the voice of the city-第39章

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season。　　I　quit　it　because　I　was　sick　of　the　life。　　And

especially　because　my　heart　and　soul　were　sick　of　men

of　the　kind　of　men　we　stage　people　have　to　be　up

against。　　You　know　what　the　game　is　to　us　　it's　a

fight　against　'em　all　the　way　down　the　line　from　the

manager　who　wants　us　to　try　his　new　motor…car　to　the

bill…posters　who　want　to　call　us　by　our　front　names。



〃And　the　men　we　have　to　meet　after　the　show　are

the　worst　of　all。　　The　stage…door　kind；　and　the　man…

ager's　friends　who　take　us　to　supper　and　show　their

diamonds　and　talk　about　seeing　'Dan'　and　'Dave'

and　'Charlie'　for　us。　　They're　beasts；　and　I　hate　'em。



〃I　tell　you；　Lynn；　it's　the　girls　like　us　on　the　stage

that　ought　to　be　pitied。　　It's　girls　from　good　homes

that　are　honestly　ambitious　and　work　hard　to　rise　in

the　profession；　but　never　do　get　there。　　You　bear　a

lot　of　sympathy　sloshed　around　on　chorus　girls　and

their　fifteen　dollars　a　week。　　Piffle！　　There　ain't　a

sorrow　in　the　chorus　that　a　lobster　cannot　heal。



〃If　there's　any　tears　to　shed；　let　'em　fall　for　the

actress　that　gets　a　salary　of　from　thirty　to　forty…five

dollars　a　week　for　taking　a　leading　part　in　a　bum

show。　　She　knows　she'll　never　do　any　better；　but　she

hangs　on　for　years；　hoping　for　the　'chance　I　that

never　comes。



〃And　the　fool　plays　we　have　to　work　in！　　Having

another　girl　roll　you　around　the　stage　by　the　hind　legs

in　a　'Wheelbarrow　Chorus'　in　a　musical　comedy　is

dignified　drama　compared　with　the　idiotic　things　I've

had　to　do　in　the　thirty…centers。



〃But　what　I　hated　most　was　the　men　　the　men

leering　and　blathering　at　you　across　tables；　trying

to　buy　you　with　Wurzburger　or　Extra　Dry；　accord…

ing　to　their　estimate　of　your　price。　　And　the　men　in

the　audiences；　clapping；　yelling；　snarling；　crowding；

writhing；　gloating　　like　a　lot　of　wild　beasts；　with

their　eyes　fixed　on　you；　ready　to　eat　you　up　if　you

come　in　reach　of　their　claws。　　Oh；　how　I　hate　'em！



〃Well；　I'm　not　telling　you　much　about　myself；　am

I；　Lynn　？



〃I　had　two　hundred　dollars　saved　up；　and　I　cut

the　stage　the　first　of　the　summer。　　I　went　over　on

Long　Island　and　found　the　sweetest　little　village　that

ever　was；　called　Soundport；　right　on　the　water。　　I　was

going　to　spend　the　summer　there；　and　study　up　on

elocution；　and　try　to　get　a　class　in　the　fall。　　There

was　an　old　widow　lady　with　a　cottage　near　the　beach

who　sometimes　rented　a　room　or　two　just　for　com…

pany；　and　she　took　me　in。　　She　had　another　boarder；

too　　the　Reverend　Arthur　Lyle。



〃Yes；　he　was　the　head…liner。　　You're　on；　Lynn。

I'll　tell　you　all　of　it　in　a　minute。　It's　only　a　one…act

play。



〃The　first　time　he　walked　on；　Lynn；　I　felt　myself

going；　the　first　lines　he　spoke；　he　had　me。　　He　was

different　from　the　men　in　audiences。　　He　was　tall　and

slim；　and　you　never　heard　him　come　in　the　room；　but

you　felt　him。　　He　had　a　face　like　a　picture　of　a　knight

　like　one　of　that　Round　Table　bunch　　and　a　voice

like　a　'cello　solo。　　And　his　manners！



〃Lynn；　if　you'd　take　John　Drew　in　his　best　draw…

ing…room　scene　and　compare　the　two；　you'd　have　John

arrested　for　disturbing　the　peace。



〃I'll　spare　you　the　particulars；　but　in　less　than　a

month　Arthur　and　I　were　engaged。　　He　preached　at　a

little　one…night　stand　of　a　Methodist　church。　　There

was　to　be　a　parsonage　the　size　of　a　lunch…wagon；　and

hens　and　honeysuckles　when　we　were　married。　　Ar…

thur　used　to　preach　to　me　a　good　deal　about　Heaven；

but　be　never　could　get　my　mind　quite　off　those　honey…

suckles　and　hens。



〃No；　I　didn't　tell　him　I'd　been　on　the　stage。　I

hated　the　business　and　all　that　went　with　it；　I'd

cut　it　out　forever；　and　I　didn't　see　any　use　of　stirring

things　up。　　I　was　a　good　girl；　and　I　didn't　have　any…

thing　to　confess；　except　being　an　elocutionist；　and

that　was　about　all　the　strain　my　conscience　would

stand。



〃Oh；　I　tell　you；　Lynn；　I　was　happy。　　I　sang　in

the　choir　and　attended　the　sewing　society；　and　re…

cited　that　'Annie　Laurie'　thing　with　the　whistling

stunt　in　it；　'in　a　manner　bordering　upon　the　profes…

sional；'　as　the　weekly　village　paper　reported　it。　　And

Arthur　and　I　went　rowing；　and　walking　in　the　woods；

and　clamming；　and　that　poky　little　village　seemed　to

me　the　best　place　in　the　world。　　I'd　have　been　happy

to　live　there　always；　too；　if　



〃But　one　morning　old　Mrs。　Gurley；　the　widow

lady；　got　gossipy　while　I　was　helping　her　string　beans

on　the　back　porch；　and　began　to　gush　information；　as

folks　who　rent　out　their　rooms　usually　do。　　Mr。　Lyle

was　her　idea　of　a　saint　on　earth　　as　he　was　mine；

too。　　She　went　over　all　his　virtues　and　graces；　and

wound　up　by　telling　me　that　Arthur　had　had　an　ex…

tremely　romantic　love…affair；　not　long　before；　that　had

ended　unhappily。　　She　didn't　seem　to　be　on　to　the　de…

tails；　but　she　knew　that　he　had　been　hit　pretty　hard。

He　was　paler　and　thinner；　she　said；　and　he　had　some

kind　of　a　remembrance　or　keepsake　of　the　lady　in　a

little　rosewood　box　that　he　kept　locked　in　his　desk

drawer　in　his　study。



〃'Several　times；〃　says　she；　〃I've　seen　him

gloomerin'　over　that　box　of　evenings；　and　he　always

locks　it　up　right　away　if　anybody　comes　into　the

room。'



〃Well；　you　can　imagine　how　long　it　was　before　I

got　Arthur　by　the　wrist　and　led　him　down　stage　and

hissed　in　his　ear。



〃That　same　afternoon　we　were　lazying　around　in　a

boat　among　the　water…lilies　at　the　edge　of　the　bay。



〃'Arthur；'　says　I；　'you　never　told　me　you'd　had

another　love…affair。　　But　Mrs。　Gurley　did；'　I　went　on；

to　let　him　know　I　knew。　　I　hate　to　bear　a　man　lie。



〃'　Before　you　came；'　says　he；　looking　me　frankly

in　the　eye；　'there　was　a　previous　affection　…　a　strong

one。　　Since　you　know　of　it；　I　will　be　perfectly　candid

with　you。'



〃'I　am　waiting；'　says　I。



〃'My　dear　Ida；'　says　Arthur　　of　course　I　went

by　my　real　name；　while　I　was　in　Soundport　　'this

former　affection　was　a　spiritual　one；　in　fact。　　Al…

though　the　lady　aroused　my　deepest　sentiments；　and

was；　as　I　thought；　my　ideal　woman；　I　never　met　her；

and　never　spoke　to　her。　　It　was　an　ideal　love。　　My

love　for　you；　while　no　less　ideal；　is　different。　　You

wouldn't　let　that　come　between　us。'



〃'Was　she　pretty？'　i　asked。



〃'　She　was　very　beautiful；'　said　Arthur。



〃'Did　you　see　her　often？'　　I　asked。



〃'　Something　like　a　dozen　times；'　says　he。



〃'Always　from　a　distance？'　　says　I。



〃'Always　from　quite　a　distance；'　says　he。



〃'And　you　loved　her？'　　I　asked。



〃'She　seemed　my　ideal　of　beauty　and　grace　　and

soul；〃　says　Arthur。



〃'And　this　keepsake　that　you　keep　under　lock　and

key；　and　moon　over　at　times；　is　that　a　remembrance

from　her？'



〃'A　memento；'　says　Arthur；　'that　I　have

treasured。'



〃'Did　she　send　it　to　you？'



〃'It　came　to　me　from　her'　says　be。



〃'In　a　roundabout　way？'　I　asked。



〃'Somewhat　roundabout；'　says　he；　　'and　yet　rather

direct。'



〃'Why　didn't　you　ever　meet　her？'　I　asked。

'Were　your　positions　in　life　so　different？'



〃She　was　far　above　me；'　says　Arthur。　　'Now；

Ida；'　he　goes　on；　'this　is　all　of　the　past。　　You're　not

going　to　be　jealous；　are　you？'



'Jealous！'　says　I。　'Why；　man；　what　are　you

talking　about？　　It　makes　me　think　ten　times　as　much

of　you　as　I　did　before　I　knew　about　it。'



〃And　it　did；　Lynn　…　if　you　can　understand　it。

That　ideal　love　was　a　new　one　on　me；　but　it　struck　me

as　being　the　most　beautiful　and　glorious　thing　I'd

ever　heard　of。　　Think　of　a　man　loving　a　woman　he'd

never　even　spoken　to；　and　being　faithful　just　to　what

his　mind　and　heart　pictured　her！　　Oh；　it　sounded

great　to　me。　　The　men　I'd　always　known　come　at

you　with　either　diamonds；　knock…out…drops　or　a　raise

of　salary；　　and　their　ideals！　　well；　we'll　say　no

more。〃



〃Yes；　it　made　me　think　more　of　Arthur　than　I　did

before。　　I　couldn't　be　jealous　of　that　far…away　divin…

ity　that　he　used　to　worship；　for　I　was　going　to　have

hi