第13章

"He's been at this school place for pretty nigh ten years, so the lawyer feller said.That lawyer was a pretty decent chap, too, for a furriner.Seems he used to know this--Speranza rascal--when Speranza was younger and more decent--if he ever was really decent, which I doubt.But this lawyer man was his friend then and about the only one he really had when he was hurt.There was plenty of make-believe friends hangin' on, like pilot-fish to a shark, for what they could get by spongin' on him, but real friends were scarce.""And the boy--"

"For the Lord sakes, Mother, don't keep sayin' 'The boy,' 'the boy,' over and over again like a talkin' machine! Let me finish about the father first.This Weis--er--thingamajig--the lawyer, had quite a talk with Speranza afore he died, or while he was dyin'; he only lived a few hours after the accident and was out of his head part of that.But he said enough to let Weiss--er--er--Oh, why CAN'T I remember that Portygee's name?--to let him know that he'd like to have him settle up what was left of his affairs, and to send word to us about--about the boy.There! I hope you feel easier, Mother; I've got 'round to 'the boy' at last.""But why did he want word sent to us, Zelotes? He never wrote a line to us in his life.""You bet he didn't!" bitterly; "he knew better.Why did he want word sent now? The answer to that's easy enough.'Cause he wanted to get somethin' out of us, that's the reason.From what that lawyer could gather, and from what he's found out since, there ain't money enough for the boy to stay another six weeks at that school, or anywhere else, unless the young feller earns it himself.

And, leavin' us out of the count, there isn't a relation this side of the salt pond.There's probably a million or so over there in Portygee-land," with a derisive sniff; "those foreigners breed like flies.But THEY don't count.""But did he want word sent to us about the--""Sshh! I'm tellin' you, Olive, I'm tellin' you.He wanted word sent because he was in hopes that we--you and I, Mother--would take that son of his in at our house here and give him a home.The cheek of it! After what he'd done to you and me, blast him! The solid brass nerve of it!"He stormed up and down the room.His wife did not seem nearly so much disturbed as he at the thought of the Speranza presumption.

She looked anxious--yes, but she looked eager, too, and her gaze was fixed upon her husband's face.

"Oh!" she said, softly."Oh!...And--and what did you say, Zelotes?""What did I say? What do you suppose I said? I said no, and Isaid it good and loud, too."

Olive made no comment.She turned away her head, and the captain, who now in his turn was watching her, saw a suspicious gleam, as of moisture, on her cheek.He stopped his pacing and laid a hand on her shoulder.

"There, there, Mother," he said, gently."Don't cry.He's comin'.""Comin'?" She turned pale."Comin'?" she repeated."Who?""That boy!...Sshh! shh!" impatiently."Now don't go askin' me questions or tellin' me what I just said I said.I SAID the right thing, but-- Well, hang it all, what else could I DO? I wrote the boy--Albert--a letter and I wrote the boss of the school another one.I sent a check along for expenses and-- Well, he'll be here 'most any day now, I shouldn't wonder.And WHAT in the devil are we goin' to do with him?"His wife did not reply to this outburst.She was trembling with excitement.

"Is--is his name Albert?" she faltered.

"Um-hm.Seems so."

"Why, that's your middle name! Do you--do you s'pose Janie could have named him for--for you?""I don't know."

"Of course," with some hesitation, "it may be she didn't.If she'd named him Zelotes--""Good heavens, woman! Isn't one name like that enough in the family? Thank the Lord we're spared two of 'em! But there! he's comin'.And when he gets here--then what?"Olive put her arm about her big husband.

"I hope--yes, I'm sure you did right, Zelotes, and that all's goin'

to turn out to be for the best."

"Are you? Well, _I_ ain't sure, not by a thousand fathom.""He's Janie's boy."

"Yes.And he's that play-actor's boy, too.One Speranza pretty nigh ruined your life and mine, Olive.What'll this one do?...

Well, God knows, I suppose likely, but He won't tell.All we can do is wait and see.I tell you honest I ain't very hopeful."