the voice of the city- 第24部分

of　Highsmith；　who　besought　engagement　as　〃Sol

Haytosser；〃　the　comic　and　chief　male　character　part

in　〃Paresis　by　Gaslight。〃



〃My　boy；〃　said　Goldstein；　〃take　the　part　if　you

can　get　it。　　Miss　Carrington　won't　listen　to　any　of

my　suggestions。　　She　has　turned　down　half　a　dozen

of　the　best　imitators　of　the　rural　dub　in　the　city。

She　declares　she　won't　set　a　foot　on　the　stage　un…

less　'Haytosser'　is　the　best　that　can　be　raked　up　

She　was　raised　in　a　village；　you　know；　and　when　a

Broadway　orchid　sticks　a　straw　in　his　hair　and　tries

to　call　himself　a　clover　blossom　she's　on；　all　right。

I　asked　her；　in　a　sarcastic　vein；　if　she　thought　Den…

man　Thompson　would　make　any　kind　of　a　show　in　the

part。　　'Oh；　no；'　says　she。　　'I　don't　want　him　or

John　Drew　or　Jim　Corbett　or　any　of　these　swell

actors　that　don't　know　a　turnip　from　a　turnstile。　　I

want　the　real　article。'　So；　my　boy；　if　you　want　to

play　I　'Sol　Haytosser'　you　will　have　to　convince　Miss

Carrington。　　Luck　be　with　you。〃



Highsmith　took　the　train　the　next　day　for　Cran…

berry　Corners。　　He　remained　in　that　forsaken　and

inanimate　village　three　days。　　He　found　the　Boggs

family　and　corkscrewed　their　history　unto　the　third

and　fourth　generation。　　He　amassed　the　facts　and　the

local　color　of　Cranberry　Corners。　　The　village　had

not　grown　as　rapidly　as　had　Miss　Carrington。　　The

actor　estimated　that　it　had　suffered　as　few　actual

changes　since　the　departure　of　its　solitary　follower

of　Thespis　as　had　a　stage　upon　which　〃four　years

is　supposed　to　have　elapsed。〃　He　absorbed　Cran…

berry　Corners　and　returned　to　the　city　of　chameleon

changes。



It　was　in　the　rathskeller　that　Highsmith　made　the

hit　of　his　histrionic　career。　　There　is　no　need　to

name　the　place；　there　is　but　one　rathskeller　where

you　could　hope　to　find　Miss　Posie　Carrington　after　a

performance　of　〃The　King's　Bath…Robe。〃



There　was　a　jolly　small　party　at　one　of　the　tables

that　drew　many　eyes。　　Miss　Carrington；　petite；　mar…

vellous；　bubbling；　electric；　fame…drunken；　shall　be

named　first。　　Herr　Goldstein　follows；　sonorous；　curly…

haired；　heavy；　a　trifle　anxious；　as　some　bear　that　had

caught；　somehow；　a　butterfly　in　his　claws。　　Next；

a　man　condemned　to　a　newspaper；　sad；　courted；

armed；　analyzing　for　press　agent's　dross　every　sen…

tence　that　was　poured　over　him；　eating　his　a　la　New…

burg　in　the　silence　of　greatness。　　To　conclude；　a

youth　with　parted　hair；　a　name　that　is　ochre　to　red

journals　and　gold　on　the　back　of　a　supper　check。

These　sat　at　a　table　while　the　musicians　played；　while

waiters　moved　in　the　mazy　performance　of　their　duties

with　their　backs　toward　all　who　desired　their　service；

and　all　was　bizarre　and　merry　because　it　was　nine　feet

below　the　level　of　the　sidewalk。



At　11。45　a　being　entered　the　rathskeller。　The

first　violin　perceptibly　flatted　a　C　that　should　have

been　natural；　the　clarionet　blew　a　bubble　instead　of　a

grace　note；　Miss　Carrington　giggled　and　the　youth

with　parted　hair　swallowed　an　olive　seed。



Exquisitely　and　irreproachably　rural　was　the　new

entry。　　A　lank；　disconcerted；　hesitating　young　man

it　was；　flaxen…haired；　gaping　of　mouth；　awkward；

stricken　to　misery　by　the　lights　and　company。　　His

clothing　was　butternut；　with　bright　blue　tie；　showing

four　inches　of　bony　wrist　and　white…socked　ankle。

He　upset　a　chair；　sat　in　another　one；　curled　a　foot

around　a　table　leg　and　cringed　at　the　approach　of

a　waiter。



〃You　may　fetch　me　a　glass　of　lager　beer；〃　he　said；

in　response　to　the　discreet　questioning　of　the

servitor。



The　eyes　of　the　rathskeller　were　upon　him。　　He　was

as　fresh　as　a　collard　and　as　ingenuous　as　a　hay　rake。

He　let　his　eye　rove　about　the　place　as　one　who　re…

gards；　big…eyed；　hogs　in　the　potato　patch。　　His　gaze

rested　at　length　upon　Miss　Carrington。　　He　rose　and

went　to　her　table　with　a　lateral；　shining　smile　and

a　blush　of　pleased　trepidation。



〃How're　ye；　Miss　Posie？〃　　he　said　in　accents　not

to　be　doubted。　　〃Don't　ye　remember　me　…　Bill　Sum…

mers　…　the　Summerses　that　lived　back　of　the　black…

smith　shop？　　I　reckon　I've　growed　up　some　since　ye

left　Cranberry　Corners。



〃'Liza　Perry　'lowed　I　might　see　ye　in　the　city

while　I　was　here。　　You　know　'Liza　married　Benny

Stanfield；　and　she　says　〃



〃Ah；　say！　〃　interrupted　Miss　Carrington；　brightly；

〃Lize　Perry　is　never　married　…　what！　　Oh；　the

freckles　of　her！〃



〃Married　in　June；〃　grinned　the　gossip；　〃and　livin'

in　the　old　Tatum　Place。　Ham　Riley　perfessed　reli…

gion；　old　Mrs。　Blithers　sold　her　place　to　Cap'n

Spooner；　the　youngest　Waters　girl　run　away　with　a

music　teacher；　the　court…house　burned　up　last　March；

your　uncle　Wiley　was　elected　constable；　Matilda　Hos…

kins　died　from　runnin'　a　needle　in　her　hand；　and　Tom

Beedle　is　courtin'　Sallie　Lathrop　…　they　say　he　don't

miss　a　night　but　what　he's　settin'　on　their　porch。〃



〃The　wall…eyed　thing！〃　exclaimed　Miss　Carring…

ton；　with　asperity。　　〃Why；　Tom　Beedle　once　　say；

you　folks；　excuse　me　a　while　　this　is　an　old　friend

of　mine　　Mr。　　what　was　it？　　Yes；　Mr。　Summers

　Mr。　Goldstein；　Mr。　Ricketts；　Mr。　　Oh；　what's

yours？　　'Johnny''ll　do　　come　on　over　here　and

tell　me　some　more。〃

She　swept　him　to　an　isolated　table　in　a　corner。

Herr　Goldstein　shrugged　his　fat　shoulders　and　beck…

oned　to　the　waiter。　　The　newspaper　man　brightened

a　little　and　mentioned　absinthe。　　The　youth　with

parted　hair　was　plunged　into　melancholy。　The

guests　of　the　rathskeller　laughed；　clinked　glasses　and

enjoyed　the　comedy　that　Posie　Carrington　was　treat…

ing　them　to　after　her　regular　performance。　A　few

cynical　ones　whispered　〃press　agent〃'　and　smiled

wisely。



Posie　Carrington　laid　her　dimpled　and　desirable

chin　upon　her　hands；　and　forgot　her　audience　　a

faculty　that　had　won　her　laurels　for　her。



〃I　don't　seem　to　recollect　any　Bill　Summers；〃　she

said；　thoughtfully　gazing　straight　into　the　innocent

blue　eyes　of　the　rustic　young　man。　　〃But　I　know　the

Summerses；　all　right。　　I　guess　there　ain't　many

changes　in　the　old　town。　　You　see　any　of　my　folks

lately？〃



And　then　Highsmith　played　his　trump。　　The　part

of　〃Sol　Haytosser〃　called　for　pathos　as　well　as

comedy。　　Miss　Carrington　should　see　that　he　could

do　that　as　well。



〃Miss　Posie；〃　said　〃Bill　Summers；〃〃　I　was　up　to

your　folkeses　house　jist　two　or　three　days　ago。　　No；

there　ain't　many　changes　to　speak　of。　　The　lilac　bush

by　the　kitchen　window　is　over　a　foot　higher；　and　the

elm　in　the　front　yard　died　and　had　to　be　cut　down。

And　yet　it　don't　seem　the　same　place　that　it　used

to　be。〃



〃How's　ma？〃　asked　Miss　Carrington。



〃She　was　settin'　by　the　front　door；　crocheting　a

lamp…mat　when　I　saw　her　last；〃　said　〃Bill。〃　　〃She's

older'n　she　was；　Miss　Posie。　　But　everything　in　the

house　looked　jest　the　same。　　Your　ma　asked　me　to　set

down。　　'Don't　touch　that　willow　rocker；　William；〃

says　she。　　'It　ain't　been　moved　since　Posie　left；　and

that's　the　apron　she　was　hemmin'；　layin'　over　the　arm

of　it；　jist　as　she　flung　it。　　I'm　in　hopes；'　she　goes　on；

that　Posie'll　finish　runnin'　out　that　hem　some　day。'〃



Miss　Carrington　beckoned　peremptorily　to　a

waiter。



〃A　pint　of　extra　dry；〃　she　ordered；　briefly；　〃and

give　the　check　to　Goldstein。〃



〃The　sun　was　shinin'　in　the　door；〃　went　on　the

chronicler　from　Cranberry；　〃and　your　ma　was　settin'

right　in　it。　　I　asked　her　if　she　hadn't　better　move

back　a　little。　　'William；'　says　she；　'when　I　get　sot

down　and　lookin'　down　the　road；　I　can't　bear　to　move。

Never　a　day；'　says　she；　'but　what　I　set　here　every

minute　that　I　can　spare　and　watch　over　them　palin's

for　Posie。　　She　went　away　down　that　road　in　the

night；　for　we　seen　her　little　shoe　tracks　in　the　dust；

and　somethin'　tells　me　she'll　come　back　that　way　ag'in

when　she's　weary　of　the　world　and　begins　to　think

about　her　old　mother。〃



〃When　I　was　comin'　away；〃　concluded　〃Bill；〃

〃I　pulled　this　off'n　the　bush　by　the　front　steps。　　I

thought　maybe　I　might　see　you　in　the　city；　and　I

knowed　you'd　like　somethin'　from　the　old　home。〃



He　took　from　his　coat　pocket　a　rose　…　a　drooping；

yellow；　velvet；　odorous　rose；　that　hung　its　bead　in

the　foul　atmosphere　of　that　tainted　rathskeller　like

a　virgin　bowing　before　the　hot　breath　of　the　lions　in

a　Roman　arena。



Miss　Carrington's　penetrating　but　musical　laugh

rose　above　the　orcbestra's　rendering　of　〃Bluebells。〃



〃Oh；　say！〃　she　cried；　with　glee；　〃ain't　those　poky

places　the　limit？　　I　just　know　that　two　hours　at

Cranberry　Corners　would　give　me　the　horrors　now。

Well；　I'm　awful　glad　to　have　seen　you；　Mr。　Summers。

Guess　I'll　bustle　around　to　the　hotel　now　and　get

my　beauty　sleep。〃



She　thrust　the　yellow　rose　into　the　bosom　of　her

wonderful；　dainty；　silken　garments；　stood　up　and

nodded　imperiously　at　Herr　Goldstein。



Her　three　companions　and　〃Bill　Summers〃　at…

tended　her　to　her　cab。　　When　her　flounces　and

streamers　were　all　safely　tucked　inside　she　dazzled

them　with　au　revoirs　from　her　shining　eyes　and　teeth。



〃Come　around　to　the　hotel　and　see　me；　Bill；　before

you　leave　the　city；〃　she　called　as　the　glittering　cab

rolled　away。



Highsmith；　still　in　his　make…up；　went　with　Herr

Goldstein　to　a　cafe　booth。



〃Bright　idea；　eh？　〃　asked　the　smiling　actor。

〃Ought　to　land　'Sol　Haytosser　'　for　me；　don't　you

think？　　The　little　lady　never　once　tumbled。〃



〃I　didn't　bear　your　conversation；〃　said　Goldstein；

but　your　make…up　and　acting　was　0。　K。　　Here's　to

your　success。　　You'd　better　call　on　Miss　Carrington

early　to…morrow　and　strike　her　for　the　part。　　I　don't

see　how　she　can　keep　from　being　satisfied　with　your

exhibition　of　ability。〃



At　11。45　A。　M。　on　the　next　day　Highsmith；　hand…

some；　dressed　in　the　latest　mode；　confident；　with　a

fuchsia　in　his　button…bole；　sent　up　his　card　to　Miss

Carrington　in　her　select　apartment　hotel。



He　was　shown　up　and　received　by　the　actre