（
总裁独宠：爱妻成瘾）（
死神之无影刀）（
九焰至尊）（
劫修传）（
伐清）（
极品都市太子）the house that frederick travers had built when his prosperity came, was large and costly, sober and fortable, and withmore pretence than was naturally attendantthe finest country hometh atmosphere was just the sort thatand his daughter woulthe days that followed his brother’s home ing, all thiswas the subdued and ordere was neither fortablewasunwonted flurrylife and violationsanctionswere irregular and protracted, and there were midnight chafing dish suppers and burstslaughterthe most inappropriate hours.
frederickof winedinner was his wildes cigaraypermitted himself, and thesesmoked eitherthe broad verandain the smokin else wamoking room for?cigaretteis brother was ever rolling thin, brown paper cigarettes and smoking them wherevermight littertobacco crumbs was alwaysbe foundthe big easy chairfrequented and among the cushionsthe windo there wereup under the stern tutelageisaac and eliza travers, frederick looked upon liquorthe housean abomination.
ancient cities had been smittengod’s wrath for just suc lunch and dinner, tom, aided and abettedpolly, mixedendless varietydrinks, she being particularly adept with strange swivel stick concoctions learnedthe endsth frederick,such times,seemed that his butler’s pantry and dining room had been turned intohe suggested this, undeacetious show, tom proclaimed that whenmade his pilewould builiquor cabievery living roomhis house.
and there were more young menthe house than formerly, and they helpeddisposingth would have likedaccountthat manner for their presence, butkne brother and his brother’s daughter did whatand mary had wereand joy and laughter dreouse was lively with youn, day and night, the motor cars honkedand down the gravelled drives.
there were picnics and expeditionsthe summer weather, moonlight sailsthe bay, starts before dawnhome–ingsmidnight, and often,nights, the many bedrooms were filledthey had never bee must cover all his boyhood ramblings, catch trout againbull creek, shoot quail over walcott’s prairie, geeerroun deer waausepain and shame tit was closed season?tom had triumphantly brought home the buck and gleefully calledsidehill salmon whenwas served and eatenfrederick’s own table.
they had clambakesthe headthe bay and musselbakes downthe roaring surf; and tom told shamelesslythe halcyon, andthe runcontraband, and asked frederick before them all howhad managedsmuggle the horse backthe fishermen without discovery.
all the young men werethe conspiracy with pollypamper tomhis heart’ frederick heard the true inwardnessthe killingthe deer;its purchase from the overstocked golden gate park;its crated carriagetrain, horse team and mule backthe fastnessesround mountain;tom falling asleep beside the deer run the first timewas driven by;the pursuitthe young men, the jaded saddle horses, the scrambles and the falls, and the ropingitburnt ranch clearing; and, finally,the triumphant culmination, whenwas driven pasecond time and tom had droppedat fift frederick there waague hurti had such consideration been shown him?
there were days when tom could notout, postponementsoutdoor frolics, when, still the centre,sat and drowsedthe big chair, waking,times,that unexpected queer, bright wayhis,roligarette and call for his ukulelortminiature guitarportugues, with strumming and tumtuming, the live cigarette laid asidethe imminent perilpolished wood, his full baritone would roll outsouth sea hulas and sprightly french and spanish songs.
one,particular, had pleased fredericavourite songa tahitian king, tom explained the lastthe pomares, who had himself posedand was wontliehis matsthe hour singing it.it consistedthe repetitiona few syllables.“e meurau,”ran, and that was allit, sunga stately, endless, ever varying chant, acpaniedsolemn chords fromtook great joyteachingto her uncle, but when, himself questing for somethis genial floodlife that bathed about his brother, frederick essayed the song,noted suppressed gleethe parthis listeners, which increased, through giggles and snickers,a great outburstlaughter.
to his disgust and dismay,learned that the simple phrasehad repeated and repeated was nothing else thanamdrunk.”he had been madool of.over and over, solemnly and gloriously, he, frederick travers, had announced how drunhat,slipped quietly outthe room wheneverwa could polly’s later explanation that the last word was “happy,” and not “drunk,” reconcile him; for she had been pelledadmit that the old king waoper, and thatwas alwayshis cups whenstruckthe chant.
frederick was constantly oppressedthe feelingbeing outi waocial being, andliked fun, evenit werea more wholesome and dignified brand than thatwhich his brothercould not understand whythe past the young people had voted his housore and emore, savestate and formal occasions, until now, when they flockedit andhis brother, but noouldlike the way the young women petted his brother, and called him tom, whilewas intolerablesee them twist and pull his buccaneer moustachemock punishment when his sometimes too jolly banter sank homethem.
such conduct warofanationthe memoryisaac and eliz was too muchairrevelryth long table was never shortened, while there was extra helpth extended from four until eleven, and the midnight suppers, entailing raidsthe pantry and plaints from the servants, werexatioouse had beestaurant, a hotel,sneered bitterlyhimself; and there were times whenwas sorely temptedput his foot down and reassert the old ways.
but somehow the ancient sorceryhis masterful brother was too strong upon him; andtimesgazed upon him witense almostawe, gropingfathom the alchemycharm, baffledthe strange lights and fireshis brother’s eyes, andthe wisdomfar places andwild nights and days writtenhi was it?what lordly vision had the other glimpsed? he, the irresponsible and careless one?frederick remembereinean old song “along the shining wayscame.”why did his brother remind himthat line?had he, whoboyhood had knownlaw, whomanhood had exalted himself above law,truth found the shining ways?
there wasunfairness aboutthat perplexed frederick, untilfound solacedwelling upon the failure tom had made owas,quiet intervals, thatgot some fort and stiffened his own prideshowing tom over the estate.
“you have done well, fred,” tom would say.“you have done very well.”
he saidoften, and oftendrowsedthe big smooth running machine.
“everything orderly and sanitary and spick and span noladegrass outplace,” was polly’s ment.“howyou ever manage it?i should not likebladegrassyour land,” she concluded, witittle shivery shudder.
“you have worked hard,” tom said.
“yes, i have worked hard,” frederick affirmed.“it was worth it.”
he was goingsay more, but the strange flashthe girl’s eyes brought himan unfortabl felt that she measured him, challenge the first time his honourable careerbuildinounty monwealth had been questioned anda chita girl, the daughtera wastrel, herself bulighty, fly away, foreign creature.
conflict between themhad disliked her from the first momenid not havere presence madefelt her unspoken disapproval, though there were times when she did not stoid she minc spoke forthright, likan, andno man had ever daredspeakhim.
“i wonderyou ever miss what you’ve missed,” she told him.“did you ever, onceyour life, turn yourself loose and rip thingsby the roots?did you ever once get drunk?or smoke yourself blackthe face?or dancoe downthe ten mandments?or standon your hind legs and wink likood fellowgod?”
“isn’t share one!” tom gurgled.“her mother over again.”
outwardly smiling and calm, there wahillhorrorfrederick’s heart.
it was incredible.
“i thinkis the english,” she continued, “who havaying thaan has not lived untilhas kissed his woman and struckconfess up, nowyou ever strucan.”
“have you?”countered.
she nodded,angry reminiscent flashher eyes, and waited.
“no, i have never had that pleasure,”answered slowly.“i early learned control.”
later, irritatedhis self satisfied placence and after listeninga recitalhowhad cornered the klamath salmon–packing, planted the first oystersthe bay and established that lucrative monopoly, andhow, after exhausting litigation anampaignyearshad captured the water frontwilliamsport and thereby woncontrolthe lumber bine, she returnedthe charge.
“you seemvalue lifetermsprofit and loss,” she said.“i wonderyou have ever known love.”
the shaft wen had not kissedmarriage had been onad saved the estatethe days whenhad been almost beatenthe struggledisencumber the vast holdings isaac travers’ wide handsgirl was had probedold wound and madehur had never had timad worke had been presidentthe chambermerce, mayorthe city, state senator, buthad misse chance momentshad e upon polly, openly and shamelesslyher father’s arms, andhad noted the warmth and tendernesstheiknew thathad missewas the display, not evenprivate didand mary s, formal, and colourless, she was what wasbe expecteda loveles even puzzleddecide whether the feelingfelt for herhe himself lovelesswell?
in the moment following polly’s remark,was awarea grea seemed that his hands had grasped ashes, until, glancing into the other room,saw tom asleepthe big chair, very grey and agedremembered all thathad done, all that h, what did tom possess?what had tom done? save play ducks and drakes with life and wearout until all that remained was that dimly flickering sparka dying body.
what bothered frederickpolly was that she attracted himwellrepelle own daughter had never interested himtha moved along frictionless grooves, andforecast her actions waseffortless thatwa polly! many hued, protean natured,never knew what she was goingdo next.
“keeps you guessing, eh?” tom chuckled.
shehad her way with frederickways thatmary would have bee took liberties with him, cosened himhurt him, and pelled alwayshiharp awarenessher existence.
once, after onetheir clashes, she devilled himthe piano, playinad damned thing that stirred and irritated him and set his pulse pounding wild and undisciplined fanciesthe ordered chamberhi worstit was she saw and knew just what shewas aware beforewas, and she made him aware, her face turnedlookhim,her lipocking, contemplative smile that was almosuperio was this that shocked him into consciousnessthe y his imagination had been playin the wall above her, the stiff portraitsisaac and eliza travers looked down like reproachfu,lefthad never dreamed such potencies residehen, andrememberedwith shame,had stolen back outsidelisten, and she had known, and once more she had devilled him.
when mary asked him whatthoughtpolly’s playing,unbidden contrast leapedhi’s music reminded hias cold and barea methodist meetin polly’s was like the mad and lawless ceremonialsome heathen temple where incense arose and nautch girls writhed.
“she plays likoreigner,”answered, pleased with the success and oppositenesshis evasion.
“shean artist,” mary affirmed solemnly.“she does she ever practise?when did she ever practise?you know how bestlikive finger exercise pared with the foolishest thing she ripple music tellsthings oh, things wonderfultells me, ‘owo three, owo three.’oh,is maddening!i work and work andi should sheborn that way, and not i?”
“love,” was frederick’s immediate and secret thought; but beforecould dwell upon the conclusion, the unprecedented had happened and mary was sobbinga break dowould have likedtake herhis arms, after tom’s fashion, butdid not kno tried, and found maryunschooleesulted onlyan embarrassed awkwardness for boththem.
the contrastingthe two girlsfather lik wasmore thaale camp followera geous, conquerin’s thrift had been sorely educatedthe mattenew just how expensive mary’s clothes were, yetcould not blind himselfthe fact that polly’s vagabond makeshifts, cheap and apparently haphazard, were always all right and far mor tasteways withawl wecarf she performed miracles.
“she just throws things together,” mary plained.“she doesn’t eve can dressfifteen minutes, and when she goes swimming she beats the boys outthe dressing rooms.”mary was honest and incredulousher admiration.“i can’t see how she does it.no one could dare those colours, but they look just righther.”
“she’s always threatened that wheecame finally flat broke she’d setdressmaking and take carebothus,” tom contributed.
frederick, looking over the topa newspaper, was witnessan illuminating scene; mary,his certain knowledge, had been primping forhour ere she appeared.
“oh! how lovely!” was polly’s read eyes and face glowed with honest pleasure, and her hands wove their delightthe air.“but why not wear that bowand thus?”
her hands flashedthe task, anda moment the miracletaste and difference achievedher touch was apparent evenfrederick.
polly was like her father, generousthe pointabsurdity with her meagr admirepanish faexican treasure that had e down from onethe grand ladiesthe courtthe empero’s delight flamed like wil found herself the immediate ownerthe fan, almost labouring under the fictitious impression that she had conferredobligationaccepting it.onloreign woman couldsuch things, and polly was guiltysimilar giftsall the youn wasmighta lace handkerchief, a pink paumotan pearl,a bhawksbil was alltheir eyes restedin joywomen,to men, she was irresistible.
“i don’t dare admire anything any more,” was mary’s plaint.“if ishe always givesto me.”
frederick had never dreamed sucreature coul womenhis own race and place had never adumbrated such knew that whatever she did her quick generosities, her hot enthusiasmsangers, her birdlike caressing ways was unbelievabl extravagant moodsthe same time shocked and fascinate voice wasmercurialhe wereeven tones, and she talked with he,her mouth, english waew and beautiful language, softly limpid, withaudacityphrase and tellingnessexpression that conveyed subtleties and nuancesunambiguous and directthey were unexpected from onesuch childlikenesswokeof nights andhis darkened eyelids saw bright memory picturesthe backward turnher vivid, laughing face.
m.pi.co
(梨树文学http://www.lishu123.com)