Jennie Gerhardt - Драйзер Теодор - Страница 41

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positions nor defy him, for he had the public conscience with him. He

was in line with convention practically, and perhaps sophisticatedly.

The two brothers were outwardly friendly; inwardly they were far apart.

Robert liked Lester well enough personally, but he did not trust his

financial judgment, and, temperamentally, they did not agree as to how

life and its affairs should be conducted. Lester had a secret contempt for his brother's chill, persistent chase of the almighty dollar. Robert was sure that Lester's easy-going ways were reprehensible, and bound to create

trouble sooner or later. In the business they did not quarrel much—there

was not so much chance with the old gentleman still in charge—but there

were certain minor differences constantly cropping up which showed

which way the wind blew. Lester was for building up trade through

friendly relationship, concessions, personal contact, and favors. Robert

was for pulling everything tight, cutting down the cost of production, and offering such financial inducements as would throttle competition.

The old manufacturer always did his best to pour oil on these troubled

waters, but he foresaw an eventual clash. One or the other would have to

get out or perhaps both. "If only you two boys could agree!" he used to say.

Another thing which disturbed Lester was his father's attitude on the

subject of marriage—Lester's marriage, to be specific. Archibald Kane

never ceased to insist on the fact that Lester ought to get married, and that he was making a big mistake in putting it off. All the other children, save Louise, were safely married. Why not his favourite son? It was doing him

injury morally, socially, commercially, that he was sure of.

"The world expects it of a man in your position," his father had argued from time to time. "It makes for social solidity and prestige. You ought to pick out a good woman and raise a family. Where will you be when you

get to my time of life if you haven't any children, any home?"

"Well, if the right woman came along," said Lester, "I suppose I'd marry her. But she hasn't come along. What do you want me to do? Take

anybody?"

"No, not anybody, of course, but there are lots of good women. You can surely find someone if you try. There's that Pace girl. What about her?

You used to like her. I wouldn't drift on this way, Lester; it can't come to any good."

His son would only smile. "There, father, let it go now. I'll come around some time, no doubt. I've got to be thirsty when I'm led to water."

The old gentleman gave over, time and again, but it was a sore point with him. He wanted his son to settle down and be a real man of affairs.

The fact that such a situation as this might militate against any permanent arrangement with Jennie was obvious even to Lester at this time. He

thought out his course of action carefully. Of course he would not give

Jennie up, whatever the possible consequences. But he must be cautious;

he must take no unnecessary risks. Could he bring her to Cincinnati?

What a scandal if it were ever found out! Could he install her in a nice

home somewhere near the city? The family would probably eventually

suspect something. Could he take her along on his numerous business

journeys? This first one to New York had been successful. Would it

always be so? He turned the question over in his mind. The very difficult gave it zest. Perhaps St. Louis, or Pittsburg, or Chicago would be best

after all. He went to these places frequently, and particularly to Chicago.

He decided finally that it should be Chicago if he could arrange it. He

could always make excuses to run up there, and it was only a night's ride.

Yes, Chicago was best. The very size and activity of the city made

concealment easy. After two weeks' stay at Cincinnati, Lester wrote

Jennie that he was coming to Cleveland soon, and she answered that she

thought it would be all right for him to call and see her. Her father had been told about him. She had felt it unwise to stay about the house, and so had secured a position in a store at four dollars a week. He smiled as he thought of her working, and yet the decency and energy of it appealed to

him. "She's all right," he said. "She's the best I've come across yet."

He ran up to Cleveland the following Saturday, and, calling at her place

of business, he made an appointment to see her that evening. He was

anxious that his introduction, as her beau, should be gotten over with as quickly as possible. When he did call the shabbiness of the house and the manifest poverty of the family rather disgusted him, but somehow Jennie

seemed as sweet to him as ever. Gerhardt came in the front-room, after he had been there a few minutes, and shook hands with him, as did also Mrs.

Gerhardt, but Lester paid little attention to them. The old German

appeared to him to be merely commonplace—the sort of man who was

hired by hundreds in common capacities in his father's factory. After

some desultory conversation Lester suggested to Jennie that they should

go for a drive. Jennie put on her hat, and together they departed. As a

matter of fact, they went to an apartment which he had hired for the

storage of her clothes. When she returned at eight in the evening the

family considered it nothing amiss.

A month later Jennie was able to announce that Lester intended to marry

her. His visits had of course paved the way for this, and it seemed natural enough. Only Gerhardt seemed a little doubtful. He did not know just

how this might be. Perhaps it was all right. Lester seemed a fine enough

man in all conscience, and really, after Brander, why not? If a United

States Senator could fall in love with Jennie, why not a business man?

There was just one thing—the child. "Has she told him about Vesta?" he asked his wife.

"No," said Mrs. Gerhardt, "not yet."

"Not yet, not yet. Always something underhanded. Do you think he wants her if he knows? That's what comes of such conduct in the first place.

Now she has to slip around like a thief. The child cannot even have an

honest name."

Gerhardt went back to his newspaper reading and brooding. His life

seemed a complete failure to him and he was only waiting to get well

enough to hunt up another job as watchman. He wanted to get out of this

mess of deception and dishonesty.

A week or two later Jennie confided to her mother that Lester had written her to join him in Chicago. He was not feeling well, and could not come

to Cleveland. The two women explained to Gerhardt that Jennie was

going away to be married to Mr. Kane. Gerhardt flared up at this, and his suspicions were again aroused. But he could do nothing but grumble over

the situation; it would lead to no good end, of that he was sure.

When the day came for Jennie's departure she had to go without saying

farewell to her father. He was out looking for work until late in the

afternoon, and before he had returned she had been obliged to leave for

the station. "I will write a note to him when I get there," she said. She kissed her baby over and over. "Lester will take a better house for us soon," she went on hopefully. "He wants us to move." The night train bore her to Chicago; the old life had ended and the new one had begun.

The curious fact should be recorded here that, although Lester's

generosity had relieved the stress upon the family finances, the children and Gerhardt were actually none the wiser. It was easy for Mrs. Gerhardt

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