the voice of the city-第8章

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will　prove　stronger　than　my　inclination。　　Just　now

I　am　besieged　by　two。　　One　is　a　Grand　Duke　of　a

German　principality。　　I　think　he　has；　or　has　bad；　a

wife；　somewhere；　driven　mad　by　his　intemperance　and

cruelty。　　The　other　is　an　English　Marquis；　so　cold

and　mercenary　that　I　even　prefer　the　diabolism　of　the

Duke。　　What　is　it　that　impels　me　to　tell　you　these

things；　Mr。　Packenstacker？



〃Parkenstacker；〃　breathed　the　young　man。　　〃In…

deed；　you　cannot　know　how　much　I　appreciate　your

confidences。〃



The　girl　contemplated　him　with　the　calm；　imper…

sonal　regard　that　befitted　the　difference　in　their　sta…

tions。



〃What　is　your　line　of　business；　Mr。　Parken…

stacker？〃　she　asked。



〃A　very　humble　one。　　But　I　hope　to　rise　in　the

world。　　Were　you　really　in　earnest　when　you　said

that　you　could　love　a　man　of　lowly　position？〃



〃Indeed　I　was。　　But　I　said　'might。'　There　is　the

Grand　Duke　and　the　Marquis；　you　know。　　Yes；　no

calling　could　be　too　humble　were　the　man　what　I

would　wish　him　to　be。〃



〃I　work；〃　declared　Mr。　Parkenstacker；　〃in　a　res…

taurant。〃



The　girl　shrank　slightly。



〃Not　as　a　waiter？〃　she　said；　a　little　imploringly。

〃Labor　is　noble；　but　personal　attendance；　you

know　　valets　and　　〃



〃I　am　not　a　waiter。　I　am　cashier　in〃　　on　the

street　they　faced　that　bounded　the　opposite　side　of

the　park　was　the　brilliant　electric　sign　〃RESTAU…

RANT〃　　〃I　am　cashier　in　that　restaurant　you　am

there。〃



The　girl　consulted　a　tiny　watch　set　in　a　bracelet　of

rich　design　upon　her　left　wrist；　and　rose；　hurriedly。

She　thrust　her　book　into　a　glittering　reticule　sus…

pended　from　her　waist；　for　which；　however；　the　book

was　too　large。



〃Why　are　you　not　at　work？〃　she　asked。



〃I　am　on　the　night　turn；〃　said　the　young　man；

it　is　yet　an　hour　before　my　period　begins。　　May　I

not　hope　to　see　you　again？〃



〃I　do　not　know。　　Perhaps　…　but　the　whim　may

not　seize　me　again。　　I　must　go　quickly　now。　　There

is　a　dinner；　and　a　box　at　the　play　　and；　oh！　the

same　old　round。　　Perhaps　you　noticed　an　automobile

at　the　upper　corner　of　the　park　as　you　came。　　One

with　a　white　body



〃And　red　running　gear？〃　asked　the　young　man；

knitting　his　brows　reflectively。



〃Yes。　　I　always　come　in　that。　　Pierre　waits　for

me　there。　　He　supposes　me　to　be　shopping　in　the　de…

partment　store　across　the　square。　　Conceive　of　the

bondage　of　the　life　wherein　we　must　deceive　even　our

chauffeurs。　　Good…night。〃



〃But　it　is　dark　now；〃　said　Mr。　Parkenstacker；

〃and　the　park　is　full　of　rude　men。　　May　I　not

walk　　〃



〃If　you　have　the　slightest　regard　for　my　wishes；〃

said　the　girl；　firmly；　〃you　will　remain　at　this　bench

for　ten　minutes　after　I　have　left。　　I　do　not　mean　to

accuse　you；　but　you　are　probably　aware　that　autos

generally　bear　the　monogram　of　their　owner。　　Again；

good…night〃



Swift　and　stately　she　moved　away　through　the

dusk。　　The　young　man　watched　her　graceful　form

as　she　reached　the　pavement　at　the　park's　edge；　and

turned　up　along　it　toward　the　corner　where　stood　the

automobile。　　Then　he　treacherously　and　unhesitat…

ingly　began　to　dodge　and　skim　among　the　park　trees

and　shrubbery　in　a　course　parallel　to　her　route；　keep…

ing　her　well　in　sight



When　she　reached　the　corner　she　turned　her　head

to　glance　at　the　motor　car；　and　then　passed　it；　con

tinuing　on　across　the　street。　　Sheltered　behind　a　con…

venient　standing　cab；　the　young　man　followed　her

movements　closely　with　his　eyes。　　Passing　down　the

sidewalk　of　the　street　opposite　the　park；　she　entered

the　restaurant　with　the　blazing　sign。　　The　place　was

one　of　those　frankly　glaring　establishments；　all　white；

paint　and　glass；　where　one　may　dine　cheaply　and

conspicuously。　　The　girl　penetrated　the　restaurant　to

some　retreat　at　its　rear；　whence　she　quickly　emerged

without　her　bat　and　veil。



The　cashier's　desk　was　well　to　the　front。　　A　red…

head　girl　an　the　stool　climbed　down；　glancing

pointedly　at　the　clock　as　she　did　so。　　The　girl　in

gray　mounted　in　her　place。



The　young　man　thrust　his　hands　into　his　pockets

and　walked　slowly　back　along　the　sidewalk。　　At　the

corner　his　foot　struck　a　small；　paper…covered　volume

lying　there；　sending　it　sliding　to　the　edge　of　the

turf。　　By　its　picturesque　cover　he　recognized　it　as

the　book　the　girl　had　been　reading。　　He　picked　it　up

carelessly；　and　saw　that　its　title　was　〃New　Arabian

Nights；〃　the　author　being　of　the　name　of　Stevenson。

He　dropped　it　again　upon　the　grass；　and　lounged；

irresolute；　for　a　minute。　　Then　he　stepped　into　the

automobile；　reclined　upon　the　cushions；　and　said　two

words　to　the　chauffeur：



〃Club；　Henri。〃









A　COMEDY　IN　RUBBER





One　may　hope；　in　spite　of　the　metaphorists；　to

avoid　the　breath　of　the　deadly　upas　tree；　one　may；　by

great　good　fortune；　succeed　in　blacking　the　eye　of　the

basilisk；　one　might　even　dodge　the　attentions　of　Cer…

berus　and　Argus；　but　no　man；　alive　or　dead；　can　es…

cape　the　gaze　of　the　Rubberer。



New　York　is　the　Caoutchouc　City。　　There　are

many；　of　course；　who　go　their　ways；　making　money；

without　turning　to　the　right　or　the　left；　but　there　is　a

tribe　abroad　wonderfully　composed；　like　the　Martians；

solely　of　eyes　and　means　of　locomotion。



These　devotees　of　curiosity　swarm；　like　flies；　in　a

moment　in　a　struggling；　breathless　circle　about　the

scene　of　an　unusual　occurrence。　　If　a　workman　opens

a　manhole；　if　a　street　car　runs　over　a　man　from

North　Tarrytown；　if　a　little　boy　drops　an　egg　on

his　way　home　from　the　grocery；　if　a　casual　house　or

two　drops　into　the　subway；　if　a　lady　loses　a　nickel

through　a　hole　in　the　lisle　thread；　if　the　police　drag

a　telephone　and　a　racing　chart　forth　from　an　Ibsen

Society　reading…room；　if　Senator　Depew　or　Mr。

Chuck　Connors　walks　out　to　take　the　air　…　if　any　of

these　incidents　or　accidents　takes　place；　you　will　see

the　mad；　irresistible　rush　of　the　〃rubber〃　tribe　to

the　spot。



The　importance　of　the　event　does　not　count。　　They

gaze　with　equal　interest　and　absorption　at　a　cho…

rus　girl　or　at　a　man　painting　a　liver　pill　sign。　　They

will　form　as　deep　a　cordon　around　a　man　with　a　club…

foot　as　they　will　around　a　balked　automobile。　　They

have　the　furor　rubberendi。　　They　are　optical　glut…

tons；　feasting　and　fattening　on　the　misfortunes　of

their　fellow　beings。　　They　gloat　and　pore　and　glare

and　squint　and　stare　with　their　fishy　eyes　like　goggle…

eyed　perch　at　the　book　baited　with　calamity。



It　would　seem　that　Cupid　would　find　these　ocular

vampires　too　cold　game　for　his　calorific　shafts；　but

have　we　not　yet　to　discover　an　immune　even　among

the　Protozoa？　　Yes；　beautiful　Romance　descended

upon　two　of　this　tribe；　and　love　came　into　their

hearts　as　they　crowded　about　the　prostrate　form

of　a　man　who　had　been　run　over　by　a　brewery　wagon。



William　Pry　was　the　first　on　the　spot。　　He　was　an

expert　at　such　gatherings。　　With　an　expression　of　in…

tense　happiness　on　his　features；　be　stood　over　the　vic…

tim　of　the　accident；　listening　to　his　groans　as　if　to

the　sweetest　music。　　When　the　crowd　of　spectators

had　swelled　to　a　closely　packed　circle　William　saw　a

violent　commotion　in　the　crowd　opposite　him。　　Men

were　hurled　aside　like　ninepins　by　the　impact　of　some

moving　body　that　clove　them　like　the　rush　of　a　tor…

nado。　With　elbows；　umbrella；　hat…pin；　tongue；　and

fingernails　doing　their　duty；　Violet　Seymour　forced

her　way　through　the　mob　of　onlookers　to　the　first　row。

Strong　men　who　even　had　been　able　to　secure　a　seat

on　the　5。30　Harlem　express　staggered　back　like　chil…

dren　as　she　bucked　centre。　　Two　large　lady　spectators

who　bad　seen　the　Duke　of　Roxburgh　married　and

had　often　blocked　traffic　on　Twenty…third　Street

fell　back　into　the　second　row　with　ripped　shirtwaists

when　Violet　had　finished　with　them。　　William　Pry

loved　her　at　first　sight。



The　ambulance　removed　the　unconscious　agent　of

Cupid。　　William　and　Violet　remained　after　the　crowd

had　dispersed。　　They　were　true　Rubberers。　　People

who　leave　the　scene　of　an　accident　with　the　ambulance

have　not　genuine　caoutchouc　in　the　cosmogony　of

their　necks。　　The　delicate；　fine　flavor　of　the　affair　is

to　be　bad　only　in　the　after…taste　…　in　gloating　over

the　spot；　in　gazing　fixedly　at　the　houses　opposite；　in

hovering　there　in　a　dream　more　exquisite　than　the

opium…eater's　ecstasy。　　William　Pry　and　Violet　Sey…

mour　were　connoisseurs　in　casualties。　　They　knew　bow

to　extract　full　enjoyment　from　every　incident。



Presently　they　looked　at　each　other。　　Violet　had　a

brown　birthmark　on　her　neck　as　large　as　a　silver

half…dollar。　　William　fixed　his　eyes　upon　it。　　William

Pry　had　inordinately　bowed　legs。　　Violet　allowed　her

gaze　to　linger　unswervingly　upon　them。　　Face　to　face

they　stood　thus　for　moments；　each　staring　at　the

other。　　Etiquette　would　not　allow　them　to　speak；　but

in　the　Caoutchouc　City　it　is　permitted　to　gaze　with…

out　stint　at　the　trees　in　the　parks　and　at　the　physi…

cal　blemishes　of　a　fellow　creature。

At　length　with　a　sigh　they　parted。　　But　Cupid　had

been　the　driver　of　the　brewery　wagon；　and　the　wheel

that　broke　a　leg　united　two　fond　hearts。



The　next　meeting　of　the　hero　and　heroine　was　in

front　of　a　board　fence　near　Broadway。　　The　day　had

been　a　disappointing　one。　　There　had　been　no　fights

on　the　street；　children　had　kept　from　under　the　wheels

of　the　street　cars；　cripples　and　fat　men　in　negligee

shirts　were　scarce；　nobody　seemed　to　be　inclined　to

slip　on　banana　peels　or　fall　down　with　heart　disease。

Even　the　sport　from　Kokomo；　Ind。；　who　claims　to

be　a　cousin　of　ex…Mayor　Low　and　scatters　nickels

from　a　cab　window；　had　not　put　in　his　appearance。

There　was　nothing　to　stare　at；　and　William　Pry　had

premonitions　of　ennui。



But　he　saw　a　large　crowd　scrambling　and　pushing

excitedly　in　front　of　a　billboard。　　Sprinting　for　it；

he　knocked　down　an　old　woman　and　a　child　carrying

a　bottle　of　milk；　and　fought　his　way　like　a　demon　into

the　mass　of　spectators。　　Already　in　the　inner　line

stood　Violet　Seymour　with　one　sleeve　and　two　gold　fill…

ings　gone；　a　corset　steel　puncture　and　a　sprained

wrist；　but　happy。　She　was　looking　at　what　there

was　to　see。　　　A　man　was　painting　upon　the　fence：



〃Eat　Bricklets　…　They　Fill　Your　Face。〃



Violet　blushed　when　she　saw　William　Pry。　　William

jabbed　a　lady　in　a　black　silk　raglan　in　the　ribs；　kicked

a　boy　in　the　shin；　bit　an　old　gentleman　on　the　left　ear

and　managed　to　crowd　nearer　to　Violet。　　They　stood

for　an　hour　looking　at　the　man　paint　the　letters。

Then　William's　love　could　be　repressed　no　longer。

He　touched　her　on　the　arm。



〃Come　with　me；〃　he　said。　〃I　know　where　there

is　a　bootblack　without　an　Adam's　apple。〃



She　looked　up　at　him　shyly；　yet　with　unmistakable

love　transfiguring　her　countenance。



〃And　you　have　saved　it　for　me？〃　she　asked；

trembling　with　the　first　dim　ecstasy