　will　bother　with　it　or　show　any　interest　in　it？　and　so　you　are
just　as　poor　as　you　were　before。　　But　you　invent　some　worthless　thing　to
amuse　yourself　with；　and　would　throw　it　away　if　let　alone；　and　all　of　a
sudden　the　whole　world　makes　a　snatch　for　it　and　out　crops　a　fortune。
Hunt　up　that　Yankee　and　collect；　Hawkins　half　is　yours；　you　know。
Leave　me　to　potter　at　my　lecture。〃

This　was　a　temperance　lecture。　　Sellers　was　head　chief　in　the　Temperance
camp；　and　had　lectured；　now　and　then　in　that　interest；　but　had　been
dissatisfied　with　his　efforts；　wherefore　he　was　now　about　to　try　a　new
plan。　　After　much　thought　he　had　concluded　that　a　main　reason　why　his
lectures　lacked　fire　or　something；　was；　that　they　were　too　transparently
amateurish；　that　is　to　say；　it　was　probably　too　plainly　perceptible　that
the　lecturer　was　trying　to　tell　people　about　the　horrid　effects　of　liquor
when　he　didn't　really　know　anything　about　those　effects　except　from
hearsay；　since　he　had　hardly　ever　tasted　an　intoxicant　in　his　life。
His　scheme；　now；　was　to　prepare　himself　to　speak　from　bitter　experience。
Hawkins　was　to　stand　by　with　the　bottle；　calculate　the　doses；　watch　the
effects；　make　notes　of　results；　and　otherwise　assist　in　the　preparation。
Time　was　short；　for　the　ladies　would　be　along　about　noonthat　is　to　say；
the　temperance　organization　called　the　Daughters　of　Siloamand　Sellers
must　be　ready　to　head　the　procession。

The　time　kept　slipping　along…Hawkins　did　not　returnSellers　could　not
venture　to　wait　longer；　so　he　attacked　the　bottle　himself；　and　proceeded
to　note　the　effects。　　Hawkins　got　back　at　last；　took　one　comprehensive
glance　at　the　lecturer；　and　went　down　and　headed　off　the　procession。
The　ladies　were　grieved　to　hear　that　the　champion　had　been　taken　suddenly
ill　and　violently　so；　but　glad　to　hear　that　it　was　hoped　he　would　be　out
again　in　a　few　days。

As　it　turned　out；　the　old　gentleman　didn't　turn　over　or　show　any　signs　of
life　worth　speaking　of　for　twenty…four　hours。　　Then　he　asked　after　the
procession；　and　learned　what　had　happened　about　it。　　He　was　sorry；　said
he　had　been　〃fixed〃　for　it。　　He　remained　abed　several　days；　and　his　wife
and　daughter　took　turns　in　sitting　with　him　and　ministering　to　his　wants。
Often　he　patted　Sally's　head　and　tried　to　comfort　her。

〃Don't　cry；　my　child；　don't　cry　so；　you　know　your　old　father　did　it　by
mistake　and　didn't　mean　a　bit　of　harm；　you　know　he　wouldn't　intentionally
do　anything　to　make　you　ashamed　for　the　world；　you　know　he　was　trying　to
do　good　and　only　made　the　mistake　through　ignorance；　not　knowing　the
right　doses　and　Washington　not　there　to　help。　　Don't　cry　so；　dear；　it
breaks　my　old　heart　to　see　you；　and　think　I've　brought　this　humiliation
on　you　and　you　so　dear　to　me　and　so　good。　　I　won't　ever　do　it　again；
indeed　I　won't；　now　be　comforted；　honey；　that's　a　good　child。〃

But　when　she　wasn't　on　duty　at　the　bedside　the　crying　went　on　just　the
same；　then　the　mother　would　try　to　comfort　her；　and　say：

〃Don't　cry；　dear；　he　never　meant　any　harm；　it　was　all　one　of　those
happens　that　you　can't　guard　against　when　you　are　trying　experiments；
that　way。　　You　see　I　don't　cry。　　It's　because　I　know　him　so　well。
I　could　never　look　anybody　in　the　face　again　if　he　had　got　into　such　an
amazing　condition　as　that　a…purpose；　but　bless　you　his　intention　was；
pure　and　high；　and　that　makes　the　act　pure；　though　it　was　higher　than　was
necessary。　　We're　not　humiliated；　dear；　he　did　it　under　a　noble　impulse
and　we　don't　need　to　be　ashamed。　　There；　don't　cry　any　more；　honey。〃

Thus；　the　old　gentleman　was　useful　to　Sally；　during　several　days；　as　an
explanation　of　her　tearfulness。　　She　felt　thankful　to　him　for　the　shelter
he　was　affording　her；　but　often　said　to　herself；　〃It's　a　shame　to　let　him
see　in　my　cryings　a　reproachas　if　he　could　ever　do　anything　that　could
make　me　reproach　him！　　But　I　can't　confess；　I've　got　to　go　on　using　him
for　a　pretext；　he's　the　only　one　I've　got　in　the　world；　and　I　do　need　one
so　much。〃