stories of a western town-第13章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


nic　about　red　Indians。　Mrs。　Derry　supposed　these　savages　to　be　lurking　on　the　prairie　outside　every　Western　town；　and　almost　fainted　when　she　did　chance　to　turn　the　corner　upon　three　Kickapoo　Indians；　splendid　in　paint　and　feathers；　and　peacefully　vending　the　〃Famous　Kickapoo　Sagwa。〃　She　had　others　of　the　artless　notions　of　the　travelling　English；　and　I　fear　that　they　were　encouraged　not　only　by　the　cook；　the　〃second　girl；〃　and　the　man…of…all…work；　but　by　Harry　and　his　chum；　Tommy；　I　know　she　used　to　tell　how　she　saw　tame　buffalo　〃roosting〃　on　the　streets；　〃w'ich　they　do　look　that　like　common　cows　a　body　couldn't　tell　'em　hapart！〃　She　had　a　great　opinion　of　Tommy；　a　mystery　to　her　mistress　for　a　long　time；　until　one　day　it　leaked　out　that　Tommy　〃and　Master　Harry；　too；〃　had　told　her　that　Tommy's　great…grandfather　was　a　lord　in　the　old　country。　〃The　family　seem　to　have　sunk　in　the　world　since；　Derry；〃　was　Mrs。　Carriswood's　single　remark；　as　she　smiled　to　herself。　After　Derry　was　dismissed　she　picked　up　a　letter；　written　that　day　to　a　friend　of　hers；　and　read　some　passages　about　Harry　and　Tommy；　smiling　again。　〃Harry〃one　may　look　over　her　pretty　shoulder　without　impertinence；　in　a　story〃Harry；〃　she　wrote；　〃is　a　boy　that　I　long　to　steal。　　Just　the　kind　of　boy　we　have　both　wanted；　Sarahfrank；　happy；　affectionate。　I　must　tell　you　something　about　him。　　It　came　out　by　accident。　He　has　the　Western　business　instincts；　and　what　do　you　suppose　he　did？　He　actually　started　a　wee　shop　of　his　own　in　the　corner　of　the　yard　（really　it　is　a　surprisingly　pretty　place；　and　they　are　quite　civilized　in　the　house；　gas；　hot　water；　steam　heat；　all　most　comfortable）；　and　sold　'pop'　and　candy　and　cakes　to　the　boys。　　He　made　so　much　money　that　he　proposed　a　partnership　to　the　cook　and　the　setting　up　a　little　booth　in　the　'county　fair；'　which　is　like　our　rural　cattle　shows；　you　know。　The　cook　（a　superior　person　who　borrows　books　from　Mrs。　Lossing；　but　seems　very　decent　and　respectful　notwithstanding；　and　broils　game　to　perfection。　　And　SUCH　game　as　we　have　here；　Sarah！）well；　the　cook　made　him　cream…cakes；　sandwiches；　tarts；　and　candy；　and　Harry　honorably　bought　all　the　provisions　with　his　profits　from　the　first　venture。　You　will　open　your　eyes　at　his　father　permitting　such　a　thing；　but　Henry　Lossing　is　a　thorough　Westerner　in　some　ways；　and　he　looks　on　it　all　as　a　joke。　　'Might　show　the　boy　how　to　do　business；'　he　says。　〃Well；　they　had　a　ravishing　display；　so　Alma；　the　cook；　and　William；　the　man；　assured　meper　Derry。　All　the　sadder　its　fate；　for　alas！　a　gang　of　rowdy　boys　fell　upon　Harry；　and　while　he　was　busy　fighting　half　of　them　he　is　as　plucky　as　his　uncle；　the　generalthe　other　half　looted　the　beautiful　stock　in　trade！　　They　would　have　despoiled　our　poor　little　merchant　entirely　but　for　the　opportune　arrival　of　a　schoolmate　who　is　mightily　respected　by　the　rowdies。　He　knocked　one　of　them　down　and　shouted　after　the　others　that　he　would　give　every　one　of　them　a　good　thrashing　if　they　did　not　bring　the　plunder　back；　and　as　he　is　known　to　be　a　lad　of　his　word　for　good　or　evil；　actually　the　scamps　did　return　most　of　the　booty；　which　the　two　boys　brushed　off　and　sold；　as　far　as　it　went　（！）　　The　consequence　of　the　fray　has　been　that　Harry　is　unboundedly　grateful　to　this　Tommy　Fitzmaurice；　and　is　at　present　coaching　him　on　his　graduating　oration。　Fitzmaurice　has　studied　hard　and　won　honors；　and　wants　to　make　a　show　with　his　oration；　to　please　his　father。　'You　see；'　says　Harry；　'Tommy's　father　has　saved　money　and　is　spending　it　all　on　Tommy；　so's　he　can　be　educated。　He　needs　Tommy　in　the　business　real　bad；　but　he　won't　let　him　come　in；　he　keeps　him　at　school；　and　he　thinks　everything　of　his　getting　the　valedictory；　and　Tommy；　he　worked　nights　studying　to　get　it。'　When　I　asked　what　was　the　father's　business；　Harry　grew　a　bit　confused。　　'Well；　he　kept　a　saloon；　but'Harry　hastened　to　explain'it　was　a　very　nice　saloon；　never　any　trouble　with　the　police　there；　why；　Tommy　knew　every　man　on　the　force。　And　they　keep　good　liquors；　too；'　said　Harry；　earnestly；　'throw　away　all　the　beer　left　in　the　glasses。'　'What　else　would　they　do　with　it？'　asked　innocent　I。　'Why；　keep　it　in　a　bucket；'　said　Harry；　solemnly；　'and　then　slip　the　glass　under　the　counter　and　half　fill　out　of　the　bucket；　then　hold　it　under　the　keg　LOW；　so's　the　foam　will　come；　that's　a　trick　of　the　trade；　you　know。　　Tommy　says　his　father　would　SCORN　that！'　　There　is　a　vista　opened；　isn't　there？　I　was　rather　shocked　at　such　associates　for　Harry；　and　told　his　mother。　　Did　she　think　it　a　good　idea　to　have　such　a　boy　coming　to　the　house？　a　saloon…keeper's　son？　　She　did　not　laugh；　as　I　half　expected；　but　answered　quite　seriously　that　she　had　been　looking　up　Tommy；　that　he　was　very　much　attached　to　Harry；　and　that　she　did　not　think　he　would　teach　him　anything　bad。　He　has；　I　find　myself；　notions　of　honor；　though　they　are　rather　the　code　of　the　street。　　And　he　picks　up　things　quickly。　Once　he　came　to　tea。　　It　was　amusing　to　see　how　he　glued　his　eyes　on　Harry　and　kept　time　with　his　motions。　　He　used　his　fork　quite　properly；　only　as　Harry　is　a　left…handed　little　fellow；　the　right…handed　Thomas　had　the　more　difficulty。　〃He　is　taking　such　vast　pains　with　his　'oration'　that　I　felt　moved　to　help　him。　　The　subject　is　'The　Triumph　of　Democracy；'　and　Tommy　civilly　explained　that　'democracy'　did　not　mean　the　Democratic　party；　but　'just　only　a　government　where　all　the　poor　folks　can　get　their　rights　and　can　vote。'　〃The　oration　was　the　kind　of　spread…eagle　thing　you　might　expect；　I　can　see　that　Tommy　has　formed　himself　on　the　orators　of　his　father's　respectable　saloon。　　What　he　said　in　comment　interested　me　more。　　'Sure；　I　guess　it　is　the　best　government；　ma'am；　though；　of　course；　I　got　to　make　it　out　that　way；　anyhow。　　But　we　come　from　Ireland；　and　there　they　got　the　other　kind；　and　me　granny；　she　starved　in　the　famine　time；　she　did　thatwith　the　fever。　Me　father　walked　twenty　mile　to　the　Sackville's　place；　where　they　gave　him　some　meal；　though　he　wasn't　one　of　their　tenants；　yes；　and　the　lady　told　him　how　he　would　be　cooking　it。　I　never　will　forget　that　lady！'　〃I　saw　a　dramatic　opportunity：　　would　Tommy　be　willing　to　tell　that　story　in　his　speech？　　He　looked　at　me　with　an　odd　look　or　so　I　imagined　it！　　'Why　not？'　says　he；　'I'd　as　soon　as　not　tell　it　to　anyone　of　them；　and　why　not　to　them　all　together？'　　Well；　why　not；　when　you　come　to　think　of　it？　　So　we　have　got　it　into　the　speech；　and　I；　I　myself；　Sarah；　am　drilling　young　Demos…thenes；　and　he　is　so　apt　a　scholar　that　I　find　myself　rather　pleasantly　employed。〃　Having　read　her　letter；　Mrs。　Carriswood　hesitated　a　second　and　then　added　Derry's　information　at　the　bottom　of　the　page。　〃I　suppose　the　lordly　ancestor　was　one　of　King　James's　creation　see　Macaulay；　somewhere　in　the　second　volume。　　I　dare　say　there　is　a　drop　or　two　of　good　blood　in　the　boy。　　He　has　the　manners　of　a　gentlemanbut　I　don't　know　that　I　ever　saw　an　Irishman；　no　matter　how　low　in　the　social　scale；　who　hadn't。〃　Thus　it　happened　that　Tommy's　valedictory　scored　a　success　that　is　a　tradition　of　the　High　School；　and　came　to　be　printed　in　both　the　city　papers；　copies　of　which　journals　Tommy's　mother　has　preserved　sacredly