the voice of the city-第8章

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of　sport　are　supposed　to　be　fond。　　Here　again　was　to

be　perceived　the　liberal　and　florid　taste　of　the　gen…

tleman　with　the　urban　cognomenal　prefix。



A　No。　10　patent　leather　shoe　protruded　a　few　of

its　inches　outside　the　tablecloth　along　the　floor。　　The

Kid　seized　this　and　plucked　forth　a　black　man　in　a

white　tie　and　the　garb　of　a　servitor。



〃Get　up！〃　commanded　the　Kid。　　〃Are　you　in

charge　of　this　free　lunch？〃



〃Yes；　sah；　I　was。　　Has　they　done　pinched　us　ag'in；

boss？〃



〃Looks　that　way。　　Listen　to　me。　　Are　there　any

peaches　in　this　layout？　　If　there　ain't　I'll　have　to

throw　up　the　sponge。〃



〃There　was　three　dozen；　sah；　when　the　game

opened　this　evenin'；　but　I　reckon　the　gentlemen　done

eat　'em　all　up。　　If　you'd　like　to　eat　a　fust…rate

orange；　sah；　I　kin　find　you　some。〃



〃Get　busy；〃　ordered　the　Kid；　sternly；　and　move

whatever　peach　crop　you've　got　quick　or　there'll　be

trouble。　　If　anybody　oranges　me　again　to…night；　I'll

knock　his　face　off。〃



The　raid　on　Denver　Dick's　high…priced　and　prodi…

gal　luncheon　revealed　one　lone；　last　peach　that　had

escaped　the　epicurean　jaws　of　the　followers　of

chance。　　Into　the　Kid's　pocket　it　went；　and　that　in…

defatigable　forager　departed　immediately　with　his

prize。　　With　scarcely　a　glance　at　the　scene　on　the

sidewalk　below；　where　the　officers　were　loading　their

prisoners　into　the　patrol　wagons；　be　moved　homeward

with　long；　swift　strides。



His　heart　was　light　as　be　went。　　So　rode　the

knights　back　to　Camelot　after　perils　and　high　deeds

done　for　their　ladies　fair。　　The　Kid's　lady　had　com…

manded　him　and　be　had　obeyed。　　True；　it　was　but　a

peach　that　she　had　craved；　but　it　had　been　no　small

deed　to　glean　a　peach　at　midnight　from　that　wintry

city　where　yet　the　February　snows　lay　like　iron。

She　had　asked　for　a　peach；　she　was　his　bride；　in　his

pocket　the　peach　was　warming　in　his　band　that　held　it

for　fear　that　it　might　fall　out　and　be　lost。



On　the　way　the　Kid　turned　in　at　an　all…night　drug

store　and　said　to　the　spectacled　clerk：



〃Say；　sport；　I　wish　you'd　size　up　this　rib　of　mine

and　see　if　it's　broke。　　I　was　in　a　little　scrap　and

bumped　down　a　flight　or　two　of　stairs。〃



The　druggist　made　an　examination。

〃It　isn't　broken；〃　was　his　diagnosis；　〃but　you　have

a　bruise　there　that　looks　like　you'd　fallen　off　the

Flatiron　twice。〃



〃That's　all　right；〃　said　the　Kid。　〃Let's　have

your　clothesbrush；　please。〃



The　bride　waited　in　the　rosy　glow　of　the　pink　lamp

shade。　　The　miracles　were　not　all　passed　away。　　By

breathing　a　desire　for　some　slight　thing　…　a　flower；

a　pomegranate；　a　…　oh；　yes；　a　peach　…　she　could

send　forth　her　man　into　the　night；　into　the　world

which　could　not　withstand　him；　and　he　would　do　her

bidding。



And　now　be　stood　by　her　chair　and　laid　the　peach

in　her　band。



〃Naughty　boy！〃　she　said；　fondly。　　〃Did　I　say　a

peach？　　I　think　I　would　much　rather　have　had　an

orange。〃



Blest　be　the　bride。









THE　HARBINGER





Long　before　the　springtide　is　felt　in　the　dull　bosom

of　the　yokel　does　the　city　man　know　that　the　grass…

green　goddess　is　upon　her　throne。　　He　sits　at　his

breakfast　eggs　and　toast；　begirt　by　stone　walls；　opens

his　morning　paper　and　sees　journalism　leave　vernal…

ism　at　the　post。



For；　whereas；　spring's　couriers　were　once　the　evi…

dence　of　our　finer　senses；　now　the　Associated　Press

does　the　trick。



The　warble　of　the　first　robin　in　Hackensack；　the

stirring　of　the　maple　sap　in　Bennington；　the　bud…

ding　of　the　pussy　willows　along　Main　Street　in　Syra…

cuse；　the　first　chirp　of　the　bluebird；　the　swan　song

of　the　Blue　Point；　the　annual　tornado　in　St。　Louis；

the　plaint　of　the　peach　pessimist　from　Pompton；　N。

J。；　the　regular　visit　of　the　tame　wild　goose　with　a

broken　leg　to　the　pond　near　Bilgewater　Junction；

the　base　attempt　of　the　Drug　Trust　to　boost　the

price　of　quinine　foiled　in　the　House　by　Congressman

Jinks；　the　first　tall　poplar　struck　by　lightning　and

the　usual　stunned　picknickers　who　had　taken　refuge；

the　first　crack　of　the　ice　jam　in　the　Allegheny　River；

the　finding　of　a　violet　in　its　mossy　bed　by

the　correspondent　at　Round　Corners　…　these　are　the

advance　signs　of　the　burgeoning　season　that　are　wired

into　the　wise　city；　while　the　farmer　sees　nothing　but

winter　upon　his　dreary　fields。



But　these　be　mere　externals。　　The　true　harbinger

is　the　heart。　　When　Strephon　seeks　his　Chloe　and

Mike　his　Maggie；　then　only　is　spring　arrived　and　the

newspaper　report　of　the　five…foot　rattler　killed　in

Squire　Pettigrew's　pasture　confirmed。



Ere　the　first　violet　blew；　Mr。　Peters；　Mr。　Ragsdale

and　Mr。　Kidd　sat　together　on　a　bench　in　Union

Square　and　conspired。　　Mr。　Peters　was　the　D'Artag…

nan　of　the　loafers　there。　　He　was　the　dingiest；　the

laziest；　the　sorriest　brown　blot　against　the　green　back…

ground　of　any　bench　in　the　park。　　But　just　then　he

was　the　most　important　of　the　trio。



Mr。　Peters　had　a　wife。　　This　had　not　heretofore

affected　his　standing　with　Ragsy　and　Kidd。　　But　to…

day　it　invested　him　with　a　peculiar　interest。　　His

friends；　having　escaped　matrimony；　had　shown　a

disposition　to　deride　Mr。　Peters　for　his　venture　on

that　troubled　sea。　　But　at　last　they　had　been　forced

to　acknowledge　that　either　he　had　been　gifted　with

a　large　foresight　or　that　he　was　one　of　Fortune's

lucky　sons。



For；　Mrs。　Peters　had　a　dollar。　　A　whole　dollar　bill；

good　and　receivable　by　the　Government　for　customs；

taxes　and　all　public　dues。　　How　to　get　possession　of

that　dollar　was　the　question　up　for　discussion　by　the

three　musty　musketeers。



〃How　do　you　know　it　was　a　dollar？〃　asked　Ragsy；

the　immensity　of　the　sum　inclining　him　to　scepticism。



〃The　coalman　seen　her　have　it；〃　said　Mr。　Peters。

〃She　went　out　and　done　some　washing　yesterday。

And　look　what　she　give　me　for　breakfast　…　the　heel

of　a　loaf　and　a　cup　of　coffee；　and　her　with　a　dollar！〃



〃It's　fierce；〃　said　Ragsy。



〃Say　we　go　up　and　punch　'er　and　stick　a　towel

in　'er　mouth　and　cop　the　coin〃　suggested　Kidd；

Viciously。　〃Y'　ain't　afraid　of　a　woman；　are　you？〃



〃She　might　holler　and　have　us　pinched；〃　demurred

Ragsy。　　〃I　don't　believe　in　slugging　no　woman　in　a

houseful　of　people。〃



〃Gent'men；〃　said　Mr。　Peters；　severely；　through

his　russet　stubble；　〃remember　that　you　are　speaking

of　my　wife。　A　man　who　would　lift　his　hand　to　a

lady　except　in　the　way　of　　〃



〃Maguire；〃　said　Ragsy；　pointedly；　〃has　got　his

bock　beer　sign　out。　　If　we　had　a　dollar　we　could　　〃



〃Hush　up！〃　said　Mr。　Peters；　licking　his　lips。

〃We　got　to　get　that　case　note　somehow；　boys。　　Ain't

what's　a　man's　wife's　his？　　Leave　it　to　me。　　I'll　go

over　to　the　house　and　get　it。　　Wait　here　for　me。〃



〃I've　seen　'em　give　up　quick；　and　tell　you　where

it's　hid　if　you　kick　'em　in　the　ribs；〃　said　Kidd。



〃No　man　would　kick　a　woman；〃　said　Peters；　vir…

tuously。　　〃A　little　choking　…　just　a　touch　on　the

windpipe　…　that　gets　away　with　'em　…　and　no　marks

left。　　Wait　for　me。　　I'll　bring　back　that　dollar；　boys。〃



High　up　in　a　tenement…house　between　Second　Ave…

nue　and　the　river　lived　the　Peterses　in　a　back　room

so　gloomy　that　the　landlord　blushed　to　take　the　rent

for　it。　　Mrs。　Peters　worked　at　sundry　times；　doing

odd　jobs　of　scrubbing　and　washing。　　Mr。　Peters　had

a　pure；　unbroken　record　of　five　years　without　having

earned　a　penny。　　And　yet　they　clung　together；　shar…

ing　each　other's　hatred　and　misery；　being　creatures

of　habit。　　Of　habit；　the　power　that　keeps　the　earth

from　flying　to　pieces；　though　there　is　some　silly

theory　of　gravitation。



Mrs。　Peters　reposed　her　200　pounds　on　the　safer

of　the　two　chairs　and　gazed　stolidly　out　the　one　win…

dow　at　the　brick　wall　opposite。　　Her　eyes　were　red

and　damp。　　The　furniture　could　have　been　carried

away　on　a　pushcart；　but　no　pushcart　man　would　have

removed　it　as　a　gift。



The　door　opened　to　admit　Mr。　Peters。　His　fox…

t