active service-第8章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



〃　Oh；　you　mean　the　Sophomore　Coke？　〃　asked　the　friend。　　〃　Seems　a　decent　sort　of　a　fellow。　I　don't　know。　Why？　〃

〃Well；　who　is　he？　Where　does　he　come　from？　What　do　you　know　about　him？　〃

〃　He's　one　of　those　Ohio　Cokes…regular　thing　father　millionaire…used　to　be　a　barber…good　old　boy　…why？　〃

〃　Nothin'；〃　said　Coleman；　looking　at　his　cards。　〃　I　know　the　lad。　I　thought　he　was　a　good　deal　of　an　ass。　I　wondered　who　his　people　were。〃

〃　Oh；　his　people　are　all　right…in　one　way。　Father　owns　rolling　mills。　Do　you　raise　it；　Henry？　Well；　in　order　to　make　vice　abhorrent　to　the　young；　I'm　obliged　to　raise　back。〃

〃　I'll　see　it；〃　observed　Coleman；　slowly　pushing　forward　two　blue　chips。　Afterward　he　reached　behind　him　and　took　another　glass　of　wine。

To　the　others　Coleman　seemed　to　have　something　bitter　upon　his　mind。　He　played　poker　quietly；　steadfastly；　and；　without　change　of　eye；　following　the　mathematical　religion　of　the　game。　Outside　of　the　play　he　was　savage；　almost　insupportable。　〃　What's　the　matter　with　you；　Rufus　？　〃　said　his　old　college　friend。　〃　Lost　your　job？　Girl　gone　back　on　you？　You're　a　　hell　of　…a　host。　We　don't　get　any。　thing　but　insults　and　drinks。〃

Late　at　night　Coleman　began　to　lose　steadily。　In　the　meantime　he　drank　glass　after　glass　of　wine。　Finally　he　made　reckless　bets　on　a　mediocre　hand　and　an　opponent　followed　him　thoughtfully　bet　by　bet；　undaunted；　calm；　absolutely　without　emotion。　Coleman　lost；　he　hurled　down　his　cards。　〃　Nobody　but　a　damned　fool　would　have　seen　that　last　raise　on　anything　less　than　a　full　hand。〃

〃　Steady。　Come　off。　What's　wrong　with　you；　Rufus　？　〃　cried　his　guests。

〃　You're　not　drunk；　are　you　？　〃　said　his　old　college　friend；　puritanically。

〃　'Drunk'　？〃　repeated　Coleman。

〃　Oh；　say；〃　cried　a　man；　〃　let's　play　cards。　What's　all　this　gabbling　？　〃

It　was　when　a　grey；　dirty　light　of　dawn　evaded　the　thick　curtains　and　fought　on　the　floor　with　the　feebled　electric　glow　that　Coleman；　in　the　midst　of　play；　lurched　his　chest　heavily　upon　the　table。　Some　chips　rattled　to　the　floor。　〃　I'll　call　you；〃　he　murmured；　sleepily。

〃　Well；〃　replied　a　man；　sternly；　〃　three　kings。〃

The　other　players　with　difficulty　extracted　five　cards　from　beneath　Coleman's　pillowed　head。　〃　Not　a　pair！　Come；　come；　this　won't　do。　Oh；　let's　stop　playing。　This　is　the　rottenest　game　I　ever　sat　in。　　　　Let's　go　home。　Why　don't　you　put　him。　to　bed；　Billie？〃

When　Coleman　awoke　next　morning；　he　looked　back　upon　the　poker　game　as　something　that　had　transpired　in　previous　years。　He　dressed　and　went　down　to　the　grill…room。　For　his　breakfast　he　ordered　some　eggs　on　toast　and　a　pint　of　champagne。　A　privilege　of　liberty　belonged　to　a　certain　Irish　waiter；　and　this　waiter　looked　at　him；　grinning。　〃Maybe　you　had　a　pretty　lively　time　last　night；　Mr　Coleman？　〃

〃　Yes；　Pat；〃　answered　Coleman；　〃　I　did。　It　was　all　because　of　an　unrequited　affection；　Patrick。〃　The　man　stood　near；　a　napkin　over　his　arm。　Coleman　went　on　impressively。　〃　The　ways　of　the　modern　lover　are　strange。　Now；　I；　Patrick；　am　a　modern　lover；　and　when；　yesterday；　the　dagger　of　disappointment　was　driven　deep　into　my　heart；　I　immediately　played　poker　as　hard　as　I　could　and　incidentally　got　loaded。　This　is　the　modern　point　of　view。　I　understand　on　good　authority　that　in　old　times　lovers　used　to。　languish。　That　is　probably　a　lie；　but　at　any　rate　we　do　not；　in　these　times；　languish　to　any　great　extent。　We　get　drunk。　Do　you　understand；　Patrick？　〃　The　waiter　was　used　to　a　harangue　at　Coleman's　breakfast　time。　He　placed　his　hand　over　his　mouth　and　giggled。　〃Yessir。〃

〃　Of　course；〃　continued　Coleman；　thoughtfully。　〃　It　might　be　pointed　out　by　uneducated　persons　that　it　is　difficult　to　maintain　a　high　standard　of　drunkenness　for　the　adequate　length　of　time；　but　in　the　series　of　experiments　which　I　am　about　to　make　I　am　sure　I　can　easily　prove　them　to　be　in　the　wrong。〃

〃　I　am　sure；　sir；〃　said　the　waiter；　〃　the　young　ladies　would　not　like　to　be　hearing　you　talk　this　way。〃

〃　Yes；　no　doubt；　no　doubt。　The　young　ladies　have　still　quite　medieval　ideas。　They　don't　understand。　They　still　prefer　lovers　to　languish。〃

〃　At　any　rate；　sir；　I　don't　see　that　your　heart　is　sure　enough　broken。　You　seem　to　take　it　very　easy。　〃

〃　Broken！　〃　cried　Coleman。　〃　Easy？　Man；　my　heart　is　in　fragments。　Bring　me　another　small　bottle。〃







CHAPTER　VI。

Six　weeks　later；　Coleman　went　to　the　office　of　the　proprietor　of　the　Eclipse。　Coleman　was　one　of　those　smooth…shaven　old…young　men　who　wear　upon　some　occasions　a　singular　air　of　temperance　and　purity。　At　these　times；　his　features　lost　their　quality　of　worldly　shrewdness　and　endless　suspicion　and　bloomed　as　the　face　of　some　innocent　boy。　It　then　would　be　hard　to　tell　that　he　had　ever　encountered　even　such　a　crime　as　a　lie　or　a　cigarette。　As　he　walked　into　the　　proprietor's　office　he　was　a　perfect　semblance　of　a　fine；　inexperienced　youth。　People　usually　concluded　this　change　was　due　to　a　Turkish　bath　or　some　other　expedient　of　recuperation；　but　it　was　due　probably　to　the　power　of　a　physical　characteristic。

〃　Boss　in　？　〃　said　Coleman。

〃　Yeh；〃　said　the　secretary；　jerking　his　thumb　toward　an　inner　door。　In　his　private　office；　Sturgeon　sat　on　the　edge　of　the　table　dangling　one　leg　and　dreamily　surveying　the　wall。　As　Coleman　entered　he　looked　up　quickly。　〃Rufus；〃　he　cried；　〃　you're　just　the　man　I　wanted　to　see。　I've　got　a　scheme。　A　great　scheme。〃　He　slid　from　the　table　and　began　to　pace　briskly　to　and　fro；　his　hands　deep　in　his　trousers'　pockets；　his　chin　sunk　in　his　collar；　his　light　blue　eyes　afire　with　interest。　〃　Now　listen。　This　is　immense。　The　Eclipse　enlists　a　battalion　of　men　to　go　to　　Cuba　and　fight　the　Spaniards　under　its　own　flag…the　Eclipse　flag。　Collect　trained　officers　from　here　and　there…enlist　every　young　devil　we　see…drill　'embest　rifles…loads　of　ammunition…　provisions…staff　of　doctors　and　nurses　…a　couple　of　dynamite　guns…everything　complete　best　in　the　world。　Now；　isn't　that　great　？　What's　the　matter　with　that　now　？　Eh？　Eh？　Isn't　that　great？　It's　great；　isn't　it？　Eh？　Why；　my　boy；　we'll　free…〃

Coleman　did　not　seem　to　ignite。　〃　I　have　been　arrested　four　or　five　times　already　on　fool　matters　connected　with　the　newspaper　business；〃　he　observed；　gloomily；　〃　but　I've　never　yet　been　hung。　I　think　your　scheme　is　a　beauty。〃

Sturgeon　paused　in　astonishment。　〃　Why；　what　happens　to　be　the　matter　with　you　？　What　are　you　kicking　about　？　〃

Coleman　made　a　slow　gesture。　〃　I'm　tired；〃　he　answered。　〃　I　need　a　vacation。〃

〃Vacation！〃　cried　Sturgeon。　〃Why　don't　you　take　one　then　？　〃

〃　That's　what　I've　come　to　see　you　about。　I've　had　a　pretty　heavy　strain　on　me　for　three　years　now；　and　I　want　to　get　a　little　rest。〃

〃　Well；　who　in　thunder　has　been　keeping　you　from　it？　It　hasn't　been　me。〃

〃　I　know　it　hasn't　been　you；　but；　of　course；　I　wanted　the　paper　to　go　and　I　wanted　to　have　my　share　in　its　success；　but　now　that　everything　is　all　right　I　think　I　might　go　away　for　a　time　if　you　don't　mind。〃

〃　Mind！　〃　exclaimed　Sturgeon　falling　into　his　chair　and　reaching　for　his　check　book。　〃Where　do　you　want　to　go？　How　long　do　you　want　to　be　gone？　How　much　money　do　you　want　？〃

〃　I　don't　want　very　much。　And　as　for　where　I　want　to　go；　I　thought　I　might　like　to　go　to　Greece　for　a　while。〃

Sturgeon　had　been　writing　a　check。　He　poised　his　pen　in　the　air　and　began　to　laugh。　〃　That's　a　queer　place　to　go　for　a　rest。　Why；　the　biggest　war　of　modern　timesa　war　that　may　involve　all　Europe…is　likely　to　start　there　at　any　moment。　You　are　not　likely　to　get　any　rest　in　Greece。〃

〃　I　know　that；〃　answered　Coleman。　〃　I　know　there　is　likely　to　be　a　war　there。　But　I　think　that　is　exactly　what　would　rest　me。　I　would　like　to　report　the　war。〃

〃You　are　a　queer　bird；〃　answered　Sturgeon　deeply　fascinated　with　this　new　idea。　He　had　apparently　forgotten　his　vision　of　a　Cuban　volunteer　battalion。　〃　War　correspondence　is　about　the　most　original　medium　for　a　rest　I　ever　heard　of。〃

〃Oh；　it　may　seem　funny；　but　really；　any　change　will　be　good　for　me　now。　I've　been　whacking　at　this　old　Sunday　edition　until　I'm　sick　of　it；　and　some；。　times　I　wish　the　Eclipse　was　in　hell。〃

That's　all　right；〃　laughed　the　proprietor　of　the　Eclipse。　〃　But　I　st