the voice of the city-第15部分
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don't keep it until to…morrow。〃
I was reading my bully old pal Montaigne at two
o'clock when I beard the sheets rustle under my door。
I gathered them up and read the story。
The hissing of geese； the languishing cooing of
doves； the braying of donkeys； the chatter of irre…
sponsible sparrows … these were in my mind's ear as
I read。 〃Suffering Sappho！〃 I exclaimed to myself。
〃Is this the divine fire that is supposed to ignite
genius and make it practicable and wage…earning？〃
The story was sentimental drivel； full of whim…
pering softheartedness and gushing egoism。 All
the art that Pettit had acquired was gone。 A pe…
rusal of its buttery phrases would have made a cynic
of a sighing chambermaid。
In the morning Pettit came to my room。 I read
him his doom mercilessly。 He laughed idiotically。
〃All right； Old Hoss；〃 he said； cheerily； 〃make
cigar…lighters of it。 What's the difference？ I'm
going to take her to lunch at Claremont to…day。〃
There was about a month of it。 And then Pettit
came to me bearing an invisible mitten； with the forti…
tude of a dish…rag。 He talked of the grave and
South America and prussic acid； and I lost an after…
noon getting him straight。 I took him out and saw
that large and curative doses of whiskey were ad…
ministered to him。 I warned you this was a true
story 'ware your white ribbons if only follow this
tale。 For two weeks I fed him whiskey and Omar；
and read to him regularly every evening the column
in the evening paper that reveals the secrets of fe…
male beauty。 I recommend the treatment。
After Pettit was cured be wrote more stories。 He
recovered his old…time facility and did work just
short of good enough。 Then the curtain rose on
the third act。
A little； dark…eyed； silent girl from New Hamp…
shire； who was studying applied design； fell deeply
in love with him。 She was the intense sort； but ex…
ternally glace； such as New England sometimes fools
us with。 Pettit liked her mildly； and took her about
a good deal。 She worshipped him； and now and then
ignored him。
There came a climax when she tried to jump out
of a window； and he had to save her by some perfunc…
tary； unmeant wooing。 Even I was shaken by the
depths of the absorbing affection she showed。 Home；
friends； traditions； creeds went up like thistle…down
in the scale against her love。 It was really discom…
posing。
One night again Pettit sauntered in； yawning。 As
he had told me before； he said he felt that he could
do a great story； and as before I hunted him to his
room and saw him open his inkstand。 At one o'clock
the sheets of paper slid under my door。
I read that story； and I jumped up； late as it was；
with a whoop of joy。 Old Pettit had done it。 Just
as though it lay there； red and bleeding； a woman's
heart was written into the lines。 You couldn't see
the joining； but art； exquisite art； and pulsing na…
ture had been combined into a love story that took
you by the throat like the quinsy。 I broke into
Pettit's room and beat him on the back and called
him name names high up in the galaxy of the im…
mortals that we admired。 And Pettit yawned and
begged to be allowed to sleep。
On the morrow； I dragged him to an editor。 The
great man read； and； rising； gave Pettit his hand。
That was a decoration； a wreath of bay； and a guar…
antee of rent。
And then old Pettit smiled slowly。 I call him Gen…
tleman Pettit now to myself。 It's a miserable name
to give a man； but it sounds better than it looks in
print。
〃I see；〃 said old Pettit； as he took up his story
and began tearing it into small strips。 〃I see the
game now。 You can't write with ink； and you can't
write with your own heart's blood； but you can write
with the heart's blood of some one else。 You have
to be a cad before you can be an artist。 Well； I am
for old Alabam and the Major's store。 Have you
got a light； Old Hoss？〃
I went with Pettit to the depot and died hard。
〃Shakespeare's sonnets？〃 I blurted； making a last
stand。 〃How about him？〃
〃A cad；〃 said Pettit。 〃They give it to you； and
you sell it love； you know。 I'd rather sell ploughs
for father。〃
〃But；〃 I protested； 〃 you are reversing the de…
cision of the world's greatest 〃
〃Good…by； Old Hoss；〃 said Pettit。
〃Critics；〃 I continued。 〃 But say if the
Major can use a fairly good salesman and book…
keeper down there in the store； let me know； will
you？〃
NEMESIS AND THE CANDY MAN
〃We sail at eight in the morning on the Celtic；〃 said
Honoria； plucking a loose thread from her lace
sleeve。
〃I heard so；〃 said young Ives； dropping his hat；
and muffing it as he tried to catch it； 〃and I came
around to wish you a pleasant voyage。〃
〃Of course you heard it；〃 said Honoria； coldly
sweet； 〃since we have had no opportunity of inform…
ing you ourselves。〃
Ives looked at her pleadingly； but with little hope。
Outside in the street a high…pitched voice
chanted； not unmusically； a commercial gamut of
〃Cand…de…ee…ee…s！ Nice； fresh cand…ee…ee…ee…ees！d
〃It's our old candy man；〃 said Honoria； leaning
out the window and beckoning。 〃I want some of his
motto kisses。 There's nothing in the Broadway
shops half so good。〃
The candy man stopped his pushcart in front of
the old Madison Avenue home。 He had a holiday
and festival air unusual to street peddlers。 His tie
was new and bright red； and a horseshoe pin； almost
life…size； glittered speciously from its folds。 His
brown； thin face was crinkled into a semi…foolish
smile。 Striped cuffs with dog…head buttons covered
the tan on his wrists。
〃I do believe he's going to get married；〃 said
Honoria； pityingly。 〃I never saw him taken that
way before。 And to…day is the first time in months
that he has cried his wares； I am sure。〃
Ives threw a coin to the sidewalk。 The candy man
knows his customers。 He filled a paper bag； climbed
the old…fashioned stoop and banded it in。
〃I remember 〃 said Ives。
〃Wait；〃 said Honoria。
She took a small portfolio from the drawer of a
writing desk and from the portfolio a slip of flimsy
paper one…quarter of an inch by two inches in size。
〃This；〃 said Honoria； inflexibly； 〃was wrapped
about the first one we opened。〃
〃It was a year ago；〃 apologized Ives； as he held
out his hand for it；
〃As long as skies above are blue
To you； my love； I will be true。〃
This he read from the slip of flimsy paper。
〃We were to have sailed a fortnight ago；〃 said
Honoria； gossipingly。 〃It has been such a warm
summer。 The town is quite deserted。 There is no…
where to go。 Yet I am told that one or two of the
roof gardens are amusing。 The； singing and the
dancing on one or two seem to have met with ap…
proval。〃
Ives did not wince。 When you are in the ring you
are not surprised when your adversary taps you on
the ribs。
〃I followed the candy man that time；〃 said Ives；
irrelevantly； 〃and gave him five dollars at the corner
of Broadway。〃
He reached for the paper bag in Honoria's lap；
took out one of the square； wrapped confections and
slowly unrolled it。
Sara Chillingworth's father；〃 said Honoria；
〃has given her an automobile。〃
〃Read that；〃 said Ives； handing over the slip that
had been wrapped around the square of candy。
〃Life teaches us how to live；
Love teaches us to forgive。〃
Honoria's checks turned pink。
〃Honoria！〃 cried Ives； starting up from his chair。
〃Miss Clinton；〃 corrected Honoria； rising like
Venus from the head on the surf。 〃I warned you
not to speak that name again。〃'
〃Honoria；〃 repeated Ives； 〃you must bear me。 I
know I do not deserve your forgiveness； but I must
have it。 There is a madness that possesses one some…
times for which his better nature is not responsible。
I throw everything else but you to the winds。 I
strike off the chains that have bound me。 I re…
nounce the siren that lured me from you。 Let the
bought verse of that street peddler plead for me。 It
is you only whom I can love。 Let your love forgive；
and I swear to you that mine will be true 'as long
as skies above are blue。'
On the west side； between Sixth and Seventh Ave…
nues； an alley cuts the block in the middle。 It per…
ishes in a little court in the centre of the block。 The
district is theatrical； the inhabitants； the bubbling
froth of half a dozen nations。 The atmosphere is
Bohemian； the language polyglot； the locality pre…
carious。
In the court at the rear of the alley lived the candy
man。 At seven o'clock be pushed his cart into the
narrow entrance； rested it upon the irregular stone
slats and sat upon one of the handles to cool himself。
There was a great draught of cool wind through the
alley。
There was a window above the spot where be al…
ways stopped his pushcart。 In the cool of the after…
noon； Mlle。 Adele； drawing card of the Aerial Roof
Garden； sat at the window and took the air。 Gen…
erally her ponderous mass of dark auburn hair was
down； that the breeze might have the felicity of aid…
ing Sidonie； the maid； in drying and airing it。
About her shoulders the point of her that the pho…
tographers always made the most of was loosely
draped a heliotrope scarf。 Her arms to the elbow
were bare there were no sculptors there to rave
over them but even the stolid bricks in the walls
of the alley should not have been so insensate as to
disapprove。 While she sat thus Fe1ice； another maid；
anointed and bathed the small feet that twinkled and
so charmed the nightly Aerial audiences。
Gradually Mademoiselle began to notice the candy
man stopping to mop his brow and cool himself be…
neath her window。 In the hands of her maids sh
