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〃Not at all！〃 I cried。 〃There's an abundance of room。 My wife's
keeping the places for you；〃in fact； I saw her putting her arm out
along the bench； and explaining to a couple who had halted in front
of her that the seats were taken〃and she'll be disappointed。〃
〃Well；〃 the woman consented； with a little sigh of triumph that
touched me； and reanimated all my interest in her and in her friend。
She said； with a sort of shy； instinctive politeness； 〃I don't know
as you and Mr。 Deering got acquainted last night。〃
〃My name is March；〃 I said； and I shook the hand of Mr。 Deering。 It
was rather thick。
〃And thisis our friend；〃 Mrs。 Peering went on； in presentation of
me to the young lady； 〃Miss Gage； that's come with us。〃
I was delighted that I had guessed their relative qualities so
perfectly； and when we arrived at Mrs。 March I glibly presented
them。 My wife was all that I could have wished her to be of
sympathetic and intelligent。 She did not overdo it by shaking
hands； but she made places for the ladies； smiling cordially； and
Mrs。 Deering made Miss Gage take the seat between them。 Her husband
and I stood awhile in front of them； and then I said we would go off
and find chairs somewhere。
We did not find any till we had climbed to the upland at the south…
east of the park； and then only two iron ones； which it was useless
to think of transporting。 But there was no reason why we should not
sit in them where they were： we could keep the ladies in plain
sight； and I could not mistake 〃Washington Post〃 when the band came
to it。 Mr。 Deering sank into one of the chairs with a sigh of
satisfaction which seemed to complete itself when he discovered in
the thick grass at his feet a twig from one of the tall； slim pines
above us。 He bent over for it； and then； as he took out his
penknife and clicked open a blade to begin whittling； he cast up a
critical glance at the trees。
〃Pretty nice pines；〃 he said； and he put his hand on the one next to
us with a sort of appreciation that interested me。
〃Yes； the trees of Saratoga are the glory of the place；〃 I returned。
〃I never saw them grow anywhere else so tall and slim。 It doesn't
seem the effect of crowding either。 It's as if there was some
chemical force in the soil that shot them up。 They're like rockets
that haven't left the ground yet。〃
〃It's the crowding；〃 he said seriously； as if the subject were not
to be trifled with。 〃It's the habit of all these treespines and
oaks and maples； I don't care what they areto spread； and that's
what we tell our customers。 Give the trees plenty of room； don't
plant 'em too thick if you want to get all the good out of 'em。〃 As
if he saw a question in my eye； he went on： 〃We do a forest…tree
business exclusively； these shade…trees； and walnuts； hickories；
chestnuts； and all kinds。 It's a big trade； getting to be； and
growing all the time。 Folks have begun to find out what fools they
were to destroy the forests； and the children want to buy back what
the fathers threw away。〃
I scarcely needed to prompt him； he was only too glad to talk on
about his business； and he spoke with a sort of homesick fondness。
He told me that he had his nurseries at De Witt Point； up on the St。
Lawrence； where he could raise stock hardy enough for any climate；
and ship by land or water。
〃I've got to be getting home right away now；〃 he said finally；
clicking his knife…blade half shut and open with his thumb。
〃It's about time for our evergreen trade； and I don't want the trees
to stay a minute in the ground after the middle of the month。〃
〃Won't the ladies find it hard to tear themselves away from the
gaieties of Saratoga？〃 I asked with apparent vagueness。
〃Well； that's it；〃 said Mr。 Deering； and he shut his knife and
slipped it into his pocket； in order to take his knee between his
clasped hands and lift his leg from the ground。 I have noticed that
this is a philosophical attitude with some people； and I was
prepared by it for some thoughtful generalising from my companion。
〃Women would be willing to stay on in a place for a year to see if
something wouldn't happen； and if you take 'em away before anything
happens； they'll always think that if they'd stayed something would
have happened the next day； or maybe the day they left。〃
He stared upward into the pine boughs； and I said： 〃Yes； that's so。
I suppose we should be like them if we had the same conditions。
Their whole life is an expectation of something to happen。 Men have
the privilege of making things happenor trying to。〃
〃Oh； I don't know as I want to criticise 'em。 As you say； I guess
WE should be just so。〃 He dropped his leg； and bent over as if to
examine the grass； he ended by taking a blade of it between his
teeth before he spoke again； with his head still down。 〃I don't
want to hurry 'em； I want to give 'em a fair show now we're here；
and I'll let the stock go as long as I can。 But I don't see very
much gaiety around。〃
I laughed。 〃Why； it's all gaiety； in one way。 Saratoga is a
perpetual Fourth of July； we think。〃
〃Oh yes； there's enough going on； and my wife and me we could enjoy
it first rate。〃
〃If the young lady could？〃 I ventured； with a smile of sympathetic
intelligence。
〃Well； yes。 You see； we don't know anybody； and I suppose we didn't
take that into account。 Well； I suppose it's like this： they
thought it would be easy to get acquainted in the hotel； and
commence having a good time right away。 I don't know； my wife had
the idea when they cooked it up amongst 'em that she was to come
with us。 But I SWEAR _I_ don't know how to go about it。 I can't
seem to make up my mouth to speak to folks first； and then you can't
tell whether a man ain't a gambler； or on for the horse…races
anyway。 So we've been here a week now； and you're the first ones
we've spoken to besides the waiters since we came。〃
I couldn't help laughing； their experience was so exactly as I had
imagined it when I first saw this disconsolate party。 In my triumph
at my own penetration； I would not have had their suffering in the
past one pang the less； but the simple frankness of his confession
fixed me in the wish that the future might be brighter for them。 I
thought myself warranted by my wife's imprudence in taking a step
toward their further intimacy on my own account； and I said：
〃Well； perhaps I ought to tell you that I haven't been inside the
Saratoga Club or bet on the races since I've been here。 That's my
name in full；〃and I gave him my card；〃and I'm in the literary
line； that is； I'm the editor of a magazine in New Yorkthe Every
Other Week。〃
〃Oh yes； I know who you are；〃 said my companion； with my card in his
hand。 〃Fact is； I was round at your place this morning trying to
get rooms； and the clerk told me all about you from my description。
I felt as mean as pu'sley goin'； seemed to be takin' kind of an
advantage of you。〃
〃Not at all； it's a public house；〃 I interrupted； but I thought I
should be stronger with Mrs。 March if I did not give the fact away
to her； and I resolved to keep it。
〃But they couldn't rest easy till I tried； and I was more than half
glad there wasn't any rooms。〃
〃Oh； I'm very sorry；〃 I said； and I indulged a real regret from the
vantage I had。 〃It would have been very pleasant to have you there。
Perhaps laterwe shall be giving up our rooms at the end of the
month。〃
〃No；〃 he said； with a long breath。 〃If I've got to leave 'em； I
guess it'll be just as well to leave 'em where they're acquainted
with the house anyway。〃 His remark betrayed a point in his thinking
which had not perhaps been reached in his talk with the ladies。
〃It's a quiet place； and they're used to it； and I guess they
wouldn't want to stay through the rest of the month； quite。 I don't
believe my wife would； anyway。〃
He did not say this very confidently； but hopefully rather； and I
thought it afforded me an opening to find out something yet more
definite about the ladies。
〃Miss Gage is remarkably fine…looking；〃 I began。
〃Think so？〃 he answered。 〃Well； so does my wife。 I don't know as I
like her style exactly；〃 he said； with a kind of latent grudge。
〃Her style is magnificent；〃 I insisted。
〃Well； maybe so。 I guess she's good enough looking； if that's what
you mean。 But I think it's always a kind of a mistake for three
persons to come off together； I don't care who they are。 Then
there's three opinions。 She's a nice girl； and a good girl； and she
don't put herself forward。 But when you've got a young lady on your
hands； you've GOT her； and you feel bound to keep doin' something
for her all the time； and if you don't know what to do yourself； and
your wife can't tell〃
I added intelligently； 〃Yes。〃
〃Well； that's just where it is。 Sometimes I wish the whole dumb
town would burn up。〃 I laughed and laughed； and my friend； having
begun to unpack his heart； went on to ease it of the rest of its
load。 I had not waited for this before making some reflections
concerning him； but I now formulated them to myself。 He really had
none of that reserve I had attributed to him the night before； it
was merely caution and this is the ca