the agony column-第2节

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〃I　am　if　you　say　so。〃

〃You're　a　dear！　　I　promise　not　to　tell　the　people　back　in　Texas　that　you　showed　any　interest　in　kings　and　such　…　if　you　will　show　just　a　little。　　Otherwise　I'll　spread　the　awful　news　that　you　took　off　your　hat　when　King　George　went　by。〃

The　statesman　smiled。　　West　felt　that　he；　who　had　no　business　to；　was　smiling　with　him。

The　waiter　returned；　bringing　grapefruit；　and　the　strawberries　West　had　ordered。　　Without　another　look　toward　West；　the　girl　put　down　her　paper　and　began　her　breakfasting。　　As　often　as　he　dared；　however；　West　looked　at　her。　　With　patriotic　pride　he　told　himself：　　〃Six　months　in　Europe；　and　the　most　beautiful　thing　I've　seen　comes　from　back　home！〃

When　he　rose　reluctantly　twenty　minutes　later　his　two　compatriots　were　still　at　table；　discussing　their　plans　for　the　day。　　As　is　usual　in　such　cases；　the　girl　arranged；　the　man　agreed。

With　one　last　glance　in　her　direction；　West　went　out　on　the　parched　pavement　of　Haymarket。

Slowly　he　walked　back　to　his　rooms。　　Work　was　waiting　there　for　him；　but　instead　of　getting　down　to　it；　he　sat　on　the　balcony　of　his　study；　gazing　out　on　the　courtyard　that　had　been　his　chief　reason　for　selecting　those　apartments。　　Here；　in　the　heart　of　the　city；　was　a　bit　of　the　countryside　transported　…　the　green；　trim；　neatly　tailored　countryside　that　is　the　most　satisfying　thing　in　England。　　There　were　walls　on　which　the　ivy　climbed　high；　narrow　paths　that　ran　between　blooming　beds　of　flowers；　and　opposite　his　windows　a　seldom…opened；　most　romantic　gate。　　As　he　sat　looking　down　he　seemed　to　see　there　below　him　the　girl　of　the　Carlton。　　Now　she　sat　on　the　rustic　bench；　now　she　bent　above　the　envious　flowers；　now　she　stood　at　the　gate　that　opened　out　to　a　hot　sudden　bit　of　the　city。

And　as　he　watched　her　there　in　the　garden　she　would　never　enter；　as　he　reflected　unhappily　that　probably　he　would　see　her　no　more　…　the　idea　came　to　him。

At　first　he　put　it　from　him　as　absurd；　impossible。　　She　was；　to　apply　a　fine　word　much　abused；　a　lady；　he　supposedly　a　gentleman。　Their　sort　did　not　do　such　things。　　If　he　yielded　to　this　temptation　she　would　be　shocked；　angry；　and　from　him　would　slip　that　one　chance　in　a　thousand　he　had　…　the　chance　of　meeting　her　somewhere；　some　day。

And　yet　…　and　yet　…　She；　too；　had　found　the　Agony　Column　entertaining　and　…　quite　nice。　　There　was　a　twinkle　in　her　eyes　that　bespoke　a　fondness　for　romance。　　She　was　human；　fun…loving　…　and；　above　all；　the　joy　of　youth　was　in　her　heart。

Nonsense！　　West　went　inside　and　walked　the　floor。　　The　idea　was　preposterous。　　Still　…　he　smiled　…　it　was　filled　with　amusing　possibilities。　　Too　bad　he　must　put　it　forever　away　and　settle　down　to　this　stupid　work！

Forever　away？　　Well　…　

On　the　next　morning；　which　was　Saturday；　West　did　not　breakfast　at　the　Carlton。　　The　girl；　however；　did。　　As　she　and　her　father　sat　down　the　old　man　said：　〃I　see　you've　got　your　Daily　Mail。〃

〃Of　course！〃　she　answered。　　〃I　couldn't　do　without　it。　　Grapefruit　　…　yes。〃

She　began　to　read。　　Presently　her　cheeks　flushed　and　she　put　the　paper　down。

〃What　is　it？〃　asked　the　Texas　statesman。

〃To…day；〃　she　answered　sternly；　〃you　do　the　British　Museum。　　You've　put　it　off　long　enough。〃

The　old　man　sighed。　　Fortunately　he　did　not　ask　to　see　the　Mail。　If　he　had；　a　quarter　way　down　the　column　of　personal　notices　he　would　have　been　enraged　…　or　perhaps　only　puzzled　…　to　read：

CARLTON　RESTAURANT：　Nine　A。M。　Friday　morning。　　Will　the　young　woman　who　preferred　grapefruit　to　strawberries　permit　the　young　man　who　had　two　plates　of　the　latter　to　say　he　will　not　rest　until　he　discovers　some　mutual　friend；　that　they　may　meet　and　laugh　over　this　column　together？

　Lucky　for　the　young　man　who　liked　strawberries　that　his　nerve　had　failed　him　and　he　was　not　present　at　the　Carlton　that　morning！　　He　would　have　been　quite　overcome　to　see　the　stern　uncompromising　look　on　the　beautiful　face　of　a　lady　at　her　grapefruit。　　So　overcome；　in　fact；　that　he　would　probably　have　left　the　room　at　once；　and　thus　not　seen　the　mischievous　smile　that　came　in　time　to　the　lady's　face　　…　not　seen　that　she　soon　picked　up　the　paper　again　and　read；　with　that　smile；　to　the　end　of　the　column。



CHAPTER　II

The　next　day　was　Sunday；　hence　it　brought　no　Mail。　　Slowly　it　dragged　along。　　At　a　ridiculously　early　hour　Monday　morning　Geoffrey　West　was　on　the　street；　seeking　his　favorite　newspaper。　He　found　it；　found　the　Agony　Column　…　and　nothing　else。　　Tuesday　morning　again　he　rose　early；　still　hopeful。　　Then　and　there　hope　died。　　The　lady　at　the　Canton　deigned　no　reply。

Well；　he　had　lost；　he　told　himself。　　He　had　staked　all　on　this　one　bold　throw；　no　use。　　Probably　if　she　thought　of　him　at　all　it　was　to　label　him　a　cheap　joker；　a　mountebank　of　the　halfpenny　press。　　Richly　he　deserved　her　scorn。

On　Wednesday　he　slept　late。　　He　was　in　no　haste　to　look　into　the　Daily　Mail；　his　disappointments　of　the　previous　days　had　been　too　keen。　　At　last；　while　he　was　shaving；　he　summoned　Walters；　the　caretaker　of　the　building；　and　sent　him　out　to　procure　a　certain　morning　paper。

Walters　came　back　bearing　rich　treasure；　for　in　the　Agony　Column　of　that　day　West；　his　face　white　with　lather；　read　joyously：

STRAWBERRY　MAN：　Only　the　grapefruit　lady's　kind　heart　and　her　great　fondness　for　mystery　and　romance　move　her　to　answer。　　The　strawberry…mad　one　may　write　one　letter　a　day　for　seven　days　…　to　prove　that　he　is　an　interesting　person；　worth　knowing。　　Then　…　we　shall　see。　　Address：　M。　A。　L。；　care　Sadie　Haight；　Carlton　Hotel。

All　day　West　walked　on　air；　but　with　the　evening　came　the　problem　of　those　letters；　on　which　depended；　he　felt；　his　entire　future　happiness。　　Returning　from　dinner；　he　sat　down　at　his　desk　near　the　windows　that　looked　out　on　his　wonderful　courtyard。　　The　weather　was　still　torrid；　but　with　the　night　had　come　a　breeze　to　fan　the　hot　cheek　of　London。　　It　gently　stirred　his　curtains；　rustled　the　papers　on　his　desk。

He　considered。　　Should　he　at　once　make　known　the　eminently　respectable　person　he　was；　the　hopelessly　respectable　people　he　knew？　　Hardly！　　For　then；　on　the　instant；　like　a　bubble　bursting；　would　go　for　good　all　mystery　and　romance；　and　the　lady　of　the　grapefruit　would　lose　all　interest　and　listen　to　him　no　more。　　He　spoke　solemnly　to　his　rustling　curtains。

〃No；〃　he　said。　　〃We　must　have　mystery　and　romance。　　But　where　…　where　shall　we　find　them？〃

On　the　floor　above　he　heard　the　solid　tramp　of　military　boots　belonging　to　his　neighbor；　Captain　Stephen　Fraser…Freer；　of　the　Twelfth　Cavalry；　Indian　Army；　home　on　furlough　from　that　colony　beyond　the　seas。　　It　was　from　that　room　overhead　that　romance　and　mystery　were　to　come　in　mighty　store；　but　Geoffrey　West　little　suspected　it　at　the　moment。　　Hardly　knowing　what　to　say；　but　gaining　inspiration　as　he　went　along；　he　wrote　the　first　of　seven　letters　to　the　lady　at　the　Carlton。　　And　the　epistle　he　dropped　in　the　post　box　at　midnight　follows　here：

DEAR　LADY　OF　THE　GRAPEFRUIT：　You　are　very　kind。　　Also；　you　are　wise。　Wise；　because　into　my　clumsy　little　Personal　you　read　nothing　that　was　not　there。　　You　knew　it　immediately　for　what　it　was　…　　the　timid　tentative　clutch　of　a　shy　man　at　the　skirts　of　Romance　in　passing。　Believe　me；　old　Conservatism　was　with　me　when　I　wrote　that　message。　He　was　fighting　hard。　　He　followed　me；　struggling；　shrieking；　protesting；　to　the　post　box　itself。　　But　I　whipped　him。　　Glory　be！　　I　did　for　him。

We　are　young　but　once；　I　told　him。　After　that；　what　use　to　signal　to　Romance？　　The　lady　at　least；　I　said；　will　understand。　　He　sneered　at　that。　　He　shook　his　silly　gray　head。　　I　will　admit　he　had　me　worried。　　But　now　you　have　justified　my　faith　in　you。　　Thank　you　a　million　times　for　that！

Three　weeks　I　have　been　in　this　huge；　ungainly；　indifferent　city；　longing　for　the　States。　　Three　weeks　the　Agony　Column　has　been　my　sole　diversion。　　And　then　…　through　the　doorway　of　the　Carlton　restaurant　…　you　came　…　

It　is　of　myself　that　I　must　write；　I　know。　　I　will　not；　then；　tell　you　what　is　in　my　mind　…　the　picture　of　you　I　carry。　　It　would　mean　little　to　you。　　Many　Texan　gallants；　no　doubt；　have　told　you　the　same　while　the　moon　was　bright　above　you　and　the　breeze　was　softly　whispering　through　the　branches　of　…　the　branches　of　the　…　of　the　…　　　Confound　it；　I　don't　know！　　I　have　never　been　in　Texas。　　It　is　a　vice　in　me　I　hope　soon　to　correct。　　All　day　I　intended　to　look　up　Texas　in　the　encyclopedia。　　But　all　day　I　have　dwelt　in　the　clouds。　And　there　are　no　reference　books　in　the　clouds。

Now　I　am　down　to　earth　in　my　quiet　study。　　Pens；　ink　and　paper　are　before　me。　　I　must　prove　myself　a　person　worth　knowing。

》From　his　rooms；　they　say；　you　can　tell　much　about　a　man。　　But；　alas！　these　peaceful　rooms　in　Adelphi　Terrace　…　I　shall　not　tell　the　number　…　were　sublet　furnished。　　So　if　you　could　see　me　now　you　would　be　judging　me　by　the　possessions　left　behind　by　one　Anthony　Bartholomew。　　There　is　much　dust　on　them。　　Judge　neither　Anthony　nor　me　by　that。　　Judge　rather　Walters；　the　caretaker；　who　lives　in　the　basement　with　his　gray…haired　wife。　　Walters　was　a　gardener　once；　and　his　whole　life　is　wrapped　up　in　the　courtyard　on　which　my　balcony　looks　down。　　There　he　spend