"Tis gone--to the pewblisher?"
M. De l'Isle, about to enter his double gate, had paused. In his home,
overhead, a clock was striking five of the tenth day after that second
reading in the Castanados' parlor. The energetic inquiry was his.
A single step away, in the door of the iron-worker's shop, Beloiseau,
too quick for Chester, at whose elbow he stood, replied: "Tis gone
better! Tis gone to the editor--of the greatez' magazine of the worl'!"
"Bravo! Sinze how long?"
"A week," Chester said.
"Hah! and his _rip_-ly?"
"Hasn't come yet."
"Ah, look out, now! Look out he don' steal that! You di'n' write him:
'Wire answer'? You muz' do that! I'll pay it myseff!"
"I thought I'd wait one more day. He may have other manuscripts to
consider."
"Mr. Chezter, that manuscrip' is not in a prize contess; 'tis only with
itseff! You di'n' say that?"
"I--implied it--as gracefully as I could."
"Ah! graze'--the h-only way to write those fellow, tha'z with the big
stick! 'Wire h-answer!'"
Beloiseau lifted a finger: "I don' think thad way. Firz' place, big
stick or no, that hiztorie is sure to be accept'."
M. De l'Isle let out a roar that seemed to tear the lining from his
throat: "Aw-w-w! tha'z not to compel the agceptanze; tha'z to scare
them from stealing it! And to privend that, there's another thing you
want to infer them: that you billong to the Louisiana Branch of the
Authors' Protegtive H-union! Ah, doubtlezz you don't--billong; but all
the same you can infer them!"
Beloiseau's response crowded Chester's out: "Well, they are maybe
important, those stratagem'; but to me the chieve danger is if maybe
_that_ editor shou'n' have the sagacitie--artiztic--commercial--to
perceive the brilliancy of thad story."
"Never mine! in any'ow two days we'll know. Scipion! The day avter
those two, tha'z a pewblic holiday--everything shut!"
"Yes, well?"
"If that news come, 'accepted,' all of us we'll be so please' that
we'll be compel to egsprezz that in a joy-ride! and even if 'rifused,'
we'll need that joy-ride to swallow the indignation."
"Ah! but with whose mash-in', so it won't put uz in bankrup'cy?"
"With two mash-in'--the two of Thorndyke-Smith! He's offer' to borrow
me those whiles he's going to be accrozz the lake. You'll drive the
large, me the small."
"Hah! Tha'z a gran' scheme. At the en', dinner at Antoine', all the
men chipping in! Castanado--Dubroca--me--Mr. Chezter, eh?"
"With the greatest pleasure if I'm included."
"Include'--hoh! By the laws of nature!" M. De l'Isle went on up-stairs.
"We had a dinner like that," Beloiseau said, "only withoud the joy-ride
and withoud those three Mlles. Chapdelaine, juz' a few week' biffo' we
make' yo' acquaintanze. That was to celebrade that great victory in
France and same time the news of savety of our four boys ad the front."