roads of destiny-第9部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


imer　paying　his　regards　to　a　lady　said：　〃To　have　loved　her　was　a　liberal　education。〃　Well；　even　to　have　looked　over　the　black　hair　and　neat　white　shirtwaist　of　Miss　Bates　was　equal　to　a　full　course　in　any　correspondence　school　in　the　country。　She　sometimes　did　a　little　typewriting　for　me；　and；　as　she　refused　to　take　the　money　in　advance；　she　came　to　look　upon　me　as　something　of　a　friend　and　protege。　She　had　unfailing　kindliness　and　a　good　nature；　and　not　even　a　white…lead　drummer　or　a　fur　importer　had　ever　dared　to　cross　the　dead　line　of　good　behaviour　in　her　presence。　The　entire　force　of　the　Acropolis；　from　the　owner；　who　lived　in　Vienna；　down　to　the　head　porter；　who　had　been　bedridden　for　sixteen　years；　would　have　sprung　to　her　defence　in　a　moment。

One　day　I　walked　past　Miss　Bates's　little　sanctum　Remingtorium；　and　saw　in　her　place　a　black…haired　unitunmistakably　a　personpounding　with　each　of　her　forefingers　upon　the　keys。　Musing　on　the　mutability　of　temporal　affairs；　I　passed　on。　The　next　day　I　went　on　a　two　weeks'　vacation。　Returning；　I　strolled　through　the　lobby　of　the　Acropolis；　and　saw；　with　a　little　warm　glow　of　auld　lang　syne；　Miss　Bates；　as　Grecian　and　kind　and　flawless　as　ever；　just　putting　the　cover　on　her　machine。　The　hour　for　closing　had　come；　but　she　asked　me　in　to　sit　for　a　few　minutes　on　the　dictation　chair。　Miss　Bates　explained　her　absence　from　and　return　to　the　Acropolis　Hotel　in　words　identical　with　or　similar　to　these　following：

〃Well；　Man；　how　are　the　stories　coming？〃

〃Pretty　regularly；〃　said　I。　〃About　equal　to　their　going。〃

〃I'm　sorry；〃　said　she。　〃Good　typewriting　is　the　main　thing　in　a　story。　You've　missed　me；　haven't　you？〃

〃No　one；〃　said　I；　〃whom　I　have　ever　known　knows　as　well　as　you　do　how　to　space　properly　belt　buckles；　semi…colons；　hotel　guests；　and　hairpins。　But　you've　been　away；　too。　I　saw　a　package　of　peppermint…　pepsin　in　your　place　the　other　day。〃

〃I　was　going　to　tell　you　all　about　it；〃　said　Miss　Bates；　〃if　you　hadn't　interrupted　me。

〃Of　course；　you　know　about　Maggie　Brown；　who　stops　here。　Well；　she's　worth　40；000；000。　She　lives　in　Jersey　in　a　ten…dollar　flat。　She's　always　got　more　cash　on　hand　than　half　a　dozen　business　candidates　for　vice…president。　I　don't　know　whether　she　carries　it　in　her　stocking　or　not；　but　I　know　she's　mighty　popular　down　in　the　part　of　town　where　they　worship　the　golden　calf。

〃Well；　about　two　weeks　ago；　Mrs。　Brown　stops　at　the　door　and　rubbers　at　me　for　ten　minutes。　I'm　sitting　with　my　side　to　her；　striking　off　some　manifold　copies　of　a　copper…mine　proposition　for　a　nice　old　man　from　Tonopah。　But　I　always　see　everything　all　around　me。　When　I'm　hard　at　work　I　can　see　things　through　my　side…combs；　and　I　can　leave　one　button　unbuttoned　in　the　back　of　my　shirtwaist　and　see　who's　behind　me。　I　didn't　look　around；　because　I　make　from　eighteen　to　twenty　dollars　a　week；　and　I　didn't　have　to。

〃That　evening　at　knocking…off　time　she　sends　for　me　to　come　up　to　her　apartment。　I　expected　to　have　to　typewrite　about　two　thousand　words　of　notes…of…hand；　liens；　and　contracts；　with　a　ten…cent　tip　in　sight；　but　I　went。　Well；　Man；　I　was　certainly　surprised。　Old　Maggie　Brown　had　turned　human。

〃'Child；'　says　she；　'you're　the　most　beautiful　creature　I　ever　saw　in　my　life。　I　want　you　to　quit　your　work　and　come　and　live　with　me。　I've　no　kith　or　kin；'　says　she；　'except　a　husband　and　a　son　or　two；　and　I　hold　no　communication　with　any　of　'em。　They're　extravagant　burdens　on　a　hard…working　woman。　I　want　you　to　be　a　daughter　to　me。　They　say　I'm　stingy　and　mean；　and　the　papers　print　lies　about　my　doing　my　own　cooking　and　washing。　It's　a　lie；'　she　goes　on。　'I　put　my　washing　out；　except　the　handkerchiefs　and　stockings　and　petticoats　and　collars；　and　light　stuff　like　that。　I've　got　forty　million　dollars　in　cash　and　stocks　and　bonds　that　are　as　negotiable　as　Standard　Oil；　preferred；　at　a　church　fair。　I'm　a　lonely　old　woman　and　I　need　companionship。　You're　the　most　beautiful　human　being　I　ever　saw；'　says　she。　'Will　you　come　and　live　with　me？　I'll　show　'em　whether　I　can　spend　money　or　not；'　she　says。

〃Well；　Man；　what　would　you　have　done？　Of　course；　I　fell　to　it。　And；　to　tell　you　the　truth；　I　began　to　like　old　Maggie。　It　wasn't　all　on　account　of　the　forty　millions　and　what　she　could　do　for　me。　I　was　kind　of　lonesome　in　the　world　too。　Everybody's　got　to　have　somebody　they　can　explain　to　about　the　pain　in　their　left　shoulder　and　how　fast　patent…leather　shoes　wear　out　when　they　begin　to　crack。　And　you　can't　talk　about　such　things　to　men　you　meet　in　hotelsthey're　looking　for　just　such　openings。

〃So　I　gave　up　my　job　in　the　hotel　and　went　with　Mrs。　Brown。　I　certainly　seemed　to　have　a　mash　on　her。　She'd　look　at　me　for　half　an　hour　at　a　time　when　I　was　sitting；　reading；　or　looking　at　the　magazines。

〃One　time　I　says　to　her：　'Do　I　remind　you　of　some　deceased　relative　or　friend　of　your　childhood；　Mrs。　Brown？　I've　noticed　you　give　me　a　pretty　good　optical　inspection　from　time　to　time。'

〃'You　have　a　face；'　she　says；　'exactly　like　a　dear　friend　of　minethe　best　friend　I　ever　had。　But　I　like　you　for　yourself；　child；　too；'　she　says。

〃And　say；　Man；　what　do　you　suppose　she　did？　Loosened　up　like　a　Marcel　wave　in　the　surf　at　Coney。　She　took　me　to　a　swell　dressmaker　and　gave　her　/a　la　carte/　to　fit　me　outmoney　no　object。　They　were　rush　orders；　and　madame　locked　the　front　door　and　put　the　whole　force　to　work。

〃Then　we　moved　towhere　do　you　think？no；　guess　againthat's　right　the　Hotel　Bonton。　We　had　a　six…room　apartment；　and　it　cost　100　a　day。　I　saw　the　bill。　I　began　to　love　that　old　lady。

〃And　then；　Man；　when　my　dresses　began　to　come　inoh；　I　won't　tell　you　about　'em！　you　couldn't　understand。　And　I　began　to　call　her　Aunt　Maggie。　You've　read　about　Cinderella；　of　course。　Well；　what　Cinderella　said　when　the　prince　fitted　that　3　1/2　A　on　her　foot　was　a　hard…luck　story　compared　to　the　things　I　told　myself。

〃Then　Aunt　Maggie　says　she　is　going　to　give　me　a　coming…out　banquet　in　the　Bonton　that'll　make　moving　Vans　of　all　the　old　Dutch　families　on　Fifth　Avenue。

〃'I've　been　out　before；　Aunt　Maggie；'　says　I。　'But　I'll　come　out　again。　But　you　know；'　says　I；　'that　this　is　one　of　the　swellest　hotels　in　the　city。　And　you　knowpardon　methat　it's　hard　to　get　a　bunch　of　notables　together　unless　you've　trained　for　it。'

〃'Don't　fret　about　that；　child；'　says　Aunt　Maggie。　'I　don't　send　out　invitationsI　issue　orders。　I'll　have　fifty　guests　here　that　couldn't　be　brought　together　again　at　any　reception　unless　it　were　given　by　King　Edward　or　William　Travers　Jerome。　They　are　men；　of　course；　and　all　of　'em　either　owe　me　money　or　intend　to。　Some　of　their　wives　won't　come；　but　a　good　many　will。'

〃Well；　I　wish　you　could　have　been　at　that　banquet。　The　dinner　service　was　all　gold　and　cut　glass。　There　were　about　forty　men　and　eight　ladies　present　besides　Aunt　Maggie　and　I。　You'd　never　have　known　the　third　richest　woman　in　the　world。　She　had　on　a　new　black　silk　dress　with　so　much　passementerie　on　it　that　it　sounded　exactly　like　a　hailstorm　I　heard　once　when　I　was　staying　all　night　with　a　girl　that　lived　in　a　top…floor　studio。

〃And　my　dress！say；　Man；　I　can't　waste　the　words　on　you。　It　was　all　hand…made　lacewhere　there　was　any　of　it　at　alland　it　cost　300。　I　saw　the　bill。　The　men　were　all　bald…headed　or　white…whiskered；　and　they　kept　up　a　running　fire　of　light　repartee　about　3…per　cents。　and　Bryan　and　the　cotton　crop。

〃On　the　left　of　me　was　something　that　talked　like　a　banker；　and　on　my　right　was　a　young　fellow　who　said　he　was　a　newspaper　artist。　He　was　the　onlywell；　I　was　going　to　tell　you。

〃After　the　dinner　was　over　Mrs。　Brown　and　I　went　up　to　the　apartment。　We　had　to　squeeze　our　way　through　a　mob　of　reporters　all　the　way　through　the　halls。　That's　one　of　the　things　money　does　for　you。　Say；　do　you　happen　to　know　a　newspaper　artist　named　Lathropa　tall　man　with　nice　eyes　and　an　easy　way　of　talking？　No；　I　don't　remember　what　paper　he　works　on。　Well；　all　right。

〃When　we　got　upstairs　Mrs。　Brown　telephones　for　the　bill　right　away。　It　came；　and　it　was　600。　I　saw　the　bill。　Aunt　Maggie　fainted。　I　got　her　on　a　lounge　and　opened　the　bead…work。

〃'Child；'　says　she；　when　she　got　back　to　the　world；　'what　was　it？　A　raise　of　rent　or　an　income…tax？'

〃'Just　a　little　dinner；'　says　I。　'Nothing　to　worry　abouthardly　a　drop　in　the　bucket…shop。　Sit　up　and　take　noticea　dispossess　notice；　if　there's　no　other　kind。'

〃But　say；　Man；　do　you　know　what　Aunt　Maggie　did？　She　got　cold　feet！　She　hustled　me　out　of　that　Hotel　Bonton　at　nine　the　next　morning。　We　went　to　a　rooming…house　on　the　lower　West　Side。　She　rented　one　room　that　had　water　on　the　floor　below　and　light　on　the　floor　above。　After　we　got　moved　all　you　could　see　in　the　room　was　about　1；500　worth　of　new　swell　dresses　and　a　one…burner　gas…stove。

〃Aunt　Maggie　had　had　a　sudden　attack　of　the　hedges。　I　guess　everybody　has　got　to　go　on　a　spree　once　in　their　life。　A　man　spends　his　on　highballs；　and　a　woman　gets　woozy　on　clothes。　But　with　forty　million　dollarssay；　I'd　like　to　have　a　picture　ofbut；　speaking　of　pictures；　did　you　ever　run　across　a　newspaper　artist　named　Lathropa　talloh；　I　asked　you　that　before；　didn't　I？　He　was　mighty　nice　to　me　at　the　dinner。　His　voice　just　suited　me。　I　guess　he　must　have　thought　I　was　to　inherit　some　of　Aunt　Maggie's　money。

〃Well；　Mr。　Man；　three　days　of　that　light…housekeeping　was　plenty　for　me。　Aunt　Maggie　was　affectionate　as　ever。　She'd　hardly　let　me　get　out　of　her　sight。　But　let　me　tell　you。　She　was　a　hedger　from　Hedgersville；　Hedger　County。　Seventy…five　cents　a　day　was　the　limit　she　set。　We　cooked　our　own　meals　in　the　room。　There　I　was；　with　a　thousand　dollars'　worth　of　the　latest　things　in　clothes；　doing　stunts　over　a　one…burner　gas…stove。

〃As　I　say；　on　the　third　day　I　flew　the　coop。　I　couldn't　stand　for　throwing　together　a　fifteen…cent　kidney　stew　while　wearing　at　the　same　time；　a　150　house…dress；　with　Valenciennes　lace　insertion。　So　I　goes　into　the　closet　and　puts　on　the　cheapest　dress　Mrs。　Brown　had　bought　for　meit's　the　one　I've　got　on　nownot　so　bad　for　75；　is　it？　I'd　left　all　my　own　clothes　in　my　sister's　flat　in　Brooklyn。

〃'Mrs。　Brown；　formerly　〃Aunt　Maggie；〃'　says　I　to　her；　'I'm　going　to　extend　my　feet　alternately；　one　afte