登陆注册
5259400000041

第41章 CHAPTER VIII THE OBLIGATIONS OF A GENTLEMAN(2)

Simeon gaped, his mouth open.

"Up THERE?" he cried. "Why, of course not. That's the Boulevard.

We're goin' along the Shore Road."

"That so? I guess not. We're goin' by the Boulevard. Can go that way, can't we?"

"Can?" repeated Simeon aghast. "Course we CAN! But it's like boxin' the whole compass backward to get ha'f a p'int east of no'th. It's way round Robin Hood's barn. It'll take twice as long and cost--"

"That's good," interrupted the Captain. "I like to travel, and I'm willin' to pay for it. Think of the view I'll get on the way."

"But your permit from the selectmen--" began Phinney. Berry held up his hand.

"My permit never said nothin' about the course to take," he answered, his eye twinkling just a little. "There, Sim, you're wastin' time. I move by the Hill Boulevard."

And into the Boulevard swung the Berry house. The Colt and Adams foreman was an angry man when he saw the beams laid in that direction. He rushed over and asked profane and pointed questions.

"Thought you said you was goin' straight ahead?" he demanded.

"Thought I was," replied Simeon, "but, you see, I'm only navigator of this craft, not owner."

"Where is the blankety blank?" asked the foreman.

"If you're referrin' to Cap'n Berry, I cal'late you'll find him at the depot," answered Phinney. To the depot went the foreman.

Receiving little satisfaction there, he hurried to the home of his employer, Mr. Williams. The magnate, red-faced and angry, returned with him to the station. Captain Sol received them blandly. Issy, who heard the interview which followed, declared that the depot master was so cool that "an iceberg was a bonfire 'longside of him." Issy's description of this interview, given to a dozen townspeople within the next three hours, was as follows:

"Mr. Williams," said the wide-eyed Issy, "he comes postin' into the waitin' room, his foreman with him. Williams marches over to Cap'n Sol and he says, 'Berry,' he says, 'are you responsible for the way that house of yours is moved?'

"Cap'n Sol bowed and smiled. 'Yes,' says he, sweet as a fresh scallop.

"'You're movin' it to Main Street, aren't you? I so understood.'

"'You understood correct. That's where she's bound.'

"'Then what do you mean by turning out of your road and into mine?'

"'Oh, I don't own any road. Have you bought the Boulevard? The selectmen ought to have told us that. I s'posed it was town thoroughfare.'

"Mr. Williams colored up a little. 'I didn't mean my road in that sense,' he says. 'But the direct way to Main Street is along the shore, and everybody knows it. Now why do you turn from that into the Boulevard?'

"Cap'n Sol took a cigar from his pocket. 'Have one?' says he, passin' it toward Mr. Williams. 'No? Too soon after breakfast, I s'pose. Why do I turn off?' he goes on. 'Well, I'll tell you.

I'm goin' to stay right aboard my shack while it's movin', and it's so much pleasanter a ride up the hill that I thought I'd go that way. I always envied them who could afford a house on the Boulevard, and now I've got the chance to have one there--for a spell. I'm sartin I shall enjoy it.'

"The foreman growled, disgusted. Mr. Williams got redder yet.

"'Don't you understand?' he snorts. 'You're blockin' the way of the house I'M movin'. I have capable men with adequate apparatus to move it, and they would be able to go twice as fast as your one-horse country outfit. You're blockin' the road. Now they must follow you. It's an outrage!'

"Cap'n Sol smiled once more. 'Too bad,' says he. 'It's a pity such a nice street ain't wider. If it was my street in my town--I b'lieve that's what you call East Harniss, ain't it?--seems to me I'd widen it.'

"The boss of 'my town' ground his heel into the sand. 'Berry,' he snaps, 'are you goin' to move that house over the Boulevard ahead of mine?'

"The Cap'n looked him square in the eye. 'Williams,' says he, 'I am.'

"The millionaire turned short and started to go.

"'You'll pay for it,' he snarls, his temper gettin' free at last.

"'I cal'late to,' purrs the Cap'n. 'I gen'rally do pay for what I want, and a fair price, at that. I never bought in cheap mortgages and held 'em for clubs over poor folks, never in my life. Good mornin'.'

"And right to Mr. Williams's own face, too," concluded Issy. "WHAT do you think of that?"

Here was defiance of authority and dignity, a sensation which should have racked East Harniss from end to end. But most of the men in the village, the tradespeople particularly, had another matter on their minds, namely, Major Cuthbertson Scott Hardee, of "Silverleaf Hall." The Major and his debts were causing serious worriment.

The creditors of the Major met, according to agreement, on the Monday evening following their previous gathering at the club.

Obed Gott, one of the first to arrive, greeted his fellow members with an air of gloomy triumph and a sort of condescending pity.

Higgins, the "general store" keeper, acting as self-appointed chairman, asked if anyone had anything to report. For himself, he had seen the Major and asked point-blank for payment of his bill.

The Major had been very polite and was apparently much concerned that his fellow townsmen should have been inconvenienced by any neglect of his. He would write to his attorneys at once, so he said.

"He said a whole lot more, too," added Higgins. "Said he had never been better served than by the folks in this town, and that I kept a fine store, and so on and so forth. But I haven't got any money yet. Anybody else had any better luck?"

No one had, although several had had similar interviews with the master of "Silverleaf Hall."

"Obed looks as if he knew somethin'," remarked Weeks. "What is it, Obed?"

Mr. Gott scornfully waved his hand.

"You fellers make me laugh," he said. "You talk and talk, but you don't do nothin'. I b'lieve in doin', myself. When I went home t'other night, thinks I: 'There's one man that might know somethin' 'bout old Hardee, and that's Godfrey, the hotel man.' So I wrote to Godfrey up to Boston and I got a letter from him. Here 'tis."

同类推荐
  • Within the Tides

    Within the Tides

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 十二品生死经

    十二品生死经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说鹦鹉经

    佛说鹦鹉经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 田赋考辨

    田赋考辨

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 玄灵转经早朝行道仪

    玄灵转经早朝行道仪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 超时空爱与战绩

    超时空爱与战绩

    公元2200年,统一后的“地球联邦”。因为人口的剧增自然资源的枯竭很多生活在底层的低收入者和一些怀揣梦想的人们在联邦的政策下向月球进行殖民。在极其恶劣的生存条件下开拓那里的矿产和资源,并向地球输出。经过几代人的努力他们的后辈积累了巨额财富,并在那里组建了很多新的社区以一种新的社会形态在那里生活。在巨大的生存环境压力下迫使他们再在科技方面积极研发。随着时间的推移逐步超越了地球。在公元2340年的时候,月球上的人类出于将来发展的考虑不顾地球民众的强烈反对开始进行克隆人类的繁衍。这在人类历史上还是首次。
  • 蜜爱成伤

    蜜爱成伤

    她爱他,刻骨铭心。却被他弃若敝履,反复践踏。三年的忍让,到头来,只是可笑的一厢情愿。她含泪带球离开,却被他全球通缉,“宋怀霜,我想你想的心都疼了。”
  • 正邪天下(全6册)

    正邪天下(全6册)

    一段师门恩怨引出一场天下动乱。武林之争始于绝世奇人空灵子所创“天平六术”。空灵子六位逆徒横行江湖,扰起一场血腥风雨。两位神秘少年便在这风雨江湖中同时崛起,各凭绝世智谋在武林中卷起一股狂潮,心怀圣意者,却魔缘不断,而心怀邪念者,却机缘连连,更统一邪道与正道相持不下,然而,自古正邪不两立,他们终因不同的信念而决战武林。
  • 玄武门实录

    玄武门实录

    小说讲述了唐太宗李世民玄武门事件的故事。以武德九年六月初三到李世民登基这段时间跨度为行文主线,中间有大量关于人物生平与大唐发迹史的插叙,语言平白如话却又不失生动幽默,最精彩的是人物的心理描写和丝丝入扣的逻辑推理。作者的观点独树一帜,文章可读性很强。不少人误以为但凡小人皆不可交,其实,真正需要帮忙的时候,能指望得上的人,都是小人之交而不是君子之交。但凡于某人有恩者,难免不自以为受某人信任,但凡自以为受某人信任者,鲜有不肯为某人尽力者。原来一场貌似惊天动地的宫廷政变,其实也不过就是如土匪的打家劫舍,最终目的无非是谋财害命而已。
  • 林徽因画传

    林徽因画传

    以流畅自然的文字记叙一代才女林徽因的传奇一生,并配以数十幅精美珍贵的历史照片,图文并茂地讲述既是建筑家又是诗人的“第一才女”林徽因的一生,感受这位美貌与智慧并重的才女的精彩人生。
  • 好为人师(中国好小说)

    好为人师(中国好小说)

    小说讲述了硕士毕业的数学老师蔺骥途在从教期间“不务正业”,最终离开学校,自己办起家教的故事。小说着重点描写了蔺骥途憨厚的为人处世方式和他与两位女子的交往过程,突出蔺骥途表面看似对于世事随遇而安,对于周围的人温柔和顺,但内心充满反抗,坚持自我的矛盾现状。
  • 世界最具领导性的政坛伟人(3)

    世界最具领导性的政坛伟人(3)

    《世界最具领导性的政坛伟人(三)》是《震撼心灵阅读之旅经典文库》系列之一,包括:世界最具财富性的企业精英、世界最具传世性的思想巨人、世界最具发明性的科学大家、世界最具感悟性的哲理美文、世界最具故事性的中篇小说等。
  • 炫风:中国明星城市发展史

    炫风:中国明星城市发展史

    某种意义而言,21世纪国际竞争既不是企业也不是国家,而是各具特色的城市圈。没有城市圈的形成和崛起,没有发达的大城市做后盾,没有人口和产业聚集以及城市的高度文明,毫无疑问这是一个很难在国际市场上获得竞争力的国家。
  • 腹黑总裁的女人

    腹黑总裁的女人

    (本文打造,绝世男主,深情强势,有甜的宠溺,也有虐的伤痛,宝贝们用力跳坑哈!)黑暗的空气中,韩惜只能听见自己紧促的呼吸声和如擂鼓一般的心跳声,咯吱,开门声后,一个高大的身影走了进来。。。几年后她成为儿童心理专家,挽着心爱的未婚夫归来,幸福的双人影被一双恶魔的眼睛盯上。有人说一旦被恶魔贴上标签的东西,终其一生都无法逃脱。“妈咪!”自闭儿童开口的第一句话让韩惜呆在那里。“我不是你的妈咪。。。”“你是!”“呃,那个你快跟他解释下我不是他妈咪啦!”韩惜拽着身旁的男人无措地说道。“他叫你妈咪,那你就是他的妈咪!”薄唇边挂着邪魅的笑。“呃。。。”
  • 三皇内文遗秘

    三皇内文遗秘

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。