the voice of the city(城市之声)-第19节
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
rusal of its buttery phrases would have made a cynic of a sighing
chambermaid。
In the morning Pettit came to my room。 I read him his doom
mercilessly。 He laughed idiotically。
〃All right； Old Hoss；〃 he said； cheerily； 〃make cigar…lighters of it。
What's the difference？ I'm going to take her to lunch at Claremont to…day。〃
There was about a month of it。 And then Pettit came to me bearing an
invisible mitten； with the forti… tude of a dish…rag。 He talked of the grave
and South America and prussic acid； and I lost an after… noon getting him
straight。 I took him out and saw that large and curative doses of whiskey
were ad… ministered to him。 I warned you this was a true story 'ware
your white ribbons if only follow this tale。 For two weeks I fed him
whiskey and Omar； and read to him regularly every evening the column in
the evening paper that reveals the secrets of fe… male beauty。 I recommend
the treatment。
After Pettit was cured be wrote more stories。 He recovered his old…
time facility and did work just short of good enough。 Then the curtain rose
on the third act。
A little； dark…eyed； silent girl from New Hamp… shire； who was
studying applied design； fell deeply in love with him。 She was the intense
sort； but ex… ternally glace； such as New England sometimes fools us with。
Pettit liked her mildly； and took her about a good deal。 She worshipped
him； and now and then ignored him。
There came a climax when she tried to jump out of a window； and he
had to save her by some perfunc… tary； unmeant wooing。 Even I was
shaken by the depths of the absorbing affection she showed。 Home；
friends； traditions； creeds went up like thistle…down in the scale against her
love。 It was really discom… posing。
One night again Pettit sauntered in； yawning。 As he had told me before；
he said he felt that he could do a great story； and as before I hunted him to
his room and saw him open his inkstand。 At one o'clock the sheets of
paper slid under my door。
I read that story； and I jumped up； late as it was； with a whoop of joy。
70
… Page 71…
The Voice of the City
Old Pettit had done it。 Just as though it lay there； red and bleeding； a
woman's heart was written into the lines。 You couldn't see the joining； but
art； exquisite art； and pulsing na… ture had been combined into a love story
that took you by the throat like the quinsy。 I broke into Pettit's room and
beat him on the back and called him name names high up in the galaxy
of the im… mortals that we admired。 And Pettit yawned and begged to be
allowed to sleep。
On the morrow； I dragged him to an editor。 The great man read； and；
rising； gave Pettit his hand。 That was a decoration； a wreath of bay； and a
guar… antee of rent。
And then old Pettit smiled slowly。 I call him Gen… tleman Pettit now to
myself。 It's a miserable name to give a man； but it sounds better than it
looks in print。
〃I see；〃 said old Pettit； as he took up his story and began tearing it into
small strips。 〃I see the game now。 You can't write with ink； and you can't
write with your own heart's blood； but you can write with the heart's blood
of some one else。 You have to be a cad before you can be an artist。 Well； I
am for old Alabam and the Major's store。 Have you got a light； Old Hoss？〃
I went with Pettit to the depot and died hard。
〃Shakespeare's sonnets？〃 I blurted； making a last stand。 〃How about
him？〃
〃A cad；〃 said Pettit。 〃They give it to you； and you sell it love； you
know。 I'd rather sell ploughs for father。〃
〃But；〃 I protested； 〃 you are reversing the de… cision of the world's
greatest 〃
〃Good…by； Old Hoss；〃 said Pettit。
〃Critics；〃 I continued。 〃 But say if the Major can use a fairly good
salesman and book… keeper down there in the store； let me know； will
you？〃
71
… Page 72…
The Voice of the City
NEMESIS AND THE CANDY
MAN
〃We sail at eight in the morning on the Celtic；〃 said Honoria；
plucking a loose thread from her lace sleeve。
〃I heard so；〃 said young Ives； dropping his hat； and muffing it as he
tried to catch it； 〃and I came around to wish you a pleasant voyage。〃
〃Of course you heard it；〃 said Honoria； coldly sweet； 〃since we have
had no opportunity of inform… ing you ourselves。〃 Ives looked at her
pleadingly； but with little hope。
Outside in the street a high…pitched voice chanted； not unmusically； a
commercial gamut of 〃Cand…de…ee…ee…s！ Nice； fresh cand…ee…ee…ee…ees！d
〃It's our old candy man；〃 said Honoria； leaning out the window and
beckoning。 〃I want some of his motto kisses。 There's nothing in the
Broadway shops half so good。〃
The candy man stopped his pushcart in front of the old Madison
Avenue home。 He had a holiday and festival air unusual to street peddlers。
His tie was new and bright red； and a horseshoe pin； almost life…size；
glittered speciously from its folds。 His brown； thin face was crinkled into a
semi…foolish smile。 Striped cuffs with dog…head buttons covered the tan on
his wrists。
〃I do believe he's going to get married；〃 said Honoria； pityingly。 〃I
never saw him taken that way before。 And to…day is the first time in
months that he has cried his wares； I am sure。〃
Ives threw a coin to the sidewalk。 The candy man knows his customers。
He filled a paper bag； climbed the old…fashioned stoop and banded it in。 〃I
remember 〃 said Ives。
〃Wait；〃 said Honoria。
She took a small portfolio from the drawer of a writing desk and from
the portfolio a slip of flimsy paper one…quarter of an inch by two inches in
size。
〃This；〃 said Honoria； inflexibly； 〃was wrapped about the first one we
opened。〃
72
… Page 73…
The Voice of the City
〃It was a year ago；〃 apologized Ives； as he held out his hand for it；
〃As long as skies above are blue
To you； my love； I will be true。〃
This he read from the slip of flimsy paper。
〃We were to have sailed a fortnight ago；〃 said Honoria； gossipingly。 〃It
has been such a warm summer。 The town is quite deserted。 There is no…
where to go。 Yet I am told that one or two of the roof gardens are amusing。
The； singing and the dancing on one or two seem to have met with ap…
proval。〃
Ives did not wince。 When you are in the ring you are not surprised
when your adversary taps you on the ribs。
〃I followed the candy man that time；〃 said Ives； irrelevantly； 〃and gave
him five dollars at the corner of Broadway。〃
He reached for the paper bag in Honoria's lap； took out one of the
square； wrapped confections and slowly unrolled it。
Sara Chillingworth's father；〃 said Honoria； 〃has given her an
automobile。〃
〃Read that；〃 said Ives； handing over the slip that had been wrapped
around the square of candy。
〃Life teaches us how to live；
Love teaches us to forgive。〃
Honoria's checks turned pink。 〃Honoria！〃 cried Ives； starting up from
his chair。
〃Miss Clinton；〃 corrected Honoria； rising like Venus from the head on
the surf。 〃I warned you not to speak that name again。〃'
〃Honoria；〃 repeated Ives； 〃you must bear me。 I know I do not deserve
your forgiveness； but I must have it。 There is a madness that possesses one
some… times for which his better nature is not responsible。 I throw
everything else but you to the winds。 I strike off the chains that have
bound me。 I re… nounce the siren that lured me from you。 Let the bought
verse of that street peddler plead for me。 It is you only whom I can love。
Let your love forgive； and I swear to you that mine will be true 'as long as
skies above are blue。'
On the west side； between Sixth and Seventh Ave… nues； an alley cuts
73
… Page 74…
