the voice of the city-第15章

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man's　hard　eyes　looked　upon　her　with　a　half…con…

cealed　derision　that　urged　her　to　the　use　of　the　sharp…

est　arrow　in　her　beauty's　quiver。



One　afternoon　she　leaned　far　over　the　sill；　and　she

did　not　challenge　and　torment　him　as　usual。



〃Candy　man；〃　said　she；　〃stand　up　and　look　into

my　eyes。〃



He　stood　up　and　looked　into　her　eyes；　with　his

harsh　laugh　like　the　sawing　of　wood。　　He　took　out

his　pipe；　fumbled　with　it；　and　put　it　back　into　big

pocket　with　a　trembling　band。



〃That　will　do；〃　said　Mademoiselle；　with　a　slow

smile。　　〃I　must　go　now　to　my　masseuse。　　Good…

evening。〃



The　next　evening　at　seven　the　candy　man　came　and

rested　his　cart　under　the　window。　　But　was　it　the

candy　man？　　His　clothes　were　a　bright　new　check。

His　necktie　was　a　flaming　red；　adorned　by　a　glit…

tering　horseshoe　pin；　almost　life…size。　　His　shoes　were

polished；　the　tan　of　his　cheeks　had　paled　　his　hands

had　been　washed。　　The　window　was　empty；　and　he

waited　under　it　with　his　nose　upward；　like　a　hound

hoping　for　a　bone。



Mademoiselle　came；　with　Sidonie　carrying　her　load

of　hair。　　She　looked　at　the　candy　man　and　smiled　a

slow　smile　that　faded　away　into　ennui。　　Instantly　she

knew　that　the　game　was　bagged；　and　so　quickly

she　wearied　of　the　chase。　　She　began　to　talk　to

Sidonie。



〃Been　a　fine　day；〃　said　the　candy　man；　hollowly。

〃First　time　in　a　month　I've　felt　first…class。　　Hit　it

up　down　old　Madison；　hollering　out　like　I　useter。

Think　it'll　rain　to…morrow？〃



Mademoiselle　laid　two　round　arms　on　the　cushion

on　the　window…sill；　and　a　dimpled　chin　upon　them。



〃Candy　man；〃　said　she；　softly；　〃do　you　not

love　me？　〃



The　candy　man　stood　up　and　leaned　against　the

brick　wall。



〃Lady；〃　said　be；　chokingly；　〃I've　got　800　saved

up。　Did　I　say　you　wasn't　beautiful？　　Take　it　every

bit　of　it　and　buy　a　collar　for　your　dog　with　it。〃



A　sound　as　of　a　hundred　silvery　bells　tinkled　in　the

room　of　Mademoiselle。　　The　laughter　filled　the　alley

and　trickled　back　into　the　court；　as　strange　a　thing　to

enter　there　as　sunlight　itself。　　Mademoiselle　was

amused。　　Sidonie；　a　wise　echo；　added　a　sepulchral　but

faithful　contralto。　　The　laughter　of　the　two　seemed

at　last　to　penetrate　the　candy　man。　　He　fumbled

with　his　horseshoe　pin。　　At　length　Mademoiselle；　ex…

hausted；　turned　her　flushed；　beautiful　face　to　the　win…

dow。



〃Candy　man；〃　said　she；　〃go　away。　　When　I

laugh　Sidonie　pulls　my　hair。　　I　can　but　laugh　while

you　remain　there。〃



〃Here　is　a　note　for　Mademoiselle；〃　said　Fe1ice；

coming　to　the　window　in　the　room。



〃There　is　no　justice；〃　said　the　candy　man；　lift…

ing　the　handle　of　his　cart　and　moving　away。



Three　yards　he　moved；　and　stopped。　　Loud　shriek

after　shriek　came　from　the　window　of　Mademoiselle。

Quickly　he　ran　back。　　He　heard　a　body　thumping

upon　the　floor　and　a　sound　as　though　heels　beat　alter…

nately　upon　it。



〃What　is　it？〃　be　called。



Sidonie's　severe　head　came　into　the　window。



〃Mademoiselle　is　overcome　by　bad　news；〃　she　said。

〃One　whom　she　loved　with　all　her　soul　has　gone　

you　may　have　beard　of　him　　he　is　Monsieur　Ives。

He　sails　across　the　ocean　to…morrow。　　Oh；　you　men！〃









SQUARING　THE　CIRCLE





At　the　hazard　of　wearying　you　this　tale　of　vehe…

ment　emotions　must　be　prefaced　by　a　discourse　on

geometry。



Nature　moves　in　circles；　Art　in　straight　lines。

The　natural　is　rounded；　the　artificial　is　made　up

of　angles。　　A　man　lost　in　the　snow　wanders；　in　spite

of　himself；　in　perfect　circles；　the　city　man's　feet；

denaturalized　by　rectangular　streets　and　floors；　carry

him　ever　away　from　himself。



The　round　eyes　of　childhood　typify　innocence；

the　narrowed　line　of　the　flirt's　optic　proves　the　in…

vasion　of　art。　　The　horizontal　mouth　is　the　mark　of

determined　cunning；　who　has　not　read　Nature's　most

spontaneous　lyric　in　lips　rounded　for　the　candid　kiss？



Beauty　is　Nature　in　perfection；　circularity　is　its

chief　attribute。　　Behold　the　full　moon；　the　enchant…

ing　golf　ball；　the　domes　of　splendid　temples；　the

huckleberry　pie；　the　wedding　ring；　the　circus　ring；

the　ring　for　the　waiter；　and　the　〃round〃　of　drinks。



On　the　other　hand；　straight　lines　show　that　Na…

ture　has　been　deflected。　　Imagine　Venus's　girdle

transformed　into　a　〃straight　front〃！



When　we　begin　to　move　in　straight　lines　and　turn

sharp　corners　our　natures　begin　to　change。　　The

consequence　is　that　Nature；　being　more　adaptive　than

Art；　tries　to　conform　to　its　sterner　regulations。　　The

result　is　often　a　rather　curious　product　　for　in…

stance：　A　prize　chrysanthemum；　wood　alcohol　whis…

key；　a　Republican　Missouri；　cauliflower　au　gratin；

and　a　New　Yorker；



Nature　is　lost　quickest　in　a　big　city。　　The　cause

is　geometrical；　not　moral。　　The　straight　lines　of　its

streets　and　architecture；　the　rectangularity　of　its

laws　and　social　customs；　the　undeviating　pavements；

the　hard；　severe；　depressing；　uncompromising　rules

of　all　its　ways　　even　of　its　recreation　and　sports　　

coldly　exhibit　a　sneering　defiance　of　the　curved　line

of　Nature。



Wherefore；　it　may　be　said　that　the　big　city　has

demonstrated　the　problem　of　squaring　the　circle。

And　it　may　be　added　that　this　mathematical　intro…

duction　precedes　an　account　of　the　fate　of　a　Kentucky

feud　that　was　imported　to　the　city　that　has　a　habit

of　making　its　importations　conform　to　its　angles。



The　feud　began　in　the　Cumberland　Mountains　be…

tween　the　Folwell　and　the　Harkness　families。　　The

first　victim　of　the　homespun　vendetta　was　a　'possum

dog　belonging　to　Bill　Harkness。　　The　Harkness

family　evened　up　this　dire　loss　by　laying　out　the

chief　of　the　Folwell　clan。　　The　Folwells　were　prompt

at　repartee。　　They　oiled　up　their　squirrel　rifles　and

made　it　feasible　for　Bill　Harkness　to　follow　his　dog

to　a　land　where　the　'possums　come　down　when　treed

without　the　stroke　of　an　ax。



The　feud　flourished　for　forty　years。　　Harknesses

were　shot　at　the　plough；　through　their　lamp…lit　cabin

windows；　coming　from　camp…meeting；　asleep；　in　duello；

sober　and　otherwise；　singly　and　in　family　groups；

prepared　and　unprepared。　Folwells　had　the

branches　of　their　family　tree　lopped　off　in　similar

ways；　as　the　traditions　of　their　country　prescribed

and　authorized。



By　and　by　the　pruning　left　but　a　single　member

of　each　family。　　And　then　Cal　Harkness；　probably

reasoning　that　further　pursuance　of　the　controversy

would　give　a　too　decided　personal　flavor　to　the　feud；

suddenly　disappeared　from　the　relieved　Cumberlands；

baulking　the　avenging　hand　of　Sam；　the　ultimate　op…

posing　Folwell。



A　year　afterward　Sam　Folwell　learned　that　his

hereditary；　unsuppressed　enemy　was　living　in　New

York　City。　　Sam　turned　over　the　big　iron　wash…pot

in　the　yard；　scraped　off　some　of　the　soot；　which　he

mixed　with　lard　and　shined　his　boots　with　the　com…

pound。　　He　put　on　his　store　clothes　of　butternut

dyed　black；　a　white　shirt　and　collar；　and　packed　a

carpet…sack　with　Spartan　lingerie。　　He　took　his

squirrel　rifle　from　its　hooks；　but　put　it　back　again

with　a　sigh。　　However　ethical　and　plausible　the　habit

might　be　in　the　Cumberlands；　perhaps　New　York

would　not　swallow　his　pose　of　hunting　squirrels　among

the　skyscrapers　along　Broadway。　　An　ancient　but

reliable　Colt's　revolver　that　he　resurrected　from　a

bureau　drawer　seemed　to　proclaim　itself　the　pink　of

weapons　for　metropolitan　adventure　and　vengeance。

This　and　a　hunting…knife　in　a　leather　sheath；　Sam

packed　in　the　carpet…sack。　　As　he　started；　Muleback；

for　the　lowland　railroad　station　the　last　Folwell

turned　in　his　saddle　and　looked　grimly　at　the　little

cluster　of　white…pine　slabs　in　the　clump　of　cedars　that

marked　the　Folwell　burying…ground。



Sam　Folwell　arrived　in　New　York　in　the　night。

Still　moving　and　living　in　the　free　circles　of　nature；

he　did　not　perceive　the　formidable；　pitiless；　restless；

fierce　angles　of　the　great　city　waiting　in　the　dark

to　close　about　the　rotundity　of　his　heart　and　brain

and　mould　him　to　the　form　of　its　millions　of　re…shaped

victims。　　A　cabby　picked　him　out　of　the　whirl；　as

Sam　himself　had　often　picked　a　nut　from　a　bed　of

wind…tossed　autumn　leaves；　and　whisked　him　away

to　a　hotel　commensurate　to　his　boots　and　carpet…

sack。



On　the　next　morning　the　last　of　the　Folwells　made

his　sortie　into　the　city　that　sheltered　the　last　Hark…

ness。　　The　Colt　was　thrust　beneath　his　coat　and　se…

cured　by　a　narrow　leather　belt；　the　hunting…knife

hung　between　his　shoulder…blades；　with　the　haft　an

inch　below　his　coat　collar。　He　knew　this　much　

that　Cal　Harkness　drove　an　express　wagon　some…

where　in　that　town；　and　that　he；　Sam　Folwell；　had

come　to　kill　him。　　And　as　he　stepped　upon　the　side…

walk　the　red　came　into　his　eye　and　the　feud…hate　into

his　heart。



The　clamor　of　the　central　avenues　drew　him　thith…

erward。　　He　had　half　expected　to　see　Cal　coming

down　the　street　in　his　shirt…sleeves；　with　a　jug　and

a　whip　in　his　hand；　just　as　he　would　have　seen　him

in　Frankfort　or　Laurel　City。　　But　an　hour　went　by

and　Cal　did　not　appear。　　Perhaps　he　was　waiting　in

ambush；　to　shoot　him　from　a　door　or　a　window。　　Sam

kept　a　sharp　eye　on　doors　and　windows　for　a　while。



About　noon　the　city　tired　of　playing　with　its　mouse

and　suddenly　squeezed　him　with　its　straight　lines。



Sam　Folwell　stood　where　two　great；　rectangular

arteries　of　the　city　cross。　　He　looked　four　ways；　and

saw　the　world　burled　from　its　orbit　and　reduced

by　spirit　level　and　tape　to　an　edged　and　cornered

plane。　　All　life　moved　on　tracks；　in　grooves；　accord…

ing　to　system；　within　boundaries；　by　rote。　　The　root

of　life　was　the　cube　root；　the　measure　of　existence

was　square　measure。　　People　streamed　by　in　straight

rows；　the　horrible　din　and　crash　stupefied　him。



Sam　leaned　against　the　sharp　corner　of　a　stone

building。　　Those　faces　passed　him　by　thousands；　and

none　of　them　were　turned　toward　him。　　A　sudden　fool…

ish　fear　that　he　had　died　and　was　a　spirit；　and　that

they　could　not　see　him；　seized　him。　　And　then　the　city

smote　him　with　loneliness。



A　fat　man　dropped　out　of　the　stream　and　stood

a　few　feet　distant；　waiting　for　his　car。　　Sam　crept

to　his　side　and　shouted　above　the　tumult　into　his

ear：



〃The　Rankinses'　hogs　weighed　more'n　ourn　a

whole　passel；　but　the　mast　in　thar　neighborhood　was

a　fine　chance　better　than　what　it　was　down　　〃



The　fat　man　moved　away　unostentatiously；　and

bought　roasted　chestnuts　to　cover　his　alarm。



Sam　felt　the　need　of　a　drop　of　mountain　dew。

Across　the　street　men　passed　in　and　out　through

swinging　doors。　　Brief　glimpses　could　be　had　of　a

glistening　bar　and　its　bedeckings。　　The　feudist　crossed

and　essayed　to　enter。　　Again　had　Art　eliminated　the

familiar　circle。　　Sam's　hand　found　no　door…knob　…

it　slid；　in　vain；　over　a　rectangular　brass　plate　and

polished　oak　with　nothing　even