the americanization of edward bok-第61部分

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　now　followed。　No　sooner　had　the　father's　letter　reached　the　White　House　than　an　answer　came　back　by　first　postthis　time　with　a　special…delivery　stamp　on　it。　It　was　Theodore　Roosevelt；　the　father；　who　wrote　this　time；　his　mind　and　time　filled　with　affairs　of　state；　and　yet　full　of　tender　thoughtfulness　for　a　little　boy：

〃Dear　Mr。　Bok：

〃I　have　your　letter　of　the　16th　instant。　I　hope　the　little　fellow　will　soon　be　all　right。　Instead　of　giving　him　my　letter；　give　him　a　message　from　me　based　on　the　letter；　if　that　will　be　better　for　him。　Tell　Mrs。　Bok　how　deeply　Mrs。　Roosevelt　and　I　sympathize　with　her。　We　know　just　how　she　feels。

〃Sincerely　yours；

〃Theodore　Roosevelt。〃

〃That's　pretty　fine　consideration；〃　said　the　father。　He　got　the　letter　during　a　business　conference　and　he　read　it　aloud　to　the　group　of　business　men。　Some　there　were　in　that　group　who　keenly　differed　with　the　President　on　national　issues；　but　they　were　all　fathers；　and　two　of　the　sturdiest　turned　and　walked　to　the　window　as　they　said：　〃Yes；　that　is　fine！〃

Then　came　the　boy's　pleasure　when　he　was　handed　the　letter；　the　next　few　days　were　spent　inditing　an　answer　to　〃my　friend；　the　President。〃　At　last　the　momentous　epistle　seemed　satisfactory；　and　off　to　the　busy　presidential　desk　went　the　boyish　note；　full　of　thanks　and　assurances　that　he　would　come　just　as　soon　as　he　could；　and　that　Mr。　Roosevelt　must　not　get　impatient！

The　〃soon　as　he　could〃　time；　however；　did　not　come　as　quickly　as　all　had　hoped！a　little　heart　pumped　for　days　full　of　oxygen　and　accelerated　by　hypodermic　injections　is　slow　to　mend。　But　the　President's　framed　letter；　hanging　on　the　spot　on　the　wall　first　seen　in　the　morning；　was　a　daily　consolation。

Then；　in　March；　although　four　months　after　the　promiseand　it　would　not　have　been　strange；　in　his　busy　life；　for　the　President　to　have　forgotten　or　at　least　overlooked　iton　the　very　day　that　the　book　was　published　came　a　special　〃large…paper〃　copy　of　The　Outdoor　Pastimes　of　an　American　Hunter；　and　on　the　fly…leaf　there　greeted　the　boy；　in　the　President's　own　hand：

〃To　Master　Curtis　Bok；

〃With　the　best　wishes　of　his　friend；

〃Theodore　Roosevelt。

〃March　11；　1908。〃

The　boy's　cup　was　now　full；　and　so　said　his　letter　to　the　President。　And　the　President　wrote　back　to　the　father：　〃I　am　really　immensely　amused　and　interested；　and　shall　be　mighty　glad　to　see　the　little　fellow。〃

In　the　spring；　on　a　beautiful　May　day；　came　the　great　moment。　The　mother　had　to　go　along；　the　boy　insisted；　to　see　the　great　event；　and　so　the　trio　found　themselves　shaking　the　hand　of　the　President's　secretary　at　the　White　House。

〃Oh；　the　President　is　looking　for　you；　all　right；〃　he　said　to　the　boy；　and　then　the　next　moment　the　three　were　in　a　large　room。　Mr。　Roosevelt；　with　beaming　face；　was　already　striding　across　the　room；　and　with　a　〃Well；　well；　and　so　this　is　my　friend　Curtis！〃　the　two　stood　looking　into　each　other's　faces；　each　fairly　wreathed　in　smiles；　and　each　industriously　shaking　the　hand　of　the　other。

〃Yes；　Mr。　President；　I'm　mighty　glad　to　see　you！〃　said　the　boy。

〃I　am　glad　to　see　you；　Curtis；〃　returned　Mr。　Roosevelt。

Then　there　came　a　white　rose　from　the　presidential　desk　for　the　mother；　but　after　that　father　and　mother　might　as　well　have　faded　away。　Nobody　existed　save　the　President　and　the　boy。　The　anteroom　was　full；　in　the　Cabinet…room　a　delegation　waited　to　be　addressed。　But　affairs　of　state　were　at　a　complete　standstill　as；　with　boyish　zeal；　the　President　became　oblivious　to　all　but　the　boy　before　him。

〃Now；　Curtis；　I've　got　some　pictures　here　of　bears　that　a　friend　of　mine　has　just　shot。　Look　at　that　whopper；　fifteen　hundred　poundsthat's　as　much　as　a　horse　weighs；　you　know。　Now；　my　friend　shot　him〃and　it　was　a　toss…up　who　was　the　more　keenly　interested；　the　real　boy　or　the　man…boy；　as　picture　after　picture　came　out　and　bear　adventure　crowded　upon　the　heels　of　bear　adventure。

〃Gee；　he's　a　corker；　all　right！〃　came　from　the　boy　at　one　point；　and　then；　from　the　President：　〃That's　right；　he　is　a　corker。　Now　you　see　his　head　here〃and　then　both　were　off　again。

The　private　secretary　came　in　at　this　point　and　whispered　in　the　President's　ear。

〃I　know；　I　know。　I'll　see　him　later。　Say　that　I　am　very　busy　now。〃　And　the　face　beamed　with　smiles。

〃Now；　Mr。　President〃　began　the　father。

〃No；　sir；　no；　sir；　not　at　all。　Affairs　can　wait。　This　is　a　long…standing　engagement　between　Curtis　and　me；　and　that　must　come　first。　Isn't　that　so；　Curtis？〃

Of　course　the　boy　agreed。

Suddenly　the　boy　looked　around　the　room　and　said：

〃Where's　your　gun；　Mr。　President？　Got　it　here？〃

〃No；〃　laughingly　came　from　the　President；　〃but　I'll　tell　you〃and　then　the　two　heads　were　together　again。

A　moment　for　breath…taking　came；　and　the　boy　said：

〃Aren't　you　ever　afraid　of　being　shot？〃

〃You　mean　while　I　am　hunting？〃

〃Oh；　no。　I　mean　as　President。〃

〃No；〃　replied　the　smiling　President。　〃I'll　tell　you；　Curtis；　I'm　too　busy　to　think　about　that。　I　have　too　many　things　to　do　to　bother　about　anything　of　that　sort。　When　I　was　in　battle　I　was　always　too　anxious　to　get　to　the　front　to　think　about　the　shots。　And　herewell；　here　I'm　too　busy　too。　Never　think　about　it。　But　I'll　tell　you；　Curtis；　there　are　some　men　down　there；〃　pointing　out　of　the　window　in　the　direction　of　the　capitol；　〃called　the　Congress；　and　if　they　would　only　give　me　the　four　battleships　I　want；　I'd　be　perfectly　willing　to　have　any　one　take　a　crack　at　me。〃　Then；　for　the　first　time　recognizing　the　existence　of　the　parents；　the　President　said：　〃And　I　don't　know　but　if　they　did　pick　me　off　I'd　be　pretty　well　ahead　of　the　game。〃

Just　in　that　moment　only　did　the　boy…knowing　President　get　a　single　inch　above　the　boy…interest。　It　was　astonishing　to　see　the　natural　accuracy　with　which　the　man　gauged　the　boy…level。

〃Now；　how　would　you　like　to　see　a　bear；　Curtis？〃　came　next。　〃I　know　where　there's　a　beauty；　twelve　hundred　pounds。〃

〃Must　be　some　bear！〃　interjected　the　boy。

〃That's　what　it　is；〃　put　in　the　President。　〃Regular　cinnamon…brown　type〃and　then　off　went　the　talk　to　the　big　bear　at　the　Washington　〃Zoo〃　where　the　President　was　to　send　the　boy。

Then；　after　a　little：　〃Now；　Curtis；　see　those　men　over　there　in　that　room。　They've　travelled　from　all　parts　of　the　country　to　come　here　at　my　invitation；　and　I've　got　to　make　a　little　speech　to　them；　and　I'll　do　that　while　you　go　off　to　see　the　bear。〃

And　then　the　hand　came　forth　to　say　good…by。　The　boy　put　his　in　it；　each　looked　into　the　other's　face；　and　on　neither　was　there　a　place　big　enough　to　put　a　ten…cent　piece　that　was　not　wreathed　in　smiles。　〃He　certainly　is　all　right；〃　said　the　boy　to　the　father；　looking　wistfully　after　the　President。

Almost　to　the　other　room　had　the　President　gone　when　he；　too；　instinctively　looked　back　to　find　the　boy　following　him　with　his　eyes。　He　stopped；　wheeled　around；　and　then　the　two　instinctively　sought　each　other　again。　The　President　came　back；　the　boy　went　forward。　This　time　each　held　out　both　hands；　and　as　each　looked　once　more　into　the　other's　eyes　a　world　of　complete　understanding　was　in　both　faces；　and　every　looker…on　smiled　with　them。

〃Good…by；　Curtis；〃　came　at　last