The Portygee | Page 8

isn't it?" she asked.
The boy nodded. "Yes," he said.
The hands unclasped and she held them out toward him. "Oh, Albert,"
she cried, "I'm your grandmother. I--"
The man interrupted. "Wait till we get him inside, Olive," he said.
"Come in, son." Then, addressing the driver, he ordered: "Labe, take
the horse and team out to the barn and unharness for me, will you?"
"Ye-es, yes, yes," replied Mr. Keeler. "Yes indeed, Cap'n. Take her
right along--right off. Yes indeedy. Git dap!"
He drove off toward the end of the yard, where a large building,

presumably a barn, loomed black against the dark sky. He sang as he
drove and the big man on the step looked after him and sniffed
suspiciously.
Meanwhile the boy had followed the little woman into the house
through a small front hall, from which a narrow flight of stairs shot
aloft with almost unbelievable steepness, and into a large room. Albert
had a swift impression of big windows full of plants, of pictures of
ships and schooners on the walls, of a table set for four.
"Take your things right off," cried his grandmother. "Here, I'll take 'em.
There! now turn 'round and let me look at you. Don't move till I get a
good look."
He stood perfectly still while she inspected him from head to foot.
"You've got her mouth," she said slowly. "Yes, you've got her mouth.
Her hair and eyes were brown and yours are black, but--but I THINK
you look like her. Oh, I did so want you to! May I kiss you, Albert? I'm
your grandmother, you know."
With embarrassed shyness he leaned forward while she put her arms
about his neck and kissed him on the cheek. As he straightened again
he became aware that the big man had entered the room and was
regarding him intently beneath a pair of shaggy gray eyebrows. Mrs.
Snow turned.
"Oh, Zelotes," she cried, "he's got Janie's mouth, don't you think so?
And he DOES look like her, doesn't he?"
Her husband shook his head. "Maybe so, Mother," he said, with a half
smile. "I ain't a great hand for locatin' who folks look like. How are you,
boy? Glad to see you. I'm your grandfather, you know."
They shook hands, while each inspected and made a mental estimate of
the other. Albert saw a square, bearded jaw, a firm mouth, gray eyes
with many wrinkles at the corners, and a shock of thick gray hair. The
eyes had a way of looking straight at you, through you, as if reading

your thoughts, divining your motives and making a general appraisal of
you and them.
Captain Zelotes Snow, for his part, saw a tall young fellow, slim and
straight, with black curly hair, large black eyes and regular features. A
good-looking boy, a handsome boy--almost too handsome, perhaps, or
with just a touch of the effeminate in the good looks. The captain's
glance took in the well-fitting suit of clothes, the expensive tie, the gold
watch chain.
"Humph!" grunted Captain Zelotes. "Well, your grandma and I are glad
to have you with us. Let me see, Albert--that's your right name, ain't
it--Albert?"
Something in his grandfather's looks or tone aroused a curious feeling
in the youth. It was not a feeling of antagonism, exactly, but more of
defiance, of obstinacy. He felt as if this big man, regarding him so
keenly from under the heavy brows, was looking for faults, was
expecting to find something wrong, might almost be disappointed if he
did not find it. He met the gaze for a moment, the color rising to his
cheeks.
"My name," he said deliberately, "is Alberto Miguel Carlos Speranza."
Mrs. Snow uttered a little exclamation. "Oh!" she ejaculated. And then
added: "Why--why, I thought--we--we understood 'twas 'Albert.' We
didn't know there was--we didn't know there was any more to it. What
did you say it was?"
Her grandson squared his shoulders. "Alberto Miguel Carlos
Speranza," he repeated. "My father"--there was pride in his voice
now--"my father's name was Miguel Carlos. Of course you knew that."
He spoke as if all creation must have known it. Mrs. Snow looked
helplessly at her husband. Captain Zelotes rubbed his chin.
"We--ll," he drawled dryly, "I guess likely we'll get along with 'Albert'
for a spell. I cal'late 'twill come more handy to us Cape folks. We're

kind of plain and everyday 'round here. Sapper's ready, ain't it, Mother?
Al must be hungry. I'm plaguey sure I am."
"But, Zelotes, maybe he'd like to go up to his bedroom first. He's been
ridin' a long ways in the cars and maybe he'd like to wash up or change
his clothes?"
"Change his clothes! Lord sakes, Olive, what would he want to change
his clothes this time