pgw.psmith,journalist-第29章

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e　came　to　the　part　where　the　Table　Hill　allies　swooped　down　on　the　unsuspecting　Three　Pointers；　he　was　almost　animated。
　〃Say；〃　said　the　Kid　approvingly；　〃that　Smith　guy's　got　more　grey　matter　under　his　thatch　than　you'd　think　to　look　at　him。　I〃
　〃rade　Brady；〃　said　a　voice　in　the　doorway；　〃you　do　me　proud。〃
　〃Why；　say；〃　said　the　Kid；　turning；　〃I　guess　the　laugh's　on　me。　I　didn't　see　you；　Mr。　Smith。　Pugsy's　been　tellin'　me　how　you　sent　him　for　the　Table　Hills　yesterday。　That　was　cute。　It　was　mighty　smart。　But　say；　those　guys　are　goin'　some；　ain't　they　now！　Seems　as　if　they　was　dead　set　on　puttin'　you　out　of　business。〃
　〃Their　manner　yesterday；　rade　Brady；　certainly　suggested　the　presence　of　some　sketchy　outline　of　such　an　ideal　in　their　minds。　One　Sam；　in　particular；　an　ebony…hued　sportsman；　threw　himself　into　the　task　with　great　vim。　I　rather　fancy　he　is　waiting　for　us　with　his　revolver　to　this　moment。　But　why　worry？　Here　we　are；　safe　and　sound；　and　rade　Windsor　may　be　expected　to　arrive　at　any　moment。　I　see；　rade　Brady；　that　you　have　been　matched　against　one　Eddie　Wood。〃
　〃It's　about　that　I　wanted　to　see　you；　Mr。　Smith。　Say；　now　that　things　have　been　and　brushed　up　so；　what　with　these　gang　guys　layin'　for　you　the　way　they're　doin'；　I　guess　you'll　be　needin'　me　around　here。　Isn't　that　right？　Say　the　word　and　I'll　call　off　this　Eddie　Wood　fight。〃
　〃rade　Brady；〃　said　Psmith　with　some　enthusiasm；　〃I　call　that　a　sporting　offer。　I'm　very　much　obliged。　But　we　mustn't　stand　in　your　way。　If　you　eliminate　this　rade　Wood；　they　will　have　to　give　you　a　chance　against　Jimmy　Garvin；　won't　they？〃
　〃I　guess　that's　right；　sir；〃　said　the　Kid。　〃Eddie　stayed　nineteen　rounds　against　Jimmy；　and　if　I　can　put　him　away；　it　gets　me　into　line　with　Jimmy；　and　he　can't　side…step　me。〃
　〃Then　go　in　and　win；　rade　Brady。　We　shall　miss　you。　It　will　be　as　if　a　ray　of　sunshine　had　been　removed　from　the　office。　But　you　mustn't　throw　a　chance　away。　We　shall　be　all　right；　I　think。〃
　〃I'll　train　at　White　Plains；〃　said　the　Kid。　〃That　ain't　far　from　here；　so　I'll　be　pretty　near　in　case　I'm　wanted。　Hullo；　who's　here？〃
　He　pointed　to　the　door。　A　small　boy　was　standing　there；　holding　a　note。
　〃Mr。　Smith？　〃
　〃Sir　to　you；〃　said　Psmith　courteously。
　〃P。　Smith？〃
　〃The　same。　This　is　your　lucky　day。〃
　〃Cop　at　Jefferson　Market　give　me　dis　to　take　to　youse。〃
　〃A　cop　in　Jefferson　Market？〃　repeated　Psmith。　〃I　did　not　know　I　had　friends　among　the　constabulary　there。　Why；　it's　from　rade　Windsor。〃　He　opened　the　envelope　and　read　the　letter。　〃Thanks；〃　he　said；　giving　the　boy　a　quarter…dollar。
　It　was　apparent　the　Kid　was　politely　endeavouring　to　veil　his　curiosity。　Master　Maloney　had　no　such　scruples。
　〃What's　in　de　letter；　boss？〃　he　inquired。
　〃The　letter；　rade　Maloney；　is　from　our　Mr。　Windsor；　and　relates　in　terse　language　the　following　facts；　that　our　editor　last　night　hit　a　policeman　in　the　eye；　and　that　he　was　sentenced　this　morning　to　thirty　days　on　Blackwell's　Island。〃
　〃He's　de　guy！〃　admitted　Master　Maloney　approvingly。
　〃What's　that？〃　said　the　Kid。　〃Mr。　Windsor　bin　punchin'　cops！　What's　he　bin　doin'　that　for？〃
　〃He　gives　no　clue。　I　must　go　and　find　out。　Could　you　help　rade　Maloney　mind　the　shop　for　a　few　moments　while　I　push　round　to　Jefferson　Market　and　make　inquiries？〃
　〃Sure。　But　say；　fancy　Mr。　Windsor　cuttin'　loose　that　way！〃　said　the　Kid　admiringly。
　The　Jefferson　Market　Police　Court　is　a　little　way　down　town；　near　Washington　Square。　It　did　not　take　Psmith　long　to　reach　it；　and　by　the　judicious　expenditure　of　a　few　dollars　he　was　enabled　to　obtain　an　interview　with　Billy　in　a　back　room。
　The　chief　editor　of　Cosy　Moments　was　seated　on　a　bench；　looking　upon　the　world　through　a　pair　of　much　blackened　eyes。　His　general　appearance　was　dishevelled。　He　had　the　air　of　a　man　who　has　been　caught　in　the　machinery。
　〃Hullo；　Smith；〃　he　said。　〃You　got　my　note　all　right　then？〃
　Psmith　looked　at　him；　concerned。
　〃rade　Windsor；〃　he　said；　〃what　on　earth　has　been　happening　to　you？〃
　〃Oh；　that's　all　right；〃　said　Billy。　〃That's　nothing。〃
　〃Nothing！　You　look　as　if　you　had　been　run　over　by　a　motor…car。〃
　〃The　cops　did　that；〃　said　Billy；　without　any　apparent　resentment。　〃They　always　turn　nasty　if　you　put　up　a　fight。　I　was　a　fool　to　do　it；　I　suppose；　but　I　got　so　mad。　They　knew　perfectly　well　that　I　had　nothing　to　do　with　any　pool…room　downstairs。〃
　Psmith's　eye…glass　dropped　from　his　eye。
　〃Pool…room；　rade　Windsor？〃
　〃Yes。　The　house　where　I　live　was　raided　late　last　night。　It　seems　that　some　gamblers　have　been　running　a　pool…room　on　the　ground　floor。　Why　the　cops　should　have　thought　I　had　anything　to　do　with　it；　when　I　was　sleeping　peacefully　upstairs；　is　more　than　I　can　understand。　Anyway；　at　about　three　in　the　morning　there　was　the　dickens　of　a　banging　at　my　door。　I　got　up　to　see　what　was　doing；　and　found　a　couple　of　Policemen　there。　They　told　me　to　e　along　with　them　to　the　station。　I　asked　what　on　earth　for。　I　might　have　known　it　was　no　use　arguing　with　a　New　York　cop。　They　said　they　had　been　tipped　off　that　there　was　a　pool…room　being　run　in　the　house；　and　that　they　were　cleaning　up　the　house；　and　if　I　wanted　to　say　anything　I'd　better　say　it　to　the　magistrate。　I　said；　all　right；　I'd　put　on　some　clothes　and　e　with　them。　They　said　they　couldn't　wait　about　while　I　put　on　clothes。　I　said　I　wasn't　going　to　travel　about　New　York　in　pyjamas；　and　started　to　get　into　my　shirt。　One　of　them　gave　me　a　shove　in　the　ribs　with　his　night…stick；　and　told　me　to　e　along　quick。　And　that　made　me　so　mad　I　hit　out。〃　A　chuckle　escaped　Billy。　〃He　wasn't　expecting　it；　and　I　got　him　fair。　He　went　down　over　the　bookcase。　The　other　cop　took　a　swipe　at　me　with　his　club；　but　by　that　time　I　was　so　mad　I'd　have　taken　on　Jim　Jeffries；　if　he　had　shown　up　and　got　in　my　way。　I　just　sailed　in；　and　was　beginning　to　make　the　man　think　that　he　had　stumbled　on　Stanley　Ketchel　or　Kid　Brady　or　a　dynamite　explosion　by　mistake；　when　the　other　fellow　loosed　himself　from　the　bookcase；　and　they　started　in　on　me　together；　and　there　was　a　general　rough　house；　in　the　middle　of　which　somebody　seemed　to　let　off　about　fifty　thousand　dollars'　worth　of　fireworks　all　in　a　bunch；　and　I　didn't　remember　anything　more　till　I　found　myself　in　a　cell；　pretty　nearly　knocked　to　pieces。　That's　my　little　life…history。　I　guess　I　was　a　fool　to　cut　loose　that　way；　but　I　was　so　mad　I　didn't　stop　to　think。〃
　Psmith　sighed。
　〃You　have　told　me　your　painful　story；〃　he　said。　〃Now　hear　mine。　After　parting　with　you　last　night；　I　went　meditatively　back　to　my　Fourth　Avenue　address；　and；　with　a　courtly　good　night　to　the　large　policeman　who；　as　I　have　mentioned　in　previous　conversations；　is　stationed　almost　at　my　very　door；　I　passed　on　into　my　room；　and　had　soon　sunk　into　a　dreamless　slumber。　At　about　three　o'clock　in　the　morning　I　was　aroused　by　a　somewhat　hefty　banging　on　the　door。　〃
　〃What！〃
　〃A　banging　at　the　door；〃　repeated　Psmith。　〃There；　standing　on　the　mat；　were　three　policemen。　From　their　remarks　I　gathered　that　certain　bright　spirits　had　been　running　a　gambling　establishment　in　the　lower　regions　of　the　buildingwhere；　I　think　I　told　you；　there　is　a　saloonand　the　Law　was　now　about　to　clean　up　the　place。　Very　cordially　the　honest　fellows　invited　me　to　go　with　them。　A　conveyance；　it　seemed；　waited　in　the　street　without。　I　pointed　out；　even　as　you　appear　to　have　done；　that　sea…green　pyjamas　with　old　rose　frogs　were　not　the　costume　in　which　a　Shropshire　Psmith　should　be　seen　abroad　in　one　of　the　world's　greatest　cities；　but　they　assured　memore　by　their　manner　than　their　wordsthat　my　misgivings　were　out　of　place；　so　I　yielded。　These　men；　I　told　myself；　have　lived　longer　in　New　York　than　I。　They　know　what　is　done　and　what　is　not　done。　I　will　bow　to　their　views。　So　I　went　with　them；　and　after　a　very　pleasant　and　cosy　little　ride　in　the　patrol　waggon；　arrived　at　the　police　station。　This　morning　I　chatted　a　while　with　the　courteous　magistrate；　convinced　him　by　means　of　arguments　and　by　silent　evidence　of　my　open；　honest　face　and　unwavering　eye　that　I　was　not　a　professional　gambler；　and　came　away　without　a　stain　on　my　character。〃
　Billy　Windsor　listened　to　this　narrative　with　growing　interest。
　〃Gum！　it