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somethin' towards makin' a start in life。 We can usethat is；
this business can use that kind of a chap right now。 He could larn
to keep books and know lumber and hardware and how to sell and how
to buy。 He can larn the whole thing。 There's a chance here； son。
It's your chance； I'm givin' it to you。 How big a chance it turns
out to be 'll depend on you； yourself。〃
He stopped。 Albert was silent。 His thoughts were confused； but
out of their dismayed confusion two or three fixed ideas reared
themselves like crags from a whirlpool。 He was to live in South
Hamiss alwaysalways； he was to keep books Heavens； how he hated
mathematics； detail work of any kind！for drunken old Keeler； he
was to 〃heave lumber〃 with Issy Price。 He Oh； it was dreadful！
It was horrible。 He couldn't！ He wouldn't！ He
Captain Zelotes had been watching him； his heavy brows drawing
closer together as the boy delayed answering。
〃Well？〃 he asked； for another minute。 〃Did you hear what I said？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Understood； did you？〃
〃Yessir。〃
〃Well？〃
Albert was clutching at straws。 〃II don't know how to keep
books；〃 he faltered。
〃I didn't suppose you did。 Don't imagine they teach anything as
practical as bookkeepin' up at that school of yours。 But you can
larn； can't you？〃
〃II guess so。〃
〃I guess so； too。 Good Lord； I HOPE so！ Humph！ You don't seem to
be jumpin' for joy over the prospect。 There's a half dozen smart
young fellers here in South Harniss that would； I tell you that。〃
Albert devoutly wished they had jumpedand landedbefore his
arrival。 His grandfather's tone grew more brusque。
〃Don't you want to work？〃 he demanded。
〃Why； yes； II suppose I do。 II hadn't thought much about it。〃
〃Humph！ Then I think it's time you begun。 Hadn't you had ANY
notion of what you wanted to do when you got out of that school of
yours？〃
〃I was going to college。〃
〃Humph！ 。 。 。 Yes； I presume likely。 Well； after you got out of
college； what was you plannin' to do then？〃
〃I wasn't sure。 I thought I might do something with my music。 I
can play a little。 I can't singthat is； not well enough。 If I
could；〃 wistfully； 〃I should have liked to be in opera； as father
was； of course。〃
Captain Zelotes' only comment was a sniff or snort； or combination
of both。 Albert went on。
〃I had thought of writingwriting books and poems； you know。 I've
written quite a good deal for the school magazine。 And I think I
should like to be an actor； perhaps。 I〃
〃Good God！〃 His grandfather's fist came down upon the desk before
him。 Slowly he shook his head。
〃Aa poetry writer and an actor！〃 he repeated。 〃Whew！ 。 。 。
Well； there！ Perhaps maybe we hadn't better talk any more just
now。 You can have the rest of the day to run around town and sort
of get acquainted； if you want to。 Then to…morrow mornin' you and
I'll come over here together and we'll begin to break you in。 I
shouldn't wonder；〃 he added； dryly； 〃if you found it kind of dull
at firstcompared to that school and poetry makin' and suchbut
it'll be respectable and it'll pay for board and clothes and
somethin' to eat once in a while； which may not seem so important
to you now as 'twill later on。 And some day I cal'lateanyhow
we'll hopeyou'll be mighty glad you did it。〃
Poor Albert looked and felt anything but glad just then。 Captain
Zelotes； his hands in his pockets； stood regarding him。 He； too；
did not look particularly happy。
〃You'll remember；〃 he observed； 〃or perhaps you don't know； that
when your father asked us to look out for you〃
Albert interrupted。 〃Diddid father ask you to take care of me？〃
he cried； in surprise。
〃Um…hm。 He asked somebody who was with him to ask us to do just
that。〃
The boy drew a long breath。 〃Well； then；〃 he said； hopelessly；
〃I'llI'll try。〃
〃Thanks。 Now you run around town and see the sights。 Dinner's at
half past twelve prompt； so be on hand for that。〃
After his grandson had gone； the captain； hands still in his
pockets； stood for some time looking out of the window。 At length
he spoke aloud。
〃A play actor or a poetry writer！〃 he exclaimed。 〃Tut； tut； tut！
No use talkin'； blood will tell！〃
Issachar； who was putting coal on the office fire； turned his head。
〃Eh？〃 he queried。
〃Nothin'；〃 said Captain Lote。
He would have been surprised if he could have seen his grandson
just at that moment。 Albert； on the beach whither he had strayed
in his desire to be alone； safely hidden from observation behind a
sand dune； was lying with his head upon his arms and sobbing
bitterly。
A disinterested person might have decided that the interview which
had just taken place and which Captain Zelotes hopefully told his
wife that morning would probably result in 〃a clear； comf'table
understandin' between the boy and me〃such a disinterested person
might have decided that it had resulted in exactly the opposite。
In calculating the results to be obtained from that interview the
captain had not taken into consideration two elements； one his own
and the other his grandson's。 These elements were prejudice and
temperament。
CHAPTER IV
The next morning； with much the same feeling that a convict must
experience when he enters upon a life imprisonment； Albert entered
the employ of 〃Z。 Snow and Co。； Lumber and Builders' Hardware。〃
The day； he would have sworn it； was at least a year long。 The
interval between breakfast and dinner was quite six months； yet the
dinner hour itself was the shortest sixty minutes he had ever
known。 Mr。 Keeler had not yet returned to his labors； so there was
no instruction in bookkeeping； but his grandfather gave him letters
to file and long dreary columns of invoice figures to add。 Twice
Captain Zelotes went out and then； just as Albert settled back for
a rest and breathing spell； Issachar Price appeared； warned
apparently by some sort of devilish intuition； and invented
〃checking up stock〃 and similar menial and tiresome tasks to keep
him uncomfortable till the captain returned。 The customers who
came in asked questions concerning him and he was introduced to at
least a dozen citizens of South Harniss； who observed 〃Sho！〃 and
〃I want to know！〃 when told his identity and； in some instances；
addressed him as 〃Bub；〃 which was of itself a crime deserving
capital punishment。
That night； as he lay in bed in the back bedroom； he fell asleep
facing the dreary prospect of another monotonous imprisonment the
following day； and the next day； and the day after that； and after
thatand after thatand so onand onand onforever and ever；
as long as life should last。 This； then； was to be the end of all
his dreams； this drudgery in a country town among these commonplace
country people。 This was the end of his dreams of some day writing
deathless odes and sonnets or thrilling romances； of treading the
boards as the hero of romantic drama while star…eyed daughters of
multi…millionaires gazed from the boxes in spellbound rapture。
This 。 。 。 The thought of the star…eyed ones reminded him of the
girl who had come into the office the afternoon of his first visit
to that torture chamber。 He had thought of her