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worldly or other。
The pair must wait for next week's paperTilbury had
evidently postponed。 That was their thought and their decision。
So they put the subject away and went about their affairs
again with as good heart as they could。
Now； if they had but known it； they had been wronging Tilbury
all the time。 Tilbury had kept faith； kept it to the letter；
he was dead； he had died to schedule。 He was dead more than four
days now and used to it； entirely dead； perfectly dead； as dead
as any other new person in the cemetery； dead in abundant time to get
into that week's SAGAMORE； too； and only shut out by an accident；
an accident which could not happen to a metropolitan journal；
but which happens easily to a poor little village rag like the SAGAMORE。
On this occasion； just as the editorial page was being locked up；
a gratis quart of strawberry ice…water arrived from Hostetter's
Ladies and Gents Ice…Cream Parlors； and the stickful of rather
chilly regret over Tilbury's translation got crowded out to make
room for the editor's frantic gratitude。
On its way to the standing…galley Tilbury's notice got pied。
Otherwise it would have gone into some future edition； for WEEKLY
SAGAMORES do not waste 〃live〃 matter； and in their galleys 〃live〃
matter is immortal； unless a pi accident intervenes。 But a thing
that gets pied is dead； and for such there is no resurrection；
its chance of seeing print is gone； forever and ever。 And so；
let Tilbury like it or not； let him rave in his grave to his fill；
no matterno mention of his death would ever see the light in the
WEEKLY SAGAMORE。
CHAPTER IV
Five weeks drifted tediously along。 The SAGAMORE arrived regularly on
the Saturdays； but never once contained a mention of Tilbury Foster。
Sally's patience broke down at this point； and he said； resentfully：
〃Damn his livers； he's immortal！〃
Aleck give him a very severe rebuke； and added with icy solemnity：
〃How would you feel if you were suddenly cut out just after such
an awful remark had escaped out of you？〃
Without sufficient reflection Sally responded：
〃I'd feel I was lucky I hadn't got caught with it IN me。〃
Pride had forced him to say something； and as he could not think
of any rational thing to say he flung that out。 Then he stole a base
as he called itthat is； slipped from the presence； to keep from
being brayed in his wife's discussion…mortar。
Six months came and went。 The SAGAMORE was still silent about Tilbury。
Meantime； Sally had several times thrown out a feelerthat is；
a hint that he would like to know。 Aleck had ignored the hints。
Sally now resolved to brace up and risk a frontal attack。
So he squarely proposed to disguise himself and go to Tilbury's
village and surreptitiously find out as to the prospects。
Aleck put her foot on the dangerous project with energy and decision。
She said：
〃What can you be thinking of？ You do keep my hands full！
You have to be watched all the time； like a little child； to keep
you from walking into the fire。 You'll stay right where you are！〃
〃Why； Aleck； I could do it and not be found outI'm certain of it。〃
〃Sally Foster； don't you know you would have to inquire around？〃
〃Of course； but what of it？ Nobody would suspect who I was。〃
〃Oh； listen to the man！ Some day you've got to prove to the
executors that you never inquired。 What then？〃
He had forgotten that detail。 He didn't reply； there wasn't
anything to say。 Aleck added：
〃Now then； drop that notion out of your mind； and don't ever meddle
with it again。 Tilbury set that trap for you。 Don't you know it's
a trap？ He is on the watch； and fully expecting you to blunder
into it。 Well； he is going to be disappointedat least while I
am on deck。 Sally！〃
〃Well？〃
〃As long as you live； if it's a hundred years； don't you ever make
an inquiry。 Promise！〃
〃All right；〃 with a sigh and reluctantly。
Then Aleck softened and said：
〃Don't be impatient。 We are prospering； we can wait； there is
no hurry。 Our small dead…certain income increases all the time；
and as to futures； I have not made a mistake yetthey are piling
up by the thousands and tens of thousands。 There is not another
family in the state with such prospects as ours。 Already we are
beginning to roll in eventual wealth。 You know that； don't you？〃
〃Yes； Aleck； it's certainly so。〃
〃Then be grateful for what God is doing for us and stop worrying。
You do not believe we could have achieved these prodigious results
without His special help and guidance； do you？〃
Hesitatingly； 〃N…no； I suppose not。〃 Then； with feeling
and admiration； 〃And yet； when it comes to judiciousness
in watering a stock or putting up a hand to skin Wall Street
I don't give in that YOU need any outside amateur help； if I do wish I〃
〃Oh； DO shut up！ I know you do not mean any harm or any irreverence；
poor boy； but you can't seem to open your mouth without letting out
things to make a person shudder。 You keep me in constant dread。
For you and for all of us。 Once I had no fear of the thunder；
but now when I hear it I〃
Her voice broke； and she began to cry； and could not finish。
The sight of this smote Sally to the heart and he took her in his
arms and petted her and comforted her and promised better conduct；
and upbraided himself and remorsefully pleaded for forgiveness。
And he was in earnest； and sorry for what he had done and ready for any
sacrifice that could make up for it。
And so； in privacy； he thought long and deeply over the matter；
resolving to do what should seem best。 It was easy to PROMISE reform；
indeed he had already promised it。 But would that do any real good；
any permanent good？ No； it would be but temporaryhe knew
his weakness； and confessed it to himself with sorrowhe could
not keep the promise。 Something surer and better must be devised；
and he devised it。 At cost of precious money which he had long
been saving up； shilling by shilling； he put a lightning…rod on
the house。
At a subsequent time he relapsed。
What miracles habit can do！ and how quickly and how easily habits
are acquiredboth trifling habits and habits which profoundly change us。
If by accident we wake at two in the morning a couple of nights
in succession； we have need to be uneasy； for another repetition can
turn the accident into a habit； and a month's dallying with whiskey
but we all know these commonplace facts。
The castle…building habit； the day…dreaming habithow it grows！
what a luxury it becomes； how we fly to its enchantments at every
idle moment； how we revel in them； steep our souls in them；
intoxicate ourselves with their beguiling fantasiesoh yes；
and how soon and how easily our dram life and our material life
become so intermingled and so fused together that we can't quite
tell which is which； any more。
By and by Aleck subscribed to a Chicago daily and for the WALL
STREET POINTER。 With an eye single to finance she studied these
as diligently all the week as she studied her Bible Sundays。
Sally was lost in admiration； to note with what swift and sure strides
her genius and judgment developed and expanded in the forecasting and
handling of the securities of both the material and spiritual markets。
He was proud of her nerve and daring in exploiting worldly stocks；
and just as proud of her conservative caution in working her
spiritual deals。 He noted that she never lost her head in either case；
that with a splendid courage she often went short on worldly futures；
but heedfully drew the line thereshe was always long on the others。
Her policy was quite sane and simple； as she explained it to him：
what she put into earthly futures was for speculation； what she put
into spiritual futures was for investment； she was willing to go into
the one on a margin； and take chances； but in the case of the other；
〃margin her no margins〃she wanted to cash in a hundred cents per
dollar's worth； and have the stock transferred on the books。
It took but a very few months to educate Aleck's imagination
and Sally's。 Each day's training added something to the spread
and effectiveness of the two machines。 As a consequence； Aleck made
imaginary money much faster than at first she had dreamed of making it；
and Sally's competency in spending the overflow of it kept pace with
the strain put upon it； right along。 In the beginning； Aleck had
given the coal speculation a twelvemonth in which to materialize；
and had been loath to grant that this term might possibly be shortened
by nine months。 But that was the feeble work； the nursery work；
of a financial fancy that had had no teaching； no experience；
no practice。 These aids soon came； then that nine months vanished；
and the imaginary ten…thousand…dollar investment came marching
home with three hundred per cent。 profit