options-第37节
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We found her fitting a new cap on her mother。 I never saw her look more charming。
North made himself disagreeably entertaining。 He was a good talker; and had a way with him。 Besides; he had two; ten; or thirty millions; I've for gotten which。 I incautiously admired the mother's cap; whereupon she brought out her store of a dozen or two; and I took a course in edgings and frills。 Even though Annie's fingers had pinked; or ruched; or hemmed; or whatever you do to 'em; they palled upon me。 And I could hear North drivelling to Annie about his odious Adirondack camp。
Two days after that I saw North in his motor…car with Miss Ashton and her mother。 On the next afternoon he dropped in on me。
〃Bobby;〃 said he; 〃this old burg isn't such a bad proposition in the summer…time; after all。 Since I've keen knocking around it looks better to me。 There are some first…rate musical comedies and light operas on the roofs and in the outdoor gardens。 And if you hunt up the right places and stick to soft drinks; you can keep about as cool here as you can in the country。 Hang it! when you come to think of it; there's nothing much to the country; anyhow。 You get tired and sunburned and lonesome; and you have to eat any old thing that the cook dishes up to you。〃
〃It makes a difference; doesn't it?〃 said I。
〃It certainly does。 Now; I found some whitebait yesterday; at Maurice's; with a new sauce that beats anything in the trout line I ever tasted。〃
〃It makes a difference; doesn't it?〃 I said。
〃Immense。 The sauce is the main thing with whitebait。〃
〃It makes a difference; doesn't it?〃 I asked; looking him straight in the eye。 He understood。
〃Look here; Bob;〃 he said; 〃I was going to tell you。 I couldn't help it。 I'll play fair with you; but I'm going in to win。 She is the 'one particular' for me。〃
〃All right;〃 said I。 〃It's a fair field。 There are no rights for you to encroach upon。〃
On Thursday afternoon Miss Ashton invited North and myself to have tea in her apartment。 He was devoted; and she was more charming than usual。 By avoiding the subject of caps I managed to get a word or two into and out of the talk。 Miss Ashton asked me in a make… conversational tone something about the next season's tour。
〃Oh;〃 said I; 〃I don't know about that。 I'm not going to be with Binkley & Bing next season。〃
〃Why; I thought;〃 said she; 〃that they were going to put the Number One road company under your charge。 I thought you told me so。〃
〃They were;〃 said I; 〃but they won't。。 I'll tell you what I'm going to do。 I'm going to the south shore of Long Island and buy a small cottage I know there on the edge of the bay。 And I'll buy a catboat and a rowboat and a shotgun and a yellow dog。 I've got money enough to do it。 And I'll smell the salt wind all day when it blows from the sea and the pine odor when it blows from the land。 And; of course; I'll write plays until I have a trunk full of 'em on hand。
〃And the next thing and the biggest thing I'll do will be to buy that duck…farm next door。 Few people understand ducks。 I can watch 'em for hours。 They can march better than any company in the National Guard; and they can play 'follow my leader' better than the entire Democratic party。 Their voices don't amount to much; but I like to hear 'em。 They wake you up a dozen times a night; but there's a homely sound about their quacking that is more musical to me than the cry of 'Fresh strawber…rees!' under your window in the morning when you want to sleep。
〃And;〃 I went on; enthusiastically; 〃do you know the value of ducks besides their beauty and intelligence and order and sweetness of voice? Picking their feathers gives you an unfailing and never ceasing income。 On a farm that I know the feathers were sold for 400 in one year。 Think of that! And the ones shipped to the market will bring in more money than that。 Yes; I am for the ducks and the salt breeze coming over the bay。 I think I shall get a Chinaman cook; and with him and the dog and the sunsets for company I shall do well。 No more of this dull; baking; senseless; roaring city for me。〃
Miss Ashton looked surprised。 North laughed。
〃I am going to begin one of my plays tonight;〃 I said; 〃so I must be going。〃 And with that I took my departure。
A few days later Miss Ashton telephoned to me; asking me to call at four in the afternoon。
I did。
〃You have been very good to me;〃 she said; hesitatingly; 〃and I thought I would tell you。 I am going to leave the stage。〃
〃Yes;〃 said I; 〃I suppose you will。 They usually do when there's so much money。〃
〃There is no money;〃 she said; 〃or very little。 Our money is almost gone。〃
〃But I am told;〃 said I; 〃that he has something like two or ten or thirty millionsI have forgotten which。〃
〃I know what you mean;〃 she said。 〃I will not pretend that I do not。 I am not going to marry Mr。 North。〃
〃Then why are you leaving the stage ?〃 I asked; severely。 〃What else can you do to earn a living?〃
She came closer to me; and I can see the look in her eyes yet as she spoke。
〃I can pick ducks;〃 she said。
We sold the first year's feathers for 350。
A POOR RULE
I have always maintained; and asserted ime to time; that woman is no mystery; that man can foretell; construe; subdue; comprehend; and interpret her。 That she is a mystery has been foisted by herself upon credulous mankind。 Whether I am right or wrong we shall see。 As 〃Harper's Drawer〃 used to say in bygone years: 〃The following good story is told of Miss ; Mr。 ; Mr。 and Mr。 。〃
We shall have to omit 〃Bishop X〃 and 〃the Rev。 ;〃 for they do not belong。
In those days Paloma was a new town on the line of the Southern Pacific。 A reporter would have called it a 〃mushroom〃 town; but it was not。 Paloma was; first and last; of the toadstool variety。
The train stopped there at noon for the engine to drink and for the passengers both to drink and to dine。 There was a new yellow…pine hotel; also a wool warehouse; and perhaps three dozen box residences。 The rest was composed of tents; cow ponies; 〃black…waxy〃 mud; and mesquite…trees; all bound round by a horizon。 Paloma was an about…to… be city。 The houses represented faith; the tents hope; the twice…a… day train by which you might leave; creditably sustained the role of charity。
The Parisian Restaurant occupied the muddiest spot in the town while it rained; and the warmest when it shone。 It was operated; owned; and perpetrated by a citizen known as Old Man Hinkle; who had come out of Indiana to make his fortune in this land of condensed milk and sorghum。
There was a four…room; unpainted; weather…boarded box house in which the family lived。 From the kitchen extended a 〃shelter〃 made of poles covered with chaparral brush。 Under this was a table and two benches; each twenty feet long; the product of Paloma home carpentry。 Here was set forth the roast mutton; the stewed apples; boiled beans; soda… biscuits; puddinorpie; and hot coffee of the Parisian menu。
Ma Hinkle and a subordinate known to the ears as 〃Betty;〃 but denied to the eyesight; presided at the range。 Pa Hinkle himself; with salamandrous thumbs; served the scalding viands。 During rush hours a Mexican youth; who rolled and smoked cigarettes between courses; aided him in waiting on the guests。 As is customary at Parisian banquets; I place the sweets at the end of my wordy menu。
Ileen Hinkle!
The spelling is correct; for I have seen her write it。 No doubt she had been named by ear; but she so splendidly bore the orthography that Tom Moore himself (had he seen her) would have indorsed the phonography。
Ileen was the daughter of the house; and the first Lady Cashier to invade the territory south of an east…and…west line drawn through Galveston and Del Rio。 She sat on a high stool in a rough pine grand… standor was it a temple?under the shelter at the door of the kitchen。 There was a barbed…wire protection in front of her; with a little arch under which you passed your money。 Heaven knows why the barbed wire; for every man who dined Parisianly there would have died in her service。 Her duties were light; each meal was a dollar; you put it under the arch; and she took it。
I set out with the intent to describe Ileen Hinkle to you。 Instead; I must refer you to the volume by Edmund Burke entitled: A Philosophical Inquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful。 It is an exhaustive treatise; dealing first with the primitive conceptions of beautyroundness and smoothness; I think they are; according to Burke。 It is well said。 Rotundity is a patent charm; as for smoothnessthe more new wrinkles a woman acquires; the smoother she becomes。
Ileen was a strictly vegetable compound; guaranteed under the Pure Ambrosia and Balm…of…Gilead Act of the year of the fall of Adam。 She was a fruit…stand blonde…strawberries; peaches; cherries; etc。 Her eyes were wide apart; and she possessed the calm that precedes a storm that never comes。 But it seems to me that words (at any rate per) are wasted in an effort to describe the beautiful。 Like fancy; 〃It is engendered in