the voice of the city(城市之声)-第38节
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〃Play 'em to the ceiling；〃 said Emerson； with a boyish smile of joy。
〃I've got a roll as big around as a barrel of black…eyed peas and as loose as
the wrapper of a two…for…fiver。 I don't mind telling you that I was not
touring among the Antipodes when the burglar…proof safe of the Farmers'
National Bank of Butterville； Ia。； flew open some moonless nights ago to
the tune of 16；000。〃
〃Aren't you afraid；〃 asked Vuyning； 〃that I'll call a cop and hand you
over？〃
〃You tell me；〃 said Emerson； coolly； 〃why I didn't keep them。〃
He laid Vuyning's pocketbook and watch the Vuyning 100…year…old
family watch on the table。
〃Man；〃 said Vuyning； revelling； 〃did you ever hear the tale Kirk tells
about the six…pound trout and the old fisherman？〃
〃Seems not；〃 said Emerson； politely。 〃I'd like to。〃
〃But you won't；〃 said Vuyning。 〃I've heard it scores of times。 That's
why I won't tell you。 I was just thinking how much better this is than a
club。 Now； shall we go to my tailor？〃
〃Boys； and elderly gents；〃 said Vuyning； five days later at his club；
standing up against the window where his coterie was gathered； and
keeping out the breeze； 〃a friend of mine from the West will dine at our
table this evening。〃
〃Will he ask if we have heard the latest from Denver？〃 said a member；
squirming in his chair。
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〃Will he mention the new twenty…three…story Ma… sonic Temple； in
Quincy； Ill。？〃 inquired another； dropping his nose…glasses。
〃Will he spring one of those Western Mississippi River catfish stories；
in which they use yearling calves for bait？〃 demanded Kirk； fiercely。
〃Be comforted；〃 said Vuyning。 〃He has none of the little vices。 He is a
burglar and safe…blower； and a pal of mine。〃
〃Oh； Mary Ann！〃 said they。 〃Must you always adorn every statement
with your alleged humor？〃
It came to pass that at eight in the evening a calm； smooth； brilliant；
affable man sat at Vuyning's right hand during dinner。 And when the ones
who pass their lives in city streets spoke of skyscrapers or of the little Czar
on his far； frozen throne； or of insig… nificant fish from inconsequential
streams； this big； deep…chested man； faultlessly clothed； and eyed like an
Emperor； disposed of their Lilliputian chatter with a wink of his eyelash。
And then he painted for them with hard； broad strokes a marvellous
lingual panorama of the West。 He stacked snow…topped mountains on the
table； freezing the hot dishes of the waiting diners。 With a wave of his
hand he swept the clubhouse into a pine…crowned gorge； turning the
waiters into a grim posse； and each listener into a blood…stained fugitive；
climbing with torn fingers upon the ensanguined rocks。 He touched the
table and spake； and the five panted as they gazed on barren lava beds； and
each man took his tongue between his teeth and felt his mouth bake at the
tale of a land empty of water and food。 As simply as Homer sang； while he
dug a tine of his fork leisurely into the tablecloth； he opened a new world
to their view； as does one who tells a child of the Looking…Glass Country。
As one of his listeners might have spoken of tea too strong at a
Madison Square 〃afternoon；〃 so he depicted the ravages of redeye in a
border town when the caballeros of the lariat and 〃forty…five〃 reduced
ennui to a minimum。
And then； with a sweep of his white； unringed hands； be dismissed
Melpomene； and forthwith Diana and Amaryllis footed it before the mind's
eyes of the clubmen。
The savannas of the continent spread before them。 The wind； humming
through a hundred leagues of sage brush and mesquite； closed their ears to
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the city's staccato noises。 He told them of camps； of ranches marooned in a
sea of fragrant prairie blos… soms； of gallops in the stilly night that Apollo
would have forsaken his daytime steeds to enjoy； he read them the great；
rough epic of the cattle and the hills that have not been spoiled by the band
of man； the mason。 His words were a telescope to the city men； whose
eyes had looked upon Youngstown； O。； and whose tongues had called it
〃West。〃
In fact； Emerson had them 〃going。〃
The next morning at ten he met Vuyning； by ap… pointment； at a Forty…
second Street cafe。
Emerson was to leave for the West that day。 He wore a suit of dark
cheviot that looked to have been draped upon him by an ancient Grecian
tailor who was a few thousand years ahead of the styles。
〃Mr。 Vuyning；〃 said he； with the clear； ingenuous smile of the
successful 〃crook；〃 it's up to me to go the limit for you any time I can do
so。 You're the real thing； and if I can ever return the favor； you bet your
life I'll do it。〃
〃What was that cow…puncher's name？〃 asked Vuyning； 〃who used to
catch a mustang by the nose and mane； and throw him till he put the bridle
on？〃
〃Bates；〃 said Emerson。
〃Thanks；〃 said Vuyning。 〃I thought it was Yates。 Oh； about that
toggery business I'd for… gotten that。〃
〃I've been looking for some guy to put me on the right track for years；〃
said Emerson。 〃You're the goods； duty free； and half…way to the warehouse
in a red wagon。〃
〃Bacon； toasted on a green willow switch over red coals； ought to put
broiled lobsters out of business；〃 said Vuyning。 〃And you say a horse at
the end of a thirty…foot rope can't pull a ten…inch stake out of wet prairie？
Well； good…bye； old man； if you must be off。〃
At one o'clock Vuyning had luncheon with Miss Allison by previous
arrangement。
For thirty minutes be babbled to her； unaccount… ably； of ranches；
horses； cations； cyclones； round…ups； Rocky Mountains and beans and
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bacon。 She looked at him with wondering and half…terrified eyes。
〃I was going to propose again to…day；〃 said Vuy… ning； cheerily； but I
won't。 I've worried you often enough。 You know dad has a ranch in
Colorado。 What's the good of staying here？ Jumping jon… quils！ but it's
great out there。 I'm going to start next Tuesday。〃
〃No； you won't；〃 said Miss Allison。
〃What？〃 said Vuyning。
〃Not alone；〃 said Miss Allison； dropping a tear upon her salad。 〃What
do you think？〃
〃Betty！〃 exclaimed Vuyning； 〃what do you mean？
〃I'll go too；〃 said Miss Allison； forcibly。 Vuyning filled her glass with
Apollinaris。
〃Here's to Rowdy the Dude！〃 he gave a toast mysterious。
〃Don't know him；〃 said Miss Allison； 〃but if he's your friend； Jimmy
here goes！〃
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THE MEMENTO
Miss Lynnette D'Armande turned her back on Broadway。 This was
but tit for tat； be… cause Broadway had often done the same thing to Miss
D'Armande。 Still； the 〃tats〃 seemed to have it； for the ex…leading lady of
the 〃Reaping the Whirlwind〃 company had everything to ask of Broadway；
while there was no vice…versa。
So Miss Lynnette D'Armande turned the back of her chair to her
window that overlooked Broadway； and sat down to stitch in time the
lisle…thread heel of a black silk stocking。 The tumult and glitter of the
roaring Broadway beneath her window had no charm for her； what she
greatly desired was the stifling air of a dressing…room on that fairyland
street and the roar of an audience gathered in that capricious quarter。 In the
meantime； those stock… ings must not be neglected。 Silk does wear out so；
but after all； isn't it just the only goods there is？
The Hotel Thalia looks on Broadway as Marathon looks on the sea。 It
stands like a gloomy cliff above the whirlpool where the tides of two great
thorough… fares clash。 Here the player…bands gather at the end of their
wanderings； to loosen the buskin
