the voice of the city-第26节

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sat　at　a　little　table　on　the　same　balcony。　　A　discreet

waiter　brought　ices　and　small　glasses　of　claret　cup。



Madame　Beaumont　wore　the　same　beautiful　even…

ing　gown　that　she　had　worn　each　day　at　dinner。　　She

seemed　thoughtful。　　Near　her　hand　on　the　table　lay　a

small　chatelaine　purse。　　After　she　had　eaten　her　ice

she　opened　the　purse　and　took　out　a　one…dollar　bill。



〃Mr。　Farrington；〃　she　said；　with　the　smile　that

had　won　the　Hotel　Lotus；　〃I　want　to　tell　you　some…

thing。　　I'm　going　to　leave　before　breakfast　in　the

morning；　because　I've　got　to　go　back　to　my　work。

I'm　behind　the　hosiery　counter　at　Casey's　Mammoth

Store；　and　my　vacation's　up　at　eight　o'clock　to…

morrow。　　That　paper…dollar　is　the　last　cent　I'll　see

till　I　draw　my　eight　dollars　salary　next　Saturday

night。　　You're　a　real　gentleman；　and　you've　been

good　to　me；　and　I　wanted　to　tell　you　before　I　went。

I've　been　saving　up　out　of　my　wages　for　a　year

just　for　this　vacation。　　I　wanted　to　spend　one　week

like　a　lady　if　I　never　do　another　one。　　I　wanted　to

get　up　when　I　please　instead　of　having　to　crawl　out

at　seven　every　morning；　and　I　wanted　to　live　on　the

best　and　be　waited　on　and　ring　bells　for　things　just

like　rich　folks　do。　　Now　I've　done　it；　and　I've　had　the

happiest　time　I　ever　expect　to　have　in　my　life。　　I'm

going　back　to　my　work　and　my　little　hall　bedroom

satisfied　for　another　year。　　I　wanted　to　tell　you

about　it；　Mr。　Farrington；　because　I　　I　thought　you

kind　of　liked　me；　and　I　　I　liked　you。　　But；　oh；　I

couldn't　help　deceiving　you　up　till　now；　for　it　was　all

just　like　a　fairy　tale　to　me。　　So　I　talked　about　Eu…

rope　and　the　things　I've　read　about　in　other　countries；

and　made　you　think　I　was　a　great　lady。



〃This　dress　I've　got　on　　it's　the　only　one　I　have

that's　fit　to　wear　　I　bought　from　O'Dowd　&　Levin…

sky　on　the　instalment　plan。〃



〃Seventy…five　dollars　is　the　price；　and　it　was　made

to　measure。　　I　paid　10　down；　and　they're　to　collect

1　a　week　till　it's　paid　for。　　That'll　be　about　all　I

have　to　say；　Mr。　Farrington；　except　that　my　name　is

Mamie　Siviter　instead　of　Madame　Beaumont；　and　I

thank　you　for　your　attentions。　　This　dollar　will　pay

the　instalment　due　on　the　dress　to…morrow。　　I　guess

I'll　go　up　to　my　room　now。〃



Harold　Farrington　listened　to　the　recital　of　the

Lotus's　loveliest　guest　with　an　impassive　countenance。

When　she　had　concluded　he　drew　a　small　book　like　a

checkbook　from　his　coat　pocket。　　He　wrote　upon　a

blank　form　in　this　with　a　stub　of　pencil；　tore　out　the

leaf；　tossed　it　over　to　his　companion　and　took　up　the

paper　dollar。



〃I've　got　to　go　to　work；　too；　in　the　morning；〃　he

said；　〃and　I　might　as　well　begin　now。　　There's　a

receipt　for　the　dollar　instalment。　　I've　been　a　col…

lector　for　O'Dowd　&　Levinsky　for　three　years。

Funny；　ain't　it；　that　you　and　me　both　had　the　same

idea　about　spending　our　vacation？　　I've　always

wanted　to　put　up　at　a　swell　hotel；　and　I　saved　up　out

of　my　twenty　per；　and　did　it。　　Say；　Mame；　how　about

a　trip　to　Coney　Saturday　night　on　the　boat

what？〃



The　face　of　the　pseudo　Madame　Heloise　D'Arcy

Beaumont　beamed。



〃Oh；　you　bet　I'll　go；　Mr。　Farrington。　　The　store

closes　at　twelve　on　Saturdays。　　I　guess　Coney'll　be

all　right　even　if　we　did　spend　a　week　with　the　swells。〃



Below　the　balcony　the　sweltering　city　growled　and

buzzed　in　the　July　night。　　Inside　the　Hotel　Lotus

the　tempered；　cool　shadows　reigned；　and　the　solicitous

waiter　single…footed　near　the　low　windows；　ready　at

a　nod　to　serve　Madame　and　her　escort。



At　the　door　of　the　elevator　Farrington　took　his

leave；　and　Madame　Beaumont　made　her　last　ascent。

But　before　they　reached　the　noiseless　cage　be　said：

〃Just　forget　that　'Harold　Farrington；'　will　you？

McManus　is　the　name　　James　McManus。　　Some

call　me　Jimmy。〃



〃Good…night；　Jimmy；〃　said　Madame。









THE　RATHSKELLER　AND　THE　ROSE





Miss　Posie　Carrington　had　earned　her　suc…

cess。　　She　began　life　handicapped　by　the　family　name

of　〃Boggs；〃　in　the　small　town　known　as　Cranberry

Corners。　　At　the　age　of　eighteen　she　had　acquired

the　name　of　〃Carrington〃　and　a　position　in　the

chorus　of　a　metropolitan　burlesque　company。

Thence　upward　she　had　ascended　by　the　legitimate　and

delectable　steps　of　〃broiler；〃　member　of　the　famous

〃Dickey…bird〃　octette；　in　the　successful　musical

comedy；　〃Fudge　and　Fellows；〃　leader　of　the　potato…

bug　dance　in　〃Fol…de…Rol；〃　and　at　length　to　the　part

of　the　maid　〃'Toinette〃　in　〃The　King's　Bath…Robe；〃

which　captured　the　critics　and　gave　her　her　chance。

And　when　we　come　to　consider　Miss　Carrington　she

is　in　the　heydey　of　flattery；　fame　and　fizz；　and　that

astute　manager；　Herr　Timothy　Goldstein；　has　her

signature　to　iron…clad　papers　that　she　will　star　the

coming　season　in　Dyde　Rich's　new　play；　〃Paresis　by

Gaslight。〃



Promptly　there　came　to　Herr　Timothy　a　capable

twentieth…century　young　character　actor　by　the　name

of　Highsmith；　who　besought　engagement　as　〃Sol

Haytosser；〃　the　comic　and　chief　male　character　part

in　〃Paresis　by　Gaslight。〃



〃My　boy；〃　said　Goldstein；　〃take　the　part　if　you

can　get　it。　　Miss　Carrington　won't　listen　to　any　of

my　suggestions。　　She　has　turned　down　half　a　dozen

of　the　best　imitators　of　the　rural　dub　in　the　city。

She　declares　she　won't　set　a　foot　on　the　stage　un…

less　'Haytosser'　is　the　best　that　can　be　raked　up　

She　was　raised　in　a　village；　you　know；　and　when　a

Broadway　orchid　sticks　a　straw　in　his　hair　and　tries

to　call　himself　a　clover　blossom　she's　on；　all　right。

I　asked　her；　in　a　sarcastic　vein；　if　she　thought　Den…

man　Thompson　would　make　any　kind　of　a　show　in　the

part。　　'Oh；　no；'　says　she。　　'I　don't　want　him　or

John　Drew　or　Jim　Corbett　or　any　of　these　swell

actors　that　don't　know　a　turnip　from　a　turnstile。　　I

want　the　real　article。'　So；　my　boy；　if　you　want　to

play　I　'Sol　Haytosser'　you　will　have　to　convince　Miss

Carrington。　　Luck　be　with　you。〃



Highsmith　took　the　train　the　next　day　for　Cran…

berry　Corners。　　He　remained　in　that　forsaken　and

inanimate　village　three　days。　　He　found　the　Boggs

family　and　corkscrewed　their　history　unto　the　third

and　fourth　generation。　　He　amassed　the　facts　and　the

local　color　of　Cranberry　Corners。　　The　village　had

not　grown　as　rapidly　as　had　Miss　Carrington。　　The

actor　estimated　that　it　had　suffered　as　few　actual

changes　since　the　departure　of　its　solitary　follower

of　Thespis　as　had　a　stage　upon　which　〃four　years

is　supposed　to　have　elapsed。〃　He　absorbed　Cran…

berry　Corners　and　returned　to　the　city　of　chameleon

changes。



It　was　in　the　rathskeller　that　Highsmith　made　the

hit　of　his　histrionic　career。　　There　is　no　need　to

name　the　place；　there　is　but　one　rathskeller　where

you　could　hope　to　find　Miss　Posie　Carrington　after　a

performance　of　〃The　King's　Bath…Robe。〃



There　was　a　jolly　small　party　at　one　of　the　tables

that　drew　many　eyes。　　Miss　Carrington；　petite；　mar…

vellous；　bubbling；　electric；　fame…drunken；　shall　be

named　first。　　Herr　Goldstein　follows；　sonorous；　curly…

haired；　heavy；　a　trifle　anxious；　as　some　bear　that　had

caught；　somehow；　a　butterfly　in　his　claws。　　Next；

a　man　condemned　to　a　newspaper；　sad；　courted；

armed；　analyzing　for　press　agent's　dross　every　sen…

tence　that　was　poured　over　him；　eating　his　a　la　New…

burg　in　the　silence　of　greatness。　　To　conclude；　a

youth　with　parted　hair；　a　name　that　is　ochre　to　red

journals　and　gold　on　the　back　of　a　supper　check。

These　sat　at　a　table　while　the　musicians　played；　while

waiters　moved　in　the　mazy　performance　of　their　duties

with　their　backs　toward　all　who　desired　their　service；

and　all　was　bizarre　and　merry　because　it　was　nine　feet

below　the　level　of　the　sidewalk。



At　11。45　a　being　entered　the　rathskeller。　The

first　violin　perceptibly　flatted　a　C　that　should　have

been　natural；　the　clarionet　blew　a　bubble　instead　of　a

grace　note；　Miss　Carrington　giggled　and　the　youth

with　parted　hair　swallowed　an　olive　seed。



Exquisitely　and　irreproachably　rural　was　the　new

entry。　　A　lank；　disconcerted；　hesitating　young　man

it　was；　flaxen…haired；　gaping　of　mouth；　awkward；

stricken　to　misery　by　the　lights　and　company。　　His

clothing　was　butternut；　with　bright　blue　tie；　showing

four　inches　of　bony　wrist　and　white…socked　ankle。

He　upset　a　chair；　sat　in　another　one；　curled　a　foot

around　a　table　leg　and　cringed　at　the　approach　of

a　waiter。



〃You　may　fetch　me　a　glass　of　lager　beer；〃　he　said；

in　response　to　the　discreet　questioning　of　the

servitor。



The　eyes　of　the　rathskeller　were　upon　him。　　He　was

as　fresh　as　a　collard　and　as　ingenuous　as　a　hay　rake。

He　let　his　eye　rove　about　the　place　as　one　who　re…

gards；　big…eyed；　hogs　in　the　potato　patch。　　His　gaze

rested　at　length　upon　Miss　Carrington。　　He　rose　and

went　to　her　table　with　a　lateral；　shining　smile　and

a　blush　of　pleased　trepidation。



〃How're　ye；　Miss　Posie？〃　　he　said　in　accents　not

to　be　doubted。　　〃