pgw.piccadillyjim-第23部分

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cked　and　was　hidden　to　enter。
　〃Hello；　Bayliss！〃　he　said　sadly；　having　obeyed　the　call。
　He　sat　down　on　the　end　of　the　bed　and　heaved　a　deep　sigh。
　The　room　which　he　had　entered　was　airy　but　small；　so　small；　indeed；　that　the　presence　of　any　furniture　in　it　at　all　was　almost　miraculous；　for　at　first　sight　it　seemed　incredible　that　the　bed　did　not　fill　it　from　side　to　side。　There　were　however；　a　few　vacant　spots；　and　in　these　had　been　placed　a　wash…stand；　a　chest　of　drawers；　and　a　midget　rocking…chair。　The　window；　which　the　thoughtful　architect　had　designed　at　least　three　sizes　too　large　for　the　room　and　which　admitted　the　evening　air　in　pleasing　profusion；　looked　out　onto　a　series　of　forlorn　back…yards。　In　boarding…houses；　it　is　only　the　windows　of　the　rich　and　haughty　that　face　the　street。
　On　the　bed；　a　corn…cob　pipe　between　his　teeth；　lay　Jimmy　Crocker。　He　was　shoeless　and　in　his　shirt…sleeves。　There　was　a　crumpled　evening　paper　on　the　floor　beside　the　bed。　He　seemed　to　be　taking　his　rest　after　the　labours　of　a　trying　day。
　At　the　sound　of　Jerry's　sigh　he　raised　his　head；　but；　finding　the　attitude　too　severe　a　strain　on　the　muscles　of　the　neck；　restored　it　to　the　pillow。
　〃What's　the　matter；　Jerry？　You　seem　perturbed。　You　have　the　aspect　of　one　whom　Fate　has　smitten　in　the　spiritual　solar　plexus；　or　of　one　who　has　been　searching　for　the　leak　in　Life's　gaspipe　with　a　lighted　candle。　What's　wrong？〃
　〃Curtains！〃
　Jimmy；　through　long　absence　from　his　native　land；　was　not　always　able　to　follow　Jerry's　thoughts　when　concealed　in　the　wrappings　of　the　peculiar　dialect　which　he　affected。
　〃I　get　you　not；　friend。　Supply　a　few　footnotes。〃
　〃I've　been　fired。〃
　Jimmy　sat　up。　This　was　no　imaginary　trouble；　no　mere　malaise　of　the　temperament。　It　was　concrete；　and　called　for　sympathy。
　〃I'm　awfully　sorry；〃　he　said。　〃No　wonder　you　aren't　rollicking。　How　did　it　happen？〃
　〃That　half…portion　Bill　Taft　came　joshing　me　about　my　beezer　till　it　got　something　fierce；〃　explained　Jerry。　〃William　J。　Bryan　couldn't　have　stood　for　it。〃
　Once　again　Jimmy　lost　the　thread。　The　wealth　of　political　allusion　baffled　him。
　〃What's　Taft　been　doing　to　you？〃
　〃It　wasn't　Taft。　He　only　looks　like　him。　It　was　that　kid　Ogden　up　where　I　work。　He　came　butting　into　the　gym；　joshing　me　aboutmakin'　pers'nal　remarks　till　I　kind　of　lost　my　goat；　and　the　next　thing　I　knew　I　was　giving　him　his！〃　A　faint　gleam　of　pleasure　lightened　the　gloom　of　his　face。　〃I　cert'nly　give　him　his！〃　The　gleam　faded。　〃And　after　thatwell；　here　I　am！〃
　Jimmy　understood　now。　He　had　e　to　the　boarding…house　the　night　of　his　meeting　with　Jerry　Mitchell　on　Broadway；　and　had　been　there　ever　since；　and　frequent　conversations　with　the　pugilist　had　put　him　abreast　of　affairs　at　the　Pett　home。　He　was　familiar　with　the　personnel　of　the　establishment　on　Riverside　Drive；　and　knew　precisely　how　great　was　the　crime　of　administering　correction　to　Ogden　Ford；　no　matter　what　the　cause。　Nor　did　he　require　explanation　of　the　phenomenon　of　Mrs。　Pett　dismissing　one　who　was　in　her　husband's　private　employment。　Jerry　had　his　sympathy　freely。
　〃You　appear；〃　he　said；　〃to　have　acted　in　a　thoroughly　capable　and　praiseworthy　manner。　The　only　point　in　your　conduct　which　I　would　permit　myself　to　criticise　is　your　omission　to　slay　the　kid。　That；　however；　was　due；　I　take　it；　to　the　fact　that　you　were　interrupted。　We　will　now　proceed　to　examine　the　future。　I　cannot　set　that　it　is　altogether　murky。　You　have　lost　a　good　job；　but　there　are　others；　equally　good；　for　a　man　of　your　calibre。　New　York　is　crammed　with　dyspeptic　millionaires　who　need　an　efficient　physical　instructor　to　look　after　them。　Cheer　up；　Cuthbert；　for　the　sun　is　still　shining！〃
　Jerry　Mitchell　shook　his　head。　He　refused　to　be　forted。
　〃It's　Miss　Ann；〃　he　said。　〃What　am　I　going　to　say　to　her？〃
　〃What　has　she　got　to　do　with　it？〃　asked　Jimmy；　interested。
　For　a　moment　Jerry　hesitated；　but　the　desire　for　sympathy　and　advice　was　too　strong　for　him。　And　after　all　there　was　no　harm　in　confiding　in　a　good　rade　like　Jimmy。
　〃It's　like　this；〃　he　said。　〃Miss　Ann　and　me　had　got　it　all　fixed　up　to　kidnap　the　kid！〃
　〃What！〃
　〃Say；　I　don't　mean　ordinary　kidnapping。　It's　this　way。　Miss　Ann　e　to　me　and　we　agree　that　the　kid's　a　pest　that　had　ought　to　have　some　strong…arm　keep　him　in　order；　so　we　decide　to　get　him　away　to　a　friend　of　mine　who　keeps　a　dogs'　hospital　down　on　Long　Island。　Bud　Smithers　is　the　guy　to　handle　that　kid。　You　ought　to　see　him　take　hold　of　a　dog　that's　all　grouch　and　ugliness　and　make　it　over　into　a　dog　that　it's　a　pleasure　to　have　around。　I　thought　a　few　weeks　with　Bud　was　what　the　doctor　ordered　for　Ogden；　and　Miss　Ann　guessed　I　was　right；　so　we　had　it　all　framed。　And　now　this　happens　and　balls　everything　up！　She　can't　do　nothing　with　a　husky　kid　like　that　without　me　to　help　her。　And　how　am　I　going　to　help　her　if　I'm　not　allowed　in　the　house？〃
　Jimmy　was　conscious　of　a　renewed　admiration　for　a　girl　whom　he　had　always　considered　a　queen　among　women。　How　rarely　in　this　world　did　one　find　a　girl　who　bined　every　feminine　charm　of　mind　and　body　with　a　resolute　determination　to　raise　Cain　at　the　slightest　provocation！
　〃What　an　absolutely　corking　idea！〃
　Jerry　smirked　modestly　at　the　approbation；　but　returned　instantly　to　his　gloom。
　〃You　get　me　now？　What　am　I　to　say　to　her？　She'll　be　sore！〃
　〃The　problem；〃　Jimmy　had　begun；　〃is　one　which；　as　you　suggest；　presents　certain〃　when　there　was　a　knock　at　the　door　and　the　head　of　the　boarding…house's　maid…of…all…work　popped　in。
　〃Mr。　Bayliss；　is　Mr。　Mitchell？　Oh；　say；　Mr。　Mitchell；　there's　a　lady　down　below　wants　to　see　you。　Says　her　name's　Chester。〃
　Jerry　looked　at　Jimmy　appealingly。
　〃What'll　I　do？〃
　〃Do　nothing；〃　said　Jimmy；　rising　and　reaching　for　his　shoes。　〃I'll　go　down　and　see　her。　I　can　explain　for　you。〃
　〃It's　mighty　good　of　you。〃
　〃It　will　be　a　pleasure。　Rely　on　me。〃
　Ann；　who　had　returned　from　her　drive　shortly　after　the　Ogden　disaster　and　had　instantly　proceeded　to　the　boarding…house；　had　been　shown　into　the　parlour。　Jimmy　found　her　staring　in　a　rapt　way　at　a　statuette　of　the　Infant　Samuel　which　stood　near　a　bowl　of　wax　fruit　on　the　mantelpiece。　She　was　feeling　aggrieved　with　Fate　and　extremely　angry　with　Jerry　Mitchell；　and　she　turned　at　the　sound　of　the　opening　door　with　a　militant　expression　in　her　eyes；　which　changed　to　one　of　astonishment　on　perceiving　who　it　was　that　had　e　in。
　〃Mr。　Bayliss！〃
　〃Good　evening；　Miss　Chester。　We；　so　to　speak；　meet　again。　I　have　e　as　an　intermediary。　To　be　brief；　Jerry　Mitchell　daren't　face　you；　so　I　offered　to　e　down　instead。〃
　〃But　howbut　why　are　you　here？〃
　〃I　live　here。〃　He　followed　her　gaze。　It　rested　on　a　picture　of　cows　in　a　field。　〃Late　American　school；〃　he　said。　〃Attributed　to　the　landlady's　niece；　a　graduate　of　the　Wissahickon；　Pa。　Correspondence　School　of　Pictorial　Art。　Said　to　be　genuine。〃
　〃You　live　here？〃　repeated　Ann。　She　had　been　brought　up　all　her　life　among　the　carefully　thought　out　effects　of　eminent　interior　decorators；　and　the　room　seemed　more　dreadful　to　her　than　it　actually　was。　〃What　an　awful　room！〃
　〃Awful？　You　must　be　overlooking　the　piano。　Can't　you　see　the　handsome　plush　cover　from　where　you　are　standing？　Move　a　little　to　the　southeast　and　shade　your　eyes。　We　get　music　here　of　an　eveningwhen　we　don't　see　it　ing　and　sidestep。〃
　〃Why　in　the　name　of　goodness　do　you　live　here；　Mr。　Bayliss？〃
　〃Because；　Miss　Chester；　I　am　infernally　hard　up！　Because　the　Bayliss　bank…roll　has　been　stricken　with　a　wasting　sickness。〃
　Ann　was　looking　at　him　incredulously。
　〃Butbutthen；　did　you　really　mean　all　that　at　lunch　the　other　day？　I　thought　you　were　joking。　I　took　it　for　granted　that　you　could　get　work　whenever　you　wanted　to　or　you　wouldn't　have　made　fun　of　it　like　that！　Can't　you　really　find　anything　to　do？〃
　〃Plenty　to　do。　But　I'm　not　paid　for　it。　I　walk　a　great　number　of　blocks　and　jump　into　a　great　number　of　cars　and　dive　into　elevators　and　dive　out　again　and　open　doors　and　say　'Good　morning'　when　people　tell　me　they　haven't　a　job　for　me。　My　days　are　quite　full；　but　my　pocket…book　isn't！〃
　Ann　had　forgotten　all　about　her　errand　in　her　sympathy。
　〃I'm　so　sorry。　Why；　it's　terrible！　I　should　have　thought　you　could　have　found　something。〃
　〃I　thought　the　same　till　the　employers　of　New　York　in　a　body　told　me　I　couldn't。　Men　of　widely　differing　views　on　religion；　politics；　and　a　hundred　other　points；　they　were　unanimous　on　that。　The　nearest　I　came　to　being　a　financial　Titan　was　when　I　landed　a　job　in　a　store　on　Broadway；　demonstrating　a　patent　collar…clip　at　ten　dollars　a　week。　For　awhile　all　Nature　seemed　to　be　shouting　'Ten　per！　Ten　per！'　than　which　there　are　few　sweeter　words　in　the　language。　But　I　was　fired　half…way　through　the　second　day；　and　Nature　changed　her　act。〃
　〃But　why？〃
　〃It　wasn't　my　fault。　Just　Fate。　This　contrivance　was　called　Klipstone's　Kute　Kollar…Klip；　and　it　was　supposed　to　make　it　easy　for　you　to　fasten　your　tie。　My　job　was　to　stand　in　the　window　in　my　shirt…sleeves；　gnashing　my　teeth　and　registering　baffled　rage　when　I　tried　the　old；　obsolete　method　and　beaming　on　the　multitude　when　I　used　the　Klip。　Unfortunately　I　got　the　cards　mixed。　I　beamed　when　I　tried　the　old；　obsolete　method　and　nearly　burst　myself　with　baffled　fury　just　after　I　had　exhibited　the　card　bearing　the　words　'I　will　now　try　Klipstone's　Kute　Klip。'　I　couldn't　think　what　the　vast　crowd　outside　the　window　was　laughing　at　till　the　boss；　who　chanced　to　pause　on　the　outskirts　of　the　gathering　on　his　way　back　from　lunch；　was　good　enough　to　tell　me。　Nothing　that　I　could　say　would　convince　him　that　I　was　not　being　intentionally　humorous。　I　was　sorry　to　lose　the　job；　though　it　did　make　me　feel　like　a　goldfish。　But　talking　of　being　fired　brings　us　back　to　Jerry　Mitchell。〃
　〃Oh；　never　mind　Jerry　Mitchell　now〃
　〃On　the　contrary；　let　us　discuss　his　case　and　the　points　arising　from　it　with　care　and　concentration。　Jerry　Mitchell　has　told　me　all！〃
　Ann　was　startled。
　〃What　do　you　mean？〃
　〃The　word　'all；'〃　said　Jimmy；　〃is　slang　for　'everything。'　You　see　in　me　a　confidant。　In　a　word；　I　am　hep。〃
　〃You　know？〃
　〃Everything。　A　colloquialism；〃　explained　Jimmy；　〃for　'all。'　About　Ogden；　you　know。　The　sch