climbing down that awful place you seemed almost exactly like him。
The way you knew just what to do all the time； and your not
hesitating a minute； and the way you took command of the situation
and；〃 with a sudden laugh； 〃bossed me around； every bit of that was
like him； and not like you at all。 Oh； I don't mean that；〃 she
added hurriedly。 〃I mean it wasn't like you as you usually are。
It was different。〃
〃Humph！ Well； I must say See here； Helen Kendall； what is it
you expect me to do； sail in and write two or three sonnets and a
'Come Into the Garden； Maud；' some time next week？ You're terribly
keen about Grandfather； but he has rather got the edge on me so far
as age goes。 He's in the sixties； and I'm just about nineteen。〃
〃When he was nineteen he was first mate of a ship。〃
〃Yes； so I've heard him say。 Maybe first…mating is a little bit
easier than writing poetry。〃
〃And maybe it isn't。 At any rate； he didn't know whether it was
easy or not until he tried。 Oh； THAT'S what I would like to see
you doTRY to do something。 You could do it； too； almost anything
you tried； I do believe。 I am confident you could。 But Oh；
well； as you said at the beginning； it isn't my business at all；
and I've said ever and ever so much more than I meant to。 Please
forgive me； if you can。 I think my tumble and all the rest must
have made me silly。 I'm sorry； Albert。 There are the steps up to
the pavilion。 See them！〃
He was tramping on beside her； his hands in his pockets。 He did
not look at the long flight of steps which had suddenly come into
view around the curve of the bluff。 When he did look up and speak
it was in a different tone； some such tone as she had heard him use
during her rescue。
〃All right；〃 he said； with decision； 〃I'll show you whether I can
try or not。 I know you think I won't； but I will。 I'm going up to
my room to…night and I'm going to try to write something or other。
It may be the rottenest poem that ever was ground out； but I'll
grind it if it kills me。〃
She was pleased； that was plain； but she shook her head。
〃Not to…night； Albert；〃 she said。 〃To…night； after the picnic； is
Father's reception at the church。 Of course you'll come to that。〃
〃Of course I won't。 Look here； you've called me lazy and
indifferent and a hundred other pet names this afternoon。 Well；
this evening I'll make you take some of 'em back。 Reception be
hanged！ I'm going to write to…night。〃
That evening both Mrs。 Snow and Rachel Ellis were much disturbed
because Albert； pleading a headache； begged off from attendance at
the reception to the Reverend Mr。 Kendall。 Either； or both ladies
would have been only too willing to remain at home and nurse the
sufferer through his attack； but he refused to permit the sacrifice
on their part。 After they had gone his headache disappeared and；
supplied with an abundance of paper； pens and ink； he sat down at
the table in his room to invoke the Muse。 The invocation lasted
until three A。 M。 At that hour； with a genuine headache； but a
sense of triumph which conquered pain； Albert climbed into bed。
Upon the table lay a poem； a six stanza poem； having these words at
its head：
TO MY LADY'S SPRING HAT
By A。 M。 Speranza。
The following forenoon he posted that poem to the editor of The
Cape Cod Item。 And three weeks later it appeared in the pages of
that journal。 Of course there was no pecuniary recompense for its
author； and the fact was indisputable that the Item was generally
only too glad to publish contributions which helped to fill its
columns。 But； nevertheless； Albert Speranza had written a poem and
that poem had been published。
CHAPTER VII
It was Rachel who first discovered 〃To My Lady's Spring Hat〃 in the
Item three weeks later。 She came rushing into the sitting room
brandishing the paper。
〃My soul！ My soul！ My soul！〃 she cried。
Olive； sitting sewing by the window； was； naturally； somewhat
startled。 〃Mercy on us； Rachel！〃 she exclaimed。 〃What IS it？〃
〃Look！〃 cried the housekeeper； pointing to the contribution in the
〃Poets' Corner〃 as Queen Isabella may have pointed at the evidence
of her proteges discovery of a new world。 〃LOOK！〃
Mrs。 Snow looked； read the verses to herself； and then aloud。
〃Why； I declare； they're real sort of pretty； ain't they？〃 she
exclaimed； in astonished admiration。
〃Pretty！ They're perfectly elegant！ And right here in the paper
for all hands to see。 Ain't you PROUD of him； Mrs。 Snow？〃
Olive had been growing more and more proud of her handsome grandson
ever since his arrival。 She was prouder still now and said so。
Rachel nodded； triumphantly。
〃He'll be a Robert Penfold afore he dies； or I miss MY guess！〃 she
declared。
She showed it to feminine acquaintances all over town； and Olive；
when callers came； took pains to see that a copy of the Item；
folded with the 〃Poets' Corner〃 uppermost； lay on the center table。
Customers； dropping in at the office； occasionally mentioned the
poem to its author。
〃See you had a piece in the Item； Al；〃 was their usual way of
referring to it。 〃Pretty cute piece 'twas； too； seemed to me。
Say； that girl of yours must have SOME spring bunnit。 Ho； ho！〃
Issachar deigned to express approval； approval qualified with
discerning criticism of course； but approval nevertheless。
〃Pretty good piece； Al；〃 he observed。 〃Pretty good。 Glad to see
you done so well。 Course you made one little mistake； but 'twan't
a very big one。 That part where you said What was it； now？
Where'd I put that piece of poetry？ Oh； yes； here 'tis！ Where you
saiderer
'It floats upon her golden curls
As froth upon the wave。'
Now of course nothin'a hat or nothin' elseis goin' to float on
top of a person's head。 Froth floatin'； that's all right； you
understand； but even if you took froth right out of the water and
slapped it up onto anybody's hair 'twouldn't FLOAT up there。 If
you'd said；
'It SETS up onto her golden curls；
Same as froth sets on top of a wave。'
that would have been all right and true。 But there； don't feel bad
about it。 It's only a little mistake； same as anybody's liable to
make。 Nine persons out of ten wouldn't have noticed it。 I'm extry
partic'lar； I presume likely。 I'm findin' mistakes like that all
the time。〃
Laban's comment was less critical； perhaps； but more reserved。
〃It's pretty good； Al；〃 he said。 〃Yeseryes； sir； it's pretty
good。 It ain't all new； there's some of it that's been written
before； but I rather guess that might have been said about
Shakespeare's poetry when he fust commenced。 It's pretty good； Al。
Yesyes； yes。 It is so。〃
Albert was inclined to resent the qualified strain in the
bookkeeper's praise。 He was tempted to be sarcastic。
〃Well；〃 he observed； 〃of course you've read so much real poetry
that you ought to know。〃
Laban nodded； slowly。 〃I've read a good deal；〃 he said quietly。
〃Readin' is one of the few things I ain't made a failure of in this
life。 Um…hm。 One of the few。 Yes yesyes。〃
He dipped his pen in the inkwell and carefully made an entry in the
ledger。 His assistant felt a sudden pang of compunction。
〃I beg your pardon； Mr。 Keeler；〃 he said。 〃That was pretty fresh
of me。 I'm sorry。〃
Laban looked up in mild surprise。 〃Sorry？〃 he repeated。 〃What
for？ 。 。 。 Oh； that's all right； Al； that's all right。 Lord knows
I'm the last one on earth who'd ought to criticize anybody。 All I
had in mind in sayin' what I did was towell； to kind of keep you
from bein' too well satisfied and not try harder on the next one。
It don't pay to be too well satisfied。 。 。 。 Years ago； I can
remember； _I_ was pretty well satisfiedwith myself and my work。
Sounds like a joke； I know； but 'twas so。 。 。 。 Well； I've had a
nice long chance to get over it。 Um…hm。 Yesyes。 So I have； so
I have。〃
Only Captain Zelotes at first said nothing about the poem。 He read
it； his wife saw to that； but his comment even to her was a non…
committal grunt。
〃But don't you think it's real sort of pretty； Zelotes？〃 she asked。
The captain grunted again。 〃Why； I guess likely 'tis if you say
so； Mother。 I don't know much about such things。〃
〃But everybody says it is。〃
〃Want to know！ Well； then 'twon't make much difference whether I
say it or not。〃
〃But ain't you goin' to say a word to Albert about it； Zelotes？〃
〃Humph！ I don't know's I know what to say。〃
〃Why； say you like it。〃
〃Ye…es； and if I do he'll keep on writin' more。 That's exactly
what I don't want him to do。 Come now； Mother； be sensible。 This
piece of his may be good or it may not； _I_ wouldn't undertake to
say。 But this I do know： I don't want the boy to spend his time
writin' poetry slush for that 'Poets' Corner。' Letitia Makepeace
did thatshe had a piece in there about every weekand she died
in the Taunton asylum。〃
〃But； Zelotes； it wasn't her poetry got her into the asylum。〃
〃Wan't it？ Well； she was in the poorhouse afore that。 I don't
know whether 'twas her poetryin' that got her in there； but I know
darned well it didn't get her out。〃
〃But ain't you goin' to say one word？ 'Twould encourage him so。〃
〃Good Lord！ We don't want to encourage him； do we？ If he was
takin' to thievin' you wouldn't encourage him in that； would you？〃
〃Thievin'！ Zelotes Snow； you don't mean to say you compare a poet
to a THIEF！〃
The captain grinned。 〃No…o； Mother；〃 he observed drily。 〃Sometimes
a thief can manage to earn a livin' at his job。 But there； there；
don't feel bad。 I'll say somethin' to Al； long's you think I ought
to。〃
The something was not much； and yet Captain Zelotes really meant it
to be kindly and to sound like praise。 But praising a thing of
which you have precious little understanding and with which you
have absolutely no sympathy is a hard job。
〃See you had a piece in the Item this week； Al；〃 observed the
captain。
〃Whyyes； sir；〃 said Albert。
〃Um…hm。 I read it。 I don't know much about such things； but they
tell me it is pretty good。〃
〃Thank you； sir。〃
〃Eh？ Oh； you're welcome。〃
That was all。 Perhaps considering its source it wa