the pit-第14节

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〃You　know；〃　Laura　had　remarked　in　answer　to　one　of　Mrs。　Cressler's　observations　upon　the　capabilities　and　business　ability　of　〃J。；〃　　〃you　know　I　never　heard　of　him　before　you　spoke　of　our　theatre　party。　　I　don't　know　anything　about　him。〃

But　Mrs。　Cressler　promptly　supplied　the　information。　Curtis　Jadwin　was　a　man　about　thirty…five；　who　had　begun　life　without　a　sou　in　his　pockets。　　He　was　a　native　of　Michigan。　　His　people　were　farmers；　nothing　more　nor　less　than　hardy；　honest　fellows；　who　ploughed　and　sowed　for　a　living。　　Curtis　had　only　a　rudimentary　schooling；　because　he　had　given　up　the　idea　of　finishing　his　studies　in　the　High　School　in　Grand　Rapids；　on　the　chance　of　going　into　business　with　a　livery　stable　keeper。　　Then　in　time　he　had　bought　out　the　business　and　had　run　it　for　himself。　　Some　one　in　Chicago　owed　him　money；　and　in　default　of　payment　had　offered　him　a　couple　of　lots　on　Wabash　Avenue。　　That　was　how　he　happened　to　come　to　Chicago。　　Naturally　enough　as　the　city　grew　the　Wabash　Avenue　propertyit　was　near　Monroe　Streetincreased　in　value。　　He　sold　the　lots　and　bought　other　real　estate；　sold　that　and　bought　somewhere　else；　and　so　on；　till　he　owned　some　of　the　best　business　sites　in　the　city。　　Just　his　ground　rent　alone　brought　him；　heaven　knew　how　many　thousands　a　year。　　He　was　one　of　the　largest　real　estate　owners　in　Chicago。　　But　he　no　longer　bought　and　sold。　　His　property　had　grown　so　large　that　just　the　management　of　it　alone　took　up　most　of　his　time。　　He　had　an　office　in　the　Rookery；　and　perhaps　being　so　close　to　the　Board　of　Trade　Building；　　had　given　him　a　taste　for　trying　a　little　deal　in　wheat　now　and　then。　　As　a　rule；　he　deplored　speculation。　　He　had　no　fixed　principles　about　it；　like　Charlie。　　Only　he　was　conservative；　occasionally　he　hazarded　small　operations。　　Somehow　he　had　never　married。　　There　had　been　affairs。　　Oh；　yes；　one　or　two；　of　course。　　Nothing　very　serious；　He　just　didn't　seem　to　have　met　the　right　girl；　that　was　all。　He　lived　on　Michigan　Avenue；　near　the　corner　of　Twenty…　first　Street；　in　one　of　those　discouraging　eternal　yellow　limestone　houses　with　a　basement　dining…room。　His　aunt　kept　house　for　him；　and　his　nieces　and　nephews　overran　the　place。　　There　was　always　a　raft　of　them　there；　either　coming　or　going；　and　the　way　they　exploited　him！　He　supported　them　all；　heaven　knew　how　many　there　were；　such　drabs　and　gawks；　all　elbows　and　knees；　who　soaked　themselves　with　cologne　and　made　companions　of　the　servants。　　They　and　the　second　girls　were　always　squabbling　about　their　things　that　they　found　in　each　other's　rooms。

It　was　growing　late。　　At　length　Mrs。　Cressler　rose。

〃My　goodness；　Laura；　look　at　the　time；　and　I've　been　keeping　you　up　when　you　must　be　killed　for　sleep。〃

She　took　herself　away；　pausing　at　the　doorway　long　enough　to　say：

〃Do　try　to　manage　to　take　part　in　the　play。　　J。　made　me　promise　that　I　would　get　you。〃

〃Well；　I　think　I　can；〃　Laura　answered。　　〃Only　I'll　have　to　see　first　how　our　new　regime　is　going　to　runthe　house　I　mean。〃

When　Mrs。　Cressler　had　gone　Laura　lost　no　time　in　getting　to　bed。　　But　after　she　turned　out　the　gas　she　remembered　that　she　had　not　〃covered〃　the　fire；　a　custom　that　she　still　retained　from　the　daily　round　of　her　life　at　Barrington。　　She　did　not　light　the　gas　again；　but　guided　by　the　firelight；　spread　a　shovelful　of　ashes　over　the　top　of　the　grate。　　Yet　when　she　had　done　this；　she　still　knelt　there　a　moment；　looking　wide…eyed　into　the　glow；　thinking　over　the　events　of　the　last　twenty…four　hours。　　When　all　was　said　and　done；　she　had；　after　all；　found　more　in　Chicago　than　the　clash　and　trepidation　of　empire…making；　more　than　the　reverberation　of　the　thunder　of　battle；　more　than　the　piping　and　choiring　of　sweet　music。

First　it　had　been　Sheldon　Corthell；　quiet；　persuasive；　eloquent。　　Then　Landry　Court　with　his　exuberance　and　extravagance　and　boyishness；　and　nowunexpectedly　behold；　a　new　element　had　appearedthis　other　one；　this　man　of　the　world；　of　affairs；　mature；　experienced；　whom　she　hardly　knew。　　It　was　charming　she　told　herself；　exciting。　　Life　never　had　seemed　half　so　delightful。　　Romantic；　she　felt　Romance；　unseen；　intangible；　at　work　all　about　her。　　And　love；　which　of　all　things　knowable　was　dearest　to　her；　came　to　her　unsought。

Her　first　aversion　to　the　Great　Grey　City　was　fast　disappearing。　　She　saw　it　now　in　a　kindlier　aspect。

〃I　think；〃　she　said　at　last；　as　she　still　knelt　before　the　fire；　looking　deep　into　the　coals；　absorbed；　abstracted；　〃I　think　that　I　am　going　to　be　very　happy　here。〃



III


On　a　certain　Monday　morning；　about　a　month　later；　Curtis　Jadwin　descended　from　his　office　in　the　Rookery　Building；　and　turning　southward；　took　his　way　toward　the　brokerage　and　commission　office　of　Gretry；　Converse　and　Co。；　on　the　ground　floor　of　the　Board　of　Trade　Building；　only　a　few　steps　away。

It　was　about　nine　o'clock；　the　weather　was　mild；　the　sun　shone。　　La　Salle　Street　swarmed　with　the　multitudinous　life　that　seethed　about　the　doors　of　the　innumerable　offices　of　brokers　and　commission　men　of　the　neighbourhood。　　To　the　right；　in　the　peristyle　of　the　Illinois　Trust　Building；　groups　of　clerks；　of　messengers；　of　brokers；　of　clients；　and　of　depositors　formed　and　broke　incessantly。　　To　the　left；　where　the　facade　of　the　Board　of　Trade　blocked　the　street；　the　activity　was　astonishing；　and　in　and　out　of　the　swing　doors　of　its　entrance　streamed　an　incessant　tide　of　coming　and　going。　　All　the　life　of　the　neighbourhood　seemed　to　centre　at　this　pointthe　entrance　of　the　Board　of　Trade。　　Two　currents　that　trended　swiftly　through　La　Salle　and　Jackson　streets；　and　that　fed；　or　were　fed　by；　other　tributaries　that　poured　in　through　Fifth　Avenue　and　through　Clarke　and　Dearborn　streets；　met　at　this　pointone　setting　in；　the　other　out。　　The　nearer　the　currents　the　greater　their　speed。　　Menmere　flotsam　in　the　floodas　they　turned　into　La　Salle　Street　from　Adams　or　from　Monroe；　or　even　from　as　far　as　Madison；　seemed　to　accelerate　their　pace　as　they　approached。　　At　the　Illinois　Trust　the　walk　became　a　stride；　at　the　Rookery　the　stride　was　almost　a　trot。　But　at　the　corner　of　Jackson　Street；　the　Board　of　Trade　now　merely　the　width　of　the　street　away；　the　trot　became　a　run；　and　young　men　and　boys；　under　the　pretence　of　escaping　the　trucks　and　wagons　of　the　cobbles；　dashed　across　at　a　veritable　gallop；　flung　themselves　panting　into　the　entrance　of　the　Board；　were　engulfed　in　the　turmoil　of　the　spot；　and　disappeared　with　a　sudden　fillip　into　the　gloom　of　the　interior。

Often　Jadwin　had　noted　the　scene；　and；　unimaginative　though　he　was；　had　long　since　conceived　the　notion　of　some　great；　some　resistless　force　within　the　Board　of　Trade　Building　that　held　the　tide　of　the　streets　within　its　grip；　alternately　drawing　it　in　and　throwing　it　forth。　　Within　there；　a　great　whirlpool；　a　pit　of　roaring　waters　spun　and　thundered；　sucking　in　the　life　tides　of　the　city；　sucking　them　in　as　into　the　mouth　of　some　tremendous　cloaca；　the　maw　of　some　colossal　sewer；　then　vomiting　them　forth　again；　spewing　them　up　and　out；　only　to　catch　them　in　the　return　eddy　and　suck　them　in　afresh。

Thus　it　went；　day　after　day。　　Endlessly；　ceaselessly　the　Pit；　enormous；　thundering；　sucked　in　and　spewed　out；　sending　the　swirl　of　its　mighty　central　eddy　far　out　through　the　city's　channels。　　Terrible　at　the　centre；　it　was；　at　the　circumference；　gentle；　insidious　and　persuasive；　the　send　of　the　flowing　so　mild；　that　to　embark　upon　it；　yielding　to　the　influence；　was　a　pleasure　that　seemed　all　devoid　of　risk。　　But　the　circumference　was　not　bounded　by　the　city。　　All　through　the　Northwest；　all　through　the　central　world　of　the　Wheat　the　set　and　whirl　of　that　innermost　Pit　made　itself　felt；　and　it　spread　and　spread　and　spread　till　grain　in　the　elevators　of　Western　Iowa　moved　and　stirred　and　answered　to　its　centripetal　force；　and　men　upon　the　streets　of　New　York　felt　the　mysterious　tugging　of　its　undertow　engage　their　feet；　embrace　their　bodies；　overwhelm　them；　and　carry　them　bewildered　and　unresisting　back　and　downwards　to　the　Pit　itself。

Nor　was　the　Pit's　centrifugal　power　any　less。　　Because　of　some　sudden　eddy　spinning　outward　from　the　middle　of　its　turmoil；　a　dozen　bourses　of　continental　Europe　clamoured　with　panic；　a　dozen　Old…World　banks；　firm　as　the　established　hills；　trembled　and　vibrated。　　Because　of　an　unexpected　caprice　in　the　swirling　of　the　inner　current；　some　far…distant　channel　suddenly　dried；　and　the　pinch　of　famine　made　itself　felt　among　the　vine　dressers　of　Northern　Italy；　the　coal　miners　of　Western　Prussia。　　Or　another　channel　filled；　and　the　starved　moujik　of　the　steppes；　and　the　hunger…shrunken　coolie　of　the　Ganges'　watershed　fed　suddenly　fat　and　made　thank　offerings　before　ikon　and　idol。

There　in　the　centre　of　the　Nation；　midmost　of　that　continent　that　lay　between　the　oceans　of　the　New　World　and　the　Old；　in　the　heart's　heart　of　the　affairs　of　men；　roared　and　rumbled　the　Pit。　　It　was　as　if　the　Wheat；　Nourisher　of　the　Nations；　as　it　rolled　gigantic　and　majestic　in　a　vast　flood　from　West　to　East；　here；　like　a　Niagara；　finding　its　flow　impeded；　burst　suddenly　into　the　appalling　fury　of　the　Maelstrom；　into　the　chaotic　spasm　of　a　world…force；　a　primeval　energy；　blood…broth