The Mayor of WarwickHopkins, Herbert M. (Herbert Müller)
General
The Mayor of Warwick
Hopkins, Herbert M. (Herbert Müller)
Mayors -- Fiction; New England -- Social life and customs -- Fiction; Social classes -- United States -- Fiction
Emmet remembered the year in question, and the very names of the chief
players, who were enshrined in his mind as only an athletic hero can be
enshrined in the imagination of the normal boy. As he chatted on about
his early impressions of the Hall, his listener became aware that he
regarded their first interview as the doorway of a friendship into
which he had now entered. A knowledge of this fact smote Leigh with
some compunction, for he had been so much absorbed in his own ulterior
purpose as to regard this man in the light of a means toward its
accomplishment. Now Emmet stood before him again, haying taken him at
his word, innocent of his original position as a pawn in another's
game. He was not one who deserved to be so regarded, and Leigh felt
this, though a greater interest had hitherto interfered with his
appreciation. There was an element of discovery in this second meeting
that was not unwelcome. Emmet's implied acceptance of his friendship
suddenly added a new interest to his life, and served to enrich for him
the city of Warwick, which until now had appeared a somewhat nebulous
place, where only one spot glowed with warmth and light.
"Come into my shanty here," he said heartily. "I want to show you
something I think will interest you. Have you ever looked at the
stars?"
"On the street corner, at ten cents a look," Emmet answered.
"Then this will be something of a revelation to you. Miss Wycliffe is
going to bring up a party to-night to use the telescope, but it's early
yet."
The other made no comment upon this statement, and the reason of his
silence remained obscure; whether it were due to indifference, or to a
fear of disclosing a cherished emotion. It seemed more likely that the
latter was the true explanation, and Leigh already knew his visitor
well enough to be prepared for sudden streaks of reticence or
secretiveness. The fact that he had discouraged his previous advances
on the subject of Miss Wycliffe was enough to explain this present
silence, but he felt that Emmet was acutely conscious of her impending
arrival. He could not help wondering also whether he would linger
deliberately until she should come. Speculating thus, he sat down in
the chair and trained the telescope upon Saturn.
"There," he said, rising. "What do you make of that?"
"I see a star," Emmet answered after a while, "with a ring of mist
around it--two rings."
"There are four, at least," said Leigh; "but the inner and intermediate
rings are dark. A better instrument would show a greenish hue. There
are eight satellites besides. You can imagine what sort of moonlit
nights they have in Saturn, supposing that any one lives there to enjoy
them."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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