the voice of the city-第17章

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who　was　expecting　to　come　into　a　fortune　on　the

next　day　would　be　feeling　pretty　easy　and　quiet。〃



〃It's　funny　business；〃　philosophized　Ide；　〃about

the　way　people　take　things；　anyhow。　　Here's　your

bench；　Dawson；　right　next　to　mine。　　The　light　don't

shine　in　your　eyes　here。　　Say；　Dawson；　I'll　get　the

old　man　to　give　you　a　letter　to　somebody　about　a　job

when　I　get　back　home。　You've　helped　me　a　lot　to…

night。　　I　don't　believe　I　could　have　gone　through

the　night　if　I　hadn't　struck　you。〃



〃Thank　you；〃　said　Vallance。　　〃Do　you　lie　down

or　sit　up　on　these　when　you　sleep？



For　hours　Vallance　gazed　almost　without　winking

at　the　stars　through　the　branches　of　the　trees　and

listened　to　the　sharp　slapping　of　horses'　hoofs　on　the

sea　of　asphalt　to　the　south　　His　mind　was　active；

but　his　feelings　were　dormant。　　Every　emotion

seemed　to　have　been　eradicated。　　Ide　felt　no　regrets；

no　fears；　no　pain　or　discomfort。　　Even　when　be

thought　of　the　girl；　it　was　as　of　an　inhabitant　of　one

of　those　remote　stars　at　which　be　gazed。　　He　re…

membered　the　absurd　antics　of　his　companion　and

laughed　softly；　yet　without　a　feeling　of　mirth。　　Soon

the　daily　army　of　milk　wagons　made　of　the　city　a

roaring　drum　to　which　they　marched。　　Vallance　fell

asleep　on　his　comfortless　bench。



At　ten　o'clock　on　the　next　day　the　two　stood　at　the

door　of　Lawyer　Mead's　office　in　Ann　Street。



Ide's　nerves　fluttered　worse　than　ever　when　the

hour　approached；　and　Vallance　could　not　decide　to

leave　him　a　possible　prey　to　the　dangers　he　dreaded。



When　they　entered　the　office；　Lawyer　Mead　looked

at　them　wonderingly。　　He　and　Vallance　were　old

friends。　　After　his　greeting；　he　turned　to　Ide；　who

stood　with　white　face　and　trembling　limbs　before　the

expected　crisis。



〃I　sent　a　second　letter　to　your　address　last　night；

Mr。　Ide；〃　he　said。　　〃I　learned　this　morning　that

you　were　not　there　to　receive　it。　　It　will　inform　you

that　Mr。　Paulding　has　reconsidered　his　offer　to　take

you　back　into　favor。　　He　has　decided　not　to　do　so；

and　desires　you　to　understand　that　no　change　will　be

made　in　the　relations　existing　between　you　and

him。〃



Ide's　trembling　suddenly　ceased。　　The　color　came

back　to　his　face；　and　be　straightened　his　back。　　His

jaw　went　forward　half　an　inch；　and　a　gleam　came

into　his　eye。　　He　pushed　back　his　battered　bat　with

one　hand；　and　extended　the　other；　with　levelled　fin…

gers；　toward　the　lawyer。　　He　took　a　long　breath　and

then　laughed　sardonically。



〃Tell　old　Paulding　he　may　go　to　the　devil；〃　he

said；　loudly　and　clearly；　and　turned　and　walked　out

of　the　office　with　a　firm　and　lively　step。



Lawyer　Mead　turned　on　his　heel　to　Vallance　and

smiled。



〃I　am　glad　you　came　in；〃　he　said；　genially。

〃Your　uncle　wants　you　to　return　home　at　once。　　He

is　reconciled　to　the　situation　that　led　to　his　hasty

action；　and　desires　to　say　that　all　will　be　as　　〃



〃Hey；　Adams！〃　cried　Lawyer　Mead；　breaking　his

sentence；　and　calling　to　his　clerk。　　〃Bring　a　glass　of

water　Mr。　Vallance　has　fainted。〃









THE　PLUTONIAN　FIRE





There　are　a　few　editor　men　with　whom　I　am　privi…

leged　to　come　in　contact。　　It　has　not　been　long　since

it　was　their　habit　to　come　in　contact　with　me。　　There

is　a　difference。



They　tell　me　that　with　a　large　number　of　the

manuscripts　that　are　submitted　to　them　come　advices

（in　the　way　of　a　boost）　from　the　author　asseverating

that　the　incidents　in　the　story　are　true。　　The　des…

tination　of　such　contributions　depends　wholly　upon

the　question　of　the　enclosure　of　stamps。　　Some　are

returned；　the　rest　are　thrown　on　the　floor　in　a　corner

on　top　of　a　pair　of　gum　shoes；　an　overturned　statu…

ette　of　the　Winged　Victory；　and　a　pile　of　old　maga…

zines　containing　a　picture　of　the　editor　in　the　act

of　reading　the　latest　copy　of　Le　Petit　Journal；　right

side　up　…　you　can　tell　by　the　illustrations。　　It　is

only　a　legend　that　there　are　waste　baskets　in　editors'

offices。



Thus　is　truth　held　in　disrepute。　　But　in　time　truth

and　science　and　nature　will　adapt　themselves　to　art。

Things　will　happen　logically；　and　the　villain　be　dis…

comfited　instead　of　being　elected　to　the　board　of

directors。　　But　in　the　meantime　fiction　must　not　only

be　divorced　from　fact；　but　must　pay　alimony　and　be

awarded　custody　of　the　press　despatches。



This　preamble　is　to　warn　you　off　the　grade　cross…

ing　of　a　true　story。　　Being　that；　it　shall　be　told　sim…

ply；　with　conjunctions　substituted　for　adjectives

wherever　possible；　and　whatever　evidences　of　style

may　appear　in　it　shall　be　due　to　the　linotype　man。

It　is　a　story　of　the　literary　life　in　a　great　city；　and

it　should　be　of　interest　to　every　author　within　a　20…

mile　radius　of　Gosport；　Ind。；　whose　desk　holds　a　MS。

story　beginning　thus：　〃While　the　cheers　following

his　nomination　were　still　ringing　through　the　old

courthouse；　Harwood　broke　away　from　the　congrat…

ulating　handclasps　of　his　henchmen　and　hurried　to

Judge　Creswell's　house　to　find　Ida。〃



Pettit　came　up　out　of　Alabama　to　write　fiction。

The　Southern　papers　had　printed　eight　of　his　stories

under　an　editorial　caption　identifying　the　author　as

the　son　of　〃the　gallant　Major　Pettingill　Pettit；　our

former　County　Attorney　and　hero　of　the　battle　of

Lookout　Mountain。〃



Pettit　was　a　rugged　fellow；　with　a　kind　of　shame…

faced　culture；　and　my　good　friend。　　His　father　kept

a　general　store　in　a　little　town　called　Hosea。　　Pettit

had　been　raised　in　the　pine…woods　and　broom…sedge

fields　adjacent　thereto。　　He　had　in　his　gripsack　two

manuscript　novels　of　the　adventures　in　Picardy　of

one　Gaston　Laboulaye；　Vicompte　de　Montrepos；　in

the　year　1329。　　That's　nothing。　　We　all　do　that。

And　some　day　when　we　make　a　hit　with　the　little

sketch　about　a　newsy　and　his　lame　dog；　the　editor

prints　the　other　one　for　us　　or　〃on　us；〃　as　the　say…

ing　is　　and　then　　and　then　we　have　to　get　a　big

valise　and　peddle　those　patent　air…draft　gas　burners。

At　1。25　everybody　should　have　'em。



I　took　Pettit　to　the　red…brick　house　which　was　to

appear　in　an　article　entitled　〃Literary　Landmarks

of　Old　New　York；〃　some　day　when　we　got　through

with　it。　He　engaged　a　room　there；　drawing　on　the

general　store　for　his　expenses。　I　showed　New　York

to　him；　and　he　did　not　mention　how　much　narrower

Broadway　is　than　Lee　Avenue　in　Hosea。　　This

seemed　a　good　sign；　so　I　put　the　final　test。



〃Suppose　you　try　your　band　at　a　descriptive　arti…

cle；〃　I　suggested；　〃giving　your　impressions　of　New

York　as　seen　from　the　Brooklyn　Bridge。　　The　fresh

point　of　view；　the　　〃



〃Don't　be　a　fool；〃　said　Pettit。　〃Let's　go　have

some　beer。　　On　the　whole　I　rather　like　the　city。〃

We　discovered　and　enjoyed　the　only　true　Bohemia。

Every　day　and　night　we　repaired　to　one　of　those

palaces　of　marble　and　glass　and　tilework；　where　goes

on　a　tremendous　and　sounding　epic　of　life。　　Valhalla

itself　could　not　be　more　glorious　and　sonorous。　　The

classic　marble　on　which　we　ate；　the　great；　light…

flooded；　vitreous　front；　adorned　with　snow…white

scrolls；　the　grand　Wagnerian　din　of　clanking　cups

and　bowls　the　flashing　staccato　of　brandishing　cut…

lery；　the　piercing　recitative　of　the　white…aproned

grub…maidens　at　the　morgue…like　banquet　tables；　the

recurrent　lied…motif　of　the　cash…register　　it　was　a

gigantic；　triumphant　welding　of　art　and　sound；　a

deafening；　soul…uplifting　pageant　of　heroic　and　em…

blematic　life。　　And　the　beans　were　only　ten　cents。

We　wondered　why　our　fellow…artists　cared　to　dine　at

sad　little　tables　in　their　so…called　Bohemian　restau…

rants；　and　we　shuddered　lest　they　should　seek　out　our

resorts　and　make　them　conspicuous　with　their　pres…

ence。



Pettit　wrote　many　stories；　which　the　editors　re…

turned　to　him。　　He　wrote　love　stories；　a　thing　I　have

always　kept　free　from；　holding　the　belief　that　the

well…known　and　popular　sentiment　is　not　properly　a

matter　for　publication；　but　something　to　be　private