第39章

"Oh, DON'T be silly!" she exclaimed."I don't want you to do it for my sake.I want you to do it for your own sake.Yes, and for your grandfather's sake.""My grandfather's sake! Great Scott, why do you drag him in? HEdoesn't want me to write poetry."

"He wants you to do something, to succeed.I know that.""He wants me to stay here and help Labe Keeler and Issy Price.He wants me to spend all my life in that office of his; that's what HEwants.Now hold on, Helen! I'm not saying anything against the old fellow.He doesn't like me, I know, but--""You DON'T know.He does like you.Or he wants to like you very much indeed.He would like to have you carry on the Snow Company's business after he has gone, but if you can't--or won't--do that, Iknow he would be very happy to see you succeed at anything--anything."

Albert laughed scornfully."Even at writing poetry?" he asked.

"Why, yes, at writing; although of course he doesn't know a thing about it and can't understand how any one can possibly earn a living that way.He has read or heard about poets and authors starving in garrets and he thinks they're all like that.But if you could only show him and prove to him that you could succeed by writing, he would be prouder of you than any one else would be.Iknow it."

He regarded her curiously."You seem to know a lot about my grandfather," he observed.

"I do know something about him.He and I have been friends ever since I was a little girl, and I like him very much indeed.If he were my grandfather I should be proud of him.And I think you ought to be."She flashed the last sentence at him in a sudden heat of enthusiasm.

He was surprised at her manner.

"Gee! You ARE strong for the old chap, aren't you?" he said.

"Well, admitting that he is all right, just why should I be proud of him? I AM proud of my father, of course; he was somebody in the world.""You mean he was somebody just because he was celebrated and lots of people knew about him.Celebrated people aren't the only ones who do worth while things.If I were you, I should be proud of Captain Zelotes because he is what he has made himself.Nobody helped him; he did it all.He was a sea captain and a good one.

He has been a business man and a good one, even if the business isn't so very big.Everybody here in South Harniss--yes, and all up and down the Cape--knows of him and respects him.My father says in all the years he has preached in his church he has never heard a single person as much as hint that Captain Snow wasn't absolutely honest, absolutely brave, and the same to everybody, rich or poor.And all his life he has worked and worked hard.

What HE has belongs to him; he has earned it.That's why I should be proud of him if he were my grandfather."Her enthusiasm had continued all through this long speech.Albert whistled.

"Whew!" he exclaimed."Regular cheer for Zelotes, fellows! One--two--! Grandfather's got one person to stand up for him, I'll say that.But why this sudden outbreak about him, anyhow? It was me you were talking about in the beginning--though I didn't notice any loud calls for cheers in that direction," he added.

She ignored the last part of the speech."I think you yourself made me think of him," she replied."Sometimes you remind me of him.Not often, but once in a while.Just now, when we were climbing down that awful place you seemed almost exactly like him.