the voice of the city-第8节

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〃No　man　would　kick　a　woman；〃　said　Peters；　vir…

tuously。　　〃A　little　choking　…　just　a　touch　on　the

windpipe　…　that　gets　away　with　'em　…　and　no　marks

left。　　Wait　for　me。　　I'll　bring　back　that　dollar；　boys。〃



High　up　in　a　tenement…house　between　Second　Ave…

nue　and　the　river　lived　the　Peterses　in　a　back　room

so　gloomy　that　the　landlord　blushed　to　take　the　rent

for　it。　　Mrs。　Peters　worked　at　sundry　times；　doing

odd　jobs　of　scrubbing　and　washing。　　Mr。　Peters　had

a　pure；　unbroken　record　of　five　years　without　having

earned　a　penny。　　And　yet　they　clung　together；　shar…

ing　each　other's　hatred　and　misery；　being　creatures

of　habit。　　Of　habit；　the　power　that　keeps　the　earth

from　flying　to　pieces；　though　there　is　some　silly

theory　of　gravitation。



Mrs。　Peters　reposed　her　200　pounds　on　the　safer

of　the　two　chairs　and　gazed　stolidly　out　the　one　win…

dow　at　the　brick　wall　opposite。　　Her　eyes　were　red

and　damp。　　The　furniture　could　have　been　carried

away　on　a　pushcart；　but　no　pushcart　man　would　have

removed　it　as　a　gift。



The　door　opened　to　admit　Mr。　Peters。　His　fox…

terrier　eyes　expressed　a　wish。　　His　wife's　diagnosis

located　correctly　the　seat　of　it；　but　misread　it　hun…

ger　instead　of　thirst。



〃You'll　get　nothing　more　to　eat　till　night；〃　she

said；　looking　out　of　the　window　again。　Take　your

hound…dog's　face　out　of　the　room。〃



Mr。　Peters's　eye　calculated　the　distance　between

them。　　By　taking　her　by　surprise　it　might　be　pos…

sible　to　spring　upon　her；　overthrow　her；　and　apply

the　throttling　tactics　of　which　he　had　boasted　to

his　waiting　comrades。　　True；　it　had　been　only　a

boast；　never　yet　had　be　dared　to　lay　violent　bands

upon　her；　but　with　the　thoughts　of　the　delicious；　cool

bock　or　Culmbacher　bracing　his　nerves；　he　was　near

to　upsetting　his　own　theories　of　the　treatment　due　by

a　gentleman　to　a　lady。　　But；　with　his　loafer's　love

for　the　more　artistic　and　less　strenuous　way；　he　chose

diplomacy　first；　the　high　card　in　the　game　　the　as…

sumed　attitude　of　success　already　attained。



〃You　have　a　dollar；〃　he　said；　loftily；　but　signifi…

cantly　in　the　tone　that　goes　with　the　lighting　of　a

cigar　…　when　the　properties　are　at　hand。〃



〃I　have；〃　said　Mrs。　Peters；　producing　the　bill

from　her　bosom　and　crackling　it；　teasingly。



〃I　am　offered　a　position　in　a　　in　a　tea　store；〃

said　Mr。　Peters。　　〃I　am　to　begin　work　to…morrow。

But　it　will　be　necessary　for　me　to　buy　a　pair　of　〃



〃You　are　a　liar；〃　said　Mrs。　Peters；　reinterring

the　note。　〃No　tea　store；　nor　no　A　B　C　store；　nor

no　junk　shop　would　have　you。　　I　rubbed　the　skin　off

both　me　hands　washin'　jumpers　and　overalls　to　make

that　dollar。　　Do　you　think　it　come　out　of　them　suds

to　buy　the　kind　you　put　into　you？　Skiddoo！　　Get

your　mind　off　of　money。〃



Evidently　the　poses　of　Talleyrand　were　not　worth

one　hundred　cents　on　that　dollar。　　But　diplomacy　is

dexterous。　　The　artistic　temperament　of　Mr。　Peters

lifted　him　by　the　straps　of　his　congress　gaiters　and

set　him　on　new　ground。　　He　called　up　a　look　of　des…

perate　melancholy　to　his　eyes。



〃Clara；〃　he　said；　hollowly；　〃to　struggle　further

is　useless。　　You　have　always　misunderstood　me。

Heaven　knows　I　have　striven　with　all　my　might　to

keep　my　head　above　the　waves　of　misfortune；

but　…　〃

〃Cut　out　the　rainbow　of　hope　and　that　stuff　about

walkin'　one　by　one　through　the　narrow　isles　of

Spain；〃　said　Mrs。　Peters；　with　a　sigh。　　〃I've　heard

it　so　often。　　There's　an　ounce　bottle　of　carbolic　on　the

shelf　behind　the　empty　coffee　can。　　Drink　hearty。〃



Mr。　Peters　reflected。　　What　next！　　The　old　ex…

pedients　had　failed。　　The　two　musty　musketeers　were

awaiting　him　hard　by　the　ruined　chateau　　that　is

to　say；　on　a　park　bench　with　rickety　cast…iron　legs。

His　honor　was　at　stake。　　He　had　engaged　to　storm

the　castle　single…handed　and　bring　back　the　treas…

ure　that　was　to　furnish　them　wassail　and　solace。　　And

all　that　stood　between　him　and　the　coveted　dollar

was　his　wife；　once　a　little　girl　whom　he　could　　aha！

　why　not　again？　　Once　with　soft　words　he　could；　as

they　say；　twist　her　around　his　little　finger。　　Why　not

again？　　Not　for　years　had　he　tried　it。　　Grim　poverty

and　mutual　hatred　had　killed　all　that。　　But　Ragsy

and　Kidd　were　waiting　for　him　to　bring　the　dollar！



Mr。　Peters　took　a　surreptitiously　keen　look　at　his

wife。　　Her　formless　bulk　overflowed　the　chair。　　She

kept　her　eyes　fixed　out　the　window　in　a　strange　kind

of　trance。　　Her　eyes　showed　that　she　had　been　re…

cently　weeping。



〃I　wonder；〃　said　Mr。　Peters　to　himself；　〃if　there'd

be　anything　in　it。〃



The　window　was　open　upon　its　outlook　of　brick

walls　and　drab；　barren　back　yards。　Except　for　the

mildness　of　the　air　that　entered　it　might　have　been

midwinter　yet　in　the　city　that　turns　such　a　frown…

ing　face　to　besieging　spring。　　But　spring　doesn't

come　with　the　thunder　of　cannon。　　She　is　a　sapper

and　a　miner；　and　you　must　capitulate。



〃I'll　try　it；〃　said　Mr。　Peters　to　himself；　making　a

wry　face。



He　went　up　to　his　wife　and　put　his　arm　across

her　shoulders。



〃Clara；　darling；〃　he　said　in　tones　that　shouldn't

have　fooled　a　baby　seal；　〃why　should　we　have　hard

words？　　Ain't　you　my　own　tootsum　wootsums？



〃A　black　mark　against　you；　Mr。　Peters；　in　the　sa…

red　ledger　of　Cupid。　　Charges　of　attempted　graft　are

filed　against　you；　and　of　forgery　and　utterance　of

two　of　Love's　holiest　of　appellations。



But　the　miracle　of　spring　was　wrought。　　Into　the

back　room　over　the　back　alley　between　the　black

walls　had　crept　the　Harbinger。　　It　was　ridiculous；

and　yet　…　Well；　it　is　a　rat　trap；　and　you；　madam

and　sir　and　all　of　us；　are　in　it。



Red　and　fat　and　crying　like　Niobe　or　Niagara；

Mrs。　Peters　threw　her　arms　around　her　lord　and

dissolved　upon　him。　　Mr。　Peters　would　have　striven

to　extricate　the　dollar　bill　from　its　deposit　vault；

but　his　arms　were　bound　to　his　sides。



〃Do　you　love　me；　James？〃　asked　Mrs。　Peters。



〃Madly；〃　said　James；　〃but　　〃



〃You　are　ill！　〃　exclaimed　Mrs。　Peters。　　〃Why

are　you　so　pale　and　tired　looking？〃



〃I　feel　weak；〃　said　Mr。　Peters。　〃I　　〃



〃Oh；　wait；　I　know　what　it　is。　　Wait；　James。　　I'll

be　back　in　a　minutes''



With　a　parting　bug　that　revived　in　Mr。　Peters

recollections　of　the　Terrible　Turk；　his　wife　hurried

out　of　the　room　and　down　the　stairs。



Mr。　Peters　hitched　his　thumbs　under　his　sus…

penders。



〃All　right；〃　he　confided　to　the　ceiling。　　〃I've　got

her　going。　　I　hadn't　any　idea　the　old　girl　was　soft

any　more　under　the　foolish　rib。　　Well；　sir；　ain't　I

the　Claude　Melnotte　of　the　lower　East　Side？　　What？

It's　a　100　to　1　shot　that　I　get　the　dollar。　　I　wonder

what　she　went　out　for。　　I　guess　she's　gone　to　tell

Mrs。　Muldoon　on　the　second　floor；　that　we're　recon…

ciled。　I'll　remember　this。　　　Soft　soap！　And　Ragsy

was　talking　about　slugging　her！



Mrs。　Peters　came　back　with　a　bottle　of　sarsapa…

rilla。



〃I'm　glad　I　happened　to　have　that　dollar；〃　she

said。　　〃You're　all　run　down；　boney。〃



Mr。　Peters　had　a　tablespoonful　of　the　stuff　in…

serted　into　him。　　Then　Mrs。　Peters　sat　on　his　lap

and　murmured：



〃Call　me　tootsum　wootsums　again；　James。〃



He　sat　still；　held　there　by　his　materialized　goddess

of　spring。



Spring　had　come。



On　the　bench　in　Union　Square　Mr。　Ragsdale　and

Mr。　Kidd　squirmed；　tongue…parched；　awaiting

D'Artagnan　and　his　dollar。



〃I　wish　I　had　choked　her　at　first；〃　said　Mr。　Peters

to　himself。









WHILE　THE　AUTO　WAITS



Promptly　at　the　beginning　of　twilight；　came

again　to　that　quiet　corner　of　that　quiet；　small　park

the　girl　in　gray。　　She　sat　upon　a　bench　and　read　a

book；　for　there　was　yet　to　come　a　half　hour　in　which

print　could　be　accomplished。



To　repeat：　Her　dress　was　gray；　and　plain　enough

to　mask　its　impeccancy　of　style　and　fit。　　A　large…

meshed　veil　imprisoned　her　turban　hat　and　a　face

that　shone　through　it　with　a　calm　and　unconscious

beauty。　　She　had　come　there　at　the　same　hour　on　the

day　previous；　and　on　the　day　before　that；　and　there

was　one　who　knew　it。



The　young　man　who　knew　it　hovered　near；　relying

upon　burnt　sacrifices　to　the　great　joss；　Luck。　　His

piety　was　rewarded；　for；　in　turning　a　page；　her　book

slipped　from　her　fingers　and　bounded　from　the　bench

a　full　yard　away。



The　young　man　pounced　upon　it　with　instant　avid…

ity；　returning　it　to　its　owner　with　that　air　that　seems

to　flourish　in　parks　and　public　places　…　a　compound

of　gallantry　and　hope；　tempered　with　respect　for　the

policeman　on　the　beat。　　In　a　pleasant　voice；　be　risked

an　inconsequent　remark　upon　the　weather　that　in…

troductory　topic　responsible　for　so　much　of　the

world's　unhappiness…and　stood　poised　for　a　mo…

ment；　awaiting　his　fate。



The　girl　looked　him　over　leisurely；　at　his　ordinary；

neat　dress　and　his　features　distinguished　by　nothing

particular　in　the　way　of　expression。



〃You　may　sit　dow