第70章

"Yes, indeed they have.Now, if Madeline wants to marry me and Iwant to marry her, who will stop us?"

The captain pulled at his beard.

"Why, nobody, Al, as I know of," he said; "provided you both keep on wantin' to marry each other long enough.""Keep on wanting long enough? What do you mean by that?""Why, nothin' much, perhaps; only gettin' married isn't all just goin' to the parson.After the ceremony the rent begins and the grocers' bills and the butchers' and the bakers' and a thousand or so more.Somebody's got to pay 'em, and the money's got to come from somewhere.Your wages here, Al, poetry counted in, ain't so very big yet.Better wait a spell before you settle down to married life, hadn't you?""Well--well, I--I didn't say we were to be married right away, Grandfather.She and I aren't unreasonable.I'm doing better and better with my writings.Some day I'll make enough, and more.Why not?"There was enough of the Speranza egotism in this confident assurance to bring the twinkle to the captain's eye.He twisted his beard between his finger and thumb and regarded his grandson mildly.

"Have you any idea how much 'enough' is liable to be, Al?" he inquired."I don't know the facts about 'em, of course, but from what I have heard I judge the Fosdicks have got plenty of cash.

I've heard it estimated around town from one million to fifty millions.Allowin' it's only one million, it seems likely that your--er--what's-her-name--Madeline has been used to havin' as much as fifty cents to spend whenever she wanted it.Do you cal'late to be able to earn enough makin' up poetry to keep her the way her folks have been doin'?""No, of course not--not at first."

"Oh, but later on--when the market price of poetry has gone up--you can, eh?""Look here, Grandfather, if you're making fun of me I tell you Iwon't stand it.This is serious; I mean it.Madeline and I are going to be married some time and no one can stop us.""All right, son, all right.But it did seem to me that in the light of this letter from--er--your mother-in-law that's goin' to be, we ought to face the situation moderately square, anyhow.

First comes marriage.Well, that's easy; any fool can get married, lots of 'em do.But then, as I said, comes supportin' yourself and wife--bills, bills, and more bills.You'll say that you and she will economize and fight it out together.Fine, first-rate, but later on there may be more of you, a child, children perhaps--""Grandfather!"

"It's possible, son.Such things do happen, and they cost money.

More mouths to feed.Now I take it for granted that you aren't marryin' the Fosdick girl for her money--"The interruption was prompt and made with fiery indignation.

"I never thought of her money," declared Albert."I don't even know that she has any.If she has, I don't want it.I wouldn't take it.She is all I want."Captain Zelotes' lip twitched.

"Judgin' from the tone of her ma's last letter to me," he observed, "she is all you would be liable to get.It don't read as if many--er--weddin' presents from the bride's folks would come along with her.But, there, there, Al don't get mad.I know this is a long ways from bein' a joke to you and, in a way, it's no joke for me.

Course I had realized that some day you'd be figgerin', maybe, on gettin' married, but I did hope the figgerin' wouldn't begin for some years yet.And when you did, I rather hoped--well, I--Ihoped....However, we won't stop to bother with that now.

Let's stick to this letter of Mrs.Fosdick's here.I must answer that, I suppose, whether I want to or not, to-day.Well, Al, you tell me, I understand that there has been nothin' underhand in your acquaintance with her daughter.Other than keepin' the engagement a secret, that is?""Yes, I do."

"And you mean to stick by your guns and....Well, what is it?

Come in!"

There had been a knock upon the office door.In answer to his employer's summons, Mr.Keeler appeared.He held a card in his hand.

"Sorry to disturb you, Cap'n Lote," he said."Yes, I be, yes, sir.

But I judged maybe 'twas somethin' important about the lumber for his house and he seemed anxious to see you, so I took the risk and knocked.Um-hm--yes, yes, yes."Captain Zelotes looked at the card.Then he adjusted his spectacles and looked again.

"Humph!" he grunted."Humph!...We-ell, Labe, I guess likely you might show him in here.Wait just a minute before you do it, though.I'll open the door when I want him to come.""All right, Cap'n Lote.Yes, yes," observed Mr.Keeler and departed.The captain looked thoughtfully at the card.

"Al," he said, after a moment's reflection, "we'll have to cut this talk of ours short for a little spell.You go back to your desk and wait there until I call you.Hold on," as his grandson moved toward the door of the outer office."Don't go that way.Go out through the side door into the yard and come in the front way.

There's--er--there's a man waitin' to see me, and--er--perhaps he'd better not see you first."Albert stared at him uncomprehendingly.

"Better not see ME?" he repeated."Why shouldn't he see me?"Captain Zelotes handed the card to Albert.

"Better let me talk with him first, Al," he said."You can have your chance later on."The card bore the name of Mr.Fletcher Story Fosdick.