,,the ,,stories ,,editors ,,buy ,,and ,,why ,,the ,,stories ,,editors ,,buy ,,and ,,why ,,compiled ,,by ,,jean ,,wick ,illustration ,,boston ,,small1 ,,maynard ,,company ,,publishers ,copyright1 #aiba ,by ,,small1 ,,maynard ,,company 7,incorporated7 ,,press ,,of ,,geo4 ,h4 ,,ellis ,,co4 7,,inc47 ,,boston ,,to ,,magazine ,,editors ,who through constructive helpfulness and creative vision are helping authors to make the ,american short story unique in artistry and literary merit4 ,,contents ,,page ,,prefatory ,,note ix ,,the ,,week-,,end ,,guest4 ,by ,marie ,van ,vorst #a 7,from ,ainslee's ,magazine7 ,,the ,,terrible ,,charge ,,against ,,jeff ,,potter4 ,by ,samuel ,a4 ,derieux #bg 7,from ,the ,american ,magazine7 8,a ,,source ,,of ,,irritation40 ,by ,stacy ,aumonier #ec 7,from ,the ,century ,magazine7 8,,momma40 ,by ,rupert ,hughes #ga 7,from ,collier's1 ,the ,national ,weekly7 ,,back ,,pay4 ,by ,fannie ,hurst #ii 7,from ,cosmopolitan ,magazine7 8,,cab1 ,,sir80 ,by ,samuel ,hopkins ,adams #aci 7,from ,everybody's ,magazine7 ,,you',,ve ,,got ,,to ,,be ,,selfish4 ,by ,edna ,ferber #afi 7,from ,mc,clure's ,magazine7 8,,clothes ,,make ,,the ,,man40 ,by ,booth ,tarkington #aic 7,from ,metropolitan ,magazine7 ,,the ,,bell ,,of ,,saint ,,gregoire4 ,by ,agnes ,ross ,white #bbc 7,from ,the ,people's ,home ,journal7 ,,the ,,evening ,,rice4 ,by ,achmed ,abdullah #bci 7,from ,pictorial ,review7 ,,the ,,taking ,,of ,,billy ,,rand4 ,by ,gordon ,young #bei 7,from ,short ,stories7 ,,according ,,to ,,ruskin4 ,by ,harriet ,welles #bgi 7,from ,the ,woman's ,home ,companion7 ,,the ,,crystal ,,flask4 ,by ,paul ,rosenwey #bic 7,from ,young's ,magazine7 99 99 99 99 99 ,,why ,,the ,,editors ,,buy #cje ,,footnotes ,,transcriber',s ,,notes ,,prefatory ,,note ,during the past twenty years the short story has come to occupy a distinct place in ,american letters4 ,while it must perhaps be granted that we are not pre-eminent in the novel or the essay1 we may quite fairly pride ourselves upon the high achievement of our authors in short story writing4 ,american magazines 7and this is said in no spirit of braggadocio7 today carry more and better short stories than do the magazines of any other country4 ,in addition it should be taken into consideration that we in ,america publish a greater number of periodicals devoted either wholly or in part to fiction than is the custom elsewhere4 ,thus automatically the would-be short story writer is given opportunity and encouragement1 two powerful factors in all creative endeavor4 ,success in short story writing means both fame and pecuniary reward4 ,it is professionally worth while both from the artistic and the financial points of view4 ,to the ,american editor should be given much of the credit for this development in the short story4 ,a story1 no matter how vital or well written1 carries no real weight until it is in print4 ,the printed page gives it permanency2 through print it reaches the multitude4 ,the editor1 at his or her desk1 has final say as to what shall or shall not go into the pages of his or her magazine4 ,there are often outside factors that shape the magazine's editorial and fiction policy4 ,but editors are sincere in desiring to give their readers the best stories they can procure of the kind they are ready to publish4 ,but they do a great deal more than just select from the mass of material that is submitted to them4 ,they go out after the type of stories they want4 ,they see the men and women who can write and personally confer with them1 suggesting new things to write about1 new trends in thought1 new angles of approach1 new methods of handling4 ,to ,george ,horace ,lorimer certainly should go much of the credit for the evolution of the ,american business story2 a chance remark of ,ray ,long's at editorial conference brought the first ,pell ,street tales into existence2 it is no exaggeration to say that ,john ,m4 ,siddall with his search for clean-cut ,americanism has had much to do with the growing prominence and popularity of ,american small town portrayal which popularity has in turn profoundly affected the development of the ,american novel2 to ,perriton ,maxwell should be given the honor of having been the first to publish stories of ,jewish life in one of our leading monthlies4 ,not only do the editors shape and mould the literary taste of their readers but they have and do actually create new forms of literary output4 ,the technique of the ,american short story is more or less fixed and numerous textbooks have been compiled thereon4 ,but technique is not a rigid matter4 ,the importance of the subject matter or sheer artistry can often 8put over0 a story that defies every one of the traditional or accepted rules4 ,too1 different editors and different magazines have their own ideas on technique4 ,therefore1 for any one who would write it is best to study and analyze carefully the pages of the various magazines4 ,to succeed in the short story field the writer needs not only to know how to write but where to sell4 ,to get before the short story reading public it is vital not only to have a story to tell and to know how to tell it but to know also where to offer that story when it is told4 ,in selling a short story it is not primarily the attitude of any one individual critic or group of self-appointed critics that matters2 it is the attitude of the editor toward the particular story under consideration4 ,as there are many stories there are many editors4 ,they are all on the lookout for new and good material4 ,if you have created a good story it is bound some day to find its publisher and thereby to reach its public4 ,in order that this book may be of practical service to the new writer and to those already well established the editors were asked why they bought the particular stories they did1 in other words their attitude in fiction buying4 ,their replies are printed verbatim4 ,many came in the form of personal letters and this will explain why there may be a certain lack of formality in some of the editorial replies4 ,but on consideration this was decided the most practical way in which the editor might reach his audience4 ,analysis of the answers will show the veriest tyro that a story that might do excellently for the ,metropolitan need not be desired by the ,dial and vice versa4 ,in the compiler's mind the magazines automatically group themselves into classes1 a grouping which attempts to reach no conclusion as to relative literary or commercial values4 ,certain of these magazines were asked to include a story that had appeared in its pages and which from the point of view of that magazine's editorial policy was a highly desirable and good story4 ,here the editors hesitated3 they had many good stories that might be included4 ,eventually1 though1 choices were made and the authors kindly consenting to their reprinting1 the stories are given herewith4 ,here again it cannot be made too clear that no editorial verdict was attempted in including stories from some of the magazines and in omitting those from others4 ,the aim of the book is to be of practical service in pointing out reasons for fiction buying4 ,all of the magazines could not be included because of space limitation4 ,as far as possible different types of magazines were chosen4 ,the editors of these magazines again one and all were unanimous in making it clear that they could have suggested many other stories that had appeared in their pages that were equally good considered literarily or artistically4 ,but as the book does attempt to guide and direct--so far as this is possible in an art--they chose stories that they considered representative in a major number of ways4 ,our leading weeklies lay much emphasis upon their fiction4 ,the ,saturday ,evening ,post buys more short stories a year than does any other magazine4 ,because of its enormous circulation the contributor has the satisfaction of feeling that he or she is reaching a maximum number of readers4 ,the style of stories in this magazine changes from year to year as the editor has been repeatedly heard to say that the reading public is apt to tire of any one type no matter how well done4 ,the practical note is apt to preponderate4 ,in ,collier's1 the ,national ,weekly1 we find a very ,american story1 not exploiting big cities and millionaire circles1 but rather the moderately incomed home of the average ,american--its good fortune1 its vicissitudes1 its every day point of view1 handled with exquisite sympathy4 ,leslie's1 limited in space1 is frankly after the constructive business story4 ,in any consideration of the ,american monthly magazines automatically ,harper's1 ,scribner's and ,century come to mind in a group4 ,these put great emphasis upon literary execution4 ,the ,atlantic ,monthly is perhaps not quite so rigid in its demand for form while the ,dial is almost radical4 ,the ,touchstone rates artistry most highly1 the article by ,mrs4 ,roberts in this book making her views on the whole matter most explicit4 ,there is another large group of monthly magazines1 more generally popular perhaps1 in which there is the very greatest diversity and yet differentiation of editorial wants4 ,it will pay to study these magazines closely4 ,the student will at once see why a story that might be most popular in the ,metropolitan would not have a chance in the ,american--and at that no purely literary or technical point need be involved4 ,in this group of magazines there is the greatest possible chance for divergence in story treatment1 in subject matter1 even in methods of characterization4 ,since ,ray ,long has taken over the ,cosmopolitan he has repeatedly shown his catholicity of taste as has ,karl ,harriman in subject matter in the ,red ,book4 ,it is easy to decide which stories may prove suitable for our magazines that are primarily interested in sex problems1 and this does not necessarily mean sex in any too realistic or too sordid sense4 ,the editors who are selecting the material for these periodicals feel that sex is the fundamental motivation in every human act2 that therefore its presentation is always interesting1 of moment1 and bound to intrigue a large group of readers4 ,a certain number of the smaller of these magazines demand liveliness of presentation rather than newness of plot4 ,all are apt to stress a certain up-to-date and social quality4 ,we have a large group of action magazines4 ,they look for 8story40 ,in this group the ,street and ,smith periodicals are particularly interested in the story that has an ,american hero and an ,american environment4 ,some of the others are not quite so restrictive4 ,perhaps 8a good yarn rattling well told0 is the best slogan presentation of their wants4 ,but like all slogans it is unfair4 ,the frequent presence of ,joseph ,conrad in these magazines certainly would seem to prove that craftsmanship is appreciated4 ,the women's magazines make a point of carrying as good fiction as can be procured and in some of them we are finding the best short stories of the day4 ,the ,pictorial ,review1 for instance1 is not circumscribed in its point of view2 it has room for the purely artistic creation2 it welcomes warmly the picture of life whose main characteristic is sympathetic narration4 ,other magazines in this group feel that they should publish only human interest stories as these make the strongest appeal to their particular circle of women readers4 ,many of the stories in the farm and fireside journals are written with a distinct purpose2 to portray intimately some heretofore little known section of the country2 to illustrate some new agricultural theory2 to create sympathy for some rural situation4 ,but 8purpose0 is never allowed to destroy story values4 ,our juvenile magazines make no secret of their aim4 ,it is to influence rightly the changing character1 the shifting ideals and aspirations of the growing boys and girls who come under the sway of their story pages4 ,the fiction must be of absorbing interest from the point of view of the young1 but at the same time it must contain nothing that would react detrimentally4 ,from the above brief summary it is easy to see that a story that might prove eminently acceptable from the point of view of one magazine might not do at all for another4 ,that the placing of a story1 in other words1 demands a certain amount of knowledge of market wants and market conditions4 ,this brings us to the consideration of the agent4 ,is or is not an agent of help8 ,this question is largely one for self-determination4 ,it depends somewhat on the personality of the author4 ,all agents cannot help all authors3 there is a give and take of personality2 in other words1 the human equation has something to do with the success of the relationship4 ,an agent cannot sell a story that is not sellable2 an agent cannot repeatedly get higher prices for the author than the author can get for himself4 ,an agent does know more of the markets and its fluctuations2 agency advice--as it is a matter of business--is apt to be impersonal and good2 agency direction can save much misguided effort4 ,there is an impression that agents are perhaps not popular with editors4 ,this is not true4 ,perhaps the letter of ,james ,e4 ,tower1 editor of ,the ,delineator given herewith and which came unsolicited1 is as good actual proof of this fact as any statement which the writer might make4 ,dear ,miss ,wick3 ,a certain periodical1 which has its distribution amongst writers1 has put in my mouth words which ,i did not say and which do an injustice alike to some good friends of mine and to me4 ,i am quoted as having said1 at a recent luncheon1 that editors are not keen about purchasing from literary brokers4 ,i never said that nor implied it4 ,i said that ,i felt that the brokers had been the largest single factor in raising and maintaining authors' prices2 that the publishing trade were inclined1 on this account1 to look askance at the agent system1 but that authors formerly did not receive adequate compensation and that the better prices had raised the standard of authorship and benefited the trade1 as well as the writers themselves4 ,my own editorial career is sufficient refutation of the statement attributed to me4 ,i think ,i never heard an editor express any prejudice against the broker system4 ,sincerely yours1 ,,james ,e4 ,,tower4 ,lastly do not let it be felt that the compiler of these editorial want paragraphs1 this editorial exposition of the stories the editor wants and buys1 desires to express any personal opinion as to the relative literary merits or commercial status of the magazines listed in this book4 ,this is not a book of criticism4 ,it is an effort to have the editors talk directly to those who for any reason whatever are interested in the ,american short story as it is published week in and week out in our magazines4 ,,jean ,,wick4 ,,new ,,york ,,city4 ,ainslee's ,magazine ,,the ,,week-,,end ,,guest ,,by ,,marie ,,van ,,vorst ,,the ,,week-,,end ,,guest#a ,by ,,marie ,,van ,,vorst ,from the room where ,patricia ,hereford's wedding gifts were displayed1 the ,long ,island ,sound was visible1 and it lay in the distance on this ,october day1 blue as a patch of cornflowers4 ,down at the dock the yacht waited to take the master of the house to town4 ,underneath the window in kilts1 bare legs1 bagpipes and all1 a ,highland shepherd1 imported by the lady of the house from his native heather because he was picturesque1 watched his sheep and was homesick to the bone6 ,the twenty-five ,southdown sheep were astoundingly clean and moved about in patches on the flawless lawn4 ,now and again the wretched piper played a few ,scotch melodies as he was paid to do1 and the lady of the house listened to the piper's tunes with her pencil on her lips as she prepared for the detective a list of the wedding presents4 8,what melody is ,sandy playing now1 ,nell80 ,one of the bridesmaids1 a girl who was staying in the house1 perched nonchalantly on a table1 a notebook and a pencil in her hands4 ,miss ,moore was helping ,mrs4 ,hereford list the wedding presents1 and presumably ,miss ,cynthia ,moore was thinking of her own wedding1 when it should come to pass1 as bridesmaids will6 ,she dictated to ,mrs4 ,hereford4 8,number one thousand and six1 ,nell1 a pigskin purse from ,eric ,johnson4 ,pat's own chauffeur1 isn't he80 8,yes10 said ,mrs4 ,hereford1 8nice of him and in perfectly good taste40 ,miss ,moore swung to and fro a foot encased in a correct golf brogue4 ,she was the champion woman golfer of the ,eastern ,states1 and came downstairs in the morning dressed for golf1 ready for her game4 ,indeed she said she only put on evening dress in order to keep out of social jail6 8,that's the nicest thing ,i have heard you say about any of the presents1 ,nell6 ,if people who sent them could only hear you60 ,the lady of the house shrugged4 8,i have always wondered why certain frightful things were manufactured and now ,i know they are for wedding gifts4 ,the boring part is that over a thousand people will have to be lied to and thanked6 ,poor ,patricia60 ,there they were1 over a thousand wedding presents6 ,patricia ,hereford was a popular dbutante and her father the best host on ,long ,island4 ,everything that indifferent taste could select and money pay for1 from ,hereford's own gift of diamonds to the modest pigskin purse1 was here displayed4 ,one of the most truly beautiful things was a pink ,persian prayer rug of rich soft tones1 a ,persian proverb in delicate lettering running around the border4 ,it hung on the wall opposite the pearls and valuable jewels4 ,two rooms on the second floor of the big country house had been consecrated to this exhibition1 and the presents were to be seen by the guests on the following afternoon1 after the wedding4 8,mr4 ,jones is downstairs in the fur room10 ,mrs4 ,hereford said1 8but his men have not come up from ,waybrook1 and ,i thought he had better stay with the sables and the silver fox4 ,we must not budge from here until they come1 but you can go to ,pat if you like1 ,cinnie4 ,i'll stay on40 ,the lady of the house glanced out at the ,highland piper and his astoundingly clean sheep on the lawn4 8,there60 exclaimed ,miss ,moore4 8,that's the tune ,i mean1 ,nell6 ,what is it--do you know8 ,hear it and weep1 don't you think so80 ,mrs4 ,hereford hummed the tune through1 accompanied by the melancholic piper from without4 8,jolly60 exclaimed ,cynthia from her table4 8,jolly in your adorable voice6 ,are there any words that go with it or is it only a sob and a wail80 8,ye ,highlands and ye ,lowlands oh6 ,where have you been8 ,they have slain the ,earl of ,moray and laid him on the green4 ,he was a braw gallant and he rode for the glove1 ,and the gallant ,earl of ,moray he was the ,queen's love2 ,and long shall the ,lady look from the ,castle down ,to hear the ,earl of ,moray go stounin' through the ,town40 ,mrs4 ,hereford's really beautiful voice filled the gift room with its sweetness4 8,i'll catalogue wedding presents indefinitely10 said ,miss ,moore1 8if you'll go on like that4 ,anyhow1 ,nell1 he is the ,queen's ,love all right60 8,what do you mean80 asked ,mrs4 ,hereford sharply4 8,captain ,ramsay4 ,he is crazy about you40 ,mrs4 ,hereford had been comparing her list with that of ,miss ,moore4 ,she went over to the window1 looked out until the red died from her face1 and said over her shoulder3 8,go on with your list1 ,cinnie1 and don't be a goose40 ,the girl wrote diligently for a few moments4 ,mrs4 ,hereford returned to the table where the pigskin purse reposed between the red lacquer box1 on which the card read3 8,maharajah of ,singapore10 and a sapphire ring on the other side4 8,i am awfully sorry for you1 ,nell1 you'll miss ,pat beyond words1 shan't you80 8,yes10 said the lady of the house1 8to-morrow night ,i shall be utterly alone40 8,how nice for your husband60 ,miss ,moore laughed4 8,where is poor old ,tommy going1 anyway80 8,nowhere10 said the lady of the house coolly4 8,i mean we will be all alone40 ,mrs4 ,hereford was twenty years younger than her husband4 ,she had never asked herself so often before1 how she was going to be able to entertain the prospect of endless luncheons and endless dinners opposite ,tommy ,hereford4 8,entirely alone10 she murmured again1 walking down the long line of presents4 ,from the splendid pearls she came back to ,eric ,johnson's purse and stood near it as though something drew her to that special spot4 ,she had not married ,hereford to bring up his children1 she was only a little older than they4 ,she had been a sister to them during the five years of her married life and ,jack ,hereford1 who was unpopular with his father1 adored his stepmother4 8,why did you marry your husband1 ,helen80 ,cynthia ,moore asked laughingly1 but she did wonder with all her might4 ,since she had known the two she had never been able to understand the union4 ,mrs4 ,hereford1 leaning with one hand on the gift table1 the other playing with her long rope of pearls1 said absent-mindedly1 8,oh1 there must be twenty reasons why60 8,and you can't think of one60 exclaimed the girl4 ,on the hard floor of the next room fell the footsteps of some one coming quickly toward them4 8,listen1 ,nell10 laughed the girl who was staying in the house1 8#8the ,earl of ,moray is stounin' through the town6' ,you'll miss him1 too1 when he goes to-morrow6 ,i am awfully sorry for him40 8,hello1 ,captain ,ramsay60 she said4 8,come and take my place and list these things with ,mrs4 ,hereford40 ,she held out the book and the pencil to him4 ,she understood many things4 ,since ,ramsay had come to ,waybrook ten days before with ,jack ,hereford1 he had scarcely spoken a word to any one2 scarcely looked at any one but the lady of the house1 and his absorption in her was dangerously charming to a woman not in love with her husband4 8,you don't have to stay in the house all morning1 do you1 ,mrs4 ,hereford80 he asked eagerly4 ,ramsay wore the uniform of the ,blank ,flying ,corps1 and his breast was full of stars4 8,yes1 ,miss ,moore and ,i are on guard here1 and ,i wish you would do something for me1 will you1 like an angel80 ,ramsay mechanically picked up the pigskin purse4 8,i have got one like this10 he said1 8it doesn't look like a wedding present6 ,i have carried mine through the war and it is as empty now as it was then10 he laughed4 8,please1 please60 urged the lady of the house1 8do run down to the graperies where we were yesterday----0 ,ramsay interrupted4 8,i wanted to go with you now1 ,mrs4 ,hereford1 down there2 can't we80 8,i am on guard4 ,if anything were stolen from this room1 ,cynthia and ,i would be responsible4 ,i am making up a lunch basket for ,patricia4 ,she is crazy about ,hamburg grapes and ,i want to put some in40 8,you only want to send me away10 he laughed4 8,i never went on so many distant errands in my life6 ,isn't there something you want in ,new ,york80 8,i do want the grapes60 ,she wanted to get him from under the clever scrutiny of ,cynthia ,moore1 and after he had gone out of the room1 reluctant in every move of his body1 ,miss ,moore asked1 8,what do you know about ,captain ,ramsay80 ,the bridesmaid had a fashion of putting questions when she was interested in anything with a frank abruptness1 at once alluring and embarrassing4 8,not much1 just picturesque things10 said the lady of the house4 8,there's the last item1 ,cinnie1 diamond pendant1 value four thousand dollars40 ,cynthia ,moore scrutinized her list4 8,all right6 ,we have varied it agreeably6 ,we began with #8gift of the bridegroom1 one hundred thousand dollars1' and we drift along to a pigskin purse1 value one dollar fifty1 ,i should say1 and close with a medium note1 a little four thousand6 ,tell me about ,ramsay40 ,miss ,moore had arrived the day before1 coming back with the ,herefords from the races1 to a large house party of which ,jack ,hereford1 son of the house1 home from ,france1 and ,captain ,ralph ,ramsay were part4 8,jack's crazy about him10 said ,mrs4 ,hereford4 8,he is ,jack's best friend40 8',m60 murmured ,miss ,moore4 8,excuse me1 my dear6 ,you have a soft spot in your heart for ,jack4 ,i don't understand it--,i never have40 ,mrs4 ,hereford went on4 8,they have been together for two years in ,france in the same sector4 ,captain ,ramsay is an ace with a ripping record1 as you know40 8,no10 returned the bridesmaid1 giving her book up to ,mrs4 ,hereford1 8,i don't know anything about him40 ,miss ,moore was an unusually understanding young person2 some people said she had ten senses where others have only seven4 8,well60 said the lady of the house4 8,he is quite poor2 lots of nice people are4 ,he is from the ,west as you can hear by his accent40 8,no one has a chance to hear much of his accent but you6 ,he never speaks to any one else40 8,ridiculous60 said the lady of the house4 8,jack told me that every one in the sector from the mascot to the colonel was crazy about ,ralph1 and as you see1 he has all the medals that can be won40 8,too bad he couldn't have worked off a few on ,jack10 said ,cynthia4 8,jack is as bare as a bone1 and his father seems to have it in for him harder than ever6 ,what has ,jack done since he was demobilized1 ,nell80 ,mrs4 ,hereford shook her head4 8,don't ask me6 ,my husband doesn't like my interference4 ,i learned that and ,i don't try to know4 ,jack is going to ,california to-morrow4 ,he is going on with aviation1 and ,i hope will go into the ,united ,states army for good4 ,i hope he will40 8,too bad60 murmured ,miss ,moore4 ,for in her kind and understanding heart there was a very warm place for the master of the house4 8,too bad such a fine man as ,tommy should have a son like ,jack40 8,you are very unfair to him10 said the lady of the house warmly4 8,i think ,i am the only one to understand him4 ,i believe the very best of ,jack1 and ,i know he'll come out all right4 ,he has a good military record over there40 ,miss ,moore laughed4 8,well1 he did not get shot in the back6 ,i know ,i'm rotten1 but--0 ,she came impulsively over to her friend and put her arms around her4 8,now the ,earl of ,moray is another thing4 ,he's all right4 ,you can see his record on his face and on his breast1 and ,i excuse his #8stounin' through the town' and his entire absorption in another woman--he is all right60 ,cynthia ,moore kissed ,mrs4 ,hereford and then went upstairs to ,patricia1 who had been waiting for her for the last half hour4 ,the lady of the house was not sorry to be alone4 ,she knew about ,ralph ,ramsay only what her stepson had told her in his letters from ,france during the past two years4 ,in these letters ,ralph ,ramsay had been described as a 8wonder1 a corker1 a dare-devil in the air1 a chap who defied danger and death1 a little bit of all right10 and when ,jack took the trouble to detail some thrilling event or to tell of fine achievements1 ,ralph ,ramsay would turn out to be the man who had done the thing4 ,in ,jack's letters the ace had charmed this imaginative and loveless woman1 and his valor and his courage had fascinated her from afar4 ,in her room1 on her bureau and on her desk1 were numerous snapshots of the two young men1 and the ace seemed always to be smiling at her and to be the expression of la joie de vivre4 ,he attracted her enormously1 and in the little pictures she grew to know every line of his slim body and of his beautiful head4 ,as he waved his cap at the side of a broken machine from which he had landed that time safely1 he seemed to wave to her and to greet her4 ,when her husband came into her little room1 if he resented the fact that there were no pictures of himself there and too many of his scapegrace of a son1 his good breeding did not allow him to comment on the fact6 ,he showed a friendly approval of ,captain ,ramsay1 however4 8,now there is a fine-looking chap1 ,nell1 and ,i hope to ,god he does ,jack good4 ,i'd like a son like that60 ,but he saw the flying man under different colors when ,ramsay appeared at ,waybrook4 ,ramsay came into a conventional atmosphere with a vivid charm of which no one was unconscious1 and if ,jack had written that from the mascot to the colonel he was popular in ,france--he was popular at ,waybrook1 from the chauffeur by whose side he had sat on the way from the train1 to the lady of the house4 ,not even the big wedding with the rush1 excitement1 and absorption had been able to cloud over the brightness of the passing of ,ralph ,ramsay4 ,if he defied danger in the air1 the young man defied convention here2 and with utter disregard of propriety he fell in love with the lady of the house and took no pains to conceal his passion4 ,mrs4 ,hereford remembered what her stepson had said of him3 8,women go crazy about ,ralph4 ,in the hospital he had the nurses nailed4 ,it was comic1 the poor chaps on either side of him stood no chance at all60 ,tommy ,hereford1 the best host on ,long ,island1 had on this occasion displayed a perfect hospitality6 ,for ten days he watched this young man make love to his wife and did not throw him out6 ,hereford sincerely loved his wife1 and was determined to win her if he could4 ,he had no intention of playing the losing game of a jealous husband4 ,the day before1 to protect ,ramsay and to get him away where she could warn him1 and try to make him behave1 she had snatched half an hour from the rushing day and taken him to the graperies4 ,he had drawn her into his arms and held her in spite of the fact that the gardener was in the next glass house and talking across to ,mrs4 ,hereford4 ,ramsay had said over the man's voice and over the scent of violets3 8,i love you terribly--with every bit of me--thank ,god ,i was not smashed up in ,france before ,i could tell you this60 ,now she knew he would think of every moment of this4 ,she could never go into those graperies again without a thrill4 ,her husband was going to town on the yacht and came in smoking and holding out two one-thousand-dollar bills4 8,nell1 ,i want ,patricia to have some pocket money in her dressing case4 ,slip these in1 will you80 8,tommy10 exclaimed his wife1 8you never stop1 do you80 8,i am glad ,i don't have to stop10 said the father1 8when it is the case of doing something for my little girl40 8,i'll put them in this little leather purse10 said ,mrs4 ,hereford and she took up the little pocketbook4 8,pat says she is going to take it with her1 ,tommy1 and she'll be frightfully pleased40 ,he gave her the bills1 and ,mrs4 ,hereford slipped them into the little purse4 8,going to leave it there around loose like that80 asked the business man4 8,why not8 ,jones' men will be here in a minute4 ,think of the things farther along and what they are worth4 ,there is no one here but ourselves40 ,through the other doorway ,jack ,hereford and ,ralph ,ramsay came in together4 ,since he had been at ,waybrook1 ,ramsay had never seen the husband and wife alone together4 ,he stopped short on the threshold1 but the son went in4 8,i've not been robbing the graperies10 ,ramsay said4 8,these are going in your daughter's lunch basket1 ,mr4 ,hereford40 8,i dare say10 nodded the father4 8,everything goes with ,pat60 8,look what dad has just given her40 ,mrs4 ,hereford held up the purse and the bills4 8,i am putting them in this little pigskin purse so that if she wants to buy some stamps she'll find them handy40 ,jack looked at his father's last generous gift without a word1 turned about and went and stood at the window4 ,the piper1 who felt he had done as much as his salary demanded1 was silent4 ,with his back to the house he gazed beyond the ,sound toward the bonnie hills of ,scotland4 ,ramsay seemed to appreciate the generosity1 however4 8,wonderful60 he exclaimed4 8,wonderful to be able to do things like that for one's children60 ,and he looked from the husband to the wife1 but his tone was bitter4 ,mrs4 ,hereford had never heard a note like this in his voice4 ,as her husband went out of the room and his son slowly followed him1 ,mrs4 ,hereford asked ,ramsay3 8,why did you speak so bitterly when my husband gave ,patricia his parting gift8 ,it was not like you60 8,bitterly60 he exclaimed4 8,my dad threw me out when ,i was twelve--he married again--,i wasn't wanted1 and since then ,i have never known a home4 ,i have knocked about the world4 ,i have never seen a family life and when ,jack used to talk of his people ,i never believed that anything like this existed6 ,and now that ,i see what it means to a chap1 it makes me bitter1 that's all60 8,poor boy60 8,oh1 no6 ,oh1 no10 he hurried4 8,for ,god's sake1 don't pity me6 ,i don't want to grouch4 ,i have been hungry1 ,i have always been poor1 but ,i've managed to get something of life everywhere6 ,i suppose you'd call me an adventurer40 ,he threw back his beautiful head and laughed4 8,it is a good adventure all right and ,i am glad ,i am part of it40 ,he took her hand1 looked down at her with his wonderful frank smile1 and with the courage that conquers the world4 8,i am glad that all those hard paths have brought me here to you4 ,i have seen a lot of women1 but ,i never cared like this40 ,she believed it and he kissed her again deeply1 deeply1 many times2 indifferent to the fact that they might be observed1 and how serious it would be for her2 but she freed herself saying3 8,what madness6 ,this must have its end1 you know60 ,and he murmured passionately1 8,yes1 it must have its end1 dearest4 ,when can ,i see you80 8,to-night10 she said1 8in the music room at twelve--at half past twelve40 ,unmistakably some one was coming in the hall4 ,mrs4 ,hereford turned and hurriedly left the room4 ,after she had gone out ,ramsay stood motionless beside the long tables4 ,life1 which had been so full of unkindness to him and so full of caprices1 seemed at last to have smiled upon him4 ,only certain moments in the air when above the ,german lines he had escaped the enemy's barrage and later brought down his black foe--seen him fall1 only in moments of such magnitude1 had he felt lifted as high as to-day4 ,here some one called3 8,nell6 ,nell1 where are you80 ,and down through the long room1 next where his own eager footsteps had gone 8stounin'0 on the parquet floor1 came ,patricia ,hereford1 the bride1 in her wedding dress1 looking for her stepmother4 ,she stood hesitatingly on the threshold between the rooms4 8,where's mother1 ,captain ,ramsay80 ,patricia passed for a beauty4 ,she was happy and healthy1 lit by young expectancy and young hope and love4 ,white as a lily1 and tall as a lily1 she stood looking about at her beautiful things as a child might at his ,christmas gifts4 8,what a crowd of things60 she murmured4 8,what an awful lot1 isn't it8 ,and all for little me40 ,she nodded and laughed4 8,it will take a thousand years to write letters of thanks for them all4 ,i'll make ,nelly do it40 ,she slowly walked along in front of the presents1 lifting a card here1 stopping a moment there1 only half attentive1 half seeing them1 having this day more dazzling things than material jewels to think about4 ,she stopped finally1 before the pigskin purse lying between the sapphire ring and the lacquer box4 ,the young man who had been thrown out of family life at twelve to fight for his existence1 watched this spoiled society girl in her satin dress1 surrounded by objects whose value footed up to hundreds of thousands4 8,i have not half seen the things yet6 ,aren't they wonderful80 ,she picked up the purse4 8,this is from my chauffeur4 ,wasn't it kind of him80 ,she opened it mechanically1 looked up at ,ramsay1 and said1 laughing3 8,oh1 gracious6 ,that's daddy60 8,it was meant for a surprise for you40 8,never mind10 she said1 8,i won't tell4 ,indeed1 if any one asks1 ,i'll swear it was empty40 ,she laughed and put it down again4 8,it is great of you1 ,captain ,ramsay1 to have watched the presents for me4 ,thank you a thousand times40 ,ramsay looked up at the prayer rug4 8,i wish since you are here1 ,miss ,hereford1 you'd tell me what the letters around this prayer rug mean6 ,what do they say80 ,she thought a minute4 8,i have got it written out upstairs somewhere40 ,it was difficult for the bride to bring her attention to ,persian characters4 8,as near as ,i can remember they say3 8,to the ,great ,lover ,honor and ,dishonor ,life and ,death are in the hands of the ,beloved40 ,ramsay nodded4 8,great60 he said4 8,i like it awfully4 ,it's ripping40 8,hello1 ,pat60 ,her brother stood on the threshold she had crossed4 8,hello1 people6 ,i have been looking for you1 ,pat4 ,i have been up to your room40 ,the two young people1 absorbed in a saying of the ,far ,east1 did not answer4 ,patricia and ,ralph stood with their backs to the sapphire ring and the maharajah's red lacquer box and the pigskin purse4 8,the ,maharajah of ,singapore10 said ,miss ,hereford1 8gave me wonderful lessons last year in ,boston4 ,all the girls were crazy about him4 ,you read from left to right40 ,she pointed with her slender finger of the left hand on which the wedding ring would be very soon4 8,there like that1 see3 8#8,to the ,great ,lover ,honor and ,dishonor' on the first line2 #8,life and ,death are in the hands of the ,beloved' on the second line40 ,the ,scotch piper without1 on the flawless lawn with his twenty-five astoundingly clean sheep1 had decided to take his grazing herd farther along and had gone to the end of the park4 ,from the distance they could hear the tune of his melancholic music as it came to them faintly as they stood there reading the rug4 8,and the gallant ,earl of ,moray he was the queen's love40 8,the ,great ,lover10 ,ramsay repeated the words2 they were fascinating4 ,oh1 it was worth while in life to be a great lover6 ,ah1 he could be it now for her--for her--for the woman he had kissed and held in his arms6 8,mr4 ,rolland would like to speak to ,miss ,hereford in her room40 ,no one but the family was allowed in the gift room and the footman with a message for ,patricia from the bridegroom stopped halfway down the next room1 and even though she was so near being ,mrs4 ,rolland1 the girl blushed at the name and started forward4 8,i'll come at once4 ,captain ,ramsay1 do find ,nell4 ,ask her to come up to my room4 ,i must see her40 8,i can't leave here10 said ,ramsay4 8,jack will tell her4 ,i say1 old man--0 ,and he turned round to speak to ,jack1 but ,hereford had simply crossed the room and gone out by the other door4 99 99 99 99 99 ,as ,mrs4 ,hereford1 after leaving ,ramsay1 went out of the gift room she ran into young ,hereford1 who caught her arm and drew her toward her own room4 8,nell1 come along with me a second1 will you80 ,her stepchildren called her by her first name4 ,she was more like a sister than a mother to them4 ,she was always dreading demands of money from ,jack1 for whenever he wanted either to confess to her or to demand a favor1 he made her boudoir a confessional4 ,mrs4 ,hereford was a ,southerner1 accustomed to a great deal of admiration from young men1 and ,jack ,hereford was especially chivalrous and devoted to her4 ,he might well be1 for she had been his defender against his father more than once4 ,now he put her in a comfortable chair and called in to her maid1 who happened to be in the next room4 8,marie1 like an angel fetch a couple of cocktails for ,mrs4 ,hereford and me1 will you80 8,you should rest1 ,nell2 you've been worn out with all this rush40 ,when he had made his stepmother comfortable1 he lit a cigarette for her1 took one himself1 and looked around at the photographs of himself and ,ramsay4 8,gee1 what a lot of me6 ,you framed everything ,i ever sent you1 ,i guess4 ,isn't ,ralph a corker8 ,now he's got the good luck to be staying on4 ,i've brought you here1 ,nell1 to say good-by4 ,i've got to go to-day40 ,she looked at him in surprise4 8,you mean to say you are going to miss the wedding80 8,i am awfully cut up about it--military orders1 and--honestly1 ,i'm not sorry to get away4 ,dad has been rotten to me--absolutely rotten60 ,the maid brought the two cocktails on a tray4 ,jack drank his and said half smiling3 8,you're a brick1 ,nell4 ,ralph will bring me news of everything when he comes4 ,good-by--don't get too tired4 ,see you at ,christmas40 ,he leaned over1 kissed her1 and went to bid his sister good-by4 ,the lady of the house1 while alone in her room the next few moments1 received countless telephone calls and messages4 ,as soon as they knew she was to be found every one came to her4 ,only after she had dismissed the last messenger could she draw a long breath and remember ,ralph in the room beyond4 ,ramsay had become a great excitement and a problem4 ,to-morrow he would be gone1 however1 and to-night she would try to put things on another footing1 and in his absence turn to the occupations of her busy social life to try to forget him4 ,as she passed through the apartment adjoining the gift room1 she could see the tables weighed down with their priceless things1 and ,ralph still alone in front of the maharajah's lacquer box and the sapphire ring opposite the prayer rug on the wall4 ,she could see1 too1 that in his hands was the little purse2 he was closing it--slipping the strap under the band4 ,he put it quickly down as he heard her steps and came toward her with a radiant face as though he had no thought beyond the fact that she had come back and alone4 ,she had time only to meet his eyes with a troubled question in her own1 for1 sharp and alert1 ,mr4 ,jones1 with one of the other detectives1 followed behind her4 ,the three together entered the room where ,ramsay stood4 ,jones said briskly3 8,now1 we'll take charge here1 ,mrs4 ,hereford1 and relieve you1 ,captain ,ramsay40 ,but the young man paid no more attention to them than if they had been ghosts4 ,he was looking only at the woman whom he had taken lately in his arms4 8,since you went away ,i have learned to read the writing on the wall40 ,she did not answer4 ,she was not thinking of ,persian characters and ,persian rugs4 8,miss ,hereford came in her wedding gown4 ,she was looking for you and she read me the writing on the wall40 8,i have forgotten what it says40 ,at the far end of the big room ,jones and his man were comparing the lists and checking them4 8,i saw ,miss ,hereford1 too10 said ,jones4 8,she came to the fur room to tell me about the little pigskin purse with loose cash--two thousand dollars6 ,i told ,miss ,hereford it was a mistake to let loose cash like that lie around40 ,and the detective took up the little pocketbook1 undid the strap which ,mrs4 ,hereford had just seen ,ramsay close4 ,jones was perfunctory1 and he looked into the little purse out of habit4 ,finding it empty1 he held it over to ,mrs4 ,hereford and ,ramsay1 saying3 8,empty as a drum40 ,jones was delighted4 ,he was glad of the snappy little incident1 and his man1 at the other end of the room1 turned round with alacrity at his chief's voice4 ,captain ,ramsay1 his hands in his pockets1 stood perfectly motionless1 looking quietly at the lady of the house4 ,before he could speak she said3 8,miss ,hereford is very careless1 and how could she possibly exchange two thousand-dollar bills on her honeymoon8 ,i thought as you did1 ,mr4 ,jones1 and ,i told her father before he went to town ,i had a lot of large bills to pay on the place and ,i wanted some cash4 ,mr4 ,hereford asked me to slip in my own check instead4 ,i left it out on my desk in my boudoir4 ,i'll go and fetch it now40 ,there was nothing whatsoever to say to the lady of the house--it was perfectly en rgle4 8,all right10 said ,jones4 8,we'll list it properly and it will be much safer40 ,as the lady of the house went out the detective said to ,captain ,ramsay3 8,now if you want to go off duty80 ,the young man even then looked at nothing but the disappearing figure of ,helen ,hereford4 ,he stared at it as if he wanted to follow her1 then wheeled about and went out by the opposite door4 ,he called out to ,jones3 8,i am going to have a bit of air before luncheon40 99 99 99 99 99 ,how that day passed she never knew4 ,she had gone to ,patricia and kissed her under her wedding veil1 and there had been the bustle in the busy house--countless things to be done1 to be decided--endless messages and calls4 ,no one saw ,captain ,ramsay or knew where he had gone and1 at dinner1 when the host asked for him1 a manservant answered3 8,captain ,ramsay was called over the phone by a brother officer and has gone to the club4 ,he has taken his traps40 8,aprs la guerre comme la guerre60 said ,cynthia ,moore4 8,manners6 ,that's the ,earl of ,moray all over60 ,and she made a grimace at ,mrs4 ,hereford as much as to say3 8,you packed him off at last1 and no wonder40 ,he had simply fled1 and the shame and the degradation sickened her to the soul4 ,he had not given her time to recover from his passionate declarations before he had stolen under her very eyes1 one might say1 under her very kisses4 ,how had he dared to touch her8 ,how had he dared8 ,by dinner time she was so overcome by her wretchedness that she was obliged to go to her boudoir to shut herself away4 ,as she saw him on the little photograph by the side of his machine1 ready to ascend--and in another near the broken wing of a fallen plane after an accident1 she thought3 8,far better to have died than to have come back to this6 ,what must this day have been for him80 ,all day she disputed with herself1 loathing herself one moment1 believing him innocent the next4 ,her husband had come out to ,waybrook early4 ,he1 as well as ,cynthia ,moore1 thought that ,mrs4 ,hereford had sent the young man away4 ,hereford came in to his wife's room just before dinner4 8,i'll be glad when all this is over and you can rest40 ,she looked at him gratefully4 ,he seemed so true and honorable4 ,she turned away that he might not see her tears4 8,i am dog tired1 ,tommy1 and ,i'll be glad1 too1 when it's all over40 ,mrs4 ,hereford was a true musician1 and her husband loved her talent4 ,when she came to ,waybrook after her marriage she found the beautiful music room he had created waiting for her4 ,hereford had copied it from a villa near ,cremona in ,italy4 ,the woodwork lining the walls had been brought to this ,american house from a music room whose traditions were hundreds of years old4 ,besides modern instruments--a phonograph1 a harp1 and two grand pianos looking at each other from the opposite ends of the room--rare instruments hung on the walls4 ,before the windows leading out on the porches1 fell curtains of ,renaissance brocade4 ,the room was rich in tone and full of shadow and charm4 ,the lady of the house had seen ,captain ,ramsay alone in this room for the first time one evening when a guest in the smoking room beyond had been telling a ghost story4 ,she and ,captain ,ramsay had played 8,manon10 8,butterfly10 and ,irish songs to make a thrilling accompaniment for a thrilling tale1 but more sincerely to cover what ,ramsay was saying to her in his young1 eager voice with his young1 eager feelings4 ,as ,helen ,hereford now came quickly in the music room past midnight she found it was still as death and it seemed to her as nearly ominous4 ,she walked softly over the thick rugs4 ,the black paneling of the walls made a striking background for her figure in white evening dress4 ,from one of the windows through which streamed ,october moonlight1 the curtains were drawn2 and the night1 suggesting only beauty and peace1 did not seem a proper setting for the story of a crime4 ,during the war she had often stood in this window thinking of ,jack ,hereford and his friend flying over the enemy's lines4 ,she had looked forward with interest to seeing and knowing this brave man4 ,how little she had imagined there would ever be a moment like this6 ,how cruel ,ralph's need of money must have been in order to have brought him so low as this6 ,jack had told her that ,ramsay was as poor as a rat--with never a cent in his pocket--but ,ralph himself had told her more that very afternoon when she had seen in the bitterness on his face a record of his cruel life4 ,then he had acknowledged being a castaway and a vagabond4 ,had he not called himself an adventurer8 ,the fact that he had rushed out of the house was against him4 ,she did not believe that he would come here1 and if he did not1 she would keep his miserable secret as she would keep secret his kisses which she could not efface4 ,at the sound of steps on the veranda she went hurriedly to the window to open it herself4 ,as she turned the handle of the ,french window1 ,ramsay came in1 dressed just as he was when he had gone out that morning to fetch the grapes1 in white flannel and white shoes4 ,her first expression was maternal as she saw him4 8,you will catch a terrible cold4 ,you must be frightfully cold6 ,i am going to fetch you something to drink4 ,there is whisky in the smoking room40 ,ramsay's face was white and drawn4 ,he came out in the room only a little beyond the window1 his back against the red and gold ,renaissance curtain4 ,it framed him with its long lines falling behind him4 ,he seemed to stand between in the folds4 8,please60 he said4 8,don't get me anything40 ,he might have been embroidered on the satin of the curtains4 ,he was moveless and beautiful in his pallor and silence2 nevertheless he was only a modern figure1 a modern man4 8,how could you8 ,how could you80 she breathed4 8,i did not think you would come to-night and yet ,i hoped you would0--and she felt her voice desert her--8and explain40 ,he repeated the word 8explain0 with a laugh4 8,i came back because ,i wanted to see you--for no other reason40 ,she interrupted him with a passionate gesture as though she would dismiss her memories and his4 8,to see me again6 ,what can this matter80 ,in spite of herself she cried1 8,how horrible6 ,how horrible60 and she covered her face4 ,he understood that she hated herself because he had taken her in his arms4 ,he looked quietly at her from his greater height1 and his expression did not indicate that all day he had been wandering like a hunted animal4 8,this is the most dreadful thing that has ever come into my life6 ,oh6 ,why did you come back80 she cried4 8,to see you--just to see you40 ,there was a silence between them for a second1 and the clock in the hall outside struck one4 ,ramsay said3 8,you are sick with disgust4 ,you are full of regret at--our love40 8,you think of that first6 ,you think of that first of all60 8,first--second--last and above everything40 8,after what ,i saw this morning every word like that is an insult10 ,mrs4 ,hereford said4 ,ramsay came forward and caught her hands1 saying tensely3 8,and the look ,i saw on your face to-day when you came in the gift room8 ,you use the word insult4 ,what was the look ,i saw on your face when you came into the room80 ,she murmured3 8,explain1 you must explain1 you must60 ,he let her hands fall4 8,i have nothing to explain4 8,you knew ,i was poor4 ,a poor man has debts--gambling debts perhaps4 ,then there are women in men's lives who make dreadful scandals--there is blackmail4 ,a chap does things in desperation and is not all bad4 ,i have known men to do such things4 ,but from the moment ,i saw that look on your face to-day1 the look which said you thought ,i was a thief1 the world stopped for me40 ,he threw back his head and gave a little laugh4 8,it will never go on as it was before40 ,here she put out her hand as if about to take his1 but let it fall4 8,i've nothing to explain4 ,the fact that for the tenth of a second you believed me a thief makes everything else of no value4 ,of course now0--there was a break in his voice--8you don't even believe in my love60 ,his voice was low1 but there was a ring in it that she never forgot4 8,it doesn't make any difference any more4 ,i've tramped with that horror all day4 8,ever since ,i was a kid ,i have had a hard time4 ,i have gone to all lengths in time of stress4 ,i have been in all parts of the globe after adventures1 but this is the saddest adventure of them all4 ,my heart stopped when ,i saw that look on your face40 ,he stood straight as an arrow1 fine as a lance2 his figure once more was immovable against the curtain1 and he looked like the picture up in her room1 but the smile was gone4 8,my things are all in the station4 ,before your clock strikes again ,i shall be gone4 ,think of me as you will1 but you can't believe that ,i did not love you4 ,that you can't believe60 ,she would have given much to think him innocent4 ,she covered her face with her hands1 murmuring3 8,oh--you better just go--you better just go40 ,he looked around the dark1 paneled room where the shadows gathered like ghosts ready1 when he should go1 to haunt ,waybrook2 and as she stood with her hands across her eyes1 he took her in his arms and kissed her upon her hair1 upon the hand covering her eyes1 and upon her lips4 ,he opened the window and she heard him say1 8,good-by6 ,good-by60 and only stirred when she felt the cold night air rushing in upon her4 99 99 99 99 99 ,she found herself clinging to the curtain1 her face buried in its folds4 ,she might have been a night moth blown there as she clung and shook1 the heavy curtain wrapping her round4 ,ramsay had drawn her toward the window as if he wanted to take her with him into a world which had treated him not any too well6 ,she came to herself as the clock struck1 realizing that she was part of a household whose conventions would not stand for the lady of the house wandering about at dawn through the lower rooms without excuse6 ,she passed her hands over her face to wipe away not the kisses of an hour before1 but the marks of tears2 and drew the curtains to shut out with the moonlight the figure of the man who had disappeared into the night4 ,then she left the music room1 intending to go upstairs4 ,she remembered what ,cynthia ,moore had said that morning about the ,earl of ,moray and the line of the ,persian proverb3 8,honor and ,dishonor are in the hands of the ,beloved40 ,on the first step of the staircase she stopped to look toward the smoking room at the far end of the hall1 and she saw a line of light under the doorway4 ,her first thought was that ,ramsay had hidden there1 and as she crossed the hall she realized that she wanted him to be there--she wanted him to be there6 ,in one of the entirely comfortable chairs1 his hand shading his eyes1 an open book on his knee1 unconscious of midnight rendezvous1 her husband was sitting4 ,he turned round and rose as his wife came in1 and she saw1 although grave and stern1 he was impersonal as far as she was concerned4 8,hello1 ,nell6 ,couldn't sleep1 just as ,i couldn't1 ,i suppose80 ,she wondered if it was possible that he had heard her in the music room at the end of the hall4 ,she came over to him4 8,two o'clock1 ,tommy2 terribly late60 ,hereford drew over the other big chair4 8,since you are up1 ,nell1 sit out a bit longer with me1 will you80 ,he would think she had been weeping at losing ,patricia1 no doubt imagine that she had come directly from ,patricia's room4 ,he said3 8,the little girl will leave an empty place and we are going to be awfully lonely4 ,we'll have to go on a new honeymoon trip1 ,nell60 ,mrs4 ,hereford sank down in her chair and tried to smile4 8,have you been mourning here all the evening for ,patricia1 ,tommy80 8,no1 only been down about half an hour40 ,he smoked without looking at her1 and again she wondered whether it were possible that he knew she had been in the other room with ,ralph4 8,i've been in the music room for some time4 ,it was full of memories of our jolly times1 of dances1 of ,patricia's coming-out ball40 ,but ,hereford did not appear to have heard what she said4 ,his face had settled into the harsh gravity and look of displeasure that she always connected with his son4 8,what is the matter1 ,tommy1 tell me80 8,the old story--,jack60 ,mrs4 ,hereford1 with a breath of keen relief1 put her hand on his knees1 and sat back in her chair4 8,poor ,tommy6 ,it must be something perfectly terrible for you to look as you look and to sit here like this half the night40 8,it is the worst40 8,what is it8 ,tell me40 8,blackmail60 ,and clear as ice came to her the remembrance of ,ramsay's words3 8,there are women in men's lives who make dreadful scandals for them4 ,there is blackmail--0 8,it is a relief to speak to you1 ,nell4 ,when ,jack was at ,cambridge he got mixed up with the worst kind of woman and made some sort of marriage with her4 ,drunk1 of course4 ,she has trailed him ever since1 followed him even to ,france2 been bleeding him to death4 ,the money you and ,i have given him has gone to her4 ,he's been keeping her quiet until now4 ,he told me this last night1 here in this room1 and he asked for money to shut her up1 as she threatened on ,patricia's wedding day to give out a flashy story to the newspapers and drag us all in40 ,mrs4 ,hereford never stirred4 8,i fairly kicked him out of the house10 her husband said4 ,he heard her ask3 8,but you refused to give him money80 8,yes1 and ,i told him all the newspapers in the ,united ,states could print his story if they liked4 ,it was his own life60 ,mrs4 ,hereford half rose1 murmuring3 8,oh1 and he needed money like that6 ,tommy1 like that1 and you didn't give it to him80 8,i told him if he went to you or ,patricia ,i would disinherit him4 ,i told him to get his lawyer4 ,it was up to him4 ,if you begin to give to blackmail you are lost4 ,let him take what is coming to him--he has made his own life60 ,she gave a cry1 sank more deeply into her chair1 and burst into tears1 her head on the arm of the chair4 ,her husband bent over1 reassuring her1 telling her not to worry2 ,jack would get a lawyer and he had been a brute to tell her when she was so utterly done up and tired4 ,but she had broken down under the strain of fatigue1 emotion1 and passion greater1 at last1 than her control4 ,she tried to pull herself together1 to control her grief4 ,she would wire ,ramsay to-morrow1 she would ask his pardon4 ,to her now it was clear as day4 ,oh1 it was clear6 ,but ,ralph would never forgive her--never in the world4 ,she heard her husband go over to a little cupboard in the wall where drinks were kept2 she heard the snap of the soda-bottle cork like a little shot4 ,there was nothing she could say to her husband4 ,her passion for ,ramsay had protected his son4 ,hereford would never know anything of the theft or anything of her false suspicion4 8,honor and dishonor had been in her hands60 ,her husband came back with a refreshing drink for her1 and sat down on the arm of the chair1 made her swallow it1 and then he drew her up with great gentleness4 8,it is nearly morning10 he said1 8and we have a busy day before us4 ,brace up1 old girl60 ,he kissed her on her hair4 ,mrs4 ,hereford looked up at him through her tears4 ,first of all1 her husband's honor had been given to her for keeping4 ,how ruthlessly she had torn it and thrown it away6 ,hereford put his arm around her4 ,she needed his support1 and they went out1 side by side1 past the music room1 where the ghostly shadows gathered in the four corners1 only waiting to take possession4 ,the ,american ,magazine ,,the ,,terrible ,,charge ,,against ,,jeff ,,potter ,,by ,,samuel ,a4 ,,derieux ,,the ,,terrible ,,charge ,,against ,,jeff ,,potter#b ,by ,,samuel ,a4 ,,derieux ,it was ,saturday night and raining hard when ,frank ,blainey pushed through the group of farmers gathered about ,jeff ,potter and ordered the old man out of the store4 ,there were three indictments according to ,frank's angry arraignment3 ,first1 that old ,jeff hadn't spent twenty dollars in the store in the last two years2 second1 that he tracked in mud and whittled shavings on the floor2 and1 third1 that women didn't like to come where he was4 ,as for the first1 well1 old ,jeff didn't have much money to spend1 and consequently didn't spend it2 as for the second1 having no women at home1 and putting in a good share of his time in the river swamp1 ,jeff wasn't as careful about mud and shavings as he might have been2 as for the third--that started him stuttering so he could hardly get the question out4 8,w-w-what women80 ,it was ,frank ,blainey who flushed now1 but he went on4 ,he was a lanky young fellow1 his face a bit narrow1 his eyes set a trifle close together4 ,having started the row he was just the kind of man to see it through1 especially where ,jeff was concerned1 for who minded old ,jeff ,potter8 8,it don't make any difference what women60 he cried1 face white now1 eyes blazing4 8,i don't want to argue this case and ,i don't propose to4 ,this is my store1 and ,i tell you to get out and stay out4 ,that's all ,i've got to say1 and all ,i'm going to say60 99 99 99 99 99 ,then old ,jeff went crazy1 saw red4 ,you see1 it was all so sudden4 ,for twenty years he had been loafing in here--ever since his wife died4 ,this had been his place when ,sam ,blainey1 father of ,frank1 was alive and ran the store4 ,here1 with a twinkle in his eyes1 he had slipped1 secretly1 many a stick of candy1 yellow candy with red stripes1 to the youngsters who stood about while parents shopped4 ,here1 out of the soft pine of dry-goods boxes1 he had carved many an ,indian1 while the children crowded about1 then gone out in the woods1 children following1 and colored the ,indians red with pokeberry juice4 ,here1 at nights1 he had told those bigger children1 the fathers1 about where fish were biting now in the river1 about how wild turkeys were moving from one section of the swamp to another1 about the best kind of caller to get them in range4 ,for that was the only kind of thing old ,jeff knew1 except that children loved candy and carved ,indians1 and that in a general way folks ought to tote fair with one another4 ,but to come back--it was all sudden and ,jeff saw red4 ,bill ,carson1 a farmer1 burly and powerful1 grabbed him and shoved him back4 ,he wouldn't have had any show1 anyway1 with ,frank ,blainey4 ,his old heart was far stouter than his biceps4 ,all this ,bill ,carson knew4 8,come on1 ,jeff10 he was saying4 8,yes1 that's all right now1 you come with me4 ,we'll talk about it out here in the road40 ,and so it was that ,jeff found himself out in the road1 with the rain beating in his face1 and ,bill ,carson towering above him4 8,let me go1 ,bill10 he was pleading4 8,let me go back an' smash his face4 ,just once1 ,bill1 just once4 ,that wife of hisn is the #8women' he's talkin' about4 ,i know1 ,bill4 ,once in the ol' days1 when ,sam ,blainey was livin' an' runnin' the sto'1 befo' her an' ,frank married1 she come in4 ,i didn't know there was any lady aroun'1 an' ,i said #8damn' or somethin'4 ,she heerd me an' went out1 head high1 an' said she never would come back agin4 ,she tol' all the women about what ,i had said4 ,she's pizen pious1 ,bill2 you know her4 ,she brought hit up in the ladies' missionary society--said there was heathens livin' right around 'em4 ,meanin' me4 ,bill1 listen1 let me go back60 8,no10 said ,carson1 8you better go home now1 ,jeff4 ,he'll be sorry he done it40 8,he'll be enough sight sorrier if ,i smash his face6 ,who is he1 anyhow8 ,a scrub pup from his fine ol' daddy's breed6 ,he was fired from college--for cheatin'1 too4 ,he's a sneak now4 ,you know as well as me that ever' ,saturday he sends that wife of hisn to visit her folks across the river1 then sneaks off to town hisself an' has a good time on the sly4 ,only las' ,sunday1 when that poker club in town was pulled1 he was one of the men they caught4 ,oh1 he hushed it up1 him an' his town friends1 but he was one4 ,i know1 ,bill4 ,jim ,ryan1 he's my friend1 he's one of the cops that done it4 ,he come out here to hunt with me las' ,tuesday1 an' he tol' me about it4 ,i never opened my mouth about it to nobody--,i never would have1 either4 ,but let me go now1 an' ,i'll face him with it4 ,i'll tell him--0 8,no1 no10 said ,carson kindly1 with the indulgence of the strong4 8,there's a woman in there1 ,sam ,raine's wife4 ,you don't want to raise a row befo' her1 do you8 ,you'll be justifyin' what ,frank said4 ,go on home now1 ol' man1 an' go to bed40 99 99 99 99 99 ,and in humiliation and sorrow old ,jeff went--went because there wasn't anything else for him to do4 ,anger is a violent intoxicant3 you forget your troubles while the rage lasts1 you do not care for past or future4 ,old ,jeff ,potter would have been happier this night if he could have stayed angry4 ,but sitting late into the night by the smoky lamp on the table1 he had forgotten his anger1 he had forgotten everything except that he couldn't go to the store any more4 ,he had loved it in the old days when ,sam ,blainey1 dead now1 ran it1 and the lazier men of a lazier era gathered around the rusty1 pot-bellied stove4 ,then he had come to love the new rgime1 after ,frank painted the store all over inside and out2 he had loved the bright acetylene lights and the shiny new base-burner1 and the ,saturday night crowds4 ,he didn't ask much of life1 he never had--just a roof over his head1 a place to hunt1 a store to loaf in1 where he could see men and women and children and hear them talk4 ,and now one of these1 the one that was growing dearer as he grew older1 had been taken away4 ,for a moment the old man's helpless anger flared up like an echo4 8,i ought to have smashed his face60 he muttered4 ,but when he rose and fumbled about on the mantelpiece1 among bits of soft pine and half carved ,indians1 for his pipe1 his hands were trembling1 and so was the match he held to the bowl2 while outside the rain1 ever increasing1 splashed from the eaves and dashed against the window1 as if his cabin were some sub-sea shelter in the midst of a roaring ocean4 ,it was this continued deluge that waked him up two hours later with the thought that the river would rise and with the fear that the herd of blooded cattle ranging in the swamp--the cattle belonging to ,squire ,kirby1 his landlord--would drown4 ,it brought him thumping suddenly out of bed and made him light the lamp4 ,twelve1 declared the hands of a gingerbread clock on the mantel4 8,i better see about them cattle10 he said4 ,now1 tending cattle wasn't part of his contract with ,squire ,kirby4 ,a bale of cotton a year rent for the little farm he lived on was4 ,but the bale was seldom forthcoming4 ,it was such a long way to the end of a cotton row1 and what excitement was there waiting for you when you got there8 ,you just had to turn round and hoe to the end of another row4 8,all right10 ,kirby had said1 over and over2 8if you can't pay1 you can't1 ,jeff4 ,you just bring me an ,injun or two to send to my grandchildren for ,christmas an' we'll call it squar'40 ,so the ,indian or two1 or half a dozen of them1 had come to be his rent4 ,for the rest1 he did look after the cattle whenever he happened to be in the swamp1 and ,kirby always had the pick of his string of fish and bag of game4 ,now1 listening shrewdly to the ever-increasing rain1 he dressed and picked up his lantern4 ,then he blew out the lamp and plunged into the storm4 ,bent double against wind and rain1 lantern unlighted1 because he loved to find his way in the dark1 he hurried across the field4 ,just before he reached the main road he stopped4 ,along that road splashed three or four negroes1 a lantern between them4 8,dat you1 ,mr4 ,jeff ,potter80 one of them called4 ,but he did not answer4 ,they were ,kirby's hands2 they might want to go with him2 they would be more trouble than they were worth2 he would have to be pulling them1 instead of cattle1 out of the swamp before he got through4 ,they hesitated a moment1 then went on1 mumbling to one another4 ,old ,jeff grinned4 8,when they git home10 he chuckled1 8they'll be tellin' folks they seen a ha'nt40 99 99 99 99 99 ,an eighth of a mile before he came to ,blainey's store he turned off into a narrow wood road seldom used4 ,he could see pretty well in the dark1 old ,jeff could1 but he wasn't looking for anything like this--he almost ran into the car that stood there in the road6 ,he lit his lantern now and glanced all around4 ,there was no one in the streaming woods4 ,he went to the car1 pulled aside the curtains that were fastened down1 and peered in4 ,the seats were empty4 ,all excited1 he went back to the rear and squatted down4 ,the lantern light shone on the number and lettering of the license4 ,it was a city car4 ,he got out of his inside breastpocket a frazzled notebook1 a sort of diary1 in which he jotted down bits of wood lore and queer things he saw as he went about4 ,from inside the leaves he took a stub pencil1 and set down the number of that car1 and the date on which he had seen it4 ,after he had gone away he looked back4 ,there it was1 big and long and silent4 ,he hurried along through the thicket1 across the field1 and into the big woods of the swamp4 ,yes1 the river was up4 ,the lantern glistened on water where no water ought to be4 ,into it he splashed1 up to his ankles1 up to his knees1 the trunks of trees coming forward toward him1 then slipping back in silent procession1 the shadows cast by the lantern darting here and there in the flooded woods1 or moving about like enormous black clubs above his head4 ,he was thoroughly alarmed now--alarmed for ,kirby's cattle4 ,a mile ahead was a high bit of ground1 which they would make for and be safe if they sensed the danger of rising water and started in time4 ,if they hadn't--well1 he would just have to round up as many as he could and drive them that way4 ,the water was up to his waist now2 still he kept on1 holding the lantern high4 ,if he had not known by heart every inch of the ground he would have stepped off into water over his head4 ,but he knew how to keep to the ridges2 he could even feel his way across a footlog covered by water2 and after a while1 all out of breath1 he made out the high ground through the trees4 ,the shine of the lantern long before he reached this haven showed the sleek sides and gleaming eyes of cattle huddled together4 8,that's it1 boys an' gals60 he yelled4 8,you knowed more'n ,i 'lowed you did6 ,you still got some brains lef' in yo' thick flat heads60 ,he was among them now1 slapping their flanks1 calling them by name1 shoving them about familiarly to see if they were all here4 ,off to the side was a shed built by fishermen with a rough fireplace and chimney at one end4 ,here he built a fire1 pulled off his wet trousers and socks and hung them up to dry4 ,then he raked together for a bed some straw which fishermen had used to sit on4 ,his eyes in the firelight were bright now4 ,this was the kind of thing he liked4 ,it was a deep sleep he fell into1 so deep that he did not see through the forest an ever expanding glow in the sky2 he did not hear the restless animals moving about as in vague terror2 he did not hear out in the farm lands that bordered the swamp the excited crowing of cocks1 as if some strange day had dawned4 ,it was four o'clock when he woke1 got into his damp trousers and shoes and started back4 ,it was pitch black4 ,the waters had gone down somewhat1 still he had to wade out4 ,clear of the swamp1 he blew out the lantern4 ,when he came to the patch of woods where he had seen the car he stopped--there was no car here now6 ,he struck a match and held it close to the ground to make sure it had not been a vision4 ,there were the tracks where it had entered the woods1 and others where it had been driven out again4 ,he raised his head and sniffed the air4 ,there was a strange smell abroad1 as if the woods had been burned off in the night4 ,wondering what it could mean1 he started on home4 99 99 99 99 99 ,day was dawning as he passed ,squire ,kirby's1 and ,jake1 ,kirby's negro hand who fed the mules and horses1 was just entering the yard4 ,in the dim light ,jake looked quickly at him1 then stopped4 8,dat you1 ,mr4 ,jeff ,potter80 he demanded4 ,there was something strange in ,jake's voice1 and in his face too4 ,old ,jeff thought about it as he splashed along the road home4 8,jake must 'a' thought ,i was a ha'nt too10 he chuckled4 ,he did not hear the news until nearly midday4 ,worn out1 he had fallen asleep across the bed on reaching home and had not waked until after nine4 ,then he had wound up the clock1 got his lonely breakfast1 and made a shift of tidying up his room4 ,after that1 he went outside4 ,the weather had cleared2 it was a bland winter day of the ,south1 with the drenched straw fields and woods sparkling in the sun4 ,he wandered aimlessly around his yard a while1 and finally sat down on a bench in front of his cabin1 and lit his pipe4 ,he did not notice that the negroes in front of that other cabin across the field were looking curiously his way4 ,he was very lonely now4 ,the excitement of the night had passed4 ,usually on ,sunday mornings like this he went to ,blainey's store1 where others gathered--except when there was preaching--out in front and on the porch4 ,they would be gathering there now1 talking about him1 and about the row last night4 ,as for him1 so long as he lived1 he could never go there again4 ,and so he was brooding when ,bill ,carson came along the old field road4 ,bill's face was grave and he was hurrying4 ,as he turned into the yard ,jeff rose1 his heart suddenly pounding4 8,jeff1 ain't you heard1 man80 8,heerd what1 ,bill80 8,frank ,blainey's store burned down at two o'clock las' night60 ,off yonder across the field old ,jeff was suddenly conscious that the negroes were looking his way2 and in ,carson's eyes he saw a close1 narrow1 searching scrutiny4 8,come on inside10 said ,carson4 ,and inside1 half dazed1 ,jeff heard4 ,folks--some folks--said he did it4 ,the ,blaineys especially4 ,frank was telling everybody4 8,you see1 ,jeff10 said ,carson1 gravely1 8some niggers up here say they saw you goin' toward the store at midnight4 ,you didn't have any lantern lit4 ,jake saw you comin' back at daylight4 ,they all spoke to you1 but you didn't speak to them4 ,an'1 ,jeff1 every other man aroun' here was at that fire but you60 8,bill60 ,the old man's voice was rising1 8,bill1 tell me as man to man--do you believe ,i done it80 ,then ,carson tried to quiet him1 tried to evade the question1 too4 ,one thing was certain anyhow--the woman and children didn't believe it4 8,i just left home1 ,jeff10 he said4 8,my wife an' the kids had heard about it4 ,they say they know you never done it4 ,they made me come4 ,i left little ,ella cryin'4 ,she wouldn't go to ,sunday-school this mornin'40 ,but the old man was not to be put off4 ,he was leaning across the table now1 eyes dilated4 ,the fear of all wild and half-wild creatures--the fear of the trap--was upon him4 8,bill60 he cried4 8,does ,squire ,kirby believe ,i done it8 ,tell me the truth1 man1 for ,god-,a'mighty's sake60 8,he don't say1 ,jeff40 ,over and over1 while ,carson listened1 old ,jeff described his movements in the swamp the night before4 ,at last ,carson rose to go2 there was pity in his eyes now in the presence of the old man's excitement4 8,you just stick aroun' the house to-day10 he said kindly4 8,if you go where folks are they'll start you talkin'40 ,and old ,jeff stayed at home4 ,at first it was hard1 for there was panic in his heart4 ,he wanted to know what was going on beyond those woods that separated him from the more thickly settled part of the community4 ,all morning1 anxiously1 he watched the road that led from the main thoroughfare to his cabin4 ,then after dinner1 no one having come along the road1 and his mind having grown weary of its own anxiety1 he bethought him of little ,ella ,carson1 who had cried1 and who wouldn't go to ,sunday-school because they said he burned the store4 ,and he went into the cabin1 and from underneath the table picked out a piece of white pine boxing4 8,i'll carve her an ,injun10 he said4 8,an ,injun gal40 ,and with the thought came relief4 ,hours he worked1 sitting outside his cabin on the bench1 while the shavings1 ever finer drawn1 accumulated at his feet and the formless fragment of dry-goods box took shape4 ,now and then he whetted his keen multibladed knife2 now and then1 all oblivious1 he held the work up for his critical inspection4 ,even the nose and chin he carved to a nicety1 holding the little figure close1 smiling at it now and then1 the while his mind1 running ahead1 saw the completed work4 ,she should have hair from the tip of a black mink's tail2 stain from a pokeberry bush would color her2 he would strap a tiny papoose across her back with a bit of crimson cloth4 8,the little gal will like that10 he chuckled4 8,yes--she'll like that60 ,and as he worked1 his face now knotted1 now serene1 he forgot the store and the fire1 he did not observe the lengthening shadows1 he did not feel the chill of late afternoon4 ,the sun had dropped low when at last he arose suddenly and1 still oblivious1 started across the field toward the woods4 ,his old eyes burned with creative fires4 ,this figure in his hand was the best thing he had ever done4 ,she was his humble masterpiece1 this ,indian girl who had brought him forgetfulness in his trouble4 ,she was ready to be colored now2 but no ordinary pokeberry stain would do for her4 ,deep in the swamp grew bushes whose berries gave a finer and richer tint than any close about4 ,there was an eager smile on his face as he entered the woods4 ,he had not seen the commotion among the watching negroes when he rose and hurried across the field2 he had not seen them beckoning to someone coming along the road4 ,now1 far in the woods1 he did not hear the steps behind him as he pushed through the undergrowth that fringed the swamp4 ,he found the bush he wanted and began his work4 ,he had stained her to the waist1 a rich1 dark-red color2 he was all intent on his task1 when he heard the rustle of leaves behind him1 and turned4 ,what he saw made him put the figure quickly in his pocket1 as if to hide her from those narrowed eyes4 ,for there1 straight at him1 head and shoulders above the bushes1 came ,tom ,kelly1 rural policeman4 8,tryin' to git away1 was you1 ol' man80 grinned ,kelly4 8,well1 it's bad policy1 an' you're old enough to know it40 ,then solemnly1 with eyes still narrowed1 as if within him resided all the dignity and all the sternness of the law3 8,i've got a warrant here for you1 swore out this afternoon befo' ,magistrate ,kirby by ,frank ,blainey4 ,come along now1 an' don't raise no trouble40 99 99 99 99 99 ,it might all have been different if the old man had listened to his friends--to ,squire ,kirby1 who next morning bound him over to court1 and to ,bill ,carson1 who went on his bond1 two thousand dollars it was1 for hadn't he tried to make a get-away1 and hadn't ,frank ,blainey bitterly opposed turning him loose at all8 ,the squire and ,carson1 in a conference after the preliminary trial1 advised him to employ to defend him ,allen and ,cathcart1 both of them young1 energetic1 and highly successful lawyers1 and offered between them to advance the money to pay the bill4 ,it wasn't because he doubted their friendship1 or was ungrateful1 that he did not heed their advice4 ,but these lawyers were young1 their minds were taken up with big affairs4 ,what was an old man to them8 ,then ,jeff had his prejudices1 too4 ,more than once1 when he was in the county seat1 he had seen on the windows of the town skyscraper the gilded sign of ,allen and ,cathcart4 ,he had seen their big cars and their handsome homes on ,main ,street4 ,now1 in his extremity1 and in his ignorance also1 he distrusted them with the poor man's distrust of the ostentatiously well-to-do4 ,he did not want ,allen and ,cathcart4 ,even while ,kirby and ,carson talked1 his mind1 in relief1 had turned to another lawyer1 old like himself1 and neither rich nor ostentatious--old ,colonel ,donaldson1 whom ,sam ,blainey used to employ to look up deeds1 who had come out one day to fish with him and ,sam4 ,this was the lawyer he wanted4 99 99 99 99 99 ,he said nothing about it2 he asked no one's advice2 but at four o'clock on the morning after his release on bail he set out on foot to the county seat1 and at nine o'clock presented himself at the ancient and shabby offices of ,colonel ,donaldson on ,law ,row1 just behind the courthouse4 ,heart pounding fast1 he told his story to the dry and pedantic old lawyer1 who sat behind a littered table in a dingy room where rows of dusty books1 ,shakespeares1 ,miltons1 ,thackerays1 ,dickenses1 and ,scotts climbed upward to the cobwebby ceiling4 ,anybody would have told him this was not the man to go to2 that it had been years since he appeared in court in anything but civil cases2 that he might be the man to run down an old deed1 but not to plead a case before a jury2 that such fires of youth as he might have possessed--and it was said that he had known them once--had burned out long ago4 ,and yet old ,jeff1 looking at that thin old scholar surrounded by his books1 trembled lest his case be turned down2 while his friends1 had they known1 would have trembled lest it be accepted4 ,and no one who knew the colonel would have dreamed that he would take such a case4 ,it must have been some queer bond that exists between old men that moved him4 8,very well1 sir10 he said1 dryly1 8,i'll take the case4 ,yes1 ,i recall ,sam ,blainey quite distinctly--a fine man4 ,i remember the fishing trip to which you refer40 ,he asked a number of questions1 rather wearily1 leaning back1 tips of fingers together4 ,his eyes under his spectacles1 that were dusty like his window panes1 did light up just a moment when his questions brought out the fact that ,jeff had seen a car in the woods4 ,then he copied down the number in a notebook4 ,he would look into that1 he said without conviction4 8,god knows60 ,it broke from old ,jeff1 it was a cry for sympathy4 8,god knows ,i never burned that sto'60 ,the voice of the ancient lawyer was dry and unimpressed4 8,unfortunately1 in a case of this kind it's court and jury1 not the ,almighty1 which you have to convince4444 ,the ,indian1 you say1 you were staining on that afternoon when you were arrested in the swamp--and by the way1 sir1 it's a bad thing to be arrested in a swamp--have you that ,indian with you80 ,trembling1 the old man reached in the pocket of his ragged overcoat4 ,because of some fear that in his absence his cabin would be searched1 he had brought his treasure with him4 8,here she is1 ,colonel10 he said eagerly4 ,the lawyer reached across the table1 took the figure1 and holding it up looked at it with a smile strangely sweet4 ,then he arose and went over to a rusty safe in the corner4 ,he put her carefully away in the drawer1 closed the iron doors on her and turned the combination4 8,i'll just keep this10 he said4 8,and now that will be all this morning4 ,i'll try and arrange for your case to be called as near the opening of court as possible4 ,keep close at home4 ,and remember--don't tell anybody anything40 ,he turned to a shelf and got down a volume--probably he had already dismissed the case from his mind2 and ,jeff came out into the alley1 above which towered the walls of the courthouse where soon he was to appear before judge and jury1 with only that dry old recluse to stand between him and the penitentiary4 ,the terrible mistake he had made was duly impressed on him that night by ,kirby1 who drove over to arrange to take him to town to consult ,allen and ,cathcart in the morning4 ,jeff had to admit now what he had done1 and ,kirby was dumfounded4 8,you want to go to the pen80 he demanded1 pointing his finger at his tenant1 his white beard thrust belligerently forward4 8,you think you'd like it there1 old man8 ,do you know how strong the evidence is against you8 ,don't you know1 ,jeff1 ,i wouldn't have sent you up if it hadn't been8 ,have you any notion how slim yo' chance is8 ,my ,god1 man--old ,donaldson60 8,he's smart1 ,mr4 ,kirby60 cried ,jeff4 8,ever seen his books8 ,piled up to the ceilin'1 clutterin' up the winders and fireplaces80 8,an' what kind of books8 ,ol' law books in one room1 yes4 ,novels an' po'try in the other6 ,it was the novels an' po'try you saw2 an' it's the novels an' po'try he reads4 ,jeff1 listen to me--what made him take the case1 ,god only knows4 ,he's forgot about it by now4 ,his mind is back on them ol' ,romans an' centurions4 ,there's been millions an' billions of people in the world he knows about--history an' the like4 ,what difference does one ol' feller in the pen make to him8 ,he was thinkin' about ancient ,babylon an' ,sodom an' ,gomorrah this mornin'4 ,he don't even know what he's done4 ,he'll forget to come to the trial6 ,now let's get down to brass tacks4 ,you let me go to town to-morrow an' tell him you've changed yo' mind4 ,it's yo' life you're playin' with1 man6 ,if you go to the pen for arson you'll die there6 ,you'll never come out again6 ,you're too old60 ,jeff's face knotted with pain4 ,but he was true to his simple code4 8,it--it's too late1 ,squire4 ,i've give him the case4 ,it wouldn't be fair--no1 it wouldn't be fair40 ,on the third day of the ,march term of court1 at a quarter of nine in the morning1 pale and drawn of face1 old ,jeff climbed the spiral stairs of the courthouse with ,squire ,kirby1 grimly silent1 beside him4 ,only one communication1 in all the weeks that had elapsed since ,jeff's visit to him1 had ,colonel ,donaldson sent4 ,that was a crisp notice to appear this morning in court4 ,behind them followed ,bill ,carson and his wife1 and little ,ella4 ,a strange postscript to the notice had read3 8,i'm requesting that ,ella ,carson be present in court40 8,he's all balled up10 ,kirby had sneered when he read it4 8,he likely thinks it was ,ella ,carson that was present at the sto' that night instead of ,sam ,raine's wife60 ,down the aisle they passed1 the crowd that was already filling the court-room turning to look at them curiously4 ,kirby shot a quick glance at the lawyers' tables inside the bar rail4 8,he ain't even here60 he whispered to ,jeff4 8,i hope to ,god he's forgot4 ,then the co't will give you a lawyer60 ,the sheriff pointed out the table for the defendant and his lawyer4 ,kirby sat down beside ,jeff2 the ,carsons found a place on the front bench of the main court-room4 8,silence in the court60 cried the sheriff4 ,overawed1 and with a queer feeling that he was choking1 old ,jeff saw the judge enter in his black robes1 while the courthouse rose and stood until ,his ,honor was seated4 ,yonder in an ante-room1 laughing and chatting1 he made out young ,burton ,evans1 prosecuting attorney1 strong1 ruddy1 confident4 ,and then1 last1 down the aisle came old ,colonel ,donaldson1 dressed like a preacher or an undertaker1 in a long black coat with a narrow white tie4 ,he shook hands flabbily2 he walked over to the table below the clerk's desk and carefully placed on it a small bundle1 wrapped in paper4 ,he came back and sat down at his table1 with ,jeff between him and ,kirby4 ,the court grew quiet4 ,in a haze the old man rose1 ,donaldson beside him4 ,crisp1 quick1 accusing1 ,burton ,evans1 glancing fiercely now and then into the old man's eyes1 read off the indictment1 long1 meaningless1 full of legal phrases4 ,the jury was picked1 ,donaldson after a few careless questions1 discarding six of them1 then relapsing into his chair4 ,the trial of old ,jeff ,potter was on4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it was in some respects the strangest case ever tried in that old court-room2 for ,colonel ,donaldson1 sitting listless and abstracted beside his client1 lived up to the worst predictions of ,kirby4 ,he just let everything slide4 ,the judge1 an old man himself1 looked now and then at this strange lawyer for the defense with something like a frown4 ,jeff was too dazed to say anything4 ,only ,kirby fought--fought in angry whispers1 leaning across ,jeff1 his eyes blazing into ,donaldson's4 ,three witnesses for the ,state told the same story of the row in the store4 ,the negroes who had passed along the road described having seen him going toward the store about twelve o'clock that night4 ,he had stopped1 they said1 as if to hide1 and hadn't answered when they called him by name4 ,no1 he didn't have a lantern1 or if he had one it wasn't lit4 8,ask 'em10 whispered ,kirby to ,donaldson1 8how they know it was ,jeff ,potter in the dark4 ,ask 'em1 sir4 ,ask 'em60 8,why1 my dear sir10 retorted ,donaldson in a whisper hard and dry1 8my client here doesn't even deny it40 ,then ,jake testified that at daybreak he saw him coming back from the direction of the store4 ,and ,tom ,kelly declared that he had trailed the old man into a swamp1 and had arrested him there while he was trying to make his get-away4 8,ask him1 ,colonel ,donaldson10 whispered ,kirby again1 eyes fierce1 8how he knows ,jeff was trying to get away40 ,old ,donaldson didn't even look at the magistrate now4 8,well1 just let that pass10 he answered4 8,my ,god60 gasped ,kirby4 ,likewise1 every statement of ,frank ,blainey went unchallenged4 ,he had ordered the old man out because he was a nuisance1 explained ,frank4 ,he was just a loafer1 who didn't work for his living4 ,he had hated to do it--sure he had--never hated to do a thing so much in his life4 ,no1 he wasn't angry4 ,he had closed up store and gone home right afterward--about eleven o'clock4 ,his wife had gone to spend the night with her people1 and there was no one at home4 ,yes1 he had worried about it a lot on the way home4 ,it had been a disagreeable task1 the most disagreeable of his life4 ,nothing but the good of his business could have made him do it4 ,jeff ,potter wasn't the kind of man he wanted to have around the store4 ,women didn't like to come where he was4 8,what women--what women1 ,colonel ,donaldson80 whispered ,kirby4 8,quick--ask him what women60 99 99 99 99 99 ,but ,colonel ,donaldson1 sitting back in his chair1 the tips of his thin fingers together1 his eyes--piercing eyes1 too1 they were--fastened on the witness1 did not seem even to hear2 while old ,jeff bowed his gray head in shame1 and his hands clasped and unclasped on the table before him1 and his collar choked him so that he opened it at the neck4 ,it was at lunch1 which followed immediately after ,frank's testimony1 that ,kirby broke loose4 ,he and ,jeff1 ,bill ,carson and his wife and little ,ella1 had eaten in a restaurant2 and now ,kirby rose to pay the bill4 8,he just don't care--don't care that60 ,and ,kirby snapped his strong fingers4 8,i've been in many a trial4 ,i never befo' saw a lawyer not even raise a finger to save a client60 ,a curious crowd had gathered round them4 8,that's right10 some of them said4 8,he ain't done a thing40 ,and ,mrs4 ,carson1 face upraised1 grabbed old ,jeff by the sleeve1 while little ,ella clung to her mother's skirt4 8,oh1 get another lawyer10 pleaded the woman1 8before it's too late4 ,please--please60 ,jeff swallowed1 but he shook his head4 8,it wouldn't be fair10 he said4 8,no--it wouldn't be fair40 ,early in the afternoon the ancient and supine lawyer for the defense showed the first spark4 ,the testimony for the ,state was all in1 and he had put ,kirby on the stand4 ,his voice as he stood1 stiff and formal beside ,jeff's chair1 was dry1 matter of fact4 8,how long1 ,squire ,kirby1 have you known the defendant1 ,jeff ,potter80 8,forty years40 8,you must know1 then1 his reputation for law and order4 ,is it good or bad80 8,good40 ,then ,burton ,evans1 exuding confidence1 was on his feet4 8,he's a tenant on your place1 ,i believe1 ,mr4 ,kirby4 ,did he pay his rent last year80 ,kirby turned to the judge4 8,your ,honor10 he asked1 8must ,i answer that question80 ,the judge looked at ,colonel ,donaldson4 8,do ,i hear any objections from the plaintiff's lawyer8 ,if so ,i may rule that question out4 ,if not--0 ,the voice was dry4 8,no objection1 ,your ,honor40 ,and ,kirby1 from the witness chair1 glared4 8,he paid me what ,i asked10 snapped ,kirby4 8,and what did you ask1 ,mr4 ,kirby80 demanded ,evans4 ,the judge was frowning now--frowning at ,donaldson4 ,back in the court-room a slight buzz of voices began4 ,two or three spectators left benches in the rear and1 bent double1 as if to hide their progress1 darted to seats nearer the front4 ,and when at last ,donaldson spoke1 it was as if to further the case of the ,state4 8,as a matter of fact1 ,mr4 ,kirby10 he asked1 8did he not pay you1 for rent1 one or more carved ,indians1 which you sent to your grandchildren as ,christmas presents80 8,yes10 said ,kirby4 8,silence in the court60 cried the sheriff4 ,burton ,evans turned away1 a triumphant smile on his face4 ,then he glanced at the jury4 ,they were mostly men of family2 and now he must have remembered suddenly that ,donaldson1 in choosing the jury1 had thrown out unmarried men and men without children2 and for the first time now he must have noticed that the jury was mostly old men1 some of them plainly grandfathers4 ,anyway1 ,burton ,evans's smile suddenly vanished6 8,jeff ,potter10 said ,donaldson1 8will you take the stand80 99 99 99 99 99 ,old ,jeff never knew how he got there4 ,he only knew he was sitting in a chair on a platform1 his tattered hat between his knees2 that before him were thousands of faces2 that thousands of eyes were turned upon him2 that to the left the jury were leaning forward2 and that to the right the judge's swivel chair creaked as ,his ,honor turned toward him4 ,then he saw that ,colonel ,donaldson was still standing very erect by his table4 ,colonel ,donaldson was speaking4 8,we will not now go into the happenings of that night1 ,jeff ,potter1 the night on which it is alleged by the ,state that you burned the store of this man40 ,he stopped and looked hard at ,blainey4 8,the ,state may question you on that if the ,state so wishes4 ,but ,i want to get at another matter4 ,mr4 ,kelly--,i believe that is the officer's name--has stated that on the afternoon he came to arrest you1 you tried to escape by running to the woods4 ,now1 ,jefferson ,potter1 tell the judge and jury why you went to the woods1 sir4 ,talk loud1 so they can hear40 8,i went0--old ,jeff hardly knew his own voice--8,i went to git some pokeberry juice to color an ,injun with40 8,and this ,indian--for whom were you carving it80 8,fer little ,ella ,kyarson40 8,and why were you carving an ,indian for little ,ella ,carson8 ,talk loud1 so the jury there can hear you40 ,jeff turned toward them4 ,they were leaning forward still farther now1 these old graybeards1 their eyes on him1 their faces suddenly all kindly4 8,i was carvin' it fer her because she said she never believed ,i sot that sto' on fire40 ,the prosecutor1 face flushed1 sprang to his feet4 8,i object to all this1 ,your ,honor6 ,i contend1 sir1 that this is a patent attempt--0 ,but the judge checked him4 8,the evidence is admissible1 sir10 he said4 8,the officer testified that the defendant was trying to leave the country4 ,now it is quite in order for the defense to show that some other motive than escape induced the defendant to enter the swamp where he was arrested40 ,the dry voice resumed3 8,so you were carving an ,indian maiden for the little girl who did not believe you burned the store4 ,is that it80 8,yes1 sir4 ,her father said she was cryin' an' wouldn't go to ,sunday-school40 8,do you see the little girl in court80 8,yes1 sir4 ,that's her4 ,settin' thar on the front bench with her ma40 ,there was a general commotion4 ,people in the rear of the court-room stood up4 ,the jury all looked toward that front bench1 while a mother and a little girl in a blue dress both blushed scarlet4 ,and now a strange thing was happening3 ,old ,colonel ,donaldson1 his manner still perfectly impersonal1 had walked over to the table below the clerk's desk and opened a bundle4 8,i submit this in evidence1 ,your ,honor4 ,here is the ,indian girl he was carving4 ,does ,your ,honor care to look at it8 ,you will observe that it is half stained1 showing where the work was interrupted by the advent of the officer40 ,the judge took it and inspected it1 a smile on his strong-lined face4 ,he handed it back1 and the colonel walked over to the jury4 8,pass it around1 gentlemen10 he directed1 8from one to the other40 ,and now the astonished old man in the witness box saw the whole court-room seem to move forward1 people leaving their seats to peer2 heard over and over the sheriff's 8,silence in the court60 and saw on the faces of the jury that passed the carved bit of wood from hand to hand the smiles of fathers and grandfathers who would like to take it home to the children4 ,but his relief was short-lived3 ,burton ,evans had pounced on him4 ,the questions came thick and fast1 after the old man had told the story of his movements that night4 ,cattle in the swamp8 ,what cattle8 ,wasn't he a little over-anxious about another man's cattle--a man he owed rent to8 7,no objection from ,colonel ,donaldson47 ,did he have owl's eyes that he could find his way about on a pitch-black night8 ,if his mission were an honest one1 why didn't he light a lantern8 ,was it his custom to draw back and hide from passers-by8 ,was it his custom not to acknowledge a friendly greeting in the road8 ,did he usually sleep as sound as he slept that night8 ,but old ,jeff1 buffeted about like an untrained boxer standing before a professional1 managed somehow to keep on his feet1 to stick to the truth1 though the sweat stood out on his face1 and his limp old hat was twisted into a rag1 and the crowd and jury swam round and round before him4 ,groggy1 he came down at last1 though not until the judge himself had interposed in his behalf1 and not until the eyes of the jury were full of compassion1 and not until from the front bench came the voice of a mother trying to quiet a sobbing child4 ,he sank down limp into his chair1 to find ,squire ,kirby tugging at the coat-tails of ,colonel ,donaldson1 who had risen1 and whispering over and over1 his voice full of respect now3 8,rest the case1 ,colonel6 ,rest the case1 rest the case6 ,you've brought out the ,injun6 ,you give ,evans rope1 an' he's hung hisself6 ,colonel ,donaldson1 ,colonel ,donaldson1 give the case to the jury as quick as you kin60 99 99 99 99 99 ,but the ancient lawyer regarded not at all the frantic whispers or the tugs at his coat-tails4 ,voice still dry and impersonal1 he spoke to the judge3 8,may it please ,your ,honor1 ,i want ,mr4 ,blainey put on the stand once more4 ,i have just a few questions to ask him4 ,there are some details which ,i overlooked4 ,i am sure1 sir1 that a man of ,mr4 ,blainey's humane and just temperament will not mind going on the stand again4 ,i am sure the state attorney can have no possible objections1 sir4 ,mr4 ,blainey80 ,followed a brief excited conference between ,blainey and ,evans4 ,then1 very pale1 ,blainey was in the witness chair1 and ,donaldson was standing very straight by his table1 the afternoon sun streaming through one of the high gothic windows of the old courthouse1 and shining full on his thin1 hawk-like face4 8,mr4 ,blainey1 what time did you leave the store that night80 8,i've answered that once10 said ,blainey4 8,well1 answer it again60 8,i said eleven40 8,wasn't it later than that80 ,blainey looked at ,evans1 who nodded1 his lips compressed4 8,oh1 it might have been half past40 8,was it as late as twelve80 8,no--it was not60 ,and now once more the sheriff shouted 8,silence in the court60 ,for the old lawyer had advanced two quick steps toward the witness1 and suddenly his voice1 shrill and grating1 rang out1 while a thrill like an electric shock ran through the court-room4 8,wasn't it two o'clock8 ,answer me1 sir--wasn't it two8444 ,you do not answer4 ,very well4 ,answer me this3 ,did some friends of yours drive out to see you that night in a car8 ,did they park the car in the woods near your store8 ,did they bring with them some liquor and some cards and some chips8 ,did you have a game of poker in the basement of your store8 ,did all of you imbibe freely of that liquor in the course of the game8 ,did you1 while under the influence of that liquor1 throw lighted cigar and cigarette stubs on the floor of the basement of that store that was littered with packing of all sorts1 and excelsior80 ,again ,evans was on his feet1 apoplectic with objections4 ,but the old lawyer went on1 before the judge could speak1 his voice high-pitched and metallic1 filling the excited court-room4 8,is it a fact1 sir1 that at two o'clock your friends took you home in that car8 ,is it a fact1 sir1 that before you reached that house you saw a glow in the sky8 ,and that when these friends wanted to go back you said3 #8,let the damn store burn--it's insured'80 8,don't answer those questions10 thundered ,evans4 8,your ,honor1 this man's not on trial60 8,he will be60 cried the old lawyer1 8for perjury in open court6 ,i am not surmising1 ,your ,honor4 ,i can prove the truth of everything ,i have implied1 sir4 ,i was fortunate enough to get hold of the number of that car4 ,through the number ,i traced the occupants4 ,happily for the good of our humanity1 sir1 there is always to be found among a group of young men1 however wild1 one who will tell the truth4 ,such a one is young ,john ,duckett1 who was in that car that night40 ,he turned to the court-room4 8,mr4 ,court ,crier--call ,john ,duckett into court60 99 99 99 99 99 ,at one side of the witness chair that sat high above the main court-room1 and which was on a level with the judge's seat1 ran a railing4 ,and now ,frank ,blainey1 who had been growing whiter and whiter1 turned sideways1 his arm on this railing1 and buried his face in his arm1 his fingers clutching at his hair4 ,with a cry1 ,mrs4 ,blainey sprang to her feet and started forward4 ,the voice of the judge was clear and compelling4 8,keep your seat1 madam4 ,stay where you are1 the rest of you4 ,this witness has not fainted4 ,mr4 ,crier1 one minute4 ,do not call the other witness until ,i so instruct you4 ,mr4 ,blainey1 here1 seems to have something on his mind4 ,mr4 ,blainey80 ,blainey raised his face4 ,the glance he shot at ,donaldson was a bit wild1 a bit vicious1 too4 ,his hair was all disheveled4 ,he sat limp in his chair4 ,the judge1 turning toward him1 went on4 8,mr4 ,blainey1 if you have anything to say concerning the facts implied in ,colonel ,donaldson's questions1 you are at liberty to speak1 sir4 ,otherwise this witness1 ,mr4 ,duckett1 will be called4 ,my advice to you1 ,mr4 ,blainey1 is that you speak40 ,the court-room was straining forward now2 hundreds of tense faces were turned toward the witness chair1 faces strained in the effort to hear the mumbling1 halting1 reluctant words4 8,i--,i-- ,aw1 it's all true60 8,sit up1 ,mr4 ,blainey60 commanded the judge4 8,look at me1 sir4 ,you have perjured yourself in this court6 ,that is a grave offense2 but it is as nothing1 sir1 compared with the motive behind that perjury4 ,in order to save your practices from exposure1 you would have sent an old man to prison1 probably for the remainder of his natural life4 ,i have no words strong enough1 sir1 to express my abhorrence1 and the abhorrence of all men1 of what you've done6 ,are you listening1 ,mr4 ,blainey80 ,again the vicious glance around1 followed by the bowed head1 and a nod4 8,but10 continued the judge1 8the law puts in my hands the means of punishing you4 ,by your own confession1 you have committed perjury1 and perjury is punished by a long jail sentence and a heavy fine4 ,combined1 they will not be sufficient for your offense1 but they will be enough1 sir1 to make you remember all the rest of your days--0 ,and now he stopped1 for from his seat1 face quivering1 old ,jeff had sprung to his feet4 8,jedge60 he cried4 8,don't send him to the pen1 ,jedge6 ,jedge1 he's ,sam ,blainey's son60 ,compassionately the judge looked down at him where he stood beside the table1 trembling2 then he spoke3 8,sit down1 old man4 ,frank ,blainey1 the man whom you have attempted so grievously to wrong pleads for you4 ,and because of his plea1 which ,i can do nothing but honor and accede to1 ,i shall remit any prison sentence which ,i might have imposed4 ,but ,i warn you1 sir1 that when the time for your trial comes1 in the due process of law1 ,i shall fine you to the very limit allowed me by the statute4 ,mr4 ,sheriff1 see that this man1 ,frank ,blainey1 does not leave the jurisdiction of this court40 8,old man1 stand up once more1 so that all in this court-room may see you4444 ,jeff ,potter1 this plea of yours shall go down on the records of this court as a memorial to you and as a high example to all men who may know or read of it of that quality of mercy which is the sovereign good in human nature4 ,and now1 gentlemen of the jury1 you are automatically discharged from this case1 and ,i shall ask the crowd to pass out quietly1 for court is adjourned40 ,how many people old ,jeff shook hands with that afternoon1 he never knew4 ,he did know though that ,burton ,evans was the first among them2 that ,mrs4 ,carson1 who came next1 was crying2 that the strong hands of ,bill ,carson and ,squire ,kirby almost crushed his own frailer hand2 and that off yonder1 at a table below the clerk's desk1 a prim old lawyer in a long black coat had picked up a carved ,indian and was presenting it to a little girl in a blue dress1 with an old-fashioned bow strange to see4 ,the ,century ,magazine 8,a ,,source ,,of ,,irritation0 ,,by ,,stacy ,,aumonier 8,a ,,source ,,of ,,irritation0#c ,by ,,stacy ,,aumonier ,to look at old ,sam ,gates you would never suspect him of having nerves4 ,his sixty-nine years of close application to the needs of the soil had given him a certain earthy stolidity4 ,to observe him hoeing1 or thinning out a broad field of turnips1 hardly attracted one's attention1 he seemed so much part and parcel of the whole scheme4 ,he blended into the soil like a glorified swede4 ,nevertheless1 the half-dozen people who claimed his acquaintance knew him to be a man who suffered from little moods of irritability4 ,and on this glorious morning a little incident annoyed him unreasonably4 ,it concerned his niece ,aggie4 ,she was a plump girl with clear1 blue eyes1 and a face as round and inexpressive as the dumplings for which the county was famous4 ,she came slowly across the long sweep of the downland and1 putting down the bundle wrapped in a red handkerchief which contained his breakfast and dinner1 she said3 8,well1 ,uncle1 is there any noos80 ,now1 this may not appear to the casual reader to be a remark likely to cause irritation1 but it affected old ,sam ,gates as a very silly and unnecessary question4 ,it was1 moreover1 the constant repetition of it which was beginning to anger him4 ,he met his niece twice a day4 ,in the morning she brought his bundle of food at seven1 and when he passed his sister's cottage on the way home to tea at five she was invariably hanging about the gate1 and she always said in the same voice3 8,well1 ,uncle1 is there any noos80 ,noos6 ,what noos should there be8 ,for sixty-nine years he had never lived farther than five miles from ,halvesham4 ,for nearly sixty of those years he had bent his back above the soil4 ,there were1 indeed1 historic occasions4 ,once1 for instance1 when he had married ,annie ,hachet4 ,and there was the birth of his daughter4 ,there was also a famous occasion when he had visited ,london4 ,once he had been to a flower-show at ,market ,roughborough4 ,he either went or didn't go to church on ,sundays4 ,he had had many interesting chats with ,mr4 ,james at the ,cowman1 and three years ago had sold a pig to ,mrs4 ,way4 ,but he couldn't always have interesting noos of this sort up his sleeve4 ,didn't the silly zany know that for the last three weeks he had been hoeing and thinning out turnips for ,mr4 ,hodge on this very same field8 ,what noos could there be8 ,he blinked at his niece1 and didn't answer4 ,she undid the parcel and said3 8,mrs4 ,goping's fowl got out again last night40 8,ah10 he replied in a non-committal manner and began to munch his bread and bacon4 ,his niece picked up the handkerchief and1 humming to herself1 walked back across the field4 ,it was a glorious morning1 and a white sea mist added to the promise of a hot day4 ,he sat there munching1 thinking of nothing in particular1 but gradually subsiding into a mood of placid content4 ,he noticed the back of ,aggie disappear in the distance4 ,it was a mile to the cottage and a mile and a half to ,halvesham4 ,silly things1 girls4 ,they were all alike4 ,one had to make allowances4 ,he dismissed her from his thoughts1 and took a long swig of tea out of a bottle4 ,insects buzzed lazily4 ,he tapped his pocket to assure himself that his pouch of shag was there1 and then he continued munching4 ,when he had finished1 he lighted his pipe and stretched himself comfortably4 ,he looked along the line of turnips he had thinned and then across the adjoining field of swedes4 ,silver streaks appeared on the sea below the mist4 ,in some dim way he felt happy in his solitude amidst this sweeping immensity of earth and sea and sky4 ,and then something else came to irritate him3 it was one of 8these dratted airyplanes40 8,airyplanes0 were his pet aversion4 ,he could find nothing to be said in their favor4 ,nasty1 noisy1 disfiguring things that seared the heavens and made the earth dangerous4 ,and every day there seemed to be more and more of them4 ,of course 8this old war0 was responsible for a lot of them1 he knew4 ,the war was a 8plaguy noosance40 ,they were short-handed on the farm1 beer and tobacco were dear1 and ,mrs4 ,steven's nephew had been and got wounded in the foot4 ,he turned his attention once more to the turnips2 but an 8airyplane0 has an annoying genius for gripping one's attention4 ,when it appears on the scene1 however much we dislike it1 it has a way of taking the stage-center4 ,we cannot help constantly looking at it4 ,and so it was with old ,sam ,gates4 ,he spat on his hands and blinked up at the sky4 ,and suddenly the aroplane behaved in a very extraordinary manner4 ,it was well over the sea when it seemed to lurch drunkenly and skimmed the water4 ,then it shot up at a dangerous angle and zigzagged4 ,it started to go farther out1 and then turned and made for the land4 ,the engines were making a curious grating noise4 ,it rose once more1 and then suddenly dived downward1 and came plump down right in the middle of ,mr4 ,hodge's field of swedes4 ,and then1 as if not content with this desecration1 it ran along the ground1 ripping and tearing up twenty-five yards of good swedes1 and then came to a stop4 ,old ,sam ,gates was in a terrible state4 ,the aroplane was more than a hundred yards away1 but he waved his arms and called out3 8,hi1 you there1 you mustn't land in they swedes6 ,they're ,mister ,hodge's40 ,the instant the aroplane stopped1 a man leaped out and gazed quickly round4 ,he glanced at ,sam ,gates1 and seemed uncertain whether to address him or whether to concentrate his attention on the flying-machine4 ,the latter arrangement appeared to be his ultimate decision4 ,he dived under the engine and became frantically busy4 ,sam had never seen any one work with such furious energy2 but all the same it was not to be tolerated4 ,it was disgraceful4 ,sam started out across the field1 almost hurrying in his indignation4 ,when he appeared within earshot of the aviator he cried out again3 8,hi6 you mustn't rest your old airyplane here6 ,you've kicked up all ,mr4 ,hodge's swedes4 ,a noice thing you've done60 ,he was within five yards when suddenly the aviator turned and covered him with a revolver6 ,and speaking in a sharp1 staccato voice1 he said3 8,old ,grandfather1 you must sit down4 ,i am very much occupied4 ,if you interfere or attempt to go away1 ,i shoot you4 ,so60 ,sam gazed at the horrid1 glittering little barrel and gasped4 ,well1 he never6 ,to be threatened with murder when you're doing your duty in your employer's private property6 ,but1 still1 perhaps the man was mad4 ,a man must be more or less mad to go up in one of those crazy things4 ,and life was very sweet on that summer morning despite sixty-nine years4 ,he sat down among the swedes4 ,the aviator was so busy with his cranks and machinery that he hardly deigned to pay him any attention except to keep the revolver handy4 ,he worked feverishly1 and ,sam sat watching him4 ,at the end of ten minutes he appeared to have solved his troubles with the machine1 but he still seemed very scared4 ,he kept on glancing round and out to sea4 ,when his repairs were complete he straightened his back and wiped the perspiration from his brow4 ,he was apparently on the point of springing back into the machine and going off when a sudden mood of facetiousness1 caused by relief from the strain he had endured1 came to him4 ,he turned to old ,sam and smiled1 at the same time remarking3 8,well1 old ,grandfather1 and now we shall be all right1 isn't it80 ,he came close up to ,sam1 and then suddenly started back4 8,gott60 he cried1 8,paul ,jouperts60 ,bewildered1 ,sam gazed at him1 and the madman started talking to him in some foreign tongue4 ,sam shook his head4 8,you no roight10 he remarked1 8to come bargin' through they swedes of ,mr4 ,hodge's40 ,and then the aviator behaved in a most peculiar manner4 ,he came up and examined ,sam's face very closely1 and gave a sudden tug at his beard and hair1 as if to see whether they were real or false4 8,what is your name1 old man80 he said4 8,sam ,gates40 ,the aviator muttered some words that sounded something like 8mare vudish10 and then turned to his machine4 ,he appeared to be dazed and in a great state of doubt4 ,he fumbled with some cranks1 but kept glancing at old ,sam4 ,at last he got into the car and strapped himself in4 ,then he stopped1 and sat there deep in thought4 ,at last he suddenly unstrapped himself and sprang out again and1 approaching ,sam1 said very deliberately3 8,old ,grandfather1 ,i shall require you to accompany me40 ,sam gasped4 8,eh80 he said4 8,what be talkin' about8 ',company8 ,i got these 'ere loines o' turnips--,i be already behoind--0 ,the disgusting little revolver once more flashed before his eyes4 8,there must be no discussion10 came the voice4 8,it is necessary that you mount the seat of the car without delay4 ,otherwise ,i shoot you like the dog you are4 ,so60 ,old ,sam was hale and hearty4 ,he had no desire to die so ignominiously4 ,the pleasant smell of the ,norfolk downland was in his nostrils2 his foot was on his native heath4 ,he mounted the seat of the car1 contenting himself with a mutter3 8,well1 that be a noice thing1 ,i must say6 ,flyin' about the country with all they turnips on'y half thinned60 ,he found himself strapped in4 ,the aviator was in a fever of anxiety to get away4 ,the engines made a ghastly splutter and noise4 ,the thing started running along the ground4 ,suddenly it shot upward1 giving the swedes a last contemptuous kick4 ,at twenty minutes to eight that morning old ,sam found himself being borne right up above his fields and out to sea6 ,his breath came quickly4 ,he was a little frightened4 8,god forgive me60 he murmured4 ,the thing was so fantastic and sudden that his mind could not grasp it4 ,he only felt in some vague way that he was going to die1 and he struggled to attune his mind to the change4 ,he offered up a mild prayer to ,god1 ,who1 he felt1 must be very near1 somewhere up in these clouds4 ,automatically he thought of the vicar at ,halvesham1 and a certain sense of comfort came to him at the reflection that on the previous day he had taken a 8cooking of runner beans0 to ,god's representative in that village4 ,he felt calmer after that1 but the horrid machine seemed to go higher and higher4 ,he could not turn in his seat and he could see nothing but sea and sky4 ,of course the man was mad1 mad as a ,march hare4 ,of what earthly use could he be to any one8 ,besides1 he had talked pure gibberish1 and called him ,paul something1 when he had already told him that his name was ,sam4 ,the thing would fall down into the sea soon1 and they would both be drowned4 ,well1 well1 he had almost reached three-score years and ten4 ,he was protected by a screen1 but it seemed very cold4 ,what on earth would ,mr4 ,hodge say8 ,there was no one left to work the land but a fool of a boy named ,billy ,whitehead at ,dene's ,cross4 ,on1 on1 on they went at a furious pace4 ,his thoughts danced disconnectedly from incidents of his youth1 conversations with the vicar1 hearty meals in the open1 a frock his sister wore on the day of the postman's wedding1 the drone of a psalm1 the illness of some ewes belonging to ,mr4 ,hodge4 ,everything seemed to be moving very rapidly1 upsetting his sense of time4 ,he felt outraged1 and yet at moments there was something entrancing in the wild experience4 ,he seemed to be living at an incredible pace4 ,perhaps he was really dead and on his way to the kingdom of ,god4 ,perhaps this was the way they took people4 ,after some indefinite period he suddenly caught sight of a long strip of land4 ,was this a foreign country1 or were they returning8 ,he had by this time lost all feeling of fear4 ,he became interested and almost disappointed4 ,the 8airyplane0 was not such a fool as it looked4 ,it was very wonderful to be right up in the sky like this4 ,his dreams were suddenly disturbed by a fearful noise4 ,he thought the machine was blown to pieces4 ,it dived and ducked through the air1 and things were bursting all round it and making an awful din1 and then it went up higher and higher4 ,after a while these noises ceased1 and he felt the machine gliding downward4 ,they were really right above solid land--trees1 fields1 streams1 and white villages4 ,down1 down1 down they glided4 ,this was a foreign country4 ,there were straight avenues of poplars and canals4 ,this was not ,halvesham4 ,he felt the thing glide gently and bump into a field4 ,some men ran forward and approached them1 and the mad aviator called out to them4 ,they were mostly fat men in gray uniforms1 and they all spoke this foreign gibberish4 ,some one came and unstrapped him4 ,he was very stiff and could hardly move4 ,an exceptionally gross-looking man punched him in the ribs and roared with laughter4 ,they all stood round and laughed at him1 while the mad aviator talked to them and kept pointing at him4 ,then he said3 8,old ,grandfather1 you must come with me40 ,he was led to an iron-roofed building and shut in a little room4 ,there were guards outside with fixed bayonets4 ,after a while the mad aviator appeared again1 accompanied by two soldiers4 ,he beckoned him to follow4 ,they marched through a quadrangle and entered another building4 ,they went straight into an office where a very important-looking man1 covered with medals1 sat in an easy-chair4 ,there was a lot of saluting and clicking of heels4 ,the aviator pointed at ,sam and said something1 and the man with the medals started at sight of him1 and then came up and spoke to him in ,english4 8,what is your name8 ,where do you come from8 ,your age8 ,the name and birthplace of your parents80 ,he seemed intensely interested1 and also pulled his hair and beard to see if they came off4 ,so well and naturally did he and the aviator speak ,english that after a voluble examination they drew apart1 and continued the conversation in that language4 ,and the extraordinary conversation was of this nature3 8,it is a most remarkable resemblance10 said the man with medals4 8,unglaublich6 ,but what do you want me to do with him1 ,hausemann80 8,the idea came to me suddenly1 ,excellency10 replied the aviator1 8and you may consider it worthless4 ,it is just this4 ,the resemblance is so amazing4 ,paul ,jouperts has given us more valuable information than any one at present in our service1 and the ,english know that4 ,there is an award of five thousand francs on his head4 ,twice they have captured him1 and each time he escaped4 ,all the company commanders and their staff have his photograph4 ,he is a serious thorn in their flesh40 8,well80 replied the man with the medals4 ,the aviator whispered confidentially3 8,suppose1 your ,excellency1 that they found the dead body of ,paul ,jouperts80 8,well80 replied the big man4 8,my suggestion is this4 ,to-morrow1 as you know1 the ,english are attacking ,hill #gja1 which for tactical reasons we have decided to evacuate4 ,if after the attack they find the dead body of ,paul ,jouperts in1 say1 the second line1 they will take no further trouble in the matter4 ,you know their lack of thoroughness4 ,pardon me1 ,i was two years at ,oxford ,university4 ,and consequently ,paul ,jouperts will be able to prosecute his labors undisturbed40 ,the man with the medals twirled his mustache and looked thoughtfully at his colleague4 8,where is ,paul at the moment80 he asked4 8,he is acting as a gardener at the ,convent of ,st4 ,eloise1 at ,mailleton-en-haut1 which1 as you know1 is one hundred meters from the headquarters of the ,british central army staff40 ,the man with the medals took two or three rapid turns up and down the room1 then he said3 8,your plan is excellent1 ,hausemann4 ,the only point of difficulty is that the attack started this morning40 8,this morning80 exclaimed the other4 8,yes2 the ,english attacked unexpectedly at dawn4 ,we have already evacuated the first line4 ,we shall evacuate the second line at eleven-fifty4 ,it is now ten-fifteen4 ,there may be just time40 ,he looked suddenly at old ,sam in the way that a butcher might look at a prize heifer at an agricultural show and remarked casually3 8,yes1 it is a remarkable resemblance4 ,it seems a pity not to--do something with it40 ,then1 speaking in ,german1 he added3 8,it is worth trying4 ,and if it succeeds the higher authorities shall hear of your lucky accident and inspiration1 ,herr ,hausemann4 ,instruct ,ober-lieutenant ,schultz to send the old fool by two orderlies to the east extremity of ,trench #ch4 ,keep him there till the order of evacuation is given1 then shoot him1 but don't disfigure him1 and lay him out face upward40 ,the aviator saluted and withdrew1 accompanied by his victim4 ,old ,sam had not understood the latter part of the conversation1 and he did not catch quite all that was said in ,english2 but he felt that somehow things were not becoming too promising1 and it was time to assert himself4 ,so he remarked when they got outside3 8,now1 look 'ee 'ere1 ,mister1 when am ,i goin' to get back to my turnips80 ,and the aviator replied1 with a pleasant smile3 8,do not be disturbed1 old ,grandfather4 ,you shall get back to the soil quite soon40 ,in a few moments he found himself in a large gray car1 accompanied by four soldiers4 ,the aviator left him4 ,the country was barren and horrible1 full of great pits and rents1 and he could hear the roar of the artillery and the shriek of shells4 ,overhead1 aroplanes were buzzing angrily4 ,he seemed to be suddenly transported from the kingdom of ,god to the pit of darkness4 ,he wondered whether the vicar had enjoyed the runner beans4 ,he could not imagine runner beans growing here2 runner beans1 aye1 or anything else4 ,if this was a foreign country1 give him dear old ,england6 ,gr-r-r6 bang6 ,something exploded just at the rear of the car4 ,the soldiers ducked1 and one of them pushed him in the stomach and swore4 8,an ugly-looking lout10 he thought4 8,if ,i wor twenty years younger1 ,i'd give him a punch in the eye that 'u'd make him sit up40 ,the car came to a halt by a broken wall4 ,the party hurried out and dived behind a mound4 ,he was pulled down a kind of shaft1 and found himself in a room buried right underground1 where three officers were drinking and smoking4 ,the soldiers saluted and handed them a typewritten despatch4 ,the officers looked at him drunkenly1 and one came up and pulled his beard and spat in his face and called him 8an old ,english swine40 ,he then shouted out some instructions to the soldiers1 and they led him out into the narrow trench4 ,one walked behind him1 and occasionally prodded him with the butt-end of a gun4 ,the trenches were half full of water and reeked of gases1 powder1 and decaying matter4 ,shells were constantly bursting overhead1 and in places the trenches had crumbled and were nearly blocked up4 ,they stumbled on1 sometimes falling1 sometimes dodging moving masses1 and occasionally crawling over the dead bodies of men4 ,at last they reached a deserted-looking trench1 and one of the soldiers pushed him into the corner of it and growled something1 and then disappeared round the angle4 ,old ,sam was exhausted4 ,he leaned panting against the mud wall1 expecting every minute to be blown to pieces by one of those infernal things that seemed to be getting more and more insistent4 ,the din went on for nearly twenty minutes1 and he was alone in the trench4 ,he fancied he heard a whistle amidst the din4 ,suddenly one of the soldiers who had accompanied him came stealthily round the corner1 and there was a look in his eye old ,sam did not like4 ,when he was within five yards the soldier raised his rifle and pointed it at ,sam's body4 ,some instinct impelled the old man at that instant to throw himself forward on his face4 ,as he did so he was aware of a terrible explosion1 and he had just time to observe the soldier falling in a heap near him1 and then he lost consciousness4 ,his consciousness appeared to return to him with a snap4 ,he was lying on a plank in a building1 and he heard some one say3 8,i believe the old boy's ,english40 ,he looked round4 ,there were a lot of men lying there1 and others in khaki and white overalls were busy among them4 ,he sat up1 rubbed his head1 and said3 8,hi1 ,mister1 where be ,i now80 ,some one laughed1 and a young man came up and said3 8,well1 old man1 you were very nearly in hell4 ,who the devil are you80 ,some one came up1 and two of them were discussing him4 ,one of them said3 8,he's quite all right4 ,he was only knocked out4 ,better take him in to the colonel4 ,he may be a spy40 ,the other came up1 touched his shoulder1 and remarked3 8,can you walk1 ,uncle80 ,he replied3 8,aye1 ,i can walk all roight40 8,that's an old sport60 ,the young man took his arm and helped him out of the room into a courtyard4 ,they entered another room1 where an elderly1 kind-faced officer was seated at a desk4 ,the officer looked up and exclaimed3 8,good ,god6 ,bradshaw1 do you know who you've got there80 ,the younger one said3 8,no4 ,who1 sir80 8,it's ,paul ,jouperts60 exclaimed the colonel4 8,paul ,jouperts6 ,great ,scott60 ,the older officer addressed himself to ,sam4 ,he said3 8,well1 we've got you once more1 ,paul4 ,we shall have to be a little more careful this time40 ,the young officer said3 8,shall ,i detail a squad1 sir80 8,we can't shoot him without a courtmartial10 replied the kind-faced senior4 ,then ,sam interpolated3 8,look 'ee 'ere1 sir1 ,i'm fair' sick of all this4 ,my name bean't ,paul4 ,my name's ,sam4 ,i was a-thinnin' a loine o' turnips--0 ,both officers burst out laughing1 and the younger one said3 8,good6 damn good6 ,isn't it amazing1 sir1 the way they not only learn the language1 but even take the trouble to learn a dialect60 ,the older man busied himself with some papers4 8,well1 ,sam10 he remarked1 8you shall be given a chance to prove your identity4 ,our methods are less drastic than those of your ,boche masters4 ,what part of ,england are you supposed to come from8 ,let's see how much you can bluff us with your topographical knowledge40 8,i was a-thinnin' a loine o' turnips this mornin' at 'alf-past seven on ,mr4 ,hodge's farm at ,halvesham when one o' these 'ere airyplanes came down among the swedes4 ,i tells 'e to get clear o' that1 when the feller what gets out o' the car 'e drahs a revowlver and 'e says1 #8,you must 'company ,i--'0 8,yes1 yes10 interrupted the senior officer1 8that's all very good4 ,now tell me--where is ,halvesham8 ,what is the name of the local vicar8 ,i'm sure you'd know that40 ,old ,sam rubbed his chin4 8,i sits under the ,reverend ,david ,pryce1 ,mister1 and a good1 ,god-fearin' man he be4 ,i took him a cookin' o' runner beans on'y yesterday4 ,i works for ,mr4 ,hodge1 what owns ,greenway ,manor and 'as a stud-farm at ,newmarket1 they say40 8,charles ,hodge80 asked the young officer4 8,aye1 ,charlie ,hodge4 ,you write and ask un if he knows old ,sam ,gates40 ,the two officers looked at each other1 and the older one looked at ,sam more closely4 8,it's very extraordinary10 he remarked4 8,everybody knows ,charlie ,hodge10 added the younger officer4 ,it was at that moment that a wave of genius swept over old ,sam4 ,he put his hand to his head and suddenly jerked out3 8,what's more1 ,i can tell 'ee where this yere ,paul is4 ,he's actin' a gardener in a convent at--0 ,he puckered up his brows1 fumbled with his hat1 and then got out1 8,mighteno40 ,the older officer gasped4 8,mailleton-en-haut6 ,good ,god6 what makes you say that1 old man80 ,sam tried to give an account of his experience and the things he had heard said by the ,german officers2 but he was getting tired1 and he broke off in the middle to say3 8,ye haven't a bite o' somethin' to eat1 ,i suppose1 ,mister2 or a glass o' beer8 ,i usually 'as my dinner at twelve o'clock40 ,both the officers laughed1 and the older said3 8,get him some food1 ,bradshaw1 and a bottle of beer from the mess4 ,we'll keep this old man here4 ,he interests me40 ,while the younger man was doing this1 the chief pressed a button and summoned another junior officer4 8,gateshead10 he remarked1 8ring up the ,g4 ,h4 ,q4 and instruct them to arrest the gardener in that convent at the top of the hill and then to report40 ,the officer saluted and went out1 and in a few minutes a tray of hot food and a large bottle of beer were brought to the old man1 and he was left alone in the corner of the room to negotiate this welcome compensation4 ,and in the execution he did himself and his county credit4 ,in the meanwhile the officers were very busy4 ,people were coming and going and examining maps1 and telephone bells were ringing furiously4 ,they did not disturb old ,sam's gastric operations4 ,he cleaned up the mess tins and finished the last drop of beer4 ,the senior officer found time to offer him a cigarette1 but he replied3 8,thank 'ee kindly1 sir1 but ,i'd rather smoke my pipe40 ,the colonel smiled and said3 8,oh1 all right2 smoke away40 ,he lighted up1 and the fumes of the shag permeated the room4 ,some one opened another window1 and the young officer who had addressed him at first suddenly looked at him and exclaimed3 8,innocent1 by ,god6 ,you couldn't get shag like that anywhere but in ,norfolk40 ,it must have been an hour later when another officer entered and saluted4 8,message from the ,g4 ,h4 ,q41 sir10 he said4 8,well80 8,they have arrested the gardener at the convent of ,st4 ,eloise1 and they have every reason to believe that he is the notorious ,paul ,jouperts40 ,the colonel stood up1 and his eyes beamed4 ,he came over to old ,sam and shook his hand4 8,mr4 ,gates10 he said1 8you are an old brick4 ,you will probably hear more of this4 ,you have probably been the means of delivering something very useful into our hands4 ,your own honor is vindicated4 ,a loving ,government will probably award you five shillings or a ,victoria ,cross or something of that sort4 ,in the meantime1 what can ,i do for you80 ,old ,sam scratched his chin4 8,i want to get back 'ome10 he said4 8,well1 even that might be arranged40 8,i want to get back 'ome in toime for tea40 8,what time do you have tea80 8,foive o'clock or thereabouts40 8,i see40 ,a kindly smile came into the eyes of the colonel4 ,he turned to another officer standing by the table and said3 8,raikes1 is any one going across this afternoon with despatches80 8,yes1 sir10 replied the other officer4 8,commander ,jennings is leaving at three o'clock40 8,you might ask him if he could see me40 ,within ten minutes a young man in a flight-commander's uniform entered4 8,ah1 ,jennings10 said the colonel1 8here is a little affair which concerns the honor of the ,british army4 ,my friend here1 ,sam ,gates1 has come over from ,halvesham1 in ,norfolk1 in order to give us valuable information4 ,i have promised him that he shall get home to tea at five o'clock4 ,can you take a passenger80 ,the young man threw back his head and laughed4 8,lord60 he exclaimed1 8what an old sport6 ,yes1 ,i expect ,i can manage it4 ,where is the ,god-forsaken place80 ,a large ordnance-map of ,norfolk 7which had been captured from a ,german officer7 was produced1 and the young man studied it closely4 ,at three o'clock precisely old ,sam1 finding himself something of a hero and quite glad to escape from the embarrassment which the position entailed upon him1 once more sped skyward in a 8dratted airyplane40 ,at twenty minutes to five he landed once more among ,mr4 ,hodge's swedes4 ,the breezy young airman shook hands with him and departed inland4 ,old ,sam sat down and surveyed the familiar field of turnips4 8,a noice thing1 ,i must say60 he muttered to himself as he looked along the lines of unthinned turnips4 ,he still had twenty minutes1 and so he went slowly along and completed a line which he had begun in the morning4 ,he then deliberately packed up his dinner-things and his tools and started out for home4 ,as he came round the corner of ,stillway's meadow and the cottage came in view1 his niece stepped out of the copse with a basket on her arm4 8,well1 ,uncle10 she said1 8is there any noos80 ,it was then that old ,sam really lost his temper4 8,noos60 he said4 8,noos6 ,drat the girl6 ,what noos should there be8 ,sixty-nine year' ,i live in these 'ere parts1 hoein' and weedin' and thinnin'1 and mindin' ,charlie ,hodge's sheep4 ,am ,i one o' these 'ere story-book folk havin' noos 'appen to me all the time8 ,ain't it enough1 ye silly1 dab-faced zany1 to earn enough to buy a bite o' some'at to eat and a glass o' beer and a place to rest a's head o'night without always wantin' noos1 noos1 noos6 ,i tell 'ee it's this that leads 'ee to 'alf the troubles in the world4 ,devil take the noos60 ,and turning his back on her1 he went fuming up the hill4 ,collier's1 ,the ,national ,weekly 8,,momma0 ,,by ,,rupert ,,hughes 8,,momma0#d ,by ,,rupert ,,hughes ,momma was sick1 right sick4 ,momma was awful sick6 ,momma looked like she was going to die any minute4 ,and she didn't care if she did4 ,she up and as good as told ,poppa that4 ,poppa was scared almost to death when he realized it4 ,he was all alone with her1 and had none of the children to talk to about it2 though1 for the matter of that1 ,momma and ,poppa had never told the children about their own ailments4 ,and now the children had growed up and vamoosed4 ,all that was left of the fact that there ever had been any children round the place was the two old names ,momma and ,poppa that the old folks had caught by contagion and got to calling each other by from hearing themselves called them by the children when they were children4 ,momma and ,poppa had been drifting down life like a pair of old mud turtles floating south on an old log4 ,and now all of a sudden one of them felt that the other'n was going to roll off into the muddy water and sink downward1 backward1 dead6 ,perhaps the poor turtles know and grieve and mourn to the full capacity of their tight shells4 ,but ,poppa was a human1 gifted with sympathy4 ,he was old acquaintances with grief of every sort1 a pitiful postgraduate in all a man knows who has been a lover1 a husband1 and a father1 and has seen children born from one pain and ache to another and another1 who has seen some of his own little children die1 or pray for death in the long procession of disappointments and thwarted hopes that begin with the first irretrievable rattle lost over the edge of the crib1 and pass on to the rainy holidays1 the sunny schooldays1 the warm ,christmases1 cracked dolls1 lost games1 indignities from parents who misunderstand and spank1 from sweethearts who misunderstand and flirt1 and so on and so forth to the dreary1 shabby campfollower sorrows that trudge along at the tail end of the parade4 ,poppa's habit had been to take things as they come1 because1 as somebody said1 that's the only way they come4 ,he had grown so jaded with existence that he became a veteran ,horatio1 who1 as ,will ,shakespeare said1 8fortune's buffets and rewards hast ta'en with equal thanks40 ,nothing had excited him much of late at the store1 at home1 at church1 the lodge1 or in the newspapers4 ,as he had worn what seemed to be the same suit of clothes for years1 so his face had worn the same suit of expressions4 ,it was hard to tell his smile from his scowl4 ,funny things all had a touch of misfortune in them for somebody1 and sad things were all kind of funny1 so the same twitch at the muscles about his mouth served for an acknowledgment of everything unusual4 ,but now1 when ,momma almost wisht she was dead1 that last dreadful word twitched ,poppa's very heart4 ,he felt as if in the calm slumber of habitude somebody had reached into his breast and given his heart a yank4 ,and it shivered and rattled as an old doorbell clamors pulled hard at midnight by somebody crying3 8,wake up6 ,your house is on fire60 99 99 99 99 99 ,poppa woke up4 ,instinct told him that he must save ,momma and himself from the incredible disaster of her death4 ,his business worries had kept him from noticing the little symptoms of her decline1 though she had stopped quarreling with him1 and had simply quarreled with life1 with everything3 the food1 the neighbors1 her clothes1 the weather1 her stummick1 her head1 her eyes1 her feet1 her hands1 her appetite1 her looks--she even complained of her looks6 ,and now1 as if scales had been scraped off his eyes1 ,poppa saw that ,momma didn't look good4 ,she didn't look a bit good4 ,she looked something scandalous4 ,poppa belonged to a lodge1 and he had gone to numberless funerals4 ,yet he had hardly even imagined that some day his fellow members might in turn come to his house1 all dressed up with sashes and plumes and swords1 to march alongside the black wagon that should carry his one woman in a box to a ditch4 ,as if some one had set a moving picture going against the wall of his own sitting room1 he saw the whole thing1 and he shuddered back from it with a cry that struck inward and cut downward and stuck4 ,he had a fishbone in his throat4 ,he became suddenly young and arrantly afraid4 ,he wanted to run to his wife and cling to her and beg her not to think of such things4 ,but he had given up the habit of hugging ,momma or taking her into his lap or sitting on the arm of her chair since the ancient days when the first child began to take notice4 ,he wanted to go back to the old ways1 but it would have looked foolish1 and the two frumps had been afraid of each other's love for years and years4 ,he did nothing and said nothing2 but he did a heap of thinking4 8,heap0 was the word1 for his thoughts were like a pile of dead leaves1 tarnished1 crumpled brown leaves that had been green and radiant and breathing once4 ,his thoughts were a heap of autumnal rubbish set on fire4 ,red torment ran through them1 and they writhed and twisted as if a new life had come back to them just that they might suffer a little more4 ,the terror stung him to a determination4 8,i'll call the doctor10 he said4 ,he rose from his chair and shuffled to the telephone4 ,momma ran after him and dragged his hands down1 crying3 8,i don't want to see that old fool4 ,i'll go jump in the river if you send for him4 ,i couldn't stand the sight of him40 8,when a woman's too sick to see the doctor10 ,poppa said1 8it's high time somebody called him in40 ,he backed round and bunted her away with the minimum of grace and the maximum of devotion1 and held her at a distance until he got the number4 ,momma flopped helplessly into a chair and cried like a petulant little girl1 while ,poppa ordered the doctor to put on his shoes and come right over4 ,she was still pouting like a little girl when ,dr4 ,noxon came4 ,her lips were pushed out and her chin was purse-drawn when he asked her what was the matter of her4 ,he held her wrist in one hand and his watch in the other1 glanced at her tongue1 and in a lowered voice asked one or two very personal questions4 ,poppa did most of the talking1 while ,dr4 ,noxon nodded and said3 8,i see1 ,i see40 ,as might have been expected1 he left two sets of pills1 one kind to be taken after each meal and before retiring1 and another kind of pill to be taken on arising and every three hours4 ,momma could hardly keep from laughing in the old owl's face1 and as soon as he closed the door she bust right out4 ,it was not a nice laugh--hysterics like4 ,she whooped3 8,i've seen that old nuisance leave those same fool pills on those same fool pieces of paper since we first came to ,carthage and called him in4 ,everybody that ever took 'em has died1 and ,i guess it's my turn6 ,and ,i don't care60 ,her laughter ended in the wild weeping of a young girl1 and ,poppa was almost distracted4 ,she went to bed all wore out1 but she couldn't sleep4 ,she kept him awake worse when she laid still trying not to wake him than she did when she thrashed about and groaned4 99 99 99 99 99 ,that was a long night1 and ,poppa entertained a whole herd of nightmares without falling asleep1 or1 if he did1 he didn't know it and it didn't do him a mite of good4 ,he waited a day or two to see what effect ,dr4 ,noxon's immemorial pills would have4 ,they had even less effect than he expected they would4 ,the third day he took the almost sacrilegious step of seeing one of the other doctors4 ,dr4 ,champe refused to call since ,mrs4 ,lundy was known to be one of ,dr4 ,noxon's regular customers1 a life member in his pill association4 ,but ,poppa threatened to brain ,champe if he didn't see ,momma1 and he consented to see her if she would call after dark4 ,poppa had to drive her there 8like a pig to market10 he said1 and he was more wore out than what she was4 ,dr4 ,champe gave spoon medicines4 ,they were bittersweet and sticky1 and had no effect whatever except to cause a brief ague of nausea and leave a nasty taste on the tongue4 ,a third doctor tried massage1 another electricity4 ,momma even flirted with science--science with a capital ,s4 ,but the optimism that was ladled out to her made her sicker than ,dr4 ,champe's sticky sweet medicine4 ,she was in one of those moods when a cheerful word or a smile is a deadly insult4 ,the last doctor in town advised a trip1 a change of climate and environment4 ,momma ridiculed the idea1 but ,poppa telegraphed their married daughter in ,terre ,haute that ,momma was coming1 and he fairly boosted her on the train4 ,momma was dismal and ashamed of being dumped as a burden on a daughter she had always babied even after ,hattie 7now ,mrs4 ,fred ,eppes7 had babies of her own4 ,so the reunion lacked the delight that belonged to the occasion4 ,hattie hugged her mother hard and squealed3 8,why1 ,momma1 you're looking fine60 ,momma was doleful enough to remember her own woes1 and she groaned3 8,you just say that6 ,i don't feel a bit good and ,i'm a sight6 ,don't show me to any of your swell ,terra ,hut friends1 for ,i'll disgrace you40 ,hattie had hard sledding before her4 ,her mother did not even want to cheer up4 ,she wanted to be sick1 and she doubled her misery by bewailing the fact that she couldn't throw off her gloom4 ,she tried to smile once or twice1 but ,hattie begged her not to4 ,since ,momma would neither go calling nor receive callers1 she was not easy to entertain4 ,she was ashamed of her shabby clothes and her dowdy appearance1 and so was ,hattie4 ,hattie would not admit it1 though she did say that ,poppa1 with all his money1 ought to dress her up better4 ,poor ,poppa had tried to4 ,the average ,american husband does not often get the chance to complain of his wife's thrift in clothes1 but ,mr4 ,lundy1 little as he noticed such things1 had finally urged ,momma to spend a little more money on duds now that the children were buying their own4 ,but his well-meant hints had only depressed her the more1 and she had retorted that he was sick and tired of her and her old face4 ,he had dropped the subject4 ,hattie had no better success4 ,all that she succeeded in accomplishing was a round of the ,terre ,haute physicians--especially of those frightful personages known as 8specialists40 ,each of these found his specialty in ,momma1 and went after it4 ,one of them got away with a large number of her teeth before she could fight him off4 ,others offered to remove various parts of her1 but she declined to be separated from any more of her fixtures4 ,she reduced ,hattie's general practitioner almost to nervous prostration1 and at last1 in order to get her off his hands and off her daughter's nerves1 he casually recommended a ,new ,york specialist1 ,dr4 ,courtneidge1 who had the monopoly on a very abstruse operation dealing with the pancreas or something that ,momma didn't even know she had4 ,she was quite overawed at finding herself the proud possessor of such a thing4 ,she felt like an old watch that has suddenly learned it has had jewelled movements all these years4 ,but after a few hours of being interested in herself she slumped again and said she guessed she'd take her old pancreas back to ,carthage with her4 ,she'd got along with it so far1 and1 seeing as she'd denied herself a trip to ,new ,york all her life for fun1 she certainly wa'nt going all that ways to let a doctor poke a knife into her4 ,hattie fumed and bullied in vain for a day or two1 then she fired off a telegram to ,poppa to come over at once4 99 99 99 99 99 ,poppa was putting through a big land deal and the telegram nearly jolted him out of his wits4 ,he would not wait to extend his option4 ,he ran down to the station and swung on a train just pulling out4 ,he did not even stop for the collar1 toothbrush1 and nightgown that constituted his usual going-away equipment4 ,he spent a horrible night in the smoking car1 sleeping among his distorted limbs like a wrecked grasshopper4 ,at ,terre ,haute he took a taxicab to ,hattie's house1 and was in such a mental and facial disarray when he rang the bell that the maid who answered it slammed the door on him and ran to tell her mistress that there was a crazy man on the porch4 ,hattie peeked through the little side window and recognized her father1 and flung open the door and her arms to him4 ,he expected to find ,momma on her deathbed1 but she was at breakfast1 crying into her rolled oats4 8,what on earth is the matter of you1 ,momma80 he gasped4 8,nothing's the matter of me10 she snapped4 8,what on earth's the matter of you8 ,had your breakfast8 ,sed-down6 ,and--,hattie1 could you ask your girl to fry him a negg--turned over1 you remember2 and if the coffee's out1 here you can have the rest of mine40 ,poppa sank into a chair and consented to break his fast while the news was broken to him4 ,the word 8pancreas0 dazed him4 ,it sounded like something for breakfast till ,hattie explained4 ,then he was convinced4 ,there is something about a new word that solves all mysteries for most people1 and ,poppa was very much like most people4 ,when ,hattie had explained that ,dr4 ,appleyard himself had settled upon the pancreas and its malfunctioning1 or something like that1 as the secret of ,momma's indomitable obscurities1 ,poppa set his jaw4 8,when's first train to ,n',york80 he asked4 8,i'm not goin'1 ,i tell you10 ,momma pealed4 8,i'm not goin' one step40 8,you are goin'60 ,poppa stormed4 8,why ain't you goin'80 8,because it costs too much money40 ,that is a thing a man likes to say for himself4 ,he cannot endure to hear anyone else tell it to him4 ,it is insulting4 ,when the children were young1 ,momma had always said it first when she wanted to make sure of his consenting to an expenditure4 ,things she would never have browbeaten or wept out of him into permitting1 she could always force him to force her to accept by that approach--using the word 8force0 as card tricksters do when they deftly permit you to drag from them the one card that will work the trick4 ,but now ,momma was not stacking the cards4 ,she had economized for so many decades that money had become a thing sacrosanct4 ,unwittingly she had dealt ,poppa the deadliest humiliation in her power1 for he was what ,carthage people called 8rich02 he had lands and lands in his own and ,momma's name1 and big sums out on mortgages4 ,a standard of living that had been forced on him by his early poverty had sufficed him in his gradual wealth4 ,a new suit of clothes was a nuisance4 ,extra servants were like unwelcome guests that never went home4 ,the simplest food everlastingly repeated was all his stomach craved4 ,momma would as soon have had the measles as a limousine1 and jewels on her fingers would have crippled her like inflammatory rheumatism4 ,the changing styles of ,paris interested her as much as the tides of ,barnegat4 ,she had not changed the manner of wearing her hair since she was a mother for the first time1 and her dresses were made by a sewing woman who was more interested in the gossip of the families she moved among than in the daily hints from ,paris4 ,with money pouring in in amounts whose importance neither husband nor wife ever thought of translating into luxuries1 and seeping out in a slow trickle1 the old couple had come near to being misers without dreaming of stinginess4 ,this last big land deal of ,poppa's had brought him to a sudden realization that he was a pretty big fellow4 ,the banks had begun to turn to him with opportunities for large turnovers1 and bonds were offered him in bundles4 ,and so when ,momma implied that a trip to ,new ,york1 to save her life maybe1 was beyond his means1 he was hurt and enraged1 and in his anger he rose to an eloquence of gallantry he never would have achieved in a more temperate mood4 8,too much money1 hey8 ,you think you can't afford it1 do you8 ,well1 let me tell you that ,i can afford to send you to any town that anybody else can afford to go to4 ,and if that old pankers doctor has got any patients at tall besides millionaires1 and if he don't charge more'n a hundred thousand dollars a patient1 you can have the best operation he's got in his shop40 ,momma braced up a bit at this and gave ,hattie a proud look as much as to say3 8,you haven't married the only successful man in the world1 ,mrs4 ,eppes40 ,but she shook her head4 8,you ain't goin' to bankrupt yourself shippin' me to any doctor1 for ,i'm not worth it4 ,and that's all there is about it40 8,not worth it80 ,poppa cried with the fervor1 if not the rhetoric1 of a ,romeo4 8,well1 if you ain't worth it1 ,i'd like to know who is8 ,all ,i got is none too much to spend on you4 ,and if ,i had ten times as much1 what'd it be worth if ,i lost you1 ,momma80 ,this was so poetic and beautiful that ,momma had to get mad or break down and beller1 so she put up a big fight4 8,oh1 that's all very well for you to say1 but what it comes down to is3 ,you're sending me away to die like a dawg outside somewheres2 you want to treat me the way they do the old rats that they give a poison to that guarantees they don't die in the house40 8,aw1 ,momma60 was all ,poppa could groan4 ,but ,hattie lit into her mother with all the vigor of a true and dutiful ,american child4 8,why1 ,momma ,lundy6 ,you ought to be ashamed of yourself4 ,you must be out of your mind to talk thataway when ,poppa is so nice and so worried40 8,that's right6 ,pick on me60 ,momma moaned1 taking unfair refuge in cowardly tears4 8,but ,i notice nobody is offering to go to ,new ,york with me40 ,hattie spoke first4 8,i'd go in a minute if ,i could leave the children1 but with little ,eddie having his tonsils removed to-morrow and ,fannie's chicken pox just coming out--0 ,poppa sighed4 8,i'll go1 of course1 if you want me to40 ,momma saw the reluctance in his assent1 and1 though she knew that he had some strong business reason behind it1 her cantankerous mood took umbrage at it4 8,what'd ,i tell you8 ,well1 ,i will go4 ,i'll go all by myself1 to some lonely old hotel1 and if ,i never come back nobody will know the difference40 8,of course you shan't go by yourself1 honey10 ,poppa protested4 8,i was only thinkin' that if ,i could go home for a while ,i could set my business to rights and prob'ly close up a big deal ,i had on when ,i got ,hattie's wire4 ,if ,i was to put that through1 it would net me a couple o' thousand1 and that would go a long ways toward paying for your operation1 most likely2 and then ,i could come on and be with you whilst you was convalescing2 and then1 if anything was to happen to me1 the business would be all right and ,i'd leave you and the children fixed40 ,this was the simple1 humble statement of his mind in the matter2 that solemn devotion to his work that makes a priestcraft and an art of business4 ,like all successful creators1 he consecrated himself to his work and sacrificed himself to its completion4 ,no poet or sculptor could have a holier or purer ambition for perfection and a flawless conclusion1 and there was no more thought of selfishness or greed4 ,momma understood and loved him1 but the disease in her soul took offense at everything2 and1 though she realized the unselfishness of his motive1 she took a perverse delight in distorting it4 ,then ensued one of those duels in which each took the wrong side with a kind of devoted insincerity4 ,poppa frantically declared that he would go and nothing should stop him1 and she as frantically declared that if he went she wouldn't4 ,momma insisted that she hadn't a friend on earth or in ,new ,york1 and she would rather go back and die in her own bed than die alone in ,new ,york4 ,this reminded her distraught husband that she did have a friend in ,new ,york1 her old playmate1 ,ella ,jemison1 who had married ,sam ,killip and gone to ,new ,york and fortune4 8,oh1 yes1 ,i'm likely to ask rich folks like her to take me in60 ,momma sobbed4 8,she wouldn't look at me4 ,she's forgotten she ever knew me1 though we are kind of second cousins by marriage40 8,well1 her husband hasn't forgot he ever knew me10 ,poppa snapped4 8,didn't ,i have a letter from him only the other day1 and didn't he say his wife asked to be kindly remembered to you80 8,sam ,killip wrote to you60 ,momma cried4 8,how'd rich folks like him come to write to you80 ,poppa winced again at being a prophet without honor in his own home4 8,oh1 ,i guess he ain't the only rich folks in the world4 ,he said he saw ,i was a director in the ,third ,national ,bank1 and he wanted to enlarge his capital1 and he could offer me a chance to git in on the ground floor of a patent locomotive stoker he was pushing4 ,he said he was a little short of cash40 8,sam ,killip short of cash60 8,rich folks are always short of cash10 ,poppa explained4 8,that's why they're rich4 ,the minute they git any cash they put it into something and make it work4 ,i was going to tell ,sam ,i couldn't see my way clear1 but if ,ella will look after you a little ,i'll help him out40 ,this put a new face on the matter4 ,instead of going to ,new ,york as a decrepit1 friendless villager1 imploring the pity of an old acquaintance1 on whom her only claim was old acquaintanceship1 she was offered a chance to float in on her as a bearer of rich gifts4 ,she climbed evenly and thought of the ,three ,wise ,men4 8,i'd go there as a kind of a ,mrs4 ,magi then80 8,yes6 ,exactly6 ,and ,i guess she'd treat you like a grand duchess1 or something40 8,oh1 no1 ,i don't see how ,i could10 ,momma sighed1 slumping again1 too deeply dejected to reach out and pluck the golden apple4 ,but ,poppa had more insight than anyone suspected1 and he had caught the glint of interest in ,momma's eye4 ,it was the first sparkle he had seen there for weeks1 and1 though it had been quenched at once1 it emboldened him to tyranny4 ,he got to his feet and left the house with a maddening mysteriousness4 ,he was inspired to the amazing audacity of calling ,mr4 ,killip on the long-distance telephone4 ,he went to the hotel so that ,momma could not interrupt him4 ,when he had his ,new ,york victim by the ear he told him the whole story1 and ,killip1 who was still human though a ,new ,yorker1 was as effusive in welcoming ,momma as in accepting ,poppa's additional offer of money enough to stoke the stoker project to a hearty glow4 ,poppa went back and told ,momma what he had done1 and told her to pack up4 ,her next obstacle was3 8,but ,i got no clo'es here4 ,i'll have to go home and pack1 and ,i just ain't got the strength40 8,you got no clothes at home either10 ,hattie put in4 8,you can go downtown with me and get you some decent things4 ,you can't go to ,new ,york looking like an old farmer40 99 99 99 99 99 ,this was the wrong note4 ,momma broke her moorings again4 8,i told you you was ashamed of me4 ,i'm not fit to be seen in ,terra ,hut1 let alone in ,new ,york4 ,i'm simply not going to ,new ,york to make an exhabition of myself and make ,ellar ,killip turn up her nose at me40 ,this battle had lasted only a few hours longer when a telegram arrived from ,ella herself3 ,overjoyed dearest ,mattie to learn that you will visit ,new ,york though greatly distressed to learn of your indisposition you must come to us of course just let me know the train and ,i will meet you whatever the hour4 ,i know ,dr4 ,courtneidge very well and he is an old darling4 ,love to you and your husband from us both4 ,,ella4 ,the gracious warmth of this brought tears to the eyes of the poor derelict1 but she masked her sniffle in a sniff4 8,where'd she learn all those swell words80 ,hattie told her mother1 as usual1 that she ought to be ashamed of herself1 and ,momma was4 ,she prolonged her resistance to the point where ,poppa grew desperate enough to groan4 8,well1 you do as you're a mind to4 ,seein' you're strong enough to fight forever1 you go home and run the business and ,i'll go to the hospital my own self40 8,run the business6 ,that's all you think of60 she retorted with a sublime non sequitur4 8,put me on the cattle train and ship me off to the slaughter house4 ,ella still loves me1 anyway1 even if nobody else does1 and she'll see to it ,i get decently buried1 and that's all ,i got a right to expect40 ,poppa dashed out and bathed his hot head in cold water before he went to the ticket office4 ,he nearly bit the head off the agent1 just to show that he had some manhood left4 ,he was never quite the same man again after he got ,momma on the train at last4 ,he bade her a despondent farewell1 feeling sure that he would never see her again4 ,and1 in a sense1 he never did4444 99 99 99 99 99 ,going to the city for the first time in her life1 especially at such a time in her life1 was an adventure and a half for ,momma4 ,in spite of the fact that she was advancing toward the knives of a surgeon who was her forlorn hope1 she could not but feel a certain elation4 ,she was experiencing what ,victor ,hugo called a 8new shudder40 ,she was almost more afraid of ,ella ,killip and her splendor than of the pancreatic specialist4 ,she was fairly smothered with dread of facing the woman she had not seen since ,ella was a gangling1 noisy1 small-town tomboy1 all freckles and giggles and gawkiness4 ,she foresaw ,ella as a sort of vast and glittering ,queen ,victoria1 fattened on rich food and studded with jewels4 ,she saw herself as a shabby farm wife whom ,ella would probably give one glance and flee from with disdain4 ,when she reached ,new ,york at last1 her first struggle was with a red-capped ruffian who tried to steal her valise4 ,her next struggle was with her terror of the meeting with ,ella4 ,if she had known how to get a train back to ,carthage1 she would have taken it4 ,but the crowd hustled her up the platform and she lugged a soul heavier than her rusty hand bag4 ,no one had met her at the train1 and she was morbid enough to hope that ,ella had missed her4 ,but inside the station she found a crowd held back by a rope1 and paused to stare at the staring eyes4 ,she saw no one that suggested the ,ella she had planned1 but a tall slim creature1 dressed like an actress1 in glistening silk1 came forward hesitantly4 ,she looked young1 and yet she didn't4 ,her hair was hidden by a hat whose brim seemed to have been flourished by the impatient1 whimsical stroke of a painter's brush4 ,from this dressmaker's model came a voice that startled the valise from ,momma's hand1 for the voice came out of childhood1 and it was the voice of ,ella4 ,it sang a new tune1 but it was the old voice4 ,it said timidly1 tentatively3 8,mattie8 ,is it you80 ,momma's soft old knees caved in1 and she sat on the valise as she whimpered3 8,this is me1 but you're never ,ellar60 8,oh1 yes1 ,i am1 my dear10 said ,ella with a good laugh as she hoisted ,momma to her feet4 8,i'm the same old sixpence40 8,you look more like your own daughter1 if you have one40 8,oh1 ,i have one--three1 in fact4 ,but--come along1 you old dear40 ,she nodded to a red cap1 who took the valise and followed her as she led ,momma through the station4 ,momma's dazed eyes supposed they were taking a short cut through a cathedral4 ,the ,killip limousine was marvelous1 but she expected marvels4 ,she was a trifle disappointed when she reached ,ella's home4 ,she had expected to drive through a royal park to a palace4 ,but she was put down at a house built jam in among a lot of other houses4 ,it was not half the size of ,momma's house and had no yard at all except a small patch at the back4 ,in place of a double row of stiff-necked butlers up a grand staircase1 there was one very pleasant young man at the door and an awfully nice hired girl in cap and apron4 ,very friendly she was too1 and helped ,momma in the most folksy way up to her room4 99 99 99 99 99 ,ella came along1 and when the maid was sent for tea she petted ,momma and stuffed a pillow in her back and then drew a chair close up and said3 8,now1 ,mattie dear1 tell me all about it4 ,what on earth is the trouble1 you poor soul80 ,but ,momma was so embarrassed by the numberless disparities between herself and this strange creature who had started life with even less advantage that she could not be at ease4 ,she was dazed by the brilliance of ,ella1 by her blithe yet haughty carriage1 her young skin1 slim deft hands1 youthful alertness1 her fashionable voice1 her fashionable politeness4 ,she saw that ,ella's hair was white1 now that her hat was off2 but her hair was ironed and fluted and polished and dressed as for a fancy dress ball4 ,momma summed up her bewildered homage1 if it was homage1 in one helpless query3 8,what makes you powder your hair1 ,ella80 ,ella laughed aloud4 ,a little of the old boisterousness broke through the years of control4 8,as my boys would say3 #8,whaddaya mean1 8powder my hair08' ,that's my own poor old gray wool1 damn it60 ,ella's swear word even had a fashionable fillip6 ,momma had never sworn in her life1 or1 that is1 hardly ever2 certainly not with a smile4 ,when she had needed profane words1 she had used stupid old-womanish expletives4 ,but ,ella's casual objurgation broke the ice magically4 ,there is nothing that clears the air of formality like a little damn4 ,momma was so numb that it merely startled her from her torpor4 ,she laughed the first laugh that had been shaken out of her dust bin of a soul for six weeks4 ,after that the two old women were themselves again1 two girls who had parted and gone round the world two opposite ways and come together at last to exchange experiences4 ,their costumes and their dialects had changed with their travel1 but their hearts were as of old4 ,momma had to hear first of ,ella's amazing experiences4 ,this desire itself was a miracle of change2 she had already forgotten herself for a while4 ,ella's husband came home before ,ella had finished her ,arabian ,nights' ,entertainment and he was pleasantly surprised and surprising4 ,he had expected ,mattie to be more ill than she was and he had not expected her to look at all like his own wife4 ,he knew only too well how expensive ,ella's looks were and how different a life she led from the women of the old home town4 ,the dinner was simple but 8awful tasty10 as ,mattie proclaimed4 ,she was astounded to find herself eating with relish4 ,but the service was irresistible4 ,the amiable gentleman who handed the plates around and took them away was so solicitous about suggesting to her the best morsels that she could not insult him by refusing anything or break his heart by leaving an untouched plate for him to carry away4 ,sam ,killip was eager to know about all the friends and enemies of his youth and remembered so well the people and the nooks and the scraps of those good old days that the dinner went by like a wedding feast4 ,fortunately the ,killip children were away at schools and house parties and ,momma was not subjected to the inspection of a generation that found even ,ella ,killip old-fashioned and conservative4 ,when ,ella said she had given up trying to keep up with the youngsters1 ,momma laughed her to scorn with a quaint phrase3 8,oh1 yes1 to hear you tell it60 ,after dinner ,sam had a meeting of some charitable board1 and ,ella and ,mattie settled down for a confab4 ,ella neglected to mention that she had sent her opera box to friends of hers1 and she made no allusion to the fact that it was the first performance of a new rle for ,caruso1 and she would have given an eyetooth to hear him4 ,she spread ,momma out on what she called a chaise longue4 ,momma said it was the only comfortable sofa she'd ever laid on and she was going to have one like it if it busted ,poppa4 ,momma was already planning for the future6 ,and thinking of it in terms of comfort6 ,she was reluctant to discuss her famous illness1 but ,ella insisted on knowing the worst4 8,well1 it simply baffled all the doctors10 ,momma said in a tone not altogether boastless4 8,i don't know how to describe it4 ,it's just a kind of gener'l gone-ness4 ,i got no heart for anything--no appatite for my vittles1 no int'rest in the house or church work or the heathen or the fambly4 ,i don't want to go to bed nights and ,i don't want to get up mornings4 ,always been a fiend on housekeepin'1 but ,i don't much care now whether things are in their place or not4 ,dust don't worry me like it used to4 ,i'm all dusty myself4 ,no special aches or pains1 but ,i just don't feel good anywheres4 8,want to cry all the time and ,i don't know why4 ,hate to go outdoors and hate to stay in4 ,poppa drives me nearly crazy with everything he does and says1 but ,i drive myself crazier still4 ,i ain't friends with myself or anybody4 ,want to die and can't bear the thought of that either4 8,it's just a kind of all wrongness everywhere1 if you can make anything out of that40 ,to her amazement1 ,ella said3 8,i know just how you feel and you've come to the right place to be cured40 99 99 99 99 99 ,it was not altogether pleasant to have ,ella claim a share in ,momma's wonderful disease and to speak so off-handedly of its cure4 ,but instead of rebuking ,ella for presuming and for minimizing the crisis1 ,momma felt relieved and before long she was yawning nobly and confessing that she could not keep her eyes open4 ,ella went to her room with her and saw her bestowed1 then kissed her good night and left her4 ,momma noted that her valise had been unpacked1 her bed opened1 her nightgown and slippers laid out1 a water bottle set by the reading lamp on a little table by the bedhead1 and a dozen little thoughtfulnesses executed in her behalf4 ,when she was in her old nightgown1 which was modeled on the potato-bag pattern1 and had said her prayers1 she crept into the disgracefully fine linen sheets and slept in luxurious oblivion for nine good hours4 ,she did not know that ,ella had sneaked into her own room1 dressed swiftly1 and stolen out to the opera1 where she stood up1 and that she went to a supper and there danced a while before she sneaked home4 ,momma had her breakfast in bed at ,ella's previous order and wandered about the house for hours before ,ella had rung for her breakfast and sent for ,momma4 ,ella was a sight4 ,she looked like one of those immor'l ,french kings' favorites4 ,she had on a lace boudoir cap and a silk nightgown1 very deckolett1 and a 8breakfast jacket0 7of all things67 of satin and lace4 ,she did look handsome4 ,momma had always hated to have even ,poppa see her before breakfast4 ,she began to be a little eager for her cure4 8,when do ,i go to see this ,dr4 ,courtneidge80 ,ella hesitated a moment1 then spoke with a certain sternness3 8,there are two or three things that have to be done first1 ,mattie dear4 ,i'm always a beast up till noon1 so you mustn't be surprised if ,i'm brutally frank now4 ,dr4 ,courtneidge is a very fussy and snappy old gentleman4 ,he has only swells for patients and he's very particular40 8,don't he treat poor folks at tall80 ,momma gasped4 8,oh1 yes1 he has free clinics and hospitals and all that and does half his work for nothing4 ,that's why he's so particular with his pay patients4 ,you've got to go through a course of sprouts and buy some things or you'll never get near him4 8,his reception room is full of people1 and you'd feel terribly embarrassed to wait there till he gets round4 ,so you really must have some of this year's clothes and a #aibj hat4 ,and your hair--you mustn't be offended1 ,mattie1 dear1 but really your hair and your skin6 ,he'd give you one glance and send you away without an examination even4 ,you see1 ,i know him4 8,and then the examination1 ,mattie dear--well1 you know what that's like4 ,and in the hospital--well6 ,i saw the nightgown laid out on your pillow and that sort of thing would simply frighten the doctor to death4 ,he really couldn't operate40 8,i'm not looking to marry the old fool10 ,momma mumbled4 8,i got one husband a'ready40 8,i know1 my dear ,mattie1 but your one husband put you in my charge and ,i'm going to see you through4 ,my masseuse is coming to my house this morning4 ,she's downstairs now1 ,i imagine1 and ,i'm going to have her begin on you4 ,when she's finished1 my hairdresser1 ,franois1 will get to work on that dear old poll of yours and take off about forty years of age4 ,then we'll have lunch and go shopping40 ,momma was choked with wrath1 but ,ella would neither fight nor plead4 ,she just bullied her with laughter1 and ,momma1 feeling like a convict unjustly imprisoned1 set her jaws and resolved to go through with the sentence4 ,she revolted1 however1 at the insolence of the masseuse--and her exclamations of horror at the neglect of a 8skin that had never really been cleaned40 ,but the wretch silenced ,momma's indignation with the indignity of smeared cold cream1 and smothered her with hot towels and cold towels1 and with lotions of every odor and smart4 ,momma would not speak to her as she left1 but when she scowled at the mirror1 she gazed at the new face aghast it flung back at her4 ,the dull parchment of her skin had become a living integument with a kind of dreamy radiance alive in it4 ,momma felt bewitched4 ,she would have sworn that the image in the looking-glass smiled first at her and nodded1 compelling her to smile back and nod in return4 ,she hung there fascinated1 understanding a little of what ,narcissus felt when he looked first in the pool4 ,then a quiet ,frenchman was shown in4 ,he overawed ,momma by his dignity and his dexterity4 ,she dared not slap his face when he spoke of her hair as a crime4 ,he called it a 8cream10 but she understood his shoulders4 ,and then he attacked her poor head with ferocious familiarity4 ,if ,poppa had ever caught him1 and her1 he'd certainly have shot them both4 ,momma was in for it1 however1 and she actually permitted this strange man1 this appalling foreigner1 to take down her hair1 drench it1 soap it1 souse her head in water1 pour curious smelly things over her scalp1 and rinse them out1 massage her occiput1 comb and pull and torture and iron her hair and dress it on top of her astounded skull in what he called a 8,french twist40 ,she spent a whole hour of 8feeling like a shirt in a steam laundry10 as she afterward expressed it4 ,then he brandished before her a mirror and uttered a triumphant cry of something that sounded like3 8,ah1 my damn1 walla1 walla60 ,momma blushed vermilion and felt as immoral as she looked4 ,yet not at all remorseful1 somehow4 ,fortunately ,franswa dashed out to prepare the hair of ,ella1 leaving ,momma to ponder her new face and her new hair with a new soul4 ,she felt that1 in ,hattie's formula1 she ought to be ashamed of herself1 but1 to save her immortal being1 she could not4 ,only one thing she was sure of1 and that was that that head and that hair did not belong on top of that old dress of hers4 ,her one 8best dress0 was the one worst dress she had ever seen4 ,when at length she saw ,ella1 ,ella screamed with delight at the transformation and said something that rimed3 ,grow old along with me1 ,the best is yet to be4 ,the afternoon was spent in shopping for what ,ella called 8landjerree40 ,until she had the proper underpinnings1 ,ella simply refused to buy ,mattie the new dress and hat she was already clamoring for4 ,the amount of ,poppa's money that ,ella spent on silken shamelessness dazed ,momma1 but ,ella would not be checked1 and ,momma was too childishly interested in the new doll rags to make more than a show of resistance4 ,ella said3 8,if your husband has money enough to waste ten thousand dollars on my husband's foolish investments1 he has money enough to buy you some decent underclothes40 8,did you say #8decent'80 was ,momma's feeble disclaimer1 but she barely muttered it4 ,that night1 on a plea of going to bed early1 ,momma locked herself in her room and tried on the new things4 ,she nearly died of palpitation of the heart when she stood up in silk stockings1 satin mules1 and in a new streamline corset that gave her a figure6 ,a heroic figure indeed1 but a shape1 a contour1 that was not altogether an insult to the ,creator who fashioned it4 ,momma had to give it a religious significance to live through it4 99 99 99 99 99 ,and why not8 ,what instinct is more deeply implanted in womanhood than the immemorial insatiable lust for pretty things8 ,it has resisted the immemorial insatiable lust of preachers and satirists for insulting it1 of economists and hardworking men for denouncing it4 ,it has been called every contemptuous and cruel name in every language4 ,laws have been made against it innumerably1 in vain4 ,and it has flourished as unconquerably as violets in moss1 as perfume in hyacinths1 as bright plumage in birds1 and ornate sunsets in western skies4 ,the weavers of silk and the needlers of laces1 the designers of gowns and of hats have kept up their beautiful careers despite the thunders of self-styled virtue and the slanders of all times4 ,poets and prosers and painters who have turned less beautiful lines and have married less beautiful colors1 and the critics who have celebrated their achievements1 have looked down with disdain on those who have devoted their inspirations and their toil to the creation of felicitous decorations for the living body4 ,but the women have known better4 ,they never have despised the artists who improved them and enhanced them2 and by hook or by crook they have kept those artists alive and blessed them with fame4 ,and again why not8 ,the pietists and the ,puritans who cannot forgive women for trying to be beautiful1 do they not belie their own gods in their own barbaric praise of ugliness8 8,o ,justice1 what crimes are committed in thy name60 ,and1 ,o ,beauty1 what crimes in thine6 ,yet beauty shall not die nor the love of ornament1 and those who hate them cannot prove their right to cast a stone4 ,frightful extravagances and cruelties are the result of the hunger for beauty and the feeding of that appetite1 but this is true of every other religion and law and ideal4 ,if everybody who dressed plainly and lived without luxury1 gave all he saved or she did not spend to the poor1 their miserliness might be justified1 but everybody knows that this is not so4 ,beauty is generous4 ,she who is pleased with herself is already hospitable1 and until the millennium is here those who have not the energy or the wile to get fine clothes and wear them well may content themselves as best they can by watching the well-bedecked go by4 ,and who is he so mean of soul that he would decree the extinction of the custom women have of making themselves as pleasing to the eye as possible8 ,and what benefits would the vandal confer on bedulled mankind8 ,momma at least at last was not of that humor4 ,she had become a girl again at heart4 ,she could never be again the gracile nymph who had turned the heads of ,carthage swains with her flesh of apple-blossom hue1 her fleecy hair in its ribbons1 and her gay body in its winsome fabrics4 ,but she could be a splendid white-haired matron2 and that age has a nobler beauty and a grander charm than even youth can give1 youth so common and so helpless in its grace4 ,when ,momma walked by chance in front of the long cheval glass1 she fell back with a sob of fear and shame4 ,but she approached again and studied herself4 ,she stood up straight1 lifting her head proudly on her throat1 her torso on her hips2 holding herself stalwart as an empress4 ,and she thanked ,god for what ,he had given her1 and promised ,him she would take better care of the chalice of her soul4 ,and a happiness possessed her like a benediction4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the next day she went forth to buy dresses1 not mere tents to hide her shapeless body under1 colored bags to cover her lumps and bulges from the casual and unlingering eye1 but exquisite masterpieces from skilled looms1 piously accepting the human form and developing its graces4 ,ella was not fool enough to put kittenish anachronisms of dress on ,momma4 ,she made her look herself at her supreme4 ,and the slithy mannequins who stood about raved over the miracle that had been accomplished in turning the dowdy peasant that entered the shop into a high-bred dowager who smiled upon an approving mirror4 ,momma's only grief was that she could not wear any of the gowns out on the street at once4 ,she had a frantic desire to prance up ,fifth ,avenue without delay4 ,but there were alterations to make1 and she must wait4 ,and so must ,dr4 ,courtneidge4 ,she took the delay as her punishment for having put off so long the day of her at-one-ment with her better self4 ,the afternoon was spent among the milliners4 ,glistening countesses in black satin came and went with hats like coronets4 ,they set them daintily on ,momma's turreted hair and lifted them away again4 ,momma sat up so straight that she felt taller sitting down than she had seemed hitherto reaching for a pantry shelf4 ,it was unbelievable how much it changed her face to change her hat4 ,she cowered in horror from beneath some of the brims1 but others so caught her up into the clouds that they amounted to translation--apotheosis almost4 ,in spite of ,ella's cries of protest1 she bought five of the costliest and wore one of them away4 ,she went to bed prostrated4 ,but it was the prostration of a girl come home from a great ball1 worn out with rapture and pursued by remembered music4 99 99 99 99 99 ,poppa had not heard a word of ,momma since the telegram she sent him saying that she had arrived and been met and was awful tired and discouraged4 ,when no letters came he was sure that she was up to her old trick of concealing the worst from him as long as possible4 ,he was sure that she was in the hospital1 delirious with pain and on her way to the grave4 ,his heart went mad with visions of her loss and of the dismal life without her4 ,on another of his impulses he took a train for ,new ,york1 sending a brief telegram to ,ella4 ,he got off the train in much the desolate mood that had dejected ,momma when she arrived4 ,he also resisted the redcap and trudged dolefully to the line where people waited behind the rope4 ,and up to him also came a gorgeous creature whom he did not recognize until he heard the ancient voice4 8,poppa1 don't you know me80 ,the voice was ,momma's1 but since when was she a tsarina off the throne8 ,he1 too1 dropped his handbag and collapsed4 ,and she lifted him and murmured as she kissed him3 8,don't you like me80 8,i don't know you10 he faltered4 ,but he kissed her suave and fragrant cheek again and looked into the gleaming eyes of the bride he remembered out of the long ago4 ,then he began to laugh in great gulps of blissful anguish1 like a boy who has found on the ,christmas tree a richer gift than he had ever dreamed of1 or dared to ask4 ,momma cried too4 ,but such a different wail from the wails he had heard from her of late6 ,finally ,poppa thought that he must give credit for the redemption where it was due4 8,that ,dr4 ,courtneidge is certainly a wonder4 ,what on earth did he do to you80 8,i haven't seen him yet10 said ,momma4 8,and ,i'm not goin' to4 ,i've taken what ,ella calls the #8hat cure' and all the other clothes cures4 ,and they haven't cost much more than old ,courtneidge would have charged40 ,poppa felt very uneasy walking along with ,momma in all her glittering glory4 ,he had always loved her4 ,now he felt proud of her with the goodly pride of a man who has the luck to get a beautiful wife and the brains to keep her beautiful4 ,the only fly in the great bowl of ointment was himself1 his shabby self4 ,he confessed as much4 8,i'm ashamed to be seen with you1 ,momma40 8,you won't be after ,i get through taking you to the tailor's and the other places ,i'm goin' to take you to4 ,this is our second honeymoon1 ,poppa4 ,we didn't have any trousseau at tall before1 but we're going to make up for it now4 ,i think ,i'll telegraph for ,hattie and give her a look1 just so's to hear her say3 #8,why1 ,momma1 you ought to be ashamed of yourself6'0 8,i guess you'd oughta1 at that10 ,poppa guffawed4 ,and as she swept into ,ella's limousine like a ,roman empress entering a chariot4 ,momma tittered3 8,i am6 ,i'm so ashamed of myself1 ,i'm proud of it60 ,cosmopolitan ,magazine ,,back ,,pay ,,by ,,fannie ,,hurst ,,back ,,pay#e ,by ,,fannie ,,hurst ,i set out to write a love-story1 and for the purpose sharpened a bright-pink pencil with a glass ruby frivolously at the eraser end4 ,something sweet4 ,something dainty4 ,a candied rose-leaf after all is the bitter war-lozenges4 ,a miss4 ,a kiss4 ,a golf-stick4 ,a motor-car4 ,or1 if need be1 a bit of khaki1 but without one single spot of blood or mud1 and nicely pressed as to those fetching peg-top trouser effects where they wing out just below the skirt-coat4 ,the oldest story in the world told newly4 ,no wear out to it4 ,editors know4 ,it's as staple as eggs or printed lawn or ipecac4 ,the good old-fashioned love story with the above-mentioned miss1 kiss and1 if need be for the sake of timeliness1 the bit of khaki1 pressed4 ,just my luck that1 with one of these most salable tales in the world at the tip of my pink pencil1 ,hester ,bevins should come pounding and clamoring at the door of my mental reservation1 quite drowning out the rather high1 the lipsy1 and1 if ,i do say it myself1 distinctly musical patter of ,arline4 ,that was to have been her name4 ,arline ,kildane4 ,sweet1 don't you think1 and with just a bit of wild ,irish rose in it8 ,but ,hester ,bevins would not let herself be gainsaid1 sobbing a little1 elbowing her way through the group of mental unborns1 and leaving me to blow my pitch-pipe for a minor key4 ,not that ,hester's isn't one of the oldest stories in the world1 too4 ,no matter how newly told1 she is as old as sin1 and sin is but a few weeks younger than love--and how often the two are interchangeable6 ,there is another ,hester in fiction who wore a literal scarlet letter1 but she is sprung from the brain of genius1 from whence all immortal brain-children are born4 ,my poor ,hester is of far less fertile gray matter1 but here she is as she is4 ,if it be a fact that the true lady is1 in theory1 either a virgin or a lawful wife1 then ,hester ,bevins stands immediately convicted on two charges4 ,she was neither4 ,the most that can be said for her is that she was honestly what she was4 8,if the wages of sin is death10 she said to a road-house party of roysterers one dawn1 8then ,i've quite a bit of back pay coming to me40 ,and joined in the shout that rose off the table4 ,i can sketch her in for you rather simply because of the hackneyed lines of her very1 very old story4 ,whose pasts so quickly mold and disintegrate as those of women of ,hester's stripe8 ,their yesterdays are entirely soluble in the easy waters of their to-days4 ,for the first seventeen years of her life1 she lived in what we might call ,any ,american ,town of1 say1 fifteen or twenty thousand inhabitants4 ,her particular one was in ,ohio4 ,demopolis1 ,i think4 ,one of those change-engine-and-take-on-water stops with a stucco art-nouveau station1 a roof drooping all round it1 as if it needed to be shaved off like edges of a pie1 and the name of the town writ in conch shells on a green slant of terrace4 ,you know--the kind that first establishes a ten-o'clock curfew for its young1 its dance-halls1 and motion-picture theaters1 and then sends in a hurry call for a social-service expert from one of the large ,eastern cities to come and diagnose its malignant vice undergrowth4 ,hester ,bevins1 of a mother who died bearing her and one of those disappearing fathers who can speed away after the accident without even stopping to pick up the child or leave a license-number1 was reared--no2 grew up1 is better--in the home of an aunt4 ,a blond aunt with many gold teeth and many pink and blue wrappers4 ,whatever ,hester knew of the kind of home that fostered her1 it left apparently no welt across her sensibilities4 ,it was a rather poor house1 an unpainted frame in a poor street1 but there was never a lack of gaiety or1 for that matter1 any pinching lack of funds4 ,it was an actual fact that1 at thirteen1 cotton or lisle stockings brought out a little irritated rash on ,hester's slim young legs1 and she wore silk4 ,abominations1 it is true1 at three pair for a dollar1 that sprung runs and would not hold a darn1 but1 just the same1 they were silk4 ,there was an air of easy camaraderie and easy money about that house4 ,it was not unusual for her to come home from school at high noon and find a front-room group of one1 two1 three1 or four guests1 almost invariably men4 ,frequently these guests handed her out as much as half a dollar for candy-money1 and not another child in school reckoned in more than pennies4 ,once1 a guest1 for reasons of odd change1 ,i suppose1 handed her out thirteen cents4 ,outraged perhaps at the meanness of the sum1 and with an early and deep-dyed superstition of thirteen1 she dashed the coins out of his hand and to the four corners of the room1 escaping in the guffaw of laughter that went up4 ,often her childish sleep in a small top room with slanting sides would be broken upon by loud ribaldry that lasted into dawn1 but never by word1 and certainly not by deed1 was she to know from her aunt any of its sordid significance4 ,literally1 ,hester ,bevins was left to feather her own nest4 ,there were no demands made upon her4 ,once1 in the little atrocious front parlor of horsehair and chromo1 one of the guests1 the town baggage-master1 to be exact1 made to embrace her1 receiving from the left rear a sounding smack across cheek and ear from the aunt4 8,cut that6 ,hester1 go out and play6 ,whatever she's got to learn from life1 she can't say she learned it in my house40 ,there were even two years of high school1 and at sixteen1 when she went1 at her own volition1 to clerk in ,finley's two story department store on ,high ,street1 she was still innocent1 although she and ,gerald ,fishback were openly sweethearts4 ,gerald was a ,thor4 ,of course1 you are not to take that literally2 but if ever there was a carnification of the great god himself1 then ,gerald was in his image4 ,a wide streak of the ,scandinavian ran through his make-up1 although he had been born in ,middletown1 and from there had come recently to the ,finley ,dry ,goods ,company as an accountant4 ,he was so the viking in his bigness that once1 on a picnic1 he had carried two girls1 screaming their fun1 across twenty feet of stream4 ,hester was one of them4 ,it was at this picnic1 the ,finley annual1 that he asked ,hester1 then seventeen1 to marry him4 ,she was darkly1 wildly pretty1 as a rambler rose tugging at its stem is restlessly pretty1 as a pointed little gazelle smelling up at the moon is whimsically pretty1 as a runaway stream from off the flank of a river is naughtily pretty1 and she wore a crisp percale shirt-waist with a saucy bow at the collar1 fifty-cent silk stockings1 and already she had almond incarnadine nails with points to them4 ,they were in the very heart of ,wallach's ,grove1 under a natural cathedral of trees1 the noises of the revelers and the small explosions of soda-water and beer-bottles almost remote enough for perfect quiet4 ,he was stretched his full and splendid length at the picnickers' immemorial business of plucking and sucking grass blades1 and she seated very trimly1 her little blue-serge skirt crawling up ever so slightly to reveal the silken ankle1 on a rock beside him4 8,tickle-tickle60 she cried1 with some of that irrepressible animal spirit of hers1 and leaning to brush his ear with a twig4 ,he caught at her hand4 8,hester10 he said1 8marry me40 ,she felt a foaming through her until her finger-tips sang4 8,well1 ,i like that60 was what she said1 though1 and flung up a pointed profile that was like that same gazelle's smelling the moon4 ,he was very darkly red1 and rose to his knees to clasp her about the waist4 ,she felt like relaxing back against his blondness and feeling her fingers plow through the great double wave of his hair4 ,but she did not4 8,you're too poor10 she said4 ,he sat back without speaking for a long minute4 8,money isn't everything10 he said finally1 and with something gone from his voice4 8,i know10 she said1 looking off2 8but it's a great deal if you happen to want it more than anything else in the world40 8,then1 if that's how you feel about it1 ,hester1 next to wanting you1 ,i want it1 too1 more than anything else in the world40 8,there's no future in bookkeeping40 8,i know a fellow in ,cincinnati who's a hundred-and-fifty-dollar man4 ,hester8 ,dear80 8,a week80 8,why1 of course not1 dear--a month40 8,faugh60 she said1 still looking off4 ,he felt out for her hand1 at the touch of her reddening up again4 8,hester10 he said1 8you're the most beautiful1 the most exciting1 the most maddening1 the most--the most everything girl in the world6 ,you're not going to have an easy time of it1 ,hester1 with your--your environment and your dangerousness1 if you don't settle down--quick1 with some strong fellow to take care of you4 ,a fellow who loves you4 ,that's me1 ,hester4 ,i want to make a little home for you and protect you4 ,i can't promise you the money--right off1 but ,i can promise you the bigger something from the very start4 ,from the very start1 ,hester4 ,dear80 ,she would not let her hand relax to his4 8,i hate this town10 she said4 8,there's ,cincinnati4 ,maybe my friend could find an opening there40 8,faugh60 8,cincinnati dear1 is a metropolis40 8,no1 no6 ,you don't understand4 ,i hate littleness4 ,even little metropolises4 ,cheapness4 ,i hate little towns and little spenders and mercerized stockings and cotton lisle next to my skin1 and machine-stitched nightgowns--ugh2 it scratches60 8,and ,i--,i just love you in those starchy white shirt-waists1 ,hester4 ,you're beautiful40 8,that's just the trouble4 ,it satisfies you1 but it suffocates me4 ,i've got a pink-crpe-de-,chine soul4 ,pink crpe de ,chine--you hear80 ,he sat back on his heels4 8,it--is it true1 then1 ,hester that--that you're making up with that ,jewish traveling salesman from ,new ,york80 8,why60 she said1 coloring4 8,why1 ,i've only met him twice walking up ,high ,street evenings60 8,but it is true1 isn't it1 ,hester80 8,say1 who was answering your questions this time last year80 8,but it is true1 isn't it1 ,hester8 ,isn't it80 8,well1 of all the nerve60 ,but it was4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the rest tells glibly4 ,the ,jewish salesman1 who wore blue-and-white-striped soft collars with a bar pin across the front1 does not even enter the story4 ,he was only a stepping-stone4 ,from him1 the ascent1 or descent1 or whatever you choose to call it1 was quick and sheer4 ,five years later1 ,hester was the very private1 the very exotic1 manicured1 coiffured1 scented1 svelted1 and strictly de-luxe chattel of one ,charles ,g4 ,wheeler1 of ,new ,york city and ,rosencranz1 ,long ,island1 vice-president of the ,standard ,tractor ,company1 a member of no clubs but of the ,rosencranz church1 three lodges1 and several corporations4 ,you see1 there is no obvious detail lacking4 ,yes2 there was an apartment4 8,flat0 it becomes under their kind of tenancy1 situated on the windiest bend of ,riverside ,drive and minutely true to type from the pale-blue and brocade ,verni ,martin parlor of talking-machine1 mechanical piano1 and cellarette built to simulate a music cabinet1 to the pink-brocaded bedroom with a chaise longue piled high with a small mountain of lace pillowettes that were liberally interlarded with paper-bound novels1 and a spacious1 white-marble adjoining bathroom with a sunken tub1 rubber-sheeted shower1 white-enamel weighing scales and over-loaded medicine-chest of cosmetic array in frosted bottles1 sleeping-1 headache-1 sedative powders1 et al4 ,there were also a negro maid1 two ,pomeranian dogs1 and last1 but by no means least1 a private telephone enclosed in a hall closet and lighted by an electric bulb that turned on automatically to the opening of the door4 ,there was nothing sinister about ,wheeler4 ,he was a rather fair exponent of that amazing genus known as 8typical ,new ,yorker10 a roll of money in his pocket1 and a roll of fat at the back of his neck4 ,he went in for light checked suits1 wore a platinum-and-,oriental-pearl chain across his waistcoat1 and slept at a ,turkish bath once a week2 was once named in a large corporation scandal1 escaping indictment only after violent and expensive skirmishes1 could be either savage or familiar with waiters1 wore highly manicured nails1 which he regarded frequently in public1 white-silk socks only1 and maintained1 on a twenty-thousand-a-year scale in the decorous suburb of ,rosencranz1 a decorous wife and three children1 and1 like all men of his code1 his ethics were strictly double-decked4 ,he would not permit his nineteen-year-old daughter ,marion so much as a shopping-tour to the city without the chaperonage of her mother or a friend1 forbade in his wife1 a comely enough woman with a white unmarcelled coiffure and upper arms a bit baggy with withering flesh1 even the slightest of shirt-waist ,v's unless filled in with net1 and kept up1 at an expense of no less than fifteen thousand a year--thirty the war-year that tractors jumped into the war-industry class--the very high-priced1 -tempered1 -handled1 and -stepping ,hester of wild-gazelle charm4 ,not that ,hester stepped much4 ,there were a long underslung roadster and a great tan limousine with yellow-silk curtains at the call of her private telephone4 ,the ,wheeler family used1 not without complaint1 a large open car of very early vintage1 which in winter was shut in with flapping curtains with isinglass peepers1 and leaked cold air badly4 ,on more than one occasion they passed on the road--these cars4 ,the long tan limousine with the shock-absorbers1 foot-warmers1 two brown ,pomeranian dogs1 little case of enamel-top bottles1 fresh flowers1 and outside this little jewel-case interior1 smartly exposed1 so that the blast hit him from all sides1 a chauffeur in uniform that harmonized nicely with the tans and yellows4 ,and then the grotesque caravan of the ,azoic motor-age1 with its flapping curtains and ununiformed youth in visored cap at the wheel4 ,there is undoubtedly an unsavory aspect to this story4 ,for purpose of fiction1 it is neither fragrant nor easily digested4 ,but it is not so unsavory as the social scheme which made it possible for those two cars to pass thus on the road1 and1 at the same time1 ,charles ,g4 ,wheeler to remain the unchallenged member of the three lodges1 the corporations1 and the ,rosencranz church1 with a memorial window in his name on the left side as you enter1 and again his name spelled out on a brass plate at the end of a front pew4 ,no one but ,god and ,mrs4 ,wheeler knew what was in her heart4 ,it is possible that she did not know what the world knew1 but hardly4 ,that she endured it is not admirable1 but then there were the three children1 and1 besides1 she lived in a world that let it go at that4 ,and so she continued to hold up her head in her rather poor1 mute way1 rode beside her husband to funerals1 weddings1 and to the college commencement of their son at ,yale4 ,scrimped a little1 cried a little1 prayed a little in private1 but outwardly lived the life of the smug in body and soul4 ,but the ,wheelers' is another story1 also a running social sore2 but it was ,hester1 you remember1 who came sobbing and clamoring to be told--and so back to her4 ,as ,wheeler once said of her1 she was a darn-fine clotheshorse4 ,there was no pushed-up line of flesh across the middle of her back1 as the corsets did it to ,mrs4 ,wheeler4 ,she was honed to the ounce4 ,the white-enameled weighing scales1 the sweet oils1 the flexible fingers of her masseur1 the dumb-bells1 the cabinet1 salt-water1 needle-spray1 and vapor-baths saw to that4 ,her skin1 unlike ,marion ,wheeler's1 was unfreckled1 and as heavily and tropically white as a magnolia leaf1 and1 of course1 she reddened her lips1 and the moonlike pallor came out more than ever4 ,as ,i said1 she was frankly what she was4 ,no man looked at her more than once without knowing it4 ,to use an awkward metaphor1 it was before her face like an overtone2 it was an invisible caul4 ,the wells of her eyes were muddy with it4 ,but withal1 she commanded something of a manner1 even from ,wheeler4 ,he had no key to the apartment4 ,he never entered her room without knocking4 ,there were certain of his friends she would not tolerate1 from one or another aversion1 to be party to their not infrequent carousals4 ,men did not always rise from their chairs when she entered a room1 but she suffered few liberties from them4 ,she was absolutely indomitable in her demands4 8,lord60 ventured ,wheeler1 upon occasion across a ,sunday-noon1 lace-spread breakfast-table1 when she was slim and cool-fingered in orchid-colored draperies1 and his newest gift of a six-carat1 pear-shaped diamond blazing away on her right hand4 8,say1 aren't these ,yvette bills pretty steep8 8,one midnight-blue-and-silver gown #dhe4jj ,one blue-and-silver head bandeau #ej4jj ,one serge-and-satin trotteur gown #bge4jj ,one ciel-blue tea-gown #bhj4jj 8,is that the cheapest you can drink tea8 ,whew60 ,she put down her coffee-cup which she usually held with one little finger poised elegantly outward as if for flight4 8,you've got a nerve60 she said1 rising and pushing back her chair4 8,over whose ticker are you getting quotations that ,i come cheap80 ,he was immediately conciliatory1 rising also to enfold her in an embrace that easily held her slightness4 8,go on10 he said4 8,you could work me for the ,woolworth ,building in diamonds if you wanted it badly enough40 8,funny way of showing it6 ,i may be a lot of things1 ,wheeler1 but ,i'm not cheap4 ,you're darn lucky that the war is on and ,i'm not asking for a ,french car40 ,he crushed his lips to hers4 8,you devil60 he said4 ,there were frequent parties4 ,dancing at ,broadway cabarets4 ,all-night joy rides1 punctuated with road-house stop-overs and not infrequently1 in groups of three or four couples1 ten-day pilgrimages to showy ,american spas4 8,getting boiled out10 they called it4 ,it was part of ,hester's scheme for keeping her sveltness4 ,her friendships were necessarily rather confined to a definite circle--within her own apartment-house1 in fact4 ,on the floor above1 also in large1 bright rooms of high rental1 and so that they were exchanging visits frequently during the day1 often en dshabille1 using the stairway that wound up round the elevator-shaft1 lived a certain ,mrs4 ,kitty ,drew1 ,i believe she called herself4 ,she was plump and blond1 and so very scented that her aroma lay on a hallway for an hour after she had scurried through it4 ,she was well known and chiefly distinguished by a large court-plaster crescent which she wore on her left shoulder-blade4 ,she enjoyed the bounty of a ,wall ,street broker who for one day had attained the conspicuousness of cornering the egg-market4 ,there were two or three others within this group4 ,a ,mrs4 ,denison1 half ,french1 and a younger girl called ,babe4 ,but ,mrs4 ,drew and ,hester were intimates4 ,they twaddled daily in one or the other's apartments1 usually lazy and lacy with neglige1 lounging about on the mounds of lingerie pillows over chocolates1 cigarettes1 novels1 ,pomeranians1 and always the headache-powders1 nerve-sedatives1 or smelling-salts1 a running line of 8,lord1 ,i've a head60 8,i need a good cry for the blues60 8,talk about a dark-brown taste10 or1 8,there was some kick to those cocktails last night10 through their conversation4 ,,kitty3 ,br-r-r6 ,i'm as nervous as a cat to-day4 ,,hester3 ,naughty1 naughty bad doggie to bite muvver's diamond ring4 ,,kitty3 ,leave it to you to land a pear-shaped diamond on your hooks4 ,,hester3 ,he fell for it1 just like that6 ,,kitty3 ,you could milk a billiard-ball4 ,,hester3 ,i don't see any 8quality of mercy0 to spare around your flat4 ,there were the two years of high school1 you see4 8,ed's going out to ,geyser ,springs next month for the cure4 ,i told him he could not go without me unless over my dead body1 he could not40 8,geyser ,springs4 ,that's thirty miles from my home town40 8,your home town8 ,nighty-night6 ,i thought you was born on the corner of ,forty-second street and ,broadway with a lobster claw in your mouth40 8,demopolis1 ,ohio40 8,what is that--a skin-disease80 8,my last relation in the world died out there two years ago4 ,an aunt4 ,wouldn't mind some ,geyser ,springs myself if ,i could get some of this stiffness out of my joints40 8,come on1 ,i dare you6 ,may ,denison and ,chris will come in on it1 and ,babe can always find somebody4 ,make it three or four cars full and let's motor out4 ,we all need a good boiling1 anyways4 ,wheeler looks about ready for spontaneous combustion1 and ,i got a twinge in my left little toe4 ,you on80 8,i am1 if he is40 8#8,if he is6' ,he'd fall for life in an ,igorrote village with a ring in his nose if you wanted it40 ,and truly enough1 it did come about that on a height-of-the-season evening1 a highly cosmopolitan party of four couples trooped into the solid-marble foyer of the ,geyser ,springs ,hotel1 motor-coated1 goggled1 veiled2 a whole litter of pigskin and patent-leather bags1 hampers1 and hat-boxes1 two golf-bags1 two ,pomeranians1 a bull in spiked collar1 furs1 leather coats1 monogrammed rugs1 thermos bottles1 air-pillows1 robes1 and an ensemble of fourteen wardrobe-trunks sent by express4 ,they took the 8cure40 ,rode horseback1 motored1 played roulette at the casino for big stakes1 and eschewed the ,american plan of service for the smarter ,european idea1 with a special -la-carte menu for each meal4 ,extraordinary-looking mixed drinks1 and strictly against the mandates of the 8cure10 appeared at their table4 ,strange midnight goings-on were reported by the more conservative hotel guests1 and the privacy of their circle was allowed full integrity by the little veranda groups of gouty ladies or middle-aged husbands with liver-spots on their faces4 ,the bath-attendants reveled in the largest tips of the season4 ,when ,hester walked down the large dining-room evenings1 she was a signal for the craning of necks for the newest shock of her newest extreme toilette4 ,the kinds of toilettes that shocked the women into envy and mental notes of how the under arm was cut1 and the men into covert delight4 ,wheeler liked to sit back and put her through her paces like a high-strung filly4 8,make 'em sit up1 girl6 ,you got them all looking like dimes around here40 ,one night1 she descended to the dining-room in a black evening gown so daringly lacking in back and yet1 withal1 so slimly perfect an elegant thing that an actual breathlessness hung over the hall1 the clatter of dishes pausing4 ,there was a gold bird of paradise dipped down her hair over one shoulder1 trailing its smoothness like fingers of lace4 ,she defied with it as she walked4 8,take it from me10 said ,kitty1 who felt fat in lavender that night1 8she's going it one too strong40 ,another evening1 she descended1 always last1 in a cloth of silver1 with a tiny1 an absurd1 an impeccably tight silver turban dipped down over one eye1 and absolutely devoid of jewels except the pear-shaped diamond on her left forefinger4 ,they were a noisy1 a spending1 a cosmopolitan crowd of too well-fed men and too well-groomed women1 ignored by the veranda groups of wives and mothers1 openly dazzling and arousing a tremendous curiosity in the younger set1 and quite obviously sought after by their own kind4 ,but ,hester's world1 too1 is all run through with sharply defined1 social schisms4 8,i wish that ,irwin woman wouldn't always hang round our crowd10 she said1 one morning1 as she and ,kitty lay side by side in the cooling-room after their baths1 massages1 manicures1 and shampoos4 8,i don't want to be seen running with her40 8,did you see the square emerald she wore last night80 8,fake4 ,i know the clerk at the ,synthetic ,jewelry ,company had it made up for her4 ,she's cheap1 ,i tell you4 ,promiscuous4 ,who ever heard of anybody standing back of her4 ,she knocks around4 ,she sells her old clothes to ,tessie1 my manicurist4 ,i've got a line on her4 ,she's cheap40 ,kitty1 who lay with her face under a white mud of cold-cream and her little mouth merely a hole1 turned on her elbow4 8,we can't all be top-notchers1 ,hester10 she said4 8,you're hard as nails40 8,i guess ,i am1 but you've got to be to play this game4 ,the ones who aren't end up by stuffing the keyhole and turning on the gas4 ,you've got to play it hard or not at all4 ,if you've got the name1 you might as well have the game40 8,if ,i had it to do over again--well1 there would be one more wife-and-mother rle being played in this little old world1 even if ,i had to play it on a ,south ,dakota farm40 8#8,whatever is worth doing is worth doing well1' ,i used to write in the copy-book4 ,well1 that's the way ,i feel about this3 ,to me1 anything is worth doing to escape the cotton stockings and lisle next to your skin4 ,i admit ,i never sit down and think4 ,you know1 sit down and take stock of myself4 ,what's the use thinking8 ,live6 ,yes10 mused ,hester1 her arms in a wreath over her head1 8,i think ,i'd do it all over again4 ,there's not been so many at that4 ,three4 ,the first was a ,jew4 ,he'd have married me1 but ,i couldn't see it on six thousand a year4 ,nice fellow1 too--an easy spender in a small way1 but ,i couldn't see a future to ladies' neckwear4 ,they make good husbands1 ,jews do4 ,i hear he made good later in munitions4 ,al was a pretty good sort1 too1 but tight4 ,how ,i hate tightness6 ,i've been pretty lucky in the long run1 ,i guess40 8,did ,i say #8hard as nails'80 said ,kitty1 grotesquely fitting a cigarette in the aperture of her mouth4 8,i apologize4 ,why1 alongside of you1 a piece of flint is morning cereal4 ,haven't you ever had a love-affair8 ,i've been married twice--that's how chicken-hearted ,i can be4 ,haven't you ever pumped a little faster just because a certain some one walked into the room80 8,once40 8,once what80 8,i liked a fellow4 ,pretty much4 ,a blond4 ,say1 he was blond6 ,i always think to myself1 ,kit--next to ,gerald you've got the bluest eyes under heaven4 ,only1 his didn't have any dregs40 8,thanks1 dearie40 8,i sometimes wonder about ,gerald4 ,i ought to drive over while we're out here4 ,poor old ,gerald ,fishback60 8,sweet name--#8,fishback4' ,no wonder you went wrong1 dearie40 8,oh1 ,i'm not getting soft4 ,i saw my bed and made it1 nice and soft and comfy1 and ,i'm lying on it without a whimper40 8,you just bet your life you made it up nice and comfy6 ,you've the right idea2 ,i have to hand that to you4 ,you command respect from them4 ,lord6 ,ed would as soon fire a teacup at me as not4 ,but1 with me1 it pays4 ,the last one he broke he made up to me with my opal-and-diamond beetle40 8,wouldn't wear an opal if it was set next to the ,hope diamond40 8,superstitious1 dearie80 8,unlucky4 ,never knew it to fail40 8,not a superstition in my bones4 ,i don't believe in walking under ladders or opening an umbrella in the house or sitting down with thirteen1 but1 ,lordy1 never saw the like with you6 ,thought you'd have the hysterics over that little old vanity mirror you broke that day out at the races40 8,br-r-r2 ,i hated it40 8,lay easy1 dearie4 ,nothing can touch you the way he's raking in the war-contracts40 8,great--isn't it80 8,play for a country home1 dearie4 ,i always say real estate and jewelry are something in the hand4 ,look ahead in this game1 ,i always say40 8,you just bet ,i've looked ahead40 8,so have ,i1 but not enough40 8,somehow1 ,i never feel afraid4 ,i could get a job to-morrow if ,i had to40 8,say1 dearie1 if it comes to that1 with twenty pounds off me1 there's not a chorus ,i couldn't land back in40 8,i worked once1 you know1 in ,lichtig's import shop40 8,fifth ,avenue40 8,yes4 ,it was in between the ,jew and ,al4 ,i sold two thousand five hundred dollars' worth of gowns the first week40 8,sure enough80 8#8,girl1' old man ,lichtig said to me the day ,i quit2 #8girl1' he said1 #8if ever you need this job again1 come back2 it's waiting4'0 8,fine chance60 8,i've got the last twenty-five dollars ,i earned pinned away this minute in the pocket of the little dark-blue suit ,i wore to work4 ,i paid for that suit with my first month's savings4 ,a little dark-blue ,norfolk1 ,lichtig let me have out of a stock for twenty-seven fifty40 8,were they giving them away with a pound of tea80 8,honest1 ,kitty1 it was neat4 ,little white shirt-waist1 tan shoes1 and one of those slick little five-dollar sailors1 and every cent paid out of my salary4 ,i could step into that outfit to-morrow1 look the part1 and land back that job or any other4 ,i had a way with the trade1 even back at ,finley's40 8,here1 hold my jewel-bag1 honey2 ,i'm going to die of cold-cream suffocation if she don't soon come back and unsmear me40 8,opal beetle in it80 8,yes1 dearie2 but it won't bite4 ,it's muzzled with my diamond horseshoe40 8,nothing doing4 ,kit4 ,put it under your pillow40 8,you better watch out4 ,there's a thirteenth letter in the alphabet2 you might accidentally use it some day4 ,you're going to have a sweet time to-night1 you are60 8,why80 8,the boys have engaged ,de ,butera to come up to the rooms40 8,you mean the fortune-teller over at the ,stag ,hotel80 8,she's not a fortune-teller1 you poor nervous wreck4 ,she's the highest-priced spiritualist in the world4 ,moving tables--spooks--woof60 8,faugh60 said ,hester1 rising from her couch and feeling about with her little bare feet for the daintiest of pink-silk mules4 8,i could make tables move too1 at forty dollars an hour4 ,where's my attendant8 ,i want an alcohol rub40 ,they did hold sance that night in a fine spirit of lark1 huddled together in the de-luxe sitting-room of one of their suites1 and little half-hysterical shrieks and much promiscuous ribaldry under cover of darkness4 ,madame ,de ,butera was of a distinctly fat and earthy blondness1 with a coarse-lace waist over pink1 and short hands covered with turquoise rings of many shapes and blues4 ,tables moved4 ,a dead sister of ,wheeler's spoke in thin1 high voice4 ,why is it the dead are always so vocally thin and high8 ,a chair tilted itself on hind legs1 eliciting squeals from the women4 ,babe spoke with a gentleman friend long since passed on1 and ,kitty with a deceased husband1 and began to cry quite sobbily and took little sips of high-ball quite gulpily4 ,may ,denison1 who was openly defiant1 allowed herself to be hypnotized and lay rigid between two chairs1 and ,kitty went off into rampant hysteria until ,wheeler finally placed a hundred-dollar bill over the closed eyes1 and whether under it1 or to the legerdemain of madam's manipulating hands1 the tight eyes opened1 ,may1 amid riots of laughter claiming for herself the hundred-dollar bill1 and ,kitty1 quite resuscitated1 jumping up for a table cancan1 her yellow hair tumbling1 and her ,china-blue eyes with the dregs in them inclined to water4 ,all but ,hester4 ,she sat off by herself in a peacock-colored gown that wrapped her body-suavity as if the fabric were soaking wet1 a band of smoky blue about her forehead4 ,never intoxicated1 a slight amount of alcohol had a tendency to make her morose4 8,what's the matter1 ,cleo80 asked ,wheeler1 sitting down beside her and lifting her cool fingers one by one1 and1 by reason of some remote analogy that must have stirred within him1 seeing in her a ,nile queen4 8,what's the matter1 ,cleo2 does the spook-stuff get your goat80 ,she turned on him eyes that were all troubled up like waters suddenly wind-blown4 8,god60 she said1 her fingers1 nails inward1 closing about his arm4 8,wheeler--can--can the--dead--speak80 ,but fleeting as the hours themselves were the moods of them all1 and the following morning there they were1 the eight of them1 light with laughter and caparisoned again as to hampers1 veils1 coats1 dogs1 off for a day's motoring through the springtime countryside4 8,where to80 shouted ,wheeler1 twisting from where he and ,hester sat in the first of the cars to call to the two motor-loads behind4 8,i thought ,crystal ,cave was the spot0--from ,may ,denison in the last of the cars1 winding her head in a scarlet veil4 8,crystal ,springs it is1 then40 8,is that through ,demopolis80 ,followed a scanning of maps4 8,sure6 ,here it is6 ,see6 ,granite ,city4 ,mitchell4 ,demopolis4 ,crystal ,cave40 8,good ,lord1 ,hester1 you're not going to spend any time in that dump80 8,it's my home town10 she replied coldly4 8,the only relation ,i had is buried there4 ,it's nothing out of your way to drop me on the court-house steps and pick me up as you drive back4 ,i've been wanting to get there ever since we're down here4 ,wanting to stop by your home town you haven't seen in five years isn't unreasonable1 is it80 ,he admitted it wasn't1 leaning to kiss her4 ,she turned to him a face1 soft1 with one of the pouts he usually found irresistible4 8,honey10 she said1 8what do you think80 8,what80 8,chris is buying ,may that chinchilla coat ,i showed you in ,meyerbloom's window the day before we left40 8,the deuce he is60 he said1 letting go of her hand but hers immediately covering his4 8,she's wiring her sister in the #8,girlie ,revue' to go in and buy it for her40 8,outrage--fifteen thousand dollars to cover a woman's back6 ,look at the beautiful scenery1 honey6 ,you're always prating about views4 ,look at those hills over there6 ,great--isn't it80 8,i wouldn't expect it1 ,wheeler1 if it wasn't war-year and you landing one big contract after another4 ,i'd hate to see ,may show herself in that chinchilla coat when we could beat her to it by a wire4 ,i could telegraph ,meyerbloom himself4 ,i bought the sable rug off him4 ,i'd hate it1 ,wheeler1 to see her and ,chris beat us to it4 ,so would you4 ,what's fifteen thousand when one of your contracts alone runs into the hundred thousands8 ,honey80 8,wire10 he said sourly1 but not withdrawing his hand from hers4 ,they left her at the shady court-house steps in ,demopolis1 but with pleasantry and gibe4 8,give my love to the town pump40 8,rush the old oaken growler for me40 8,so long60 she called1 eager to be rid of them4 8,pick me up at six sharp40 ,she walked slowly up ,high ,street4 ,passers-by turned to stare1 but otherwise she was unrecognized4 ,there was a new ,five-and-,ten-,cent ,store1 and ,finley ,brothers had added an ell4 ,high ,street was paved4 ,she made a foray down into the little side street where she had spent those queerly remote first seventeen years of her life4 ,how dim her aunt seemed6 ,the little unpainted frame house was gone4 ,there was a lumber-yard on the site4 ,everything seemed to have shrunk4 ,the street was narrower and dirtier than she recalled it4 ,she made one stop1 at the house of ,maggie ,simms1 a high-school chum4 ,it was a frame house1 too1 and she remembered that the front door opened directly into the parlor and the side entrance was popularly used in lieu4 ,but a strange sister-in-law opened the side door4 ,maggie was married and living in ,cincinnati4 ,oh1 fine--a master mechanic1 and there were twins4 ,she started back toward ,finley's1 thinking of ,gerald1 and half-way she changed her mind4 ,maggie ,simms married and living in ,cincinnati4 ,twins6 ,heigh-ho--what a world6 ,the visit was hardly a success4 ,at half after five1 she was on her way back to the court-house steps4 ,stupid to have made it six6 ,and then1 of course1 and quite as you would have it1 ,gerald ,fishback came along4 ,she recognized his blondness long before he saw her4 ,he was bigger and more tanned1 and1 as of old1 carried his hat in his hand4 ,she noticed that there were no creases down the front of his trousers1 but the tweed was good and he gave off that intangible aroma of well-being4 ,she was surprised at the old thrill racing over her4 ,seeing him was like an exquisite stab of quick steel through the very pit of her being4 ,she reached out1 touching him1 before he saw her4 8,gerald10 she said1 soft and teasingly4 ,it was actually as if he had been waiting for that touch1 because1 before he could possibly have perceived her1 her name was on his lips4 8,hester60 he said1 the blueness of his eyes flashing between blinks4 8,not ,hester80 8,yes2 ,hester10 she said1 smiling up at him4 ,he grasped both her hands1 stammering for words that wanted to come quicker than he could articulate4 8,hester60 he kept repeating4 8,hester60 8,to think you knew me1 ,gerald60 8,know you6 ,i'd know you blind-folded4 ,and how--,i--you're beautiful1 ,hester6 ,i think you've grown five years younger40 8,you've got on1 ,gerald4 ,you look it40 8,yes2 ,i'm general manager now at ,finley's40 8,i'm so glad4 ,married80 8,not while there's a ,hester ,bevins on earth40 ,she started at her own name4 8,how do you know ,i'm not80 8,i--,i know--0 he said1 reddening up4 8,isn't there some place we can talk1 ,gerald8 ,i've thirty minutes before my friends call for me40 8,thirty minutes80 8,your rooms8 ,haven't you rooms or a room where we could go and sit down80 8,why--why1 no1 ,hester10 he said1 still red4 8,i'd rather you didn't go there4 ,but here4 ,let's stop in at the ,st4 ,james ,hotel4 ,there's a parlor40 ,to her surprise1 she felt herself color up and was pleasantly conscious of her finger-tips4 8,you darling60 ,she smiled up at him4 ,they were seated presently in the unaired plush-and-cherry1 ,nottingham-and-,axminster parlor of a small-town hotel4 8,hester60 he kept repeating4 8,hester60 8,i'm a bad durl10 she said1 challenging his eyes for what he knew4 8,you're a little saint walked down and leaving an empty pedestal in my dreams40 ,she placed his forefinger over his mouth4 8,sh-h10 she said4 8,i'm not a saint1 ,gerald2 you know that40 8,yes10 he said1 with a great deal of boyishness in his defiance2 8,i do know it1 ,hester1 but it is those who have been through the fire who come out--new4 ,it was your early environment40 8,my aunt died on the town1 ,gerald1 ,i heard4 ,i could have saved her all that if ,i had only known4 ,she was cheap1 aunt was4 ,poor soul6 ,she never looked ahead40 8,it was your early environment1 ,hester4 ,i've explained that often enough to them here4 ,i'd bank on you1 ,hester--swear by you40 ,she patted him4 8,i'm a pretty bad egg1 ,gerald4 ,according to the standards of a town like this1 ,i'm rotten1 and they're about right4 ,for five years1 ,gerald1 ,i've--0 8,the real you is ahead of1 and not behind you1 ,hester40 8,how wonderful10 she said1 8for you to feel that way1 but--0 8,hester10 he said1 more and more the big boy1 his knees touching the floor now1 and his big blond head nearing hers1 8,i don't care about anything that's past2 ,i only know that1 for me1 you are the--0 8,gerald10 she said1 8for ,god's sake60 8,i'm a two-hundred-a-month man now1 ,hester2 ,i want to build you the prettiest1 the whitest little house in this town4 ,out in the ,brierwood section4 ,i'll make them kowtow to you1 ,hester2 ,i--0 8,why10 she said slowly1 and looking at him with a certain sadness1 8you couldn't keep me in stockings1 ,gerald4 ,the gora on this hat cost more than one month of your salary40 8,good ,god60 he said4 8,you're a dear1 sweet boy just the same2 but you remember what ,i told you about my crpe-de-,chine soul40 8,just the same1 ,i love you best in those crispy white shirt-waists you used to wear and the little blue suits and sailor-hats4 ,you remember that day at ,finley's picnic1 ,hester1 that day1 dear1 that you--you--0 8,you dear boy60 8,but it--your mistake--it--it's all over4 ,you work now1 don't you1 ,hester80 ,somehow1 looking into the blueness of his eyes and their entreaty for her affirmative1 she did what you or ,i might have done4 ,she half lied1 regretting it while the words still smoked on her lips4 8,why1 yes1 ,gerald1 ,i've held a fine position in ,lichtig ,brothers1 ,new ,york importers4 ,those places sometimes pay as high as seventy-five a week4 ,but ,i don't make any bones1 ,gerald2 ,i've not been an angel40 8,the--the ,jew1 ,hester80--his lips quivering with a nausea for the question4 8,i haven't seen him in four years10 she answered truthfully4 ,he laid his cheek on her hand4 8,i knew you'd come through4 ,it was your environment4 ,i'll marry you to-morrow--to-day1 ,hester2 ,i love you40 8,you darling boy60 she said1 her lips back tight against her teeth4 8,you darling1 darling boy60 8,please1 ,hester--we'll forget what has been40 8,let me go10 she said1 rising and pinning on her hat2 8let me go--or--or ,i'll cry1 and--and ,i don't want to cry40 8,hester10 he called1 rushing after her and wanting to fold her back into his arms1 8let me prove my trust--my love--0 8,don't6 ,let me go6 ,let me go60 ,at slightly after six1 the ultra cavalcade drew up at the court-house steps4 ,she was greeted with the pleasantries and the gibes4 8,have a good time1 sweetness80 asked ,wheeler1 arranging her rugs4 8,yes10 she said1 lying back and letting her lids droop2 8but tired--very1 very tired40 ,at the hotel1 she stopped a moment to write a telegram before going up for the vapor-bath1 nap1 and massage that were to precede dinner4 8,meyerbloom ,company1 ,furriers4 ,fifth ,avenue1 ,new ,york10 it was addressed4 ,this is not a war-story except as it has to do with profiteering1 parlor-patriots1 and the return of ,gerald ,fishback4 ,while ,hester was living this tale1 and the chinchilla coat was enveloping her like an ineffably tender caress1 three hundred thousand of her country's youths were at strangle-hold across three thousand miles of sea1 and on a notorious night when ,hester walked1 fully dressed in a green gown of iridescent fish-scales1 into the electric fountain of a seaside cabaret1 and ,wheeler had to carry her to her car wrapped in a sable rug1 ,gerald ,fishback was lying with his face in ,flanders mud1 and his eyesockets blackly deep and full of shrapnel1 and a lung-eating gas-cloud rolling at him across the vast bombarded dawn4 99 99 99 99 99 ,hester read of him one morning1 sitting up in bed against a mound of lace-over-pink pillows1 a masseur at the pink soles of her feet4 ,it was as if his name catapulted at her from a column she never troubled to read4 ,she remained quite still1 looking at the name for a full five minutes after it had pierced her full consciousness4 ,then1 suddenly1 she swung out of bed1 tilting over the masseur4 8,tessie10 she said1 evenly enough1 8that will do4 ,i have to hurry to ,long ,island to a base hospital4 ,go to that little telephone in the hall--will you8--and call my car40 ,but the visit was not so easy of execution4 ,it required two days of red tape and official dispensation before she finally reached the seaside hospital that1 by unpleasant coincidence1 only a year before had been the resort hotel of more than one dancing-orgy4 ,she thought she would faint when she saw him1 jerking herself back with a straining of all her faculties4 ,the blood seemed to drain away from her body1 leaving her ready to sink1 and only the watchful and threatening eye of a man nurse sustained her4 ,he was sitting up in bed1 and she would never have recognized in him anything of ,gerald except for the shining ,scandinavian quality of his hair4 ,his eyes were not bandaged1 but their sockets were dry and bare like the beds of old lakes long since drained4 ,she had only seen the like in eyeless marble busts4 ,there were unsuspected cheek-bones1 pitched now very high in his face1 and his neck1 rising above the army nightshirt1 seemed cruelly long1 possibly from thinness4 8,are you ,hester80 whispered the man nurse4 ,she nodded1 her tonsils squeezed together in an absolute knot4 8,he called for you all through his delirium10 he said1 and went out4 ,she stood at the bedside1 trying to keep down the screams from her speech when it should come4 ,but he was too quick for her4 8,hester10 he said1 feeling out4 ,and in their embrace1 her agony melted to tears that choked and seared1 beat and scalded her1 and all the time it was he who held her with rigid arm1 whispered to her1 soothed down the sobs which tore through her like the rip of silk1 seeming to split her being4 8,now--now4 ,why1 ,hester6 ,now--now--now4 ,sh-h--it will be over in a minute4 ,you mustn't feel badly4 ,come now2 is this the way to greet a fellow that's so darn glad to see you that nothing matters8 ,sure ,i can see you1 ,hester4 ,plain as day in your little crispy waist4 ,now1 now2 you'll get used to it in a minute4 ,now--now--0 8,i can't stand it1 ,gerald2 ,i can't6 ,can't6 ,kill me1 ,gerald1 but don't ask me to stand it60 ,he stroked down the side of her1 lingering at her cheek4 8,sh-h4 ,take your time1 dear10 he said1 with the first furry note in his voice4 8,i know it's hard1 but take your time4 ,you'll get used to me4 ,it's the shock1 that's all4 ,sh-h40 ,she covered his neck with kisses and scalding tears1 her compassion for him racing through her in chills4 8,i could tear out my eyes1 ,gerald1 and give them to you4 ,i could tear out my heart and give it to you4 ,i'm bursting of pain4 ,gerald6 ,gerald60 ,there was no sense of proportion left her4 ,she could think only of what her own physical suffering might do in penance4 ,she would willingly have opened the arteries of her heart and bled for him on the moment4 ,her compassion wanted to scream4 ,she1 who had never sacrificed anything1 wanted suddenly to bleed at his feet1 and prayed to do so on the agonized crest of the moment4 8,there's a girl6 ,why1 ,i'm going to get well1 ,hester1 and do what thousands of others of the blinded are doing4 ,build up a new1 a useful1 and a busy life40 8,it's not fair6 ,it's not fair60 8,i'm ready now1 except for this old left lung4 ,it's burned a bit1 you see4 ,gas40 8,god6 ,god60 8,it's pretty bad1 ,i admit4 ,but there's another way of looking at it4 ,there's a glory in being chosen to bear your country's wounds40 8,your beautiful eyes6 ,your blue1 beautiful eyes6 ,o ,god1 what does it all mean8 ,living6 ,dying6 ,all the rotters1 all the rat-eyed ones ,i know1 scot-free and ,gerald chosen4 ,god1 ,god1 where are you80 8,he was never so close to me as now1 ,hester4 ,and with you here1 dear1 he is closer than ever40 8,i'll never leave you1 ,gerald10 she said1 crying down into his sleeve again4 8,don't be afraid of the dark1 dear6 ,i'll never leave you40 8,nonsense10 he said1 smoothing her hair that the hat had fallen away from4 8,never6 ,never6 ,i wish ,i were a mat for you to walk on4 ,i want to crawl on my hands and knees for you4 ,i'll never leave you1 ,gerald--never60 8,my beautiful ,hester60 he said unsteadily1 and then again1 8,nonsense40 ,but1 almost on the moment1 the man nurse returned1 and she was obliged to leave him1 but not without throbbing promises of the morrow's return1 and then there took place1 down-stairs in an ante-room1 a long1 a closeted1 and very private interview with a surgeon and more red tape and filing of applications4 ,she was so weak from crying that a nurse was called finally to help her through the corridors to her car4 ,gerald's left lung was burnt out1 and he had three1 possibly four1 weeks to live4 ,all the way home1 in her tan limousine with the little yellow curtains1 she sat quite upright1 away from the upholstery1 crying down her uncovered face1 but a sudden1 an exultant determination hardening in her mind4 ,that night1 a strange conversation took place in the ,riverside ,drive apartment4 ,she sat on ,wheeler's left knee1 toying with his platinum chain1 a strained1 a rather terrible pallor out in her face1 but the sobs well under her voice1 and its modulation about normal4 ,she had been talking for over two hours1 silencing his every interruption until he had fallen quite still4 8,and--and that's all1 ,wheeler10 she ended up4 8,i've told you everything4 ,we were never more than just--friends--,gerald and me4 ,you must take my word for it1 because ,i swear it before ,god40 8,i take your word1 ,hester10 he said huskily4 8,and there he lies1 ,wheeler1 without--without any eyes in his head4 ,just as if they'd been burnt out by irons4 ,and he--he smiles when he talks4 ,that's the awful part4 ,smiles like--well1 ,i guess like the angel he--he almost is4 ,you see1 he says it's a glory to carry the wounds of his country4 ,just think1 just think--that boy to feel that1 the way he lies there60 8,poor boy6 ,poor1 poor boy60 8,gerald's like that4 ,so--so full of faith4 ,and1 ,wheeler1 he thinks he's going to get well and lead a useful life like they teach the blind to do4 ,he reminds me of one of those ,greek statues down at the ,athens ,caf4 ,you know--broken4 ,that's it2 he's a broken statue40 8,poor fellow6 ,poor fellow6 ,do something for him4 ,buy the finest fruit in the town for him4 ,send a case of wine4 ,two40 8,i--,i think ,i must be torn to pieces inside1 ,wheeler1 the way ,i've cried40 8,poor little girl60 8,wheeler80 8,now1 now10 he said2 8taking it so to heart won't do no good4 ,it's rotten1 ,i know1 but worrying won't help4 ,got me right upset1 too4 ,come2 get it off your mind4 ,let's take a ride4 ,doll up2 you look a bit peaked4 ,come now1 and to-morrow we'll buy out the town for him40 8,wheeler80 she said4 8,wheeler80 8,what80 8,don't look1 ,wheeler2 ,i've got something else to ask you--something queer40 8,now1 now10 he said1 his voice hardening but trying to maintain a chiding note2 8you know what you promised after the chinchilla--no more this year until--0 8,no1 no2 for ,god's sake1 not that6 ,it's still about ,gerald40 8,well80 8,wheeler1 he's only got four weeks to live4 ,five at the outside40 8,now1 now1 girl2 we've been all over that40 8,he loves me1 ,wheeler1 ,gerald does40 8,yes80--dryly4 8,it would be like doing something decent--the only decent thing ,i've done in all my life1 ,wheeler1 almost like doing something for the war1 the way these women in the pretty white caps have done1 and you know we--we haven't turned a finger for it except to--to gain--if ,i was to--to marry ,gerald for those few weeks1 ,wheeler4 ,i know it's a--rotten sacrifice1 but ,i guess that's the only kind ,i'm capable of making40 ,he sat squat1 with his knees spread4 8,you crazy80 he said4 8,it would mean1 ,wheeler1 his dying happy4 ,he doesn't know it's all up with him4 ,he'd be made happy for the poor little rest of his life4 ,he loves me4 ,you see1 ,wheeler1 ,i was his first--his only sweetheart4 ,i'm on a pedestal1 he says1 in his dreams4 ,i never told you--but that boy was willing to marry me1 ,wheeler1 knowing--some--of the things ,i am4 ,he's always carried round a dream of me1 you see--no2 you wouldn't see1 but ,i've been--well1 ,i guess sort of a medallion that won't tarnish in his heart-- ,wheeler1 for the boy's few weeks he has left8 ,wheeler80 8,well1 ,i'll be hanged60 8,i'm not turning holy1 ,wheeler4 ,i am what ,i am4 ,but that boy lying out there--,i can't bear it6 ,it wouldn't make any difference with us--afterward4 ,you know where you stand with me and for always1 but it would mean the dying happy of a boy who fought for us4 ,let me marry that boy1 ,wheeler4 ,let his light go out in happiness4 ,wheeler8 ,please1 ,wheeler80 ,he would not meet her eyes4 8,wheeler80 8,go to it1 ,hester10 he said1 coughing about in his throat and rising to walk away4 8,bring him here and give him the fat of the land4 ,you can count on me to keep out of the way4 ,go to it10 he repeated4 ,and so they were married4 ,hester holding his hand beside the hospital cot1 the man nurse and doctor standing by1 and the chaplain incanting the immemorial words4 ,a bar of sunshine lay across the bed1 and ,gerald pronounced each 8,i will0 in a lifted voice that carried to the four corners of the little room4 ,she was allowed to stay that night past hospital-hours1 and they talked with the dusk flowing over them4 8,hester1 ,hester10 he said1 8,i should have had the strength to hold out against your making this terrible sacrifice40 8,it's the happiest hour of my life10 she said1 kissing him4 8,i feel well enough to get up now1 sweetheart40 8,gerald1 don't force4 ,you've weeks ahead before you are ready for that40 8,but to-morrow1 dear1 home6 ,in whose car are you calling for me to-morrow to take me home80 8,in a friend's1 dearest40 8,won't ,i be crowding up our little apartment8 ,describe it again to me1 dearest--our home40 8,it's so little1 ,gerald4 ,three rooms and the littlest babiest kitchen4 ,when you're once up1 ,i'll teach its every corner to you40 ,tears seeped through the line where his lids had been1 and it was almost more than she could bear4 8,i'll make it up to you though1 ,hester4 ,i know ,i should have been strong enough to hold out against your marrying me1 but ,i'll make it up4 ,i've a great scheme2 a sort of braille system of accountancy--0 8,please1 ,gerald--not now60 8,if only1 ,hester1 ,i felt easier about the finances4 ,will your savings stand the strain8 ,your staying at home from your work this way--and then me--0 8,gerald dear1 ,i've told you so often--,i've saved more than we need40 8,my girl60 8,my dear1 my dear60 she said4 99 99 99 99 99 ,they moved him with hardly a jar in an army ambulance1 and with the yellow limousine riding alongside to be of possible aid1 and she had the bed stripped of its laces and cool with linen for him1 and he sighed out when they placed him on it and would not let go her hand4 8,what a feeling of space for so little a room60 8,it's the open windows1 love40 ,he lay back tiredly4 8,what sweet linen60 8,i shopped it for you40 8,you1 too--you're in linen1 ,hester80 8,a percale shirt-waist4 ,i shopped it for you1 too40 8,give me your hand10 he said1 and pressed a string of close kisses into its palm4 ,the simplicity of the outrageous subterfuge amazed even her4 ,she held hot-house grapes at two dollars a pound to his lips1 and he ate them through a smile4 8,naughty1 extravagant girl60 he said4 8,i saw them on a fruit-stand for thirty cents1 and couldn't resist40 8,never mind2 ,i'll make it up to you40 ,later1 he asked for braille books1 turning his sightless face toward her as he studied1 trying to concentrate through the pain in his lung4 8,if only you wouldn't insist upon the books awhile yet1 dear4 ,the doctor says it's too soon40 8,i feel so strong1 ,hester1 with you near1 and1 besides1 ,i must start the pot boiling40 ,she kissed down into the high nap of his hair1 softly4 ,evenings1 she read to him newspaper accounts of his fellow soldiers1 and the day of the peace1 for which he had paid so terribly1 she rolled his bed1 alone1 with a great tugging and straining1 to the open window1 where the wind from the river could blow in against him and steamboat whistles shoot up like rockets4 ,she was so inexpressibly glad for the peace-day4 ,somehow1 it seemed easier and less blackly futile to give him up4 ,of ,wheeler1 for three running weeks she had not a glimpse1 and then1 one day1 he sent up a hamper1 not a box but an actual trunk of roses1 and she1 in turn1 sent them up the back way to ,kitty's flat1 not wanting even their fragrance released4 ,with ,kitty1 there were little hurried confabs each day outside the apartment door in the hallway before the elevator-shaft4 ,a veil of awe seemed to wrap the ,drew woman4 8,i can't get it out of my head1 ,hester4 ,it's like a fairy-story1 and1 in another way1 it's a scream--,wheeler standing for this40 8,sh-h1 ,kitty4 ,his ears are so sensitive40 8,quit shushing me every time ,i open my mouth4 ,poor kid6 ,let me have a look at him4 ,he wouldn't know40 8,no6 ,no60 8,god1 if it wasn't so sad1 it would be a scream--,wheeler footing the bills60 8,oh--you6 ,oh--oh--you60 8,all right1 all right2 don't take the measles over it4 ,i'm going4 ,here's some chicken broth ,i brought down4 ,ed sent it up to me from ,sherry's40 ,but ,hester poured it into the sink for some nameless reason1 and brewed some fresh from a fowl she tipped the hall-boy a dollar to go out and purchase4 ,she slept on a cot at the foot of his bed1 so sensitive to his waking that almost before he came up to consciousness1 she was at his side4 ,all day she wore the little white shirt-waists1 a starchy one fresh each morning1 and at night scratchy little unlacy nightgowns with long sleeves and high yokes4 ,he liked to run his hand along the crispness of the fabric4 8,i love you in cool stuff1 ,hester4 ,you're so cool yourself1 ,i always think of you in the little white waist and blue skirt4 ,you remember1 dear--,finley's annual80 8,i--,i'm going to dress like that for you always1 ,gerald40 8,i won't let you be going back to work for long1 sweetheart4 ,i've some plans up my sleeve1 ,i have40 8,yes6 ,yes60 ,but when the end did come1 it was with as much of a shock as if she had not been for days expecting it4 ,the doctor had just left1 puncturing his arm and squirting into his poor tired system a panacea for the pain4 ,but he would not react to it1 fighting down the drowsiness4 8,hester10 he said suddenly1 and a little weakly1 8lean down1 sweetheart1 and kiss me--long--long--0 ,she did1 and it was with the pressure of her lips to his that he died4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it was about a week after the funeral that ,wheeler came back4 ,she was on the chaise longue that had been dragged out into the parlor1 in the webbiest of white negliges1 a little large-eyed1 a little subdued1 but sweetening the smile she turned toward him by a trick she had of lifting the brows4 8,hel-lo ,wheeler60 she said1 raising her cheek to be kissed4 ,he trailed his lips1 but did not seek her mouth1 sitting down rather awkwardly and in the spread-knee'd fashion he had4 8,well1 girl--you all right80 8,you helped10 she said4 8,it gave me a jolt1 too4 ,i made over twenty-five thousand to the ,red ,cross on the strength of it40 8,thank you1 ,wheeler40 8,lord60 he said1 rising and rubbing his hands together4 8,give us a couple of fingers to drink1 honey2 ,i'm cotton-mouthed40 ,she reached languidly for a blue-enameled bell1 lying back1 with her arms dangling and her smile out4 ,then1 as if realizing that the occasion must be lifted1 turned her face to him4 8,old bummer60 she said1 using one of her terms of endearment for him and two-thirds closing her eyes4 ,then did he stoop and kiss her roundly on the lips4 99 99 99 99 99 ,for the remainder of this tale1 ,i could wish for a pen supernally dipped1 or for a metaphysician's plating to my vernacular1 or for the linguistic patois of that land off somewhere to the west of ,life4 ,or maybe1 just a neurologist's chart of ,hester's nerve-history would help4 ,in any event1 after an evening of musical comedy and of gelatinous dancing1 ,hester awoke at four o'clock the next morning out of an hour of sound sleep1 leaping to her knees there in bed like a quick flame1 her gesture shooting straight up toward the jointure of wall and ceiling4 8,gerald60 she called1 her smoky black hair floating around her and her arms cutting through the room's blackness1 8,gerald60 ,suddenly the room was not black4 ,it was light with the ,scandinavian blondness of ,gerald1 the head of him nebulous there above the pink-satin canopy of her dressing-table and1 more than that1 the drained lakes of his sockets were deep with eyes4 ,yes2 in all their amazing blueness1 but queerly sharpened to steel points that went through ,hester and through her as if bayonets were pushing into her breasts and her breathing4 8,gerald60 she shrieked1 in one more cry that curdled the quiet1 and sat up in bed1 trembling and hugging herself1 and breathing in until her lips were drawn shudderingly against her teeth like wind-sucked window-shades4 8,gerald60 ,and then the picture did a sort of moving-picture fade-out1 and black ,lottie came running with her hair grotesquely greased and flattened to take out the kink1 and gave her a drink of water with the addition of two drops from a bottle1 and turned on the night-light and went back to bed4 ,the next morning1 ,hester carried about what she called 8a head10 and1 since it was ,wheeler's day at ,rosencranz1 remained in bed until three o'clock1 ,kitty curled at the foot of it the greater part of the forenoon4 8,it was the rotten night did me up4 ,dreams-- ,ugh--dreams60 8,no wonder10 diagnosed ,kitty sweetly4 8,indigestion from having your cake and eating it40 ,at three1 she dressed and called for her car1 driving down to the ,ivy ,funeral ,rooms1 a gothic ,thanatopsis1 set1 with one of those laughs up her sleeves ,new ,york so loves to indulge in1 right in the heart of the city1 between an automobile-accessory shop and a quick-lunch room4 ,gerald had been buried from there with simple-flag-draped service in the ,gothic chapel that was protected from the view and roar of the elevated trains by suitably stained windows4 ,there was a check in ,hester's purse made out for an amount that corresponded to the statement she had received from the ,ivy ,funeral ,rooms4 ,and right here again1 for the sake of your elucidation1 ,i could wish at least for the neurologist's chart4 ,at the very door to the establishment--with one foot across the threshold1 in fact--she paused1 her face tilted toward the corner where wall and ceiling met1 and at whatever she saw there1 her eyes dilating widely1 and her left hand springing to her bosom as if against the incision of quick steel4 ,then1 without even entering1 she rushed back to her car again1 urging her chauffeur1 at the risk of every speed-regulation1 homeward4 ,that was the beginning of purgatorial weeks that were soon to tell on ,hester4 ,they actually brought out a streak of gray through her hair1 which ,lottie promptly dyed and worked under into the lower part of her coiffure4 ,for herself1 ,hester would have let it remain4 ,wheeler was frankly perplexed4 ,god knows it was bad enough to be called upon to endure streaks of unreasonableness at ,rosencranz1 but ,hester wasn't there to show that side to him if she had it4 ,to be pretty frank about it1 she was well paid not to4 ,well paid6 ,he'd done his part4 ,more than nine out of ten would have done4 ,been made a jay of1 if the truth was known4 ,she was a ,christmas-tree bauble1 and was expected to throw off holiday iridescence4 ,there were limits6 8,you're off your feed1 girl4 ,go off by yourself and speed up40 8,it's the nights1 ,gerald4 ,good ,god--,i mean ,wheeler6 ,they kill me4 ,i can't sleep4 ,can't you get a doctor who will give me stronger drops8 ,he doesn't know my case4 ,nerves1 he calls it4 ,it's the head4 ,if only ,i could get rid of this head60 8,you women and your nerves and your heads6 ,are you all alike8 ,get out and get some exercise4 ,keep down your gasoline bills and it will send your spirits up4 ,there's such a thing as having it too good40 ,she tried to meet him in lighter vein after that1 dressing her most bizarrely1 and greeting him one night in a batik gown1 a new process of dyeing that could be flamboyant and narrative in design4 ,this one1 a long1 sinuous robe that enveloped her slimness like a flame1 beginning down around the train in a sullen smoke and rushing up to her face in a burst of crimson4 ,he thought her so exquisitely rare that he was not above the poor1 soggy device of drinking his dinner-wine from the cup of her small crimson slipper1 and she dangled on his knee like the dangerous little flame she none too subtly purported to be1 and he spanked her quickly and softly across the wrists because she was too nervous to hold the match steadily enough for his cigar to take light1 and then kissed away all the mock sting4 ,but the next morning1 at the fateful hour four o'clock1 and in spite of four sleeping-drops1 ,lottie on the cot at the foot of her bed and the night-light burning1 she awoke on the crest of such a shriek that a stiletto might have slit the silence1 the end of the sheet crammed up and into her mouth1 and1 ignoring all of ,lottie's calming1 sat up on her knees1 her streaming eyes on the jointure of wall and ceiling1 where the open accusing ones of ,gerald looked down at her4 ,it was not that they were terrible eyes4 ,they were full of the sweet blue1 and clear as lakes4 ,it was only that they knew4 ,those eyes knew4 ,they knew6 ,she tried the device there at four o'clock in the morning of tearing up the still unpaid check to the ,ivy ,funeral ,rooms1 and then she curled up in bed with her hand in the negro maid's1 and her face half buried in the pillow4 8,help me1 ,lottie10 she begged2 8help me60 8,law1 pore child6 ,gettin' the horrors every night this away6 ,i've been through it before with other ladies4 ,but ,i never saw a case of the sober horrors befoh4 ,looks like they's the worst of all4 ,go to sleep1 child4 ,i'se holdin'40 ,you see1 ,lottie had looked in on life where you and ,i might not4 ,a bird's-eye view may be very1 very comprehensive1 but a domestic-eye view can sometimes be very1 very close4 ,and then1 one night1 after ,hester had beat her hands down into the mattress and implored ,gerald to close his accusing eyes and she had screamed and sobbed up against the jointure1 she sat up in bed1 waiting for the first streak of dawn to show itself1 railing at the pain in her head4 8,god1 my head6 ,rub it1 ,lottie4 ,my head6 ,my eyes6 ,the back of my neck60 ,the next morning1 she did what you probably have been expecting she would do4 ,she up and dressed1 sending ,lottie to bed for a needed rest4 ,dressed herself in the little old blue-serge suit that had been hanging in the very back of a closet for four years1 with a five- and two ten-dollar bills pinned into its pocket1 and pressed the little five-dollar sailor down on the smooth winglike quality of her hair4 ,she looked smaller1 peculiarly indescribably younger4 ,she wrote ,wheeler a note1 dropping it down the mail chute in the hall1 and then came back1 looking about rather aimlessly for something she might want to pack4 ,there was nothing2 so she went out quite bare and simply1 with all her lovely jewels in the leather case on the upper shelf of the bedroom closet1 as she had explained to ,wheeler in the note4 ,that afternoon1 she presented herself to ,lichtig4 ,he was again as you would expect--round-bellied1 and wore his cigar up obliquely from one corner of his mouth4 ,he engaged her immediately at an increase of five dollars a week1 and as she was leaving with the promise to report at eight-thirty the next morning1 he pinched her cheek1 she pulling away angrily4 8,none of that60 8,my mistake10 he apologized4 ,she considered it promiscuous and cheap1 and you know her aversion for cheapness4 ,then she obtained1 after a few forays in and out of brownstone houses in ,west ,forty-fifth ,street1 one of those hall bed-rooms so familiar to human-interest stories--the iron-bed1 wash-stand1 and slop-jar kind4 ,there was a five-dollar advance required4 ,that left her twenty dollars4 ,she shopped a bit then in an ,eighth ,avenue department store1 and1 with the day well on the wane1 took a street-car up to the ,ivy ,funeral ,rooms4 ,this time1 she entered1 but the proprietor did not recognize her until she explained4 ,as you know1 she looked smaller and younger1 and there was no tan car at the curb4 8,i want to pay this off by the week10 she said1 handing him out the statement and a much folded ten-dollar bill4 ,he looked at her1 surprised4 8,yes10 she said1 her teeth biting off the word in a click4 8,certainly10 he replied1 handing her out a receipt for the ten4 8,i will pay five dollars a week hereafter40 8,that will stretch it out to twenty-eight weeks10 he said1 still doubtfully4 8,i can't help it2 ,i must40 8,certainly10 he said1 8that will be all right10 but looking puzzled4 ,that night1 she slept in the hall bedroom in the ,eighth ,avenue1 machine-stitched nightgown4 ,she dropped off about midnight1 praying not to awaken at four4 ,but she did--with a slight start1 sitting up in bed1 her eyes on the jointure4 ,gerald's face was there1 and his blue eyes were open1 but the steel points were gone4 ,they were smiling eyes4 ,they seemed to embrace her1 to wash her in their fluid4 ,all her fear and the pain in her head were gone4 ,she sat up1 looking at him1 the tears streaming down over her smile and her lips moving4 ,then1 sighing out like a child1 she lay back on the pillow1 turned over1 and went to sleep4 99 99 99 99 99 ,and this is the story of ,hester which so insisted to be told4 ,i think she must have wanted you to know4 ,and wanted ,gerald to know that you know1 and1 in the end1 ,i rather think she wanted ,god to know4 ,everybody's ,magazine 8,,cab1 ,,sir80 ,,by ,,samuel ,,hopkins ,,adams 8,,cab1 ,,sir80#f ,by ,,samuel ,,hopkins ,,adams ,reviewing the facts candidly1 the sike now attributes his part in the crime to the stimulus of a third cup of tea4 ,the first two he took because he was lonely4 ,the third he had1 for fellowship1 on invitation from a gob and a flit who perceived his condition4 ,they explained that they were lifelong friends1 having originally met last week at a sing-song while waiting for their final discharge papers2 and why not see ,new ,york first8 ,the sike said that he had no place to go short of ,college ,city1 ,missouri4 ,the gob1 it appeared1 had plenty of places to go in the near vicinage1 but did not wish to resume his old way of life which1 he hinted1 was ignominious if not actually criminal4 ,the flit had to go to the dental clinic in the morning1 so he didn't care2 he was feeling reckless and suicidal4 ,the hour was that of slacktide on ,broadway1 when the chorus is just opening the second act4 8,what is that which it is that we make to do this evening80 inquired the gob1 as they emerged from the ,war ,camp ,community ,service ,club on ,twenty-seventh ,street4 ,having taken the cantonment course in ,uncle ,sam's ,french ,idioms for the ,idiotic1 the others comprehended at once4 8,would a bus ride be a good start80 suggested the sike4 8,take a walk and get the kinks out of us10 amended the flit who still suffered from transport cramp4 8,what-ho about a roof-show80 queried the gob4 ,madison ,square ,garden loomed flatly beside them while they were still debating it by the ambulant method4 ,a shaft of light from a side exit fell across their path4 ,the flit blinked into the aperture and withdrew his tongue from his most peevish tooth for the purpose of remarking3 8,whoa1 ,dobbin60 8,it's a tank10 observed the sike1 following his gaze4 8,what does the sign say80 ,he pointed to a placard1 pendent from the creature's neck4 8#8,to be returned1'0 read the gob4 8,to return it1 you first got to take it out10 argued the flit4 8,it spoke just in time4 ,maudie1 ,i'm your little return ticket40 8,you60 said the gob incredulously4 8,where do you come in8 ,can you run that thing80 8,i can run anything that drinks gasoline40 8,it looks like ,providence by special arrangement10 observed the gob4 8,what do you say1 ,buddy80 8,i told you ,i was for a bus ride10 returned the sike under the influence of the third cup of tea4 8,d'you reckon this reptile's got a keeper80 asked the flit4 ,he entered the passageway and looked about1 but found no one4 8,or a mouth80 he proceeded4 8,we've got to persuade it to swallow us4 ,hey1 gob2 you're tender and juicy4 ,tackle its whiskers40 8,those aren't whiskers4 ,those are machine guns4 ,hi6 ,eureka6 ,here's the door with #8welcome' on the mat40 ,at his touch a panel at the front slowly unfolded outward1 displaying a lighted interior4 8,who'll join me in the ,jonah ,club80 invited the flit1 plunging down the wide gullet4 8,it's my idea we'd better get moving before our little whale gets to whinnying and raises its master4 ,all aboard that's going aboard4 ,public ,library1 ,eagle ,hotel1 ,soldier's ,monument and way stations to the ,guard-,house60 ,the others clambered into the monster's interior4 ,its mouth closed after them4 8,now1 ,i hope the dum thing responds to gentle treatment10 the flit said4 8,i see how she starts1 but ,i gotta take a chance on how she steers4 ,are you ready8 ,grab and stick2 she may buck4 ,go60 ,he did something intricate and skilled to some levers4 ,with a noise as of a boiler-shop attacked by convulsions1 the tank moved majestically forth and1 after a moment of doubt1 which nearly cost a taxi its life1 turned to the left and the bright lights4 ,the voyage had begun4 ,here1 for the benefit of those who have been living1 since the war began1 a retired life in ,tierra del ,fuego or ,spitzbergen1 it may be well to explain the terms of the fellowship4 ,a sike is a private of the ,psychological ,division of the ,army ,medical ,corps4 ,morale is his special concern2 he is the man who keeps things stirring in camp when it has rained for three solid weeks and the mail has gone wrong and war is all that ,sherman said of it and more4 ,he is usually a college professor who has seen a great light4 ,this one was1 and had4 ,his name is ,follansbee ,james4 ,a flit is a flying and prying person who snoops about in an airplane of low elevation and manners1 poking his nose into matters which it is undesirable that he should know4 ,such is the shamelessness of our ,government that our flit1 ,frederick ,slayter by name1 had actually been decorated for his ill-bred performances4 ,a gob is1 of course--though nobody knows why--an able seaman4 ,mr4 8,chaw0 ,veeder was unusually able4 ,he had other names1 but they had vanished owing to his propensity for conserving a plug of tobacco unobtrusively in his cheek4 ,there is a deal of hidden vice in our ,navy4 ,having thus satisfied1 ,i trust1 inquiring minds of a scientific and philological bent1 ,i will now return to the deliberate and uproarious conveyance wherein ,i have left the trio4 ,bhoong - barrang - whroo - oo - oom - prrrrawng - bomp - clink - whang - oomble - gawmmle-,,boom6 ,the tank proceeded westward on ,twenty-seventh ,street at a breakneck pace of three miles an hour4 ,windows flew up4 ,pajama-clad figures1 and others more frilly1 appeared therein1 making somnolent and wrathful gestures4 ,scandalized inhabitants rushed out of doorways and rushed in again1 for the tank was steering wildly4 ,the gob funneled his hands toward the flit4 8,where you going80 he bellowed above the riot4 ,the answer came back faint and fragmentary1 8,don't--how--'amthing--steers40 ,in a spirit of misplaced helpfulness1 the gob seized a lever and pulled it4 ,straightway the tank paused1 turned on its heel1 executed a couple of airy pirouettes and with a metallic roar rushed up on the sidewalk and totally obliterated three garbage-cans which had been playing the extrahazardous rle of innocent bystanders4 ,it then cut obliquely across the corner1 gently but firmly removed an electric-light pole which sought to stay its pace1 debouched into ,fifth ,avenue1 and pointing its nose up-town1 resumed its sedate progress4 8,don't--excite--agin10 bawled the flit at the wheel reprovingly to the gob4 8,flighty--little--whiffet4 ,letter--own--way40 ,ensconced at a peep-hole the sike now delivered tidings in a strained yell1 8,cavalry attack40 ,the flit threw off the power so suddenly that his two companions came and sat on his neck4 ,amidst the ensuing peace the night roar of ,fifth ,avenue was as the splash of ripples upon a gently sloping beach4 8,get off me60 protested the engineer4 8,i'm going to chin with the law40 ,he opened the door and a policeman's head appeared4 ,at the same moment the sike retired and was dimly seen behind a stanchion busily writing what the gob surmised to be a long farewell to home and loved ones4 ,the cop opened a mouth upon which lurked the suspicion of a grin4 8,where are you boys trundling your little alarm-clock on wheels80 he inquired4 8,back to quarters10 replied the flit glibly4 ,the officer's glance fell upon the spread wings of the flit's service4 8,looka-here10 he observed4 8,you belong to the flying1 don't you8 ,you're in the wrong kind of bus40 8,i'm goin' to fly this10 asserted the operator blandly1 8as soon as we come to a good take-off40 8,sure60 agreed the cop4 8,i'd like to go up with you4 ,just the same1 ,i'll take a look at your papers4 ,hand 'em out40 ,the flit's hand started to his head to scratch for ideas1 when it was arrested midway by another hand pressing into it a sheet of paper4 ,a whisper from the sike did the rest4 ,the document was duly presented to the representative of the civil law who read therein1 under the insignium of the ,war ,camp ,community ,service1 which looks very official and authoritative1 if not too closely scrutinized1 that ,corporal ,f4 ,slayter of the ,aero ,service1 ,able ,seaman ,veeder1 and ,private ,james of the ,sanitary ,corps1 ,u4 ,s4 ,a41 were specially detailed to operate ,tractor ,tank ,no4 #ac in such highways of ,new ,york ,city as they might select for demonstration purposes4 8,that gets by with me10 announced the officer4 8,and ,i'll pass the word up the ,avenue4 ,but look out for the side-streets4 ,some of the cops on duty there are mean1 suspicious guys that wouldn't be above spoiling a pleasant evening40 8,jesse ,james10 observed the flit1 turning admiringly to the sike1 after the obstacle to progress had withdrawn1 8as a psychologist you're a high-class forger4 ,that touch about #8demonstration purposes'--that's bad1 ,i guess6 ,we could swim the tank in ,central ,park ,reservoir or shin it up the ,obelisk on the strength of that40 8,and to think10 sighed the sike1 8that next week ,i'll be burbling about ethics in a stuffy classroom40 8,maybe not10 returned the gob4 8,if ,slayter does any more of his fancy evolutions1 you may be in the hospital40 8,oh1 ,i've got her now10 asseverated the helmsman confidently1 starting up the machinery4 8--levers10 he yelled1 8control-caterpillars4 ,pull--right--and--0 ,he did so1 and the tank1 executing a right about face1 chased a horrified limousine half-way up a flight of brownstone steps4 8,come back60 vociferated the exasperated flit1 and hauled the left lever with such telling effect that 7so the gob and the sike solemnly declare7 the ,waldorf-,astoria leaped a foot from its foundations and then escaped annihilation only by a fraction of an inch4 8,for ,mike's sake60 howled the gob4 8,stick to the straight-and-narrow40 ,they lurched back into the main current1 with a noise as of cosmic dissolution1 and the traffic broke and fled before their measured progress4 ,as they went1 there came from the rear of the interior a sound faint1 faraway1 and vague like the plaint of a discouraged cricket4 ,it was the sike singing3 8,we don't know where we're going ,but we're on--our--way40 8,that reminds me10 said the flit1 shutting off4 8,where are we going80 8,rubbernecking10 suggested the gob4 8,i've got an idea10 offered the sike4 8,if the captain of this buoyant craft could steer around a corner--0 8,i can steer around any number of corners10 asserted the flit with a shade of offense in his tone4 8,simultaneously10 added the gob4 8,looka-here1 ,chaw60 cried the operator hotly4 8,if you don't like the way ,i run this bus--0 8,calm yourself1 corporal10 adjured the sike1 8and tell me1 do you think you could negotiate the perilous straits that lead to the stage door of that sprightly ragtime operetta1 taken from the ,french without opposition on their part and entitled #8,cherchez la ,chicken'8 ,i have important business there40 8,cutie in the chorus10 surmised the flit1 looking pained and moral4 8,oh1 ,perfessor6 ,i bid for an introduction4 ,we're off60 ,cautiously manipulating the controls1 the chauffeur contrived to achieve the turn into the side street with no incident or accident other than the conversion of a too torpid fruit-stand into a mixture of wood-pulp and citrus juices1 the proprietor barely escaping with his life4 ,the last act of 8,cherchez la ,chicken0 had reached that point of delicate and original humor where the comedian1 seated in a custard pie1 sings a farewell to his mother-in-law while the chorus dances1 when the side-alley which leads up to the stage burst into thunderous reverberations4 ,there are numerous exits from the place--it is the one redeeming virtue of the show--and all of them promptly jammed4 ,the comedian arose from the pie4 ,the soprano fainted4 ,the chorus dispersed4 ,the management1 wringing its already overringed hands1 rushed out into the alley1 now being patrolled by the tank1 back and forth1 amidst horrible echoes4 8,go away60 he shrieked4 8,what you want8 ,shut your noise40 ,the monster fell silent4 ,from the orifice which should have been its mouth1 the serious face of the sike emerged4 8,sir10 said he1 8last night ,i attended your performance40 8,who are you80 demanded the manager4 8,you spoil my show60 8,four days' pay you mulcted me4 ,and you seated me behind a pillar40 8,tell your troubles to the box-office10 retorted the manager brutally4 8,i ain't inter--0 8,i willingly concede10 continued the sike calmly1 8that the pillar was preferable1 from any view-point1 to the performance4 ,but ,i want my four dollars back40 8,a fat chance60 retorted the manager4 8,half speed ahead1 if you please10 requested the sike4 8,phsrang - bang - guzzoom - wurrong - kong-hong-whang60 clamored the monster1 advancing upon the manager4 8,yi-yi-hi6 ,whoo-oo-ee-ee-ee60 sounded in piercing antiphony from within1 where the soprano was having hysterics4 ,from the fourth rung of the fire-escape ladder the manager waved surrender with a roll of bills4 8,blackmail60 he moaned as the sike selected a five and returned a dollar4 8,please go away quietly40 ,the sike1 turning1 was intercepted by a small1 fattish gentleman in evening clothes4 8,on behalf of self and friend10 said the man1 8,i thank you40 8,you are attending the performance80 inquired the sike politely4 8,i am4 ,less fortunate than yourself ,i did not draw a pillar4 ,as for my friend1 whom ,i was seeking to distract from a depression of the soul1 he insulted me and fled4 ,he is now doubtless wandering about the city1 a prey to unrelieved melancholy40 8,what's biting your friend80 queried the flit1 projecting an interested face into the dialogue4 ,the stranger accepted the interrogation in the spirit of metaphor in which it was offered4 8,woman10 he stated succinctly4 8,if you should happen to encounter six-foot two of correctly attired manhood baying the moon on a street corner1 that is him4 ,or1 if not him1 he4 ,be kind to him1 address him as ,reuben ,renssalaer ,watts1 and play him your little anvil chorus4 ,it might cheer him up4 ,i return to my martyrdom40 ,he saluted and retired4 ,in deference to the manager's entreaty1 the tank backed out discreetly1 making hardly more commotion than the average railway collision1 and retired along ,forty-fourth ,street toward the ,avenue4 ,it roused a corpulent and fluffy dog1 lolling richly in a waiting motor-car1 who leaped out through the window with terrifying growls1 and undertook to harry it1 performing just in front of the left caterpillar that progressive three-legged canine dance familiar to all motorists4 ,but a tank is not a motor-car4 ,the fluffy dog conceived a misplaced contempt for its speed4 ,he loitered on the way4 ,there was a surprised and pained exclamation in the canine language1 and the fluffy dog1 ceasing to exist in the customary three dimensions1 passed to the fourth1 leaving as a souvenir only the first and second--to wit1 length and breadth--upon the asphalt4 ,he that so lately had been a beribboned and pampered darling was now as the shadow of a dream1 a breath upon glass1 a highly impressionistic silhouette limned against the unsympathetic pavement1 above which a fat blond lady tore her costly hair1 uttering tragic and vengeful cries4 ,hastily checking the juggernaut1 the flit descended1 and was promptly addressed as a murderer by the blond lady4 ,the gob came to the rescue1 and learned something to his disadvantage and that of his parentage4 ,then the sike tactlessly offered his hard-wrung four dollars in reparation4 ,him she smote upon the ear with violence1 and after one ineffectual attempt to scrape ,pettie from the bosom of ,mother ,earth retired1 wailing1 to her car1 where she ordered the chauffeur to take her to her lawyer4 8,and to think10 murmured the sike1 tenderly caressing the spot where the assault had taken place1 8that next month ,i'll be instilling moral precepts into the minds of the rising generation4 ,such is life60 8,this is where we oil up10 announced the flit1 and1 having herded his passengers in1 went at it4 ,the delay was untimely4 ,hardly had the tank1 refreshed and lubricated1 resumed its way1 when above the uproar was heard a sharp 8ping60 ,it was twice repeated4 8,somebody applying for admittance10 surmised the sike1 in a well-attuned howl4 ,the gob applied his eye to a rear peep-hole4 8,it's one of those side-street cops2 the bad ones our friend down the ,avenue told us about4 ,he's shooting at us40 8,a hold-up10 observed the flit4 ,he stopped the engine1 just as a fourth bullet1 deflected from the upper armor1 crashed through a brightly illuminated second-story window4 ,there was the sound of a meeting adjourning sine die1 and an oratorically-garbed gentleman1 thrusting his head out of an upper window1 sounded the alarum1 8,bolsheveeki6 ,bolsheveeki60 in a melancholy and monotonous shriek4 ,the pursuing policeman rushed around to the front of the tank4 8,lady says you killed her dog10 he announced4 8,open up40 ,the flit obligingly opened the door to explain4 ,straightway the officer's gun was brought to bear upon his head4 8,now1 you stay put10 came the grim order4 ,the flit stayed4 ,but not for long4 ,acting1 apparently1 quite on its own initiative1 the machine gun of the forward turret deliberately and noiselessly swung about until it pointed accurately at the third button1 counting upward1 of the policeman's tunic4 ,it is very disconcerting to have a machine gun aim itself at the pit of one's stomach1 particularly when there is no evidence as to whether it is loaded or not4 ,and a machine gun always looks loaded4 ,the cop blinked and wavered4 ,a solemn voice emerged from the hollow interior3 8#8,who touches a hair of yon red head ,dies like a dog6 ,march on6' he said40 8,whaddye mean1 #8red head'80 indignantly demanded the flit1 who was sensitive on the subject2 and he ducked inside seeking explanation4 ,the gob immediately pulled-to the steel door4 8,we will now parley10 he announced4 ,the officer took off his helmet and fanned a wrinkled brow4 8,you gotta keep off this street10 he said1 but without conviction4 8,why80 demanded the gob4 8,you're a truck10 said the cop4 8,you're another10 retorted the flit hotly4 8,we're a pleasure-car2 that's what we are60 8,well1 you're a heavy traffic1 anyway10 argued the cop4 8,you got no right here40 8,lightest tank in the service10 declared the gob4 8,less than six tons on the hoof4 ,stripped down for speed1 in light marching accouterment with one day's ammunition and a marked-down meal ticket1 we're only--0 8,for ,gawd's sake60 broke in the harassed officer2 8git off my beat before ,i report yer1 if ,i can think of somethin' to report that the ,cap would believe40 ,thus delivered from the ,philistines1 the equipage proceeded1 amid the wonder and consternation of an ear-smitten public4 ,but there was one who paid no tribute of notice to its thunderous progress4 ,he stood on the corner of ,fifth ,avenue1 and gazed into vacancy4 ,the gleam of his candid shirt-front attracted the eye of the gob1 who was acting as lookout4 8,lighthouse off the port bow10 he informed the chauffeur4 8,seems to be deserted4 ,run alongside2 ,i fain would hail it40 ,the tank1 after a preliminary wobble1 drew up1 facing the abstracted individual4 ,he deigned to droop an uninterested eye at it1 and straightway resumed his contemplation of nothingness4 ,the gob semi-emerging from the tank's door1 addressed him4 8,cab1 sir80 8,eh8 ,what80 said the other vaguely4 8,taxi1 sir8 ,fine night for a ride10 said the gob persuasively4 8,certainly10 assented the bystander with the air of one who welcomes any diversion1 however slight4 ,he stepped inside4 8,where to1 sir80 ,the fare considered4 8,eight-seventy-seven ,park ,avenue10 he said at length4 8,what for80 interposed the flit with suspicion4 8,to make a polite and formal call on a young lady40 8,look at the time10 protested the flit4 8,won't she be asleep80 8,not after little ,pussyfoot enters the block10 said the fare with conviction4 8,besides that--have ,i hired this hack or haven't ,i80 8,you sure have10 confirmed the gob4 8,montmorency1 behave60 he admonished the flit4 8,we are about to go into ,society4 ,i can tell it by the address4 ,by the left wheel1 hrrumph60 8,one moment10 said the passenger4 8,it is my duty to tell you that ,bingle ,foxley will be coming down the ,avenue drunk and chiefly on the wrong side1 about this hour40 8,who's he80 demanded the chauffeur4 8,the ,demon ,motorist4 ,traffic rules are a red rag to him4 ,as a cousin of the ,big ,chief he's immune from arrest1 and gets a clear path40 8,what's the big idea80 demanded the flit4 8,just so that you can slide out the way when you hear his siren10 returned the fare1 with apparent innocence4 ,the flit grinned4 8,ick hobby dick1 ,steefen1 as we say in ,coblenz10 he observed4 8,we're off40 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,fifth ,avenue traffic obligingly made way again4 ,after essaying several polite and casual observations in a stentorian tone1 with the effect of a microbe's whisper1 the passenger gathered together his vocal powers1 and stuck his voice into the gob's ear4 8,i want to explain4 ,i'm going to ,,let ,,you ,,into ,a ,,little ,,secret10 he bellowed into a suddenly developed stillness1 consequent upon the flit's shutting off power at a crowded corner4 8,one little tone louder10 suggested the gob1 8and you'll let in ,south ,norwalk and the ,oranges40 8,let me explain to you all10 said the passenger while the gathering crowd outside passed the word that the tank was conveying a violently mad ,german spy to the asylum4 8,i'm very much interested in--0 8,not me60 expostulated the flit4 8,the last guy in a dress suit that explained what he was very much interested in1 got me very much interested too1 and stung me four months' pay for four cents' worth of phony stock40 8,this is a young lady10 said the other1 with dignity4 8,she objects to me because she says ,i am too proper and conventional to be really human40 8,are you80 inquired the sike with interest4 8,before the war1 possibly4 ,i admit it40 8,and the war cured you80 8,judge for yourself4 ,the third day of the ,argonne debate ,i nearly got court-martialed for biting a chunk out of my captain's ear4 ,it was dark1 and ,i thought when we came together after the charge and he tried to gouge my left eye out1 that he was a ,fritzie4 ,now ,i put it to you as pals1 is that overrefined and finicky80 8,pals is right10 stated the flit heartily1 8if you was at ,argonne ,woods4 ,and as man to man and one having experience1 ,i'd advise you to handle her likewise4 ,not bite her ear off1 you get me8 ,but join the tanks and treat 'em rough40 8,precisely why ,i hired this cab40 8,so woman is your trouble10 observed the sike4 8,i salute you1 ,mr4 ,reuben ,renssalaer ,watts40 8,the devil you do60 retorted that gentleman4 8,when did you graduate into the ,intelligence ,department8 ,or have ,i met you in a previous existence80 8,neither4 ,it is quite simple10 began the sike1 when a swelling1 soaring1 blare from up the ,avenue cut him short4 8,mr4 ,foxley requests the courtesy of a clear path10 said ,mr4 ,watts4 8,sure10 remarked the flit between his teeth4 8,sic 'em1 ,maudie60 ,gathering speed1 the tank proceeded to weave and writhe across the roadway in a manner suggestive of a beetle with the stomach-ache4 ,hoots1 rude1 imperative and monitory1 sounded from ahead4 ,a huge green car manned by a huge red youth came rushing down upon them4 ,at sight of the tank1 the car emitted a sublimated yawp of surprise and horror followed by penetrating shrieks as the brakes bit in1 the youth uttered a whoop of desperation1 the outfit hit the unmoved tank slantwise1 skimmed across the sidewalk on two wheels and sought cover in a window placarded 8,special ,bargains in ,lingerie0 whence presently emerged the almost total ruin of ,mr4 ,foxley draped pinkly in a chemise4 ,it beat the air with frenzied hands1 yelled feebly1 and disappeared around the corner in the direction of its club4 ,revivified later 7though not by the usual agencies1 which he resolutely refused1 to the alarm of his fellows71 ,mr4 ,foxley related how1 while driving quietly down the ,avenue he had been beset by a mud-turtle in armor4 ,a very large1 ferocious1 prehistoric mud-turtle1 waving an ,american flag1 which without provocation had attacked his unoffending car1 bitten off its two front wheels and chased it through a plate-glass window4 ,and as for him1 he wouldn't care if ,july first came to-morrow6 ,he was off it6 8,where do they come from and why did they let 'em out80 demanded ,mr4 ,foxley passionately4 ,the maligned tank1 passing upon its sentimental quest1 was now spreading the echoes of ,bedlam through peaceful ,park ,avenue4 ,at number eight-seventy-seven1 the equipage stopped4 ,the clamor didn't4 ,a surprised and extremely attractive face beneath the cap of the ,national ,league for ,woman's ,service ,motor ,corps appeared at a third-floor window4 8,shut off6 ,shut off60 yelled ,reuben ,renssalaer ,watts4 8,i want to talk to her40 8,can't10 bellowed the flit4 8,she's jammed40 ,the face at the window became indignant4 ,it made urgent gestures like a policeman4 8,the lady wants us to move on10 the gob informed the perspiring ,mr4 ,watts4 ,out upon the sidewalk stepped the sike4 ,he faced the lovely and indignant apparition overhead and squared his manly form4 ,with his right hand he majestically indicated the zenith2 his left he placed tenderly upon the pit of his stomach4 ,immediately he thrust his left north-northeast and started a pivot-blow with the other4 ,he then boxed the compass in swift1 successive two-arm movements4 ,the ornament of the window nodded and disappeared4 8,see here60 said ,mr4 ,watts4 8,do you know that lady80 8,i do not10 returned the sike1 8though ,i live in hopes40 8,then why the convulsions80 demanded ,mr4 ,watts severely4 8,semaphoring1 my dear sir4 ,i simply wigwagged the lady that if she would descend to ,mother ,earth1 a communication of semi-official import having a vital bearing on her prospects in life would be made to her4 ,or words to that effect10 said the sike4 8,the rest is up to you40 ,the final observation might well have been addressed to the ,mayor of ,new ,rochelle1 as1 coincident with its utterance the chauffeur had stilled his engine4 ,he joined the sidewalk group1 followed by the gob4 ,the girl emerged4 8,is it an ambulance job80 she asked professionally4 8,no1 madam10 answered the sike4 8,then why did you ,s4 ,o4 ,s4 me80 ,mr4 ,reuben ,renssalaer ,watts stepped forward4 8,renny60 she exclaimed and turned to a pink so delicate and bewitching that the gob hastily and surreptitiously extracted his beloved quid and tossed it under the iron monster4 8,a social call10 said that gentleman4 8,good evening1 ,carey40 ,he stepped forward and with nonchalance and promptitude kissed the newcomer fair and full upon the lips4 8,renny60 gasped the girl2 and the pink deepened to a fiery red4 8,wh-,wh-,what--how--are you crazy80 8,i've joined the tanks10 exclaimed ,mr4 ,watts urbanely4 8#8,treat 'em rough' is our motto4 ,come and have a joy-ride on me40 ,the girl recovered herself4 8,who are these gentlemen80 8,hanged if ,i know4 ,i hired the crew with the ship and they are now my fellow piratical voyagers on faerie seas forlorn4 ,fellows1 this is ,miss ,carey ,vail40 8,pleased to meetcher10 said the flit1 stepping forward courteously4 8,my name's ,mr4 ,slayter4 ,the gob1 here1 is ,chaw ,veeder4 ,he's rough stuff from the gas-house1 but with ladies present he'll kindly soft-pedal4 ,the other guy is a stuffed professor at home1 at present considerable alive4 ,name1 ,perfessor ,james40 ,he turned to address ,watts4 8,now1 where to1 sir80 8,where do you suggest80 99 99 99 99 99 8,if this is a ladies' game10 responded the flit tentatively1 8there's a party named ,miss ,nora ,mc,sears who cashes at an all-night restaurant on ,east ,fifty-eighth ,street1 very clean and respectable40 8,right6 ,go to ,fifty-eighth ,street4 ,will you get in1 ,carey80 ,miss ,carey ,vail sniffed the air daintily and observed the tank with doubt4 8,do you think your steed is safe80 she asked4 8,he's uncertain when hungry10 explained the gob2 8but he's just fed4 ,he's had one small dog1 one large fruit-stand1 three cans of garbage1 a corner of the ,waldorf-,astoria and a chew of the best plug4 ,you could trust him to tow a baby-carriage down ,peacock ,alley40 ,miss ,vail embarked4 ,her next observation1 8,do behave yourself1 ,renny10 was inferred rather than heard1 in the commotion of their turning4 ,nor was their converse thereafter1 though earnest1 of import to the others1 who considerately concentrated their attention upon the outer world4 ,the ,recherch ,restaurant was doing a languid1 ten-cent-to-a-quarter trade1 when ,east ,fifty-eighth ,street burst into 8,the ,anvil ,chorus40 ,its entire clientle rushed to the door1 followed by a tall1 calm-eyed girl with the cash-register in her arms4 ,the tank brought up with a lurch opposite her4 8,good evening1 ,miss ,nora10 said the flit1 emerging4 8,good evening1 yourself1 and who are you80 returned ,miss ,mc,sears placidly4 ,the flit assumed an air of profound injury4 8,did you or did you not1 one year back1 come ,st4 ,patrick's ,day1 after the ,club dance at camp1 take my regimental pin to wear and say you'd never forget ,private ,f4 ,slayter1 now corporal80 8,maybe ,i did10 admitted the girl4 8,but your face was clean then40 8,i've joined the tanks since10 said ,corporal ,slayter4 8,treat 'em rough40 ,selecting the nearest dimple in ,miss ,mc,sears's piquant face1 he saluted it in form4 8,move on60 cried that young lady1 helpless by reason of the cash-machine1 but wrathful4 8,my father's a policeman and ,i'll be telephoning for him40 8,ask him can ,i keep company with his daughter10 suggested the unperturbed flit4 8,we'll move on when you move with us40 8,in that80 retorted the girl1 bestowing a scornful look upon the monster4 8,i don't believe it's even respectable4 ,who's in there80 ,responding to the flit's unspoken appeal1 the woman passenger stepped out4 8,i'm ,carey ,vail10 she began in her quiet1 assured voice4 8,you may know--0 8,hello1 ,vail10 interrupted ,miss ,mc,sears4 8,why1 ,mac6 ,bless your old heart6 ,how are you80 ,the two did not fall on each other's neck4 ,they shook hands in manly fashion4 8,this is one of our emergency volunteers for the #8flu' work10 explained the girl in uniform4 8,they don't make them any better40 8,they don't need to1 as far's ,i'm concerned10 murmured ,mr4 ,slayter1 relieving the bearer of the cash-register4 8,are you on for our little party1 ,nora80 8,wait till ,i telephone for a substitute10 said ,miss ,mc,sears4 8,and do you behave yourself1 you with your #8,nora'60 ,upon her return1 after some delay1 there was heard issuing from the tank's interior dolorous music1 in the sike's plaintive baritone3 8,no one to pity him1 none to cay-ress ,no one to help him in his sad dy-stress40 8,the ,sweet ,singer of ,michigan has broken his parole10 observed the gob4 8,hey1 you inside1 what's on your bursting chest80 8,i'm lonely10 stated the sike4 8,all my lovely companions are faded and gone4 ,captive to the fair sex4 8,oh1 bury me on the lone pray-ree6 ,where the wild ki-yotes can't pester me40 8,goodness gracious6 ,what's that80 queried ,miss ,mc,sears4 8,i believe it's some kind of a professor10 explained ,miss ,vail1 as the flit obligingly turned an interior light upon the sike4 ,miss ,mc,sears viewed the exhibit with critical approval4 8,it looks good to me10 she said4 8,couldn't we get somebody to take care of it for the evening and make this a real party8 ,any of your crowd on1 ,vail80 8,eleven twenty-five10 said the corps-girl1 examining a wrist-watch4 8,dolly ,barrett'll just be coming off duty4 ,she'd fit in40 8,great60 assented ,miss ,mc,sears1 and the two girls retired to telephone4 8,did you get her80 chorused the crew of the tank1 when they returned4 8,of course10 said ,miss ,vail4 8,we told her to meet us at eleven-fifty on the south side of ,columbus ,circle where ,broadway comes in40 8,that's a nice1 retired spot for a tryst10 said ,mr4 ,watts sardonically4 8,did you tell her how we were coming80 8,no4 ,i just said we'd pick her up in a car40 8,she'll be surprised40 8,surprise will do her good4 ,she's been overworked lately and needs livening up40 ,surprise was obviously the trysted one's portion when1 with the sound of earthquake and avalanche1 battle1 murder1 and sudden death1 the 8cab0 arrived4 ,nor was the initial surprise the only one4 ,a perfect stranger with a long1 lean1 pleasant face stepped out and regarded her with appreciative and twinkling eyes4 ,in the background she dimly apprehended ,miss ,vail and ,miss ,mc,sears4 ,on his part the sike contemplated a small1 trim young person with very black hair1 very gray eyes under black brows and lashes and a mouth that was an enticement to disorderly conduct4 ,his bedazzled regard failed to note certain features of her costume4 ,his once professorial spirit was in a turmoil1 a reckless1 desperate glow4 8,good evening10 he said rapidly4 8,we've come to take you riding4 ,let me help you in4 ,my name is ,follansbee ,james4 ,i've joined the tanks4 ,treat 'em rough40 ,smack6 ,the disorderly conduct was committed4 8,attention60 snapped the enraged victim of the caress4 ,the sike fell into a rigor1 a paralysis1 intended for a salute4 ,his horrified eyes were riveted on the newcomer's nearest shoulder4 ,a silver bar shone there4 8,lord help me6 ,i've kissed my superior officer10 groaned the sike1 and collapsed into the waiting arms of the gob4 ,the others immediately supplied a chorus of explanation and apology1 greatly enjoyed and appreciated by the gathering crowd4 8,let's get out of here10 said ,lieutenant ,dolly ,barrett1 bewilderedly rubbing the corner of her chin 7for the sike had been nervous and his marksmanship below par74 8,go into the ,park1 where it's quiet40 ,their progress spread a horrific stridor through the peace and decorum of the ,park's ordered avenues1 and the squirrels awoke in the tree-tops1 gibbering with terror1 and the birds took wing and fled into the unknown1 and the new hippopotamus of the ,zoo1 surmising that the day of judgment was upon him1 repented of his sins in a wail that scarred the ear-drums of the sleeping neighborhood2 and policemen1 singly and in squads1 rushed to the scene and retired before the sight of a moving fortress displaying the ,american flag1 and ,reuben ,renssalaer ,watts chose that time as propitious for a whirlwind advance1 under cover of the riot1 upon the heart of ,miss ,carey ,vail4 ,as he pleaded earnestly1 and with vast expenditure of lung-power1 which did not reach beyond the attentive ear of the girl1 who was listening with an expression somewhere between happiness1 panic1 and surrender1 the flit tactlessly and abruptly shut down the power to inquire his way1 and ,mr4 ,watts was heard 7from the ,battery on the south to the ,bronx on the north7 proclaiming the finale and climax of his wooing3 8--,,going ,,to ,,marry ,,me ,,this ,,very ,,night1 ,,as ,,is60 ,a dead1 blank1 dismayed silence supervened4 ,the unintentional eavesdroppers stared at each other and away from the pair4 ,ten blocks distant the hippopotamus laughed raucously4 ,mr4 ,watts1 justly indignant1 turned upon the chauffeur4 8,keep her going1 you fourth-rate1 donkey-engine misfit60 he roared1 in tones which proved that he didn't care who heard him this time4 8,what church80 inquired the flit promptly4 8,not any church10 cried ,miss ,carey ,vail4 8,i want to go ho-o-ome40 8,oh1 be a sport1 ,vail10 adjured her superior officer4 8,he looks all right to me4 ,why not marry him and put him out of his misery80 8,go on2 do60 urged ,miss ,mc,sears4 8,it'll be so romantic40 8,maybe it'd be catching10 hopefully suggested ,corporal ,slayter1 who appeared to be holding ,miss ,mc,sears's hand4 8,happy thought60 contributed the sike4 8,don't spoil the evening's fun just because of a weak prejudice about formality40 8,oh1 ,i think you're all mad60 declared ,miss ,vail tremulously1 and suddenly1 despite her uniform1 she looked very small and feminine and helpless4 8,you1 most of all1 ,renny1 ,i don't know what's come to you40 8,i've joined the tanks10 said ,reuben ,renssalaer ,watts promptly1 8,and--0 8,don't60 wailed ,miss ,vail1 half a second too late to forestall the action which went with the statement4 8,i want to go ho-o-ome60 she faltered4 ,but there was more bewilderment than conviction in her appeal4 8,directly after the ceremony10 promised the progressive wooer4 8,we'll ride up in my special taxi and break the news to the family40 8,look here1 folkses10 broke in the gob4 8,i'm all for this ,lohengrin-,mendelssohn stuff4 ,but it'll take some scheming4 ,we've got the rest of the night1 free of entanglements and engagements1 except the one we've just been witness to1 is it not80 8,it is10 responded a chorus1 minus the voice of ,miss ,carey ,vail who was temporarily speechless4 8,all right1 ,i'm going to blow to supper40 8,not at twelve-fifteen1 in this man's burg10 corrected ,mr4 ,watts4 8,it's closed40 8,if you can give a wedding party1 ,i guess ,i can give a supper party10 retorted the gob4 8,and ,i'm going to if ,i have to hold up somebody else's4 ,corporal1 conduct ,airy ,fairy ,lillian up ,mr4 ,fifth's well-known avenue while ,i man the lookout1 and be ready to stop on signal40 ,the signal was given1 opposite a house of modest size 7for that part of the thoroughfare7 with evidences of activity in the front rooms4 ,the gob ran up the steps and was met by a flustered-looking person who made gestures of expostulation1 which presently were mollified to gestures of deprecation4 8,come one1 come all10 invited the gob1 returning4 8,there'll be a short wait while my friend in the shirt-sleeves--0 8,who is this guy1 ,chaw80 demanded the flit4 8,he's the butler40 8,whose butler80 queried ,miss ,mc,sears4 8,don't make any odds whose4 ,he's ours at present40 8,how did you get him80 questioned ,watts4 8,it's a long story of my seamy past10 answered the gob4 8,he's an ex-con1 and ,i've got a strangle-hold on him4 ,so he's invited us to supper and when the family gets home from the country in the morning he can fix up his own explanation of the ice-box to suit himself and them4 ,i've ordered fizz40 8,that's all very well10 observed ,miss ,mc,sears with firmness4 8,but ,i don't go to midnight suppers in other folks' houses1 with a bunch of strangers--0 8,strangers once but lovers now10 stated the flit firmly1 8speaking for self and lady friend40 8--and no chaperon10 pursued the spokeswoman of the proprieties1 reddening but obstinate4 8,so you count--0 8,silence in the ranks60 ordered ,dolly ,barrett4 8,i'm an officer and a widow4 ,is that enough80 8,plenty for me1 and praise to ,heaven for the good news10 said the sike1 enthusiastically4 8,i don't mean the officer part10 he added significantly1 8but the other40 ,mr4 ,watts regarded him curiously4 8,there may be more in these ,western universities than a ,harvard man would suspect10 he murmured4 8,and to think10 sighed the sike1 8that a few weeks hence ,i shall be pouring pious platform platitudes into the happy ears of inattentive youth60 8,forward in light foraging order60 commanded the gob4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the party entered the house1 which was evidently being hastily cleaned for the return of the owners4 ,a subdued noise as of servants in commotion could be heard in the rear4 ,on a hall stand stood a collection of mail in three piles4 ,the flit chancing to glance at it1 stood petrified4 ,selecting a post-card he advanced upon the rear of the unheeding gob1 turned up the bottom of the wide and floppy left trouser-leg1 read from the sewn-in slip the name inscribed thereon1 compared it with the address on the post-card1 turned down the trouser-leg to one fold and with a sudden1 sardonic inspiration not only left it so1 but adjusted the other one to match it4 8,mr4 ,schuyler ,tappan ,veeder10 he observed with concentrated bitterness1 straightening up4 8,here10 responded the gob1 cheerfully4 8,what about it80 8,this is your joint10 declared the flit in solemn accusation4 8,not while my fond parents enjoy their present health10 was the genial reply4 ,but the soul of ,corporal ,slayter was hot with suspicion4 8,what kinda con game you been workin' on me80 he said1 surlily4 8,call yourself ,chaw ,veeder40 8,barring the presence of ladies1 you're a liar10 retorted the gob promptly4 8,it's my pals call me ,chaw4 ,which reminds me40 ,producing a rich-hued bar from his pocket1 he bit off a generous chunk and expertly stowed it4 ,the angry eyes of his pal flickered a little4 ,but he was unconvinced4 8,you're phony10 he growled4 8,a masqueradin' dude40 ,he pointed to the trousers which he had left 8cuffed40 8,that's your style10 he asserted4 8,me1 ,i'm through4 ,i'll not be made a guy of4 ,c'mon1 ,nora40 99 99 99 99 99 ,the gob stretched forth an iron-muscled hand which he inserted forcibly and affectionately between the flit's neck and his collar4 8,pause a moment1 ,claude10 he besought4 8,girls1 will you kindly muffle your ears8 ,thanks4 ,now1 ,freddie1 you lop-sided1 cross-grained1 bone-headed1 swivel-eared1 pizen-souled descendant of ten generations of mule-thieves1 before ,i break your jaw in three places at once1 listen while ,i tell you what you are40 ,and he told him4 ,but of the telling there is no record1 because after the preface1 ,mr4 ,watts retired for air and the sike ran out to seek a pencil and paper and returned too late for the exordium4 ,the flit1 spell-bound1 relaxed his expression of disfavor4 ,when it was over he bent down and readjusted the gob's trouser-legs to the regulation straightness4 ,apology could go no further4 8,you win1 ,chaw10 said he shamefacedly4 8,speed up the wedding feast40 ,it is recorded in the unwritten history of ,fifth ,avenue's most costly and exclusive section1 that there came1 upon a midnight clear1 a din as of ten thousand structural riveters in progressive action1 giving place to sounds of revelry by early morning1 which in turn was succeeded by the ,anvil ,chorus1 above the surface of which soared a valiant barytone proclaiming1 8,the ,voice that ,breathed ,o'er ,eden40 ,mr4 ,chaw ,veeder's supper-party1 back in the tank1 was adjourning to night-court to seek a marrying magistrate4 ,for1 as in the old song1 love 7in the person of ,mr4 ,reuben ,renssalaer ,watts7 had found out the way1 and the telephone1 reaching a friendly judge1 had arranged a special emergency license4 ,many queer equipages with strange cargoes visit night-court on sundry errands2 but the tank with its wedding-party broke the record4 ,court adjourned informally1 to rush out and ascertain who was bombing the locality and why4 ,when the party entered1 they beheld two policemen struggling to extricate the magistrate from the frantic embrace of ,mr4 ,bingle ,foxley1 who was yelling3 8,save me6 ,it's coming after me4 ,i hear it4 ,don't let it get me1 ,judge60 ,when at length his ,honor was released1 the sike greeted him with surprise4 8,it's you1 is it80 8,it's me10 agreed the magistrate4 8,or if not me1 ,i40 ,he was the bearded victim of 8,cherchez la ,chicken40 8,we found him10 remarked the sike1 indicating ,mr4 ,reuben ,renssalaer ,watts4 8,so ,i perceive4 ,it's a small world40 8,small like a ,harlem flat10 confirmed ,miss ,nora ,mc,sears discontentedly4 8,you can't turn around in it without rousing the family4 ,that10 she pursued1 pointing out to ,corporal ,slayter one of the policemen engaged in preventing ,mr4 ,foxley from crawling into the commitment file1 8is ,pa40 8,howdy1 ,pa60 said the flit4 8,whaddye mean1 #8,pa'80 demanded the thunderstruck officer4 8,in-law10 explained ,mr4 ,slayter4 8,to-be10 he added4 8,perhaps10 amended ,miss ,mc,sears4 8,sure thing10 asseverated the flit blithely4 8,it's in the air4 ,you can't dodge it40 8,other things difficult to dodge are in the air10 observed the magistrate4 8,reuben1 as friend to friend and unofficially1 how did you get these80 8,by the hour10 replied ,mr4 ,watts4 8,i hired 'em40 8,are you responsible for their actions80 8,upon and after the hour of #aa3je ,p4,m41 ,i am40 8,you escape10 pronounced the magistrate4 8,at #aa3jb ,p4,m4 ,i am informed1 an armored tank filled with desperadoes1 ,i4 ,w4 ,w4 ,bolshevists1 anarchists1 nihilists1 prohibitionists and other enemies of the public welfare1 invaded ,west ,forty-fourth ,street and did there and then interrupt an orderly meeting of the ,society for the ,abolition of ,tobacco1 ,bridge1 ,dancing and other ,hellish ,habits1 by felonious means1 to wit3 firing upon it with machine guns1 gatlings1 howitzers1 hand-grenades1 rifles1 revolvers and sundry lethal weapons1 against the ordinances duly made and provided for the maintenance of the peace40 8,so help me ,god10 intoned a large1 solemn1 pulpy person1 rising in his seat4 8,that's the guy10 cried the flit1 8that called us #8,bol-she-vee-ki6' ,lemme attim40 8,then you admit that you are them10 said the magistrate4 8,or1 if not them1 they40 8,we do10 said the gob2 8with mitigating circumstances40 8,there is a warrant out against you40 ,a blond and frescoed portent projected itself upward from a side bench4 8,make it two1 ,judge4 ,and make the second one for murder40 8,saints preserve us60 groaned the sike4 8,the sorrowing protectress of the silhouetted pup60 8,it is a small world10 repeated the magistrate4 8,this gentleman 7indicating the stricken ,mr4 ,foxley7 who originally came here for the purpose of taking the pledge1 now prefers the charge that you instigated to attack him without provocation a prehistoric monster of the dragon or fire-spouting persuasion which1 after destroying his automobile1 chased him through a plate-glass window and totally wrecked his nerves4 ,comparing his description of the monster with my own impression of your vehicle1 and remembering that the female of the species is more deadly than the male1 ,i conclude that it is her4 ,or1 if not her1 it4 ,what have you to say80 8,just this10 answered ,mr4 ,watts with annoyance1 8,i came here to be married1 not prosecuted4 ,come now1 ,hartley1 as friend to friend1 can't you fix this8 ,it may be my last chance40 8,your friend with the talent for blackmail seems to be a person of infinite resource10 said the magistrate1 glancing toward the sike4 8,has he any suggestions80 8,if ,i may be permitted10 said the sike1 modestly rising1 8,i suggest1 first1 that ,mr4 ,foxley is too good a sport to spoil a wedding1 if assured that the groom will never again travel ,fifth ,avenue in a tank4 7,mr4 ,foxley grunted47 ,as for the noble cause of ,suppression of ,tobacco et cetera1 ,i propose a generous epithalamic contribution thereto by the happy bridegroom4 ,we now come to the ill-fated canine1 and its sorrowing owner4 ,though myself in a state of genteel poverty1 ,i will gladly start a subscription to bury it1 or if that prove impracticable1 to have it pasted in a scrap-book1 with appropriate honors40 8,nothin' doin'60 asserted the bereaved blonde in angry tones4 8,i wanta tell you--0 8,one moment1 please4 ,would it not soothe your injured feelings to be invited to the wedding and to sign as legal witness8 ,there is a reporter present1 and ,i assume that the nuptials of ,mr4 ,reuben ,renssalaer ,watts with ,miss ,carey ,vail will receive a meed of desirable publicity extending to all who participate40 8,not the ,miss ,carey ,vail60 exclaimed the awe-struck blonde1 who went into ,society eagerly1 though vicariously1 through the medium of the daily press4 8,the same10 declared ,mr4 ,watts4 8,positively last appearance in that rle4 ,that is10 he added anxiously1 8if you accept our earnest invitation to come to the wedding40 8,chawmed1 ,i'm suah10 murmured the lady1 and proceeded to powder her nose from an apparatus concealed in a dangling bag4 ,the sike felt a soft touch on his elbow4 ,lieutenant ,dolly ,barrett's large gray eyes glowed warmly up into his4 8,you ought to be running the ,peace ,conference10 she opined4 8,and to think10 mourned the sike1 8that next month ,i'll be acting the melancholy mentor to a flock of corn-fed prairie-rubes40 8,court will convene in my private room for matrimonial purposes at once10 proclaimed the magistrate4 ,the ceremony was brief and business-like4 ,the witnesses were the sike and ,mrs4 ,barrett1 quite close together1 the flit and ,miss ,mc,sears 7bracketed by the former71 the gob1 with rating and ship attached1 ,mr4 ,foxley in a shaken hand1 and ,mrs4 ,eudora ,fotheringay in letters half an inch high and ninety degrees slant4 ,the whole party attended by the court officials went out to see the pair off4 ,the flit1 saluting1 stepped forward4 8,cab1 sir80 8,certainly10 assented the bridegroom4 8,certainly not10 amended the bride4 8,not80 queried the flit1 crestfallen4 8,taxi10 said the new ,mrs4 ,watts decisively1 hailing one as it rounded the corner4 8,cab1 lady80 coyly invited the flit1 turning to ,miss ,mc,sears1 as the bridal couple were whirled away4 8,subway10 retorted ,pa ,mc,sears emphatically1 8speaking for self and daughter40 8,cab1 sir80 the operator solicited ,mr4 ,bingle ,foxley4 8,help60 responded that gentleman1 making a leap for the nearest haven1 which chanced to be ,mrs4 ,fotheringay's limousine1 where he was hospitably received4 8,cab1 ,chaw80 cried the desperate flit1 seeing his custom dropping away4 8,life is sweet10 observed the gob1 and followed ,mr4 ,foxley into his perfumed retirement4 8,cab1 buddy80 almost wept ,corporal ,slayter1 addressing himself in a seductive coo to ,professor ,follansbee ,james4 8,and sister10 he added1 noting the confidential juxtaposition of the two heads4 8,we are walking1 thank you so much10 said ,lieutenant ,barrett sweetly4 8,old ,bird10 the sorrowing flit addressed the metallic accomplice of his crimes1 8we are1 as it were1 dumped into ,cupid's ash-can4 ,cheer up6 ,i will never desert you40 ,his eyes fell upon the legend1 8,to be returned40 8,i'd forgotten about that10 he murmured1 8,where to1 ,i wonder80 ,he reversed the placard and was confronted by this warning in red and minatory letters3 ,do ,not ,operate ,condemned as ,,dangerous ,the flit cast a pensive eye up the street where the dust of the bridal departure still hung1 shifted it to the wake of the ,fotheringay limousine bearing the gob and the reformed ,foxley from the stricken field1 glanced yearningly toward the corner where ,miss ,nora ,mc,sears1 temporarily a parental captive1 threw him a swift and comforting signal1 and regarded with benignity two uniformed figures marching along the sidewalk side-by-side1 in that sweet accord which apostles of the millennium prescribe not alone for the lion and the lamb1 but also for the officer and the soldier in the ranks4 8,dangerous10 he repeated1 as a grin1 appreciative but tender1 lighted up his rugged features4 ,then1 with conviction1 8,i'll say it is60 ,mc,clure's ,magazine ,,you',,ve ,,got ,,to ,,be ,,selfish ,,by ,,edna ,,ferber ,,you',,ve ,,got ,,to ,,be ,,selfish#g ,by ,,edna ,,ferber ,when you try to do a story about three people like ,sid ,hahn and ,mizzi ,markis and ,wallie ,ascher you find yourself pawing around among the personalities1 helplessly4 ,for the three of them are what is known in newspaper parlance as national figures4 ,one n4 f4 is enough for any short story4 ,three would swamp a book4 ,it's like one of those plays advertised as having an allstar cast4 ,by the time each luminary has come on1 and been greeted1 and done his twinkling1 the play has faded into the background4 ,you can't see the heavens for the stars4 ,surely ,sid ,hahn1 like the guest of honor at a dinner1 needs no introduction4 ,and just as surely will he be introduced4 ,he has been described elsewhere and often2 perhaps nowhere more concisely than on page #af1 paragraph two1 of a volume that shall be nameless1 though quoted1 thus3 8,sid ,hahn1 erstwhile usher1 call-boy1 press agent1 advance man1 had a genius for things theatrical4 ,it was inborn4 ,dramatic1 sensitive1 artistic1 intuitive1 he was often rendered inarticulate by the very force and variety of his feelings4 ,a little1 rotund1 ugly man1 with the eyes of a dreamer1 the wide1 mobile mouth of a humorist1 the ears of a comic ol' clo'es man4 ,his generosity was proverbial1 and it amounted to a vice40 ,not that that covers him4 ,no one paragraph could4 ,you turn a fine diamond this way and that1 and as its facets catch the light you say1 8,it's scarlet6 ,no--it's blue6 ,no--rose6--orange6--lilac6--no--0 ,that was ,sid ,hahn4 ,i suppose he never really sat for a photograph and yet you saw his likeness in all the magazines4 ,he was snapped on the street1 and in the theatre1 and even up in his famous library-study-office on the sixth and top floor of the ,thalia ,theatre ,building4 ,usually with a fat black cigar1 unlighted1 in one corner of his commodious mouth4 ,everyone interested in things theatrical 7and whom does that not include87 knew all about ,sid ,hahn--and nothing4 ,he had come1 a boy1 from one of those middle-western towns with a highfalutin ,greek name4 ,parthenon1 ,ohio1 or something incredible like that4 ,no one knows how he first approached the profession which he was to dominate in ,america4 ,there's no record of his having asked for a job in a theatre1 and received it4 ,he oozed into it1 indefinably1 and moved with it1 and became a part of it and finally controlled it4 ,satellites1 fur-collared and pseudo-successful1 trailing in his wake1 used to talk loudly of ,i-knew-him-when4 ,they all lied4 ,it had been ,augustin ,daly1 dead these many years1 who had first recognized in this boy the genius for discovering and directing genius4 ,daly was1 at that time1 at the zenith of his career--managing1 writing1 directing1 producing4 ,he fired the imagination of this stocky1 gargoyle-faced boy with the luminous eyes and the humorous mouth4 ,i don't know that ,sid ,hahn1 hanging about the theatre in every kind of menial capacity1 ever said to himself in so many words3 8,i'm going to be what he is4 ,i'm going to concentrate on it4 ,i won't let anything or anybody interfere with it4 ,nobody knows what ,i'm going to be4 ,but ,i know4444 ,and you've got to be selfish4 ,you've got to be selfish40 ,of course no one ever really made a speech like that to himself1 even in the ,horatio ,alger books4 ,but if the great ambition and determination running through the whole fibre of his being could have been crystallized into spoken words they would have sounded like that4 ,by the time he was forty-five he had discovered more stars than ,copernicus4 ,they were not all first magnitude twinklers4 ,some of them even glowed so feebly that you could see their light only when he stood behind them1 the steady radiance of his genius shining through4 ,but taken as a whole they made a brilliant constellation1 furnishing much of the illumination for the brightest thoroughfare in the world4 ,he had never married4 ,there are those who say that he had had an early love affair1 but that he had sworn not to marry until he had achieved what he called success4 ,and by that time it had been too late4 ,it was as though the hot flame of ambition had burned out all his other passions4 ,later they say he was responsible for more happy marriages contracted by people who did not know that he was responsible for them1 than a popular ,east ,side shadchen4 ,he grew a little tired1 perhaps1 of playing with make-believe stage characters1 and directing them1 so he began to play with real ones1 like ,god4 ,but always kind4 ,no woman can resist making love to a man as indifferent as ,sid ,hahn appeared to be4 ,they all tried their wiles on him2 the red-haired ingnues1 the blonde soubrettes1 the stately leading ladies1 the war horses1 the old-timers1 the ponies1 the prima donnas4 ,he used to sit there in his great1 luxurious1 book-lined inner office1 smiling and inscrutable as a plump joss-house idol1 while the fair ones burnt incense and made offering of shewbread4 ,figuratively he kicked over the basket of shewbread and of the incense said1 8,take away that stuff6 ,it smells60 ,not that he hated women4 ,he was afraid of them1 at first4 ,then1 from years of experience with the femininity of the theatre1 not nearly afraid enough4 ,so1 early1 he had locked that corner of his mind1 and had thrown away the key4 ,when1 years after1 he broke in the door1 lo6 7as they say when an elaborate figure of speech is being used7 lo6 the treasures therein had turned to dust and ashes4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it was he who had brought over from ,paris to the ,american stage the famous ,rene ,paterne1 of the incorrigible eyes4 ,she made a fortune and swept the country with her song about those delinquent orbs4 ,but when she turned them on ,hahn1 in their first interview in his office1 he regarded her with what is known as a long level look4 ,she knew at that time not a word of ,english4 ,sid ,hahn was ignorant of ,french4 ,he said1 very low1 and with terrible calm to ,wallie ,ascher who was then acting as a sort of secretary1 8,wallie1 can't you do something to make her stop rolling her eyes around at me like that8 ,it's awful6 ,she makes me think of those heads you shy balls at1 out at ,coney4 ,take away my inkwell40 ,rene had turned swiftly to ,wallie and had said something to him in ,french4 ,sid ,hahn cocked a quick ear4 8,what's that she said80 8,she says10 translated the obliging and gifted ,wallie1 8that monsieur is a woman-hater40 8,my ,god6 ,i thought she didn't understand ,english60 8,she doesn't4 ,but she's a woman4 ,not only that1 she's a ,frenchwoman4 ,they don't need to know a language to understand it40 8,where did you get that1 h'm8 ,that wasn't included in your ,berlitz course1 was it80 ,wallie ,ascher had grinned--that winning flash lighting up his dark1 keen face4 8,no1 ,i learned that in another school40 ,wallie ,ascher's early career in the theatre1 if repeated here1 might almost be a tiresome repetition of ,hahn's beginning4 ,and what ,augustin ,daly had been to ,sid ,hahn's imagination and ambition1 ,sid ,hahn was to ,wallie's4 ,wallie1 though1 had been born to the theatre--if having a tumbler for a father and a prestidigitator's foil for a mother can be said to be a legitimate entrance into the world of the theatre4 ,he had been employed about the old ,thalia for years before ,hahn noticed him4 ,in the beginning he was a spindle-legged office boy in the up-stairs suite of the firm of ,hahn ,lohman1 theatrical producers1 the kind of office boy who is addicted to shrill clear whistling unless very firmly dealt with4 ,no one in the outer office realized how faultless1 how rhythmic were the arpeggios and cadences that issued from those expertly puckered lips4 ,there was about his performance an unerring precision4 ,as you listened you felt that his ascent to the inevitable high note was a thing impossible of achievement4 ,up--up--up he would go1 while you held your breath in suspense4 ,and then he took the high note--took it easily1 insouciantly--held it1 trilled it1 tossed it4 8,now look here10 ,miss ,feldman would snap--,miss ,feldman of the outer office typewriter--8look here1 you kid4 ,any more of that bird warbling and you go back to the woods where you belong4 ,this ain't a--a--0 8,aviary10 suggested ,wallie1 almost shyly4 ,miss ,feldman glared4 8,how did you know that word60 8,i don't know10 helplessly4 8,but it's the word1 isn't it80 ,miss ,feldman turned back to her typewriter4 8,you're too smart for your age1 you are40 8,i know it10 ,wallie had agreed1 humbly4 ,there's no telling where or how he learned to play the piano4 ,he probably never did learn4 ,he played it1 though1 as he whistled--brilliantly4 ,no doubt it was as imitative and as unconscious1 too1 as his whistling had been4 ,they say he didn't know one note from another1 and doesn't to this day4 ,at twenty1 when he should have been in love with at least three girls1 he had fixed in his mind an image1 a dream4 ,and it bore no resemblance to twenty's accepted dreams4 ,at that time he was living in one room 7rear7 of a shabby rooming house in ,thirty-ninth ,street4 ,and this was the dream3 ,by the time he was--well1 long before he was thirty--he would have a bachelor apartment with a ,jap1 ,saki4 ,saki was the perfect servant1 noiseless1 unobtrusive1 expert4 ,he saw little dinners just for four--or1 at the most1 six4 ,and ,saki1 white-coated1 deft1 sliding hot plates when plates should be hot2 cold plates when plates should be cold4 ,then1 other evenings1 alone1 when he wanted to see no one--when1 in a silken lounging robe 7over faultless dinner clothes1 of course1 and wearing the kind of collar you see in the back of the magazines7 he would say1 8,that will do1 ,saki40 ,then1 all evening1 he would play softly to himself those little1 intimate1 wistful ,schumanny things in the firelight with just one lamp glowing softly--almost sombrely--at the side of the piano 7grand74 ,his first real meeting with ,sid ,hahn had had much to do with the fixing of this image4 ,of course he had seen ,hahn hundreds of times in the office and about the theatre4 ,they had spoken1 too1 many times4 ,hahn called him vaguely1 8,heh1 boy60 but he grew to know him later as ,wallie4 ,from errand boy1 office boy1 call boy1 he had become1 by that time1 a sort of unofficial assistant stage manager4 ,no one acknowledged that he was invaluable about the place1 but he was4 ,when a new play was in rehearsal at the ,thalia1 ,wallie knew more about props1 business1 cues1 lights1 and lines than the director himself4 ,for a long time no one but ,wallie and the director was aware of this4 ,the director never did admit it4 ,but that ,hahn should find it out was inevitable4 ,he was nineteen or thereabouts when he was sent1 one rainy ,november evening1 to deliver a play manuscript to ,hahn at his apartment4 ,wallie might have refused to perform an errand so menial1 but his worship of ,hahn made him glad of any service1 however humble4 ,he buttoned his coat over the manuscript1 turned up his collar1 and plunged into the cold drizzle of the ,november evening4 ,hahn's apartment--he lived alone--was in the early fifties1 off ,fifth ,avenue4 ,for two days he had been ill with one of the heavy colds to which he was subject4 ,he was unable to leave the house4 ,hence ,wallie's errand4 ,it was ,saki--or ,saki's equivalent--who opened the door4 ,a white-jacketed1 soft-stepping ,jap1 world old looking like the room glimpsed just beyond4 ,some one was playing the piano with one finger1 horribly4 8,you're to give this to ,mr4 ,hahn4 ,he's waiting for it40 8,genelmun come in10 said the ,jap1 softly4 8,no1 he doesn't want to see me4 ,just give it to him1 see80 8,genelmun come in40 ,evidently orders4 8,oh1 all right4 ,but ,i know he doesn't want--0 ,wallie turned down his collar with a quick flip1 looked doubtfully at his shoes1 and passed through the glowing little foyer into the room beyond4 ,he stood in the doorway4 ,he was scarcely twenty then1 but something in him sort of rose1 and gathered1 and seethed1 and swelled1 and then hardened4 ,he didn't know it then but it was his great resolve4 ,sid ,hahn was seated at the piano1 a squat1 gnomelike little figure1 with those big ears1 and that plump face1 and those soft eyes--the kindest eyes in the world4 ,he did not stop playing as ,wallie appeared4 ,he glanced up at him1 ever so briefly1 but kindly1 too1 and went on playing the thing with one short forefinger1 excruciatingly4 ,wallie waited4 ,he had heard somewhere that ,hahn would sit at the piano thus1 for hours1 the tears running down his cheeks because of the beauty of the music he could remember but not reproduce2 and partly because of his own inability to reproduce it4 ,the stubby little forefinger faltered1 stopped4 ,he looked up at ,wallie4 8,god1 ,i wish ,i could play60 8,helps a lot40 8,you play80 8,yes40 8,what80 8,oh1 most anything ,i have heard once4 ,and some things ,i kind of make up40 8,compose1 you mean80 8,yes40 8,play one of those40 ,so ,wallie ,ascher played one of those4 ,of course you know 8,good ,night--,pleasant ,dreams40 ,he hadn't named it then4 ,it wasn't even published until almost two years later1 but that was what he played for ,sid ,hahn4 ,since 8,after the ,ball10 no popular song has achieved the success of that one4 ,no doubt it was cheap1 and no doubt it was sentimental1 but so1 too1 are the 8,suwanee ,river0 and 8,my ,old ,kentucky ,home10 and they'll be singing those when more classical songs have long been forgotten4 ,as ,wallie played it his dark1 thin face seemed to gleam and glow in the lamplight4 ,when he had finished playing ,sid ,hahn was silent for a moment4 ,then1 8,what're you going to do with it80 8,with what80 8,with what you've got4 ,you know40 ,wallie knew that he did not mean the song he had just played4 8,i'm going to--,i'm going to do a lot with it40 8,yeh1 but how80 ,wallie was looking down at his two lean brown hands on the keys4 ,for a long minute he did not answer4 ,then3 8,by thinking about it all the time4 ,and working like hell4444 ,and you've got to be selfish4444 ,you've got to be selfish44440 ,as ,sid ,hahn stared at him1 as though hypnotized1 the ,jap appeared in the doorway4 ,so ,hahn said1 8,stay and have dinner with me10 instead of what he had meant to say4 8,oh1 ,i can't6 ,thanks4 ,i--0 ,he wanted to1 terribly1 but the thought was too much4 8,better40 ,they had dinner together4 ,even under the influence of ,hahn's encouragement1 and two glasses of mellow wine whose name he did not know1 ,wallie did not become fatuous4 ,they talked about music--neither of them knew anything about it1 really4 ,wallie confessed that he used it as an intoxicant and a stimulant4 8,that's it60 cried ,hahn1 excitedly4 8,if ,i could play ,i'd have done more40 8,why don't you get one of those piano-players8 ,whatyoucallems--0 then1 immediately1 8,no1 of course not40 8,nah1 that doesn't do it10 said ,hahn1 quickly4 8,that's like adopting a baby when you can't have one of your own4 ,it isn't the same4 ,it isn't the same4 ,it looks like a baby1 and acts like a baby1 and sounds like a baby--but it isn't yours4 ,it isn't you4 ,that's it6 ,it isn't you60 8,yeh10 agreed ,wallie1 nodding4 ,so perfectly did they understand each other1 this ill-assorted pair4 ,it was midnight before ,wallie left4 ,they had both forgotten about the play manuscript whose delivery had been considered so important4 ,the big room was gracious1 quiet1 soothing4 ,a fire flickered in the grate4 ,one lamp glowed softly--almost sombrely4 ,as ,wallie rose at last to go he shook himself slightly like one coming out of a trance4 ,he looked about the golden room4 8,gee60 8,yes1 but it isn't worth it10 said ,hahn1 8after you've got it40 8,that's what they all say10--grimly--8after they've got it40 ,the thing that had been born in ,sid ,hahn's mind thirty years before was now so plainly stamped on this boy's face that ,hahn was startled into earnestness4 8,but ,i tell you1 it's true6 ,it's true60 8,maybe4 ,some day1 when ,i'm living in a place like this1 ,i'll let you know if you're right40 ,in less than a year ,wallie ,ascher was working with ,hahn4 ,no one knew his official title or place4 ,but1 8,ask ,wallie4 ,he'll know10 had become a sort of slogan in the office4 ,he did know4 ,at twenty-one his knowledge of the theatre was infallible 7this does not include plays unproduced4 ,in this no one is infallible7 and his feeling for it amounted to a sixth sense4 ,there was something uncanny about the way he could talk about ,lotta1 for example1 as if he had seen her2 or ,mrs4 ,siddons2 or ,mrs4 ,fiske1 when she was ,minnie ,maddern1 the soubrette4 ,it was as though he had the power to cast himself back in the past4 ,no doubt it was that power which gave later to his group of historical plays 7written by him between the ages of thirty and thirty-five7 their convincingness and authority4 ,when ,wallie was about twenty-three or four years old ,sid ,hahn took him abroad with him on one of his annual scouting trips4 ,yearly1 in the spring1 ,hahn swooped down upon ,london1 ,paris1 ,berlin1 seeking that of the foreign stage which might be translated1 fumigated1 desiccated or otherwise rendered suitable for home use4 ,he sent ,wallie on to ,vienna1 alone1 on the trail of a musical comedy which was rumored to be a second ,merry ,widow in tunefulness1 chic and charm4 ,of course it wasn't4 ,merry ,widows rarely repeat themselves4 ,wallie wired back to ,hahn1 as arranged4 ,the telegram is unimportant1 perhaps1 but characteristic4 ,mr4 ,sid ,hahn1 ,hotel ,savoy1 ,london1 ,england4 ,it's a second all right but not a second ,merry ,widow4 ,heard of a winner in ,budapest shall ,i go4 ,spent to-day from eleven to five running around the ,ringstrasse looking for mythical creature known as the chic ,viennese4 ,after careful investigation wish to be quoted as saying the species if any is extinct4 ,this1 remember1 was in the year #aiac1 ,b4 ,w4 ,wallie1 obeying instructions1 went to ,budapest1 witnessed the alleged winner1 found it as advertised1 wired ,hahn and was joined by that gentleman three days later4 ,budapest1 at that time1 was still ,little ,paris1 only wickeder4 ,a city of magnificent buildings1 and unsalted caviar1 and beautiful dangerous women1 and frumpy men 7civilian7 and dashing officers in red pants1 and ,cigny music1 and cafs1 and paprika1 and two-horse droshkies4 ,buda1 low and flat1 lay on one side2 ,pest1 high and hilly1 perched picturesquely on the other4 ,between the two rolled the ,blue ,danube 7which is yellow74 ,it was there that ,hahn and ,wallie found ,mizzi ,markis4 ,wallie found her1 really4 ,mizzi ,markis1 then a girl of nineteen1 was a hod-carrier4 ,as ,hahn stepped from the train1 geometrically square in a long ulster that touched his ears and his heels1 ,wallie met him with a bound4 8,hello1 ,s4 ,h46 ,great to see you6 ,say1 listen1 ,i've found something4 ,i've found something big60 ,hahn had never seen the boy so excited4 8,oh1 shucks6 ,no play's as good as that40 8,play6 ,it isn't a play40 8,why1 you young idiot1 you said it was good6 ,you said it was darn good6 ,you don't mean to tell me--0 8,oh1 that6 ,that's all right4 ,it's good--or will be when you get through with it40 8,what you talking about then8 ,here1 let's take one of these things with two horses4 ,gee1 you ought to smoke a fat black seegar and wear a silk hat when you ride in one of these6 ,i feel like a parade40 ,he was like a boy on a holiday4 8,but let me tell you about this girl1 won't you60 8,oh1 it's a girl6 ,what's her name8 ,what's she do80 8,her name's ,mizzi40 8,mizzi what80 8,i don't know4 ,she's a hod-carrier4 ,she--0 8,that's all right1 ,wallie4 ,i'm here now4 ,an ice bag on your head and real quiet for two or three days4 ,you'll come around fine40 ,but ,wallie was almost sulking4 8,wait till you see her1 ,s4 ,h4 ,she sings40 8,beautiful1 is she80 8,no1 not particularly4 ,no40 8,wonderful voice1 h'm80 8,n-n-no4 ,i wouldn't say it was what you'd call exactly wonderful40 ,sid ,hahn stood up in the droshky and waved his short arms in windmill circles4 8,well1 what the devil does she do then1 that's so good6 ,carry bricks80 8,she is good at that4 ,when she balances that pail of mortar on her head and walks off with it1 her arms hanging straight at her sides--0 ,but ,sid ,hahn's patience was at an end4 8,you're a humorist1 you are4 ,if ,i didn't know you ,i'd say you were drunk4 ,i'll bet you are1 anyway4 ,you've been eating paprika1 raw4 ,you make me sick40 ,inelegant1 but expressive of his feelings4 ,but ,wallie only said1 8,you wait4 ,you'll see40 ,sid ,hahn did see4 ,he saw next day4 ,wallie woke him out of a sound sleep so that he might see4 ,it was ten-thirty a4 m4 so that his peevishness was unwarranted4 ,they had seen the play the night before and ,hahn had decided that translated and with interpolations 7it was a comic opera7 it would captivate ,new ,york4 ,then and there he completed the negotiations which ,wallie had begun4 ,hahn was all for taking the first train out1 but ,wallie was firm4 8,you've got to see her1 ,i tell you4 ,you've got to see her40 ,their hotel faced the ,corso4 ,the ,corso is a wide promenade that runs along the ,buda bank of the ,danube4 ,across the river1 on the hill1 the royal palace looks down upon the little common people4 ,in the day the monde and the demi-monde of ,budapest walked on the ,corso between twelve and one4 ,up and down4 ,up and down4 ,the women1 tall1 dark1 flashing-eyed1 daringly dressed4 ,the men sallow1 meager1 and wearing those trousers which1 cut very wide and flappy at the ankles1 make them the dowdiest men in the world4 ,hahn's room and ,wallie's were on the second floor of the hotel1 and at a corner4 ,one set of windows faced the ,corso1 the river1 and ,pest on the hill4 ,the other set looked down upon a new building being erected across the way4 ,it was on this building that ,mizzi ,markis worked as hod-carrier4 ,the ,war accustomed us to a million women in overalls doing the work of a million men4 ,we saw them ploughing1 juggling steel bars1 making shells1 running engines1 stoking furnaces1 handling freight4 ,but to these two ,american men1 at that time1 the thing at which these laboring women were employed was dreadful and incredible4 ,said ,wallie3 8,by the time we've dressed1 and had breakfast1 and walked a little and everything it'll be almost noon4 ,and noon's the time4 ,after they've eaten their lunch4 ,but ,i want you to see her before40 ,by now his earnestness had impressed ,hahn who still feigned an indifference he did not feel4 ,it was about #aa3cj when ,wallie propelled him by the arm to the unfinished building across the way4 ,and there he met ,mizzi4 ,they were just completing the foundation4 ,the place was a busy hive4 ,back and forth with pails4 ,back and forth with loads of bricks4 8,what's the matter with the men80 was ,hahn's first question4 ,wallie explained4 8,they do the dainty work4 ,they put one brick on top of the other1 with a dab of mortar between4 ,but none of the back-breaking stuff for them4 ,the women do that40 ,and it was so4 ,they were down in the pits mixing the mortar1 were the women4 ,they were carrying great pails of it4 ,they were hauling bricks1 up one ladder and down4 ,they wore short full skirts with a musical comedy chorus effect4 ,some of them looked seventy and some seventeen4 ,it was fearful work for a woman4 ,a keen wind was blowing across the river4 ,their hands were purple4 8,pick ,mizzi10 said ,wallie4 8,if you can pick her ,i'll know ,i'm right4 ,but ,i know it1 anyway40 ,five minutes passed4 ,the two men stood silent4 8,the one with the walk and the face10 said ,hahn1 then4 ,which wasn't very bright of him1 because they all walked and they all had faces4 8,going up the pit-ladder now4 ,with the pail on her head40 ,wallie gave a little laugh of triumph4 ,but then1 ,hahn wouldn't have been ,hahn had he not been able to pick a personality when he saw it4 ,years afterward the reviewers always talked of ,mizzi's walk4 ,they called it her superb carriage4 ,they didn't know that you have to walk very straight1 on the balls of your feet1 with your hips firm1 your stomach held in flat1 your shoulders back1 your chest out1 your chin out and a little down1 if you are going to be at all successful in balancing a pail of mortar on your head4 ,after a while that walk becomes a habit4 8,watch her with that pail10 said ,wallie4 ,mizzi filled the pail almost to the top with the heavy white mixture4 ,she filled it quickly1 expertly4 ,the pail1 filled1 weighed between seventeen and twenty kilos4 ,one kilo is equal to about two and one-fifth pounds4 ,the girl threw down her scoop1 stooped1 grasped the pail by its two handles and with one superb unbroken motion raised the pail high in her two strong arms and placed it on her head4 ,then she breathed deeply1 once1 set her whole figure1 turned stiffly1 and was off with it4 ,sid ,hahn took a long breath as though he himself had just accomplished the gymnastic feat4 8,well1 so far it's pretty good4 ,but ,i don't know that the ,american stage is clamoring for any hod-carriers and mortar mixers1 exactly40 ,a whistle blew4 ,twelve o'clock4 ,bricks1 mortar1 scoops1 shovels were abandoned4 ,the women in their great clod-hopping shoes flew chattering to the tiny hut where their lunch boxes were stored4 ,the men followed more slowly1 a mere handful of them4 ,not one of them wore overalls or apron4 ,out again with their bundles and boxes of food--very small bundles4 ,very tiny boxes4 ,they ate ravenously the bread and sausage and drank their beer in great gulps4 ,fifteen minutes after the whistle had blown the last crumb had vanished4 8,now1 then10 said ,wallie4 ,and guided ,hahn nearer4 ,he looked toward ,mizzi4 ,everyone looked toward her4 ,mizzi stood up1 brushing crumbs from her lap4 ,she had a little four-cornered black shawl1 folded cross-wise1 over her head and tied under her chin4 ,her face was round and her cheeks red4 ,the shawl1 framing this1 made her look young and cherubic4 ,she did not put her hands on her hips1 or do any of those story-book things4 ,she grinned1 broadly1 showing strong white teeth1 made strong and white through much munching of coarse black bread2 not yet showing the neglect common to her class4 ,she asked a question in a loud clear voice4 8,what's that80 asked ,hahn4 8,she's talking a kind of hunky ,hungarian1 ,i guess4 ,the people here won't speak ,german1 did you know that8 ,they hate it40 ,the crowd shouted back with one voice4 ,they settled themselves comfortably1 sitting or standing4 ,their faces held the broad smile of anticipation4 8,she asked them what they want her to sing4 ,they told her4 ,it's the same every day40 ,mizzi ,markis stood there before them in the mud1 and clay1 and straw of the building dbris4 ,and she sang for them a ,hungarian popular song of the day which1 translated1 sounds idiotic and which runs something like this3 8,a hundred geese in a row ,at the head of the procession ,going into a coop ,a stick over his shoulder--0 ,no1 you can't do it4 ,it means less than nothing that way1 and certainly would not warrant the shrieks of mirth that came from the audience gathered round the girl4 ,still1 when you recall the words of 8,a ,hot ,time03 8,when you hear them bells go ting-ling-ling1 ,all join round and sweetly you must sing ,and when the words am through in the chorus all join in ,there'll be a hot time ,in the old town ,tonight ,my ,ba- ,by40 ,and yet it swept a continent1 and ,europe1 and in ,japan they still think it's our national anthem4 ,when she had finished the crowd gave a roar of delight1 and clapped their hands1 and stamped their feet1 and shouted4 ,she had no unusual beauty4 ,her voice was untrained1 though possessed of strength and flexibility4 ,it wasn't what she had sung1 surely4 ,you heard the song in a hundred cafs4 ,every street boy whistled it4 ,it wasn't that expressive pair of shoulders1 exactly4 ,it wasn't a certain soothing tonal quality that made you forget all the things you'd been trying not to remember4 ,there is something so futile and unconvincing about an attempted description of an intangible thing4 ,some call it personality2 some call it magnetism2 some a rhythm sense2 and some1 genius4 ,it's all these things1 and none of them4 ,whatever it is1 she had it4 ,and whatever it is1 ,sid ,hahn has never failed to recognize it4 ,so now he said1 quietly1 8,she's got it40 8,you bet she's got it60 from ,wallie4 8,she's got more than ,rene ,paterne ever had4 ,a year of training and some clothes--0 8,you don't need to tell me4 ,i'm in the theatrical business1 myself40 8,i'm sorry10 stiffly4 ,but ,hahn1 too1 was sorry immediately4 8,you know how ,i am1 ,wallie4 ,i like to run a thing off by myself4 ,what do you know about her8 ,find out anything80 8,well1 a little4 ,she doesn't seem to have any people4 ,and she's decent4 ,kind of a fierce kid1 ,i guess1 and fights when offended4 ,they say she's ,polish1 not ,hungarian4 ,her mother was a peasant4 ,her father--nobody knows4 ,i had a dickens of a time finding out anything4 ,the most terrible language in the world--,hungarian4 ,they'll stick a #8b' next to a #8k' and follow it up with a #8z' and put an accent mark over the whole business and call it a word4 ,last night ,i followed her home4 ,and guess what60 8,what80 said ,hahn1 obligingly4 8,on her way she had to cross the big square--the one they call ,gisela ,tr1 with all the shops around it4 ,well1 when she came to ,gerbeaud's--0 8,what's ,gerbeaud's80 8,that's the famous tea room and pastry shop where all the swells go and guzzle tea with rum in it and eat cakes--and say6 ,it isn't like our pastry that tastes like sawdust covered with shaving soap4 ,marvelous stuff1 this is60 ,after all1 he was barely twenty-four4 ,so ,hahn said1 good-naturedly1 8,all right1 all right4 ,we'll go there this afternoon and eat an acre of it4 ,go on4 ,when she came to ,gerbeaud's--0 8,well1 when she came to ,gerbeaud's she stopped and stood there1 outside4 ,there was a strip of red carpet from the door to the street4 ,you know--the kind they have at home when there's a wedding on ,fifth ,avenue4 ,there she stood at the edge of the carpet1 waiting1 her face1 framed in that funny little black shawl1 turned toward the window1 and the tail of the little shawl kind of waggling in the wind4 ,it was cold and nippy4 ,i waited1 too4 ,finally ,i sort of strolled over to her--,i knew she couldn't any more than knock me down--and said1 kind of casual1 #8,what's doing8' ,she looked up at me1 like a kid1 in that funny shawl4 ,she knew ,i was an ,englees' right away4 ,i guess ,i must have a fine open countenance4 ,and ,i had motioned toward the red carpet1 and the crowded windows4 ,anyway1 she opens up with a regular burst of fireworks ,hungarian1 in that deep voice of hers4 ,not only that1 she acted it out4 ,in two seconds she had on an imaginary coronet and a court train4 ,and haughty6 ,gosh6 ,i was sort of stumped1 but ,i said1 #8,you don't say6' and waited some more4 ,and then they flung open the door of the tea shop thing4 ,at the same moment up dashed an equipage--you couldn't possibly call it anything less--with flunkeys all over the outside1 like trained monkeys4 ,the people inside the shop stood up1 with their mouths full of cake1 and out came an old frump with a terrible hat and a fringe4 ,and it was the ,arch-,duchess1 and her name is ,josefa40 8,your story interests me strangely1 boy10 ,hahn said1 grinning1 8but ,i don't quite make you4 ,do ,arch-,duchesses go to tea rooms for tea8 ,and what's that got to do with our gifted little hod-carrier80 8,this ,duchess does4 ,believe me1 those tarts are good enough for the ,queen of ,hearts1 let alone a duchess1 no matter how arch4 ,but the plot of the piece is this4 ,the duchess person goes to ,gerbeaud's about twice a week4 ,and they always spread a red carpet for her4 ,and ,mizzi always manages to cut away in time to stand there in front of ,gerbeaud's and see her come out4 ,she's a gorgeous mimic1 that little kid4 ,and though ,i couldn't understand a word she said ,i managed to get out of it just this3 ,that some day they're going to spread a red carpet for ,mizzi and she's going to walk down it in glory4 ,if you'd seen her face when she said it1 ,s4 ,h41 you wouldn't laugh40 8,i wouldn't laugh anyway10 said ,hahn1 seriously4 ,and that's the true story of ,mizzi ,markis's beginning4 ,few people know it4 ,there they were1 the three of them4 ,and of the three1 ,mizzi's ambition seemed to be the fiercest1 the most implacable4 ,she worked like a horse1 cramming ,english1 ,french1 singing4 ,in some things she was like a woman of thirty2 in others a child of ten4 ,her gratitude to ,hahn was pathetic4 ,no one ever doubted that he was in love with her almost from the first--he who had resisted the professional beauties of three decades4 ,you know she wasn't--and isn't--a beauty1 even in that portrait of her by ,sargent1 with her two black-haired1 stunning-looking boys1 one on each side4 ,but she was one of those gorgeously healthy women whose very presence energizes those with whom she comes in contact4 ,and then there was about her a certain bounteousness4 ,there's no other word for it1 really4 ,she reminded you of those gracious figures you see posed for pictures entitled 8,autumn ,harvest40 ,while she was studying she had a little apartment with a middle-aged woman to look after her1 and she must have been a handful4 ,a born cook1 she was1 and ,hahn and ,wallie used to go there to dinner whenever she would let them4 ,she cooked it herself4 ,hahn would give up any engagement for a dinner at ,mizzi's4 ,when he entered her little sitting-room his cares seemed to drop from him4 ,she never got over cutting bread as the peasant women do it--the loaf held firmly against her breast1 the knife cutting toward her4 ,hahn used to watch her and laugh4 ,sometimes she would put on the little black head-shawl of her ,budapest days and sing the street-song about the hundred geese in a row4 ,a delightful1 impudent figure4 ,with the very first ,english she learned she told ,hahn and ,wallie that some day they were going to spread a fine red carpet for her to tread upon and that all the world would gaze on her with envy4 ,it was in her mind a symbol typifying all that there was of earthly glory4 8,it'll be a long time before they do any red carpeting for you1 my girl10 ,sid ,hahn had said4 ,she turned on him fiercely4 8,i will not rest--,i will not eat--,i will not sleep--,i will not love--until ,i have it40 ,which was1 of course1 an exaggerated absurdity4 8,oh1 what rot60 ,wallie ,ascher had said1 angrily4 ,and then he had thought of his own symbol of success1 and his own resolve4 ,and his face had hardened4 ,sid ,hahn looked at the two of them2 very young1 both of them1 very gifted1 very electric4 ,very much in love with each other1 though neither would admit it even in their own minds4 ,both their stern young faces set toward the goal which they thought meant happiness4 ,now1 ,sid ,hahn had never dabbled in this new stuff--you know--complexes and fixed ideas and images4 ,but he was a very wise man1 and he did know to what an extent these two were possessed by ambition for that which they considered desirable4 ,he must have thought it over for weeks4 ,he was in love with ,mizzi1 remember4 ,and his fondness for ,wallie was a thing almost paternal4 ,he watched these two for a long1 long time1 a queer grim little smile on his gargoyle face4 ,and then his mind was made up4 ,he had always had his own way4 ,he must have had a certain terrible enjoyment in depriving himself of the one thing he wanted most in the world--the one thing he wanted more than he had ever wanted anything4 ,he decided that ,destiny--a ponderous1 slow-moving creature at best--needed a little prodding from him4 ,his plans were simple1 as all effective plans are4 ,mizzi had been in ,america just a year and a half4 ,her development was amazing1 but she was far from being the finished product that she became in later years4 ,hahn decided to chance it4 ,mizzi had no fear of audiences4 ,he had tried her out on that4 ,an audience stimulated her4 ,she took it to her breast4 ,she romped with it4 ,he found a play at last4 ,a comedy1 with music4 ,it was frankly built for ,mizzi4 ,he called ,wallie ,ascher into his office4 8,i wouldn't try her out here for a million4 ,new ,york's too fly4 ,some little thing might be wrong--you know how they are4 ,and all the rest would go for nothing4 ,the kindest audience in the world--when they like you4 ,and the cruelest in the world when they don't4 ,we'll go on the road for two weeks4 ,then we'll open at the ,blackstone in ,chicago4 ,i think this girl has got more real genius than any woman since--since ,bernhardt in her prime4 ,five years from now she won't be singing4 ,she'll be acting4 ,and it'll be acting40 8,aren't you forcing things just a little80 asked ,wallie1 coolly4 8,oh1 no4 ,no4 ,anyway1 it's just a try-out4 ,by the way1 ,wallie1 ,i'll probably be gone almost a month4 ,if things go pretty well in ,chicago ,i'll run over to ,french ,lick for eight or ten days and see if ,i can't get a little of this stiffness out of my old bones4 ,will you do something for me80 8,sure40 8,pack a few clothes1 and go up to my place and live there1 will you8 ,the ,jap stays on1 anyway4 ,the last time ,i left it alone things went wrong4 ,you'll be doing me a favor4 ,take it and play the piano1 and have your friends in1 and boss the ,jap around4 ,he's stuck on you1 anyway4 ,says he likes to hear you play40 ,he stayed away six weeks4 ,and any one who knows him knows what hardship that was4 ,he loved ,new ,york1 and his own place1 and his comfort1 and his books2 and hotel food gave him hideous indigestion4 ,mizzi's first appearance was a moderate success4 ,it was nothing like the sensation of her later efforts4 ,she wasn't ready1 and ,hahn knew it4 ,mizzi and her middle-aged woman companion were installed at the ,blackstone ,hotel1 which is just next door to the ,blackstone ,theatre1 as any one is aware who knows ,chicago4 ,she was advertised as the ,polish comedienne ,mizzi ,markis1 and the announcements hinted at her royal though remote ancestry4 ,and on the night the play opened1 as ,mizzi stepped from the entrance of her hotel on her way to the stage door just forty or fifty feet away1 there she saw stretched on the pavement a scarlet path of soft-grained carpet for her feet to tread4 ,from the steps of the hotel to the stage door of the theatre1 there it lay1 a rosy line of splendor4 ,the newspaper played it up as a publicity stunt4 ,every night1 while the play lasted1 the carpet was there4 ,it was rolled up when the stage door closed upon her4 ,it was unrolled and spread again when she came out after the performance4 ,hahn never forgot her face when she first saw it and realized its significance4 ,the look was there on the second night1 and on the third1 but after that it faded1 vanished1 and never came again4 ,mizzi had tasted of the golden fruit and found it dry and profitless1 without nourishment or sweetness4 ,the show closed in the midst of a moderate success4 ,it closed abruptly1 without warning4 ,together they came back to ,new ,york4 ,just outside ,new ,york ,hahn knocked at the door of ,mizzi's drawing room and stuck his round ugly face in at the opening4 8,let's surprise ,wallie10 he said4 8,yes10 said ,mizzi1 listlessly4 8,he doesn't know the show's closed4 ,we'll take a chance on his being home for dinner4 ,unless you're too tired40 8,i'm not tired40 ,the ,jap admitted them1 and ,hahn cut off his staccato exclamations with a quick and smothering hand4 ,they tiptoed into the big1 gracious1 lamp-lighted room4 ,wallie was seated at the piano4 ,he had on a silk dressing-gown with a purple cord4 ,one of those dressing-gowns you see in the haberdashers' windows1 and wonder who buys them4 ,he looked very tall in it1 and rather distinguished and a little ,favershammy1 but not quite happy4 ,he was playing as they came in4 ,they said1 8,boo60 or something idiotic like that4 ,he stood up4 ,and his face6 8,why1 hello60 he said1 and came forward1 swiftly1 8,hello6 ,hello60 8,hello60 ,hahn answered4 8,not to say hello-hello40 ,wallie looked at the girl4 8,hello1 ,mizzi40 8,hello10 said ,mizzi4 8,for ,god's sake1 stop saying hello60 roared ,hahn4 ,they both looked at him absently1 and then at each other again4 ,hahn flung his coat and hat at the ,jap and rubbed his palms briskly together4 8,well1 how did you like it80 he said1 and slapped ,wallie on the back4 8,how'd you like it--the place ,i mean1 and the ,jap boy and all8 ,h'm80 8,very much10 ,wallie answered1 formally4 8,very nice40 8,you'll be having one of your own some day soon4 ,that's sure40 8,i suppose so10 said ,wallie1 indifferently4 8,i would like to go home10 said ,mizzi1 suddenly1 in her precise ,english4 ,at that ,wallie leaped out of his lounging coat4 8,i'll take you6 ,i'll--,i'll be glad to take you40 ,hahn smiled a little1 ruefully4 8,we were going to have dinner here1 the three of us4 ,but if you're tired1 ,mizzi1 ,i'm not so chipper myself1 when it comes to that40 ,he looked about the room1 gratefully4 8,it's good to be home40 ,wallie1 hat in hand1 was waiting in the doorway4 ,mizzi1 turning to go1 suddenly felt two hands on her shoulders4 ,she was whirled around4 ,hahn--he had to stand on tiptoe to do it--kissed her once on the mouth1 hard4 ,then he gave her a little shove toward the door4 8,tell ,wallie about the red carpet10 he said4 8,i will not10 ,mizzi replied1 very distinctly4 8,i hate red carpets40 ,then they were gone4 ,hahn hardly seemed to notice that they had left4 ,there were1 ,i suppose1 the proper number of good-byes1 and see you to-morrows1 and thank-yous4 ,sid ,hahn stood there a moment in the middle of the room1 very small1 very squat1 rather gnomelike1 but not at all funny4 ,he went over to the piano and seated himself1 his shoulders hunched1 his short legs clearing the floor4 ,with the forefinger of his right hand he began to pick out a little tune4 ,not a sad little tune4 ,a ,hungarian street song4 ,he did it atrociously4 ,the stubby forefinger came down painstakingly on the white keys4 ,suddenly the little ,jap servant stood in the doorway4 ,hahn looked up4 ,his cheeks were wet with tears4 8,god6 ,i wish ,i could play60 he said4 ,metropolitan ,magazine 8,,clothes ,,make ,,the ,,man0 ,,by ,,booth ,,tarkington 8,,clothes ,,make ,,the ,,man0#h ,by ,,booth ,,tarkington ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,baxter1 having walked a hot half mile from church1 drooped thankfully into wicker chairs upon their front porch1 though their ten-year-old daughter1 ,jane1 who had accompanied them1 immediately darted away1 swinging her hat by its ribbon and skipping as lithesomely as if she had just come forth upon a cool morning4 8,i don't know how she does it60 her father moaned1 glancing after her and drying his forehead temporarily upon a handkerchief4 8,that would merely kill me dead1 after walking in this heat40 ,then1 for a time1 the two were content to sit in silence1 nodding to occasional acquaintances who passed in the desultory after-church procession4 ,mr4 ,baxter fanned himself with sporadic little bursts of energy which made his straw hat creak1 and ,mrs4 ,baxter sighed with the heat1 and gently rocked her chair4 ,but1 as a group of five young people passed along the other side of the street1 ,mr4 ,baxter abruptly stopped fanning himself1 and1 following the direction of his gaze1 ,mrs4 ,baxter ceased to rock4 ,in half-completed attitudes they leaned slightly forward1 sharing one of those pauses of parents who unexpectedly behold their offspring4 ,the offspring1 in this case1 was their son1 ,william4 8,my soul60 said ,william's father4 8,hasn't that girl gone home yet80 8,he looks pale to me10 ,mrs4 ,baxter murmured absently4 8,i don't think he seems at all well1 lately40 ,during the seventeen years since the arrival of ,william1 their first born1 ,mr4 ,baxter had gradually learned not to protest anxieties of this kind1 unless he desired to argue with no prospect of ever getting a decision4 8,hasn't she got any home80 he demanded testily4 8,isn't she ever going to quit visiting the ,parchers and let people have a little peace80 ,mrs4 ,baxter disregarded this outburst as he had disregarded her remark about ,william's pallor4 8,you mean ,miss ,pratt80 she inquired dreamily1 her eyes following the progress of her son4 8,no1 he really doesn't look well at all40 8,is she going to visit the ,parchers all summer80 ,mr4 ,baxter insisted4 8,she already has1 almost10 said ,mrs4 ,baxter4 8,look at that boy60 the father grumbled4 8,mooning along with those other moon-calves--can't even let her go to church alone6 ,i wonder how many weeks of time1 counting it out in hours1 he's wasted that way this summer80 8,oh1 ,i don't know6 ,you see1 he never goes there in the evening now40 8,what of that8 ,he's there all day1 isn't he8 ,what do they find to talk about8 ,that's the mystery to me6 ,day after day1 hours after hours--,my soul6 ,what do they say80 ,mrs4 ,baxter laughed indulgently4 8,people are always wondering that about the other ages4 ,poor ,willie6 ,i think that a great deal of the time their conversation would be probably about as general as it is now4 ,you see ,willie and ,joe ,bullitt are walking one on each side of ,miss ,pratt1 and ,johnnie ,watson has to walk behind with ,may ,parcher4 ,joe and ,johnnie are there about as much as ,willie is1 and of course it's often his turn to be nice to ,may ,parcher4 ,he hasn't many chances to be tte--tte with ,miss ,pratt40 8,well1 she ought to go home4 ,i want that boy to get back into his senses4 ,he's awful60 8,i think she is going soon10 said ,mrs4 ,baxter4 8,the ,parchers are to have a dance for her ,friday night1 and ,i understand there's a floor to be laid in the yard and great things4 ,it's a farewell party40 8,that's one mercy1 anyhow60 8,and if you wonder what they say10 she resumed1 8why1 probably they're all talking about the party4 ,and when ,willie is alone with her--well1 what does anybody say80 ,mrs4 ,baxter interrupted herself to laugh4 8,jane1 for instance--she's always fascinated by that darkey1 ,genesis1 when he's at work here in the yard1 and they have long1 long talks2 ,i've seen them from the window4 ,what on earth do you suppose they talk about8 ,that's where ,jane is now4 ,she knew ,i told ,genesis ,i'd give him something if he'd come and freeze the ice-cream for us to-day1 and when we got here she heard the freezer and hopped right around there4 ,if you went out to the back porch you'd find them talking steadily--but what on earth about ,i couldn't guess to save my life60 ,and yet nothing could have been simpler3 as a matter of fact1 ,jane and ,genesis were talking about society4 ,that is to say1 their discourse was not sociologic2 rather it was of the frivolous and elegant4 ,watteau prevailed with them over ,john ,stuart ,mill--in a word1 they spoke of the beau monde4 ,genesis turned the handle of the freezer with his left hand1 allowing his right the freedom of gesture which was an intermittent necessity when he talked4 ,in the matter of dress1 ,genesis had always been among the most informal of his race1 but to-day there was a change almost unnerving to the ,caucasian eye4 ,he wore a balloonish suit of purple1 strangely scalloped at pocket and cuff1 and more strangely decorated with lines of small parasite buttons1 in color blue1 obviously buttons of leisure4 ,his bulbous new shoes flashed back yellow fire at the embarrassed sun1 and his collar 7for he had gone so far7 sent forth other sparkles1 playing upon a polished surface over an inner graining of soot4 ,beneath it hung a simple1 white1 soiled evening tie1 draped in a manner unintended by its manufacturer1 and heavily overburdened by a green glass medallion of the ,emperor ,tiberius1 set in brass4 8,yes'm10 said ,genesis4 8,now ,i'm in 'at ,swim--flyin' roun' ev'y even' wif all lem blue-vein people--,i say1 #8,mus' go buy me some blue-vein clo'es6 ,ef ,i'm go'n a start1 might's well start high6' ,so firs'1 ,i buy me thishere gol' necktie pin wi' thishere lady's face carved out o' green di'mon1 sittin' in the middle all 'at gol'4 ',nen ,i buy me pair ,royal ,king shoes4 ,i got a frien' o' mine1 thishere ,blooie ,bowers2 he say ,royal ,king shoes same kineo' shoes he wear1 an' ,i walk straight in 'at sto' where they keep 'em at4 #8,don' was'e my time showin' me no ole-time shoes1' ,i say4 #8,run out some them big1 yella1 lump-toed ,royal ,kings befo' my eyes1 an' firs' pair fit me ,i pay price1 an' wear em' right off on me6' ',nen ,i got me thishere suit o' clo'es--oh1 oh6 ,sign on 'em in window3 #8,ef you wish to be bes'-dress' man in town take me home fer six dolluhs ninety-sevum cents4' #8',at's kine o' suit ,genesis need1' ,i say4 #8,ef ,genesis go'n a start dressin' high1 might's well start top6'0 ,jane nodded gravely1 comprehending the reasonableness of this view4 8,what made you decide to start1 ,genesis80 she asked earnestly4 8,i mean1 how did it happen you began to get this way80 8,well1 suh1 't all come 'bout right like kine o' slidin' into it 'stid o' hoppin' an' jumpin'4 ,i'z spen' the even' at 'at lady's house1 ,fanny1 what cook nex' do'1 las' year4 ,well1 suh1 'at lady ,fanny1 she quit privut cookin'1 she kaytliss--0 8,she's what80 ,jane asked4 8,what's that mean1 ,genesis--kaytliss80 8,she kaytuhs10 he exclaimed4 8,ef it's a man you call him kaytuh2 ef it's a lady she's a kaytliss4 ,she does kaytun fer all lem blue-vein fam'lies in town4 ,she make refeshmuns1 bring waituhs--'at's kaytun4 ,you maw give big dinnuh1 she have ,fanny kaytuh1 an' don't take no trouble 'tall herself4 ,fanny take all 'at trouble40 8,i see10 said ,jane4 8,but ,i don't see how her bein' a kaytliss started you to dressin' so high4 ,genesis40 8,thishere way1 ,fanny say1 #8,look here1 ,genesis1 ,i got big job t'morra night an' ,i'm man short1 'count o' havin' to have a 'nouncer4'0 8,a what80 8,fanny talk jes' that way4 ,goin' be big dinnuh potty1 an' thishere blue-vein fam'ly tell ,fanny they want whole lot of extry sploogin'2 tell her put fine lookin cullud man stan' by drawin'-room do'--ask ev'ybody name an' holler out whatever name they say1 jes' as they walk in4 ,thishere fam'ly say they goin' show what's what1 'nis town1 an' they boun' ,fanny go git 'em a 'nouncer4 #8,well1 what's mattuh you doin' 'at 'nouncin'8' ,fanny say4 #8,who--me8' ,i tell her4 #8,yes1 you kin too6' she say1 an' she say len' me 'at waituh suit yoosta b'long ole ,henry ,gimlet what die' when he owin' ,fanny sixteen dolluhs--an' ,fanny tuck an' keep 'at waituh suit4 ,she use 'at suit on extry waituhs when she got some on her hands what ain' got no waituh suit4 #8,you wear 'at suit1' ,fanny say1 #8an' you be good 'nouncer1 'cause you' a fine1 big man1 an' got a big gran' voice2 nen you learn befo' long be a waituh1 ,genesis1 'an git dolluh an' half ev'y even' you waitin'1 'sides all 'at money you make cuttin' grass daytime4' ,well1 suh1 ,i'z stan' up doin' 'at 'nouncin' ve'y nex' night4 ,white lady an' ge'lmun walk todes my do'1 ,i step up to 'em--,i step up to 'em thisaway40 ,here ,genesis found it pleasant to present the scene with some elaboration4 ,he dropped the handle of the freezer1 rose1 assumed a stately but ingratiating expression and 8stepped up0 to the imagined couple1 using a pacing and rhythmic gait--a conservative prance1 which plainly indicated the simultaneous operation of an orchestra4 ,then bending graciously1 as though the persons addressed were of dwarfish stature1 8',scuse me10 he said1 8but kin ,i please be so p'lite as to 'quiah you' name80 ,for a moment he listened attentively1 then nodded1 and1 returning with the same aristocratic undulations to an imaginary doorway near the freezer1 8,misto an' ,missuz ,orlosko ,rinktum60 he proclaimed sonorously4 8,who80 cried ,jane1 fascinated4 8,genesis1 'nounce that again1 right away60 ,genesis heartily complied4 8,misto an' ,missuz ,orlosko ,rinktum60 he bawled4 8,was that really their names80 she asked eagerly4 8,well1 ,i kine o' fergit10 ,genesis admitted1 resuming his work with the freezer4 8,seem like ,i rickalect somebody got name good deal like what ,i say1 'cause some mighty blue-vein names at 'at dinnuh-potty1 yes-suh6 ,but ,i on'y git to be 'nouncer one time1 'cause ,fanny tellin' me nex' fam'ly have dinnuh-potty make heap o' fun4 ,say ,i done my 'nouncin' good as kin be1 but say what's use holler'n names jes' fer some the neighbors or they own aunts an' uncles to walk in1 when ev'rybody awready knows 'em8 ,so ,fanny pummote me to waituh1 an' ,i roun' right in amongs' big doin's mos' ev'y night4 ,pass ice-cream1 lemonade1 lemon-ice1 cake1 sammitches4 #8,lemme han' you lil mo' chicken-salad1 ma'am'--#8',low me be so kine as to git you f'esh cup coffee1 suh'--'s way ole ,genesis talkin' ev'y even' 'ese days60 ,jane looked at him thoughtfully4 8,do you like it better than cuttin' grass1 ,genesis80 she asked4 ,he paused to consider4 8,yes'm--when ban' play all lem tunes6 ,my goo'ness1 do soun' gran'60 8,you can't do it to-night1 though4 ,genesis10 said ,jane4 8,you haf to be quiet on ,sunday nights1 don't you80 8,yes'm4 ,ain' got no mo' kaytun till nex' ,friday even'40 8,oh1 ,i bet that's the party for ,miss ,pratt at ,mr4 ,parcher's60 cried ,jane4 8,didn't ,i guess right80 8,yes'm4 ,i reckon ,i'm a go'n a see one you' fam'ly 'at night2 see him dancin'--wait on him at refeshmuns40 ,jane's expression became even more serious than usual4 8,willie8 ,i don't know whether he's goin'1 ,genesis40 8,lan' name60 ,genesis exclaimed4 8,he die ef he don' git invite to 'at ball60 8,oh1 he's invited10 said ,jane4 8,only ,i think maybe he won't go40 8,my goo'ness6 ,why ain't he goin'80 ,jane looked at her friend studiously before replying4 8,well1 it's a secret10 she said1 finally1 8but it's a very inter'sting one1 an' ,i'll tell you if you never tell40 8,yes'm2 ,i ain't tellin' nobody40 ,jane glanced round1 then stepped a little closer and told the secret with the solemnity it deserved4 8,well1 when ,miss ,pratt first came to visit ,miss ,may ,parcher1 ,willie used to keep papa's evening clo'es in his windowseat1 an' mamma wondered what had become of 'em4 ,then1 after dinner1 he'd slip up there an' put 'em on him1 an' go out through the kitchen an' call on ,miss ,pratt4 ,then mamma found 'em1 and she thought he oughtn't to do that1 so she didn' tell him or anything1 an' she didn't even tell papa1 but she had the tailor make 'em ever an' ever so much bigger1 'cause they were gettin' too tight for papa4 ,an'1 well1 so after that1 even if ,willie could get 'em out o' mamma's clo'es closet where she keeps 'em now1 he'd look so funny in 'em he couldn't wear 'em4 ,well1 an' then he's never been to see ,miss ,pratt in the evening one single time since then because mamma says after he started to go there in that suit he couldn't go without it1 or maybe ,miss ,pratt or the other ones that's in love of her would think it was pretty queer1 and maybe kind of expeck it was papa's all the time4 ,mamma says she thinks ,willie must have worried a good deal over reasons to say why he'd always go in the daytime after that1 an' never came in the evening1 an' now they're goin' to have this party1 an' she says he's been gettin' paler an' paler every day since he heard about it4 ,mamma says he's pale some1 because ,miss ,pratt's goin' away1 but she thinks it's a good deal more because1 well1 if he would wear those evening clo'es just to go callin'1 how would it be to go to that party an' not have any8 ,that's what mamma thinks--an'1 ,genesis1 you promised you'd never tell as long as you lived60 8,yes'm4 ,i ain' tellin'10 ,genesis chuckled4 8,i'm a go'n a git me one nem waituh suits befo' long1 myse'f1 so's ,i kin quit wearin' 'at ole ,henry ,gimlet suit what b'longs to ,fanny1 an' have me a privut suit o' my own4 ,they's a secon' han' sto'1 ovuh on the avynoo1 where they got swaller-tail suits all way f'um sevum dolluhs to nineteen dolluhs an' ninety-eight cents4 ,i'm a--0 ,jane started1 interrupting him4 8,sh10 she whispered1 laying a finger warningly upon her lips4 ,william had entered the yard at the back gate1 and1 approaching over the lawn1 had arrived at the steps of the porch before ,jane perceived him4 ,she gave him an apprehensive look1 but he passed into the house absent-mindedly1 not even glancing at ,clematis1 the humble and faithful dog in attendance upon ,genesis--and that was remarkable1 because the sight of ,clematis was nearly always but too obviously painful to ,william4 ,clematis was so mingled a dog that he shook one's faith in any definiteness of design on the part of ,nature3 it hurt ,william to see him about the premises1 and ,william showed his feelings1 for he feared that people might think ,clematis belonged to him or to his family4 ,but to-day he passed without flinching--and ,mrs4 ,baxter was right3 ,william did look pale4 8,i guess he didn't hear us10 said ,jane1 when he had disappeared into the interior4 8,he acks awful funny60 she added thoughtfully4 8,first when he was in love with ,miss ,pratt1 he'd be mad about somep'm' almost every minute he was home4 ,couldn't anybody say anything to him but he'd just behave as if it was awful1 an' then if you'd see him out walkin' with ,miss ,pratt1 well1 he'd look like--like--0 ,jane paused2 her eye fell upon ,clematis and by a happy inspiration she was able to complete her simile with remarkable accuracy4 8,he'd look like the way ,clematis looks at people6 ,that's just exackly the way he'd look1 ,genesis1 when he was walkin' with ,miss ,pratt2 an' then when he was home he got so quiet he couldn't answer questions an' wouldn't hear what anybody said to him at table or anywhere1 an' papa'd just almost bust4 ,mamma 'n' papa'd talk an' talk about it1 an'0--she lowered her voice--8an' ,i an' sometimes he'd sit in there without any light1 or he'd hardly ever get mad any more2 he'd just sit in his room1 an' sometimes he'd sit in there without any light1 or he'd sit out in the yard all by himself all evening maybe1 an' th' other evening after ,i was in bed ,i heard 'em1 an' papa said--well1 this is what papa told mamma40 ,and again lowering her voice1 she proffered the quotation from her father in a tone somewhat awestruck4 8,papa said1 by ,gosh6 if he ever 'a' thought a son of his could make such a ,word idiot of himself he almost wished we'd both been girls60 99 99 99 99 99 ,having completed this report in a violent whisper ,jane nodded repeatedly1 for emphasis1 and ,genesis shook his head to show that he was as deeply impressed as she wished him to be4 8,i guess10 she added1 after a pause1 8,i guess ,willie didn't hear anything we talked about him1 or clo'es1 or anything40 ,she was mistaken in part4 ,william had caught no reference to himself1 but he had overheard something1 and he was now alone in his room1 thinking about it almost feverishly4 8,a secon' han' sto'1 ovuh on the avynoo1 where they got swaller-tail suits all way frum sevem dolluhs to nineteen dolluhs an' ninety-eight cents40 444 ,civilization is responsible for certain longings in the breast of man--artificial longings1 but sometimes as poignant as hunger and thirst4 ,of these the strongest are those of the maid for the bridal veil1 of the lad for long trousers1 and of the youth for a tailed coat of state4 ,to the gratification of this last1 few of the more hushed joys in life are comparable4 ,indulged youths1 too rich1 can know1 to the unctuous full1 neither the longing nor the gratification2 but one such as ,william1 in 8moderate circumstances10 is privileged to pant for his first evening clothes as the hart panteth after the water-brook--and sometimes1 to pant in vain4 ,also1 this was a crisis in ,william's life3 in addition to his yearning for such apparel1 he was racked by a passionate urgency4 ,as ,jane had so precociously understood1 unless he should somehow manage to obtain the proper draperies he could not go to the farewell dance for ,miss ,pratt4 ,other unequipped boys could go in their ordinary 8best clothes10 but ,william could not2 for1 alack6 he had dressed too well too soon6 ,he was in desperate case4 ,the sorrow of the approaching great departure was but the heavier because it had been so long deferred4 ,to ,william it had seemed that this flower-strewn summer could actually end no more than he could actually die1 but ,time had begun its awful lecture1 and even ,seventeen was listening4 ,miss ,pratt1 that magic girl1 was going home4 99 99 99 99 99 ,to the competent twenties1 hundreds of miles suggesting no impossibilities1 such departures may be rending but not tragic4 ,implacable1 the difference to ,seventeen6 ,miss ,pratt was going home1 and ,seventeen could not follow2 it could only mourn upon the lonely shore1 tracing little angelic footprints left in the sand4 ,to ,seventeen such a departure is final2 it is a vanishing4 ,and now it seemed possible that ,william might be deprived even of the last romantic consolations3 of the 8last waltz together10 of the last1 last 8listening to music in the moonlight together02 of all those sacred lasts of the 8last evening together40 ,and this was a thought that turned him cold on the hot day3 it was unbearable4 ,he had pleaded strongly for a 8dress-suit0 as a fitting recognition of his seventeenth birthday anniversary1 but he had been denied by his father with a jocularity more crushing than rigor4 ,since then--in particular since the arrival of ,miss ,pratt--,mr4 ,baxter's temper had been growing steadily more and more even4 ,that is1 as affected by ,william's social activities1 it was uniformly bad4 ,nevertheless1 after heavy brooding1 ,william decided to make one final appeal before he resorted to measures which the necessities of despair had brought to his mind4 ,he wished to give himself every chance for a good effect2 therefore he did not act hastily1 but went over what he intended to say1 rehearsing it with a few appropriate gestures1 and even taking some pleasure in the pathetic dignity of this performance1 as revealed by occasional glances at the mirror of his dressing-table4 ,but in spite of these little alleviations1 his trouble was great and all too real1 for1 unhappily1 the previous rehearsal of an emotional scene does not prove the emotion insincere4 ,descending1 he found his father and mother still sitting upon the front porch4 ,then1 standing before them1 solemn-eyed1 he uttered a preluding cough1 and began3 8,father10 he said1 in a loud voice1 8,i have come to--0 8,dear me60 ,mrs4 ,baxter exclaimed1 not perceiving that she was interrupting an intended oration4 8,willie1 you do look pale6 ,sit down1 poor child2 you oughtn't to walk so much in this heat40 8,father10 ,william repeated4 8,fath--0 8,i suppose you got her safely home from church10 ,mr4 ,baxter said4 8,she might have been carried off by highwaymen if you three boys hadn't been along to take care of her60 ,but ,william persisted heroically4 8,father--0 he said4 8,father1 ,i have come to--0 8,what on earth's the matter with you80 ,mr4 ,baxter ceased to fan himself1 ,mrs4 ,baxter stopped rocking1 and both stared1 for it had dawned upon them that something unusual was beginning to take place4 ,william backed to the start and tried it again4 8,father1 ,i have come to--0 ,he paused and gulped1 evidently expecting to be interrupted1 but both of his parents remained silent1 regarding him with puzzled surprise4 8,father10 he began once more1 8,i have come--,i have come to--to place before you something ,i think it's your duty as my father to undertake1 and ,i have thought over this step before laying it before you40 8,my soul60 said ,mr4 ,baxter under his breath4 8,my soul60 8,at my age10 ,william continued1 swallowing1 and fixing his earnest eyes upon the roof of the porch to avoid the disconcerting stare of his father1 8at my age there's some things that ought to be done and some things that ought not to be done4 ,if you asked me what ,i thought ought to be done1 there is only one answer3 ,when anybody as old as ,i am has to go out among other young men his own age that already got one1 like anyway half of them have1 who ,i go with1 and their fathers have already taken such a step1 because they felt it was the only right thing to do1 because at my age and the young men ,i go with's age it is the only right thing to do because that is something nobody could deny1 at my age--0 ,here ,william drew a long breath1 and1 deciding to abandon that sentence as irrevocably tangled1 began another3 8,i have thought over this step1 because there comes a time to every young man when they must lay a step before their father before something happens that they would be sorry for4 ,i have thought this undertaking over1 and ,i am certain it would be your honest duty--0 8,my soul60 gasped ,mr4 ,baxter4 8,i thought ,i knew you pretty well1 but you talk like a stranger to me6 ,what is all this8 ,what you want80 8,a dress-suit60 said ,william4 ,he had intended to say a great deal more before coming to the point1 but though through nervousness he had lost some threads of his rehearsed plea1 it seemed to him he was getting along well1 and putting his case with some distinction and power4 ,he was surprised and hurt1 therefore1 to hear his father utter a wordless shout in a tone of wondering derision4 8,i have more to say--0 ,william began4 ,but1 disregarding this1 ,mr4 ,baxter cut him off4 8,a dress-suit60 he cried4 8,well1 ,i'm glad you were talking about something1 because ,i honestly thought it must be too much sun60 ,at this1 the troubled ,william brought his eyes down from the porch roof and forgot his rehearsal4 ,he lifted his hand appealingly4 8,father10 he said1 8,i got to have one60 8,got to60 ,mr4 ,baxter laughed a laugh that chilled the supplicant through and through4 8,at your age ,i thought ,i was lucky if ,i had any suit that was fit to be seen in4 ,you're too young1 ,willie4 ,i don't want you to get your mind on such stuff1 and if ,i have my way1 you won't have a dress-suit for four years more1 anyhow40 8,father1 ,i got to have one4 ,i got to have one right away60 ,the urgency in ,william's voice was almost tearful4 8,i don't ask you to have it made1 or to go to expensive tailors1 but there's a plenty of good ready-made ones that only cost about forty dollars2 they're advertised in the paper4 ,father1 wouldn't you spent just forty dollars8 ,i'll pay it back when ,i'm in business4 ,i'll work--0 ,mr4 ,baxter waved all this aside4 8,it's not the money4 ,it's the principle that ,i'm standing for1 and ,i don't intend--0 8,father1 won't you do it80 8,no1 ,i will not60 99 99 99 99 99 ,william saw that sentence had been passed and all appeals for a new trial denied4 ,he choked1 and rushed into the house without more ado4 8,poor boy60 his mother said4 8,poor boy nothing60 fumed ,mr4 ,baxter4 8,he's almost lost his mind over that ,miss ,pratt4 ,think of his coming out here and starting a regular debating society declamation before his mother and father6 ,why1 ,i never heard anything like it in my life6 ,i don't like to hurt his feelings1 and ,i'd give him anything ,i could afford that would do him any good1 but all he wants it for now is to splurge around in at this party before that little yellow-haired girl6 ,i guess he can wear the kind of clothes most of the other boys wear--the kind ,i wore at parties--and never thought of wearing anything else4 ,what's the world getting to be like8 ,seventeen years old and throws a fit because he can't have a dress-suit60 ,mrs4 ,baxter looked thoughtful4 8,but--but suppose he felt he couldn't go to the dance unless he wore one1 poor boy--0 8,all the better10 said ,mr4 ,baxter firmly4 8,do him good to keep away and get his mind on something else40 8,of course10 she suggested1 with some timidity1 8forty dollars isn't a great deal of money1 and a ready-made suit1 just to begin with--0 ,naturally ,mr4 ,baxter perceived whither she was drifting4 8,forty dollars isn't a thousand10 he interrupted1 8but what you want to throw it away for8 ,one reason a boy of seventeen oughtn't to have evening clothes is the way he behaves with any clothes4 ,forty dollars6 ,why1 only this summer he sat down on ,jane's open paint-box1 twice in one week60 8,well--,miss ,pratt is going away1 and the dance will be her last night4 ,i'm afraid it would really hurt him to miss it4 ,i remember once1 before we were engaged--that evening before papa took me abroad1 and you--0 8,it's no use1 mamma10 he said4 8,we were both over twenty--why1 ,i was six years older than ,willie1 even then4 ,there's no comparison at all4 ,i'll let him order a dress-suit on his twenty-first birthday and not a minute before4 ,i don't believe in it1 and ,i intend to see that he gets all this stuff out of his system4 ,he's got to learn some hard sense60 ,mrs4 ,baxter shook her head doubtfully1 but she said no more4 ,perhaps she regretted a little that she had caused ,mr4 ,baxter's evening clothes to be so expansively enlarged--for she looked rather regretful4 ,she also looked rather incomprehensible1 not to say cryptic1 during the long silence which followed1 and ,mr4 ,baxter resumed his rocking1 unaware of the fixity of gaze which his wife maintained upon him--a thing the most loyal will do sometimes4 ,the incomprehensible look disappeared before long1 but the regretful one was renewed in the mother's eyes whenever she caught glimpses of her son1 that day1 and at the table1 where ,william's manner was gentle--even toward his heartless father4 ,underneath that gentleness1 the harried self of ,william was no longer debating a desperate resolve1 but had fixed upon it1 and on the following afternoon ,jane chanced to be a witness of some resultant actions4 ,she came to her mother with an account of them4 8,mamma1 what you s'pose ,willie wants of those two ole market baskets that were down cellar80 8,why1 ,jane80 8,well1 he carried 'em in his room1 an' then he saw me lookin'1 an' he said #8,g'way from here6' an' shut the door4 ,he looks so funny6 ,what's he want of those ole baskets1 mamma80 8,i don't know4 ,perhaps he doesn't even know himself1 ,jane40 ,but ,william did know1 definitely4 ,he had set the baskets upon chairs1 and now1 with pale determination1 he was proceeding to fill them4 ,when his task was completed the two baskets contained1 between them3 ,one heavy-weight winter suit of clothes4 ,one light-weight summer suit of clothes4 ,two pairs of white flannel trousers4 ,two ,madras neglige shirts4 ,two flannel shirts4 ,two silk shirts4 ,seven soft collars4 ,three silk neckties4 ,one crocheted tie4 ,eight pairs of socks4 ,one pair of patent-leather shoes4 ,one overcoat4 ,some underwear4 ,one two-foot shelf of books1 consisting of several sterling works upon mathematics1 in a damaged condition2 five of ,shakespeare's plays1 expurgated and edited for schools and colleges1 and also damaged2 a work upon political economy and another upon the science of physics2 8,webster's ,collegiate ,dictionary10 8,how to ,enter a ,drawing-,room and #ejj ,other ,hints10 8,witty ,sayings ,from ,here and ,there10 8,lorna ,doone10 8,quentin ,durward10 8,the ,adventures of ,sherlock ,holmes10 a very old copy of 8,moths10 and a small ,bible4 ,william spread handkerchiefs upon the two overbulging cargoes1 that their nature might not be disclosed to the curious1 and1 after listening a moment at his door1 took the baskets1 one upon each arm1 then went quickly down the stairs and out of the house1 out of the yard1 and into the alley--by which route he had modestly chosen to travel4 444 ,after an absence of about two hours1 he returned empty-handed and anxious4 8,mother1 ,i want to speak to you10 he said1 addressing ,mrs4 ,baxter in a voice which clearly proved the strain of these racking days4 8,i want to speak to you about something important40 8,yes1 ,willie80 8,please send ,jane away4 ,i can't talk about important things with a child in the room40 ,jane naturally wished to stay1 since he was going to say something important4 8,mamma1 do ,i haf to go80 8,just a few minutes1 dear40 ,jane walked submissively out of the door1 leaving it open behind her4 ,then1 having gone about six feet farther1 she halted1 and1 preserving a breathless silence1 consoled herself for her banishment by listening to what was said1 hearing it all as satisfactorily as if she had remained in the room4 ,quiet1 thoughtful children1 like ,jane1 avail themselves of these little pleasures oftener than is suspected4 8,mother10 said ,william1 with great intensity1 8,i want to ask you please to lend me three dollars and sixty cents40 8,what for1 ,willie80 8,mother1 ,i just ask you to lend me three dollars and sixty cents40 8,but what for80 8,mother1 ,i don't feel ,i can discuss it any2 ,i simply ask you3 ,will you lend me three dollars and sixty cents80 ,mrs4 ,baxter laughed gently4 8,i don't think ,i could1 ,willie1 but certainly ,i should want to know what for40 8,mother1 ,i am going on eighteen years of age1 and when ,i ask for a small sum of money1 like three dollars and sixty cents1 ,i think ,i might be trusted to know how to use it for my own good without having to answer questions like a ch--0 8,why1 ,willie60 she exclaimed4 8,you ought to have plenty of money of your own40 8,of course ,i ought10 he agreed warmly4 8,if you'd ask father to give me a regular allow--0 8,no1 no2 ,i mean you ought to have plenty left out of that old junk and furniture ,i let you sell1 last month4 ,you had nearly nine dollars60 8,that was five weeks ago10 ,william explained wearily4 8,but you certainly must have some of it left4 ,why1 it was more than nine dollars1 ,i believe6 ,i think it was nearer ten4 ,surely you haven't--0 8,ye ,gods60 cried the goaded ,william4 8,a person going on eighteen years old ought to be able to spend nine dollars in five weeks without everybody's acting like it was a crime6 ,mother1 ,i ask you the simple question3 ,will you please lend me three dollars and sixty cents80 8,i don't think ,i ought to1 dear4 ,i'm sure your father wouldn't wish me to1 unless you'll tell me what you want it for4 ,in fact1 ,i won't consider it at all unless you do tell me40 8,you won't do it80 he quavered4 ,she shook her head gently4 8,you see1 dear1 ,i'm afraid the reason you don't tell me is because you know that ,i wouldn't give it to you if ,i knew what you wanted it for40 ,and this perfect diagnosis of the case so disheartened him that after a few monosyllabic efforts to continue the conversation with dignity1 he gave it up1 and left in such a preoccupation with despondency that he passed the surprised ,jane1 in the hall1 without suspecting what she had been doing4 ,that evening1 after dinner1 he made to his father an impassioned appeal for three dollars and sixty cents1 laying such stress of pathos on his principal argument that if he couldn't have a dress-suit1 at least he ought to be given three dollars and sixty cents 7the emphasis is ,william's71 that ,mr4 ,baxter was moved in the direction of consent--but not far enough4 8,i'd like to let you have it1 ,willie10 he said1 excusing himself for refusal1 8but your mother felt she oughtn't to do it1 unless you'd say what you wanted it for1 and ,i'm sure she wouldn't like me to do it4 ,i can't let you have it unless you get her to say she wants me to40 ,thus advised1 the unfortunate made another appeal to his mother the next day1 and having brought about no relaxation of the situation1 again petitioned his father1 on the following evening4 ,so it went1 the torn and driven ,william turning from parent to parent2 and surely1 since the world began1 the special sum of three dollars and sixty cents has never been so often mentioned in any one house and in the same space of time as it was in the house of the ,baxters during ,monday1 ,tuesday1 ,wednesday and ,thursday of that oppressive week4 ,but on ,friday ,william disappeared after breakfast and did not return to lunch4 ,mrs4 ,baxter was troubled4 ,during the afternoon she glanced often from the open window of the room where she had gone to sew1 but the peaceful neighborhood continued to be peaceful1 and no sound of the harassed footsteps of ,william echoed from the pavement4 ,however1 she saw ,genesis arrive 7in his week-day costume7 to do some weeding1 and ,jane immediately skip forth for mingled purposes of observation and conversation4 8,what do they say80 thought ,mrs4 ,baxter1 observing that both ,jane and ,genesis were unusually animated4 ,but for once that perplexity was to be dispersed4 ,after an exciting half-hour ,jane came flying to her mother1 breathless4 8,mamma10 she cried1 8,i know where ,willie is6 ,genesis told me1 'cause he saw him1 an' he talked to him while he was doin' it40 8,doing what8 ,where80 8,mamma1 listen6 ,what you think ,willie's doin'8 ,i bet you can't g--0 8,jane60 ,mrs4 ,baxter spoke sharply4 8,tell me what ,genesis said1 at once40 8,yes'm4 ,willie's over in a lumber-yard that ,genesis comes by on his way from over on the avynoo where all the colored people live--an' he's countin' knot-holes in shingles40 8,he is what80 8,yes'm4 ,genesis knows all about it1 because he was thinkin' of doin' it himself1 only he says it would be too slow4 ,this is the way it is1 mamma--listen1 mamma1 because this is just exactly the way it is4 ,well1 this lumber-yard man got into some sort of a fuss because he bought millions an' millions of shingles1 mamma1 that had too many knots in1 an' the man don't want to pay for 'em1 or else the store where he bought 'em won't take 'em back1 an' they got to prove how many shingles are bad shingles1 or somep'm1 and anyway1 mamma1 that's what ,willie's doin'4 ,every time he comes to a bad shingle1 mamma1 he puts it somewheres else1 or somep'm like that1 mamma1 an' every time he's put a thousand bad shingles in this other place1 they give him six cents4 ,he gets the six cents to keep1 mamma--an' that's what he's been doin' all day60 8,good gracious60 8,oh1 but that's nothing1 mamma--just you wait till you hear the rest4 ,that part of it isn't anything a tall1 mamma6 ,you wouldn't hardly notice that part of it1 if you knew the other part of it1 mamma4 ,why1 that isn't anything60 ,jane made demonstrations of scorn for the insignificant information already imparted4 8,jane60 8,yes'm80 8,i want to know everything ,genesis told you10 said her mother1 8and ,i want you to tell it as quickly as you can40 8,well1 ,i am tellin' it1 mamma60 ,jane protested4 8,i'm just beginning to tell it4 ,i can't tell it unless there's a beginning1 can ,i8 ,how could there be anything unless you had to begin it1 mamma80 8,try your best to go on1 ,jane60 8,yes'm4 ,well1 ,genesis says--,mamma60 ,jane interrupted herself with a little outcry4 8,oh6 ,i bet that's what he had those two market baskets for6 ,yes1 sir6 ,that's just what he did6 ,an' then he needed the rest o' the money and you an' papa wouldn't give him any1 and so he began countin' shingles to-day 'cause to-night's the night of the party an' he just hass to have it60 ,mrs4 ,baxter1 who had risen to her feet1 recalled the episode of the baskets and sank into a chair4 8,how did ,genesis know ,willie wanted forty dollars1 and if ,willie's pawned something how did ,genesis know that8 ,did ,willie tell ,gen--0 8,oh1 no1 mamma1 ,willie didn't want forty dollars--only fourteen60 8,but he couldn't get even the cheapest ready-made dress-suit for fourteen dollars40 8,mamma1 you're gettin' it all mixed up60 ,jane cried4 8,listen1 mamma6 ,genesis knows all about a second-hand store over on the avynoo2 an' it keeps 'most everything1 an' ,genesis says it's the nicest store6 ,it keeps waiter suits all the way up to nineteen dollars and ninety-nine cents4 ,well1 an' ,genesis wants to get one of those suits1 so he goes in there all the time an' talks to the man an' bargains an' bargains with him1 'cause ,genesis says this man is the bargainest man in the wide worl'1 mamma6 ,that's what ,genesis says4 ,well1 an' so this man's name is ,one-eye ,beljus1 mamma4 ,that's his name1 an' ,genesis says so4 ,well1 an' so this man that ,genesis told me about that keeps the store--,i mean ,one-eye ,beljus1 mamma--well1 ,one-eye ,beljus had ,willie's name written down in a book1 an' he knew ,genesis worked for fam'lies that have boys like ,willie in 'em1 an' this morning ,one-eye ,beljus showed ,genesis ,willie's name written down in his book1 an' ,one-eye ,beljus asked ,genesis if he knew anybody by that name an' all about him4 ,well1 an' so at first ,genesis pretended he was tryin' to remember1 because he wanted to find out what ,willie went there for4 ,genesis didn't tell any stories1 mamma2 he just pretended he couldn't remember1 an' so1 well1 ,one-eye ,beljus kept talkin' an' pretty soon ,genesis found out all about it4 ,one-eye ,beljus said ,willie came in there and tried on the coat of one of those waiter suits--0 8,oh1 no60 gasped ,mrs4 ,baxter4 8,yes'm1 an' ,one-eye ,beljus said it was the only one that would fit ,willie1 an' ,one-eye ,beljus told ,willie that suit was worth fourteen dollars1 an' ,willie said he didn't have any money1 but he'd like to trade something else for it4 ,well1 an' so ,one-eye ,beljus said this was an awful fine suit an' the only one he had that had b'longed to a white gentleman4 ,well1 an' so they bargained1 an' bargained1 an' bargained1 an' bargained6 ,an' then1 well1 an' so at last ,willie said he'd go an' get everything that b'longed to him1 an' ,one-eye ,beljus could pick out enough to make fourteen dollars' worth1 an' then ,willie could have the suit4 ,well1 an' so ,willie came home an' put everything he had that b'longed to him into those two baskets1 mamma--that's just what he did1 'cause ,genesis says he told ,one-eye ,beljus it was everything that b'longed to him1 an' that would take two baskets1 mamma4 ,well then1 an' so he told ,one-eye ,beljus to pick out fourteen dollars' worth1 an' ,one-eye ,beljus ast ,willie if he didn't have a watch4 ,well1 ,willie took out his watch1 an' ,one-eye ,beljus said it was an awful bad watch but he would put it in for a dollar2 an' he said1 #8,i'll put your necktie pin in for forty cents more1' so ,willie took it out of his necktie2 an' then ,one-eye ,beljus said it would take all the things in the baskets to make ,i forget how much1 mamma1 and the watch would be a dollar more1 an' the pin forty cents1 an' that would leave just three dollars and sixty cents more for ,willie to pay before he could get the suit40 ,mrs4 ,baxter's face had become suffused with high color1 but she wished to know all that ,genesis had said1 and1 mastering her feelings with an effort1 she told ,jane to proceed--a command obeyed after ,jane had taken several long breaths4 8,well1 an' so the worst part of it is1 ,genesis says1 it's because that suit is haunted40 8,what60 8,yes'm10 said ,jane solemnly2 8,genesis says it's haunted4 ,genesis says everybody over on the avynoo knows all about that suit1 an' he says that's why ,one-eye ,beljus never could sell it before4 ,genesis says ,one-eye ,beljus tried to sell it to a colored man for three dollars1 but the man said he wouldn't put it on for three hunderd dollars1 an' ,genesis says he wouldn't either1 because it belonged to a ,dago waiter that--that--0 ,jane's voice sank to a whisper of unctuous horror3 she was having a wonderful time6 8,mamma1 this ,dago waiter1 he lived over on the avynoo1 an' he took a case-knife he'd sharpened--an' he cut a lady's head off with it60 ,mrs4 ,baxter screamed faintly4 8,an' he got hung1 mamma6 ,if you don't believe it you can ask ,one-eye ,beljus--,i guess he knows6 ,an' you can ask--0 8,hush60 8,an' he sold this suit that ,willie wants to ,one-eye ,beljus when he was in jail1 mamma4 ,he sold it to him before he got hung1 mamma40 8,hush1 ,jane60 ,but ,jane couldn't hush now4 8,an' he had that suit on when he cut the lady's head off1 mamma1 an' that's why it's haunted4 ,they cleaned it all up excep' a few little spots of bl--0 8,jane60 shouted her mother4 8,you must not talk about such things1 and ,genesis mustn't tell you stories of that sort60 8,well1 how could he help it1 if he told me about ,willie80 ,jane urged reasonably4 8,never mind6 ,did that crazy ch-- ,did ,willie leave the baskets in that dreadful place80 8,yes'm--an' his watch an' pin10 ,jane informed her impressively4 8,an' ,one-eye ,beljus wanted to know if ,genesis knew ,willie1 because ,one-eye ,beljus wanted to know if ,genesis thought ,willie could get the three dollars an' sixty cents1 an' ,one-eye ,beljus wanted to know if ,genesis thought he could get anything more out of him besides that4 ,he told ,genesis he hadn't told ,willie he could have the suit1 after all2 he just told him he thought he could1 but he wouldn't say for certain till he brought him the three dollars an' sixty cents4 ,so ,willie left all his things there1 an' his watch an'--0 8,that will do60 ,mrs4 ,baxter's voice was sharper than it had ever been in ,jane's recollection4 8,i don't need to hear any more--and ,i don't want to hear any more60 ,jane was justly aggrieved4 8,but mamma1 it isn't my fault60 ,mrs4 ,baxter's lips parted to speak1 but she checked herself4 8,fault80 she said gravely4 8,i wonder whose fault it really is60 ,and with that she went hurriedly into ,william's room1 and made a brief inspection of his clothes-closet and dressing-table4 ,then1 as ,jane watched her in awed silence1 she strode to the window and called loudly3 8,genesis60 8,yes'm80 came the voice from below4 8,go to that lumber-yard where ,mr4 ,william is at work and bring him here to me at once4 ,if he declines to come1 tell him--0 ,her voice broke oddly2 she choked1 but ,jane could not decide with what emotion4 8,tell him--tell him ,i ordered you to use force if necessary6 ,hurry60 8,yes'm60 ,jane ran to the window in time to see ,genesis departing seriously through the back gate4 8,mamma--0 8,don't talk to me now1 ,jane10 ,mrs4 ,baxter said crisply4 8,i want you to go down in the yard1 and when ,willie comes tell him ,i'm waiting for him here in his own room4 ,and don't come with him1 ,jane4 ,run60 8,yes1 mamma40 ,jane was pleased with this appointment3 she anxiously desired to be the first to see how ,willie 8looked40 444 ,he looked flurried and flustered and breathless1 and there were blisters upon the reddened palms of his hands4 8,what on earth's the matter1 mother80 he asked1 as he stood panting before her4 8,genesis said something was wrong1 and he said you told him to hit me if ,i wouldn't come40 8,oh1 no60 she cried4 8,i only meant ,i thought perhaps you wouldn't obey any ordinary message--0 8,well1 well1 it doesn't matter1 but please hurry and say what you want to because ,i got to get back and--0 8,no10 ,mrs4 ,baxter said quietly4 8,you're not going back to count any more shingles1 ,willie4 ,how much have you earned80 ,he swallowed1 but spoke bravely4 8,thirty-six cents4 ,but ,i've been getting lots faster the last two hours and there's a good deal of time before six o'clock4 ,mother--0 8,no10 she said4 8,you're going over to that horrible place where you've left your clothes and your watch and all those other things in the two baskets1 and you're going to bring them home at once40 8,mother60 he cried aghast4 8,who told you80 8,it doesn't matter4 ,you don't want your father to find out1 do you8 ,then get those things back here as quickly as you can4 ,they'll have to be fumigated after being in that den40 8,they've never been out of the baskets10 he protested hotly1 8except just to be looked at4 ,they're my things1 mother1 and ,i had a right to do what ,i needed to with 'em1 didn't ,i80 ,his utterance became difficult4 8,you and father just can't understand--and you won't do anything to help me--0 8,willie1 you can go to the party10 she said gently4 8,you didn't need those frightful clothes at all40 8,i do60 he cried4 8,i got to have 'em6 ,i can't go in my day clo'es6 ,there's a reason you wouldn't understand why ,i can't4 ,i just can't60 8,yes10 she said1 8you can go to the party40 8,i can't either6 ,not unless you give me three dollars and twenty-four cents1 or unless ,i can get back to the lumber-yard and earn the rest before--0 8,no60 ,and the warm color that had rushed over ,mrs4 ,baxter during ,jane's sensational recital returned with a vengeance4 ,her eyes flashed4 8,if you'd rather ,i sent a policeman for those baskets1 ,i'll send one4 ,i should prefer to do it--much6 ,and to have that rascal arrested4 ,if you don't want me to send a policeman you can go for them yourself1 but you must start within ten minutes1 because if you don't ,i'll telephone headquarters4 ,ten minutes1 ,willie1 and ,i mean it60 ,he cried out1 protesting4 ,she would make him a thing of scorn forever and soil his honor1 if she sent a policeman4 ,mr4 ,beljus was a fair and honest tradesman1 he explained passionately1 and had not made the approaches in this matter4 ,also1 the garments in question1 though not entirely new1 nor of the highest mode1 were of good material and in splendid condition4 ,unmistakably they were evening clothes1 and such a bargain at fourteen dollars that ,william would guarantee to sell them for twenty after he had worn them this one evening4 ,mr4 ,beljus himself had said that he would not even think of letting them go at fourteen to anybody else1 and as for the two poor baskets of worn and useless articles offered in exchange1 and a bent scarfpin and a worn-out old silver watch that had belonged to great-uncle ,ben--why1 the ten dollars and forty cents allowed upon them was beyond all ordinary liberality2 it was almost charity4 ,there was only one place in town where evening clothes were rented1 and the suspicious persons in charge had insisted that ,william obtain from his father a guarantee to insure the return of the garments in perfect condition4 ,so that was hopeless4 ,and wasn't it better1 also1 to wear clothes which had known only one previous occupant 7as was the case with ,mr4 ,beljus' offering7 than to hire what chance hundreds had hired8 ,finally1 there was only one thing to be considered and this was the fact that ,william had to have those clothes6 8,six minutes10 said ,mrs4 ,baxter1 glancing implacably at her watch4 8,when it's ten ,i'll telephone40 ,and the end of it was1 of course1 victory for the woman--victory both moral and physical4 ,three-quarters of an hour later she was unburdening the contents of the two baskets and putting the things back in place1 illuminating these actions with an expression of strong distaste--in spite of broken assurances that ,mr4 ,beljus had not more than touched any of the articles offered to him for valuation4 444 ,at dinner1 which was unusually early that evening1 ,mrs4 ,baxter did not often glance toward her son2 she kept her eyes from that white face and spent most of her time in urging upon ,mr4 ,baxter that he should be prompt in dressing for a card-club meeting which he and she were to attend that evening4 ,these admonitions of hers were continued so pressingly that ,mr4 ,baxter1 after protesting that there was no use in being a whole hour too early1 groaningly went to dress without even reading his paper4 ,william had retired to his own room1 where he lay upon his bed in the darkness4 ,he heard the evening noises of the house faintly through the closed door3 voices and the clatter of metal and china from the faraway kitchen1 ,jane's laugh in the hall1 the opening and closing of the doors4 ,then his father seemed to be in distress about something3 ,william heard him complaining to ,mrs4 ,baxter2 and though the words were indistinct1 the tone was vigorously plaintive4 ,mrs4 ,baxter laughed and appeared to make light of his troubles1 whatever they were--and presently their footsteps were audible from the stairway2 the front door closed emphatically1 and they were gone4 ,everything was quiet now4 ,the open window showed as a greenish oblong set in black1 and ,william knew that in a little while--half an hour1 perhaps--there would come through the stillness of that window the distant sound of violins4 ,that was a moment he dreaded with a dread that ached4 ,and as he lay on his dreary bed1 he thought of brightly lighted rooms where other boys were dressing eagerly1 faces and hair shining1 hearts beating high--boys who would possess this last evening1 and the 8last waltz together10 the last smile and the last sigh4 ,it did not once enter his mind that he could go to the dance in his 8best suit10 or that possibly the other young people at the party would be too busy with their own affairs to notice particularly what he wore4 ,it was the unquestionable and granite fact1 to his mind1 that the whole derisive ,world would know the truth about his earlier appearances in his father's clothes4 ,and that was a form of ruin not to be faced4 ,in the protective darkness and seclusion of ,william's bedroom1 it is possible that smarting eyes relieved themselves by blinking rather energetically2 it is even possible that there was a minute damp spot upon the pillow4 ,seventeen cannot always manage the little boy yet alive under all the coverings4 ,there came a tapping upon the door and a soft voice4 8,will-ee80 ,with a sharp exclamation ,william swung his legs over the edge of the bed and sat up4 ,of all things he desired not1 he desired no conversation with1 or on the part of1 ,jane4 ,but he had forgotten to lock his door--the handle turned1 and a dim little figure marched in4 8,willie1 ,adelia's goin' to put me to bed40 8,you g'way from here10 he said huskily4 8,i haven't got time to talk to you4 ,i'm busy40 8,well1 you can wait a minute1 can't you80 she asked reasonably4 8,i haf to tell you a joke on mamma40 8,i don't want to hear any jokes60 8,well1 ,i haf to tell you this one 'cause she told me to6 ,oh60 ,jane clapped her hand over her mouth and jumped up and down1 offering a fantastic silhouette against the light of the open door4 8,oh1 oh1 oh60 8,what's matter80 8,she said ,i mustn't1 mustn't tell that she told me to tell6 ,my goodness6 ,i forgot that6 ,mamma took me off alone right after dinner1 an' she told me to tell you this joke on her as soon as she an' papa had left the house1 but she said1 #8,above all things1' she said1 #8don't let ,willie know ,i said to tell him4' ,that's just what she said1 an' here that's the very first thing ,i had to go an' do60 8,well1 what of it80 ,jane quieted down4 ,the pangs of her remorse were lost in her love of sensationalism1 and her voice sank to the thrilling whisper which it was one of her greatest pleasures to use4 8,did you hear what a fuss papa was makin' when he was dressin' for the card-party80 8,i don't care if--0 8,he had to go in his reg'lar clo'es60 whispered ,jane triumphantly4 8,an' this is the joke on mamma3 you know that tailor that let papa's dress-suit way1 way out2 well1 mamma thinks that tailor must think she's crazy1 or somep'm1 'cause she took papa's dress-suit to him last ,monday to get it pressed for this card-party1 an' she guesses he must of understood her to tell him to do lots besides just pressin' it4 ,anyway1 he went an' altered it1 an' he took it way1 way in again2 an' this afternoon when it came back it was even tighter'n what it was in the first place1 an' papa couldn't begin to get into it6 ,well1 an' so it's all pressed an' everything1 an' she stopped on the way out1 an' whispered to me that sh'd got so upset over the joke on her that she couldn't remember where she put it when she took it out o' papa's room after he gave up tryin' to get inside of it4 ,an' that10 cried ,jane--8that's the funniest thing of all6 ,why1 it's layin' right on her bed this very minute60 ,in one bound ,william leaped through the open door4 ,two seconds sufficed for his passage through the hall to his mother's bedroom--and there1 neatly spread upon the lace coverlet and brighter than coronation robes1 fairer than ,joseph's sacred coat ,it lay6 ,the ,people's ,home ,journal ,,the ,,bell ,,of ,,saint ,,gregoire ,,by ,,agnes ,,ross ,,white ,,the ,,bell ,,of ,,saint ,,gregoire#i ,by ,,agnes ,,ross ,,white ,not everywhere does the ,virgin reach down to help those who pray to her as she does at ,st4 ,gregoire1 but not everywhere do people pray with such simple faith1 such surety1 as do the habitants in this little parish up among the ,laurentides4 ,for there was the never-to-be-forgotten time1 when ,our ,lady came to help ,dine ,dor1 the year the bell was hung in the old church1 more than a hundred years ago4 ,dine was the child of her native hills1 beautiful1 wild and solemn2 so beautiful that the country people1 not understanding1 called her look strange2 wild with a quiet1 pagan wildness1 and solemn as a seer who beholds the heart of the world4 ,when her parents died1 every home in the parish was opened to her1 for that is the way of the habitants1 but everywhere she was an alien4 ,only gray-haired ,pre ,dufresne recognized the miracle of her beauty and marveled at it1 or listened to her words1 even though he wondered at them and was puzzled2 and only ,pre ,dufresne loved the child4 ,so it came that she made his house her home2 and there she lived her unchildlike life1 roaming the hills by day1 and telling the cur strange tales as they sat by the firelight after the darkness came1 till the priest wondered if another ,joan the ,maid sat at his knee4 ,from the solitudes she had brought strange fancies2 fantastic forms and faces had she seen in the mist on the river1 a throb of divine heart-break had she caught in the moaning before the storm1 or a strain of weird1 unearthly music in the song of the hermit thrush1 8but never ,voices10 thought the cur1 8she never says she has heard ,voices10 and he waited1 half expectant4 ,but ,dine grew as a child grows2 and lo1 there came a day when the priest looked at her1 amazed1 that she had grown up so soon4 ,then his trouble became an insistent thing4 ,she was fifteen2 there was no place for her in the village1 surely none in the great world outside2 there was the veil--and yes1 he would speak to ,monseigneur about that when next the good ,bishop should come to ,st4 ,gregoire4 ,but before the ,bishop came1 ,st4 ,gregoire had been jostled by the world beyond the hills4 ,men from the outside came into the valley1 drawing lines and measuring and placing markers here and there2 the iron road was coming through ,st4 ,gregoire1 perhaps4 ,from an eyrie on the mountain side ,dine watched the work of the strangers with curiosity4 ,she could understand the work of the beavers and the foxes and the birds1 of the wind and the rain1 the frost and sunshine1 even the work of the unseen things1 but these strangers she could not explain4 ,then one day1 away up at little ,lake in the ,sky1 she came upon one of them4 ,he was young1 very young1 and never before had ,dine seen eyes the color of the sky1 nor hair that shone like sunlight1 for the blood of the ,indian women of the past was very persistent in ,st4 ,gregoire4 ,to his words in ,english ,dine shook her head2 to his halting ,french she answered3 8,i am ,dine ,dor1 and ,i live down there10 pointing to the valley4 ,but ,dine asked no questions2 she had found him in the forest on the mountain1 as she had found nearly every thing of which she knew2 there was nothing unusual in question4 ,and so it was that youth1 strong and virile1 met youth in its virgin freshness and they walked hand in hand1 unconscious and content4 ,but ,pre ,dufresne was not content4 8,no1 no1 my child10 said he1 8you must not be with the stranger4 ,it is not well for thee1 it is not well40 8,but why not1 mon pre80 asked ,dine in surprise4 8,i like to be with him2 ,i tell him many things2 he knows so little of all this10 with a sweep of her hand toward the hills1 the river and the sky1 8and he is glad to know1 very glad4 ,why should ,i not be with him to tell him80 ,poor ,pre ,dufresne stammered in embarrassment4 ,surely the ,evil ,one was digging pitfalls and laying snares to entrap him1 for never before had his work brought him such a problem as this1 never before had one been so dear to him as ,dine1 for she had touched the man-father in the priest1 and it wrung his heart to say aught to change the child--8ma petite pucelle10 he called her in his thoughts4 ,why could she not have been like all the rest to him1 and why need this stranger have come to ,st4 ,gregoire--,st4 ,gregoire so little and almost lost away back of the hills8 8,he is ,english and perhaps a heretic10 he argued1 hoping thus to avoid the difficulty4 8,i do not know that10 she answered doubtfully4 8,he signs the cross as ,i have told him4 ,i will ask him40 ,and so ,pre ,dufresne1 tender-hearted old man that he was1 left the matter1 hoping--as so many a wiser man has done--that le bon ,dieu in ,his omnipotence would order the matter to his liking4 ,in good time the engineers finished their work and went on1 but the boy remained1 for he was not of them4 ,he had come for the fishing1 the shooting1 for the primitive life he might find2 he might go or stay as he chose1 and the unreckoning will of youth said1 8,i have found that which is good in my sight2 ,i shall stop to enjoy40 ,days are to youth what years are to age1 and well might ,pre ,dufresne be dismayed at the result of his indecision4 ,who shall say when boyhood goes and manhood comes8 ,who shall say1 that minute love was not1 this minute it is8 ,certain it was that the boy listened to ,dine's half-savage1 half-religious mysticism1 charmed and absorbed4 ,the old druid spirit1 that had worshipped under the oak trees of ,britain lived again in this son of an ancient soil1 and in the reincarnation the boy became a man and loved this woman1 unconsciously and naturally as the flower loves the sunlight1 or the bird the freedom of the air4 ,but when she was not with him1 when he sat by his campfire with the darkness about him1 he remembered that he was from beyond the hills2 he saw his lady-mother and the ivy-grown walls of home1 a home which would be prison to ,dine1 a home in which he knew she could never have a place4 ,then he saw ,dine1 saw the beauty of her eyes1 heard the sweetness of her voice1 above all felt the purity of her spirit2 and it was ,dine of whom he dreamed4 ,these musings by his campfire kept alive the man of convention1 and he knew he must go down to the priest in the valley and claim this woman in the way decreed by man4 ,summer passed and the foliage glowed and faded4 ,indian summer came1 like a flower flung back by a band of revelers as they danced madly and merrily away2 then the nights became crisp and frosty1 and the day arrived when he said to ,dine as they sat watching the passing of the wild geese3 8,i saw the geese yesterday2 ,i saw them the day before2 to-day--to-morrow1 perhaps--soon ,i must follow4 ,i must leave the hills40 99 99 99 99 99 ,she turned to him quickly with a look and gesture of startled bewilderment4 ,he leaned forward and laid his hand on hers4 8,look at me1 ,dine--straight in my eyes as ,i talk to you4 ,you can come with me4 ,think of it4 ,away together to see more beautiful things1 away to the southward with the wild geese1 till the cold is gone1 then to rivers and lakes and mountains again4 ,we shall be together all the days--always2 we shall watch the sunrise and sunset together2 we shall stand before the priest and he shall send us away man and wife4 ,do you know why people marry1 ,dine8 ,because they want each other as ,i want you1 to have against all others--because they love4 ,do you know what ,i mean8 ,can you want me like that1 ,dine80 ,as he bent nearer to her she felt the hand clasping hers tighten1 and the blood throbbing in his fingers4 ,for a long time they sat and her gaze did not falter4 ,the companionship of the weeks had changed1 and she felt a new knowledge and a new joy1 indefinable yet overwhelming4 ,then slowly she answered him4 8,yes1 ,i want you like that4 ,i know what you mean4 ,but--there is more4 ,i cannot tell what it is2 perhaps ,i know not the words4 ,can you say it80 8,no1 ,dine1 sweetheart1 only that it is love1 and no one can tell what it is4 ,it is like life1 we can only live it1 dear40 8,then we will live it together1 you and ,i10 she said4 ,and she listened to ,love's old tale1 not with blushes1 not with downcast eyes1 but with face and eyes lifted to her lover with a glad new light in them4 ,and he said not that the world was well lost for love--the world was forgotten4 99 99 99 99 99 ,they went hand in hand down the hillside1 straight to the priest's door4 ,the old man wept with remorse1 and blamed himself for neglected duty1 while ,dine stood in silent distress4 ,at last1 falling on her knees by his side1 she pressed his fingers to her lips and pleaded4 8,ah1 mon pre1 mon pre1 you hurt me so4 ,is it you do not now love your little ,dine8 ,look at the others in the parish2 you have blessed them and let them go away together1 and you did not weep4 ,i love you1 mon pre1 but ,i must go1 ,i must go4 ,let me go like the rest40 ,sadly ,pre ,dufresne placed his hand on her bowed head and smoothed her heavy1 black hair4 8,it has come1 even to my little maid1 ma petite pucelle1 whom ,i had thought so far removed from man's love4 ,my daughter1 this love of man brings labor and sorrow1 brings pain and tears1 and you would go even if it must be that you shall bear pain and sorrow and weep your tears alone80 ,he spoke more to himself than to her1 but she raised her head and answered quickly as if understanding his meaning1 or it may be the new-born woman spoke within her4 8,yes1 father1 ,i see the women labor1 and the labor is hard and the days are long2 ,i see the children many1 and the women grow old with each one2 and ,i saw ,delize ,paquette crying because there was no one to stand in the church as father to her baby2 but1 mon pre1 ,i see1 too1 the men and women coming from the long day's labor together1 and they are happy2 ,i see the children bring smiles to their mothers' tired eyes1 and again they are happy2 and ,i see ,delize kiss her baby1 even as my mother kissed me1 and she is happier with that kiss than ,madame ,bisson who has no child4 ,bless me and let me go1 mon pre1 for my happiness has gone before and beckons to me1 and always ,i see the man's love leading it40 8,enough1 my daughter1 it shall be as you wish1 and may ,our ,lady have you in her holy keeping40 99 99 99 99 99 ,and so ,dine was wed1 not before the altar1 no1 not there1 for the stranger was not of the faith1 but without the church door1 just where the gaze of ,our ,lady1 high up in her niche near the roof1 seemed to rest with benign love and pity4 ,then1 hand in hand1 as ,dine and her lover had come down the mountain side1 so they went down the valley1 away from ,st4 ,gregoire to where her happiness seemed beckoning her4 ,they paused away down where the valley turns sharp behind the last of the hills2 the church could just be seen1 a little white speck in the distance4 8,oh1 if ,i might know that day by day the good father will feel that ,i think of him always4 ,there will be no one now to talk to him by the firelight1 no one to tell him the words of the hills40 ,dine's tone was not one of regretful longing1 but rather a great wish that the priest might not feel that she had left him alone4 8,if there were something which you might give him1 something which would always speak for you10 the stranger had answered1 feeling that he had indeed taken the sunshine and the song from the old man's life4 8,can you think of something1 ,dine1 that will please him much80 8,there is something10 she said1 8but ,i cannot give him that40 8,but tell me2 perhaps you may40 8,it is a bell2 we have never had one4 ,it takes very much money to buy a bell2 the people have flax and grain1 but1 oh1 so little money4 ,pre ,dufresne said le bon ,dieu might send us one some time if we were not forgetful40 8,a bell it shall be that you shall give him10 the stranger promised1 but ,dine only smiled wistfully and turned away4 ,and so they passed beyond the turn in the valley1 and the hills shut them away from ,st4 ,gregoire4 ,soon the snows of winter fell upon all the hills1 and more than ever was ,st4 ,gregoire lost to the great world outside4 ,in the long evenings ,pre ,dufresne sat by his fire alone1 conjuring up the face of his little maid in the moving shadows1 and dreaming1 till he almost heard her voice as he used to hear it--8,mais oui1 mon pre1 that is what the bird in the cedars said to me as ,i came by the swamp at sunset40 ,it was thus that he thought of her1 and always with a great foreboding and self-condemnation4 ,day after day dragged slowly by until at last the winter was gone1 but neither the spring nor the summer brought assurance to the old priest or eased his loneliness4 ,one thing there came to arouse the parish1 even as the engineers had with their suggestion of a railroad4 ,in the early summer a letter had come from over the sea saying their bell would be ready in the autumn4 ,from whom it was to come they knew not2 le bon ,dieu had indeed remembered them4 99 99 99 99 99 ,then1 as the days grew chill again1 that which the priest expected and dreaded happened--,dine came back--,dine and her baby4 ,her husband had sailed away to ,england1 to his mother who was dying2 as for herself1 she could not bear the town alone1 she must come back to the old familiar river and her hills to wait for him4 ,that was the simple story she had to tell2 to her it was sufficient1 but she read anger and grief on the priest's face4 8,this is the happiness you sought1 the thing ,i let you wander out into the world to find1 and ,i knew1 ,i knew40 ,as he bowed his head in sorrow1 ,dine knelt and pleaded as she had once before4 8,ah1 mon pre1 it is not that you should grieve1 for ,i found my happiness4 ,i am happy now1 a little lonely1 perhaps1 till he shall come for me1 but he will come4 ,i tell you he will come10 she repeated in eager defense as she noted the pained look of doubt4 8,he is gone as ,i told you1 but ,i chose to stay4 ,besides1 ,i am not alone2 here is my child1 father4 ,the days may be long1 but he will come4 ,as ,i came here ,i heard the people talking of a bell4 ,it is not yet hung1 but when it rings for the first time ,i shall know he will not be far away40 ,the prophecy came to her as an inspiration1 and her tone of loneliness changed to one of trust and surety4 ,a tiny log house on the river bank she took for her home4 ,the cur found that his old housekeeper needed strong1 young arms to lift the burden of her work1 and so ,dine settled into a quiet nook1 more silent than of old1 and if her longing and weary waiting found words1 they were whispered to baby ears by the fireside in the little cabin by the river4 ,and the bell8 ,there was something strange about it4 ,autumn passed and winter came1 but no tidings of the bell4 ,in the spring came a letter from ,england saying that the ship bringing the bell had foundered in the ,gulf and her cargo was lost4 ,another bell would come by the next autumn perhaps4 ,poor ,dine6 ,it seemed an answer to her unwitting prophecy4 ,the snow disappeared and the birds and flowers came with a rush1 as they always come to the ,northland4 ,when her work was done1 ,dine would take her boy in her arms and wander away to the forests on the hillsides4 ,she could seek sympathy nowhere else4 ,the old familiar groves and hollows and peaks made her feel a strange calmness and resignation after stormy nights of despair and dying hope4 ,up here it seemed that her husband must be dead1 or he would have come2 down there by the river the torturing thought of desertion and lost love nearly drove her mad4 ,up here under the trees she told over and over again to her baby what his father had said when she walked here with him2 what he would say if he ever came back2 and if he did not come back they must know he was dead4 ,thus the summer passed and autumn came again4 ,how she dreaded the winter with its long evenings and the snow-bound world1 when there would be naught but the whistling wind1 the driving snow1 the faint murmur of the river under the ice1 and her thoughts4 99 99 99 99 99 ,then one sabbath ,pre ,dufresne told them that the bell would be there in a week4 ,how ,dine's heart leaped with a vague1 new hope6 ,no one knew it was her bell1 and that it was so near seemed proof that he was alive and had not forgotten her4 ,at last it came4 ,all the parish crowded around as it was being lifted from the cart4 ,dine looked on from the outer edge of the circle1 pale and disturbed1 holding her baby so close that he whimpered with pain4 ,suddenly an exclamation of anger and disappointment burst from the people4 ,a clumsy handler had let his burden slip and the bell had struck with a jarring ring--its last note4 ,an ugly crack from bottom to top had silenced its voice before it could speak for ,st4 ,gregoire4 ,dine sank to her knees with a sob4 ,it was all over2 her last faint hope was gone4 ,now she was certain he must be dead4 ,no one noticed her1 for all were listening to the cur who was reading aloud an inscription on the broken bell4 8,what8 ,whose gift8 ,read it again1 father40 ,dine had paid no heed to the cur's words1 but the deep silence roused her to find them all regarding her with surprised awe4 8,my daughter10 said the cur as he came to her side1 8the ,blessed ,virgin has sent her gift in your name2 she has looked on her handmaiden with love and favor40 ,she arose bewildered and he led her to the bell1 but she turned away calm and tearless4 8,no1 no1 father4 ,it means he is dead and will not come4 ,let me go home40 ,silently they stood aside and watched her go down the hill4 ,in her sorrow ,dine had touched their hearts4 ,the cur's eyes were dim1 and his voice faltered as he blessed them and sent them away4 ,and now ,pre ,dufresne bethought him that the ,bishop might help them1 and the bell was sent back to ,quebec4 99 99 99 99 99 ,by return messenger came the word that it would be recast1 that the parish should have its bell4 ,this ,dine did not know1 as the cur thought to calm her grief the sooner if she had no false hope4 ,after a little she went about her task as before4 ,her winter evenings were spent now in braiding straw hats4 ,at times1 when the straw broke in her weary fingers1 she would lay it aside1 and kneeling by the rude cradle1 would pour out the sorrows of her broken heart in wailing murmurs4 8,ah1 why must ,i suffer so when ,i know he is dead8 ,my heart aches for one day with him1 even for one moment4 ,why do ,i start when the wind shakes the door8 ,why do ,i listen for footsteps in the whistling of the gale8 ,why cannot ,i feel that he is dead when ,i know he must be8 ,why do ,i wake in the night feeling his kiss on my lips8 ,why does the sound of his voice still fall on my ear1 and the light of his eyes meet mine in the twilight8 ,oh1 ,mother of ,christ1 give me peace and strength1 or the silence of death for my child and me40 ,in the last days of the winter word came again concerning the bell1 and a few days later came the bell itself4 ,great care was taken this time4 ,the people were ready to look upon it as a thing bewitched1 and even doubted the wisdom of attempting to hang it2 but the cur exorcised their superstition4 ,it was blest1 and the day came when it would hang in the steeple before all ,st4 ,gregoire4 ,dine had felt only pain when she heard that the bell had come4 ,she cared nothing for ceremonies and she had no curiosity1 so through it all she kept steadily at her work1 not even glancing toward the church on her way home4 99 99 99 99 99 ,fate was kinder now1 and at last the bell was in place1 but the first ringing was to be for mass on the sabbath2 and so it waited4 ,the winter had been a terrible one4 ,snow storm followed snow storm till the drifts piled higher than ever before4 ,people along the river prayed for a gentle spring1 with only south wind and sunshine4 ,heavy rains meant disaster1 perhaps destruction to their all4 ,before the sabbath dawned1 that which they dreaded came2 it rained1 a steady downpour for many hours1 then a deluge4 ,the ice on the river had had no time to melt1 and the floods from the slopes above poured over it without breaking it up4 ,helplessly the people watched the torrent swell and spread4 ,nearly every one had moved what he could to higher land1 each one striving for himself4 ,night came on1 dark and dreadful4 ,there was no sleep even on the hillsides4 ,the sound of the waters had been deep and threatening1 but suddenly in the darkness they burst forth in a roaring crash4 ,something had happened in the lake above4 ,thank ,god1 every one had had time to escape danger4 ,now thoughts turned to fellow creatures and their safety4 ,yes1 all seemed to be safe4 ,but where was ,dine and the child8 ,in the cur's house1 of course4 ,no8 ,god in heaven6 ,was she down there by the river8 8,men to the rescue60 shouted the cur4 ,in a moment he had hurried to the bell rope1 and for the first time the ,bell of ,st4 ,gregoire rang out clear and strong1 even before the roar of the storm and the battle of the waters4 ,at dusk ,dine had looked at the river almost touching her threshold2 but the high land lay back of her2 she would not be cut off without warning4 ,she dressed the child warmly before he went to sleep1 placed their outer garments in readiness1 piled the logs on the hearth and sat down to wait4 ,suddenly the house shook and the water poured in at every opening4 ,she sprang to the bed1 and in an instant they were ready4 ,but1 oh1 the awful darkness6 ,the house seemed to be moving from its place4 ,the water was rising quickly4 ,she stood dazed4 ,what should she do8 ,the loft6 ,quickly she mounted the ladder and broke open the window4 ,she leaned far out--nothing could be seen4 ,she could feel the house moving away on the flood4 ,what was that8 ,the bell6 ,she smiled and laid her face close to the child4 ,softly she whispered3 8,ah1 baby1 baby6 ,mother was right after all4 ,listen to the bell4 ,i said that when it should ring for the first time he would not be far away1 and in a moment we shall be with him4 ,don't be afraid1 dearie4 ,he will be waiting for us1 and1 at last1 after all this long1 long time1 we shall be together all the days1 as he used to tell me1 and we shall have you besides4 ,perhaps he can see us now coming nearer40 99 99 99 99 99 ,she laughed a happy little laugh1 the first since she had come back to ,st4 ,gregoire4 ,the child was quiet1 soothed by the gentle crooning as she murmured on4 8,dine6 ,dine6 ,shout6 ,call to me6 ,i am here10 came faintly to her ears over the waters out of the darkness4 8,listen1 listen1 my little one4 ,he is calling to us4 ,blessed ,virgin1 ,i thank thee40 ,then loud and clear3 8,here6 ,here am ,i1 your ,dine40 ,again came the cry1 louder and nearer4 8,call again1 ,dine6 ,be brave60 ,again she called4 8,we are nearer1 nearer10 she whispered4 8,soon it will be light1 the great1 beautiful ,dawn60 ,something else was whirling along the way with them--it loomed near her window4 ,again the cry1 almost within reach4 8,courage a little longer1 ,dine4 ,now6 ,hold closely to me60 ,our ,lady had indeed looked with favor on her handmaiden1 for who1 think you1 had brought the stranger over sea and land1 through storm and peril1 by snowshoe and sled track1 even into the darkness1 to answer to the call of the bell in ,dine's great need8 ,who had made him listen to the song of his heart1 even though the music of home had been loud in his ears1 and brought him dreams such as he had dreamed by his campfire that summer1 until he could hear ,dine's voice--and his baby's8 ,israel ,gagnon knows1 and ,victor ,brassard knows and ,grandmre ,touchette knows and the little habitant girl at her flax wheel knows4 ,for as the vesper tones ebb and flow around the hills and along the valley ,i hear her murmur ,dine's name and a little prayer to ,our ,lady1 for our little maid1 too1 has a lover2 and as ,i listen to the bell1 now 8so beeg it feel all de worl'1 beeger den all de mountain'10 and now 8so small an' sof' ,i can jus' feel it inside me10 ,i1 too1 know who brought the stranger back to his wife and child4 ,pictorial ,,the ,,evening ,,rice ,,by ,,achmed ,,abdullah ,,the ,,evening ,,rice#aj ,by ,,achmed ,,abdullah ,up there in the gray ,north a great triple tomb thrusts its frowning parapet obliquely into space4 ,on its outer walls1 to left and right of the entrance1 are bas-reliefs in sea-green majolica1 representing five-claw1 imperial dragons4 ,it is the ,fu-,ling1 the ,happy and ,august ,tomb1 where lies the ,t'ai ,tzu1 the ,nurhachi1 the ,iron-capped ,prince1 the founder of the ,manchu dynasty1 who centuries ago swept out of the barren ,central ,asian wastes at the head of his host of red-skinned1 flat-nosed horsemen1 and turned placid ,china into a crimson shambles4 ,last year the hereditary keeper of the sacred tomb1 a ,ch'i-jn1 a ,manchu bannerman1 sold it to a moon faced ,chinese farmer for a lean sack of clipped silver taels4 ,next year it will house the farmer's squealing1 red-bristled pigs4 ,and still the ,manchu has his sword and the strength of his sword-arm2 still the moon-faced coolie is a coward who shrinks at the swish and crackle of naked steel4 ,yet1 next year1 the pigs will dirty the tomb's yellow imperial tiles4 ,and the pigs1 too1 are symbolic--and necessary4 ,for what is the evening rice without a few slivers of fried pork8 ,the last time ,ng ,ch'u had seen him had been nearly forty years earlier in the squat little ,manchu-,chinese border town of ,ninguta1 in the hushed shelter of an enameled pagoda-roof that mirrored the sun-rays a thousandfold1 like countless intersecting rainbows--endless zigzag flashings of electric blue and deep rose and keen1 arrogant1 glaucous-green1 like the shooting of dragon-flies and purple-winged tropical moths4 ,there had been murder in the other's1 the ,manchu's1 eyes2 murder in the hairy1 brown fist that curled about broad1 glistening steel4 ,but on that day he1 the despised ,chinese coolie1 had had the whip-hand4 8,a ,manchu you are60 he had said2 and his eyes had glistened triumphantly through meager almond slits4 8,a ,manchu indeed6 ,a ,pao-i bannerman1 an aristocrat--sloughing your will and your passions as snakes cast their skin1 brooking no master but yourself and the black desert thunder6 ,and ,i am only a mud-turtle from the land of ,han40 ,he had sucked in his breath4 8,but--0 he had continued2 had slurred and stopped4 8,but80 8,but--there is one thing1 perhaps two1 which the ,huang ,t'ai ,hou1 the ,empress1 the ,old ,buddha1 does not forgive--not even in a ,manchu1 an iron-capped prince60--and a few more words1 sibilant1 staccato1 and at once ,yang ,shen-hsiu had sheathed his dagger with a little dry1 metallic click and had walked away1 while ,ng ,ch'u had returned to his home4 ,there he had kowtowed deeply before an elderly peasant woman with bound feet1 gnarled hands1 and shriveled1 berry-brown features4 8,mother10 he had said1 8,i am going away to-day4 ,i am going away now4 ,i--and the ,moon-beam60--pointing into the inner room at a lissom1 blue-clad form that was bending over the cooking-pots4 8,why1 son80 8,there is ,yang ,shen-hsiu1 the ,manchu60 8,but--,i thought--0 8,yes4 ,i know4 ,but a ,manchu never forgets4 ,and some day--perhaps to-morrow--his passion and his hatred1 since he is a fool1 will vanquish his fear4 ,on that day--by ,buddha and by ,buddha--,i shall not be here4 ,nor shall the ,moon-beam60 ,nearly forty years earlier--and now he saw him again4 ,for just the fraction of a second1 the unexpected sight of those glittering1 hooded eyes--for he was conscious of ,yang ,shen-hsiu's eyes even before he saw the rest of the face3 the thin nose beaking away bold and aquiline1 the high cheekbones that seemed to give beneath the pressure of the leathery1 ruddy-gold skin1 the compressed1 sardonic lips brushed by a drooping ,mandarin mustache1 and the flagging1 combative chin--for just the fraction of a second1 the unexpected sight of those sinister eyes1 rising quickly like some evil dream from the human maelstrom that streaked down ,forty-second ,street1 threw ,ng ,ch'u off his guard4 ,it conquered in him the long habit of outward self-control which he had acquired in a lifetime of tight bargaining1 of matching his algebraic ,mongol cunning against the equal cunning of his countrymen4 ,he stopped still4 ,his round1 butter-yellow face was marked by a look of almost ludicrous alarm4 ,his tiny1 pinkish button of a nose crinkled and sniffled like that of a frightened rabbit4 ,his pudgy1 comfortable little hands opened and shut convulsively4 ,his jaw felt swollen1 out of joint4 ,his tongue seemed heavy1 clogging1 like something which did not belong to him and which he must try to spit out4 ,little blue and crimson wheels gyrated madly in front of his bulging eyes4 99 99 99 99 99 ,ng ,ch'u was a coward4 ,he knew it4 ,nor was he ashamed of it4 ,to him a prosy1 four-square1 sublimely practical ,chinese1 reckless1 unthinking courage seemed incomprehensible1 and he was too honest a man to find fascination or worth in anything he could not understand4 ,still it was one thing to be afraid1 by which one lost no face to speak of1 and another to appear afraid1 by which one often lost a great deal of face and of profit1 and so he collected himself with an effort and greeted the ,manchu with his usual1 faintly ironic ease of manner4 8,ten thousand years1 ten thousand years60 8,and yet another year60 came the courtly reply2 and1 after a short pause1 8,ah--friend ,ng ,ch'u60 ,showing that recognition had been mutual4 ,they looked at each other1 smiling1 tranquil1 touching palm to palm4 ,they were carefully1 even meticulously1 dressed3 the ,chinese in neat pin-stripe worsted1 bowler hat1 glossy cordovan brogues that showed an inch of brown-silk hose1 and a sober shepherd's-plaid necktie in which twinkled a diamond horseshoe pin2 the ,manchu in pontifical ,prince ,albert and shining high hat with the correct eight reflections4 ,both1 at least sartorially1 were a very epitome of the influence of ,west over ,east4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in that motley ,new ,york crowd1 nobody could have guessed that here1 in neat pin-stripe worsted and pontifical ,prince ,albert1 stood tragedy incarnate3 tragedy that had started1 four decades earlier1 in a ,manchu-,chinese border town1 with a girl's soft song flung from a painted balcony2 that had threatened to congeal into darkening blood1 and that had faded out in a whispered1 sardonic word about the ,huang ,t'ai ,hou1 the ,empress1 the ,old ,buddha1 and a coolie's stupendous ,odyssey from a mud-chinked ,ninguta hut to a gleaming ,fifth ,avenue shop2 tragedy that1 by the same token1 had started four centuries earlier when red-faced1 flat-nosed ,tatars1 led by iron-capped ,manchu chiefs1 had poured out of ,central ,asia1 to be met by submissiveness--the baffling submissiveness of placid1 yellow ,china--the submissiveness of a rubber ball that jumps back into place the moment you remove the pressure of your hand--the submissiveness of a race that1 being old and wise1 prefers the evening meal of rice and fried pork to epic1 clanking heroics4 ,for a moment ,ng ,ch'u wondered--and shivered slightly at the thought--if ,yang ,shen-hsiu's perfectly tailored coat might hold the glimmer of steel4 ,then he reconsidered4 ,this was ,new ,york1 and the noon hour1 and ,forty-second ,street1 youthful1 shrill1 but filled with tame1 warm conveniences1 and safe--sublimely safe4 8,i hope ,i see you well1 honorable ,manchu80 he asked casually1 lighting an expensive1 gold-tipped cigaret with fingers that were quite steady4 8,thank you10 replied ,yang ,shen-hsiu4 8,i am in excellent health4 ,and yourself80 8,nothing to complain of40 8,and--0 purred the ,manchu2 and1 beneath the gentle1 gliding accents1 the other could sense the hard1 unfaltering resolve of hatred emerging from the dim1 wiped-over crepuscule of forty years into new1 brazen1 arrogant freedom--8the--,moon-beam80 8,is the ,moon-beam no longer40 8,her spirit has leaped the dragon gate--has rejoined the spirits of her worthy ancestors80 8,no1 no40 ,ng ,ch'u gave a little1 lopsided laugh4 8,but the ,moon-beam--alas6--has become ,madame ,full ,moon4 ,she has grown exceedingly fat4 ,as fat as a peasant's round measure of butter4 ,ahee6 ahoo6 ,age fattens all--age softens all--and everything--0 ,his voice trembled a little1 and he repeated1 8,all and everything60 99 99 99 99 99 ,then1 rather anxiously1 his head to one side1 with a patient and inquiring glance in his eyes1 8,does it not1 ,yang ,shen-hsiu80 ,the latter scratched his cheek delicately with a long1 highly polished finger-nail4 8,yes10 he said unhurriedly4 8,age softens all and everything--except belike--0 8,so there are exceptions80 came the meek query4 8,yes1 ,ng ,ch'u4 ,three40 ,a light eddied up in the glittering1 hooded eyes4 8,a sword1 a stone1 and--ah--a ,manchu40 ,ng ,ch'u dropped his cigaret4 ,he put his fingers together1 nervously1 tip against tip4 8,you have recently arrived in ,america80 he asked after a short silence4 ,he spoke with a sort of bored1 indifferent politeness1 merely as if to make conversation4 ,but the other looked up sharply4 ,the ghost of a smile curled his thin lips4 8,my friend10 he replied1 8,i1 too1 am familiar with the inexplicable laws of these foreign barbarians which put the yellow man even beneath the black in human worth and civic respect4 ,i1 too1 know that we of the black-haired race are not permitted to enter this free land--unless we be students or great merchants or dignitaries of ,china or came here years ago--like you4 ,i realize1 furthermore1 that babbling1 leaky tongues can whisper cunning words to the immigration authorities--can spill the tea for many a worthy coolie who makes his living here on the strength of a forged passport4 ,but--0 smoothly1 calmly1 as ,ng ,ch'u tried to interrupt1 8it so happened that the ,old ,buddha looked upon me with favor before she resigned her earthly dignities and ascended the dragon4 ,i1 the very undeserving one1 have been showered with exquisite honors4 ,very recently ,i was sent to ,america in an official capacity4 ,thus--as to the ,chinese exclusion law1 also as to babbling1 leaky tongues that whisper here and there--do not trouble1 ,ng ,ch'u4 ,your tongue might catch cold--and would not that cause your honorable teeth to shrivel80 ,he paused1 stared at the other1 then--and a tremor ran over his hawkish features1 as a ripple is seen upon a stagnant pool even before the wind of storm strikes it--went on in a voice that was low and passionless1 yet pregnant with stony1 enormous resolve1 8,coolie6 ,i have never forgotten the ,moon-beam4 ,i have never forgotten that once the thought of her played charming cadences on the lute of my youthful soul4 ,i have never forgotten that once her image was the painted pleasure-boat that floated gently on the waters of my dream-ruffled sleep4 ,i--ah--,i have never forgotten that once the ,moon-beam was a yellow1 silken rose1 and that a coolie brushed the bloom from her petals with his objectionable lips4 ,no--,i have never forgotten40 8,and--0 asked ,ng ,ch'u1 a little diffident1 but quite matter-of-fact1 like a bazar trader who is not yet sure of the size of his customer's purse and must therefore bargain circumspectly--8is there no way to--make you forget80 8,assuredly there is a way10 the ,manchu laughed4 8,oh--80 8,what sayeth the ,li-,ki--8 #8,do not try to fathom what has not yet arrived6 ,do not climb the tree if you wish to catch fish6'0 ,and ,yang ,shen-hsiu went on his way1 while ,ng ,ch'u looked after him with a rather comical expression of devout concentration of his round face1 clasping and unclasping his short1 pudgy fingers1 pursing his lips1 and emitting a sort of melancholy whistle4 ,he was a coward1 and very much afraid4 ,he was only a coolie1 tho the receiving teller of the ,hudson ,national ,bank purred civilly over his deposit-slips4 ,and the other8 ,a ,manchu4 ,an aristocrat4 ,a sharp hatchet of a man who cleaved his way through life4 ,why1 even ,yang ,shen-hsiu's back1 beneath the prim and decorous folds of the ,prince ,albert1 gave an impression of steely1 ruthless efficiency--the efficiency of a hawk's claw and a snake's fang4 8,assuredly10 ,ng ,ch'u said to himself1 as he turned east down ,forty-second ,street1 8if ,i were a fool1 ,i would now write to ,china and complete my funeral arrangements4 ,i would order longevity boards of seasoned wood and cause the priests to pick out a charming retreat for my earthly remains4 ,too1 if ,i were a fool1 ,i might quote the ,book of ,ceremonies and ,outer ,observances to the tiger about to gore me4 ,ah--but ,i am not a fool-- ,i am only a coward-- ,i beg your pardon60 as his head sunk on his chest1 he bumped into an indignant dowager who came from a department store1 her plump arms crowded with bargains4 8,i beg your pardon--0 8,goodness6 ,can't you see where you're going--80 ,a bundle dropped4 ,ng ,ch'u bent to pick it up4 ,so did the woman4 ,ng ,ch'u straightened up again and1 in the process1 butted her chin with a round face that was still earnestly apologetic4 ,another bundle dropped4 ,people stopped1 snickered1 nudged each other4 ,the woman suppressed unwomanly words4 ,ng ,ch'u then decided to go away from there4 8,haya6 haya60 he continued in his thoughts as he went on his way4 8,blessed be the ,excellent ,lord ,gautama who made me a coward6 ,for--is there a keener foresight1 a better protection1 than fear80 ,and1 head erect1 he walked along1 toward his up-town shop that faced ,fifth ,avenue1 beneath an enormous sign bearing his name in braggart1 baroque1 gilt letters1 with a profusion of ,china's and ,japan's choicest wares--dim1 precious things--bronzes mellowed with the patina of the swinging centuries and embroideries and white and green and amber jade2 kakemonos in sepia and gold and pigeon-gray1 on which the brush of an artist long since dead had retraced the marvels of some capital of the ,ashikaga dynasty2 ancient koto harps with plectrums of carved ivory2 satsuma bowls enameled with ho-ho birds2 but mostly the porcelains of ,china--porcelains of all periods--,wen-tchang statuettes in aubergine and lambent yellow ,kang-he ginger-jars painted with blue and white hawthorn sprays1 ,keen-lung egg-shell plates with backs of glowing ruby1 ,yung-ching peach-blow whose ruddy-brown shimmered with flecks of silver and green and pink like the first touch of ,spring that is coaxing the colors from the shy sepal of the peach-blossom4 ,he loved porcelains4 ,they represented to him more than money1 more than success4 ,he had attached himself to their study as an old ,florentine attached himself to the study of theology1 caring nothing for religion1 but with a sort of icy-cold1 impersonal1 scientific passion4 ,somehow--for there was his fabulous ,odyssey1 from a mud-chinked ,ninguta hut to a gleaming ,fifth ,avenue shop--these porcelains were to him the apex of his life1 the full1 richly flavored sweetness of his achievement2 and he often gently teased the ,moon-beam1 who had become ,madame ,full ,moon1 because1 in their neat ,pell ,street flat1 she preferred to eat her evening rice from heavy1 white ,american stoneware with a border of improbable forget-me-nots4 99 99 99 99 99 8,good morning10 he smiled as he crossed the threshold of his shop4 8,good morning1 sir10 came the answering chorus from the half dozen ,chinese clerks1 while his chief salesman1 ,wen ,pao1 stepped forward and told him that1 an hour earlier1 his good customer1 ,mrs4 ,peter ,van ,dissel1 had come in and bargained about that pale-blue ,suen-tih ,ming bowl with the red fish molded as handles4 8,seven thousand ,i asked10 said ,wen ,pao4 8,five thousand she offered--then five thousand five hundred--then six thousand4 ,she will return to-morrow4 ,then she and ,i will talk business40 ,he smiled4 8,the eye of desire fattens the price10 he added4 8,ah--excellent60 replied ,ng ,ch'u4 8,trade indeed revolves like a wheel4 ,she can have the bowl for six thousand five hundred dollars4 ,it is a noble piece1 worthy of a coral-button ,mandarin's collection40 ,he turned to look at the sheaf of letters that awaited his perusal on a teak-wood table at the back of the store4 ,then1 suddenly1 he again addressed the clerk4 8,wen ,pao10 he said4 8,i have reconsidered4 ,the bowl is not for sale40 8,oh--80 the other looked astonished4 8,no10 repeated ,ng ,ch'u4 8,it is not for sale4 ,put it in the small safe in my private office4 ,one of these days1 when a certain necessary thing shall have been pleasantly accomplished1 ,i shall use the bowl myself1 to eat therefrom my evening rice4 ,there is no porcelain in the world10 he went on rather academically1 8like ancient ,ming marked on the reverse side with the honorific seal of peace1 longevity1 and harmonious prosperity4 ,it rings sweetly--like a lute made of glass--under the chop-sticks' delicate touch40 8,ho60 whispered ,nag ,en ,hin1 the ,american-born son of ,nag ,hop ,fat1 the ,pell ,street soothsayer1 who had recently graduated from high school4 8,in the estimation of some people the strings of their cotton drawers are equivalent to a ,manchu's silken breeches of state40 ,ng ,ch'u had overheard4 8,they are equivalent1 little1 little paper tiger without teeth10 he purred--8in durability--0 ,he turned and bowed low before a customer who had entered the shop2 and1 for the next three hours1 there was in his coward's heart hardly a thought of his old enemy4 ,only dimly the figure of ,yang ,shen-hsiu jutted into the outer rim of his consciousness1 like a trifling annoyance1 which1 presently1 when the time was ripe1 he would cause to pass out of his consciousness altogether4 99 99 99 99 99 ,nor1 except indirectly1 did he speak of him to the ,moon-beam that night1 after he had returned to his ,pell ,street flat that1 close to the corner of ,mott1 faced the gaudy1 crimson-bedaubed joss temple--he rather liked its proximity4 ,not that he believed much in the ancient divinities--the ,tsaou ,kwo-kiu who sits on a log1 the ,han ,seang-tse who rides upon a fan1 the ,chang-,ho-laou who stands on a frog1 the ,ho ,seen-koo astride a willow-branch1 or any of the other many idols1 ,buddhist or ,taoist4 ,for he was a ,chinese1 thus frankly1 sneeringly irreligious4 ,but he had rare1 thaumaturgical moments when his bland-philosophical soul craved a few ounces of hygienic stimulant in the form of incense-powder sending up curling1 aromatic smoke1 a dully booming gong1 a priest's muttered incantations before the gilt shrine1 or a meaningless prayer or two written on scarlet paper and then chewed and swallowed4 ,it was so to-night4 8,moon-beam10 he said to his little fat wife1 who smiled at his entry as she had smiled at him every day these forty years1 ever since she had married him1 the earth-bound coolie1 in preference to a ,manchu who had courted her riotously1 swaggeringly1 extravagantly1 willing to leap all barriers of caste1 8,i think that after the evening rice ,i shall go to the temple and burn a couple of ,hunshuh incense-sticks before the three gods of happiness--the ,fo1 the ,lo1 and the ,cho40 ,he smiled amusedly at the thought4 8,perhaps the gods are powerless to help me10 he added with patronizing tolerance1 8perhaps they are not4 ,still--0 again he smiled and waved a pudgy hand4 ,the ,moon-beam continued setting the table for dinner4 8,you are in trouble1 ,great ,one80 she asked1 quite casually1 over her shoulder4 8,oh--the jackal howls in the distance10 he answered1 metaphorically1 easing his plump body into a comfortable ,american rocking-chair4 8,yes--0 ,he lit a cigaret4 8,the jackal howls4 ,loudly and arrogantly4 ,and yet--will my old buffalo die therefore80 ,she did not reply4 ,nor was she worried4 ,for she knew ,ng ,ch'u4 ,for forty years she had lived in intimate daily alliance with him1 physically and psychically4 ,she knew that he was a one-idead man who always surrendered completely to the eventual aim and object of his slow1 patient1 persistent1 slightly nagging decision2 who never took the second step before he was sure of the first2 who possessed1 at the core of his meek1 submissive soul1 a tremendous1 almost pagan capacity to resolve his mind in his desire1 and his desire in the actual1 practical deed4 ,yes--she knew him4 ,and never since that day in the little ,manchu-,chinese border town when she had become his bride1 according to the sacred rites1 with all the traditional ceremonies complete from kuei-ch to laoh-shin-fang1 had she doubted either his kindliness or his wisdom2 never1 tho often she walked abroad1 in ,pell ,street1 to swap the shifting1 mazed gossip of ,chinatown1 had she envied the other women--whites and half-castes and ,american-born ,chinese--their shrill1 scolding1 flaunting1 naked freedom2 always had she been satisfied to regulate her life according to the excellent ,confucius' three rules of wifely behaviour3 not to have her marital relations known beyond the threshold of her apartment1 either for good or for evil2 to refrain from talkativeness and1 outside of household matters where she reigned supreme1 to take no step and to arrive at no conclusion on her own initiative4 ,ng ,ch'u was in trouble4 ,he was the ,great ,one4 ,presently he would conquer the trouble4 ,what1 then1 was there to worry about8 99 99 99 99 99 ,and so1 dinner over1 she busied her fat1 clever little hands with strips of blue-and-blue embroidery1 while he prepared for himself the first pipe of the evening--8the pipe of august beginning10 as he called it4 8,ah60 he sighed contentedly1 as he kneaded the opium cube with agile fingers1 stuck the needle into the lamp1 the flame of which1 veiled by butterflies and moths of green enamel1 sparkled like an emerald1 dropped the red-hot little pellet into a plain bamboo pipe without tassels or ornaments1 and1 both shoulders well back1 inhaled the soothing fumes at one long whiff--8this black bamboo pipe was white once--white as my youth--and the kindly drug has colored it black with a thousand and ten thousand smokes4 ,it is the best pipe in the world4 ,no pipe of precious wood or ivory or tortoise-shell or jade or carved silver can ever come near that bamboo40 ,he stopped2 prepared a second pipe4 ,the fizzing of the amber opium drops as they evaporated over the lamp accentuated the silence4 ,presently he spoke again4 8,moon-beam60 8,yes1 ,great ,one80 ,she leaned forward1 across the table4 ,her wrinkled1 honey-colored old face1 framed by great1 smooth wings of jet-black hair1 loomed up in the ring of light from the swinging kerosene lamp4 8,an ancient pipe10 he repeated1 8blackened with a thousand and ten thousand smokes4 ,ahee--0 he slurred2 then went on1 8such as--0 ,again he halted4 ,then he continued1 just a little diffidently1 a little self-consciously1 as1 ,mongol to the core1 he considered the voicing of intimate sentiments between husband and wife slightly indelicate--8such as our love1 ,moon-beam--burned deep and strong and black by a thousand and ten thousand days of mutual knowledge--0 ,she looked at him4 ,she rose4 ,she put her arms about him4 99 99 99 99 99 ,they were rather ludicrous1 those two4 ,yellow1 fat1 crinkled1 old1 decidedly ugly4 ,standing there1 holding each other close1 in the center of the plain little room4 ,with the garish lights of ,pell ,street winking through the well-washed window-curtains1 the symphony of ,pell ,street skirling in with a belching1 tawdry chorus2 a street organ trailing a brassy1 syncopated jazz2 the hectic splutter and hiss of a popcorn-man's cart2 some thick1 passionate words flung up from a shadow-blotched postern1 then dropping into the gutter3 8,gee1 kid1 ,i'm sure nuts about you60 8,g'wan1 yer big slob1 tell it t'the marines--0 99 99 99 99 99 ,yes4 ,ludicrous1 that scene4 ,and ludicrous1 perhaps1 the ,moon-beam's words1 in guttural1 staccato ,chinese1 8,great ,one6 ,truly1 truly1 all the real world is enclosed for me in your heart60 ,he looked at her from beneath heavy1 opium-reddened eyelids4 8,moon-beam10 he said1 8once you could have been a ,manchu's bride40 ,she gave a quaint1 giggling1 girlish1 high-pitched little laugh4 8,once10 she replied1 8the ass went seeking for horns--and lost its ears40 ,she patted his cheeks4 8,i am a coolie's fat old woman1 ,great ,one6 ,an old coolie's fat1 useless old woman--0 8,little ,moon-beam10 he whispered1 8little1 little ,moon-beam--0 ,it was the voice of forty years ago1 stammering1 passionate1 tender4 ,he held her very close4 ,then1 unhurriedly1 he released her4 ,unhurriedly1 he left the room1 walked down the stairs and over to the joss temple4 ,there--his tongue in his cheek1 his mind smiling at his soul--he went through a certain intricate ritual1 with shreds of scarlet paper1 and incense sticks1 and pieces of peach-wood especially dreaded by ghosts4 ,yu ,ch'ang1 the priest1 watched him1 and--since even holy men must eat and drink--suggested that1 perhaps1 the other might like sacerdotal intercession with the ,shang ,ti1 the ,supreme ,ruler of ,heaven4 ,ng ,ch'u laughed4 8,i have always avoided middlemen10 he said4 8,that's how ,i made my fortune4 ,shall ,i then offend the deity by talking through a priest's greedy lips80 ,and he left the joss temple1 and walked out into the street4 ,it was late4 ,rain1 that had started in fluttering1 flickering rags1 had driven both dwellers and sightseers to shelter4 ,black1 silent1 the night looked down4 ,across the road1 from his flat1 the lights sprang out warm and snug and friendly4 ,but he remembered that there was some urgent business matter he had to talk over with ,ching ,shan1 the retired merchant who was his silent partner1 and that at this hour he would be most likely to find him sipping a cup of hot wine in the back room of ,nag ,hong ,fah's restaurant1 which1 for yellow men exclusively1 was known euphoniously as the ,honorable ,pavilion of ,tranquil ,longevity4 ,so he turned toward ,mott ,street4 ,but he kept to the middle of the street1 and he stepped slowly1 warily1 heels well down1 arms carefully balanced1 head jerked slightly forward1 his whole body poised for instant shift or flight1 all his senses primed to give quick warning of anything unusual or minatory4 ,for again1 now that he was alone1 fear of ,yang ,shen-hsiu had rushed upon him full-armed2 and here--with the sodden1 pitchy blanket of night painting the shadows with deeper shadows1 and the rain-whipped streets deserted by everybody--was the very place where murder might happen1 had happened in the past1 in ,tong war and private feud--the corner saloons with their lurking side entrances1 where a man might slip in and out like a rabbit through the tunnels of its warren2 the inky1 prurient1 slimy halls and areaways2 the sudden1 mysterious alleys cutting edgewise into mazes of buildings2 the steep cellars that yawned like saturnine1 toothless maws2 the squat1 moldy1 turgid tenements1 with the reckless invitations of their fire escapes4 ,ng ,ch'u shivered4 ,should he turn back1 make a run for his home8 ,and--what then8 ,to-morrow was another day4 ,to-morrow the sun would shine golden and clear4 ,true4 ,but to-morrow the ,manchu would still be the ,manchu2 and ,ng ,ch'u was sure of two things3 that ,yang ,shen-hsiu would plot his speedy death1 and that1 even supposing he broke the unwritten law of ,pell ,street1 it would be quite useless to go to the police of the red-haired devils and ask them for protection4 ,for could he1 the merchant1 accuse the other1 the great ,chinese dignitary sent to ,america on a diplomatic mission8 ,and of what8 ,what could he say8 ,could he make these foreigners believe in this tale of ,china1 of forty years ago8 ,could he tell them that he and the other had been in love with the same girl1 that she had preferred the coolie to the aristocrat1 and that the latter had sworn revenge8 ,could he tell them that those had been the days directly after ,china's war of eighteen hundred and sixty against ,france and ,england1 when the imperial court had been compelled to leave ,pekin and flee to ,jehol1 when the ,summer ,palace had been taken and sacked by the barbarians1 when a shameful treaty had been forced on the ,middle ,kingdom1 and when the ,huang ,t'ai ,hou1 the ,empress1 the ,old ,buddha1 had issued an edict that1 until a 8more propitious time0 the lives of foreigners should be sacred in the land of ,han8 ,could he tell them how he had found out that the ,manchu1 in a fit of rage1 had murdered1 and quietly buried1 a ,british missionary2 how thus1 by threatening exposure to the ,pekin authorities1 he had held the whip-hand2 how1 discretion being the better part of valor1 he and the ,moon-beam had emigrated to ,america2 and how now1 to-day1 forty years later1 he had met the ,manchu here1 in ,new ,york--still the same ,manchu--hawkish1 steely1 ruthless--8 ,ng ,ch'u shook his head4 ,he could imagine what ,bill ,devoy1 detective of ,second ,branch and ,pell ,street specialist1 would say1 8,cut it out6 ,ye've been hittin' the old pipe too hard4 ,what8 ,manchu8 ,dowager ,empress8 ,moon-beam8 ,missionary8 ,revenge8 ,say--ye've blown in too many dimes on them--now--seven-reelers6 ,keep away from the movies1 ,chinkie--see80 99 99 99 99 99 ,ng ,ch'u shivered4 ,he jumped sidewise rapidly as he heard a rustling noise4 ,then he smiled apologetically--it had just been a dim stir of torn bits of paper whirled about by a vagabond wind--and turned1 at a sudden right angle1 toward ,nag ,hong ,fah's ,great ,chop ,suey ,restaurant where it slashed the purple1 trailing night with a square of yellow light4 ,a minute later1 his heart beating like a trip-hammer1 he was up the stairs4 ,two minutes later1 outwardly composed1 he bowed1 his hands clasped over his chest1 to the company of merchants who were gathered in the ,honorable ,pavilion of ,tranquil ,longevity1 some quietly smoking or sipping tea1 others gossiping1 still others playing at hsiang ch'i chess and ta ma4 ,the soft1 gliding hum of voices1 the sizzling of the opium lamps1 the sucking of boiling-hot tea drunk by compressed lips1 the clicks of the copper and ivory counters--it was all tremendously peaceful and reassuring2 and ,ng ,ch'u sighed contentedly as he dropped into a chair by the side of ,ching ,shan1 his silent partner1 and began talking to him in an undertone about a shipment of ,sheba pottery which could be picked up at a bargain in ,san ,francisco4 ,presently1 business over1 he asked a question4 8,brother very old and very wise10 he said1 8what are the protections of the day and the night against an evil man80 ,ching ,shan was known throughout ,pell ,street for his stout wisdom--a reputation which he upheld by quoting esoterically and didactically from some hoary tome of learning1 whenever asked a question1 and then reinforcing his opinion by a yet lengthier quotation from another book4 8,ng ,ch'u10 he replied1 8it has been reported in the ,shu ,king that the sage ,wu once spoke as follows3 #8,i have heard that the good man1 doing good1 finds the day insufficient1 and the night1 and that the evil man1 doing evil1 also finds the day insufficient1 and the night4'0 ,he paused1 looked around him1 made sure that not only ,ng ,ch'u but also the rest of the company were listening to him attentively1 and continued3 8,yet1 as to the evil man1 and the good1 has it not furthermore been said that the correct doctrine of the good man is to be true to the principles of his nature and the benevolent exercise of these principles when dealing with others80 8,even when dealing with evil men80 asked ,ng ,ch'u4 8,decidedly1 little brother40 8,ah--0 smiled ,ng ,ch'u1 8and the principle of my nature has always been to see that ,i have pork with my evening rice--to bargain close and tight--to know the worth of money--0 8,money10 said ,nag ,hong ,fah1 the restaurant proprietor1 8which is the greatest truth in the world--0 8,money10 chimed in ,yung ,long1 the wealthy wholesale grocer1 8which is mastery and power and sway and shining achievement--0 8,money10 said ,ching ,shan rather severely1 since he had retired from active business affairs and was not worried by financial troubles1 8which is good only when used by a purified desire and a righteous aim--0 8,what aim more righteous10 rejoined ,ng ,ch'u1 8than peace and happiness and the evening rice--0 ,and then1 quite suddenly1 a hush fell over the ,honorable ,pavilion of ,tranquil ,longevity4 ,tea cups were held tremblingly in mid-air4 ,pipes dropped4 ,voices were stilled4 ,for there1 framed in the doorway1 stood three figures1 lean1 tall1 threatening2 faces masked by black neckerchiefs2 pistols held steadily in yellow hands4 99 99 99 99 99 8,oh--,buddha60 screamed ,nag ,hong ,fah4 8,the hatchetmen--the hatchetmen--0 8,silence1 obese grandfather of a skillet60 said the tallest of the three4 8,silence--or--0 ,his voice was terse and metallic2 his pistol described a significant half-circle and drew a bead on the restaurant proprietor's stout chest4 ,he took a step nearer into the room1 while his two colleagues kept the company covered4 8,my friends10 he said1 8,i have not come here to harm anybody--except--0 ,his eyes searched the smoke-laden room1 and1 as if drawn by a magnet1 ,ng ,ch'u rose and waddled up to him4 8,except to kill me80 he suggested meekly4 8,rightly guessed1 older brother10 smiled the other4 8,i regret--but what is life--eh8--and what is death8 ,a slashing of throats6 ,a cutting of necks6 ,a jolly ripping of jugular veins60 ,he laughed behind his mask and drew ,ng ,ch'u toward him with a strong1 clawlike hand4 ,the latter trembled like a leaf4 8,honorable killer10 he asked1 8there is1 ,i take it1 no personal rancor against me in your heart80 8,not a breath--not an atom--not a sliver6 ,it is a mere matter of business60 8,you have been sent by somebody else to kill me--perhaps by--80 8,let us name no names4 ,i have indeed been sent by--somebody40 ,ng ,ch'u looked over his shoulder at ,ching ,shan who sat there1 very quiet1 very disinterested4 8,ching ,shan10 he said1 8did you not say that the correct doctrine of the good man is to be true to his principles and the benevolent exercise of these principles80 8,indeed60 wonderingly4 8,ah--0 gently breathed ,ng ,ch'u1 and again he addressed the hatchetman4 8,honorable killer10 he said1 8the nameless party--who sent you here--how much did he promise you for causing my spirit to join the spirits of my ancestors80 8,but--0 8,tell me4 ,how much80 8,five hundred dollars60 ,ng ,ch'u smiled4 8,five hundred dollars--eh8--for killing me80 he repeated4 8,yes1 yes60 exclaimed the astonished hatchetman4 8,five hundred dollars--eh8--for killing me80 he re-broke into gurgling laughter4 8,correct doctrine to be true to one's own principles6 ,principles of barter and trade--my principles--the coolie's principles--,ahee6--ahoo6--ahai6 ,here1 hatchetman60 ,his voice was now quite steady4 ,steady was the hand with which he drew a thick roll of bills from his pocket4 8,here are five hundred dollars--and yet another hundred6 ,go6 ,go and kill him--him who sent you60 99 99 99 99 99 ,and1 late that night1 back in his neat little flat1 ,ng ,ch'u turned casually to his wife4 8,moon-beam10 he said1 8the little trouble has been satisfactorily settled40 ,he paused1 smiled4 8,to-morrow10 he added1 8,i shall eat my evening rice from a pale-blue ,suen-tih ,ming bowl with red fish molded as handles40 8,yes1 ,great ,one10 came the ,moon-beam's calm1 incurious reply4 ,short ,stories ,,the ,,taking ,,of ,,billy ,,rand ,,by ,,gordon ,,young ,,the ,,taking ,,of ,,billy ,,rand#aa ,by ,,gordon ,,young ,for reasons that might be called confidential1 since they were known only to ,billy ,rand himself and to the police1 he took the tip of a friend wise in geography and made for a speck on the map called ,ponape--a bit of an island that sticks out inconspicuously in the ,south ,seas4 ,he landed on a beach where there were some natives that he mistook for 8niggers0 and a lot of ,germans4 ,said ,billy ,rand to a ,german trader3 8,i'm travelin' for my health and lookin' for a quiet spot4 ,i need rest4 ,this here ,langar is too thrivin' a metropolis4 ,it reminds me of ,new ,york40 ,he looked out of the doorway to where a half dozen little trading schooners were anchored1 and at the corrugated iron warehouse2 but most particularly he looked at the two wireless masts4 ,those were what reminded him of ,new ,york4 8,ja10 said the trader1 and tipped the empty beer bottle significantly4 ,billy took the hint4 ,more beer came4 ,then the trader warmed up slightly and talked4 ,billy didn't know exactly what was being said4 ,no fortune teller had ever warned him that he ought to study ,german4 ,the trader pointed here and there1 and ,billy twisted his head about to see4 ,then he began to realize that the ,german was talking of directions4 ,which way did ,billy want to travel8 ,billy took a chance and poked his finger in the same direction that his nose happened to be4 ,the trader agreed that it was a desirable choice and put out his hand1 palm up4 ,the sign language had never seemed so eloquent to ,billy before4 ,that was how ,billy came to be landed on the beach some two hundred miles from ,langar4 ,the bay was pretty and the trader had given him to understand that a missionary lived there4 ,but alone on the beach ,billy couldn't see anything but niggers4 ,they swarmed about him1 grinned1 looked him over curiously1 fingered his clothes1 felt of him1 and chattered4 ,he wished heartily that he was back in ,new ,york explaining to the judge just how it happened4 ,the trader was already standing out to sea4 ,the natives half carried1 half dragged the squatty little man with the dapper manner1 alias ,billy ,rand1 up the beach and through the bushes until they came to a cleared space where there were grass houses and women cooking4 8,just in time for dinner60 he said to himself1 and nearly fainted4 ,then a man came to the door of one of the grass houses4 ,he was a comparatively young man1 fine looking--,billy thought--and not at all like the beachcombers1 missionaries and ,germans with which ,billy had already become acquainted4 ,and ,billy could not imagine that any one other than those people--beachcombers1 missionaries and ,germans--would hide themselves away in such outlandish places unless for 8confidential0 reasons4 8,who are you80 the man asked4 ,it seemed to ,billy that there was something pryingly suspicious in the question4 ,rapidly he hastened to assure this stranger3 8,it's all right4 ,i came along for quiet and rest too4 ,i know just how you feel when a stranger comes along your trail4 ,now ,i've--0 8,i don't know what you mean10 said the other1 looking puzzled4 ,billy noticed that he had brown eyes that looked almost sad4 8,i'm in the same fix as you10 ,billy explained vaguely4 8,a missionary80 the man asked4 8,me a what60 ,and ,billy followed it up with a few remarks that showed he was far from having been trained as a missionary4 ,the man looked relieved1 though he did say quietly3 8,you see1 ,i'm a missionary4 ,from what you said ,i judged that you1 too--well1 ,i want neither a rival nor an assistant--but10 he added quickly1 8anybody else is welcome40 ,billy cast a speculative eye over the crowd of natives ringed about him4 8,say10 he confessed frankly1 8,i was awfully glad to see you4 ,these fellows had me scared stiff40 ,the missionary laughed4 8,they can't imagine any one being afraid of them40 8,ain't they got no lookin' glasses80 ,billy demanded4 ,the missionary laughed again and invited him into his house4 ,billy at first had a nightmarish sensation as he stepped in2 lizards1 birds and things1 some dried1 some stuffed1 some pickled in bottles1 some stuck on cards--bugs and butterflies and flying squirrels and even some bright-scaled fish4 8,have a little drink80 asked the missionary4 8,and here is a pipe and some tobacco--trade tobacco4 ,wretched stuff4 ,just make yourself at home4 ,and tell me1 what's going on in the world8 ,i've been here four years40 ,billy reflected that this man might be a missionary1 but he was a good judge of whiskey1 though he took only a little for himself and after filling ,billy's glass put the bottle away4 ,later another drink for ,billy alone was forthcoming2 and he1 already wanting to stay on and on with the missionary and not wanting him to think that he1 ,billy1 was a murderer or something1 up and told just what he would have told the judge if he had not been able to keep just about two jumps ahead of the detectives that were on his trail4 ,billy naively explained that he wasn't going to confess to anybody that he had carried the money from a certain firm of paying contractors to a certain man that could--and did--control the awarding of paving contracts4 8,an' was it police or a woman with you80 ,billy inquired pointedly1 feeling that an exchange of confidence was due4 ,the missionary gave him a quick glance1 then smiled and said that he was really a naturalist1 but was officially a missionary because the ,germans1 who owned the ,carolinas1 were more agreeable to missionaries than to scientists--of other countries4 8,a woman10 ,billy said to himself1 noticing how handsome and young the missionary was4 ,his name was ,roscoe ,tomlin4 ,in the next few weeks they got well acquainted4 ,billy helped1 as the natives did1 to catch bugs and things and pickle them4 ,he picked up a few words of the dialect and soon had the pickaninnies taking a great fancy to him4 ,then1 just as ,billy was getting settled to the new life and beginning to feel secure1 a little steam yacht nosed cautiously into the mouth of the bay4 ,the natives made a dash for the beach1 tumbled into canoes and went splashing out to give greetings and get presents4 ,tomlin was off in the bush chasing bugs and things4 ,billy1 not being anxious to receive visitors himself1 went near the beach and reclined behind a convenient rock4 ,presently he saw a boat dropped from the davits4 ,people got into it4 ,one of them was a woman4 ,they landed on the beach and1 in about two minutes1 ,billy sauntered out to make sure that she was as pretty as she looked4 ,the men who had rowed ashore stayed in the boat1 but she got out with a little man who had a ,vandyke beard1 a cap and doublebreasted serge coat4 8,no detective10 said ,billy reassuringly to himself1 8would attempt that disguise40 8,hello10 said the little fellow seeing that ,billy was a white man4 ,billy didn't like his looks4 ,just why1 he could not have told4 ,but he didn't like 'em4 ,he wasn't frightened though--besides1 she was getting prettier and prettier at every step4 ,her hair was red and her eyes were purple with fire in them2 her lips were red as a flame-tree's flower1 or maybe more red4 ,she was slender without being slim and moved as easily as a pandanus leaf swinging in a little breeze4 ,billy was very susceptible to beauty4 ,he would have thrown himself face down right there on the sand for her to walk on at the least suggestion that such an attitude would be pleasing to her4 ,she was young without being girlish--nor was there anything old womanish about her4 ,no4 ,billy1 who was a bit hazy on historical events1 was sure that she looked exactly like those women who bowl kings off their thrones1 get men assassinated--or whatever else they want4 ,not that she looked wicked4 ,no4 ,but--well1 ,billy was a long way from home and she wore her clothes as they are worn on the ,boardwalk2 she carried herself as women do on ,fifth ,avenue4 ,and then she was pretty4 8,is there a man here by the name of ,roscoe ,tomlin80 the little man asked1 turning hard blue eyes on ,billy as though he were a bum or wastrel4 8,who's he80 said ,billy1 looking innocent4 8,who are you80 the woman asked4 ,she spoke pleasantly1 encouragingly1 as though ,billy interested her4 ,he and the ladies always did get along1 anyway4 8,i'm ,billy ,rand10 he said4 8,the missionary's assistant40 8,and who is the missionary80 ,she asked it quickly1 eagerly4 8,mr4 ,roscoe ,tomlin10 said ,billy1 bowing low4 8,you--you--you10 the little man stuttered angrily1 8why didn't you tell me that when ,i asked you80 8,because10 ,bill answered1 looking right at him1 8,i didn't know the lady was interested60 8,i'll fix you60 the man shouted1 and came toward ,billy as though about to do something he shouldn't4 ,he was about ,billy's size--and ,billy never ran in front of ladles1 not pretty ones at any rate4 ,but hostilities were suppressed peremptorily4 ,she snapped out in a surprised tone3 8,captain ,farewell60 ,the ,captain stopped4 ,anybody would have stopped4 8,that's all right10 ,billy assured her4 8,us missionaries is used to such fellers4 ,bad lot o' men come to these islands--crooks and things60 ,the ,captain appeared to be on the verge of blowing up2 but she--she did not seem to notice4 ,she smiled as she asked3 8,is ,mr4--,i mean is the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,tomlin as--as pugnacious as you80 8,him80 asked ,billy4 8,why1 he trained me6 ,he eats 'em alive40 8,cannibal1 eh80 said the ,captain4 8,i told you how white men degenerated among the natives10 he remarked to her4 ,then of ,billy he asked1 8,is this ,rev4 ,mr4 ,tomlin married or--0 ,he stopped right there4 ,billy didn't quite know what the ,captain was driving at1 but sensed enough to make him want to fight4 8,has ,mr4 ,tomlin a wife80 she asked4 8,has he a native wife80 the ,captain emphasized4 8,lady10 said ,billy1 getting hot inside1 and when he got hot inside he was likely to be blunt in his remarks1 8supposin' some stranger come to a friend of yours and asked are you married to a nigger60 ,she flushed and caught her breath1 but someway it seemed that she was very much pleased1 though she said3 8,you are right4 ,i apologize4 ,but will you please take us to ,mr4 ,tomlin4 ,i am a friend--a former friend of his40 ,so ,billy led them up to the house1 and the natives came along chattering and grinning and wanting to touch the woman's clothes4 ,billy warned them off repeatedly with a strange mixture of native words and ,new ,york slang4 ,the ,captain1 speaking like a man does who has something on his mind1 asked3 8,and how long have you been here1 ,rev4 ,mr4 ,rand80 8,me8 ,oh1 let's see4 ,two--no not quite two years4 ,be two years soon4 ,a feller sort o' loses track of time in a place like this1 you know40 8,so ,i would judge60 said the ,captain with a strange intonation that caused ,billy some vague uneasiness4 ,it stood this way with ,billy3 ,the ,district ,attorney back in ,new ,york was after the ,chief4 ,certain contractors lost money on a job and that made them peevish1 so they swore that they had handed out a bribe to get the contract awarded to them4 ,the ,chief stood pat and said3 8,prove it60 ,billy had carried the money4 ,if ,billy confessed1 the ,district ,attorney had the proof4 ,but ,billy jumped4 ,if he should be caught and still refuse to come through with a confession1 it was highly probable that the ,district ,attorney would pry loose some little episodes in ,billy's past and hand him something4 ,he would not snitch on the ,chief and as he did not like the accommodations at ,sing ,sing1 ,billy had been ducking and dodging all over the ,pacific1 and the detectives--though they had never laid eyes on him--had been stubborn and alert as ferrets in a rabbit warren4 ,it wasn't that ,billy had a criminal record--far from it4 ,but he had been in practical politics as an aid to the ,chief4 ,this was a stubborn political fight involving some pretty big pickings1 and he had the misfortune to be a crucial witness4 ,so ,billy grew very thoughtful at the way ,captain ,farwell spoke4 ,he led the guests into the house and had them sit down4 ,they looked at the bugs and pickled lizards and stuffed fish1 but the woman did not shiver4 8,this has always been ,roscoe's habit10 she said4 ,billy sent some of the native youngsters for green cocoanuts and poured a drink of cool milk for the guests4 ,the woman was eager and busy with questions1 wanting to know everything knowable about ,tomlin2 and the ,captain watched ,billy steadily and continued remarks that made him nervous4 ,billy reflected that the ,captain was not a big man in any way--something like himself in build1 only a trifle thinner--and1 well1 a fight wouldn't help much to keep him out of ,new ,york1 but it would be gratifying4 ,while they were talking1 ,tomlin came4 ,the natives had told him about the witch-boat--any boat1 in their minds1 was driven by the devil if it did not have sails--and about the white woman and man being in the house4 ,he was naturally interested4 ,tourists were often nosing around in yachts1 but he had never seen any before4 ,he came over the doorway--the doorways were built high to keep the pigs out--and said with general friendliness3 8,i hope ,billy is making you comfortable40 8,yes1 ,roscoe4 ,quite comfortable10 she said1 turning her face toward him4 8,you6--,lorraine--here60 8,why1 of course4 ,how are you ,roscoe8 ,didn't you get my letter8 ,this is ,captain ,farwell4 ,mother is aboard the ,petrel1 but she isn't well40 ,tomlin looked at the ,captain and nodded1 still in a daze4 ,from the way he looked back at ,lorraine1 ,billy did not know whether ,tomlin had a peeve and wasn't trying to show it1 or didn't have one and wanted to pretend4 ,lorraine seemed wiser4 ,she smiled at him in a way that1 ,billy thought1 ought to have made a statue come from its pedestal and be human4 ,billy recognized that four was a multitude and said3 8,captain1 you just come with me1 and ,i'll show you a cocoanut grove or a sunset or something40 ,lorraine frankly rewarded ,billy with a smile and a glance4 ,the ,captain hemmed and hawed1 but she said as politely as though she meant it3 8,certainly ,captain1 we'll excuse you4 ,i remember you said you wanted to see a real native village4 ,mr4 ,rand1 ,i'm sure1 will be an excellent guide40 8,yes10 said ,tomlin1 feeling no doubt that he ought to say something1 8,billy has been here only a few weeks1 but he knows the natives almost as well as ,i40 ,billy at once felt himself crumbling from the inside4 ,he had counted much on an alibi that would give him a two year residence on the island4 ,lorraine seemed to realize that something was wrong4 ,she caught ,billy's eye1 and in about the tenth part of a second1 then and there with nothing more than a sparkle of light from under her long lashes1 made an offensive and defensive alliance with him4 ,when they were outside the ,captain said3 8,how one must lose track of time here6 ,remarkable1 isn't it6 ,i feel as though ,i'd been here several days40 8,the cocoanuts are down this way10 said ,billy1 starting off4 8,by the way1 ,rand1 ,i don't suppose there is any way of getting out of this place1 is there80 the ,captain asked4 8,how do you mean1 get out80 ,it was a question uppermost in ,billy's mind4 8,i mean any of these islands--off like this4 ,just before we left ,langar ,i heard of a couple of detectives from ,new ,york4 ,they have tracked their man half way around the world1 and discovered that about two months ago--maybe a little less--he left ,langar with a ,german trader4 ,the trader is out now on a trip and they're waiting for him to come back and tell them where he dropped this man4 8,neither of these detectives1 so ,i heard--the steward talked with them--has ever seen the man4 ,but they have a good description of him1 a very good description4 ,short inclined to be chubby--though possibly he's thinned out some since he became a fugitive--blue eyes1 dark brown hair4 ,somewhat resourceful1 they say4 ,passed himself as a waiter and got passage on a government transport to ,guam4 ,pretended to be a discharged marine at ,guam and shipped with a pearl pirate for ,yap4 ,at ,yap he became a planter and doubled back to ,langar4 ,they don't know what he told the trader1 but they know this trader never makes anything but little islands out of touch with the world4 ,they figure that they have their prize this time4 ,haven't seen anybody of his description1 have you80 ,billy came very nearly to saying yes2 but what would be the use8 ,in normal spirits he would have told the ,captain that the description fitted himself--the ,captain--pretty closely4 ,but ,billy was in no mood for humor4 8,i am telling you all this so that in case you ever run across the fellow you can send word to ,langar4 ,quite a reward for him1 ,i understand4 ,the detectives are waiting there4 ,they heard the ,petrel was cruising about1 and asked the steward to notify everybody on board4 ,they are very impatient4 ,i am sure if they got wind of where the fellow was they would hire a schooner and go for him40 8,can't arrest him without the consent of ,german authorities1 can they80 ,billy inquired4 8,not properly1 of course4 ,but they can smuggle him out4 ,once they get their hands on him they will not stop to ask questions until they get to ,new ,york4 ,this fellow is so resourceful and tricky that they won't give him half a chance to make trouble for them40 ,billy did not answer4 ,he was beginning to feel a kind of companionable sympathy for the lizards that he and ,tomlin caught and smothered in chloroform before 8picklin' 'em40 ,no matter where he went he felt that he never appreciably increased the distance between himself and #bdj ,centre ,street1 ,new ,york--,police ,headquarters4 ,but ,billy wasn't the only one who was having troubles4 ,lorraine and ,tomlin came walking toward the beach1 and a blind man could tell that neither of them was happy4 ,the ,captain1 not being blind1 appeared perky and pleased4 8,aren't you coming to see mother80 she asked wistfully as she got into the boat4 ,perhaps she was too proud to ask him to come on her own account4 8,to-morrow1 ,lorraine4 ,to-morrow10 he said in an empty voice that showed he scarcely knew what he was saying4 8,to-morrow60 she said1 not without a touch of anger4 ,then to ,billy1 8,mr4 ,rand1 will you come and have dinner with me--now60 8,i sure am delighted60 said ,billy1 and without looking toward the reproachful eyes of ,tomlin or the glaring eyes of the ,captain1 he climbed into the boat1 and gave all of his attention to ,lorraine's4 ,billy thought the ,petrel was about the finest thing imaginable1 all white and shiny1 and he thought the dinner was too much for mere words to describe--with just himself and ,lorraine at the table4 ,the mother was not well1 but she looked much worse when ,lorraine said that ,tomlin wouldn't come--until to-morrow4 ,at dinner ,billy got the whole story4 ,of course ,lorraine didn't intend to tell it1 but she did--at least enough of it for him to understand that some years before she had loved ,tomlin and he had loved her1 and that they were promised1 each to the other4 ,but of course she had loved ,tomlin and he had loved her1 and that she was rich and he was poor and had 8pride0--also a passion for bugs and things4 ,there isn't much money to be made out of that sort of study1 and she objected to being expected to live on what he made from it--when she was rich as an ,indian princess4 ,her father offered to help ,tomlin along in business1 but ,tomlin insisted that his career was in studying bugs1 and that made the father peevish and he said that ,tomlin didn't need help4 ,naturally ,tomlin then grew more peevish and said that the father and his money could go to the--well1 wherever it is that rich men go on ,judgment ,day when they fail to get through the eye of the needle4 ,and1 of course1 that made ,lorraine peevish1 and she said that ,tomlin didn't love her4 ,but he said that he did and always would1 but that he had 8pride40 ,so the engagement was shattered1 and ,lorraine married a man rich as she was4 ,but ,tomlin had her heart and she couldn't forget him4 ,besides1 she felt that maybe after all she was to blame4 ,when her husband died from overwork of the stomach1 she inquired and found that ,tomlin had turned missionary to the ,caroline ,islands4 ,she talked with her mother1 and the mother1 having known all along how ,lorraine felt1 said to do it1 so ,lorraine sent ,tomlin a letter 7the mail is delivered to stray missionaries once every three or four years71 took the ,petrel1 engaged ,captain ,farwell1 and set out to locate ,tomlin1 being aided thereby through the ,board by ,foreign ,missions which had him down on its payroll for #ce every three months4 ,but as converting heathens isn't a very paying business1 there were times when he did not get that4 ,it was a long trip4 ,and ,captain ,farwell1 being a single man and feeling himself as attractive as any missionary1 continually told her of how white men degenerated in the tropics and--well1 the inference was that no woman could ask for a better husband than a sailorman of just his height and age4 ,he might as well have suggested himself as the consort for the ,empress ,dowager of ,china4 ,but the ,captain had ideas and believed himself a very resourceful gentleman4 8,and ,roscoe10 she said bitterly1 8still has that awful #8pride' of his60 8,he loves you1 don't he80 ,billy demanded4 ,she looked a little startled1 but admitted that ,tomlin had said he did and had never loved any one else2 and her eyes seemed to ask ,billy what he thought of a man who would love a girl and not show it4 ,billy was a man of some attainment in the use of his wits4 ,he had lived by them for many years4 ,he assured ,lorraine that all ,tomlin needed was a little friendly advice and to 8leave it to me60 ,she was a bit alarmed at ,billy's proprietary manner in taking over her love affair1 but they were a long way from home and the conventions of ,new ,york4 ,and when ,billy started to leave she said3 8,and by the way1 ,mr4 ,rand1 if for any reason you care to leave on the ,petrel1 whether or not ,roscoe comes1 you will be welcome4 ,and we are not going back by way of ,langar60 8,them detectives'll be awfully disappointed if you don't10 ,billy said frankly1 wondering just how much ,tomlin had told her1 and what the steward had told her--or ,captain ,farwell8 ,billy got into the boat to be taken ashore1 but the sailors said that they were waiting for the ,captain1 too4 ,presently ,captain ,farwell came and as the boat shoved off in the darkness1 there was a crackling and snapping on board the ,petrel4 ,billy had noticed the wireless4 ,he was not much of a sailor and besides it had seemed natural for ships to have tall poles and wires and ropes4 8,mr4 ,rand10 said the ,captain1 when he came1 8,i'm sending to ,langar a description of the man we met on the island this afternoon40 ,of course1 he said it that way so the sailors wouldn't understand4 8,and ,i believe10 he went on1 8that ,i can persuade the owner of the ,petrel that it would be wiser to go back by way of ,langar40 ,so the ,captain had been listening4 ,billy settled down on a thwart and tried to think4 8,it will take the detectives about two days to get here4 ,much may happen in two days40 ,billy hoped so4 ,the ,captain left ,billy to ruminate until the boat hit the beach4 ,then he got out and said that he would walk a bit with ,billy4 8,you know10 the ,captain began1 8if ,tomlin should not leave on the ,petrel ,i don't believe that we would go back by way of ,langar40 ,billy said nothing4 ,he didn't quite understand4 8,and in that case1 if you were on board the detectives would never meet you40 8,go on10 said ,billy4 8,i'm interested40 8,but if ,tomlin remained--and was able to talk1 understand--he would tell that you had gone on the ,petrel and you wouldn't be much better off4 ,besides1 the ,petrel would be into trouble for having tried to do you a favor4 ,they would get hold of the ,petrel some way40 8,that's right10 said ,billy4 8,now tell it all40 8,i'll be frank with you4 ,you are a bad crook1 so ,i don't suppose one crime more or less means much to you1 does it80 8,naw1 ,i'm bad60 said ,billy grinning to himself in the darkness4 8,listen then4 ,you kill ,tomlin and ,i'll see that you get away4 ,let him live this night out and ,i'll put you in irons and carry you to ,langar myself40 8,ooo-oo10 said ,billy4 8,i'm in a pickle40 8,you are10 said the ,captain1 speaking firm4 8,with ,tomlin out of the way1 you think this girl can be consoled by being ,mrs4 ,farwell4 ,am ,i some guesser80 8,you discuss your own business4 ,not mine40 8,sure4 ,you've got what they call the upper hand40 8,i have40 ,the ,captain was a man of decision2 very firm1 too4 8,how's the best way to go about it to keep ,tomlin quiet80 8,knife him40 8,all thought out60 said ,billy1 admiringly4 8,yes4 ,here's a knife4 ,don't leave it lying around4 ,if you do ,i shall swear you stole it from me40 8,i'll bring it back to you40 8,you'll do it then80 8,i'll come to the ,petrel in the mornin' and say a nigger done it40 8,that's right4 ,don't fail me4 ,it'll go hard with you40 8,i believe you10 said ,billy1 as the ,captain turned away and walked back toward the beach4 ,billy1 grinning thoughtfully1 went up to the house4 ,through the doorway he could see ,tomlin with his elbows on the table1 his hands in his hair1 sitting amid his troubles4 ,the lantern hanging from a beam made him look like a great grotesque image carved from teak4 ,billy climbed over the doorway4 8,billy--0 ,tomlin said anxiously1 ready to ask questions4 ,billy did not answer1 but started gathering up his few belongings1 and making a great show of that4 8,billy1 what are you doing80 ,no answer1 but much rummaging4 8,billy1 have you gone crazy80 8,nope40 8,what are you doing80 8,i'm movin'40 8,moving8 ,what's the matter80 8,i got pride10 said ,billy4 8,pride8 ,what on earth is the matter with you80 ,then ,billy told him4 ,that is ,billy explained how he had landed on the beach and been living on ,tomlin's charity1 and he simply couldn't stand it any more4 ,his pride wouldn't let him stand it4 ,he was going back in the bush and hunt berries and bugs of his own4 8,but ,billy--are you crazy8 ,i've done nothing for you4 ,i've liked you--,i want you to stay40 8,nope4 ,i got pride60 8,you idiot60 ,tomlin cried1 jumping up1 his strained nerves at the breaking point4 8,who's an idiot80 8,you are4 ,all this means nothing to me4 ,i'm glad to share it with you4 ,anything--everything4 ,i like you--and you--you--0 8--then why don't you marry her80 ,billy cut in4 ,tomlin's face went blank as the palm of his hand4 8,what does all that mean to her8 ,she just wants to share it with you4 ,and you got pride4 ,aw1 you just want her to coax and beg40 8,look here--what are you talking about80 ,tomlin demanded4 8,see this knife10 said ,billy1 flourishing the long1 cold blade4 8,well--0 and ,billy told him everything4 ,a few hours later ,tomlin was talking like a happy child and trying to shave while ,billy sat at the table painfully trying to write a note4 ,tomlin knocked over a shelf of pickled lizards4 8,look out60 ,billy exclaimed4 8,to hell with 'em60 said ,tomlin4 8,a missionary to--0 8,i've thought out my letter of resignation10 said ,tomlin4 ,billy finished his note and put it in his pocket1 saying3 8,i'll rout out some niggers and you come about fifteen minutes after me4 ,meantime ,i got to kill a chicken40 ,he slipped out and feeling under the low eaves grabbed a sleepy fowl4 ,captain ,farwell's knife was soon a very grewsome object4 ,just before dawn ,billy paddled out to the ,petrel4 ,he inquired for ,lorraine's cabin and banging on the door slipped her his note with a word or two of explanation1 then returned to the deck4 8,mr4 ,tomlin was murdered by natives last night10 he said to a sailor on watch4 8,the lady wants me to tell the ,captain40 ,billy was shown to the ,captain's cabin and the sailor went to spread the news forward4 8,who's there80 said the ,captain4 8,me10 said ,billy4 8,the niggers killed ,tomlin last night60 8,come in10 said the ,captain1 excited4 ,billy came in4 8,shut the door40 ,it was shut4 8,lock it40 ,billy fumbled with the lock4 ,the ,captain was in bed1 sitting up1 nervous4 8,he is dead80 8,see this80 said ,billy1 pulling out the knife4 8,why didn't you wipe it off80 8,all right10 said ,billy as he grabbed the end of the sheet and wiped the blade4 8,you fool--the stains--here--0 8,where else should they be8 ,us murderers has to stick together40 8,are you trying to implicate me8 ,but ,i've got you--,i'll swear--you're going to murder me60 ,with that the ,captain sprang out of bed and began yelling 8,murder6 ,help60 ,the door opened and ,lorraine stood there1 just as ,billy had requested4 ,her hair was tumbled down and she wore a kimono of white silk with blue birds4 ,her face did not look pleasant1 and her eyes were cold and straight1 but she said quite calmly3 8,captain ,farwell1 ,i have been listening with the door ajar ever since you told ,mr4 ,rand to lock it60 ,with that she turned and walked off4 ,the ,captain dropped his jaw1 and then himself4 ,he flopped like a sack of flour into a chair and sat there staring at ,billy4 8,you see1 ,cap10 said ,billy1 friendly-like1 8,i'm wanted back in ,new ,york as a witness in a bribery case4 ,not for murder4 ,and seein' as you don't want it1 ,i think ,i'll keep this knife as a little souvenir40 ,the ,captain said nothing1 so ,billy kept the knife and went out1 shutting the door4 ,down the passageway he came upon ,tomlin with his arms around ,lorraine1 and she was weeping happily4 ,billy overheard 8--as soon as we can find a minister40 8,but you are one60 she insisted4 8,and ,mr4 ,rand--isn't he--0 ,tomlin exploded into laughter4 ,but ,billy intervened4 8',scuse me for interferin' with the reunion1 but if you are lookin' for a weddin' ceremony1 allow me to offer my services40 ,tomlin looked surprised for it was obvious that ,billy was in earnest4 ,billy hastened to explain that when he had come over to ,guam on the transport the captain had married an officer and a nurse1 so it appeared that captains could marry people--though a missionary's assistant couldn't6 8,that's right60 said ,tomlin4 ,lorraine was inclined to object4 8,then we must wait1 my dear40 8,we have waited so long60 she said1 thereby agreeing to the ,captain's performing the ceremony4 ,the ,captain was still in pajamas and on his chair and showed all the visible symptoms of nervous prostration4 8,captain10 said ,billy1 cheerfully1 8we'd like to have a knot spliced this mornin' and seein' as how you are a sailor--0 8,will you be good enough to perform the wedding service80 ,tomlin asked1 sternly4 ,after all it was his1 not ,billy's wedding4 ,the ,captain choked and was badly scared1 but at last managed to say that he was 8agreeable10 although he didn't appear to be4 ,billy grabbed a pair of sailors for witnesses1 the ,captain fished out a ,bible--and ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,roscoe ,tomlin marched out blushing and happy to break the news to mother2 whereupon the old lady climbed right out of bed1 cured4 ,that afternoon the ,captain had a little talk with ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,tomlin and said that he would like permission to go ashore and stay there1 as relations on board had become somewhat strained4 ,he knew that a boat would be along in two or three days 7the detectives had answered that they were coming74 ,it was very irregular--a captain leaving his ship that way--but ,tomlin said that all things considered1 he thought it would be well4 ,so the ,captain said good-bye to the steward and whispered something that caused the steward to look hard at ,billy2 then he1 the ,captain1 left1 bag and baggage4 ,that day was spent in getting ,tomlin's bugs and lizards on board and in saying good-bye to the natives4 ,the next morning with the ,first ,officer on the bridge1 the ,petrel steamed out and left the ,captain sitting on the beach--very glad to have got away without charges being laid up against him4 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,tomlin cornered ,billy and asked what on earth they could do for him4 8,yesum10 said ,billy4 8,just drop that steward over-board40 ,mrs4 ,tomlin promised that at the first port they reached the steward would be fired and given passage money home4 ,as the day passed ,billy walked the deck and exchanged jokes with the ,first ,officer1 who was the new ,captain--and glad of it1 because he had never liked ,farwell anyhow4 ,then a little trading schooner came over the line1 bow on4 ,billy knew right away by intuition that she carried the detectives4 ,when within hailing distance the schooner heaved to and the ,petrel slowed down4 ,a fellow from the bow called out to thank the ,captain for having tipped him off as to the crook wanted in ,new ,york1 and asked if he was still in the nigger village4 ,the new ,captain didn't quite understand2 but ,billy grabbed the megaphone and yelled3 8,yes--raised a beard--stole papers and clothes from the ship--may try to pass himself off as a ,captain or something--clever crook1 you know--let 'im explain nothin' or you won't get him to ,new ,york4 ,good luck60 ,a shout of thanks came over the water as the ,petrel started churning ahead4 ,billy looked after the little schooner1 and taking a deep breath1 said gratefully to himself1 8,the ,lord helps them as helps 'emselves6 ,can you see the ,d4 ,a4 when he gets hold of old ,cap4 ,farwell expectin' to see little ,billy60 ,the ,woman's ,home ,companion ,,according ,,to ,,ruskin ,,by ,,harriet ,,welles ,,according ,,to ,,ruskin#ab ,by ,,harriet ,,welles ,during the first few days after the ,armistice was signed ,i seemed1 for some strange reason1 to wish to sit idly in my room in the ,london hotel where ,i was temporarily domiciled4 ,ever since ,i had left my home in ,america1 the days in war-time ,england had been so full1 so tensely crowded1 that each seemed crammed with events--events1 occurring somehow in an eternal twilight that will always recur to me with the memory of the unbearable1 shadowy premonition of an approaching night2 the sight of troops marching across the city under faint stars1 dim against the afterglow2 laden lorries lumbering1 convoy wagons creaking1 through the dusk2 constantly returning ambulances1 with their endless gleanings1 seeming to leave a perceptible shadow long after they had passed4 ,even the pot of parrot tulip bulbs1 purchased to brighten my window sill1 finally blossomed1 and contributed to my illusion of twilight by producing wan1 colorless flowers4 ,and then the ,armistice was signed1 and ,i awakened from my doze to find it bright morning with dazzling sunshine6 ,small wonder that most of us drew a long breath and1 blinking uncertainly1 hesitated4444 ,but1 after a few days1 old ties reasserted themselves4 ,i had been too busy1 too harassed1 before1 to look up old friends2 now1 ,i sat down and wrote the one for whom1 during a year in the ,orient where her husband and mine each held an official position1 ,i had grown to have a very deep admiration and affection4 8,it will be pleasant to see a real ,english family in their own home1 during the first days of peace10 ,i planned1 remembering my friend1 her pleasant husband1 and their three sons and one pretty daughter4 ,before her answering letter1 urging me to make them a long visit1 came1 my plans were suddenly changed1 my sailing date hastened4 ,i was able to arrange for only one afternoon with her in the cathedral town where she lived1 near ,london4 ,the only books on sale at the railroad station book stall were war literature1 for which1 now that the nightmare was so recently over1 ,i had a deep repugnance1 so ,i dug out from a pile of miscellaneous books a cheap paper-covered volume of ,ruskin's essays1 and settled myself to improve my mind1 while the toy train moved leisurely on its punctual way4 ,my friend waved to me from a wicker pony cart as ,i alighted from the train at her station4 ,she bridged the years which stretched between our last meeting1 half a world away1 and the present1 by the friendliness of her greeting1 the sincere warmth of her welcome4 8,there wasn't anyone to hold this fractious beast1 or ,i wouldn't be sitting here10 she apologized as she kissed me4 8,he looks peaceful enough10 ,i commented1 taking the seat beside my hostess4 8,she isn't6 ,since our horses were commandeered1 and we were allowed only eight gallons of petrol a month for the motor1 we've had to depend on this pony4 ,she's put on a lot of side since she realized that she was a war-worker10 volunteered my friend as the pony shied heraldically at a baby carriage4 8,she's seen that perambulator--or others like it--every day for the last fifteen years1 and never noticed until now40 ,the pony1 suddenly bored by her own antics1 slowed down to a jog trot2 we rounded a grove of trees1 and came upon a typical ,english village dominated by a gray cathedral4 8,how quaint--how peaceful60 ,i exclaimed with unfeigned enthusiasm4 8,yes1 it is a dear old place10 she agreed1 and hesitated3 8,i suppose that1 in a way1 it's peaceful1 too1 if you can overlook the sorrow or suffering in every house4 ,our older men will have to stay in harness and bear the burdens much longer than heretofore2 the middle generation is wiped out4 ,we must wait for the lads who are children now4 ,there isn't one young man left1 in this village1 who isn't lame or blind10 she said1 and indicated with her whip a cottage doorway4 ,on the step a blond boy leaned idly against a post4 ,something in his lack of cognizance of us made me look more closely4 8,blind1 deaf from #8shellshock1' and his right arm gone10 my friend explained4 ,i mentally searched for a pleasanter subject4 8,you haven't told me of your family--your husband1 ,daphne1 the boys8 ,i was so excited at seeing you that ,i waited to ask10 ,i said4 ,we were passing the green cloister of the cathedral4 ,above us towered the gray pile with its buttresses1 gargoyles and columns2 from an unseen belfry a deep-toned bell sounded the hour1 a silvery chime supplemented the old canticle3 8,he 444 watching over ,israel 444 slumbers not 444 nor sleeps40 ,my friend listened intently4 8,sometimes1 when bad news arrived1 or the severely wounded came home1 ,i've wondered4 ,i've questioned10 she said4 ,i knew that she referred to the message of the bells4 8,you needn't question any more4 ,now1 you know60 ,i comforted4 8,yes10 she agreed1 8now ,i know--it had to be4 ,all ,english mothers are sure of that40 ,there was in her tone quiet and sincere earnestness that any comment seemed superfluous and impertinent1 so in silence we drove on down the long road and passed through a stone gateway and up a curving avenue to the most perfect ,georgian house that ,i have ever seen4 ,she smiled at my enthusiastic admiration4 8,i used to get so homesick for it1 in ,china10 she volunteered2 8my great-great-grandfather built it on the ruins of an older place of ours which had burned40 99 99 99 99 99 ,an old stableman hobbled up to take the reins4 ,we went in past an elderly parlor maid who had opened the door1 and ,i instantly succumbed to the perfection of the sunshiny hall1 with its floor of black and white marble1 and the square1 paneled rooms opening off on either side of it4 8,we've had tea in the garden every afternoon1 it has been such a beautiful1 open autumn4 ,but perhaps you'd prefer having it in the house80 suggested my friend4 8,i'd much rather have it in the garden10 ,i agreed1 reluctantly detaching my attention from the ,adam mantelpiece and turning to examine the carved corners of the old wall panels4 ,the rooms were veritable museums of rare and beautiful furnishings2 they showed a finished perfection of detail1 from the wax candles in the crystal chandeliers to the faded needle-point upholstering on the ,chippendale chair seats4 8,just think of the generations of discriminating people whose taste is represented in your home6 ,didn't any of them ever make mistakes and buy black walnut horrors80 ,i cried1 and added1 8,what a magnificent heritage to hand down1 unspoiled1 to your children60 ,she did not answer4 ,i turned and found her staring down at the sturdy carving on a superb oak bench4 8,my great-great-great-great-grandfather's favorite seat10 she explained1 rousing herself4 8,he sailed with ,drake 444 and was a firm believer in the unalterable greatness of ,england1 and ,england's future 444 as ,i am a believer in it60 ,she paused4 8,but sometimes ,i wonder 444 what will become of our household gods44440 8,become of them80 ,i cried4 ,she interrupted me4 8,must you really go back to ,london this afternoon80 she asked1 and at my reluctant affirmative continued1 8,i've ordered tea early for that reason4 ,shall we go out into the garden8444 ,ah1 ,daphne60 ,i turned to greet the daughter of the house as she came down the stairs1 and drew a deep breath of pleasure4 ,she had been a pretty girl1 but now she was even lovelier1 and while the contrast between her soft dress and lace hat and her mother's severely plain attire was striking1 ,i felt thankful that1 in war-weary ,england1 ,beauty was encouraged4 8,daphne--and grown up60 ,i greeted her4 ,she smiled4 8,were you at my wedding80 she asked4 8,why1 no6 ,i didn't even know that you had been married10 ,i commented4 ,her mother interposed3 8,we hadn't time to look up addresses or have invitations engraved4 ,george's leave was so short40 ,daphne was not listening2 now1 she interrupted1 8,tea--so soon8 ,in the garden80 ,and without waiting for an answer glanced at the shabby volume still clasped in my hand4 8,book8 ,any pictures80 she asked4 ,i smiled4 8,you haven't grown up at all60 ,i told her1 and added1 8,ruskin's essays--without illustrations60 99 99 99 99 99 ,the parlor maid appeared in the doorway4 8,tea is served10 she announced4 ,we followed her to the garden entrance4 8,everything here is so quiet60 ,i said as we went through the gate4 8,oh60 ,i cried1 8this is as perfect as the house60 and gazed entranced at the long vistas of box-lined paths1 the grouped battalions of clipped yews1 and the massed planting of cosmos1 chrysanthemums1 and flaming dahlias4 ,my friend smiled4 8,you should see it in ,august when the white lilies make a mist of blossoms along the walls1 and forget-me-nots are reflected in the pool10 she said4 8,and the poppies60 cried ,daphne4 ,almost sharply her mother denied3 8,not poppies4 ,daphne4 ,never again poppies6 ,i've given orders for the poppies to be weeded out as fast as they come up40 ,she gave careful attention to the making of the tea4 8,not such good tea as we had in the ,orient10 she apologized4 ,we spoke of our winter in ,hong-,kong and the visiting dignitaries4 8,wonder what has become of the ,austrian duchess who wore the silver dress and huge diamonds at the dinner at ,government ,house80 or1 8,did you ever hear again of ,mrs4 ,carson1 who ran away with that young ,german8 ,i was told that they are living in ,tasmania10 or1 8,how did the ,llewellyn marriage turn out8 ,you remember we didn't think it would be a success80 ,and recalled the terrible typhoon which had come up so suddenly that hundreds of unprepared1 helpless sampans and junks were swept into the port of lost ships4 8,i'll never forget the abject terror of some of those ,chinese sailors who1 as the junks swept by1 were chanting their appeal to the sea-god10 ,i said4 ,she agreed soberly1 remembering the tragic day4 8,i like to think of that incongruous ,scotch regiment with the bagpipes1 marching gayly along the walks bordered with tall blossoming poinsettias that flamed against the brown banks10 she supplemented4 ,we relived a summer in the mountains of ,japan1 and laughed over the memories of various mishaps when we had tried1 unavailingly1 to 8hustle the ,east40 8,i've never been able to look a hard-boiled egg in the eye since we patronized those ,chuzenji tea houses10 ,i said2 8if all the embryo chickens ,i devoured were suddenly to appear--0 8,heaven forbid60 agreed my friend4 ,we laughed together4 99 99 99 99 99 ,daphne had wandered off4 ,i could see her white figure1 misty against the rosy mauve of the cosmos2 ,i wondered if she had lost interested memory of the ,japanese holidays she had so much enjoyed4 ,she had not spoken of them or recalled our former friendship and now1 oblivious of me1 ,i could hear her happily humming an old song4 ,i felt chilled1 grieved1 and mystified2 ,daphne had been very much attached to me during the old days2 ,i had looked eagerly forward to seeing her again1 and now she treated me as though ,i were the most casual acquaintance1 ,i thought2 then took myself sharply in hand4 8,you're stupid60 ,i accused mentally4 ,aloud1 ,i said1 8,how happy ,daphne seems6 ,i suppose that you expect her husband back any time1 now80 ,my friend set the teapot down2 for a second1 as she did not answer but sat gazing across the sunshiny garden4 ,i thought that she had not heard4 ,then she turned and faced me4 8,no--0 she commenced4 ,daphne had come up behind me4 8,tea80 she asked1 and took the cup that her mother had prepared for me1 then1 sitting down1 she asked1 8,were you at my wedding80 8,no10 ,i answered2 8tell me about it40 8,flowers6 ,we had flowers1 and there were flags4 ,i had a white dress--0 she began1 then stopped blankly4 ,her mother took up the account4 8,we made it as pretty as we could10 she said4 8,of course1 last year1 no one had much heart for celebrating except at a wedding6 ,daphne's two cousins were the bridesmaids2 they carried big loose bunches of moss-roses from this garden--somehow garden flowers seemed more suitable for weddings during those days when home1 and all that homes stand for1 were the real issue of the war40 ,she paused1 then went on3 8,my husband came down from his training camp and gave ,daphne away4 ,i'd been working two days a week1 for over three years1 among the widows and mothers of sailors1 at ,deptford4 ,poor bereaved souls6 ,daphne's wedding was the first thing that had awakened interest in some of them4 ,they'd grown used to me2 then fond of me2 then part of my family2 and they wanted to see my daughter's wedding4 ,they filled nearly half of the church--silent women1 in their decent black1 rightful heirs to the glory of the old flags draped against the pillars and the bronze commemorative tablets set in the walls40 99 99 99 99 99 ,she seemed for a moment to have forgotten me1 then1 remembering1 went on1 8,it hadn't occurred to me until1 as ,i sat in the old church waiting for ,daphne's wedding1 that never1 since ,england has had a navy1 has there been a time when a son of our family has not served in it40 8,a fine tradition10 ,i praised1 8a glorious promise for the future years60 ,there was silence4 ,across it the bell in the cathedral tower called the hour2 the chimes spoke4 ,my friend waited until the last echo died away1 then faced me4 8,you never saw ,hugh1 my second son8 ,he had already entered the navy when we went to ,hong-,kong40 ,her voice was carefully emotionless and clear4 8,our place on the navy lists is vacant4 ,hugh went down in the #8,invincible' during the ,jutland battle10 she said1 then added1 8,our boys commence their naval training very early4 ,hugh was such a wee lad when he said good-by 444 and now--0 ,her voice lowered to a whisper--8,sometimes1 in my dreams1 ,i see the horror and confusion of that sinking ship 444 the greedy rush of the gray waters--0 ,she regained her composure4 8,curious things1 dreams80 she inquired conversationally4 ,i gasped4 8,my dear6 ,why didn't you tell me--instead of letting me blunder on8 ,are ,jeffrey and ,wallace too old to begin a naval career8 ,but of course they are10 ,i floundered on4 ,daphne had wandered back to us4 8,i'll have some more tea10 she said4 8,three cups1 ,daphne60 ,i chided1 glad of the interruption4 8,you really shouldn't drink so much strong tea1 ,daphne10 her mother admonished absently4 ,to my amazement ,daphne struck the table violently with her clenched fist4 8,tea60 she demanded4 ,her mother1 without comment1 poured it out4 8,how ,daphne has changed--and her mother1 too6 ,she used to be so severe with her children about any lack of courtesy10 ,i thought4 ,my friend broke the silence4 8,do you remember ,mrs4 ,gordon1 whose husband was on the #8,tamar' at ,hong-,kong80 ,i nodded4 8,commander ,gordon was with the ships that went down off your ,south ,american coast10 she said4 8,for some time we thought that he was lost2 but later the news came4 ,he had been rescued4 ,mrs4 ,gordon was so splendid through it all6 ,her happiness has been the one warming thing4444 ,do you know1 ,i don't believe that some of our women will really realize the bitterness of their loss until they see other women's husbands and sons coming home40 8,i'm so glad for ,mrs4 ,gordon10 ,i said1 remembering the tall commander and his gentle1 pretty wife4 99 99 99 99 99 ,my friend made no comment4 ,a little silence fell4 ,across the peaceful old garden some rooks1 homeward bound1 called from the oaks2 the bitter tonic scent of chrysanthemums and box lingered in the still air4 ,it was so quiet that we could hear the organ and choir commencing vespers at the cathedral4 ,war1 its agonies1 tortures1 and despair were mere unmeaning words--transparent nightmares of speech1 illusive as dreams against the background of this noble1 serene1 and tangible ,english landscape1 which breathed of centuries of peace4 ,i sighed with thankfulness for my friend2 in spite of her sailor son's death1 her world seemed full of the promise of happiness in the advancing years4 ,then ,i glanced at my watch and saw that my visit was nearly over4 8,do you think that your war-working pony will consent to another trip to the depot--or shall ,i walk80 ,i asked4 ,she smiled4 8,you won't have to walk10 she promised4 ,i gathered up my gloves and purse1 while she stood idly turning the pages of the volume of ,ruskin's essays4 ,a paragraph caught her interest4 ,she glanced at it1 then1 with attention1 read aloud3 8,i shall therefore divide the war of which ,i would speak to you under three heads4 ,war for exercise or play2 war for dominion2 and1 war for defense40 8,h'm'm10 ,i commented grimly1 8,ruskin's dead2 if he were alive ,i doubt if he would have found anything very playful about this war40 ,she made no comment1 but read on3 8,now1 remember1 whatever virtue or goodliness there may be in this game of war1 rightly played1 there is none when you thus play it with a multitude of human pawns4444 ,if you1 the gentlemen of this or any other kingdom1 choose to make your pastime of contest1 do so1 and welcome2 but set not up these unhappy peasant-pieces upon the checker of forest and field4 ,if the wager is to be of death1 lay it on your own heads1 not theirs4 ,a goodly struggle in the ,olympic dust1 though it be the dust of the grave1 the gods will look upon and be with you in2 but they will not be with you if you sit on the sides of the amphitheatre1 whose steps are the mountains of earth1 whose arena its valleys1 to urge your peasant millions into gladiatorial war40 8,i suppose he means compulsory military training10 ,i said4 ,she did not answer4 8,human beings are very pitiful1 ,i think10 she said1 8striving1 hurrying1 grasping--and for such paltry rewards40 ,she turned to me4 8,how many times1 during your life1 have you been completely1 unquestioningly happy80 she demanded4 8,well--0 ,i parried uneasily4 8,you can't remember once10 accused my friend1 8no one can6 ,if1 for a few minutes1 out of doors in the sunshine you are happy1 how soon the old worries1 the old fears1 the old griefs1 come flooding back4 ,what's it all about80 99 99 99 99 99 ,i answered soberly1 8,surely there is a cure--a way out of such a condition10 ,i said4 8,how ,american--how practical60 she commented dryly1 and added3 8,don't forget to let me know when you discover it40 ,i felt queerly uneasy1 worried and unhappy4 8,you won't get anywhere by slumping10 ,i scolded4 8,i wasn't getting anywhere1 before10 she retorted2 then questioned3 8,wonder if those women feel that the second-hand furniture1 pictures1 and half-worn underclothes their husbands looted1 at their behest1 are worth what they have cost80 ,i was startled4 8,what women80 ,i asked4 ,she flipped open my dog-eared book4 8,do you just buy ,ruskin8 ,why don't you read him80 she asked1 and hunted for a place4 8,now listen60 she said1 going on in her quiet1 clear voice4 8,i1 for one1 would fain join in the cadence of hammer strokes that should beat swords into plowshares2 and that this cannot be1 is not the fault of us men4 ,it is your fault4 ,wholly yours4 ,only by your command1 or by your permission1 can any contest take place among us4 ,and the real1 final reason for all the poverty1 misery1 and rage of battle1 throughout ,europe1 is simply that you women 444 are too selfish and too thoughtless to take pains for any creature out of your own immediate circles4444 ,now ,i tell you this1 that if the usual course of war1 instead of unroofing peasants' houses1 and ravaging peasants' fields1 merely broke the china upon your own drawing-room tables1 no war in civilized countries would last a week44440 8,i don't consider ,germany a civilized country10 ,i volunteered4 8,did ,ruskin really write that80 ,i asked1 and reached for the book4 8,i hope it's translated into their language10 ,i supplemented4 8,they wouldn't read it2 they don't need any advice about guarding the looted bric--brac on their tables10 she said4 8,be thankful that our returning men can hold their heads proudly erect10 ,i exulted4 8#8,our returning men'10 she repeated4 ,we were walking toward the house4 8,when do you expect ,jeffrey and ,wallace home8 ,is ,daphne's husband back80 ,i asked4 ,she held the little volume in both hands and looked evenly at me3 8,jeffrey was killed at ,mons during the first month of the war4 ,wallace was refused several times on account of his eyes4 #8,what would you do if your glasses were broken8' they asked him the last time he applied4 ,he went out and bought six pairs1 and they accepted him4 ,he never needed a second pair10 said my friend in her quiet1 emotionless voice4 ,i laid my hand on her arm4 8,my dear--0 ,i cried1 and could go no further4 ,she turned her head away4 99 99 99 99 99 ,from behind us came ,daphne's voice singing an old song of laughter and love and a garden of roses4 ,she joined us and looked puzzledly at her mother4 8,what is it80 she questioned4 8,we've been speaking of your brothers10 ,i whispered4 ,she started at me4 8,brothers80 she asked4 ,i glanced at her with astonishment4 8,jeffrey and ,wallace1 who were with you at ,hong-,kong10 ,i said4 8,jeffrey--,wallace--,hong-,kong10 she repeated parrot-like after me1 in vague and troubled bewilderment1 then brightened3 8,were you at my wedding8 ,we had flowers and flags60 ,i could only stare at her4 ,her mother motioned me into the wide hall4 8,daphne and her husband were spending his leave1 and their honeymoon1 in ,london2 they were just coming out of a theatre when a ,german air raid started4 ,george was killed 444 and ,daphne struck on the head 444 by some falling masonry4 ,for days we thought we couldn't pull her through--then the up-turn came40 8,oh60 ,i exclaimed4 8,oh60 8,she doesn't remember4 #8,never will remember1' the doctors say10 repeated my friend1 and laid a comforting hand on my arm4 8,of course you couldn't know10 she said2 very earnestly she added3 8,you see how completely life has finished with me8 ,well1 let me tell you something3 ,if the ,huns1 and their ideas1 had been allowed to dominate the world1 it wouldn't have been a tolerable place for any right-thinking1 self-respecting1 decent man to live in4 ,and since the only way to remove that menace was through the sacrifice of thousands of boys like our sons 444 ,i1 who stand bereft1 to-day1 tell you that ,i am glad that things are as they are40 ,i could not speak4 ,at the doorway she bade me an affectionate good-by4 8,my husband will be very sorry to have missed you4 ,don't forget that you'll always find us here1 with a welcome for you10 she said4 ,with a wave of her hand she indicated the wide landscape sloping away into far blue hills4 8,at least we have saved this1 untouched10 she added bleakly4 8,i'll be back10 ,i promised1 and turned away to hide the blurring tears4 99 99 99 99 99 ,saved1 untouched2 clean hands2 a clear conscience2 the right to look any man1 or woman1 in the eyes4 ,a green country with violet-shadowed valleys dreaming in the sunshine2 the fairylike chime of cuckoo's notes calling--calling--calling2 woods1 and tree tops outlined against the wide sky2 lazy cows knee deep in the reeds bordering a silvery brook2 homeward-faring pigeons on gleaming wings2 the drowsy note of distant church bells2 the hum of bees2 pearly mists of rain2 the ripple of wind over wheat2 the blackbirds' flutelike call2 wide-eyed daisies2 darting swallows1 and the scent of meadow-sweet3 ,england4 ,and yet--and yet 7oh1 broken hopes and dreams7 the lonely days that stretch ahead6 ,the quiet years4 ,young's ,magazine ,,the ,,crystal ,,flask ,,by ,,paul ,,rosenwey ,,the ,,crystal ,,flask#ac ,by ,,paul ,,rosenwey ,young ,gwilliam1 fresh and brown from his two years in the wilds1 and with two inches added to his chest measure1 hurried to the club and searched for ,drysdale4 ,he found his ,petronius sitting just as he had left him1 in the accustomed well-cushioned chair1 in the accustomed corner1 on his face the accustomed quiet1 faintly amused smile4 ,gwillam drew up a chair opposite2 the necessary ceremonies were performed1 and then they plunged into one of those long garrulous gossips1 which they both liked so well4 8,i saw ,craig1 to-day10 said young ,gwillam1 after a time4 ,he paused4 8,yes10 said ,drysdale1 non-committally4 8,he looked badly10 added ,gwillam suggestively4 ,drysdale made no answer4 ,gwillam leaned forward4 8,tell me what has happened10 he urged4 8,i liked ,craig2 he was always a good sort of fellow4 ,and he is young too--not much older than myself2 but to-day he looked like an old man--thin1 gray1 stooped--a wreck40 8,he has discovered the virtues of his uncle's wedding gift10 said ,drysdale4 8,his uncle's wedding gift80 echoed ,gwillam wonderingly4 8,did you never hear of it80 asked ,drysdale4 8,it was quite a subject of conversation at one time4 ,everyone knew of it and laughed4 ,it was a very strange gift and it was given by a very strange old gentleman4 ,he is dead now1 but ,i can imagine him1 if he has any knowledge of what has taken place1 grinning with the keenest delight4 ,it is just the sort of thing he would have enjoyed4 8,it really began10 said ,drysdale1 8at ,craig's wedding breakfast4 ,you see1 old ,forsythe--,craig's uncle--was delighted at ,craig's marriage4 ,he--,forsythe--was old even then2 he had a great deal more money than anyone needs2 and he used to worry dreadfully about what would become of it when he was gone4 ,to be sure he could leave it all to ,craig1 as he intended to do2 but life is short1 ,craig would die1 and then who would get the money8 ,he often wished that ,craig had a family of youngsters1 upon whom he might settle it1 so that for fifty or sixty years at least it would be safe4 ,and when ,craig became engaged to marry the old gentleman immediately made a new will and from that time on displayed a joy so open and unrestrained that it was scarcely decent4 ,at the wedding breakfast his glee was almost childish2 he became quite garrulous1 and it needed constant effort to restrain him from telling stories1 which1 however humorous they might prove to be1 were1 even in their beginnings1 quite evidently improper4 ,still1 though with some difficulty1 he was kept within bounds until he insisted on making a speech4 ,as he rose from his seat1 a glass of wine held unsteadily in his trembling old hand1 a wicked smile on his thin old lips1 a feeling of uneasiness pervaded the company1 and it was very generally felt that whatever he might say1 it could be very well dispensed with4 ,but no one remonstrated4 ,when one has a relative who is at once very wealthy and very old1 it is astonishing how lenient one becomes to his little failings4 8#8,my dear ,robert--my dear ,amy1' began old ,forsythe1 glancing first at ,craig and then at his wife2 #8,i have already given you your wedding gift as you know4' ,this was quite true2 the old reprobate had given them an extremely substantial check1 to which he found it impossible not to make allusion4 #8,but that was more or less formal--the gift dictated by convention4 ,and ,i wanted to give you something intimate--something1 trifling perhaps1 but personal--something so appropriate that it should become part of your lives4 ,for a long time ,i racked my poor old brains in vain2 and then1 only yesterday1 ,i had an inspiration--quite an inspiration6' he added fondly4 8,craig and his wife exchanged glances of relief4 ,the speech would probably pass off without disaster after all4 8#8,you may remember1' resumed the old gentleman1 #8that when ,i was younger ,i traveled extensively1 but it has probably escaped your minds that ,i spent much time in ,arabia4 ,nevertheless that is so4 ,i traveled1 not with any thought of exploring or attaining scientific results1 but for my own pleasure only4 ,in spite of that1 or perhaps because of it1 ,i avoided the main routes of travel1 and always1 so far as was possible1 sought remote and primitive regions4 ,it was in such a place that late one afternoon ,i came upon a romantic little glade1 hidden between two ridges of the mountains ,i was traversing4 ,all around1 the country was bleak and barren1 but here the grass was of the greenest and the foliage of the freshest2 and it needed only a slight investigation to discover that this desirable state of affairs was due to the waters of a little spring which rose from the ground at one end of the glade4 ,the water was remarkably clear and transparent1 and over the spring itself was a small structure of stone1 which1 though half ruined by the passage of time1 still bore a very evident resemblance to a miniature temple4 ,my interest was strongly aroused2 ,i scented a story1 and ,i had my guide make inquiry of the villagers4 ,i was right2 there was a story and one which interested me greatly4 ,for at that time ,i was still young and1 though it is ,i who say it1 not without attraction for the ladies2 and ,i still entertained hopes that some day ,i would know those joys and delights that have come to my lucky young nephew4 ,so ,i got from my baggage an old crystal flask1 which ,i had picked up in ,bassorah1 and filled it from the spring2 my guide produced an aromatic gum which he was in the habit of burning for the enjoyment of its odor1 and we hermetically sealed the flask1 which from that day to this ,i have always preserved most carefully4 ,the day is long past1 however1 when it can be of use to me1 whereas the time has only just begun1 my dear ,robert and my dear ,amy1 when it can be of use to you4 ,so it is this flask1 my dears1 which ,i have chosen as my real gift to you4' 8,he fumbled beneath the flowers and ferns which covered the table before him1 and from its hiding-place produced something which he held high in his hand that all might see4 ,it was a flask of crystal1 long1 slender and delicately fashioned1 and filled to the very stopper with a liquid which1 though colorless and transparent1 seemed in the blazing light to sparkle and give forth faint iridescent gleams4 ,it was a beautiful thing1 and ,craig's wife gave a little exclamation of delight as the old gentleman bowed courteously and handed it to her4 8#8,but ,uncle ,robert1' she reminded him1 as she took it1 #8the story8 ,you said there was a story4' 8#8,oh1 yes1 my dear1' replied ,uncle ,robert1 #8you shall have the story1 which is most important4 ,for you must know that the spring is a magic spring1 and the water in the flask is magic too1 with most magical properties4 ,the spring had its origin in the tears of an unfortunate young maiden named ,zubaydah1 who1 on the very spot where it now flows1 found the body of her lover ,ghanim1 cruelly slain4 ,she fell on his breast1 lamenting wildly1 and when they tore him away from her embracing arms1 she would not stir1 but remained there1 refusing drink and food alike1 and weeping1 weeping constantly1 until in the end she too died4 ,their story is most pathetic and some day you shall hear it2 but now it is of no further importance1 save for the fact that when they bore her tenderly away1 a spring was flowing from the ground she had so plentifully watered with her tears4 ,and the water of that spring had this remarkable quality3 that when a flask of it is jointly possessed by true lovers1 so long as neither commits a crime against their mutual love1 the water remains as you saw it1 clear1 sparkling1 translucent2 but should either of the lovers prove false to the other1 the water becomes dark1 thick1 muddy--an ugly symbol of the wrong that has been done4 8#8,always1 even when ,i was quite young1' concluded old ,forsythe1 #8there was in my nature a strong materialistic strain--a strain of cynicism some said2 but to me it seemed rather a strain of common sense1 which enabled me to see things as they were1 quite uninfluenced by the emotional disturbances which impaired the calm judgments of my fellows4 ,so1 though at this time ,i expected to marry and1 of course1 expected that my wife would be in love with me when we married1 yet ,i was quite aware that there could be no guarantee that she would remain so4 ,the value of a flask of this water to a person so able as myself to gaze without blinking upon the realities of life1 was very evident4 ,i should present it to my wife on our wedding day and tell her its story2 and though ,i knew it could avail no more than anything else on this earth to keep me her love1 yet ,i hoped that it might serve to guard me against those unpleasant little eccentricities of conduct which sometimes follow the death of conjugal affection4 ,it was with this hope that ,i always preserved it1 and it is with a similar hope on your behalf1 my dear ,robert1 that ,i have presented you and ,amy with the flask4' 8,the old gentleman sat down in the midst of a stunned silence4 ,it was1 of course1 an atrocious thing that he had done4 ,on their very wedding day to suggest that the love of the bridal pair might not last forever6 ,craig's face was pale and his lips were tightly compressed2 on ,amy's cheeks burned two angry red spots4 ,but1 as ,i have said before1 when one has a relative who is very old and also very wealthy1 it is astonishing how lenient one becomes toward his lapses from what one believes to be the correct standards of taste and conduct4 ,neither ,craig nor his wife spoke2 the silence lasted yet another moment1 then some one made a remark1 which1 however pointless1 at least had the merit of provoking a general conversation1 in the course of which old ,forsythe and his crudeness were ignored by general consent4 8,a little later ,craig found his wife upstairs1 just as she had donned her traveling dress4 ,uncle ,robert1 of course1 was not there2 and ,craig permitted himself to become quite angry4 ,the flask stood sparkling in the sunlight1 on a little table where ,amy had placed it on coming into the room4 ,craig would have smashed it to pieces1 but ,amy stayed his hand4 8#8,oh1 no1' she said1 #8your uncle may ask for it when he comes to see us1 and we could not afford to offend him by telling him we had destroyed it4' 8,the fact that it was she who saved the flask from destruction1 afterwards seemed to ,craig a rare bit of irony2 but at the time he saw only an early proof of the wise1 semi-maternal interest every good wife takes in her husband's affairs1 and he found it so inexpressibly touching that1 instead of smashing the flask1 he kissed his wife4 8,nevertheless1 they did not exhibit old ,forsythe's wedding gift conspicuously in their drawing-room1 though it was there that they found it greeting them upon returning from their trip4 ,what to do with it was quite a problem until ,mrs4 ,craig found a vacant space behind a row of books in the library1 and there it was promptly bestowed4 ,you see1 as a hiding-place1 this spot had two great virtues3 it hid1 which is a requisite of all hiding-places1 and it allowed the flask to be quickly produced in case of ,uncle ,robert's visits1 which was a requisite of this particular hiding-place4 8,after about two years had passed1 however1 they found that they had lost all sensitiveness upon the subject1 and they even1 at times1 with a decided feeling of being an old married couple1 treated the episode humorously for the benefit of their friends4 #8,dear ,uncle ,robert and his quaint idea of an appropriate wedding gift6' ,they were able to adopt this attitude the more easily1 perhaps1 because there seemed so little probability that the event1 to guard against which ,uncle ,robert had given them the flask1 would ever occur4 ,they were a model couple--,darby and ,joan in all respects save that of age1 and neither had ever shown the slightest inclination to stray beyond the strictest limits imposed by the matrimonial tether4 ,this in spite of the fact that for two years they had not been separated for twenty-four hours at a time4 ,or should ,i say because of it8 ,one can never tell4 ,at any rate1 when ,uncle ,robert died1 about this time1 he had been entirely forgiven1 and they grieved for him quite sincerely4 8,now it happened that the bulk of the estate which the old gentleman had left to ,craig and any possible children1 was stock in a rubber concession in two of the smaller ,south ,american states2 and it also happened that just after ,forsythe's death1 acute trouble began to develop between the two countries4 ,after several weeks of great anxiety1 ,craig felt that he had no choice1 but must go and defend his interests in person4 ,accordingly1 he immediately began his preparations for the trip4 ,mrs4 ,craig desired earnestly to go with him1 but of this he would not hear4 8#8,i shall not be gone over two months at the most1' he said1 #8and that is not really such a long time4 ,besides1 there will be danger for you if it comes to hostilities2 and there is always fever4' 8,in the end ,mrs4 ,craig was persuaded to stay at home1 and ,craig went alone4 ,on the night before he sailed he had an inspiration4 ,he was in the library1 disposing of some odds and ends of his affairs1 when the inspiration came to him4 ,he went to the bookshelves1 pushed aside some books and took out the crystal flask4 ,for a moment he held it in the light of the reading lamp1 admiring the lustre of the delicate glass and the clear transparency of the liquid it contained4 ,a smile curved his lips1 and he held the neck of the flask over the flame of the lamp until the sealing gum was softened1 then removed the stopper1 poured out part of the contents and refilled the flask with ink4 ,when he had replaced the stopper1 he again held the flask to the light1 but now the liquid it contained was a dirty1 muddy gray--the color he wished4 ,he smiled again in satisfaction1 and returned the flask to its old place on the bookshelf4 8,you see1 he had conceived the idea of an excellent joke upon his wife4 ,she would in all probability discover the flask at some time during his absence2 she would realize immediately what he had done2 and he could imagine her laughing with him across the thousand miles that separated them4 ,and what a finish it would make to their story6 ,perhaps1 too1 she would play up to the situation by pretending to take her discovery seriously4 ,the affair was full of humorous possibilities1 and he amused himself greatly in anticipating them4 8,but the absence which was to have extended over not more than two months1 as a matter of fact1 lasted for a little more than a year4 ,during all this time it was never certain that ,craig would not be able to return almost immediately2 there was therefore no reason for his wife to join him1 and she remained at home--alone4 8,upon what must have happened ,i can only touch lightly1 because ,i cannot understand it4 ,mrs4 ,craig was alone1 it is true1 but her husband loved her2 and when he left1 she had undoubtedly cared for him4 ,of course1 with the sudden increase in ,craig's income1 she was thrown with a set she had never met before2 she and ,craig had not been poor1 but this change meant wealth1 really great wealth1 and perhaps it turned her head4 ,perhaps1 being as strangely illogical and as strongly resentful of fancied slights as women always are in matters which concern their affections1 she had convinced herself that ,craig need never have stayed from her so long1 if his inclination and his duty had not traveled along the same road1 and in her anger sought for revenge4 ,perhaps 444 but ,i do not know4 ,one can never tell4 8,when at last ,craig returned home1 however1 she greeted him with manifestations of greatest pleasure2 and ,craig himself1 when ,i met him on the street two days after his arrival1 seemed radiantly happy4 ,he had reason to be2 he had wealth1 occupation1 strength and the love of the woman whom he loved4 ,he probably thought himself1 and he certainly seemed to me1 one of the favored ones of the world4 8,it was in all probability on the evening of this day that he first thought of the flask1 and then it dawned on him quite suddenly that his wife had not spoken of it4 ,his joke1 of course1 had failed1 because if she had seen the flask during his absence1 he would long since have heard something of it4 ,still1 he would get it out and make what he could of the change that had come over it4 8#8,amy1' he said1 #8we have forgotten to look at the flask4' ,he watched her closely1 but her face did not change4 ,she did not even show the slight surprise that might have been expected at his sudden introduction of the subject4 8#8,so we have1' she answered4 ,she smiled slightly4 #8,if you think an inspection necessary1 will you get it8' ,she was so ready that it seemed almost as if she had been waiting for his suggestion2 but he did not notice this--at the time4 8,he walked across the room1 already smiling as he thought of the surprise in store for her4 ,still smiling he reached down into the vacant space behind the books until he found the flask1 then turned and held it to the light4444 8,that was a year ago4 8,the next day ,craig went to ,canada4 ,he did not return until his wife had sailed for ,europe4 ,she is still there1 and ,craig is--as you saw him40 ,drysdale stopped4 8,but what was the matter8 ,what was wrong80 exclaimed young ,gwillam4 8,what--0 ,drysdale interrupted him4 8,you see10 he said1 8when he looked at the flask that night1 it had once more been filled with a perfectly clear and transparent liquid40 ,,why ,,the ,,editors ,,buy ,,adventure ,as ,adventure readers include the cultured and critical as well as those of simple tastes1 we seek the kind of workmanship that will stand the difficult test of meeting the approval of both groups4 ,but in selecting our fiction it always seems to us that only that part of the story is effective that reaches the reader's mind and the highest literary attainment is likely to go hand in hand with simplicity and clearness4 ,we regard it as vitally important that the illusion should be kept up4 ,we want the reader to leave his own world and to live entirely in the world of the story4 ,for this reason we dislike too pronounced mannerisms of style1 too unusual names for characters1 misstatements in local color1 improbability in plot details4 ,we also wish that the author would avoid the obtrusion of his own personality into the story1 too much surface cleverness1 the specific call upon the reader to philosophize 7thus making him think1 rather than keeping him in the receptive mood71 a too cynical or sophisticated attitude on the author's part4 ,in general the two points--clearness and keeping the illusion--are probably those which we emphasize most particularly4 ,we have in addition certain types of story that we try to avoid3--those that involve international or political questions2 we dislike stories of opium smuggling2 stories in which all of the main characters are 8natives02 stories which feature intermarriage4 ,generally speaking1 we do not care much for a villain in the rle of central character2 nor for much high society atmosphere2 millionaire circles2 prisons2 slums2 lost wills2 psychopathic cases2 gangsters4 ,of course exceptions to all of the above sometimes force themselves upon us by sheer merit4 ,we do not insist upon the accepted idea of the 8happy ending0 but we prefer stories that uplift rather than depress4 ,we consider only the net effect of the story on the reader for the man or woman who is reading a magazine1 is doing so1 primarily with the idea of enjoying or relaxing1 not to be made uncomfortable or unhappy4 ,however1 a story to sell to ,adventure need not be artificially shaped4 ,we are looking for stories that will please our readers and the range of selection is wide indeed4 ,,arthur ,s4 ,,hoffman4 ,adventure4 ,,the ,,ridgeway ,,company1 ,publishers1 ,spring and ,macdougal ,streets1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,,the ,,american ,,magazine ,in buying a story for ,the ,american ,magazine ,i have four leading questions in mind3 #a4 ,is it interesting8 #b4 ,is it true8 #c4 ,does it add to our store of knowledge of human nature8 #d4 ,is there a lift to it8 ,not all four requirements are always met in the stories ,i take but they are the main guide-posts4 ,let me take these questions in their order and be more detailed and explicit concerning each one4 ,if a story isn't interesting1 or has a very limited field of interest1 no matter how well written it is1 ,i cannot use it in ,the ,american ,magazine4 ,and the interest must not be sporadic1 it must be cumulative in its effect4 ,a story should grip the reader's attention at the beginning and hold it steadily all the way through4 ,good progressive writing is far more effective than that which contains a number of thrills linked together by long1 arid paragraphs4 ,in asking myself--is it true8--,i do not intend to convey the meaning that ,i am looking for stories of real happenings4 ,as a matter of fact1 ,i am of the opinion that fiction doesn't dare be as wild and exciting as real life4 ,as ,byron wisely said1 8,truth is always strange--stranger than fiction40 ,consequently ,i look for stories that ring true1 the characters in which have their counterparts in everyday life or are so vividly created by the writer that they are accepted by the reader as natural1 even if unusual1 human beings4 ,in the making of a plot ,i want sanity enthroned1 the believable things of life depicted2 not cock and bull fakes1 which although they may create momentary excitement will cause the reader to lay the story down and say1 8,it's all right1 but it's highly colored and far-fetched40 ,i would infinitely rather have less excitement1 fewer dramatic pyrotechnics and have the reader slap his knee and exclaim1 8,can you beat that for the real thing60 ,i want him to corroborate and testify to the convincingness and obvious truth of the story out of his own experiences and observations or through the instinctive acceptance of it by his imagination4 ,i hope1 however1 from the foregoing words writers will not run away with the idea that so long as the characters are lifelike a story will get across4 ,the ideal story for this magazine is one that has a convincing plot as well as convincing characters4 ,but ,i would rather sacrifice plot to characterization any day of the week4 ,if a story comes into the office slender of plot but brimful of human wisdom and accurate character work1 ,i buy it4 ,as a matter of fact1 some of the most successful stories ,i have published have been of this type4 ,i do not1 however1 buy a story that is strong on plot if the characters are overdrawn or unnatural and it has an atmosphere of unreality4 ,this brings me to my third question3 8,does it add to our store of knowledge of human nature80 ,if the people in a story are natural1 if they meet problems with sense of humor1 if their actions are interestingly sane and normal1 and the story presents news of human nature wisely and accurately1 the reader can scarcely avoid learning something to his advantage4 ,his sympathy and imagination are going to be aroused and quickened only by stories that are probable in both character and plot1 because they alone will give him a true slant on human nature and add to his understanding of it4 ,in commenting on the last question1 ,i feel ,i cannot too strongly emphasize the need of the quality which ,i define as 8lift40 ,a story may be surpassingly true1 the characterization good1 the plot well thought out1 but if it does not stir the emotion1 if it doesn't make the reader feel better1 ,i am not keen for it4 ,i want cheerful stories that leave a sense of satisfaction in their wake--stories that are full of warmth1 charm1 friendliness1 and right living4 ,highly colored1 far-fetched or gloomy fiction may interest for a moment1 but it will not yield genuine and lasting pleasure4 ,i avoid unpleasantly tragic and morbid stories1 no matter how well written1 because they usually leave a distinct effect of depression4 ,the reader has to recover from them2 climb painfully back to a normal belief in human kind4 ,i must have stories that touch the heart as well as appeal to the intellect4 ,they must satisfy the reader and leave him with the feeling of time well spent4 ,in dividing my answer to your question into definite heads ,i see that these overlap each other and that consequently my explanations do the same in a measure4 ,but at least they are not contradictory1 and ,i hope the cumulative effect makes my practice clear4 ,you realize much must be left out of an attempt to set down briefly an editorial policy relating to so wide and varied a literary field as that of fiction4 ,,john ,m4 ,,siddall4 ,the ,american ,magazine4 ,,the ,,crowell ,,publishing ,,co41 #cha ,fourth ,avenue1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,,the ,,american ,,boy ,the ,american ,boy aims to interest and help boys between the ages of twelve and twenty1 recognizing the fact that to be helpful to the boy it is necessary first to secure his interest and command his attention4 ,stories and articles should be of such literary quality as will inculcate the best literary standards in the boy reader1 as well as interest him and have an effective message4 ,the atmosphere must be wholesome1 alive1 vigorous1 and inspiring1 and stories should be a force for good1 not repelling the boy reader by too obvious moralizing1 but implying the moral by the characters and the action4 ,the magazine endeavors to put before its boys1 through the medium of stories1 boy heroes who can set them fine examples2 in business stories1 it endeavors to inculcate the principles of good business2 in athletic stories1 it sets forth high athletic ideals4 ,the ,american ,boy is always particularly careful in the presentation of facts4 ,stories and articles should always teach truth4 ,fiction stories1 of course1 need not be true stories--stories of actual facts--but they should give accurate pictures of the phases of life they are representing2 they should not misrepresent the facts of geography1 natural science1 history1 business1 or human relationships4 ,writers who get into the ,american ,boy are those who have a story to tell--a point to make--that is worth while2 a story of daring which provides a hero 7always demanded by boys72 a story of adventure that satisfies the boy's natural longing to roam2 a story of an exciting game which1 enthralling the boy1 makes clear to him what is right and what is wrong2 a story of service that will aid the boy to adjust himself to social life2 a story of business that will give the boy a true impression of the workaday world he is to enter4 ,material with a strong feminine element is not used in the ,american ,boy2 nor is 8little kid0 material4 ,the average age of ,american ,boy readers is sixteen2 and boys of that age are interested in the doings1 not of boys younger than themselves1 but of boys their own age1 or older1 and of men4 ,something to be borne in mind by those who essay to write for a boys' magazine is the distinct difference between stories of boys and stories for boys4 ,the story of boys is particularly popular just now in adult magazines4 ,it tells of a boy from the adult viewpoint4 ,to the adult1 what the boy does is often distinctly humorous4 ,to the boy it is serious business1 and he would be properly offended should one poke fun at him in his own magazine4 ,the story for boys must be handled from the boy viewpoint1 not from the adult viewpoint4 ,this does not mean that the story should be 8written down0--quite the reverse4 ,once having grasped the boy viewpoint and secured the proper angle1 the writer should use the same style and diction as in handling the story of similar sort for the ordinary adult publication4 ,the story for boys need not necessarily be a story of boys4 ,true1 a boy is more likely to be interested in a story with a boy hero than in a story of an adult hero4 ,the magazine wishes to place before its readers fictional characters whom the boy may emulate4 ,it is such characters which arouse his enthusiasm4 ,,walter ,p4 ,,mcguire4 ,the ,american ,boy4 ,detroit1 ,michigan4 ,,argosy-,,allstory ,,weekly ,why are manuscripts rejected8 8,why is a mouse when it spins80 ,perhaps the reply to the ancient wheeze1 8,because the higher the fewer10 is as satisfactory an answer to the first question as any4 ,there are so many reasons1 in fact2 so many varied and diverse considerations that enter into the acceptance or rejection of a manuscript that a direct and concise answer is impossible4 ,wholly aside from the merit of the story there is the question of the editorial1 business1 political1 and religious policy of the magazine2 the quantity and character of the material on hand2 the length of the story which exigencies of make-up may make impossible for that particular magazine1 at that particular time1 and a dozen other considerations1 varying with each publication and of which the author is quite unconscious4 ,generally speaking however #ij per cent of manuscripts are rejected because they fail to grip the interest in the first few pages4 ,it might be remembered that the editor in his official capacity is not an analyst or critic4 ,he is first and foremost a buyer2 and moreover a buyer of comparatively small quantities picked from an enormous mass of material in a limited time4 ,it would be a total impossibility for him to read and weigh in its entirety every manuscript that comes before him4 ,also it is unnecessary4 ,one doesn't have to eat the whole of the egg to discover it is pass4 ,he is a buyer and he knows1 or is supposed to1 the tastes and desires of his principal--that is to say the particular fraction of the general public to which his particular periodical caters--he knows what they want and it is from that point of view that he reads4 ,it is his job and his joy to supply his readers not only with what they want but with the best of what they want1 and1 if authors would only believe it1 there is more rejoicing in the editorial heaven over one new writer of promise than over the ninety and nine who have already arrived4 ,an editor is not an incompetent ass because he rejects for his adventure magazine a story that later is snapped up by the ,century or ,atlantic1 although authors are apt to chortle gleefully over such a contretemps2 nor is there any truth in the oft repeated rumors--propagated by the failures--of a cabal to suppress budding genius1 and a clique of editors to guard the ,olympian heights from all but those bearing the stamp of approval of their masters4 ,as a matter of fact if an author after real and conscientious effort fails to sell it is either because his stuff does not measure up to standard or because he is persistently peddling to the wrong market4 ,you can't sell the finest line of fancy flower pots to a fish dealer4 ,it is this latter point that should be stressed especially4 ,far too many really able authors fail to understand the value of a thorough knowledge of the market4 ,most of them haven't even a general knowledge of it2 do not think of it at all4 ,to them a magazine is a magazine4 ,their attitude is 8,you publish stories1 ,why not mine80 and they send a beautifully written and wholly plotless character sketch to a publication using only rapid fire adventure stuff and a charming little ,new ,england pastoral to one of the magazines devoted wholly to sex topics1 and then wonder why they come back4 ,perhaps speaking broadly it is this ignorance of market that accounts for at least a large percentage of the rejections that afflict authors 7aside from the vast army of amateurs1 novices and hopeless incompetents7 whose work is really good4 ,,elliot ,,balestier4 ,argosy-,allstory ,weekly4 ,,the ,,frank ,a4 ,,munsey ,,co41 #bhj ,broadway1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,,the ,,atlantic ,,monthly ,it really would not serve your purpose if ,i were to write you about my principles of accepting stories4 ,they are too capricious1 and would only tend to lower the feelings of respect which you are inculcating in your readers4 ,quite seriously1 my selection is made according to the whim of one individual4 ,,ellery ,,sedgwick4 ,the ,atlantic ,monthly4 #h ,arlington ,street1 ,boston1 ,mass4 ,,the ,,century ,,magazine ,when you ask me what kind of stories we want for ,the ,century1 ,i am puzzled about answering1 for the truth is we like almost all kinds1 provided they are done with distinction4 ,i think ,i may speak for the editorial staff when ,i say that distinction is the mark at which we are aiming4 ,the ,century is a family magazine1 edited for the mature members of the family4 ,every one who reads the magazine knows that we welcome new writers4 ,indeed1 it is a day of rejoicing when the mail yields a story of real promise by an unknown writer4 ,we do not want war stories1 for the public is tired of war-fiction2 nor 8machine-made0 stories1 the cheap clap-trap that has nothing to recommend it but facility4 ,for myself1 ,i have a confession to make4 ,it is this3 8,i do not know much about art1 but ,i know what ,i like60 ,i am aware that the knowing will look askance upon this avowal of the ,philistine1 but it is a good creed and wears well4 ,and ,i believe that the editor who pleases himself in the selection of manuscripts stands a better chance of pleasing others than he who guesses at the tastes of a fickle general public whom he fancies as remote from himself in their likings as a race of ,martians4 ,simplicity and ,sincerity are the true gods in art as in life2 of that ,i am sure4 ,you ask me to mention several short stories published in ,the ,century within four or five years that we like particularly and to tell you why4 ,i think first of 8,the ,friends10 by ,stacy ,aumonier1 printed in ,october1 #aiae4 ,this story is an unplotted1 realistic study of two drunkards1 friends whose only bond was drink4 ,it is perhaps the most powerful prohibition tract ever published and not a word of prohibition in it6 ,an analysis of ,aumonier's work--any bit of it--will reveal a sureness of touch which is a refreshment to the soul4 ,some of his stories are finer than others1 of course1 but like ,phyllis ,bottome and ,anne ,douglas ,sedgwick1 there is always distinction about his work4 ,some of the critics were good enough to call 8,the ,friends0 the best story published in any magazine that year4 ,to me1 besides my admiration for it as an artistic creation1 it stands for two things3 one1 an example of an interesting phenomenon1--,mr4 ,aumonier was a man in middle life1 ,i am told1 when he began writing1 and evidently found a beautiful and finished technique in his pocket6--the other1 a warning never to judge a story by what it is not4 ,it would be fatally easy to write 8no plot0 across such a manuscript and lose it forever4 8,a ,source of ,irritation10 also by ,stacy ,aumonier1 published in ,the ,century for ,january1 #aiah1 is a delicious bit of humor to my way of thinking4 ,it is pleasant to know that ,aumonier's many-sided mind has humor and gaiety1 too1 in its composition4 8,the ,wedding ,jest0 and 8,porcelain ,cups0 by ,james ,branch ,cabell1 printed in ,september1 #aiai1 and ,november1 #aiai seem to me very lovely4 ,in the stodge of every-day literary expression1 such delicacy and grace are rare indeed4 ,these stories are remarkable for that almost obsolete quality1 8style40 8,the ,fat of the ,land10 by ,anzia ,yeszierska1 a study of the ,russian ,jew in ,america and the reaction of the older generation to the loud prosperities of the younger1 is excellent work1 full of the intangible quality of race and keen in its psychology4 ,it was published in ,the ,century for ,august1 #aiai4 ,one wishes to mention1 too1 the black magic of 8,the ,black ,key10 by ,joseph ,hergesheimer1 the rich embroideries of ,h4 ,g4 ,dwight and ,achmed ,abdullah1 the bold portraiture of ,harvey ,o',higgins1 the subtly fine work of ,marjory ,morten4 ,also that exquisite study of innocence1 8,red and ,white10 by ,roland ,pertwee2 and ,myla ,jo ,closser's dog-story1 8,at the ,gate40 ,it is impossible for any magazine to sustain regularly the level of its best fiction1 for the simple reason that such stories do not happen frequently--would there were more of them6 ,those ,i have mentioned are among the best1 in my judgment1 that ,the ,century has published for several years1 and it is towards work of such character that we are aiming4 ,i take it1 dear ,miss ,wick1 that you have asked me to characterize some of our most cherished stories in order to show by concrete examples the kind of fiction ,the ,century wants2 and ,i believe that you are right in thinking this plan the best way of saying it4 ,sincerely yours1 ,,anne ,,stoddard4 ,the ,century ,magazine4 #cec ,fourth ,avenue1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,,collier',s1 ,,the ,,national ,,weekly ,when a writer wants to please an editor1 the surest way is to forget all about him4 ,the editor is not reading the story for his own entertainment4 ,he reads with only one idea in mind3 8,will this story appeal to all kinds of people8 ,is it a good story80 ,an editor of a magazine of general circulation seldom seeks one particular kind of story4 ,he wants the best stories written4 ,the quickest way to his favor is to write them4 ,there are no set rules for accomplishing this4 ,only a few landmarks are on the road4 ,know your subject4 ,have something to tell4 ,be sure that something happens in the story4 ,if nothing happens1 if there is no action1 you have perhaps written a very good essay or a very convincing argument--but you will not be able to sell it as a short story4 ,remember that you are writing a short story1 not a condensed novel4 ,a short story1 once started1 has only one object--to end as quickly as possible4 ,there are only two people who can infallibly detect padding in a story4 ,one is yourself4 ,the other is the reader4 ,it pays1 always1 to be clean4 ,a questionable story will attract many people--but it will repel more4 ,few writers succeed in being convincing when they wander into fields they don't know4 ,every man collects a mass of information concerning the road over which he has traveled1 and the people he met on the way4 ,use this information4 ,it will furnish all the short stories you can ever write4 ,just as people strive for 8happy endings0 in their own affairs1 so they like them in stories which they read for entertainment4 ,the enduring themes for short stories are the enduring themes in life itself2 the old copybook virtues1 like self-sacrifice1 courage1 generosity1 resourcefulness and faith4 ,the writer succeeds in proportion as he makes his reader eager for another story by him4 ,editors have ways to judge this reaction4 ,forget the editor1 and what you think he wants4 ,write directly to the man or woman who is going to buy the magazine and read your story4 ,,harford ,,powell1 ,,jr4 ,collier's1 ,the ,national ,weekly4 #daf ,west #acth ,street1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,,ainslee',s ,,magazine ,ainslee's publishes yearly a total of approximately a hundred and twenty short stories 7from #e1jjj to #h1jjj words in length71 twelve novelettes 7from #bj1jjj to #cj1jjj7 and1 in monthly installments1 about four serials 7from #ej1jjj to #gj1jjj74 ,and1 to cull this relatively small amount of fiction1 innumerable manuscripts are painstakingly gone over4 ,at a rough estimate1 erring on the side of too few rather than too many1 ten thousand manuscripts are submitted yearly from various sources for consideration by ,ainslee's ,magazine4 ,of these1 eight thousand1 ,i should say1 are absolutely unsuited to publication anywhere1 while the remaining number are perhaps creditable enough1 but have been sent by their authors or the authors' agents to the wrong magazine--which brings me to the registering of a simple1 but curiously disregarded1 bit of advice to those whose goal is writing for magazine publication4 ,study the magazine to which you contemplate submitting material4 ,after all1 each issue of a magazine1 whatsoever its character1 represents the nearest approach to their ideal for the publication1 which the editors have been able1 at the time to achieve1 and should therefore constitute a fairly good working pattern for those whose stuff is to be 8aimed at0 that magazine4 ,a rejection slip from a given publication is just as apt to mean that the story1 albeit distinctive1 does not fit the special needs of the magazine as to indicate total unfittedness for publication anywhere4 ,ainslee's ,magazine aims to be a high-class1 clean1 distinctive fiction magazine4 ,it has no room for1 nor time for1 the frankly salacious1 or 8sexy40 ,it is looking always for the proverbial good story1 well told4 ,that story may move around any clean1 healthy1 up-to-date theme1 but it should have in it1 preferably1 woman and love interest4 ,the people of the story should be human1 not wooden4 ,they should talk like you and ,i talk1 not like ,maria ,edgeworth's people 8conversed40 ,and the tale itself must be colorful4 ,if a story is to have any holding quality whatever1 it must transfer its readers to the scene of the action4 ,and to do this1 the thing must have in it real atmosphere4 ,plot basis1 then1 along with good characterization1 atmosphere1 and love and woman interest are essentials for the typical ,ainslee's story4 ,we like to think that stories in ,ainslee's ,magazine1 though varied in character1 are uniformly good4 ,we hesitate1 therefore1 to talk of 8better and best40 ,but1 by way of illustration of the points we have sought to make1 we call attention to ,marie ,van ,vorst's 8,the ,week-,end ,guest0 in the ,december issue of ,ainslee's--a good story on all counts1 and well suited to ,ainslee's4 ,,helen ,l4 ,,lieder4 ,ainslee's ,magazine4 ,,street ,,smith ,,corporation1 ,seventh ,avenue and ,fifteenth ,street1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,,cosmopolitan ,,magazine ,the first essential for editing a popular magazine for ,americans is that the editor be a sane1 normal1 every-day ,american4 ,no mystical genius is required4 ,he is merchandising a commodity to the ,american public4 ,if his taste is the taste of the average ,american1 and he puts within the covers of a magazine stories which he has enjoyed reading1 other ,americans of similar taste in reading will buy his magazine in quantities sufficient to make it a success4 ,at least1 that is the theory ,i have followed4 ,i know quite well that ,i am no genius1 yet ,i have seen magazines grow under my direction4 ,and ,i have no rule for buying a story except that it must be sufficiently interesting and sufficiently well told to interest me4 ,all sorts of stories interest me4 ,some time ago1 for the satisfaction of a friend of mine1 ,i named the ten short stories which ,i had liked best of all those ,i had published4 ,it was interesting even to me to see how they varied4 ,the ten stories were3 ,,back ,,pay by ,fannie ,hurst2 ,,hassayampa ,,jim by ,peter ,b4 ,kyne2 ,,kazan by ,james ,oliver ,curwood2 ,,the ,,story ,i ,,can',t ,,write by ,rupert ,hughes2 ,,the ,,last ,,adventure by ,frank ,r4 ,adams2 ,,boston ,,blackie',s ,,mary by ,jack ,boyle2 ,,the ,,juggler by ,arthur ,springer2 ,,the ,,snide by ,harris ,merton ,lyon2 ,,the ,,ghost',s ,,story by ,basil ,king2 ,,the ,,dummy ,,chucker by ,arthur ,somers ,roche4 ,that's about as catholic a list as ,i can imagine4 8,back ,pay10 8,the ,snide0 and 8,the ,last ,adventure0 might be classified as 8sex0 stories1 although ,i dislike that term4 8,the ,story ,i ,can't ,write0 was a trick story2 8,boston ,blackie's ,mary0 was a prison story2 8,hassayampa ,jim0 was a ,western story2 8,the ,dummy ,chucker0 was an ,o',henry-ish bit of writing2 8,kazan0 was a dog story2 8,the ,ghost's ,story0 was a story of the supernatural 7it was the story from which ,mr4 ,king later built his photoplay 8,earthbound072 8,the ,juggler0 was a character study with an extraordinary twist in the ending4 ,no two of these stories in any way resembled each other4 ,i suppose that's because ,i believe in variety1 not because of any rule that variety makes a good magazine1 but because my taste in reading varies4 ,i am likely this evening to read ,cellini for relaxation2 tomorrow evening to read ,mark ,twain1 the following evening to read ,de ,maupassant4 ,i like each one of them while ,i am reading him1 but ,i don't want too much of any one of them4 ,that probably is true of the average reader of ,american magazines4 ,he has his favorite authors but he doesn't want too much of any of them4 ,i think ,peter ,b4 ,kyne1 ,james ,oliver ,curwood1 ,fannie ,hurst1 ,ben ,ames ,williams1 and ,frank ,r4 ,adams are doing the best work of any magazine writers of to-day1 but ,i feel quite sure that a magazine filled with their work and only their work1 month after month1 would become a bore4 ,each one of these writers is a friend of mine2 yet1 ,i am quite sure1 neither they nor ,i would enjoy talking together every evening for a year4 ,i find that ,i am the average ,american in virtually everything2 that ,i like what he likes without stopping to find out why2 and ,i believe1 too1 that there is no reading too good for the ,american public--that there is nothing real and worth while that is 8over his head40 ,,ray ,,long4 ,cosmopolitan4 ,good ,housekeeping4 ,harper's ,bazar4 ,hearst's ,magazine4 #aai ,west #djth ,street1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,,the ,,country ,,gentleman ,the ,country ,gentleman addresses a class of readers whose interests are keyed to country life and the industry of agriculture4 ,this field is big enough to include more than half of the nation's population4 ,our editorial problem is not one of tying in narrowly to scientific discussions of only the growing phases of farming but ranges throughout the innumerable business and social problems of the ,american country-side4 ,it is our aim to discuss everything that should help to broaden the farmer's vision of his own problems and also of all interrelated problems that help to make him a vital factor as a citizen of the ,united ,states4 ,in presenting fiction1 we aim1 so far as possible1 to confine the themes to country life and the open spaces of the world outdoors4 ,we eschew jazzily up-to-date urbanized fiction1 sex novels1 the eternal triangle and the purely psychologic story4 ,naturally we will always give a preference to fiction related to farming by first-class writers who are thoroughly familiar with farming4 ,it is our feeling that the ,american farmer is interested in everything that has any contact with country life4 ,hunting and fishing and outdoor adventure are his life-long sports4 ,he has a deep and genuine affection for animals that serve him4 ,he manifests a very live interest in stories that deal with his marketing problems1 and his ever-pressing problem of financing his business4 ,he has an alert interest in his schools1 his newspapers1 in local1 state and national government4 ,he enjoys character studies and has a vastly sharper sense of humor than he is commonly credited with4 ,likewise he is a shrewd critic and quickly resents the sort of attempted slurs that are so frequently made upon rural folk by those who are wholly ignorant of farming4 ,we feel justified in being guided by several successful experiments we have made with our fiction4 ,we persuaded ,mr4 ,freeman ,tilden1 who is a farmer himself and thoroughly familiar with all phases of agriculture1 to create a character in ,old ,man ,crabtree who might be defined as 8a ,wallingford baiter40 ,mr4 ,crabtree is a shrewd retired country banker4 ,his experience had taught him all the tricks of 8high finance0 and he was always on the lookout for the specialists in shoddy and sham when they came to town4 ,in the climax the skinners were invariably neatly flayed by ,old ,man ,crabtree4 ,these stories of ,mr4 ,tilden were real and drew in a continuous flow of favorable comment4 ,zane ,grey has always been able to strike a responsive chord with the lovers of outdoor life1 of whom the ,american farmer is undoubtedly in the majority4 ,they like his descriptions of the frontier as it was in the #gj's and they seem to be keen for his vigorous characters1 notwithstanding how strenuous4 ,we like good dog stories of the sort ,albert ,payson ,terhune has been writing for us4 ,and we like small town stories when they are as good as those ,tom ,p4 ,morgan is writing2 but then1 ,tom ,morgan lived these stories for fifty years before he began to write them4 ,the great majority of our contributors have specialized in some agricultural pursuit4 ,many of them are living on their farms and conducting them as successful business enterprises4 ,we number among our most valued contributors the heads of leading agricultural colleges1 federal and state government experts1 graduates of agricultural colleges who are now devoting all their time to writing1 county agricultural agents1 engineers who are specializing in agricultural mechanics and so on4 ,among them are such well-known men as ,eugene ,davenport1 ,dean of the ,illinois ,college of ,agriculture1 ,herbert ,quick1 until recently a member of the ,federal ,farm ,loan ,board1 ,frank ,a4 ,waugh1 ,professor of ,horticulture1 ,massachusetts ,college of ,agriculture1 ,e4 ,v4 ,wilcox and ,j4 ,sidney ,cates1 for many years employed as farm management experts by the ,united ,states ,department of ,agriculture1 and ,p4 ,s4 ,lovejoy1 ,professor of ,forestry1 ,university of ,michigan4 ,such writers as ,i have described above supply the bulk of the contents of ,the ,country ,gentleman and consequently to preserve a balanced ration1 as a livestock feeder would say1 we try our utmost to obtain the sort of fiction that will round out the ensemble4 ,,barton ,w4 ,,currie4 ,the ,country ,gentleman4 ,,curtis ,,publishing ,,co41 ,independence ,square1 ,philadelphia1 ,pa4 ,,the ,,delineator ,we ,delineator editors think that we know a good story when we see it2 vide the magazine4 ,yet no issue of the magazine1 and perhaps no six issues1 contain all the types of good stories that we like4 ,the average intelligent ,american woman or girl1 in the home or in business1 is the person we have chiefly in mind when choosing stories4 ,the above-the-average woman1 of course1 is not forgotten4 ,nor do we exclude any special type of story4 ,we prefer stories that will interest everyone--men1 women and high-brows--but we want stories for women first4 ,other things being equal1 the hero should be a woman4 ,we think we have no prejudices and we certainly have no rules4 ,,james ,e4 ,,tower4 ,the ,delineator4 ,,the ,,butterick ,,publishing ,,co41 ,spring and ,macdougal ,streets1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,,the ,,designer ,both ,arthur ,tomalin1 the editor1 and ,emily ,r4 ,burt1 his assistant1 felt hesitant to express their ideas on what constituted a good and therefore a desirable story for ,the ,designer4 ,they both made much of the fact that a story to appeal to women readers should mirror life as it is1 and as it daily affects the great body of both men and women who are seeking to weather its problems and complexities4 ,sympathy and understanding are perhaps the two qualities upon which they put greatest stress4 ,the ,designer4 ,,the ,,butterick ,,publishing ,,co4 #ab ,vandam ,street1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,,the ,,dial ,i do not believe it is possible to formulate any laws in accordance with which one can judge the merit of fiction any more than it is possible to formulate such laws for the judgment of any other sthetic object4 ,in deciding whether or not we accept for publication in ,the ,dial a story submitted to us we are guided almost wholly by the intensity of the impression made upon us by that story4 ,of course the means by which the author attains this intensity are very varied and of course each manner of attack presupposes its own technique4 ,however1 it would be inappropriate for me in this letter to endeavour to sketch out my personal opinion of what would be the technique of any particular type of story4 ,but of course all stories1 whatever their character1 depend in part for their intensity upon the delicacy of the writer's perception of verbal values as well as upon the delicacy of his perception of character and environment4 ,and of course prose rhythms are quite as important as those in verse4 ,perhaps ,i might add that my personal feeling is that dialogue is much over-done in ,american fiction of to-day and that the best writers depend upon it merely to relieve pure narrative4 ,i regard fiction as quite as pure an art as poetry or as music and therefore give no preference to one story because it delineates real life rather than ,ultima ,thule4 ,i am sorry ,i am not able to go into the subject more thoroughly and more satisfactorily4 ,,scofield ,,thayer4 ,the ,dial4 #aeb ,west #acth ,street1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,,detective ,,story ,,magazine ,detective ,story ,magazine is a weekly publication4 ,it is therefore a large market1 and is constantly in need of short stories of #b1ejj to #f1jjj or #g1jjj words1 novelettes of #ab1jjj or #ae1jjj1 and novels of #be1jjj words4 ,serials should run from #cf1jjj to #ajj1jjj words in length1 and break up approximately in about #ab1jjj word installments4 ,it must not be deduced that only detective stories are needed for this publication4 ,when one speaks of a detective story we think of a narrative which begins with the murder of somebody1 the police being called in1 and then the efforts of the police or the efforts of some wise investigator of crime to solve the mystery of who killed the deceased4 ,of course1 this story with variations--if it is well done--is always acceptable4 ,while we are dealing with it we might say that1 in general1 such stories are divided into two types1 one in which the method is the predominating theme1 and the other in which the motive is played up prominently4 ,the first type of story suggests the puzzle4 ,there is always a type of mind which revels in puzzles4 ,a person mysteriously disappears from a room1 and after wading through #fj1jjj or #gj1jjj words1 mostly questions and answers1 we learn that the method of removing the body was through1 we will say1 the fireplace1 which was on hinges4 ,of course1 this is the easiest type of detective story to write1 and1 as is quite obvious1 it is written backwards4 ,we mean by that1 an author first evolves an ingenious method of killing some one1 or of removing some one1 and then builds about this a story1 leaving the disclosure of the method of killing or removal to the end of the story4 ,we think a far better way to do this story1 and a way that interests more people1 is to have the motive the predominating feature4 ,the method by which1 we will say1 a young woman disappears1 either through her own efforts or through the efforts of others1 is interesting enough in its way1 but that which interests the public generally1 and her friends in particular1 is not how she disappeared1 so much as why she disappeared4 ,now to take up the other types of stories that ,detective ,story ,magazine is interested in3 ,we are glad to consider any story into which crime enters4 ,when one stops to consider a moment1 one must realize how important a feature crime is in the life of every person4 ,in using the word crime1 we mean deception in any form4 ,all persons constantly resort to some types of deception4 ,thus the crime story1 so called1 lends itself to an infinite variety of situations from the ,atlantic to the ,pacific4 ,for instance1 in almost every family there is the urge for money1 in many for the bare necessities of life1 while in others simply for more luxury4 ,thus hundreds of thousands of persons are being sorely tempted every day to deceive4 ,the stories of their temptations cannot help1 if well told1 but be interesting4 ,above all things in a detective story or a crime story1 the narrative must get on1 move along4 ,while character work is much desired1 it is demanded that this type of story have suspense and be written in such a way that one is urged on from page to page to see what is going to happen next4 ,while this can be accomplished without dramatic situations and unexpected happenings occurring every so often1 it is usually found necessary to resort to these methods for keeping up interest4 ,authors must not fall into the common mistake1 however1 of feeling that when we say a story should get on we simply mean that there should be action1 physical movement in it4 ,running up and down stairs alone does not make for excitement1 but very often does make for confusion4 ,also1 saying that people are excited or nervous or in fear does not interest the reader very much4 ,the author must show by the actions of his characters that they are excited or frightened4 ,a crime story1 then1 is one which gets on1 has plenty of strong situations1 and in which the motive1 conflict1 is the dominating feature4 ,it is1 perhaps1 needless to add that in a crime story the author must be fair to his readers--that is1 he must not explain the mystery by introducing a reason for the commission of the crime of which the reader has not been made aware4 ,f4 ,e4 ,,blackwell4 ,detective ,story ,magazine4 ,,street ,,and ,,smith1 #gi ,seventh ,avenue1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,,everybody',s ,,magazine ,that word 8,everybody's0 is the watchword of ,everybody's fiction4 ,and what it means is simply that in choosing stories the editors of ,everybody's bear in mind an audience of 8regular folks10 with a large variety of tastes and with tastes for different things at different times4 ,we are not thinking specifically of business men4 ,nor specifically of professional men4 ,nor of women merely as club members4 ,nor of women merely as housewives4 ,we are thinking of the splendid average of folks1 with normal human interests and normal human emotions4 ,and we take stories with a view to offering in each number a well-balanced ration of these interests and emotions1 stories of love1 adventure1 business1 sentiment1 children1 humor1 sport2 of city and country2 of rich and poor4 ,the only types of stories that are barred are those that lack wide contact with the average human experience--that depict fantastic or morbid or unreal motives or isolated emotional reactions4 ,this does not necessarily bar an occasional use of morbid experience1 soundly based--such as 8,the ,wrists on the ,door10 by ,horace ,fish1 a horror story1 strange and fantastic in atmosphere1 with a big truth at the bottom of it4 ,it is our guess that the largest group of people reads for sheer entertainment1 and with two motives--unconscious1 perhaps2 either to gain a heightened sense of their own situations1 their own personalities through reading stories of their own sort of life2 or to be transported by reading as by magic from their own environment into another world4 ,and we have a notion that1 as the worry and perplexity of life increase1 the eagerness to gain escape through reading increases too4 ,that is why ,everybody's has stressed stories of adventurous action--such as ,charles ,saxby's 8,in ,camera10 ,clarence ,b4 ,kelland's 8,cheese in the ,trap10 ,david ,churchill's 8,igor's ,trail10 ,edison ,marshall's 8,the ,elephant ,remembers40 ,that is the reason for an intensification of the search for humor--for ,dorothy ,de ,jagers' cheerful ,new ,york stories and for ,samuel ,hopkins ,adams' 8,cab ,sir80 reprinted in this volume as a story on which ,everybody's readers expressed themselves with cordial approval4 ,at the same time--paradoxical as it may seem--,everybody's has not barred war stories4 ,we do not believe it is possible to ask real writers to shut the doors on the most tremendous experience of their lives--and still do their best work4 ,we hold a high standard for war stories1 but the story itself is the test and such a piece of work as ,james ,hopper's 8,the ,scoop of ,charles ,hamilton ,potts0 goes over as easily as a love idyll4 ,as for length1 there is no rigid requirement4 ,short stories are preferred1 in order to make possible the maximum of variety in each number1 but ten thousand words won't kill a story of our sort that is worth--ten thousand words4 ,cleanness is a requisite--cleanness without priggishness or sentimental dishonesty2 open-eyed wholesomeness that strengthens one's faith in human nature4 ,,virginia ,,roderick4 ,everybody's ,magazine4 ,spring and ,macdougal ,streets1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,,farm ,,and ,,fireside ,we want good fiction for ,farm and ,fireside1 and we will pay good money for it4 ,the only kind we don't want is the extreme stuff--sexy-pink-tea and blood-and-thunder4 ,we don't demand a farm setting4 ,aside from that1 we have no specifications4 ,just one request3 ,if you are not interested in selling your best stories to a publication that is made for men and women who farm1 please do not waste your postage and our time4 ,as to length--#c1jjj to #e1jjj words for short stories1 and up to #aj1jjj for two-part1 and #ae1jjj for three-part serials4 ,we pay on acceptance1 price to fit quality2 no limit4 ,address ,editor1 ,farm and ,fireside1 #cha ,fourth ,avenue1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,,george ,,martin4 ,farm and ,fireside4 ,,the ,,crowell ,,publishing ,,co41 #cha ,fourth ,avenue1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,,the ,,forum ,the ,forum is not publishing fiction4 ,my own personal view1 however1 is that a serious magazine should print some fiction1 and in the course of time ,the ,forum will4 ,if ,i should be the one selecting the fiction by that time1 ,i would look for intelligence and imagination4 ,,george ,,henry ,,payne4 ,the ,forum4 #aah ,east #bhth ,street1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,,harper',s ,,magazine ,harper's ,magazine is constantly seeking the work of new writers1 and it probably publishes more stories by hitherto unknown writers than any other fiction periodical of reputable standing4 ,harper's ,magazine has no editorial prejudices1 and does not ask its contributors to make their work conform to any fixed or arbitrary specifications4 ,there is no such thing as a 8,harper type0 of story4 ,any story is acceptable which in dignity of conception and quality of workmanship has real value1 provided it is also interesting4 ,stories of a youthful turn1 with a glimmer of humor1 are particularly desired4 ,three thousand to seven thousand words is the preferred length4 ,,lee ,,foster ,,hartman4 ,harper's ,magazine4 ,franklin ,square1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,,judge ,judge's need is for honest-to-goodness humor1 the short story 7under a thousand words7 that forces a healthy chuckle1 the poem that tickles the fancy and stirs the risibles 7whatever they are7 and the good old-fashioned joke with a modern setting and a sophisticated idea4 ,clean fun1 smart fun1 spontaneous fun expressed in any literary form will be acceptable and paid for generously4 ,judge's circulation is booming2 that is happening only because this magazine is human1 modern1 entertaining1 ,american and very often genuinely humorous4 ,,perriton ,,maxwell4 ,judge4 #bbe ,fifth ,avenue1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,,leslie',s ,at present a great number of ,americans1 both men and women1 are seriously interested in business conditions and its problems4 ,for this reason when we decided to limit our publishing to one type of story--we publish but one story a week1 and that of limited length--we decided for the time being to publish only business stories4 ,we prefer those of constructive turn or of such dramatic intensity that interest is compelled4 ,we do not want love stories in a business setting4 ,we do occasionally accept the humorous story1 as often a writer in this guise can present a more fundamental truth or give a better picture of actual conditions than could be projected in any other way4 ,in asking for business stories we do not feel that we are limiting the writer4 ,american business is so broad in scope1 so diversified in character1 so tied up with the every day life of all of us1 it has so many facets of interest1 so many angles of approach that any one who writes can surely produce a business story if he or she will4 ,a good business story is bound to be an interesting story1 and interest to my mind is after all the aim and end of all fiction writing4 ,,perriton ,,maxwell4 ,leslie's4 #bbe ,fifth ,avenue1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,,life ,life's principal need is humor4 ,after humor comes sentiment1 and after sentiment1 satire4 ,life will consider original jokes1 short 7very short7 dialogues1 epigrams1 epigrammatical comments1 light verse and manuscripts up to #ejj words on subjects of topical or news interest containing these three elements singly or in combination4 ,before submitting1 it is best to make a comprehensive study of what is printed in the magazine and to model the contribution on similar lines4 ,by reason of the seeming simplicity of its contents1 ,life is constantly receiving contributions which make no pretense at literary preparation and are therefore unavailable4 ,,henry ,,william ,,hanemann4 ,life4 #ag ,west #cast ,street1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,,live ,,stories ,live ,stories is not afraid of ideas4 ,outside of humor1 it insists upon something more than just a good story4 ,humor1 of course1 is more than humor only when handled by a master4 ,there are not many masters of humor in ,america2 in fact1 neither ,american writers nor readers have a real sense of humor4 ,they have1 mostly1 a keen sense of the ridiculous and a really brilliant appreciation of wit4 ,doubtless the difficulty every editor experiences in getting good humorous stories is thus explained4 ,it also accounts for ,live ,stories' belief that it is useless to look for an idea in humorous contributions4 8,there ain't no such animal0 in ,america1 and if there were it is doubtful if the public would appreciate it4 ,in the list of short stories memorable1 one finds that each is based on an idea2 that is1 each is more than a story4 8,the ,fall of ,the ,house of ,usher10 8,they10 8,the ,man ,without a ,country10 8,lear of the ,steppes10 8,a ,bit of ,string10 are striking examples that come readily to mind4 ,the list could be extended to embrace all of the great short stories4 ,o4 ,henry1 you will notice1 is not represented here4 ,indeed1 the bulk of ,o4 ,henry's stories are without ideas4 ,have you never noticed that it is difficult to remember an ,o4 ,henry story8 ,the explanation lies in the fact that they are just stories--delightful1 captivating1 what you will--but they are not intense1 compelling an undivided concentration4 ,live ,stories has1 deliberately1 gone in for ideas4 ,it was this policy that led it to publish ,thomas ,grant ,springer's1 8,the ,blood of the ,dragon10 a story that won honorable mention by the ,o4 ,henry ,memorial ,committee of the ,society of ,arts and ,sciences4 8,the ,blood of the ,dragon0 was rejected by a large number of ,new ,york editors who1 doubtless1 were entirely right in their position4 ,yet this study of the ,chinese character will be remembered long after the stories those editors published are forgotten4 ,to entertain and more1 that is the policy of ,live ,stories4 ,it does not want trick stories2 it doesn't want a fabricated and artificial drama2 it does not want action simply for action2 it does not want weeping authors4 ,it does want the tenseness incident to an inevitable situation4 ,it wants drama1 happy or tragic1 based upon a fundamental idea4 ,in short1 ,live ,stories wants ideas1 clearly1 forcibly1 dramatically evolved4 ,,grove ,,wilson4 ,live ,stories4 ,,the ,,new ,,fiction ,,publishing ,,company1 #ce-cg ,west ,thirty-ninth ,street1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,mc,c,a,l,l',s ,,magazine ,mc,call's finds it hard to specify its standards of the perfect ,mc,call story1 because we believe a magazine should cultivate a diversity of story types4 ,a publication with a circulation of over one million and a half1 read by people scattered all over the ,united ,states1 should carefully select from a wide field4 ,in a short story1 we demand first1 perhaps that it be a story2 that it tell itself convincingly1 and interestingly1 with its due measure of plot1 characterization and charm of style4 ,honesty and truthfulness in theme and treatment are essential4 ,though we are opposed to the sentimental and saccharine tale which has been the accepted convention for the woman's magazine1 we believe in romance and adventure and glamour4 ,life is colored with those three things1 and a story is either dull or fantastic unless it bear relation to life4 ,although ,mc,call's is a woman's magazine1 we believe there is no sex in reading1 that a woman is not necessarily interested in the old conventionally accepted story in which gilded heroes and heroines pranced through a hectic and golden existence1 in which the heroine's name was always ,gwen or ,violet1 in which the desired male prize was always married off to the poor but noble girl at the consummating altar4 ,nor need all women's magazine stories have to do with the abuse of the sacrificial mother or the efforts of an orphan stenographer alone in a great city4 ,love and money and fame may be fundamental pillars of plots1 as of life2 but to-day's woman1 even as to-day's flapper1 demands more than the sentimental narration of their intertwinings4 ,as for the young author1 we welcome him--or her4 ,the famous and the arrived have their place1 but the world is ever to the oncoming4 ,if there is a germ of a story in any neophyte's contribution1 ,mc,call's is only too glad to throw all its energies into framing for it a more effective setting4 ,,bessie ,,beatty4 ,mc,call's ,magazine4 #bcf-bej ,west ,thirty-seventh ,street1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,mc,c,l,u,r,e',s ,,magazine ,it is difficult to frame rigidly the deciding factors in selecting fiction for a magazine that is planned for the general reading public4 ,any reply that ,i may make must be human rather than formal4 ,you see1 the work of buying for and making a magazine is a firing line job4 ,tactics and strategy go into preparation for the battle1 but in the strife one does many things because they have to be done4 ,reduced to practicality1 ,i buy what ,i want when ,i get it4 ,you will say1 to tell you what ,i want1 since ,i know it4 ,but if ,i did1 you would be misled1 for all wants are not constant4 ,fundamentals1 of course1 are1 but they are rather the fundamentals of art--an idea to convey1 a picture to paint1 in short1 creation4 ,a creative thought first1 then an object modeled with the tools of craftsmanship4 ,finally1 a composition 7in the painting rather than the writing sense7 that1 when looked at from points in a sense afar1 tells that the creator wants to tell4 ,i am trying here1 perhaps indistinctly1 to state that said creator has to build for perspective4 ,he has to make things1 actions and persons seem real4 ,for example1 the actor is made up for the appearance he will make to you sitting on the other side of the footlights4 ,he does not strive1 in the laying on of paint1 for the effect on you standing at his side1 but on you more remote4 ,contrariwise1 if he did not make up1 he would seem to you in that audience as unreal1 and unnatural4 ,there is a good lesson in this for the young writer1 if ,i can get it over4 ,it is the distinction between crude photographic reality and the art of reality2 it is the proof of the uselessness of writing from life alone1 without the craft of employing materials so that the reader 7the audience of the theatre7 sees the picture not only of the actuality of life1 but of the life the author meant that he should see4 ,not that the author departs from the rle of observer and picture maker4 ,the artist is indeed the mirror of nature4 ,that is his function--high and chosen4 ,he has that which is not given to us of colder blood and thought4 ,his temperature is higher1 he sees often what we do not see4 ,creation is fever1 let us say1 but after creation comes craft1 and that is as cold and critical and laborious as creation is hot4 ,the actor must be master of himself1 tiniest muscle of the finger and act of the mind1 to portray the frenzy of emotion4 ,the writer must have the craft to weave texture in sentence and word1 to get clarity and simplicity1 to lay tone on tone of character lineament1 all the while keeping plot a-moving and reader interest unfaltering4 ,no work can be harder than this--even where talent has been granted1 and craftsmanship acquired4 ,personally1 ,i do not believe that the untalented 7persons without creative imagination7 should be encouraged to study the mechanics of fiction technique4 ,the waste is in energy which might win success in some other field4 ,markets may prove to be lower than the ideals of writers1 but that should be the fault of the markets and not of the writers4 ,nor will this course of faithfulness to ideals fail in recompense in one form or another1 for this is the law3 ,the best art has the best chance of popularity and the only chance of long life4 ,recognition often is delayed1 but won in time1 generally in due time4 ,because1 for one thing1 it drives through discouragement4 ,if the talent is not hardy enough to do so1 the chances are that it is not sufficiently virile to deserve the crown4 ,in general1 money gainful success comes to the talented ,american writer too soon if not too easily4 ,if one works harder than ever after success has come1 no harm is done4 ,and if one stops working1 success passes4 ,so the situation1 after all1 contains its own remedy4 ,you ask me finally1 if ,i have any suggestion as to what writers should send to a particular magazine4 ,i have noticed for years1 that writers study a magazine with the aim of sending it material of the order of which it appears to publish most4 ,for convenience1 we will call this a magazine major4 ,i am quite sure the selling method is wrong1 and that magazines should be studied for their minors instead4 ,it stands to reason that editors will have more difficulty in supplying the minor balances4 ,mind1 ,i do not say the lesser1 for ,i am referring to quantity1 not quality4 ,you see1 a general magazine circulation may be likened to a circle1 divided into segments4 ,no one unit of contents will have appeal for the whole circle4 ,that would be universality1 practically impossible to achieve4 ,but it can be aimed at4 ,certain basic factors are known4 ,one kind of material can be depended upon for a larger segment than another4 ,the smaller segments1 however1 are no less essential1 and more effort will have to be used to fill them than will be used to supply the largest segment4 ,circulation comes from adding interest to interest--up to the point of harmony4 ,beyond1 of course1 lies confusion1 but the problem of how far to go and when to stop is an editor's1 not a writer's4 ,it is sufficient for a writer to be able to know how to take market advantage of an editor's need of maximum circulation pull from the smaller as well as the larger segments of the circle4 ,,edgar ,,sisson4 ,mc,clure's ,magazine4 #be ,west ,forty-fourth ,street1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,,metropolitan ,in choosing fiction for a popular magazine one must be sure first of all that the story will appeal to a large audience of readers4 ,it must have the essential quality of holding the attention4 ,a story which the ,editor has to make an effort to read is not very likely to receive much attention from any one else4 ,on the other hand1 if a story1 through qualities of form1 construction1 style and the needed element of suspense1 literally carries one along from page to page1 it has at least the first essential quality of a popular magazine story4 ,every ,editor1 of course1 will tell you this4 ,we shall not differ a great deal1 either1 ,i imagine1 in what we say afterward4 ,every ,editor likes dramatic suspense1 every ,editor likes naturalness and humor in the characters when he can get it4 ,but when you apply yourself to the practical task of selecting manuscripts for your own publication you do consciously or unconsciously evolve a set of rules by which the final verdict of yes or no is governed4 ,we buy eight or ten short stories a month for the ,metropolitan in addition to an occasional serial4 ,naturally these stories are not to be all of one kind4 ,i should say1 however1 that there is a sort of category into which we prefer our stories to fall4 ,it is perhaps somewhat the same with magazine editors as with other persons such as painters and musicians who manifest their tastes more directly--we go in for very different degrees of intensity in the portrayal of a life1 and so on4 ,i can think of ,editors who pin their faith1 because they like it1 to clever1 thin1 mauvish specimens of the art of fiction2 of others who love the middle register of common life2 and still others who go in for the heights and depths of emotion1 the passionate crises which after all do enter into the lives of practically all people4 ,there are many ways of interesting the public2 our way in the ,metropolitan lies a good deal in the field last mentioned4 ,we believe in dynamic fiction1 we like it so much that we would rather have a crudely done but expressive story from a new hand than a manufactured1 tepid yarn from the best of practiced writers4 ,manufactured stuff in general we abhor1 although we do not fail to see that many of our contemporaries do quite well with it4 ,but stop1 there is a kind of manufactured story which we welcome2 detective stories1 night life adventures1 the thriller which produces a murder of the unpopular character and skilful escape of the hero1--we like these in spite of the fact that the whole thing is a frame4 ,of this class of stories it is to be said that they resemble a play in which you take for granted a good deal of unreality without which the thing could not take place at all1 and lend yourself to the breathless character of the performance4 ,we care nothing about happy or unhappy endings4 ,of course when the only thing a writer really has to offer you as a reward for reading a lot of pages is a peculiarly lugubrious finish we decline to be enthusiastic4 ,but there are many stories which are far better for having sad endings4 ,and if we think so we are confident that the public1 which is also human1 thinks so too4 ,but there is one thing we have strong convictions about2 namely1 length4 ,ten years ago five thousand words was a good length for a short story4 ,since that time1 unhappily1 writers have become so proficient on the typewriter1 that they pour out eight1 ten and twelve thousand words without being able to stop4 ,in most cases this is utterly unnecessary and spoils the performance for any purpose except filling space1 or encouraging a siesta on the part of the reader4 ,conditions of magazine publication have encouraged authors to write at length instead of compressing and intensifying their work4 ,we do not hold with this school4 ,for the ,metropolitan we want short stories--the shorter the better1 provided everything is put in that should be4 ,no master of the short story has made a practice of writing the long1 ungainly things which are commonly produced nowadays4 ,poe didn't4 ,maupassant didn't4 ,o4 ,henry and ,kipling didn't4 ,it is not to the point to argue that all of these men wrote at times lengthy tales2 when they did there was some excuse for it2 but their finest work was always short4 ,when we begin to receive in our office a flood of manuscripts ranging from two to five thousand words1 then we shall think a new inspiration has come to the great benefit of the whole writing profession4 ,in this connection note the work of ,booth ,tarkington4 ,the best short stories we have ever published came from his pen and they filled no more than from fifteen to twenty pages of typewritten paper4 ,there is a man who builds up a short story piece by piece1 every word1 every sentence counts4 ,and this reminds us to say that the ,william ,sylvanus ,baxter stories may not be supposed to fall quite in the circle which we drew a little way above to mark our special ,metropolitan field4 ,but they do4 ,intense reality may quite as readily1 though by no means so easily1 appear in the form of humor as along lines of emotional stress4 ,moreover1 the great humanity and genius of ,booth ,tarkington place him beyond the need of classification of any sort4 ,he is a great writer in any style he chooses1 and for example of another style of his writing we refer to 8,the ,magnificent ,ambersons10 that pointed and tragic novel of real life which appeared as a serial in the ,metropolitan4 ,if we looked for eight or ten ,booth ,tarkington's a month we would very quickly enter a padded cell1 although we may confide that the ,circulation ,manager will have no objections if we describe each one of our writers in terms just as superlative4 ,let us hasten to say1 then1 without raking up a list of famous names1 as we might do1 that we are extremely enthusiastic about many1 many authors who do not perhaps sell us more than one story apiece a year4 ,there are exceptions like ,elinor ,mordaunt1 whose remarkable tale-telling talent1 whose romantic flair for the picturesque and dramatic1 whose love of the salt sea and strange adventures and adventurers1 have been deeply appreciated in the ,metropolitan many times in the last few years4 ,but as a rule we do not harry and pursue one author4 ,we want the fresh and new1 the deeply felt1 the sincere1 the genuine effort1 wherever we can find it4 ,we look for it continually4 ,,sonya ,,levien4 ,metropolitan4 #dcb ,fourth ,avenue1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,,the ,,modern ,,priscilla ,the ,modern ,priscilla finds its readers among the highly intelligent home-abiding women of the country1 and in the choice of suitable fiction for them1 stories of dramatic interest having to do with the affairs of real people are what is most desired4 ,we do not want sapless stories1 but those that are vital1 colorful1 interesting1 and concerned with the actual problems of to-day4 ,we plan always to publish two stories a month1 not over four thousand words in length4 ,,the ,,editors4 ,modern ,priscilla4 #he ,broad ,street1 ,boston1 ,mass4 ,,munsey',s ,,magazine ,at the time of the compilation of this book there had been a recent change in editorial management4 ,the editors in charge said that they were constantly on the look out for good short stories1 the kind that were being published in ,the ,red ,book1 ,the ,saturday ,evening ,post and ,the ,cosmopolitan4 ,as a matter of fact the stories that are usually published in ,munsey's ,magazine are generally shorter2 another point of differentiation that might be brought out is that they are lighter in manner of treatment if not in actual theme4 ,this though is only a generalization and many exceptions can immediately be pointed out for they have in the past published stories by men like ,cobb and ,abdullah that the other editors had feared as too extreme4 ,munsey's ,magazine4 ,,the ,,frank ,a4 ,,munsey ,,co41 #bhj ,broadway1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,,mystery ,,magazine ,the first requirement for stories in ,mystery ,magazine1 is interest4 ,literary style is of no consequence if the stories arouse and hold our readers' interest from beginning to end4 ,the types required1 are detective stories and mystery stories4 ,in the former we must have plots containing absorbing mysteries1 with few principal characters1 a pretty love theme1 plenty relevant dialogue1 lively action1 and local color pertaining to the police department4 ,a slight touch of comedy is permissible1 but dramatic climaxes are the rule4 ,long drawn descriptions tire4 ,large numbers of characters confuse1 and too much dialogue is irksome4 ,these romances must be distinctly1 as their name implies1 detective stories1 and they must cater to girls as well as to men4 ,the mystery stories must be based upon popular occult theories1 with lucid and logical explanations of the phenomena1 or they can be mere mysteries of a material nature4 ,in short we only purchase good wholesome stories1 with gripping interest1 tense situations and powerful1 mystifying plots1 having a simple explanation4 ,sex problems and stories of loose morals are not wanted4 ,,lu ,,senarens4 ,mystery ,magazine4 ,,frank ,,tousey1 ,publisher1 #afh ,west #bcrd ,street1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,,the ,,outlook ,the ,outlook has only a limited space available for the publication of fiction1 and therefore there are certain arbitrary bounds which we must set1 bounds which have little or no relation to literary merit4 ,we do not use continued stories and we practically never accept single stories of more than five thousand words in length1 and seldom stories of more than three or four thousand words4 ,within this rather narrow limit we are anxious to secure stories which show that the author has a background or experience and a knowledge of human nature4 ,fiction which indicates the fact that its author has a sense of form1 as well as an idea to express1 is doubly welcome4 ,stories which are sentimental do not appeal to us1 but we are also convinced that stories with real strength can be written which are not raw1 crude1 or offensive to good taste4 ,we do not think that the adjective 8strong0 and the adjective 8unpleasant0 are necessarily synonymous4 ,after all1 the editorial selection of fiction depends so much upon the personal equation and upon the immediate needs of a journal that it is difficult to give any more definite guide than that we have presented here to those who desire to submit fiction to ,the ,outlook4 ,,the ,,editors ,,of ,the ,outlook4 ,the ,outlook ,company4 #cha ,fourth ,avenue1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,,the ,,parisienne ,the following is in response to your question about what kind of fiction we want for ,the ,parisienne and ,saucy ,stories3 ,the ,parisienne and ,saucy ,stories differ only very slightly in type of fiction4 ,both want stories with very rapid action and strong1 novel plots4 ,the ,parisienne wants romance1 gaiety1 adventure1 mystery1 in the foreign and society setting4 ,saucy ,stories wants melodrama1 adventure1 mystery1 romance1 preferably in an ,american setting4 ,both prefer the sex element1 though this is not absolutely essential4 ,we want1 however1 to emphasize especially that neither magazine wants stories that are unpleasantly risqu4 ,occult stories are acceptable but nothing horrible4 ,but1 as a matter of fact1 it is easier to say what we do not want than what we do want--here are some of the constant rejections3 ,first and last1 nothing that is risqu4 ,fillers in which the mysterious he1 she or it turns out to be a cat1 dog or baby4 ,stories in which the husband1 wife or fianc fails to recognize wife1 husband or fiance masquerading in any guise4 ,stories in which the mysterious man whom husband suspects turns out to be the brother1 or the unknown lady whom wife suspects turns out to be the sister4 ,stories in which the denouement explains that the entire plot is merely a rehearsal for the movies or a play4 ,stories in which the supposed farmer's daughter turns out to be a famous movie star4 ,stories in which the starving heroine is persuaded to play the part of an imaginary wife in order that the rich relative will leave his money to the nephew whom he wanted to see marry before passing on4 ,stories in which a will demands that two people who hate each other marry and they do fall in love with one another4 ,stories in which all complications are explained by the unknown existence of a twin4 ,war stories4 ,suicide stories4 ,we realize that this list is quite incomplete1 but we hope that it will act as a suggestion to would-be ,parisienne and ,saucy ,stories contributors that they consider very carefully before submitting a story1 whether the plot answer our first requisite--novelty4 ,and we want to make an earnest plea that authors will not only read this short article carefully1 but will look over both magazines and get some idea of the type of fiction required before sending in stories that are totally unsuited to either publication4 ,,the ,,editors4 ,the ,parisienne4 ,saucy ,stories4 #be ,west ,forty-fifth ,street1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,,the ,,people',s ,,home ,,journal ,the conscientious writer of fiction1 the man who takes his work seriously1 is sure to get his innings4 ,and at no time in the history of magazines has this been so true as now4 ,war conditions were responsible for a four-years' opportunity seized by too many mediocre writers to get their wares before the reading public4 ,the result has been a healthy1 vigorous reaction against the sort of stuff ,editors were perhaps obliged to accept when so many able-bodied1 sober-minded drivers of the quill were across the sea fighting for battle honors instead of bay wreaths4 ,because for thirty-six years ,the ,people's ,home ,journal has been called 8the magazine for every member of the family10 it has offered a more inclusive market for fiction than magazines making their principal appeal to women4 ,big stories of the out of doors have helped to swell the ,journal's circulation4 ,on the other hand1 the kind of story that surprises the laugh before the tear is over is popular with our readers4 ,certainly these readers will not stand either for the dry-as-dust1 categorical type of story1 nor for the rapid-fire type1 the kind manufactured1 not created4 ,the ,journal's rising newsstand sales respond barometer-wise to a ,journal serial built around love1 mystery or high adventure1 but crowded with real things happening and truthful in its transcript of healthy emotions4 ,studies in morbid pathology come to every ,editor's desk1 usually from the amateur1 but the sane reactions which follow situations dealing with real people are what most readers understand and like4 ,the villain who might be your next-door neighbor1 the hero who could have jostled elbows with you in the subway1 the heroine who is the not impossible she of every man's dreams are sure to score4 ,there will always be a demand for the psychological story4 ,and the story dealing with mental processes can be made as tense and gripping as the so-called action story if it has actual story interest4 ,but too many psychological stories start out to prove something of no importance4 ,in the last analysis1 8the story's the thing10 whether it deals with battle1 murder or sudden death1 or with the complexities of mind induced by a given situation4 ,if ,i were asked to explain briefly what ,i considered the chief characteristic of ,the ,people's ,home ,journal story1 ,i would say that it is dramatic because it interprets life in a way to stir the emotions1 and ,i would add that it usually contains a message1 always clear to the reader1 a message which lingers in his memory when perhaps the plot1 the characters and the story's charm have faded4 ,,mary ,,botsford ,,charlton4 ,the ,people's ,home ,journal4 #gf-hh ,lafayette ,street1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,,people',s ,,magazine ,it is one of the easiest things in the world to make a statement of the negative side of a proposition and it is correspondingly difficult to give an adequate and intelligent idea of all that is involved in the positive4 ,so1 it is invariably my impulse to tell what ,i don't want when ,i am asked to explain the needs of the magazine of which ,i happen to be the editor4 ,at the present time ,i am in editorial charge of the ,people's ,magazine1 and its special aversions can be briefly and1 ,i hope1 comprehensively stated4 ,we will return1 as promptly as courtesy permits1 all manuscripts purporting to be stories--the magazine uses only fiction--but which are1 in fact1 nothing more than catalogues or monologues4 8,catalogues0 include fiction in which descriptive writing prevails1 with a minimum amount of action and characterization4 ,this applies also to so-called 8machine-made0 stories1 narratives merely of events1 bare recitals of what happened to so-and-so under such-and-such conditions4 ,the objection to such stories is that1 as a rule they are anemic in substance1 superficial in conception and perfunctory in execution4 ,they are lacking in real vital1 dramatic interest4 ,monologues1 in the derivative sense in which ,i have used the term1 obviously means a 8story within a story10 or one told by one of the characters4 ,specifically1 the ,people's ,magazine will not publish a sex story1 or even what is1 generically and innocuously1 a love story1 though as to the latter1 one which is otherwise acceptable will not be rejected because it embodies a love interest which is a necessary episode in the plot2 it does not care for pseudo-scientific stories1 or business stories constructed according to the formulas in common use2 it objects to prize-fight or other sport stories1 but only those of the conventional type which1 after glancing at the opening1 the average reader can finish for himself with little deviation from the text2 it objects to society stories1 high1 middle-class or low1 and it turns its back on horrors1 sordidness and abnormality4 ,and finally it cannot use mere character or psychological studies1 which are not stories at all4 ,this is a very brief statement1 limited by space requirements1 of what the ,people's ,magazine does not want4 ,what it does want will take a little longer to tell4 ,the prevailing note of the magazine is open air adventure1 with a distinctly ,american flavor2 with this qualification we impose no limitations as to place4 ,adventure stories with a setting in the ,united ,states or ,canada may be put in a period within the limits of the nineteenth or twentieth centuries4 ,there is a mine of authentic material of highly dramatic character1 much of which1 to be sure1 has been used in fiction1 but by no means all4 ,we do not object to the use in fictional forms of historical events and characters by name2 in fact we rather welcome it4 ,every one1 of course1 is familiar with the 8western story40 ,thanks to 8,the ,virginian0 it has been popularized by the magazines and vulgarized by the movies2 we object1 not to the 8western story10 but to its formula4 ,if anybody has anything fresh and original to contribute to it we will thank ,god and reward him according to his deserts and our ability4 ,open air adventure1 ,american1 but in any part of the world is1 as ,i have said1 the prevailing note1 and we want to strike that note with a complete novel of from #cj1jjj to #ej1jjj words in every number4 ,in general1 and excluding the type of stories ,i have already referred to as those that we don't want1 we will accept any short or continued story that is a really good one2 this covers the mystery story4 ,now a story1 in order to deserve the name1 must involve a conflict or duel1 either of human beings1 or--proceeding of course from human beings--ideas or emotions4 ,without the conflict there is no drama1 and without the drama there is no story4 ,and out of the conflict and complication should come a denouement which satisfies the reader's sense of justice or his sense of the appropriateness of things in general4 ,such a denouement may incur the reproach of being a 8happy ending10 but the author should rid himself of that bugaboo and not be afraid of utilizing it1 if necessary4 ,it's only a cant phrase and does not mean a thing to the masses who read him and make his reputation for him4 ,personally1 ,i believe that most unhappy endings are deliberately planned and thrown in as a sop to the ,cerberus of 8realism40 ,a real story ought to have an initial impulse that carries it along1 without faltering1 from beginning to end1 that is to say1 movement4 ,a great many stories sag at some point1 or collapse in the middle or go to pieces at the end4 ,such catastrophes can be averted4 ,it sometimes seems to me that very1 very few authors realize how much honest1 sincere characterization helps a story--how much1 indeed1 it may help to make a genuine story out of a very slender plot4 ,the human element is what gives a story such vitality as it has and time and effort devoted to it is well spent1 and usually profitably spent4 ,this leads me to say that the human touch is the thing we look for in every manuscript that comes in to ,people's editorial office2 somewhere in each story we hope to find an unexpected display1 by one or more of the characters1 of courage1 or generosity1 or renunciation1 or self-sacrifice1 or some other human trait that brings to the reader a conviction that1 after all1 human nature is better than experience has taught him to believe4 ,this is the sort of thing that people never weary of4 ,common-place characters1 common-place experiences1 common-place emotions take on dramatic color by these unlooked-for demonstrations4 ,finally1 we want our stories told in plain1 direct1 straightforward style4 ,we object to any peculiarity of phraseology which tends to divert the attention of the reader from the substance of the story to the manner of the writer4 ,but individuality of style1 which is quite another thing1 and honest slang1 judiciously used1 are welcome4 ,i want to conclude with a word on some of the delusions1 as they seem to me1 about what is called 8the art of the short story10 or of 8short story writing40 ,i am almost tempted to say that there is no such art1 but ,i have no desire to dogmatize because1 in dealing in generalities1 it is always necessary to add qualifications4 ,i should say that story-telling is instinctive2 that every human being has the story-telling sense4 ,there's nothing particularly original in that idea1 but it seems to me that its significance has been curiously neglected with the result that so-called instruction in the forms of an alleged art has taken the place of the cultivation of an inherent impulse4 ,the faculty of observation is the one which1 first of all1 makes any story possible4 ,in ,o4 ,henry it was so highly developed that1 at a glance1 he saw a significance in things that simply did not exist for most people1 even for trained writers4 ,to this he added facility of expression and a sense of humor1 which is fundamentally1 a sense of proportion2 and he paid little attention to forms4 ,i speak of him because he illustrates so distinctly the points ,i have in mind and also because ,i was intimately acquainted with him and with his methods4 ,of course 8we can't all be ,o4 ,henrys0--he was born with the story-telling sense fully developed--but we can attain a certain degree of approximation to his achievements by diligent cultivation of the three essentials that he had without cultivation1 namely3 observation1 expression1 proportion4 ,and this is a lesson that must be self-taught--nobody can teach it1 for the simple reason that one person cannot do another's hard work4 ,a4 ,l4 ,,sessions4 ,people's ,popular ,monthly4 #gi ,seventh ,avenue1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,,the ,,people',s ,,popular ,,monthly ,when we buy a short story there are three very different things which we desire that story to do3 ,first3 ,it must tell a story compellingly--so compellingly that when one is through reading1 there is a very definite emotional response which stays with the reader4 ,if one is conscious of the means technically employed to place the story before the reader1 that story has failed as such4 ,if1 however1 the narrative takes you out of yourself and gives you a definite feeling of sympathy with that of the people in the story--it is in this point successful4 ,second3 ,having gripped the attention and taken a hold upon the feeling of the reader1 it must1 in order to qualify for a place in our pages1 fill a very real need in the lives of our particular type of readers4 ,there are many splendid stories which we are forced to return1 due to the fact that they do not fill this particular need4 ,we have among our readers a preponderance of people who have been limited in their mental experiences and are consequently limited in their intellectual grasp4 ,they are1 however1 from the rural and small town districts in that opulent region extending from the ,alleghenies to the ,rockies1 and are1 by virtue of this fact1 a peculiarly keen and progressive people4 ,their judgment is sincere and their viewpoint is human4 ,their lives are in many cases a bit monotonous and often isolated2 in consequence of which a story should have a real narrative interest1 and1 in all cases1 strong entertainment value1 with a wholesome dose of brightness and good cheer4 ,we return all morbidly tragic stories4 ,third3 ,when we have found a story which stirs the feeling and fills the need of our particular readers1 it is then time1 and not until then1 to look to the technic of the story4 ,that is something which can be regulated to a large extent by editing in those cases where errors are not too flagrant4 ,there is1 of course1 a certain readability of expression1 absolutely imperative1 but that is something incorporate with the first point4 ,they are practically inseparable4 ,therefore1 granted that the style was such as to make the emotional feeling paramount to the word consciousness of the reader--then any errors which may have crept in are not too flagrant to be corrected4 ,of course1 we do not find1 in as many cases as we wish1 stories which meet all three requirements1 and oftentimes our pages have in them things which fall short of these three points4 ,,elizabeth ,b4 ,,canaday4 ,the ,people's ,popular ,monthly4 ,des ,moines1 ,iowa4 ,,photoplay ,i do not believe that any editor1 whether of a fiction magazine or any periodical1 can judge material successfully on any other than a very personal basis of likes and dislikes4 ,in other words1 ,i buy a story if ,i like it1 and believe this to be the only method4 ,someone has to pass on it finally1 and a publication must stand or fall on his judgment4 ,,james ,r4 ,,quirk4 ,photoplay4 #be ,west ,forty-fifth ,street1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,,pictorial ,,review ,you ask me a pretty difficult question--,i have no absolute rule for saying yes or no to a short story and1 as far as that goes1 ,i don't think any other editor has4 ,there are such things in magazine offices as editorial policies1 but if they are good editorial policies they must be more or less elastic1 subject to change without notice and not very well defined anyway4 ,folks come in and ask me what kind of stories ,pictorial ,review likes4 ,the only answer ,i can give is 8good stories40 ,if they ask why ,i buy this story and not that1 ,i would say because ,i think it more interesting than the other1 but to go further and to ask me to explain precisely why it is the more interesting is too much for me4 ,there may be editors who can sit down and in a magic manner tell just exactly why they bought this story and refused that1 but they must be smarter editors than ,i am4 ,i really cannot do it with sincerity or conviction and do not try4 ,do ,i buy stories because ,i like them myself or because ,i think our readers will like them8 ,that's another sticker4 ,i generally buy stories because ,i like them myself1 because if ,i disregarded my own taste and tried to pick out a story that our readers would like and which ,i didn't like1 ,i would be hopelessly at sea all the time4 ,i would really feel ashamed of myself were ,i to publish a story which ,i personally thought to be piffle just because ,i thought it would 8sell the magazine40 ,moreover1 ,i don't think any editor knows just what his readers like or might like except in a general way4 ,we have no exact way of telling and my experience has been to follow my own judgment and1 when the ,circulation ,manager comes along and tells me the circulation of the magazine is increasing by leaps and bounds1 ,i am then licensed to feel that my judgment must have been good4 ,because ,i am just a plain1 ordinary type of person and there must be hundreds of thousands and millions of people in the country like me2 and what interests me will quite generally interest them1 at least ,i have found it so4 ,don't take from this that the ,circulation ,manager comes along every month and tells me the circulation of the magazine is increasing by leaps and bounds1 but sometimes he does1 and then ,i know a certain story or serial in the magazine got across in a big way2 but what does that mean8 ,it doesn't mean that ,i can go out off-hand and get another story just like it and ring the bell again4 ,we don't buy stories that way--writers do not write them that way--,i wish they did because the editor's job would be easy4 ,now here's another peculiar thing1 ,pictorial ,review is a woman's magazine1 and yet ,i am a man and there is nothing particularly feminine about me in my tastes or activities4 ,we do not pick out stories because we think they are good woman's magazine stories2 in fact1 we have no earthly use for the typical woman's magazine story1 that sweet and pretty1 mush and milk affair that used to grace the pages of our contemporaries4 ,we found out years ago that women were interested in good1 short stories that picture the vital1 human things in life and that there was no real reason for their being obliged to go to the men's magazines to read them4 ,so we began to publish real stories in ,pictorial ,review4 ,i realize that all this is more or less indefinite and possibly of little help to the aspiring author1 but if said aspiring author will bear in mind that the only way to sell short stories is to make them interesting and1 if they are made sufficiently interesting1 they will sell themselves--that's all there is to it4 ,,arthur ,t4 ,,vance4 ,pictorial ,review4 ,,the ,,pictorial ,,review ,,company1 #bad-bbf ,west #cith ,street1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,,popular ,,magazine ,in selecting stories ,i bear in mind the fact that the buying of fiction is a business and not a literary occupation4 ,this means that ,i have always in mind the ultimate consumer--the fellow who knows nothing of literature as such but who likes good stories4 ,what are these8 ,first and foremost1 a story about a new phase of life and industry4 ,the ,american reader is by no means a prude or intolerant1 but he likes sane1 almost practical stuff4 ,he likes romance1 but it must be normal and wholesome4 ,he does not like the erotic or morbid4 ,without being in the least 8literary10 his taste is surprisingly good4 ,as a rule1 he does not want tragedies1 but will accept them if exceedingly well done4 ,a good mystery story is sure-fire4 ,current ,american fiction is one of the livest things in the world to-day4 ,keen intelligence goes into the making of it4 ,it plays a bigger part in the formation of public opinion than most people know4 ,it is a genuinely civilizing influence4 ,as a rule1 a man's taste in fiction improves and his standards in stories become higher the more he reads4 ,the very cheapest of the magazines are turning the foreign populations of the second generation in our cities into ,americans at a surprising rate4 ,the author of the day is writing for a big public1 not a small1 select one4 ,here are a few things for the author to bear in mind4 ,if a writer can describe human beings so well that they seem real2 if he sometimes laughs at1 sometimes is irritated with1 sometimes loves these people who come to life in the pages of the story1 he has his first great point4 ,if he can write conversation such as you actually hear he has his second4 ,if he can write good1 straightforward ,english1 at once clear1 forcible1 and vivid1 he has the third4 ,but all of these are of no use unless the author has the sense of construction that makes him write real stories1--that is1 plots that unfold and develop to a logical conclusion1 instead of mere sketches or anecdotes4 ,the one satisfies2 the other does not4 ,successful authors all work hard1 and the bigger an author is the more you can criticise his work to his face4 ,he appreciates that it is a technical calling and he wants and appreciates intelligent criticism4 ,are there many good writers who can't get a hearing8 ,practically none4 ,names count in a fashion4 ,the author who has a public gets stronger with his readers the more he writes4 ,if a man has a literary gift and the energy and persistency back of it he will find fiction a good business4 ,but just because story-writing has taken on some of the aspects of commercialism it has by no means lost the romance1 the humor1 the humanity1 that it had in the old ,grub ,street days4 ,after all1 we are dealing with the stuff that dreams are made of1 the inspiration of ambition1 the literature of hope and effort and human aspiration1 the running chronicle of our ways1 our manners1 our civilization4 ,most of it will fade and pass with the fading years2 some of it will live4 ,,charles ,,agnew ,,maclean4 ,popular ,magazine4 ,,street ,,and ,,smith ,,corporation1 ,seventh ,avenue and ,fifteenth ,street1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,,the ,,red ,,book ,,magazine ,karl ,harriman1 the editor1 had promised a statement as he said that he welcomed this opportunity to point out to would-be contributors the differentiation in editorial policy between ,the ,red ,book ,magazine1 ,the ,blue ,book ,magazine and ,the ,green ,book ,magazine4 ,however1 a press of unexpected work made it impossible for him to do this before this book had to be sent to press4 ,at that time he spoke in a general way of the fact that for ,the ,red ,book ,magazine he was constantly looking for stories of the different sections of the ,united ,states2 then again for stories of the different interests that were absorbing the attention of the people at the moment1 such as stories of oil1 psychic stories1 etc4 ,for ,the ,blue ,book ,magazine he wanted more out-and-out adventure and tales that would primarily appeal to men2 for ,the ,green ,book ,magazine stories that would find their immediate audience among women4 ,the ,red ,book ,magazine4 ,the ,blue ,book ,magazine4 ,the ,green ,book ,magazine4 #cf ,south ,state ,street1 ,chicago1 ,ill4 ,,the ,,saturday ,,evening ,,post ,george ,horace ,lorimer1 the editor-in-chief of ,the ,saturday ,evening ,post1 said quite frankly when asked to write briefly his attitude and point of view in the selecting of fiction for his magazine that neither he nor his staff were willing to regard the ,post as a training school for young writers4 ,he went on to say that he and his associates felt that the circulation of the magazine1 the fact that it bought more fiction than any other ,american periodical1 paid well and quickly1 and published without great delay1 made it inevitable that most writers who entered the profession would in the course of events submit material to the ,post4 ,should a story by an unknown writer please one of the staff readers it would then be submitted to him and to his immediate associates for acceptance or rejection4 ,should this same writer succeed equally with subsequent stories1 the ,post's editors would then personally consult with this author as to the magazine's immediate needs and help by suggestion and advice to make his or her material more available from the ,post viewpoint4 ,in this connection it is interesting to note that while their list of writers includes many of the best-known names among ,american short story writers1 the magazine has also accepted and published the stories of many writers who had had no previous audience and whose names were until the time of their appearance in the ,post wholly unknown4 ,while it is perhaps impossible to state tersely what the ,post wants1 and while ,mr4 ,lorimer may hesitate to speak didactically as to what is and what is not a good short story1 the earnest student can easily discern certain of the ,post requirements by a study of the magazine4 ,that the stories are inclined to run to a certain more or less definite length2 that the majority are ,american in both setting and characters2 that they conform to a certain standard of writing and method of treatment is at once apparent1 and certain errors of judgment in submission may easily be avoided4 ,the ,saturday ,evening ,post1 ,,curtis ,,publishing ,,co41 ,independence ,square1 ,philadelphia1 ,pa4 ,,scribner',s ,,magazine ,robert ,bridges1 the editor of ,scribner's ,magazine1 felt that he would do injustice to his periodical were he to attempt to say in a few short paragraphs the type of stories they preferred4 ,he went on to say that the magazine had been in existence for so long that its reputation for good art and good craftsmanship in everything that appeared in its pages was so well established that nothing he could say would either add to or make more definitely practical from the neophyte's approach the type of fiction wanted4 ,scribner's ,magazine4 #eii ,fifth ,avenue1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,,short ,,stories ,the best1 indeed the only reply to the question as to the needs of a magazine that ,i can think of is--read it4 ,that is the answer for ,short ,stories4 ,when a writer asks me what we want for ,short ,stories1 ,i am apt to feel a bit hopeless for1 as ,i see it1 my first duty is to seek and develop talent1 and my second is to select material4 ,i cannot feel that it is good for a fiction magazine1 nor good for a fiction writer1 to have the editor suggest ideas1 or plots4 7,general magazines using non-fiction articles are different4 ,in the nature of things they must suggest articles and ideas to their writers47 ,an intelligent reading of a fiction magazine will give a better idea of its aims and field than any amount of talking by the editor4 ,we can at best1 in the time at our disposal1 give an idea of our field4 ,the more important thing is the spirit of the magazine1 and that can only be taken in by reading it4 ,once a writer gets the spirit of the magazines he wishes to write for and has determined their respective fields1 it is up to him4 ,within the scope of his publication1 and in its general spirit1 what an editor wants most of all is ideas--something new1 fresh1 different4 ,there is one more preliminary point--self-analysis4 ,many writers suffer from lack of understanding of their own material4 ,the field is so large to-day that any writer can develop his own natural imaginative expression and find a market for it4 ,if one is more interested in outdoor adventure--write it4 ,if a writer's mind runs to psychological problem stories--write those4 ,there are magazines looking for adventure and others looking for psychological character analysis4 ,but don't1 ,mr4 ,writer1 try to force yourself to write something you yourself do not like4 ,you cannot write down to a field successfully1 and you must develop into a higher literary class naturally1 by hard work4 ,as for ,short ,stories3 ,being primarily a magazine of adventure and the outdoors1 our interest naturally lies in that field first4 ,our public is a wide one embracing many kinds of people4 ,yet1 when they buy a fiction magazine like ,short ,stories1 we are convinced they do so in pretty much the same frame of mind4 ,they want to be amused4 ,they want a good story4 ,they want to read it in a hurry1 on a railroad train1 in a spare hour1 or to relieve a tedious wait4 ,we believe they do not want too much complexity1 nor too highly polished a style4 ,literary excellence is all to the good4 ,we want it and our readers appreciate it1 but it must be within our field and done in our spirit4 ,for example1 imagine the joy of our public if we could publish as brand new to-day some of ,kipling's early short stories--8,the ,man ,that ,would ,be ,king10 8,william the ,conqueror10 and the rest4 ,they fall perfectly 8within our scope10 and in spite of the fact that they were done by the greatest literary craftsman of the age1 they are not1 like some of his later work1 too subtle for our public4 ,they are mostly on the objective plane1 full of action1 stories straight from the shoulder4 ,of course1 our public like stories of the far places1 of the ,west1 both old and new1 of the ,north and the ,tropics4 ,yet1 even to these there are some strange exceptions such as the question of remoteness from the reader's understanding4 ,miles are nothing to the author or to the reader of the printed page1 but unless the author succeeds in making the reader feel his locality1 the sense of remoteness creeps in and the story fails4 ,naturally1 with this small world and the fairly limited number of situations possible to a human being in adventure1 variety becomes a very desirable thing with us--variety1 remember1 within our field4 ,the public that reads ,short ,stories likes mystery stories4 ,that in itself is a broad field and includes the tales of the tracking down of the perpetrators of crime--detective stories4 ,we have mighty few hard and fast rules1 but we never use a story in which we make crime and criminals heroic4 ,if the hero of a story is a burglar1 we want the story to show his redemption1 the failure of crime with its ultimate punishment1 or we want his actions within the story to be for a laudable purpose4 ,our attitude may best be summed up by the phrase1 8the effect on the young40 ,we want no story which will have an evil effect on any reader4 ,mystery stories tend to run along conventional lines4 ,we would like some variety there4 ,the playwrights have accomplished something new and thrilling in pieces such as3 8,the ,unknown ,purple10 8,the #acth ,chair10 8,the ,alibi0 with excellent results4 ,why cannot some equally ingenious writers work out mystery tales as far from the ordinary murder or jewel mysteries as these8 ,and humor6 ,oh1 give us humor6 ,not too subtle1 nor too rough4 ,but give us a laugh4 ,human interest stories too4 ,business stories and the sports interest our readers4 ,they are fairly scarce1 the good ones1 so we are always on the lookout for them4 ,short ,stories1 like its contemporaries1 including ,the ,saturday ,evening ,post1 was created by a reading public's demand4 ,therefore1 with the exception of the purely love stories and speaking quite generally1 any story that would hit ,the ,saturday ,evening ,post would hit us4 ,many and many a writer appearing regularly in that great weekly has found himself through the medium of ,short ,stories and similar magazines4 ,the love theme is desirable in our field4 ,our public1 we believe1 likes it1 but only as a normal motive in a plot4 ,we do not use love stories1 as such1 but love naturally enters into and strengthens any story1 adventure1 mystery1 business1 humor1 sports1 or what not4 ,we are not squeamish1 yet we never forget that phrase1 8the influence on the young40 ,we do not want to print any story that leaves a bad taste in the mouth4 ,our public do not want nor expect that in ,short ,stories4 ,hence1 the so-called sex story is not for us4 ,a word as to dialect4 ,we try to print stories that read easily and smoothly4 ,too hard or too consistent a dialect repels readers4 ,likewise1 the widely popular slang 8roughneck0 story4 ,we use 'em of course1 but we do not want 'em too rough4 ,every reader likes the relief of straight ,english rather than to go through page after page of dialect or slangy misspelling4 ,but1 read the magazine1 and then within our scope give us something different4 ,,harry ,e4 ,,maule4 ,short ,stories4 ,,doubleday ,,page ,,company1 ,publishers1 ,garden ,city1 ,n4,y4 ,,the ,,smart ,,set ,as ,editors of ,the ,smart ,set1 ,mencken and ,i buy any story that appeals to us personally4 ,we employ no so-called 8readers40 ,every manuscript submitted to the magazine is read by the one or the other of us4 ,we have no rules4 ,but1 we have prejudices4 ,style is a most important factor4 ,the viewpoint of a cultured man or woman is a most important factor4 ,,george ,,jean ,,nathan4 ,the ,smart ,set4 #be ,west ,forty-fifth ,street1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,,snappy ,,stories ,i am setting forth1 more or less briefly1 what ,snappy ,stories desires from its contributors4 ,from its inception1 this magazine has specialized in fiction and other material with a strong sex interest1 and this policy is being adhered to--not because this is the only type of story that appeals to us1 but because we feel that there are a vast number of readers who enjoy tales with themes based upon the relations between the sexes4 ,this is by no means a depraved taste1 but a healthy1 natural one1 characterizing most normal men and women4 ,many of the most famous stories ever written have had this so-called sex interest1 and this applies also to plays and grand operas4 ,vulgar or salacious material is barred1 but we have no objection to stories that are a trifle audacious or that have a dash of the risqu4 ,each bi-monthly issue of ,snappy ,stories contains a complete novelette of from #ae1jjj to #ah1jjj words4 ,this is the length we prefer1 although we sometimes publish longer novelettes or shorter ones4 ,they should be strongly plotted1 with plenty of action and a real climax4 ,happy endings preferred1 but not absolutely insisted upon4 ,occasionally a good humorous novelette or an ingeniously plotted mystery story1 without a pronounced sex interest1 is used4 ,we publish one short serial of from #bj1jjj to #cj1jjj words1 suitable for two or three parts4 ,longer stories are occasionally taken1 and used in a greater number of installments4 ,what we have said about the novelette applies also to the continued story3 stories with sex interest stand the best chance of acceptance4 ,of course we desire good 8breaks0 where they are to be divided4 ,short stories1 of which we use about eight to a number1 may be of almost any length1 although those of #e1jjj words or less are most in demand4 ,we don't want them either padded or unduly compressed4 ,sex interest here also1 although we sometimes use other kinds--humorous1 say1 or a good occult or mystery tale4 ,we do not object to unhappy endings4 ,action is a desideratum4 ,slow moving stories1 depending principally on atmosphere and characterization1 are not desired4 ,a short play is published in every issue4 ,these may be funny or serious4 ,we want especially good acting plays1 clever and skilfully plotted4 ,we use a number of poems1 mostly tense love verses or those of a humorous or whimsical sort4 ,occasionally blank verse is used4 ,poems may vary in length from the quatrain to forty lines4 ,we seldom buy longer ones1 although this is not a hard and fast rule4 ,there is a good market here for short bits of prose1 of six hundred words or less4 ,these may be grave or gay1 cynical or satirical4 ,jokes and epigrams are also in demand4 ,writers should make a little study of the magazine to which they desire to contribute1 as in this way they will save their own time as well as the editor's4 ,we are only too glad to get in touch with new writers1 and do all we can to encourage and develop them4 ,,the ,,editor4 ,snappy ,stories4 ,,the ,,new ,,fiction ,,publishing ,,company1 #ce-cg ,west ,thirty-ninth ,street1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,,telling ,,tales ,in the ten years or so that ,i have been editing magazines that question 8,why ,i ,buy the ,stories ,i ,do0 has been asked of me dozens and dozens of times1 and ,i am as far as ever from being able to answer it4 ,authors and would-be authors are constantly coming and saying3 8,mr4 ,clayton1 what kind of stories do you want for your magazine80 and the only answer ,i can give them is1 that ,i want any good story1 providing it is not a sex story1 and when they want to pin me down to what constitutes a good story ,i am utterly lost1 and can only say that my idea of a good story is any story that ,i like4 ,i presume that every magazine to be successful must be an expression of its editor's individual taste4 ,in other words1 it must have a personality of its own1 and that personality can only come from the man who makes it4 ,perhaps the point that appeals to me most strongly about a story is the humanness of its characters4 ,they must really live1 so that the reader is impressed with their reality4 ,only thus may he come to feel toward them a friendly spirit which will lead him to take an actual interest in their adventures or misadventures1 their love affairs1 their successes or failures4 ,the writing of a story is not1 to me1 the most important part of it4 ,if the story is there1 careful editorial work will smooth out many of the crudities of expression or careless short-comings of its author1 but no editing can supply a plot where none exists1 nor make human or interesting characters that are obviously mere wooden puppets to their creator4 ,of course1 the better written a story is1 the larger is apt to be the check that is sent in return for it1 because naturally1 an editor1 like the buyer of any commodity1 cannot afford to pay as much for raw materials requiring a great deal of work to put them into usable shape1 as he can for a finished and perfected article4 ,to sum up1 ,i would say that before writing a story an author should first have a story to tell1 and then be as careful as possible in the telling4 ,the main quality needed after that1 if one is to become a successful writer1 is1 ,i should say1 inexhaustible perseverance4 ,,william ,m ,,clayton4 ,telling ,tales4 #aad ,bible ,house1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,,today',s ,,housewife ,you ask me to give you some indication of the fiction requirements of ,today's ,housewife4 ,i can give you this very briefly3 ,about all that we require is that the story shall be clean and interesting4 ,it may deal with the home and child interest1 it may be a married love story1 a young love story1 a humorous story or one of adventure and mystery4 ,there must be no sex problem2 no repulsive crime4 ,it may be as much of a thriller as any one can desire1 but it must lead to ultimate good2 it must leave the reader in a satisfied frame of mind1 although this does not necessarily mean that it needs have a 8happy ending40 ,it must have a satisfactory ending and it must lead the reader along an upward path4 ,we like our stories to be full of action1 plenty of sparkling dialogue1 and they must be well written4 ,we use but few stories in ,today's ,housewife1 but we demand that these be of an excellent type4 ,,della ,t4 ,,lutes4 ,today's ,housewife4 ,cooperstown1 ,n4,y4 ,,top-,,notch ,,magazine ,it always seems to me so futile to talk to people who do not know how to write stories about the way they should be written4 ,i feel that when ,i attempt it1 ,i speak a language they do not understand4 ,i never have a feeling that ,i am being understood when ,i talk on the subject to amateurs4 ,and experience tells me that ,i am not understood4 ,i must ask you1 therefore1 to excuse me from holding forth on this very illusive topic4 ,thanking you for the compliment you pay me in asking me to write something1 ,i am ,yours very truly1 ,,henry ,w4 ,,thomas1 ,editor4 ,top-,notch ,magazine4 #gi-hi ,seventh ,avenue4 ,new ,york ,city4 ,,the ,,touchstone ,the kind of story ,i am always longing to have for my magazine must have in it characters that affect me as human beings would1 characters that are true to their inheritance and environment1 who react honestly and sincerely to their training and surroundings4 ,write about any type of man1 woman or child that you choose1 but make them true to type1 or rather true to character4 ,for instance1 the longshoreman must not only talk1 but think and feel like a longshoreman4 ,it seems important to me that the soubrette should not react to life as a bishop would1 and that the philosophy of a returned soldier should vary somewhat from that of an elderly spinster of ,new ,england training4 ,in other words the fiction writer has got to know life1 either by intuition1 in which case he has genius2 or by experience1 in which case talent will serve4 ,and having achieved the power to see life profoundly and sincerely you must then find a way to tell your public what you see1 to tell it in such a manner that you create the illusion of life in your characters1 and make the characters create the illusion of reality in their environment4 ,an author may write cleverly1 smartly1 brightly1 with quite a little sense of drama1 sell his stories easily1 and have a name that you remember1 and not possess one atom of real insight into human nature1 and not one moment's grasp of power to portray humanity through words that convince and thrill4 ,i am not at all satisfied with the idea that if you amuse the public you are a good short story writer1 or even if you manage to thrill the public that your short stories are worthwhile4 ,very young and very poor writers can do both these things4 ,and ,i do not think it at all necessary to have happy endings to stories4 ,this absurd catering to the more feeble public mind is not thought essential in writing an opera or a great tragedy or in painting a picture4 ,wagner did not think that it was necessary at the end of 8,gtterdmmerung0 to have his orchestra play some tinkling little melody to send his people home happy4 ,he wrote his music so that you go home after the great sacrifice of ,brunnhilde's filled with mighty splendid thoughts of life1 love1 death and immortality4 ,when ,rodin pictured 8,a ,thinker10 a man facing universal problems1 he did not carve at his side a merry little clown to cheer up the beholder1 who is afraid of thought4 ,and a poet does not jest at the end of a beautiful rhythm that has poured out through his heart and soul4 ,so why should we ask of the writer1 and always of the dramatist1 that these particular works of art should invariably leave humanity smiling1 light-hearted and forgetful4 ,i do not think it is necessary to consider the ending at all1 let it develop from the psychology of the people in the story1 and make the episode as it would be in life to the best of your ability4 ,i think1 perhaps1 at the start1 the best way to learn how to write is1 not to write4 ,and1 of course1 ,i mean here1 not to write thoughtlessly and without relating life to words4 ,above all1 ,i am opposed to studying models in writing4 ,i would like to say1 forget all about the styles that have been set before you as models4 ,disregard those famous old ,english essayists4 ,turn your face away firmly1 however reluctantly1 from ,lamb1 ,macaulay and ,carlyle4 ,i even advise you to bid a sad farewell to ,edith ,wharton and ,henry ,james4 ,and while ,bernard ,shaw will amuse and delight you1 he will only inspire you to imitate him4 ,and what could be less important to you1 and more torturing to the editors than to join the ever-swelling army of ,shaw's imitators8 ,because the important thing about ,shaw is--his fantastic brain1 his whimsical soul1 his lack of philosophy1 his ability to contort all life into witty jeers1 and these attributes for good or evil you must be born with4 ,it sounds very drastic1 but ,i think it very important to empty your minds of all literary ideals4 ,and above all to abandon forever the burning desire 8to express yourself40 ,because it is immensely more important to gather through experience and vision and fine sympathy1 universal truths to express1 than to imagine that within oneself is hidden a great unwritten truth4 ,once your mind is delightfully empty and free and at your command1 begin to think1 to observe1 to appreciate2 but do not make the mistake of branding the people you meet as interesting models for fiction writing4 ,it is far more important to think of your characters as real people4 ,after you have learned to observe life honestly and very simply1 all the phases of life with which you come into contact1 then write exactly what you think about them1 just as you would tell typical episodes to some one interested in your observation--except of course that you must tell your story conscientiously1 you must bear in mind the pattern that you are weaving4 ,and you are not writing good fiction1 until you have learned to design a pattern of writing with beauty1 and put it down with power4 ,as ,i think ,i have said before1 one of the first points ,i look for in a story is character that is a product of its own environment4 ,dialogue that has an accent is not enough to separate one nation from another2 it is the kind of person that is expressed through an accent that is significant4 ,the dialogue must be born in the soul2 otherwise the impression given is irritatingly superficial and sometimes absurd4 ,so you see1 observation is not enough for fiction writing1 however searching2 nor experience1 however varied2 nor style1 however distinguished4 ,there must be power to discern truth1 and imagination to fashion for it a garment of shining loveliness4 ,i have grown to believe that the very words used in writing should carry a weight of emotionalism4 ,it is not enough to feel drama or to talk about drama when you are writing4 ,drama must pass through the actual words and drench them with fervor4 ,,mary ,,fanton ,,roberts4 ,the ,touchstone4 #a ,west #dgth ,street1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,,western ,,story ,,magazine ,western ,story ,magazine is a weekly publication4 ,it is therefore a large fiction market1 constantly in need of short stories of #b1ejj to #f1jjj or #g1jjj words1 novelettes of #ab1jjj or #ae1jjj1 and novels of #be1jjj words4 ,serials should run from #cf1jjj to #ajj1jjj words in length1 and break up approximately in about #ab1jjj-word installments4 ,all stories for ,western ,story ,magazine must deal with incidents in the ,west1 ,canada1 ,alaska4 ,if possible1 they must be written in such a way as to urge readers to want to lead a life in the open4 ,while many readers realize that conditions have changed in the ,west1 the stories should be written so that the reader who knows that these conditions have changed will understand that what the author means is that such and such was the case in the good old days1 and that on the other hand the reader who does not know that conditions have changed will assume that they are to-day as the author states4 ,no story is acceptable for ,western ,story ,magazine which contains an unpleasant sex element4 ,f4 ,e4 ,,blackwell4 ,western ,story ,magazine4 #gi ,seventh ,avenue1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,,the ,,woman',s ,,home ,,companion ,fiction is a very large element in our program4 ,we publish not less than five short stories in each issue and not less than six serials a year4 ,these are the requirements which make a fiction manuscript available3 ,it must tell a story4 ,it must tell it well--that is1 according to accepted standards of good writing4 ,the story must be worth telling4 ,the theme must be interesting to the average normal human being4 ,it may be a story of love1 mystery1 humor1 pathos1 childhood1 youth1 old age1 men1 women1 home life1 business life2 its scene may be laid anywhere on earth1 in the past1 present or future4 ,it may have plot and action1 or merely atmosphere4 ,it may be by an unknown writer or by the most famous4 ,we merely want to be convinced that a great number of our readers will enjoy reading it4 ,of all the stories the ,woman's ,home ,companion published in #aibj1 ,i put at the head of the list1 8,according to ,ruskin10 by ,harriet ,welles4 ,it answers the requirements ,i have outlined4 ,it tells a story1 a poignant and appealing story4 ,it tells it well1 with skill1 directness and restraint1 and with power4 ,the theme is that of sacrifice1 one that has held its appeal for hundreds of years1 a theme around which many of the greatest stories of all times have been written4 ,it has both plot and atmosphere4 ,it was not altogether easy to choose the best story of the year's issues1 and it would not be easy to choose the second or third in rank4 ,but there are several that ,i wish to mention as illustrative of what we consider good stories and the kind of fiction we like to publish4 8,the ,neighbor0 by ,katharine ,holland ,brown is a difficult thing well done4 ,written with less skill and feeling it would lack the beauty that distinguishes it4 ,it is a type of story that is seldom successful1 but in ,miss ,brown's skilful hands it is a masterly piece of work4 8,shooting ,stars0 is one of ,alice ,brown's ,new ,england tales1 well told and absorbing in its carefully-presented setting and its analysis of character4 8,the ,boy in the ,corner0 by ,m4 ,c4 ,l4 ,pickthall is a story of the ,west1 of a mining town1 in its setting and atmosphere4 ,in plot it is a study in spiritual values simply and dramatically related4 ,two stories1 dealing in widely different ways with love and poverty in the relation of a mother to a young daughter1 are 8,the ,genius0 by ,sophie ,kerr1 and 8,a ,sweater for ,mabel0 by ,elsie ,singmaster4 ,they are both admirable examples of narrative1 woven around plots of universal interest4 8,the ,master ,passion0 by ,mary ,heaton ,vorse is a piece of work that is distinguished by its keen realization of situations and values and by the mingling of emotion and reason which the story discloses4 ,of lighter tone and somewhat slighter structure is 8,thursday and the ,king and ,queen0 by ,theodora ,du,bois4 ,this is an excellent example of a pleasing humorous story1 with a real plot and real people1 plenty of incident and amusing situations1 the kind of story we delight in4 8,the ,torch0 by ,anna ,branson ,hillyard is an example of a serious and sincere story dealing with one of the problems of present day young people4 ,it is earnest without being preachy1 and it has a purpose without being propaganda4 8,but ,i ,knew ,you'd ,understand0 by ,ruth ,comfort ,mitchell is a graphic and sympathetic picture of young married life4 ,it has a variety of well-drawn characters and an atmosphere that bears the sure touch of reality4 ,these are the stories that ,i feel ,i cannot pass over without mention4 ,these stories come up to our requirements for a good piece of fiction and in every case they offer to the story-reader value that is pressed down and running over4 ,i am glad to have had the opportunity to publish these stories and ,i am happy to recommend them as examples of good contemporary fiction4 ,,gertrude ,b4 ,,lane4 ,woman's ,home ,companion4 #cha ,fourth ,avenue1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,,young',s ,,magazine ,for about thirty years ,young's ,magazine has been purveying fiction for the entertainment of the public4 ,it has many readers and some contributors of twenty years' standing4 ,of its fellows--all-fiction magazines that started with or shortly after it--what remnant is left6 ,it is good philosophy1 as well as common sense1 that such survival testifies to an inhering excellence or usefulness4 ,in the case of ,young's ,magazine the quality making for survival is that not only has it given to the public what was wanted--good stories1 but it has helped to create them2 it has been the arena where many1 now famous1 perfected the use of their medium--where some have learned first principles1 too--and it has helped all by criticism and advice4 ,allowing full weight to manner--graces of style1 diction and what not--,young's has steadfastly worked from the standpoint that matter comes first4 ,the story's the thing2 what the reader wants4 ,this insistence on 8meat0 in the story--something cogent1 logical1 properly articulated--has won for the magazine a standing and a place with writers that is emphasized by its popular success4 ,looking back over the index1 familiar names are everywhere2 selecting haphazard3 ,jeffery ,farnol1 ,mary ,roberts ,rinehart1 8,ouida10 ,charles ,hanson ,towne1 ,marcel ,prevost1 ,margaret ,pedler1 ,mrs4 ,justin ,h4 ,mc,carthy1 ,tom ,gallon1 ,richard ,le ,gallienne1 ,dale ,drummond1 ,berton ,braley1 ,hildegarde ,hawthorne1 ,rita ,weiman1 ,harry ,kemp1 ,doctor ,frank ,crane1 ,octavus ,roy ,cohen1 ,nalbo ,bartley1 ,reginald ,wright ,kauffman1 ,homer ,croy1 ,mabel ,wagnalls1 ,henry ,payson ,dowst1 ,martha ,m4 ,stanley1 ,william ,le ,queux1 ,oliver ,sandys1 ,nina ,wilcox ,putnam1 ,elizabeth ,jordan1 ,grace ,mac,gowan ,cooke1 ,julian ,hawthorne1 ,achmed ,abdullah1 ,hapsburg ,liebe1 ,jules ,eckert ,goodman1 ,roi ,cooper ,megrue1 ,clarence ,l4 ,cullen1 ,jeanne ,judson1 ,channing ,pollock1 ,percival ,weil1 ,louise ,winter1 ,martha ,morton1 ,temple ,bailey1 ,gertrude ,brooke ,hamilton1 ,maude ,fulton4 ,take it how you will--whether the fact be welcome or not--8sex10 as it is called 7with the quotation marks71 shares with one or two other big things the distinction of being a primal force in the life of the world4 ,it is real2 it is vital4 ,and as ,young's ,magazine and ,breezy ,stories want vital fiction1 they seek stories of love and its attendant emotions as they affect and as they are expressed in life as it is lived2 not the tenuous sentimentalism of the 8mushy0 love-story--moonshine and bubbles1 beautiful airy nothings that touch life at not a single point4 ,,cashel ,,pomeroy4 ,young's ,magazine4 ,breezy ,stories4 ,,the ,c4 ,h4 ,,young ,,publishing ,,co41 ,,inc41 #cgg ,fourth ,avenue1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,footnotes #a ,copyright by ,ainslee's ,magazine4 #b ,copyright by ,the ,american ,magazine4 #c ,copyright1 #aiag1 by ,the ,century ,co4 #d ,copyright1 #aibj1 by ,collier's1 ,the ,national ,weekly4 #e ,copyright1 #aiai1 by ,the ,cosmopolitan ,magazine4 #f ,copyright by ,everybody's ,magazine4 #g ,copyright by ,mc,clure's ,magazine #h ,copyright by ,metropolitan ,magazine #i ,copyright ,the ,people's ,home ,journal4 #aj ,copyright ,pictorial ,review4 #aa ,copyright by ,short ,stories #ab ,copyright ,the ,woman's ,home ,companion4 #ac ,copyright1 by ,courtland ,h4 ,young ,transcriber's ,notes ,italic text denoted by underscores4 ,small capitals converted to ,,all ,,caps4 ,footnotes renumbered consecutively and moved to the end of the text4 ,obvious typographic errors corrected silently4 ,variations in hypenation and spelling 7especially between authors7 kept as in the original4 ,references to the ,footnotes and ,transcriber's ,notes added to the ,table of ,contents for user convenience4