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opened it： 〃Maureen！ I have pany with me。〃
〃ing； Father。〃 Mrs。 Smith met them in the hall； moving with serene dignity and dressed as if she expected callers。 She smiled； and Lazarus suppressed his excitement。
〃Maureen； I want to present Mr。 Theodore Bronson。 My daughter； Ted…Mrs。 Brian Smith。〃
She offered her hand。 〃You are most wele； Mr。 Bronson；〃 Mrs。 Smith said in warm； rich tones that made Lazarus think of Tamara。 …
Lazarus took her hand gently； felt his fingers tingle； had to restrain himself from making a deep bow and kissing it。 He forced himself to give only a hint of a bow； then let go at
。once。 〃I am honored； Mrs。 Smith。〃 …
〃Do e in and sit down。〃
〃Thank you； but it's late； and I was merely dropping your father off on my way home。〃
第67节
〃Must you leave so quickly？ I was simply darning stockings and reading the 'Ladies' Home Journal'…nothing important。〃
〃Maureen； I promised Mr。 Bronson a cup of coffee。 He fetched me home from the chess club and saved me a soak…
…ing。〃
〃Yes； Father； right away。 Take his hat and make him sit down。〃 She smiled and left。
Lazarus let his grandfather seat him in the parlor； then took advantage of the moments his mother was out of sight to quiet down and to glance around。 Aside from the fact that the room had shrunk； it looked much as~ie remembe~C~ it； an upright piano she had taught him to play； fireplace with gas logs； mantel shelf with beveled mirror above； a glass…fronted
480
sectional bookcase； heavy drapes and … lace curtains； his parent's wedding picture framed with their hearts & flowers marriage license； and balancing this a reproduction of Millet's 〃Gleaners；〃 and other pictures large and small； a rocking
chair； a platform rocker with a footstool； straight chairs； arm chairs； tables； lamps； all crowded and in an easygoing mixture of mission oak and bird's…eye maple。 Lazarus felt at home；
even the wallpaper seemed familiar…save that he realized uneasily that he had been given his father's chair。 …
An archway； filled by a beaded portiere； led into the living room； now dark。 Lazarus tried to recall what should be in there and wondered if it would … look just as familiar。 The parlor was immaculately neat and clean； and kept that way； he knew； despite a large family； by the living room being used mainly by children while this room was reserved for their elders and for guests。 How many kids now？ Nancy； then Carol； and Brian Junior； and George； and Marie…and himself…and since this was early 1917 Dickie had to be about three； and Ethel would still be in diapers。 。
What was that behind his mother's chair？ Could it be？… Yes； it's my elephant！ Woodie you little devil； yc~ know you aren't supposed toplay in here； and everything must go back into your toy box before you go up to bed； that's a flat rule。 The toy animal was small （about six inches high）； made of stuffed cloth； and gray with much handling； Lazarus felt resentment that such a treasure…his/…was entrusted to a young child 。 。 then managed to laugh at himself even though the emotion persisted。 He felt tempted to steal the toy。 〃Excuse me。 You were saying； Mr。 Johnson？〃
〃I said I was temporarily delegated in loco parentis； my son…in…law has gone to Plattsburg and…〃 Lazarus lost the rest of the remark； Mrs。 Smith returned in a soft rustle of satin petticoats； carrying a loaded tray。 Lazarus jumped to relieve her of it； she smiled and let him。
By golly； that was the Haviland china he had not been allowed to touch until after he got his first long pants！ And the 〃pany〃 coffee service…solid silver serving pot； cream pitcher； sugar bowl and tongs； the Columbian Exposition souvenir spoons。 Linen doilies； matching tea napkins； thin slices of pound cake； a silver dish of mints…how did you do this in three minutes or less？ You're certainly doing the prodigal proud！ No； don't b？~a fool； Lazarus； she's doing her father proud； entertaining his guest…you are a faceless stranger。
〃Children all in bed？〃 inquired Mr。 Johnson。
481
482〃All but Nancy；〃 Mrs。 Smith answered； serving them。 〃She and her young man went to the Isis and should be home
soon。〃 ？… 〃Show was over half an hour ago。〃
〃Is there any harm in their stopping for a sundae？ The ice…
…cream parlor is on a brightly lighted corner right where they catch their streetcar。〃
… 〃A young girl shouldn't be out after dark without a chap…
…eron。〃
〃Father； this is 1917； not 1890。 He's a fine boy 。 。 and I can't expect them to miss an episode of their serial…Pearl White and： very exciting； Nancy tells me all about it。 With a William S。 Hart feature tonight； I understand； I would have enjoyed seeing that myself。〃
〃Well； I've still got my shotgun；〃
〃Father。〃 …
Lazarus concentrated on remembering to eat cake with a fork。
〃She's trying to bring me up；〃 Gramp said grumpily。 〃Won't work。〃 …
〃I'm sure Mr。 Bronson is not interested in our family problems；〃 Mrs。 Smith said quietly。 〃If they were problems。 Which they are not。 May I warm your coffee； Mr。 Bronson？〃
〃Thank you； ma'am。〃
〃That's right； he isn't。 But Nancy should be told soon。 Maureen； take a close look at Ted。 Ever seen him before？〃
His mother looked over her cup at Lazarus； put it down and said； 〃Mr。 Bronson； when you came in； I had the oddest feeling。 At church； was it not？〃
Lazarus admitted that such could … have been the case。 Gramp's brows shot up。 〃So？ I must warn the parson。 But even if you did meet there…〃 …
… 〃We did not meet at church； Father。 What with herding my zoo I barely have time to speak to Reverend and Mrs。 Draper。… But now that… I think about it； I'm sure I saw Mr。 Bronson there last Sunday。 One does notice a new face among old familiar ones。〃
〃Daughter； as may be； that wasn't what I meant。 Whom does Ted look like？ No； never mind。…。doesn't he look like your Uncle Ned？〃
His mother again looked at Lazarus。 〃Yes； I see a resemblance。 But he looks even more like …you； Father。〃
〃No； Ted's from Springfield。 All my sins… were farther north。〃 …
483〃Father。〃 … /
〃Daughter； quit worrying about me rattling the family skeleton。 It's possible that… Ted； may I tell it？〃
〃certainly； Mr。 Johnson。 As you said； it's nothing to be ashamed of…and I'm not。〃
〃Ted is an orphan； Maureen； a foundling。 If Ned weren't warming his toes in hell； I'd ask him some searching questions。 The time and place is right； and Ted certainly looks like our kin。〃 …
〃Father； I think you are embarrassing our guest。〃
〃I don't。 And don't you be so hoity…toity； young lady。 You're a grown woman； with children； you can stand plain talk。〃
〃Mrs。 Smith； I am not embarrassed。 Whoever my parents were； I am proud of them。 They gave me a strong； healthy body and a brain that serves my needs…〃 …
〃Well spoken； young man！〃
〃…and while I would be proud to claim your father as my uncle…and you as my cousin…if it were so…it seems more likely that my parents were taken by a typhoid epidemic down that way； the dates match well enough。〃
？r。 Johnson frowned。 〃How old are you； Ted？〃
Lazarus though fast and decided to be his mother's age。 〃I'm thirty…five。〃
〃Why； that just my age！〃
〃Really； Mrs。 Smith？ If you hadn't made clear that you have a daughter old enough to go to the picture show with a young man； I would have thought you were about eighteen。〃
〃Oh； go along with you！ I have eight children。〃
〃Impossible！〃
〃Maureen doesn't look her age；〃 agreed her father。 〃Hasn't changed since she was a bride。 Runs in the family； her mother doesn't have a gray hair today。〃 …（Where is Grandma？…oh； yes； so don't ask。） 〃But； Ted； you don't look thirty…five either。 I would have guessed middle twenties。〃
〃Well； I don't know exactly how old I am。 But I can't be you