01-the $30,000 bequest- 第4部分

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　celebrate；　they　were　determined

to　celebrate；　but　since　the　secret　must　be　kept；　what　could

they　celebrate？　　No　birthdays　were　due　for　three　months。　

Tilbury　wasn't　available；　evidently　he　was　going　to　live　forever；

what　the　nation　COULD　they　celebrate？　　That　was　Sally's　way

of　putting　it；　and　he　was　getting　impatient；　too；　and　harassed。　

But　at　last　he　hit　itjust　by　sheer　inspiration；　as　it　seemed　to　him

and　all　their　troubles　were　gone　in　a　moment；　they　would　celebrate

the　Discovery　of　America。　　A　splendid　idea！



Aleck　was　almost　too　proud　of　Sally　for　wordsshe　said　SHE　never　would

have　thought　of　it。　　But　Sally；　although　he　was　bursting　with　delight

in　the　compliment　and　with　wonder　at　himself；　tried　not　to　let　on；

and　said　it　wasn't　really　anything；　anybody　could　have　done　it。　

Whereat　Aleck；　with　a　prideful　toss　of　her　happy　head；　said：



〃Oh；　certainly！　　Anybody　couldoh；　anybody！　　Hosannah　Dilkins；

for　instance！　　Or　maybe　Adelbert　Peanutoh；　DEARyes！　　Well；　I'd　like

to　see　them　try　it；　that's　all。　　Dear…me…suz；　if　they　could　think

of　the　discovery　of　a　forty…acre　island　it's　more　than　_I_　believe

they　could；　and　as　for　the　whole　continent；　why；　Sally　Foster；

you　know　perfectly　well　it　would　strain　the　livers　and　lights

out　of　them　and　THEN　they　couldn't！〃



The　dear　woman；　she　knew　he　had　talent；　and　if　affection　made

her　over…estimate　the　size　of　it　a　little；　surely　it　was　a　sweet

and　gentle　crime；　and　forgivable　for　its　source's　sake。







CHAPTER　V





The　celebration　went　off　well。　　The　friends　were　all　present；

both　the　young　and　the　old。　　Among　the　young　were　Flossie　and

Gracie　Peanut　and　their　brother　Adelbert；　who　was　a　rising　young

journeyman　tinner；　also　Hosannah　Dilkins；　Jr。；　journeyman　plasterer；

just　out　of　his　apprenticeship。　　For　many　months　Adelbert　and　Hosannah

had　been　showing　interest　in　Gwendolen　and　Clytemnestra　Foster；

and　the　parents　of　the　girls　had　noticed　this　with　private　satisfaction。　

But　they　suddenly　realized　now　that　that　feeling　had　passed。　

They　recognized　that　the　changed　financial　conditions　had　raised

up　a　social　bar　between　their　daughters　and　the　young　mechanics。　

The　daughters　could　now　look　higherand　must。　　Yes；　must。　　They　need

marry　nothing　below　the　grade　of　lawyer　or　merchant；　poppa　and　momma

would　take　care　of　this；　there　must　be　no　m'esalliances。



However；　these　thinkings　and　projects　of　their　were　private；

and　did　not　show　on　the　surface；　and　therefore　threw　no　shadow

upon　the　celebration。　　What　showed　upon　the　surface　was　a　serene

and　lofty　contentment　and　a　dignity　of　carriage　and　gravity　of

deportment　which　compelled　the　admiration　and　likewise　the　wonder

of　the　company。　　All　noticed　it　and　all　commented　upon　it；　but　none

was　able　to　divine　the　secret　of　it。　　It　was　a　marvel　and　a　mystery。　

Three　several　persons　remarked；　without　suspecting　what　clever

shots　they　were　making：



〃It's　as　if　they'd　come　into　property。〃



That　was　just　it；　indeed。



Most　mothers　would　have　taken　hold　of　the　matrimonial　matter　in　the

old　regulation　way；　they　would　have　given　the　girls　a　talking　to；

of　a　solemn　sort　and　untactfula　lecture　calculated　to　defeat　its

own　purpose；　by　producing　tears　and　secret　rebellion；　and　the　said

mothers　would　have　further　damaged　the　business　by　requesting

the　young　mechanics　to　discontinue　their　attentions。　　But　this

mother　was　different。　　She　was　practical。　　She　said　nothing　to　any

of　the　young　people　concerned；　nor　to　any　one　else　except　Sally。　

He　listened　to　her　and　understood；　understood　and　admired。　

He　said：



〃I　get　the　idea。　　Instead　of　finding　fault　with　the　samples　on　view；

thus　hurting　feelings　and　obstructing　trade　without　occasion；

you　merely　offer　a　higher　class　of　goods　for　the　money；　and　leave

nature　to　take　her　course。　　It's　wisdom；　Aleck；　solid　wisdom；

and　sound　as　a　nut。　　Who's　your　fish？　　Have　you　nominated　him　yet？〃



No；　she　hadn't。　They　must　look　the　market　overwhich　they　did。　

To　start　with；　they　considered　and　discussed　Brandish；　rising　young

lawyer；　and　Fulton；　rising　young　dentist。　　Sally　must　invite　them

to　dinner。　　But　not　right　away；　there　was　no　hurry；　Aleck　said。　

Keep　an　eye　on　the　pair；　and　wait；　nothing　would　be　lost　by　going

slowly　in　so　important　a　matter。



It　turned　out　that　this　was　wisdom；　too；　for　inside　of　three

weeks　Aleck　made　a　wonderful　strike　which　swelled　her　imaginary

hundred　thousand　to　four　hundred　thousand　of　the　same　quality。　

She　and　Sally　were　in　the　clouds　that　evening。　　For　the　first

time　they　introduced　champagne　at　dinner。　　Not　real　champagne；

but　plenty　real　enough　for　the　amount　of　imagination　expended　on　it。　

It　was　Sally　that　did　it；　and　Aleck　weakly　submitted。　　At　bottom　both

were　troubled　and　ashamed；　for　he　was　a　high…up　Son　of　Temperance；

and　at　funerals　wore　an　apron　which　no　dog　could　look　upon　and　retain

his　reason　and　his　opinion；　and　she　was　a　W。　C。　T。　U。；　with　all　that

that　implies　of　boiler…iron　virtue　and　unendurable　holiness。　　But　there

is　was；　the　pride　of　riches　was　beginning　its　disintegrating　work。　

They　had　lived　to　prove；　once　more；　a　sad　truth　which　had　been　proven

many　times　before　in　the　world：　　that　whereas　principle　is　a　great

and　noble　protection　against　showy　and　degrading　vanities　and　vices；

poverty　is　worth　six　of　it。　　More　than　four　hundred　thousand

dollars　to　the　good。　　They　took　up　the　matrimonial　matter　again。　

Neither　the　dentist　nor　the　lawyer　was　mentioned；　there　was　no　occasion；

they　were　out　of　the　running。　　Disqualified。　　They　discussed　the　son

of　the　pork…packer　and　the　son　of　the　village　banker。　　But　finally；

as　in　the　previous　case；　they　concluded　to　wait　and　think；　and　go

cautiously　and　sure。



Luck　came　their　way　again。　　Aleck；　ever　watchful　saw　a　great

and　risky　chance；　and　took　a　daring　flyer。　　A　time　of　trembling；

of　doubt；　o