But he did have a big milling property out on the line of the P.Y.& X.,--saw-mills and grist-mills and lands,--and for the last eight years he's been doing a land-office business with 'em--business that would have made anybody else rich.But you can't make Milton K.Rogers rich, any more than you can fat a hide-bound colt.It ain't in him.He'd run through Vanderbilt, Jay Gould, and Tom Scott rolled into one in less than six months, give him a chance, and come out and want to borrow money of you.Well, he won't borrow any more money of ME;and if he thinks I don't know as much about that milling property as he does he's mistaken.I've taken his mills, but I guess I've got the inside track; Bill's kept me posted;and now I'm going out there to see how I can unload;and I shan't mind a great deal if Rogers is under the load when it's off once.""I don't understand you, Silas."
"Why, it's just this.The Great Lacustrine & Polar Railroad has leased the P.Y.& X.for ninety-nine years,--bought it, practically,--and it's going to build car-works right by those mills, and it may want them.
And Milton K.Rogers knew it when he turned 'em in on me.""Well, if the road wants them, don't that make the mills valuable? You can get what you ask for them!""Can I?" The P.Y.& X.is the only road that runs within fifty miles of the mills, and you can't get a foot of lumber nor a pound of flour to market any other way.
As long as he had a little local road like the P.Y.&X.to deal with, Rogers could manage; but when it come to a big through line like the G.L.& P., he couldn't stand any chance at all.If such a road as that took a fancy to his mills, do you think it would pay what he asked? No, sir! He would take what the road offered, or else the road would tell him to carry his flour and lumber to market himself.""And do you suppose he knew the G.L.& P.wanted the mills when he turned them in on you?" asked Mrs.Lapham aghast, and falling helplessly into his alphabetical parlance.
The Colonel laughed scoffingly."Well, when Milton K.Rogers don't know which side his bread's buttered on! Idon't understand," he added thoughtfully, "how he's always letting it fall on the buttered side.But such a man as that is sure to have a screw loose in him somewhere."Mrs.Lapham sat discomfited.All that she could say was, "Well, I want you should ask yourself whether Rogers would ever have gone wrong, or got into these ways of his, if it hadn't been for your forcing him out of the business when you did.I want you should think whether you're not responsible for everything he's done since.""You go and get that bag of mine ready," said Lapham sullenly.
"I guess I can take care of myself.And Milton K.Rogers too,"he added.
That evening Corey spent the time after dinner in his own room, with restless excursions to the library, where his mother sat with his father and sisters, and showed no signs of leaving them.At last, in coming down, he encountered her on the stairs, going up.They both stopped consciously.
"I would like to speak with you, mother.I have been waiting to see you alone.""Come to my room," she said.
"I have a feeling that you know what I want to say,"he began there.
She looked up at him where he stood by the chimney-piece, and tried to put a cheerful note into her questioning "Yes?""Yes; and I have a feeling that you won't like it--that you won't approve of it.I wish you did--I wish you could!""I'm used to liking and approving everything you do, Tom.
If I don't like this at once, I shall try to like it--you know that--for your sake, whatever it is.""I'd better be short," he said, with a quick sigh.
"It's about Miss Lapham." He hastened to add, "I hope it isn't surprising to you.I'd have told you before, if I could.""No, it isn't surprising.I was afraid--I suspected something of the kind."They were both silent in a painful silence.
"Well, mother?" he asked at last.
"If it's something you've quite made up mind to----""It is!"
"And if you've already spoken to her----""I had to do that first, of course."
"There would be no use of my saying anything, even if Idisliked it."
"You do dislike it!"
"No--no! I can't say that.Of course I should have preferred it if you had chosen some nice girl among those that you had been brought up with--some friend or associate of your sisters, whose people we had known----""Yes, I understand that, and I can assure you that Ihaven't been indifferent to your feelings.I have tried to consider them from the first, and it kept me hesitating in a way that I'm ashamed to think of; for it wasn't quite right towards--others.But your feelings and my sisters'
have been in my mind, and if I couldn't yield to what Isupposed they must be, entirely----"
Even so good a son and brother as this, when it came to his love affair, appeared to think that he had yielded much in considering the feelings of his family at all.
His mother hastened to comfort him."I know--I know.
I've seen for some time that this might happen, Tom, and Ihave prepared myself for it.I have talked it over with your father, and we both agreed from the beginning that you were not to be hampered by our feeling.
Still--it is a surprise.It must be."
"I know it.I can understand your feeling.But I'm sure that it's one that will last only while you don't know her well.""Oh, I'm sure of that, Tom.I'm sure that we shall all be fond of her,--for your sake at first, even--and Ihope she'll like us."
"I am quite certain of that," said Corey, with that confidence which experience does not always confirm in such cases.
"And your taking it as you do lifts a tremendous load off me."But he sighed so heavily, and looked so troubled, that his mother said, "Well, now, you mustn't think of that any more.We wish what is for your happiness, my son, and we will gladly reconcile ourselves to anything that might have been disagreeable.I suppose we needn't speak of the family.We must both think alike about them.
