the voice of the city(城市之声)-第33节
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to the trans… mitter； and listened to the words that came from the thin；
truculent lips curved into a contemptuous smile。
〃That the Morning Mars？ 。 。 。 I want to speak to the managing
editor 。 。 。 Why； tell him it's some one who wants to talk to him about the
Norcross murder。
〃You the editor？ 。 。 。 All right。 。 。 。 I am the man who killed old
Norcross 。 。 。 Wait！ Hold the wire； I'm not the usual crank 。 。 。 oh； there
isn't the slightest danger。 I've just been dis… cussing it with a detective
friend of mine。 I killed the old man at 2：30 A。 M。 two weeks ago to…
morrow。 。 。 。 Have a drink with you？ Now； hadn't you better leave that kind
of talk to your funny man？ Can't you tell whether a man's guying you or
whether you're being offered the biggest scoop your dull dishrag of a
paper ever had？ 。 。 。 Well； that's so； it's a bobtail scoop but you can
hardly expect me to 'phone in my name and address。
。 。 。 Why？ Oh； because I beard you make a specialty of solving
mysterious crimes that stump the police。 。 。 。 No； that's not all。 I want to
tell you that your rotten； lying； penny sheet is of no more use in tracking
an intelligent murderer or highway… man than a blind poodle would be。 。 。 。
What？ 。 。 。 Oh； no； this isn't a rival newspaper office； you're getting it
straight。 I did the Norcross job； and I've got the jewels in my suit case at
'the name of the hotel could not be learned' you recog… nize that phrase；
don't you？ I thought so。 You've used it often enough。 Kind of rattles you；
doesn't it； to have the mysterious villain call up your great； big； all…
powerful organ of right and justice and good government and tell you
what a helpless old gas…bag you are？ 。 。 。 Cut that out； you're not that big a
fool no； you don't think I'm a fraud。 I can tell it by your voice。 。 。 。 Now；
listen； and I'll give you a pointer that will prove it to you。 Of course you've
had this murder case worked over by your staff of bright young
blockheads。 Half of the second but… ton on old Mrs。 Norcross's nightgown
is broken off。 I saw it when I took the garnet ring off her finger。 I thought
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it was a ruby。 。 。 。 Stop that！ it won't work。〃
Kernan turned to Woods with a diabolic smile。
〃I've got him going。 He believes me now。 He didn't quite cover the
transmitter with his hand when he told somebody to call up Central on
another 'phone and get our number。 I'll give him just one more dig； and
then we'll make a 'get…away。'
〃Hello！ 。 。 。 Yes。 I'm here yet。 You didn't think I'd run from such a
little subsidized； turn… coat rag of a newspaper； did you？ 。 。 。 Have me
inside of forty…eight hours？ Say； will you quit being funny？ Now； you let
grown men alone and at… tend to your business of hunting up divorce cases
and street…car accidents and printing the filth and scandal that you make
your living by。 Good…by； old boy sorry I haven't time to call on you。 I'd
feel perfectly safe in your sanctum asinorum。 Tra…la！〃
〃He's as mad as a cat that's lost a mouse；〃 said Kernan； hanging up the
receiver and coming out。
〃And now； Barney； my boy； we'll go to a show and enjoy ourselves
until a reasonable bedtime。 Four hours' sleep for me； and then the west…
bound。〃
The two dined in a Broadway restaurant。 Kernan was pleased with
himself。 He spent money like a prince of fiction。 And then a weird and
gorgeous musical comedy engaged their attention。 Afterward there was a
late supper in a grillroom； with champagne； and Kernan at the height of
his com… placency。
Half…past three in the morning found them in a corner of an all…night
cafe； Kernan still boasting in a vapid and rambling way； Woods thinking
moodily over the end that had come to his usefulness as an upholder of the
law。
But； as he pondered； his eye brightened with a speculative light。
〃I wonder if it's possible；〃 be said to himself； 〃I won…der if it's pos…si…
ble！
And then outside the cafe the comparative stillness of the early
morning was punctured by faint； uncer… tain cries that seemed mere
fireflies of sound； some growing louder； some fainter； waxing and waning
amid the rumble of milk wagons and infrequent cars。 Shrill cries they were
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when near well…known cries that conveyed many meanings to the ears
of those of the slumbering millions of the great city who waked to hear
them。 Cries that bore upon their significant； small volume the weight of a
world's woe and laugh… ter and delight and stress。 To some； cowering be…
neath the protection of a night's ephemeral cover； they brought news of the
hideous； bright day； to others； wrapped in happy sleep； they announced a
morning that would dawn blacker than sable night。 To many of the rich
they brought a besom to sweep away what had been theirs while the stars
shone； to the poor they brought another day。
All over the city the cries were starting up； keen and sonorous；
heralding the chances that the slip… ping of one cogwheel in the machinery
of time had made； apportioning to the sleepers while they lay at the mercy
of fate； the vengeance； profit； grief； reward and doom that the new figure
in the calen… dar had brought them。 Shrill and yet plaintive were the cries；
as if the young voices grieved that so much evil and so little good was in
their irresponsible hands。 Thus echoed in the streets of the helpless city the
transmission of the latest decrees of the gods； the cries of the newsboys
the Clarion Call of the Press。
Woods flipped a dime to the waiter； and said： 〃Get me a Morning
Mars。〃
When the paper came he glanced at its first page； and then tore a leaf
out of his memorandum book and began to write on it with the little old
pencil。
〃What's the news？〃' yawned Kernan。
Woods flipped over to him the piece of writing：
〃The New York Morning Mars：
〃Please pay to the order of John Kernan the one thousand dollars
reward coming to me for his arrest and conviction。
〃BARNARD WOODS。〃
〃I kind of thought they would do that；〃 said Woods； 〃when you were
jollying them so hard。 Now； Johnny； you'll come to the police station with
me。〃
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EXTRADITED FROM BOHEMIA
From near the village of Harmony； at the foot of the Green Mountains；
came Miss Medora Martin to New York with her color…box and easel。
Miss Medora resembled the rose which the autum… nal frosts had
spared the longest of all her sister blossoms。 In Harmony； when she started
alone to the wicked city to study art； they said she was a mad； reckless；
headstrong girl。 In New York； when she first took her seat at a West Side
boardinghouse table； the boarders asked： 〃Who is the nice…looking old
maid？〃
Medora took heart； a cheap hall bedroom and two art lessons a week
from Professor Angelini； a retired barber who had studied his profession in
a Harlem dancing academy。 There was no one to set her right； for here in
the big city they do it unto all of us。 How many of us are badly shaved
daily and taught the two…step imperfectly by ex…pupils of Bastien Le Page
and Gerome？ The most pathetic sight in New York except the manners
of the rush…hour crowds is the dreary march of the hopeless army of Me…
diocrity。 Here Art is no benignant goddess； but a Circe who turns her
wooers into mewing Toms and Tabbies who linger about the doorsteps of
her abode； unmindful of the flying brickbats and boot…jacks of the critics。
Some of us creep back to our native vil… lages to the skim…milk of 〃I told
you so〃； but most of us prefer to remain in the cold courtyard of our
mistress's temple； snatching the scraps that fall from her divine table
d'hote。 But some of us grow weary at last of the fruitless service。 And then
there are two fates ope
