the voice of the city- 第15部分

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