01-the $30,000 bequest- 第1部分

THE　30；000　BEQUEST





CHAPTER　I





Lakeside　was　a　pleasant　little　town　of　five　or　six　thousand　inhabitants；

and　a　rather　pretty　one；　too；　as　towns　go　in　the　Far　West。　

It　had　church　accommodations　for　thirty…five　thousand；　which　is

the　way　of　the　Far　West　and　the　South；　where　everybody　is　religious；

and　where　each　of　the　Protestant　sects　is　represented　and　has　a　plant

of　its　own。　　Rank　was　unknown　in　Lakesideunconfessed；　anyway；

everybody　knew　everybody　and　his　dog；　and　a　sociable　friendliness

was　the　prevailing　atmosphere。



Saladin　Foster　was　book…keeper　in　the　principal　store；　and　the　only

high…salaried　man　of　his　profession　in　Lakeside。　　He　was　thirty…five

years　old；　now；　he　had　served　that　store　for　fourteen　years；

he　had　begun　in　his　marriage…week　at　four　hundred　dollars　a　year；

and　had　climbed　steadily　up；　a　hundred　dollars　a　year；　for　four　years；

from　that　time　forth　his　wage　had　remained　eight　hundreda　handsome

figure　indeed；　and　everybody　conceded　that　he　was　worth　it。



His　wife；　Electra；　was　a　capable　helpmeet；　althoughlike　himself

a　dreamer　of　dreams　and　a　private　dabbler　in　romance。　　The　first　thing

she　did；　after　her　marriagechild　as　she　was；　aged　only　nineteen

was　to　buy　an　acre　of　ground　on　the　edge　of　the　town；　and　pay

down　the　cash　for　ittwenty…five　dollars；　all　her　fortune。　

Saladin　had　less；　by　fifteen。　　She　instituted　a　vegetable　garden　there；

got　it　farmed　on　shares　by　the　nearest　neighbor；　and　made　it　pay

her　a　hundred　per　cent。　　a　year。　　Out　of　Saladin's　first　year's　wage

she　put　thirty　dollars　in　the　savings…bank；　sixty　out　of　his　second；

a　hundred　out　of　his　third；　a　hundred　and　fifty　out　of　his　fourth。　

His　wage　went　to　eight　hundred　a　year；　then；　and　meantime　two　children

had　arrived　and　increased　the　expenses；　but　she　banked　two　hundred

a　year　from　the　salary；　nevertheless；　thenceforth。　　When　she　had　been

married　seven　years　she　built　and　furnished　a　pretty　and　comfortable

two…thousand…dollar　house　in　the　midst　of　her　garden…acre；　paid

half　of　the　money　down　and　moved　her　family　in。　　Seven　years　later

she　was　out　of　debt　and　had　several　hundred　dollars　out　earning

its　living。



Earning　it　by　the　rise　in　landed　estate；　for　she　had　long　ago　bought

another　acre　or　two　and　sold　the　most　of　it　at　a　profit　to　pleasant

people　who　were　willing　to　build；　and　would　be　good　neighbors　and

furnish　a　general　comradeship　for　herself　and　her　growing　family。　

She　had　an　independent　income　from　safe　investments　of　about　a　hundred

dollars　a　year；　her　children　were　growing　in　years　and　grace；

and　she　was　a　pleased　and　happy　woman。　　Happy　in　her　husband；　happy　in

her　children；　and　the　husband　and　the　children　were　happy　in　her。　

It　is　at　this　point　that　this　history　begins。



The　youngest　girl；　Clytemnestracalled　Clytie　for　short

was　eleven；　her　sister；　Gwendolencalled　Gwen　for　short

was　thirteen；　nice　girls；　and　comely。　　The　names　betray　the　latent

romance…tinge　in　the　parental　blood；　the　parents'　names　indicate

that　the　tinge　was　an　inheritance。　　It　was　an　affectionate　family；

hence　all　four　of　its　members　had　pet　names；　Saladin's　was　a　curious

and　unsexing　oneSally；　and　so　was　Electra'sAleck。　　All　day

long　Sally　was　a　good　and　diligent　book…keeper　and　salesman；

all　day　long　Aleck　was　a　good　and　faithful　mother　and　housewife；

and　thoughtful　and　calculating　business　woman；　but　in　the　cozy

living…room　at　night　they　put　the　plodding　world　away；　and　lived　in

another　and　a　fairer；　reading　romances　to　each　other；　dreaming　dreams；

comrading　with　kings　and　princes　and　stately　lords　and　ladies　in　the

flash　and　stir　and　splendor　of　noble　palaces　and　grim　and　ancient　castles。







CHAPTER　II





Now　came　great　news！　　Stunning　newsjoyous　news；　in　fact。　

It　came　from　a　neighboring　state；　where　the　family's　only　surviving

relative　lived。　　It　was　Sally's　relativea　sort　of　vague　and　indefinite

uncle　or　second　or　third　cousin　by　the　name　of　Tilbury　Foster；

seventy　and　a　bachelor；　reputed　well　off　and　corresponding　sour

and　crusty。　　Sally　had　tried　to　make　up　to　him　once；　by　letter；

in　a　bygone　time；　and　had　not　made　that　mistake　again。　　Tilbury　now

wrote　to　Sally；　saying　he　should　shortly　die；　and　should　leave　him

thirty　thousand　dollars；　cash；　not　for　love；　but　because　money

had　given　him　most　of　his　troubles　and　exasperations；　and　he　wished

to　place　it　where　there　was　good　hope　that　it　would　continue　its

malignant　work。　　The　bequest　would　be　found　in　his　will；　and　would

be　paid　over。　　PROVIDED；　that　Sally　should　be　able　to　prove　to　the

executors　that　he　had　TAKEN　NO　NOTICE　OF　THE　GIFT　BY　SPOKEN　WORD　OR

BY　LETTER；　HAD　MADE　NO　INQUIRIES　CONCERNING　THE　MORIBUND'S　PROGRESS

TOWARD　THE　EVERLASTING　TROPICS；　AND　HAD　NOT　ATTENDED　THE　FUNERAL。



As　soon　as　Aleck　had　partially　recovered　from　the　tremendous

emotions　created　by　the　letter；　she　sent　to　the　relative's　habitat

and　subscribed　for　the　local　paper。



Man　and　wife　entered　into　a　solemn　compact；　now；　to　never　mention

the　great　news　to　any　one　while　the　relative　lived；　lest　some

ignorant　person　carry　the　fact　to　the　death…bed　and　distort　it

and　make　it　appear　that　they　were　disobediently　thankful　for

the　bequest；　and　just　the　same　as　confessing　it　and　publishing　it；

right　in　the　face　of　the　prohibition。



For　the　rest　of　the　day　Sally　made　havoc　and　confusion　with　his　books；

and　Aleck　could　not　keep　her　mind　on　her　affairs；　not　even　take　up

a　flower…pot　or　book　or　a　stick　of　wood　without　forgetting　what　she

had　intended　to　do　with　it。　　For　both　were　dreaming。



〃Thir…ty　thousand　dollars！〃



All　day　long　the　music　of　those　inspiring　words　sang　through

those　people's　heads。



From　his　marriage…day　forth；　Aleck's　grip　had　been　upon　the　purse；

and　Sally　had　seldom　known　what　it　was　to　be　privileged　to　squander

a　dime　on　non…necessities。



〃Thir…ty　thousand　dollars！〃　the　song　went　on　and　on。　　A　vast　sum；

an　unthinkable　sum！



All　day　long　Aleck　was　absorbed　in　planning　how　to　invest　it；

Sally　in　planning　how　to　spend　it。



There　was　no　romance…reading　that　night。　　The　children　took

themselves　away　early；　for　their　parents　were　silent；　distraught；

and　strangely　unentertaining。　　The　good…night　kisses　might　as　well

have　been　impressed　upon　vacancy；　for　all　the　response　they　got；

the　parents　were　not　aware　of　the　kisses；　and　the　children　had

been　gone　an　hour　before　their　absence　was　noticed。　　Two　pencils

had　been　busy　during　that　hournote…making；　in　the　way　of　plans。　

It　was　Sally　who　broke　the　stillness　at　last。　　He　said；　with　exultation：



〃Ah；　it'll　be　grand；　Aleck！　　Out　of　the　first　thousand　we'll　have

a　horse　and　a　buggy　for　summer；　and　a　cutter　and　a　skin　lap…robe

for　winter。〃



Aleck　responded　with　decision　and　composure



〃Out　of　the　CAPITAL？　　Nothing　of　the　kind。　　Not　if　it　was　a　million！〃



Sally　was　deeply　disappointed；　the　glow　went　out　of　his　face。



〃Oh；　Aleck！〃　he　said；　reproachfully。　　〃We've　always　worked　so　hard

and　been　so　scrimped：　　and　now　that　we　are　rich；　it　does　seem〃



He　did　not　finish；　for　he　saw　her　eye　soften；　his　supplication

had　touched　her。　　She　said；　with　gentle　persuasiveness：



〃We　must　not　spend　the　capital；　dear；　it　would　not　be　wise。　

Out　of　the　income　from　it〃



〃That　will　answer；　that　will　answer；　Aleck！　　How　dear　and　good　you　are！　

There　will　be　a　noble　income　and　if　we　can　spend　that〃



〃Not　ALL　of　it；　dear；　not　all　of　it；　but　you　can　spend　a　part　of　it。　

That　is；　a　reasonable　part。　　But　the　whole　of　the　capital

every　penny　of　itmust　be　put　right　to　work；　and　kept　at　it。　

You　see　the　reasonableness　of　that；　don't　you？〃



〃Why；　ye…s。　Yes；　of　course。　　But　we'll　have　to　wait　so　long。　

Six　months　before　the　first　interest　falls　due。〃



〃Yesmaybe　longer。〃



〃Longer；　Aleck？　　Why？　　Don't　they　pay　half…yearly？〃



〃THAT　kind　of　an　investmentyes；　but　I　sha'n't　invest　in　that　way。〃



〃What　way；　then？〃



〃For　big　returns。〃



〃Big。　　That's　good。　　Go　on；　Aleck。　　What　is　it？〃



〃Coal。　　The　new　mines。　　Cannel。　　I　mean　to　put　in　ten　thousand。　

Ground　floor。　　When　we　organize；　we'll　get　three　shares　for　one。〃



〃By　George；　but　it　sounds　good；　Aleck！　　Then　the　shares　will　be　worth

how　much？　　And　when？〃



〃About　a　year。　　They'll　pay　ten　per　cent。　　half　yearly；　and　be

worth　thirty　thousand。　　I　know　all　about　it；　the　advertisement

is　in　the　Cincinnati　paper　here。〃



〃Land；　thirty　thousand　for　tenin　a　year！　　Let's　jam　in　the　whole

capital　and　pull　out　ninety！　　I'll　write　and　subscribe　right　now

tomorrow　it　maybe　too　late。〃



He　was　flying　to　the　writing…desk；　but　Aleck　stopped　him　and　put

him　back　in　his　chair。　　She　said：



〃Don't　lose　your　head　so。　　WE　mustn't　subscribe　till　we've　got

the　money；　don't　you　know　that？〃



Sally's　excitement　went　down　a　degree　or　two；　but　he　was　not

wholly　appeased。



〃Why；　Aleck；　we'll　HAVE　it；　you　knowand　so　soon；　too