paling and his hand shaking as he did so。 Something dreadful had
happened。 MotherMrs。 Fosdick； of coursehad discovered
everything。 She had found all hisAlbert'sletters and read
them。 She was furious。 There had been the most terrible scene。
Madeline was in her own room and was smuggling him this letter by
Mary； her maid；
who will do anything for me； and has promised to mail it。 Oh；
dearest； they say I must give you up。 They say Oh； they say
dreadful things about you！ Mother declares she will take me to
Japan or some frightful place and keep me there until I forget you。
I don't care if they take me to the ends of the earth； I shall
NEVER forget you。 I will neverneverNEVER give you up。 And you
mustn't give me up； will you； darling？ They say I must never write
you again。 But you see I haveand I shall。 Oh； what SHALL we do？
I was SO happy and now I am so miserable。 Write me the minute you
get this； but oh； I KNOW they won't let me see your letters and
then I shall die。 But write； write just the same； every day。 Oh
what SHALL we do？
Yours； always and always； no matter what everyone does or says；
lovingly and devotedly；
MADELINE。
When the reading was finished Albert sat silently staring at the
floor； seeing it through a wet mist。 Captain Zelotes watched him；
his heavy brows drawn together and the smoke wreaths from his pipe
curling slowly upward toward the office ceiling。 At length he
said：
〃Well； Al； I had a letter； too。 I presume likely it came from the
same port even if not from the same member of the family。 It's
about you； and I think you'd better read it； maybe。 I'll read it
to you； if you'd rather。〃
Albert shook his head and held out his hand for the second letter。
His grandfather gave it to him； saying as he did so： 〃I'd like to
have you understand； Al； that I don't necessarily believe all that
she says about you in this thing。〃
〃Thanks； Grandfather；〃 mechanically。
〃All right； boy。〃
The second letter was； as he had surmised； from Mrs。 Fosdick。 It
had evidently been written at top speed and at a mental temperature
well above the boiling point。 Mrs。 Fosdick addressed Captain
Zelotes Snow because she had been given to understand that he was
the nearest relative； or guardian； or whatever it was； of the
person concerning whom the letter was written and therefore； it was
presumed； might be expected to have some measure of control over
that person's actions。 The person was； of course； one Albert
Speranza； and Mrs。 Fosdick proceeded to set forth her version of
his conduct in sentences which might almost have blistered the
paper。 Taking advantage of her trust in her daughter's good sense
and ability to take care of herselfwhich trust it appeared had
been in a measure misplacedhe； the Speranza person； had
sneakingly； underhandedly and in a despicably clandestine fashion
the lady's temper had rather gotten away from her heresucceeded
in meeting her daughter in various places and by various
disgraceful means and had furthermore succeeded in ensnaring her
youthful affections； et cetera； et cetera。
〃The poor child actually believes herself in love with him；〃 wrote
the poor child's mother。 〃She protests ridiculously that she is
engaged to him and will marry him in spite of her father or myself
or the protests of sensible people。 I write to you； therefore；
assuming you likewise to be a sensible person； and requesting that
you use your influence with theto put the most charitable
interpretation of his conductmisguided and foolish young man and
show him the preposterous folly of his pretended engagement to my
daughter。 Of course the whole affair； CORRESPONDENCE INCLUDED；
must cease and terminate AT ONCE。〃
And so on for two more pages。 The color had returned to Albert's
cheeks long before he finished reading。 When he had finished he
rose to his feet and； throwing the letter upon his grandfather's
desk； turned away。
〃Well； Al？〃 queried Captain Zelotes。
Albert's face； when he turned back to answer； was whiter than ever；
but his eyes flashed fire。
〃Do you believe that？〃 he demanded。
〃What？〃
〃Thatthat stuff about my being aa sneak andand ensnaring her
and all the rest？ Do you？〃
The captain took his pipe from his mouth。
〃Steady； son； steady；〃 he said。 〃Didn't I tell you before you
begun to read at all that I didn't necessarily believe it because
that woman wrote it。〃
〃Youyou or no one else had better believe it。 It's a lie。〃
〃All right； I'm glad to hear you say so。 But there's a little mite
of truth here and there amongst the lies； I presume likely。 For
instance； you and this Fosdick girl have beenerkeepin' company？〃
〃Her name is Madelineand we are engaged to be married。〃
〃Oh！ HumI seeI see。 And； bein' as the old ladyher mother；
Mrs。 Fosdick； I meanhasn't suspected anything； or； at any rate；
hasn't found out anything until now； yesterday； or whenever it was；
I judge you have been meetin'erMadeline at places where there
wasn'twell； too large a crowd。 Eh？〃
Albert hesitated and was； momentarily； a trifle embarrassed。 But
he recovered at once。
〃I met her first at the drug store last summer；〃 he said defiantly。
〃Then I met her after that at the post office and at the hotel
dance last fall； and so on。 This year I met herwell； I met her
first down by the beach； where I went to write。 She liked poetry
andand she helped me with mine。 After that she camewell； she
came to help me again。 And after thatafter that〃
〃After that it just moved along kind of natural； eh？ Um…hm； I
see。〃
〃Look here； Grandfather； I want you to understand that she isis
by George； she is the cleanest； finest； best girl in the world。
Don't you get the idea thatthat she isn't。 She came to meet me
just because she was interested in my verse and wanted to help。 It
wasn't until the very last that wethat we found out we cared for
each other。〃
〃All right； boy； all right。 Go on； tell me the whole yarn； if you
feel like it。 I don't want to pry too much into your affairs； but；
after all； I AM interested in those affairs； Al。 Tell me as much
as you can。〃
〃I'll tell you the whole。 There's nothing I can't tell； nothing
I'm not proud to tell。 By George； I ought to be proud！ Why；
Grandfather； she's wonderful！〃
〃Sartin； son； sartin。 They always are。 I mean she is； of course。
Heave ahead。〃
So Albert told his love story。 When he had finished Captain
Zelote's pipe was empty； and he put it down。
〃Albert；〃 he said slowly； 〃I judge you mean this thing seriously。
You mean to marry her some day。〃
〃Yes； indeed I do。 And I won't give her up； either。 Her mother
why； what right has her mother got to sayto treat her in this
way？ Or to call me what she calls me in that letter？ Why； by
George〃
〃Easy； son。 As I understand it； this Madeline of yours is the only
child the Fosdicks have got and when our only child is in danger of
bein' carried off by somebody elsewhy； well； their mothers and
fathers are liable to be just a little upset； especially if it
comes on 'em sudden。 。 。 。 Nobody knows that better than I do；〃 he
added slowly。
Albert recognized the allusion； but he was not in the mood to be
affected by it。 He was not； just then； ready to make allowances
for any one； particularly the parental Fosdicks。
〃They have no business to be upsetnot like that； anyhow；〃 he
declared。 〃What does that woman know about me？ What right has she
to say that I ensnared Madeline's affection and all that rot？
Madeline and I fell in love with each other； just as other people
have； I suppose。〃
〃You suppose right；〃 observed Captain Zelotes； dryly。 〃Other
people havea good many of 'em since Adam's time。〃
〃Well； then！ And what right has she to give orders that I stop
writing or seeing Madeline；all that idiotic stuff about ceasing
and terminating at once？ Sheshe〃 His agitation was making him
incoherent〃She talks like Lord Somebody…or…other in an old…
fashioned novel or play or something。 Those old fools were always
rejecting undesirable suitors and ordering their daughters to do
this and that； breaking their hearts； and so on。 But that sort of
thing doesn't go nowadays。 Young people have their own ideas。〃
〃Um…hm； Al； so I've noticed。〃
〃Yes； indeed they have。 Now； if Madeline wants to marry me and I
want 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？〃
〃Wellwell； II 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
yourerwhat's…her…nameMadeline 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 notnot at first。〃
〃Oh； but later onwhen the market price of poetry has gone upyou
can； eh？〃
〃Look here； Grandfather； if you're making fun of me I tell you I
won't stand it。 This is serious； I mean it。 Madeline and I are
going to be marri