the voice of the city(城市之声)-第40节
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who want to call us by our front names。
〃And the men we have to meet after the show are the worst of all。 The
stage…door kind； and the man… ager's friends who take us to supper and
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show their diamonds and talk about seeing 'Dan' and 'Dave' and 'Charlie'
for us。 They're beasts； and I hate 'em。
〃I tell you； Lynn； it's the girls like us on the stage that ought to be
pitied。 It's girls from good homes that are honestly ambitious and work
hard to rise in the profession； but never do get there。 You bear a lot of
sympathy sloshed around on chorus girls and their fifteen dollars a week。
Piffle！ There ain't a sorrow in the chorus that a lobster cannot heal。
〃If there's any tears to shed； let 'em fall for the actress that gets a salary
of from thirty to forty…five dollars a week for taking a leading part in a
bum show。 She knows she'll never do any better； but she hangs on for
years； hoping for the 'chance I that never comes。
〃And the fool plays we have to work in！ Having another girl roll you
around the stage by the hind legs in a 'Wheelbarrow Chorus' in a musical
comedy is dignified drama compared with the idiotic things I've had to do
in the thirty…centers。
〃But what I hated most was the men the men leering and blathering
at you across tables； trying to buy you with Wurzburger or Extra Dry；
accord… ing to their estimate of your price。 And the men in the audiences；
clapping； yelling； snarling； crowding； writhing； gloating like a lot of
wild beasts； with their eyes fixed on you； ready to eat you up if you come
in reach of their claws。 Oh； how I hate 'em！
〃Well； I'm not telling you much about myself； am I； Lynn ？
〃I had two hundred dollars saved up； and I cut the stage the first of the
summer。 I went over on Long Island and found the sweetest little village
that ever was； called Soundport； right on the water。 I was going to spend
the summer there； and study up on elocution； and try to get a class in the
fall。 There was an old widow lady with a cottage near the beach who
sometimes rented a room or two just for com… pany； and she took me in。
She had another boarder； too the Reverend Arthur Lyle。
〃Yes； he was the head…liner。 You're on； Lynn。 I'll tell you all of it in a
minute。 It's only a one…act play。
〃The first time he walked on； Lynn； I felt myself going； the first lines
he spoke； he had me。 He was different from the men in audiences。 He was
tall and slim； and you never heard him come in the room； but you felt him。
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He had a face like a picture of a knight like one of that Round Table
bunch and a voice like a 'cello solo。 And his manners！
〃Lynn； if you'd take John Drew in his best draw… ing…room scene and
compare the two； you'd have John arrested for disturbing the peace。
〃I'll spare you the particulars； but in less than a month Arthur and I
were engaged。 He preached at a little one…night stand of a Methodist
church。 There was to be a parsonage the size of a lunch…wagon； and hens
and honeysuckles when we were married。 Ar… thur used to preach to me a
good deal about Heaven； but be never could get my mind quite off those
honey… suckles and hens。
〃No； I didn't tell him I'd been on the stage。 I hated the business and all
that went with it； I'd cut it out forever； and I didn't see any use of stirring
things up。 I was a good girl； and I didn't have any… thing to confess； except
being an elocutionist； and that was about all the strain my conscience
would stand。
〃Oh； I tell you； Lynn； I was happy。 I sang in the choir and attended the
sewing society； and re… cited that 'Annie Laurie' thing with the whistling
stunt in it； 'in a manner bordering upon the profes… sional；' as the weekly
village paper reported it。 And Arthur and I went rowing； and walking in
the woods； and clamming； and that poky little village seemed to me the
best place in the world。 I'd have been happy to live there always； too； if
〃But one morning old Mrs。 Gurley； the widow lady； got gossipy while
I was helping her string beans on the back porch； and began to gush
information； as folks who rent out their rooms usually do。 Mr。 Lyle was
her idea of a saint on earth as he was mine； too。 She went over all his
virtues and graces； and wound up by telling me that Arthur had had an ex…
tremely romantic love…affair； not long before； that had ended unhappily。
She didn't seem to be on to the de… tails； but she knew that he had been hit
pretty hard。 He was paler and thinner； she said； and he had some kind of a
remembrance or keepsake of the lady in a little rosewood box that he kept
locked in his desk drawer in his study。
〃'Several times；〃 says she； 〃I've seen him gloomerin' over that box of
evenings； and he always locks it up right away if anybody comes into the
room。'
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〃Well； you can imagine how long it was before I got Arthur by the
wrist and led him down stage and hissed in his ear。
〃That same afternoon we were lazying around in a boat among the
water…lilies at the edge of the bay。
〃'Arthur；' says I； 'you never told me you'd had another love…affair。 But
Mrs。 Gurley did；' I went on； to let him know I knew。 I hate to bear a man
lie。
〃' Before you came；' says he； looking me frankly in the eye； 'there was
a previous affection … a strong one。 Since you know of it； I will be
perfectly candid with you。'
〃'I am waiting；' says I。
〃'My dear Ida；' says Arthur of course I went by my real name； while
I was in Soundport 'this former affection was a spiritual one； in fact。 Al…
though the lady aroused my deepest sentiments； and was； as I thought； my
ideal woman； I never met her； and never spoke to her。 It was an ideal love。
My love for you； while no less ideal； is different。 You wouldn't let that
come between us。'
〃'Was she pretty？' i asked。
〃' She was very beautiful；' said Arthur。
〃'Did you see her often？' I asked。
〃' Something like a dozen times；' says he。
〃'Always from a distance？' says I。
〃'Always from quite a distance；' says he。
〃'And you loved her？' I asked。
〃'She seemed my ideal of beauty and grace and soul；〃 says Arthur。
〃'And this keepsake that you keep under lock and key； and moon over
at times； is that a remembrance from her？'
〃'A memento；' says Arthur； 'that I have treasured。'
〃'Did she send it to you？'
〃'It came to me from her' says be。
〃'In a roundabout way？' I asked。
〃'Somewhat roundabout；' says he； 'and yet rather direct。'
〃'Why didn't you ever meet her？' I asked。 'Were your positions in life
so different？'
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〃She was far above me；' says Arthur。 'Now； Ida；' he goes on； 'this is all
of the past。 You're not going to be jealous； are you？'
'Jealous！' says I。 'Why； man； what are you talking about？ It makes me
think ten times as much of you as I did before I knew about it。'
〃And it did； Lynn … if you can understand it。 That ideal love was a new
one on me； but it struck me as being the most beautiful and glorious thing
I'd ever heard of。 Think of a man loving a woman he'd never even spoken
to； and being faithful just to what his mind and heart pictured her！ Oh； it
sounded great to me。 The men I'd always known come at you with either
diamonds； knock…out…drops or a raise of salary； and their ideals！ well；
we'll say no more。〃
〃Yes； it made me think more of Arthur than I did before。 I couldn't be
jealous of that far…away divin… ity that he used to worship； for I was going
to have him myself。 And I began to look upon him as a saint on earth； just
as old lady Gurley did。
〃About four o'clock this afternoon a man came to the house for Arthur
to go and see somebody that was sick among his church bunch。 Old lady
Gurley was taking her afternoon snore on a couch； so that left me pretty
much alone。
〃In passing by Arthur's study I
