the voice of the city-第20章

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I've　been　up　against　peroxide　and　make…up　boxes　be…

fore。　　Say；　all　joking　aside　　don't　you　think　we'll

have　rain？〃



〃Candy　man；〃　said　Mademoiselle　softly；　with　her

lips　curving　and　her　chin　dimpling；　〃don't　you　think

I'm　pretty？〃



The　candy　man　grinned。

〃Savin'　money；　ain't　yer？　〃　said　be；　〃by　bein'　yer

own　press　agent。　　I　smoke；　but　I　haven't　seen　yer

mug　on　any　of　the　five…cent　cigar　boxes。　　It'd　take

a　new　brand　of　woman　to　get　me　goin'；　anyway。　　I

know　'em　from　sidecombs　to　shoelaces。　　Gimme　a

good　day's　sales　and　steak…and…onions　at　seven　and

a　pipe　and　an　evenin'　paper　back　there　in　the　court；

and　I'll　not　trouble　Lillian　Russell　herself　to　wink　at

me；　if　you　please。〃



Mademoiselle　pouted。



〃Candy　man；〃　she　said；　softly　and　deeply；　〃yet

you　shall　say　that　I　am　beautiful。　　All　men　say　so

and　so　shall　you。〃



The　candy　man　laughed　and　pulled　out　his　pipe。



〃Well；〃　said　be；　〃I　must　be　goin'　in。　There　is　a

story　in　the　evenin'　paper　that　I　am　readin'。　　Men

are　divin'　in　the　seas　for　a　treasure；　and　pirates　are

watchin'　them　from　behind　a　reef。　　And　there　ain't

a　woman　on　land　or　water　or　in　the　air。　　Good…

evenin'。〃　And　he　trundled　his　pushcart　down　the

alley　and　back　to　the　musty　court　where　he　lived。



Incredibly　to　him　who　has　not　learned　woman；

Mademoiselle　sat　at　the　window　each　day　and　spread

her　nets　for　the　ignominious　game。　　Once　she　kept　a

grand　cavalier　waiting　in　her　reception　chamber　for

half　an　hour　while　she　battered　in　vain　the　candy

man's　tough　philosophy。　　His　rough　laugh　chafed　her

vanity　to　its　core。　　Daily　he　sat　on　his　cart　in　the

breeze　of　the　alley　while　her　hair　was　being　ministered

to；　and　daily　the　shafts　of　her　beauty　rebounded

from　his　dull　bosom　pointless　and　ineffectual。　　Un…

worthy　pique　brightened　her　eyes。　　Pride…hurt　she

glowed　upon　him　in　a　way　that　would　have　sent　her

higher　adorers　into　an　egoistic　paradise。　　The　candy

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　la