登陆注册
47188300000163

第163章 The Valley of Fear1(29)

He was a dangerous suitor, with his glib Irish tongue, and hispretty, coaxing ways. There was about him also that glamour ofexperience and of mystery which attracts a woman’s interest,and finally her love. He could talk of the sweet valleys of CountyMonaghan from which he came, of the lovely, distant island, thelow hills and green meadows of which seemed the more beautifulwhen imagination viewed them from this place of grime and snow.

Then he was versed in the life of the cities of the North,of Detroit, and the lumber camps of Michigan, and finally ofChicago, where he had worked in a planing mill. And afterwardscame the hint of romance, the feeling that strange things hadhappened to him in that great city, so strange and so intimatethat they might not be spoken of. He spoke wistfully of a suddenleaving, a breaking of old ties, a flight into a strange world, endingin this dreary valley, and Ettie listened, her dark eyes gleamingwith pity and with sympathy—those two qualities which may turnso rapidly and so naturally to love.

McMurdo had obtained a temporary job as bookkeeper; for hewas a well-educated man. This kept him out most of the day, andhe had not found occasion yet to report himself to the head of thelodge of the Eminent Order of Freemen. He was reminded of hisomission, however, by a visit one evening from Mike Scanlan, thefellow member whom he had met in the train. Scanlan, the small,sharp-faced, nervous, black-eyed man, seemed glad to see himonce more. After a glass or two of whisky he broached the objectof his visit.

“Say, McMurdo,” said he, “I remembered your address, so Imade bold to call. I’m surprised that you’ve not reported to theBodymaster. Why haven’t you seen Boss McGinty yet?”

“Well, I had to find a job. I have been busy.”

“You must find time for him if you have none for anythingelse. Good Lord, man! you’re a fool not to have been down to theUnion House and registered your name the first morning after youcame here! If you run against him—well, you mustn’t, that’s all!”

McMurdo showed mild surprise. “I’ve been a member of thelodge for over two years, Scanlan, but I never heard that dutieswere so pressing as all that.”

“Maybe not in Chicago.”

“Well, it’s the same society here.”

“Is it?”

Scanlan looked at him long and fixedly. There was somethingsinister in his eyes.

“Isn’t it?”

“You’ll tell me that in a month’s time. I hear you had a talk withthe patrolmen after I left the train.”

“How did you know that?”

“Oh, it got about—things do get about for good and for bad inthis district.”

“Well, yes. I told the hounds what I thought of them.”

“By the Lord, you’ll be a man after McGinty’s heart!”

“What, does he hate the police too?”

Scanlan burst out laughing. “You go and see him, my lad,” saidhe as he took his leave. “It’s not the police but you that he’ll hateif you don’t! Now, take a friend’s advice and go at once!”

It chanced that on the same evening McMurdo had anothermore pressing interview which urged him in the same direction. Itmay have been that his attentions to Ettie had been more evidentthan before, or that they had gradually obtruded themselvesinto the slow mind of his good German host; but, whateverthe cause, the boarding-house keeper beckoned the young maninto his private room and started on the subject without anycircumlocution.

“It seems to me, mister,” said he, “that you are gettin’ set on myEttie. Ain’t that so, or am I wrong?”

“Yes, that is so,” the young man answered.

“Vell, I vant to tell you right now that it ain’t no manner of use.

There’s someone slipped in afore you.”

“She told me so.”

“Vell, you can lay that she told you truth. But did she tell youwho it vas?”

“No, I asked her; but she wouldn’t tell.”

“I dare say not, the leetle baggage! Perhaps she did not vish tofrighten you avay.”

“Frighten!” McMurdo was on fire in a moment.

“Ah, yes, my friend! You need not be ashamed to be frightenedof him. It is Teddy Baldwin.”

“And who the devil is he?”

“He is a boss of Scowrers.”

“Scowrers! I’ve heard of them before. It’s Scowrers here andScowrers there, and always in a whisper! What are you all afraid of?

Who are the Scowrers?”

The boarding-house keeper instinctively sank his voice, aseveryone did who talked about that terrible society. “The Scowrers,”

said he, “are the Eminent Order of Freemen!”

The young man stared. “Why, I am a member of that ordermyself.”

“You! I vould never have had you in my house if I had knownit—not if you vere to pay me a hundred dollar a veek.”

“What’s wrong with the order? It’s for charity and good fellowship.

The rules say so.”

“Maybe in some places. Not here!”

“What is it here?”

“It’s a murder society, that’s vat it is.”

McMurdo laughed incredulously. “How can you prove that?” heasked.

“Prove it! Are there not fifty murders to prove it? Vat aboutMilman and Van Shorst, and the Nicholson family, and old Mr.

Hyam, and little Billy James, and the others? Prove it! Is there aman or a voman in this valley vat does not know it?”

“See here!” said McMurdo earnestly. “I want you to take backwhat you’ve said, or else make it good. One or the other you mustdo before I quit this room. Put yourself in my place. Here am I, astranger in the town. I belong to a society that I know only as aninnocent one. You’ll find it through the length and breadth of theStates, but always as an innocent one. Now, when I am countingupon joining it here, you tell me that it is the same as a murdersociety called the Scowrers. I guess you owe me either an apologyor else an explanation, Mr. Shafter.”

“I can but tell you vat the whole vorld knows, mister. The bossesof the one are the bosses of the other. If you offend the one, it isthe other vat vill strike you. We have proved it too often.”

“That’s just gossip—I want proof!” said McMurdo.

“If you live here long you vill get your proof. But I forget thatyou are yourself one of them. You vill soon be as bad as the rest.

But you vill find other lodgings, mister. I cannot have you here.

同类推荐
  • 扬帆1980

    扬帆1980

    八十年代初的落榜高中毕业生周建平,回乡后不安于现状,在杂乱的嘲笑声中走出穷乡僻壤,历经了创业之初的失败、迷茫、挣扎和冷静反思后,他凭借瑞敏的商业嗅觉和“新三届”良好的综合素养,重整旗鼓,并在企业的管理经营上游刃有余,扬起了人生远航的风帆。
  • 松鸦为什么鸣叫:陈应松获奖作

    松鸦为什么鸣叫:陈应松获奖作

    本书收录了《松鸦为什么鸣叫》、《狂犬事件》、《独摇草》、《豹子最后的舞蹈》、《木材采购员的女儿》、《云彩擦过悬崖》等小说。
  • 若爱来的刚刚好

    若爱来的刚刚好

    他也曾是大好男儿一枚,他是稳重强势的钻石王老五,他也曾在商场上与她并肩而立,叱咤群雄,可是,终究在情字上面,栽落在尘埃,粉身碎骨。却偏偏,那个人是她的好友,是他的爱人。别人的弃如敝履是她的求而不得。她跟他保持了两年的暧昧关系,却被那个人的一朝回归,分崩离析。商墨是俞纪蓝是最灿烂的两朵姐妹花,一个因为易唐盛开,一个因为易唐凋零,一夕之间,姐妹花反目成仇,爱人背离而去,商场风云变化,昔日情人变得陌生,陌生男人变成贴心男友,一个企业几番更替,背后到底是谁在操作?
  • 马尔克斯:恶时辰

    马尔克斯:恶时辰

    《恶时辰》是马尔克斯的成名作,也是马尔克斯第一部获奖的长篇小说。《恶时辰》借由一桩因匿名帖而引起的杀人事件,描写了一个小镇在两周内的风云变幻。《恶时辰》直接取材于社会现实,不同于马尔克斯以往的魔幻风格,而是用最精炼简洁的语言,营造出荒诞、阴郁、惊心动魄的氛围。马尔克斯对权力的奥秘与孤独的揭示,对社会动荡和腐败根源的反思,令今天的读者不禁深感共鸣。
  • 上海姑娘在巴黎

    上海姑娘在巴黎

    小说主要描写上海姑娘李娟、囡囡、陈晓玉和温州姑娘阿莲以及温州小伙子柳绍东在法国巴黎闪生的青春故事。全文生动演绎了中国青年在海外留学时遭遇的情感挫折、事业挫折以及他们面对挫折的不懈努力。
热门推荐
  • 云雾城

    云雾城

    无涯海上云雾城,青冥天下仙人行仙人必定是生而为仙的么
  • 太阳出山

    太阳出山

    这部诗集共分为“亲近根系”、“忘不了家的方向”、“按阳光的思路去记念”三辑,收录了诗人近几年创作的100余首诗歌精品。
  • 天行

    天行

    号称“北辰骑神”的天才玩家以自创的“牧马冲锋流”战术击败了国服第一弓手北冥雪,被誉为天纵战榜第一骑士的他,却受到小人排挤,最终离开了效力已久的银狐俱乐部。是沉沦,还是再次崛起?恰逢其时,月恒集团第四款游戏“天行”正式上线,虚拟世界再起风云!
  • 与你的偶遇心跳

    与你的偶遇心跳

    拥有异性接触恐惧症的包年年除了自己的家人以外,无法和任何年龄相近的异性接触,终于在一次意外中遇到了能够平复她躁动的心跳的人,严遇!在死党的怂恿之下,包年年开始了她的治疗之路,刚接触还以为这是个成熟的人,却没想到他比任何人都奇葩,抛开这些不说,明明是“偶遇”,你为什么偏偏追着我不放!“包年年,我是这世上唯一让你不心跳的男人,但是我也想成为这世界上唯一一个会使你心动的男人!”一身西装手捧鲜花却穿着格格不入的人字拖的男人对着满天飞过的流星大声许愿。下一秒,包年年脸上的面膜就被自己的心跳震掉在地上,冲到窗前,眼睛里闪过满天飞过的火球。严遇!你完了!...
  • 天行

    天行

    号称“北辰骑神”的天才玩家以自创的“牧马冲锋流”战术击败了国服第一弓手北冥雪,被誉为天纵战榜第一骑士的他,却受到小人排挤,最终离开了效力已久的银狐俱乐部。是沉沦,还是再次崛起?恰逢其时,月恒集团第四款游戏“天行”正式上线,虚拟世界再起风云!
  • 奥特之阿斯特拉传奇

    奥特之阿斯特拉传奇

    一觉醒来,张恺发现自己穿越到奥特曼的世界,还变成了奥特战士,穿越就穿越吧,为什么不是穿越成赛罗,或者迪迦,实在不行新生代奥特曼也行,为什么是存在感很低的阿斯特拉奥特曼,好吧,这还不是最糟糕的,最糟糕的是自己居然被压在废墟中,那边那个一身黑色,戴着面具的黄毛是谁啊?我去,马格马星人和双胞胎怪兽?!我该怎么办?在线等,挺着急的!!!
  • 生死劫动

    生死劫动

    纵观历史岁月,群雄辈出,一指可崩天,一脚踏九霄,一瞬百万里,斗天地,以时代为格局,迸发出一个又一个璀璨的时代……在血与泪中杀出一片冉冉乾坤,谱写一曲曲豪情万丈的战歌,青史留名…试问天地间,还有谁?还有谁?还有谁!可敢一战!辉煌必将走向落幕,迟暮之年终将到来,尘归尘,土归土,世间因果皆逃不了生死劫动…
  • 重生之神棍天下

    重生之神棍天下

    有钱能使鬼推磨?梁劲嗤之以鼻。有钱能买下全球?梁劲不屑一顾。梁劲说:有钱能使阎王推磨。梁劲更说:有钱买的不止是地球,更能买下传说中的仙界。重生回去的梁劲赚钱赚到了神仙头上了,让凡人买丹药、灵器;让神仙开宝马、奔驰。梁劲干的都不是人干的事,更不是神干的事。他曾经在采访中说过,这是神与人之间的职业,更为这个职业正名时他大笔一挥:——神棍,天下最伟大的职业,没有之一。【每天中午,傍晚各更新一章】
  • 入门:我的世界

    入门:我的世界

    《入门:我的世界》是最初由瑞典人马库斯·阿列克谢·泊松(Markus"Notch"Persson)单独开发,现已成立Mojang公司来开发此游戏。该游戏基于Java平台,开发灵感来自《矮人要塞》(DwarfFortress)、《模拟乐园》、《地城守护者》(DungeonKeeper)和《Infiniminer》。本书是专门针对入门的新手变成响当当的白金大神的攻略。
  • 精灵旅者

    精灵旅者

    一个31岁大汉在神奇宝贝世界到处旅行的故事。*单女主(也能没有)*基本不会与小智他们发生什么剧情(偶尔会写一点)*没写过什么小说,这个只是自己解闷写的,只想写出一个轻松加愉快的神奇宝贝世界。