第1章

THEVOICEOFTHECITY Twenty—fiveyearsagotheschoolchildrenusedtochanttheirlessons。ThemanneroftheirdeliverywasasingsongrecitativebetweentheutteranceofanEpiscopalministerandthedroneofatiredsawmill。 Imeannodisrespect。Wemusthavelumberandsawdust。 Irememberonebeautifulandinstructivelittlelyricthatemanatedfromthephysiologyclass。Themoststrikinglineofitwasthis： \"Theshin—boneisthelong—estboneinthehu—manbod—y。\" Whataninestimableboonitwouldhavebeenifallthecorporealandspiritualfactspertainingtomanbadthusbeentunefullyandlogicallyinculcatedinouryouthfulminds！Butwhatwegainedinanatomy，musicandphilosophywasmeagre。 TheotherdayIbecameconfused。Ineededarayoflight。Iturnedbacktothoseschooldaysforaid。ButinallthenasalharmonieswewhinedforthfromthosebardbenchesIcouldnotrecallonethattreatedofthevoiceofagglomeratedmankind。 Inotherwords，ofthecompositevocalmessageofmassedhumanity。 Inotherwords，oftheVoiceofaBigCity。 Now，theindividualvoiceisnotlacking。Wecanunderstandthesongofthepoet，therippleofthebrook，themeaningofthemanwhowants$5untilnextMonday，theinscriptionsonthetombsofthePharaohs，thelanguageofflowers，the\"steplively\" oftheconductor，andthepreludeofthemilkcansat4A。M。Certainlarge—earedonesevenassertthattheyarewisetothevibrationsofthetympanumpro— needbyconcussionoftheairemanatingfromMr。 H。James。Butwhocancomprehendthemeaningofthevoiceofthecity？ Iwentoutfortosee。 First，IaskedAurelia。SheworewhiteSwissandabatwithflowersonit，andribbonsandendsofthingsflutteredhereandthere。 \"Tellme，\"Isaid，stammeringly，forIhavenovoiceofmyown，\"whatdoesthisbig—er— enormous—er—whoppingcitysay？Itmusthaveavoiceofsomekind。Doesiteverspeaktoyou？ Howdoyouinterpretitsmeaning？Itisatremen— dousmass，butitmusthaveakey：’ \"LikeaSaratogatrunk？\"askedAurelia。 \"No，\"saidI。\"Pleasedonotrefertothelid。I haveafancythateverycityhasavoice。Eachonehassomethingtosaytotheonewhocanhearit。 Whatdoesthebigonesaytoyou？\" \"Allcities，\"saidAurelia，judicially，\"saythesamething。WhentheygetthroughsayingitthereisanechofromPhiladelphia。So，theyareunanimous。\" \"Hereare4，000，000people，\"saidI，scholastic— ally，\"compresseduponanisland，whichismostlylambsurroundedbyWallStreetwater。Theconjunc— tionofsomanyunitsintososmallaspacemustresultinanidentity—or，orratherahomogeneitythatfindsitsoralexpressionthroughacommonchan— nel。Itis，asyoumightsay，aconsensusoftransla— tion，concentratinginacrystallized，generalideawhichrevealsitselfinwhatmaybetermedtheVoiceoftheCity。Canyoutellmewhatitis？ Aureliasmiledwonderfully。Shesatonthehighstoop。Asprayofinsolentivybobbedagainstherrightear。Arayofimpudentmoonlightflickereduponhernose。ButIwasadamant，nickel— plated。 \"Imustgoandfindout，\"Isaid，\"whatistheVoiceofthiscity。Othercitieshavevoices。Itisanassignment。Imusthaveit。NewYork，\"Icon— tinned，inarisingtone，\"hadbetternothandmeacigarandsay：’Oldman，Ican’ttalkforpublication。’ Noothercityactsinthatway。Chicagosays，unhes— itatingly，’Iwill;’IPhiladelphiasays，’Ishould;’ NewOrleanssays，’Iusedto;’Louisvillesays，’Don’tcareifIdo;’St。Louissays，’Excuseme;’ Pittsburgsays，’Smokeup。’Now，NewYork—\" Aureliasmiled。 \"Verywell，\"saidI，\"Imustgoelsewhereandfindout。\" Iwentintoapalace，tile—floored，cherub—ceilingedandsquarewiththecop。IputmyfootonthebrassrailandsaidtoBillyMagnus，thebestbartenderinthediocese： Billy，you’velivedinNewYorkalongtimewhatkindofasong—and—dancedoesthisoldtowngiveyou？WhatImeanis，doesn’tthegabofitseemtokindofbunchupandslideoverthebartoyouinasortofamalgamatedtipthatbitsofftheburginakindofanepigramwithadashofbittersandasliceof—\" \"Excusemeaminute，\"saidBilly，\"somebody’spunchingthebuttonatthesidedoor。\" Hewentaway;camebackwithanemptytinbucket;againvanishedwithitfull;returnedandsaidtome： \"ThatwasMame。Sheringstwice。Shelikesaglassofbeerforsupper。Herandthekid。Ifyoueversawthatlittleskeesicksofminebraceupinhishighchairandtakehisbeerand—But，say，whatwasyours？IgetkindofexcitedwhenIbearthemtworings—wasitthebaseballscoreorginfizzyouaskedfor？\" \"Gingerale，\"Ianswered。 IwalkeduptoBroadway。Isawacoponthecor— ner。Thecopstakekidsup，womenacross，andmenin。Iwentuptohim。 IfI’mnotexceedingthespiellimit，\"Isaid，\"letmeaskyou。YouseeNewYorkduringitsvocativehours。Itisthefunctionofyouandyourbrothercopstopreservetheacousticsofthecity。Theremustbeacivicvoicethatisintelligibletoyou。Atnightduringyourlonelyroundsyoumusthavebeardit。 Whatistheepitomeofitsturmoilandshouting？ Whatdoesthecitysaytoyou？ \"Friend，\"saidthepoliceman，spinninghisclub，\"itdon’tsaynothing。Igetmyordersfromthemanhigherup。Say，Iguessyou’reallright。Standhereforafewminutesandkeepaneyeopenfortheroundsman。\" Thecopmeltedintothedarknessofthesidestreet。 Intenminutesbehadreturned。 \"MarriedlastTuesday，\"besaid，halfgruffly。 \"Youknowbowtheyare。Shecomestothatcorneratnineeverynightfora—comestosay’hello！’I generallymanagetobethere。Say，whatwasityouaskedmeabitago—what’sdoinginthecity？Oh，there’saroof—gardenortwojustopened，twelveblocksup。\" Icrossedacrow’s—footofstreet—cartracks，andskirtedtheedgeofanumbrageouspark。AnartificialDiana，gilded，heroic，poised，wind—ruled，onthetower，shimmeredintheclearlightofhernamesakeinthesky。Alongcamemypoet，hurry— ing，hatted，haired，emittingdactyls，spondeesanddactylis。Iseizedhim。 \"Bill，\"saidI（inthemagazineheisCleon），\"givemealift。IamonanassignmenttofindouttheVoiceofthecity。Yousee，it’saspecialorder。Ordi— narilyasymposiumcomprisingtheviewsofHenryClews，JohnL。Sullivan，EdwinMarkham，MayIr— winandCharlesSchwabwouldbeaboutall。Butthisisadifferentmatter。Wewantabroad，poetic，mysticvocalizationofthecity’ssoulandmeaning。 Youaretheverychaptogivemeahint。SomeyearsagoamangotattheNiagaraFallsandgaveusitspitch。ThenotewasabouttwofeetbelowthelowestGonthepiano。Now，youcan’tputNewYorkintoanoteunlessit’sbetterindorsedthanthat。Butgivemeanideaofwhatitwouldsayifitshouldspeak。Itisboundtobeamightyandfar—reachingutterance。 Toarriveatitwemusttakethetremendouscrashofthechordsoftheday’straffic，thelaughterandmusicofthenight，thesolemntonesofDr。Parkhurst，therag—time，theweeping，thestealthybumofcab—wbeels，theshoutofthepressagent，thetinkleoffountainsontheroofgardens，thehullabalooofthestrawberryvenderandthecoversofEverybody’sMagazine，thewhispersoftheloversintheparks—allthesesounds，mustgointoyourVoice—notcombined，butmixed，andofthemixtureanessencemade;andofthees— senceanextract—anaudibleextract，ofwhichonedropshallformthethingweseek。\" \"Doyouremember，\"askedthepoet，withachuckle，\"thatCaliforniagirlwemetatStiver’sstudiolastweek？Well，I’monmywaytoseeher。 Sherepeatedthatpoemofmine，’TheTributeofSpring，’wordforword。She’sthesmartestproposi— tioninthistownjustatpresent。Say，howdoesthisconfoundedtielook？IspoiledfourbeforeIgotonetosetright。\" \"AndtheVoicethatIaskedyouabout？\"Iin— quired。 \"Oh，shedoesn’tsing，\"saidCleon。\"Butyououghttobearherrecitemy’AngeloftheInshoreWind。’\" Ipassedon。Icorneredanewsboyandbeflashedatmepropheticpinkpapersthatoutstrippedthenewsbytworevolutionsoftheclock’slongesthand。 \"Son，\"Isaid，whileIpretendedtochasecoinsinmypennypocket，\"doesn’titsometimesseemtoyouasifthecityoughttobeabletotalk？Alltheseupsanddownsandfunnybusinessandqueerthingshap— peningeverydaywhatwoulditsay，doyouthink，ifitcouldspeak？ \"Quityerkiddin’，\"saidtheboy。\"Wotpaperyerwant？Igotnotimetowaste。It’sMag’sbirthday，andIwantthirtycentstogitherapresent。\" Herewasnointerpreterofthecity’smouthpiece。 Iboughtapaper，andconsigneditsundeclaredtreaties，itspremeditatedmurdersandunfoughtbat— tlestoanashcan。 AgainIrepairedtotheparkandsatinthemoonshade。Ithoughtandthought，andwonderedwhynonecouldtellmewhatIaskedfor。 Andthen，asswiftaslightfromafixedstar，theanswercametome。Iaroseandhurried—hurriedassomanyreasonersmust，backaroundmycircle。 IknewtheanswerandIbuggeditinmybreastasI flew，fearinglestsomeonewouldstopmeanddemandmysecret。 Aureliawasstillonthestoop。Themoonwashigherandtheivyshadowsweredeeper。Isatathersideandwewatchedalittlecloudtiltatthedriftingmoonandgoasunder，quitepaleanddiscomfited。 Andthen，wonderofwondersanddelightofde— lights！ourhandssomehowtouched，andourfingersclosedtogetheranddidnotpart。 AfterhalfanhourAureliasaid，withthatsmileofhers： \"Doyouknow，youhaven’tspokenawordsinceyoucameback！\" \"That，\"saidI，noddingwisely，\"istheVoiceoftheCity。\" THECOMPLETELIFEOFJOHNHOPKINS Thereisasayingthatnomanhastastedthefullflavoroflifeuntilhehasknownpoverty，loveandwar。Thejustnessofthisreflectioncommendsittotheloverofcondensedphilosophy。Thethreecondi— tionsembraceaboutallthereisinlifeworthknowing。 Asurfacethinkermightdeemthatwealthshouldbeaddedtothelist。Notso。Whenapoormanfindsalong—biddenquarter—dollarthathasslippedthrougharipintohisvestlining，besoundsthepleasureoflifewithadeeperplummetthananymillionairecanhopetocast。 Itseemsthatthewiseexecutivepowerthatruleslifehasthoughtbesttodrillmaninthesethreecon— ditions;andnonemayescapeallthree。Inruralplacesthetermsdonotmeansomuch。Povertyislesspinching;loveistemperate;warshrinkstocon— testsaboutboundarylinesandtheneighbors’hens。 Itisinthecitiesthatourepigramgainsintruthandvigor;andithasremainedforoneJohnHopkinstocrowdtheexperienceintoarathersmallspaceoftime。 TheHopkinsflatwaslikeathousandothers。 Therewasarubberplantinonewindow;aflea— bittenterriersatintheother，wonderingwhenhewastohavehisday。 JohnHopkinswaslikeathousandothers。Heworkedat$20perweekinanine—story，red—brickbuildingateitherInsurance，Buckle’sHoistingEn— gines，Chiropody，Loans，Pulleys，BoasRenovated，WaltzGuaranteedinFiveLessons，orArtificialLimbs。ItisnotforustowringMr。Hopkins’savo— cationfromtheseoutwardsignsthatbe。 Mrs。Hopkinswaslikeathousandothers。Theauriferoustooth，thesedentarydisposition，theSun— dayafternoonwanderlust，thedraughtuponthedelicatessenstoreforhome—madecomforts，thefurorfordepartmentstoremarked—downsales，thefeelingofsuperioritytotheladyinthethird—floorfrontwhoworegenuineostrichtipsandhadtwonamesoverherbell，themucilaginoushoursduringwhichsheremainedgluedtothewindowsill，thevigi— lantavoidanceoftheinstalmentman，thetirelesspatronageoftheacousticsofthedumb—waitershaft—alltheattributesoftheGothamflat—dwellerwerehers。 Onemomentyetofsententiousnessandthestorymoves。 IntheBigCitylargeandsuddenthingshappen。 Youroundacornerandthrusttheribofyourum— brellaintotheeyeofyouroldfriendfromKootenaiFalls。YoustrollouttopluckaSweetWilliaminthepark—andlo！banditsattackyou—youaream— bulancedtothehospital—youmarryyournurse; aredivorced—getsqueezedwhileshortonU。P。S。 andD。0。W。N。S。—standinthebreadline—marryanheiress，takeoutyourlaundryandpayyourclubdues—seeminglyallinthewinkofaneye。Youtravelthestreets，andafingerbeckonstoyou，ahandkerchiefisdroppedforyou，abrickisdroppeduponyou，theelevatorcableoryourbankbreaks，atabled’hoteoryourwifedisagreeswithyou，andFatetossesyouaboutlikecorkcrumbsinwineopenedbyanun—feedwaiter。TheCityisasprightlyyoung— ster，andyouareredpaintuponitstoy，andyougetlickedoff。 JohnHopkinssat，afteracompresseddinner，inhisglove—fittingstraight—frontflat。Hesatuponahornblendecouchandgazed，withsatiatedeyes，atArtBroughtHometothePeopleintheshapeof\"TheStorm\"tackedagainstthewall。Mrs。Hop— kinsdiscourseddroninglyofthedinnersmellsfromtheflatacrosstheball。Theflea—bittenterriergaveHopkinsalookofdisgust，andshowedaman—hatingtooth。 Herewasneitherpoverty，love，norwar;butuponsuchbarrenstemsmaybegraftedthoseessentialsofacompletelife。 JohnHopkinssoughttoinjectafewraisinsofconversationintothetastelessdoughofexistence。 \"Puttinganewelevatorinattheoffice，\"hesaid，discardingthenominativenoun，\"andthebosshasturnedouthiswhiskers。\" \"Youdon’tmeanit！commentedMrs。Hopkins。 \"Mr。Whipples，\"continuedJohn，\"worehisnewspringsuitdownto—day。IlikeditfineIt’sagraywith—\"Hestopped，suddenlystrickenbyaneedthatmadeitselfknowntohim。\"IbelieveI’llwalkdowntothecornerandgetafive—centcigar，\"heconcluded。 JohnHopkinstookhisbataidpickedhiswaydownthemustyhallsandstairsoftheflat—houseTheeveningairwasmild，andthestreetsshrillwiththecarelesscriesofchildrenplayinggamescon— trolledbymysteriousrhythmsandphrases。Theireldersheldthedoorwaysandstepswithleisurelypipeandgossip。Paradoxically，thefire—escapessup— portedloversincoupleswhomadenoattempttoflythemountingconflagrationtheyweretheretofan。 ThecornercigarstoreaimedatbyJohnHopkinswaskeptbyamannamedFreshmayer，wholookedupontheearthasasterilepromontory。 Hopkins，unknowninthestore，enteredandcalledgeniallyforhis\"bunchofspinach，car—faregrade。\" ThisimputationdeepenedthepessimismofFresh— mayer;butbesetoutabrandthatcameperilouslyneartofillingtheorder。Hopkinsbitofftherootsofhispurchase，andlightedupattheswinginggasjet。Feelinginhispocketstomakepayment，hefoundnotapennythere。 \"Say，myfriend，\"heexplained，frankly，\"I’vecomeoutwithoutanychange。HandyouthatnickelfirsttimeIpass。\" JoysurgedinFreshmayer’sheart。Herewascor— roborationofhisbeliefthattheworldwasrottenandmanaperipateticevil。Withoutawordheroundedtheendofhiscounterandmadeearnestonslaughtuponhiscustomer。Hopkinswasnomantoserveasapunching—bagforapessimistictobacconist。HequicklybestoweduponFreshmayeraColorado— maduroeyeinreturnfortheardentkickthatbereceivedfromthatdealeringoodsforcashonly。 Theimpetusoftheenemy’sattackforcedtheHopkinslinebacktothesidewalk。Therethecon— flictraged;thepacificwoodenIndian，withhiscarvensmile，wasoverturned，andthoseofthestreetwhodelightedincarnagepressedroundtoviewthezealousjoust。 Butthencametheinevitablecopandimminentconvenienceforboththeattackerandattacked。 JohnHopkinswasapeacefulcitizen，whoworkedatrebusesofnightsinaflat，butbewasnotwithoutthefundamentalspiritofresistancethatcomeswiththebattle—rage。Heknockedthepolicemanintoagro— cer’ssidewalkdisplayofgoodsandgaveFreshmayerapunchthatcausedhimtemporarilytoregretthathehadnotmadeitaruletoextendafive—centlineofcredittocertaincustomers。ThenHopkinstookspiritedlytohisheelsdownthesidewalk，closelyfol— lowedbythecigar—dealerandthepoliceman，whoseuniformtestifiedtothereasoninthegrocer’ssignthatread：\"Eggscheaperthananywhereelseinthecity。\" AsHopkinsranhebecameawareofabig，low，red，racingautomobilethatkeptabreastofhiminthestreet。Thisautosteeredintothesideofthesidewalk，andthemanguidingitmotionedtoHopkinstojumpintoit。Hedidsowithoutslackeninghisspeed，andfellintotheturkey—redupholsteredseatbesidethechauffeur。Thebigmachine，withadimin— uendocough，flewawaylikeanalbatrossdowntheavenueintowhichthestreetemptied。 Thedriveroftheautospedhismachinewithoutaword。Hewasmaskedbeyondguessinthegogglesanddiabolicgarbofthechauffeur。 \"Muchobliged，oldman，\"calledHopkins，grate— fully。\"Iguessyou’vegotsportingbloodinyou，allright，anddon’tadmirethesightoftwomentryingtosoakone。LittlemoreandI’dhavebeenpinched。\" Thechauffeurmadenosignthathehadheard。 Hopkinsshruggedashoulderandchewedathiscigar，towhichhisteethhadclunggrimlythrough— outthemelee。 Tenminutesandtheautoturnedintotheopencarriageentranceofanoblemansionofbrownstone，andstoodstill。Thechauffeurleapedout，andsaid： \"Comequick。Thelady，shewillexplain。Itisthegreathonoryouwillhave，monsieur。Ah，thatmiladycouldcalluponArmandtodothisthing！ But，no，Iamonlyonechauffeur。\" WithvehementgesturesthechauffeurconductedHopkinsintothehouse。Hewasusheredintoasmallbutluxuriousreceptionchamber。Alady，young，andpossessingthebeautyofvisions，rosefromachair。 Inhereyessmoulderedabecominganger。Herhigh— arched，threadlikebrowswereruffledintoadeliciousfrown。 \"Milady，\"saidthechauffeur，bowinglow，\"IhavethehonortorelatetoyouthatIwenttothehouseofMonsieurLongandfoundhimtobenotathome。AsIcamebackIseethisgentlemanincombatagainstbowyousay—greatestodds。Heisfightingwithfive—ten—thirtymen—gendarmes，aussi。Yes，milady，hewhatyoucall’swat’one—three—eightpolicemans。IfthatMonsieurLongisoutIsaytomyselfthisGentlemanbewillservemiladysowell，andIbringhimhere。\" \"Verywell，Armand，\"saidthelady，\"youmaygo。\"SheturnedtoHopkins。 \"Isentmychauffeur，\"shesaid，\"tobringmycousin，WalterLong。Thereisamaninthishousewhohastreatedmewithinsultandabuse。Ihavecomplainedtomyaunt，andshelaughsatme。Ar— mandsaysyouarebrave。Intheseprosaicdaysmenwhoarebothbraveandchivalrousarefew。MayI countuponyourassistance？\" JohnHopkinsthrusttheremainsofhiscigarintohiscoatpocket。Helookeduponthiswinningcreatureandfelthisfirstthrillofromance。Itwasaknightlylove，andcontainednodisloyaltytotheflatwiththeflea—bittenterrierandtheladyofhischoice。 HebadmarriedherafterapicnicoftheLadyLabelStickers’Union，LodgeNo。2，onadareandabetofnewhatsandchowderallaroundwithhisfriend，BillyMcManus。Thisangelwhowasbegginghimtocometoherrescuewassomethingtooheavenlyforchowder，andasforhats—golden，jewelledcrownsforher！ \"Say，\"saidJohnHopkins，\"justshowmetheguythatyou’vegotthegrouchat。I’veneglectedmytalentsasascrapperheretofore，butthisismybusynight。\" \"Heisinthere，\"saidthelady，pointingtoacloseddoor。\"Come。Areyousurethatyoudonotfalterorfear？\" \"Me？\"saidJohnHopkins。\"Justgivemeoneofthoserosesinthebunchyouarewearing，willyou？\" Theladygavehimared，redrose。JohnHopkinskissedit，stuffeditintohisvestpocket，openedthedoorandwalkedintotheroom。Itwasahandsomelibrary，softlybutbrightlylighted。Ayoungmanwasthere，reading。 \"Booksonetiquetteiswhatyouwanttostudy，\" saidJohnHopkins，abruptly。\"Getuphere，andI’llgiveyousomelessors。Berudetoalady，willyou？\" Theyoungmanlookedmildlysurprised。Thenhearoselanguidly，dextrouslycaughtthearmsofJohnHopkinsandconductedhimirresistiblytothefrontdoorofthehouse。 \"Beware，RalphBranscombe，\"criedthelady，whohadfollowed，\"whatyoudotothegallantmanwhohastriedtoprotectme。\" TheyoungmanshovedJohnHopkinsgentlyoutthedoorandthenclosedit。 \"Bess，\"hesaidcalmly，\"Iwishyouwouldquitreadinghistoricalnovels。Howintheworlddidthatfellowgetinhere？\" \"Armandbroughthim，\"saidtheyounglady。\"I thinkyouareawfullymeannottoletmehavethatSt。Bernard。IsentArmandforWalter。Iwassoangrywithyou。\" \"Besensible，Bess，\"saidtheyoungman，takingherarm。\"Thatdogisn’tsafe。Hehasbittentwoorthreepeoplearoundthekennels。Comenow，let’sgotellauntieweareingoodhumoragain。\" Arminarm，theymovedaway。 JohnHopkinswalkedtohisflat。Thejanitor’sfive—year—olddaughterwasplayingonthesteps’ Hopkinsgaveheranice，redroseandwalkedup— stairs。 Mrs。Hopkinswasphilanderingwithcurl—papers。 \"Getyourcigar？\"sheasked，disinterestedly。 \"Sure，\"saidHopkins，\"andIknockedaroundawhileoutside。It’sanicenight。\" Hesatuponthehornblendesofa，tookoutthestumpofhiscigar，lightedit，andgazedatthegrace— fulfiguresin\"TheStorm\"ontheoppositewall。 \"Iwastellingyou，\"saidhe，\"aboutMr。 Whipple’ssuit。It’sagray，withaninvisiblecheck，anditlooksfine。\" ALICKPENNYLOVER There，were3，000girlsintheBiggestStore。 Masiewasoneofthem。Shewaseighteenandasellesladyinthegents’gloves。Hereshebecameversedintwovarietiesofhumanbeings—thekindofgentswhobuytheirglovesindepartmentstoresandthekindofwomenwhobuyglovesforunfortunategents。Besidesthiswideknowledgeofthehumanspecies，Masiehadacquiredotherinformation。Shehadlistenedtothepromulgatedwisdomofthe2，999 othergirlsandhadstoreditinabrainthatwasassecretiveandwaryasthatofaMaltesecat。Per— hapsnature，foreseeingthatshewouldlackwisecounsellors，hadmingledthesavingingredientofshrewdnessalongwithherbeauty，asshehasendowedthesilverfoxofthepricelessfurabovetheotheranimalswithcunning。 ForMasiewasbeautiful。Shewasadeep—tintedblonde，withthecalmpoiseofaladywhocooksbuttercakesinawindow。ShestoodbehindhercounterintheBiggestStore;andasyouclosedyourbandoverthetape—lineforyourglovemeasureyouthoughtofHebe;andasyoulookedagainyouwonderedhowshehadcomebyMinerva’seyes。 WhenthefloorwalkerwasnotlookingMasiechewedtuttifrutti;whenhewaslookingshegazedupasifatthecloudsandsmiledwistfully。 Thatistheshopgirlsmile，andIenjoinyoutoshunitunlessyouarewellfortifiedwithcallosityoftheheart，caramelsandacongenialityforthecapersofCupid。ThissmilebelongedtoMasie’srecreationhoursandnottothestore;butthefloorwalkermusthavehisown。HeistheShylockofthestores。 Whenbecomesnosingaroundthebridgeofhisnoseisatoll—bridge。Itisgoo—gooeyesor\"git\"whenbelookstowardaprettygirl。Ofcoursenotallfloor— walkersarethus。Onlyafewdaysagothepapersprintednewsofoneovereightyyearsofage。 OnedayIrvingCarter，painter，millionaire，trav— eller，poet，automobilist，happenedtoentertheBig— gestStore。Itisduetohimtoaddthathisvisitwasnotvoluntary。Filialdutytookhimbythecollaranddraggedhiminside，whilehismotherphilanderedamongthebronzeandterra—cottastatuettes。 Carterstrolledacrosstotheglovecounterinordertoshootafewminutesonthewing。Hisneedforgloveswasgenuine;behadforgottentobringapairwithhim。Buthisactionhardlycallsforapology，be— causebehadneverheardofglove—counterflirtations。 Ashenearedthevicinityofhisfatebehesitated，suddenlyconsciousofthisunknownphaseofCupid’slessworthyprofession。 Threeorfourcheapfellows，sonorouslygarbed，wereleaningoverthecounters，wrestlingwiththemediatorialhand—coverings，whilegigglinggirlsplayedvivacioussecondstotheirleaduponthestridentstringofcoquetry。Carterwouldhavere— treated，buthehadgonetoofar。Masieconfrontedhimbehindhercounterwithaquestioninglookineyesascoldly，beautifully，warmlyblueastheglintofsummersunshineonanicebergdriftinginSouthernseas。 AndthenIrvingCarter，painter，millionaire，etc。，feltawarmflushrisetohisaristocraticallypaleface。 Butnotfromdiffidence。Theblushwasintellectualinorigin。Heknewinamomentthathestoodintheranksoftheready—madeyouthswhowooedthegig— glinggirlsatothercounters。HimselfleanedagainsttheoakentrystingplaceofacockneyCupidwithadesireinhisheartforthefavorofaglovesalesgirl。 HewasnomorethanBillandJackandMickey。 Andthenbefeltasuddentoleranceforthem，andanelating，courageouscontemptfortheconventionsuponwhichhehadfed，andanunhesitatingdeter— minationtohavethisperfectcreatureforhisown。 WhenthegloveswerepaidforandwrappedtheCarterlingeredforamoment。ThedimplesatcornersofMasie’sdamaskmouthdeepened。Allgen— tlemenwhoboughtgloveslingeredinjustthatway。 Shecurvedanarm，showinglikePsyche’sthroughhershirt—waistsleeve，andrestedanelbowupontheshow—caseedge。 Carterhadneverbeforeencounteredasituationofwhichhehadnotbeenperfectmaster。ButnowhestoodfarmoreawkwardthanBillorJackorMickey。 Hehadnochanceofmeetingthisbeautifulgirlso— cially。Hismindstruggledtorecallthenatureandhabitsofshopgirlsasbehadreadorheardofthem。 Somehowbehadreceivedtheideathattheysome— timesdidnotinsisttoostrictlyupontheregularchannelsofintroduction。Hisheartbeatloudlyatthethoughtofproposinganunconventionalmeetingwiththislovelyandvirginalbeing。Butthetumultinhisheartgavehimcourage。 Afterafewfriendlyandwell—receivedremarksongeneralsubjects，helaidhiscardbyherhandonthecounter。 \"Willyoupleasepardonme，\"hesaid，\"ifIseemtoobold;butIearnestlyhopeyouwillallowmethepleasureofseeingyouagain。Thereismyname;I assureyouthatitiswiththegreatestrespectthatIaskthefavorofbecomingoneofyour—— acquaintances。MayInothopefortheprivilege？\" Masieknewmen—especiallymenwhobuygloves。 Withouthesitationshelookedhimfranklyandsmil— inglyintheeyes，andsaid： \"Sure。Iguessyou’reallright。Idon’tusuallygooutwithstrangegentlemen，though。Itain’tquiteladylike。Whenshouldyouwanttoseemeagain？\" \"AssoonasImay，\"saidCarter。\"Ifyouwouldallowmetocallatyourhome，I——\" Masielaughedmusically。\"Oh，gee，no！\"shesaid，emphatically。\"Ifyoucouldseeourflatonce！ There’sfiveofusinthreerooms。I’djustliketoseema’sfaceifIwastobringagentlemanfriendthere！\" \"Anywhere，then，\"saidtheenamoredCarter，\"thatwillbeconvenienttoyou。\" \"Say，\"suggestedMasie，withabright—idealookinherpeach—blowface;\"IguessThursdaynightwillaboutsuitme。SupposeyoucometothecornerofEighthAvenueandForty—eighthStreetat7：30。I liverightnearthecorner。ButI’vegottobebackhomebyeleven。Maneverletsmestayoutaftereleven。\" Carterpromisedgratefullytokeepthetryst，andthenhastenedtohismother，whowaslookingaboutforhimtoratifyherpurchaseofabronzeDiana。 Asalesgirl，withsmalleyesandanobtusenose，strollednearMasie，withafriendlyleer。 \"Didyoumakeahitwithhisnobs，Mase？\"sheasked，familiarly。 \"Thegentlemanaskedpermissiontocall。\"an— sweredMasie，withthegrandair，assheslippedCar— ter’scardintothebosomofherwaist。 \"Permissiontocall！\"echoedsmalleyes，withasnigger。\"DidhesayanythingaboutdinnerintheWaldorfandaspininhisautoafterward？\" \"Oh，cheeseit！\"saidMasie，wearily。\"You’vebeenusedtoswellthings，Idon’tthink。You’vehadaswelledbeadeversincethathose—cartdrivertookyououttoachopsueyjoint。No，benevermentionedtheWaldorf;butthere’saFifthAvenueaddressonhiscard，andifbebuysthesupperyoucanbetyourlifetherewon’tbenopigtailonthewaiterwhattakestheorder。\" AsCarterglidedawayfromtheBiggestStorewithhismotherinhiselectricrunabout，hebithislipwithadullpainathisheart。Heknewthatlovehadcometohimforthefirsttimeinallthetwenty—nineyearsofhislife。Andthattheobjectofitshouldmakesoreadilyanappointmentwithhimatastreetcorner，thoughitwasasteptowardhisdesires，tor— turedhimwithmisgivings。 Carterdidnotknowtheshopgirl。Hedidnotknowthatherhomeisofteneitherascarcelyhabit— abletinyroomoradomicilefilledtooverflowingwithkithandkin。Thestreet—cornerisherparlor，theparkisherdrawing—room;theavenueishergardenwalk;yetforthemostpartsheisasinviolatemis— tressofherselfinthemasismyladyinsidehertapestriedchamber。 Oneeveningatdusk，twoweeksaftertheirfirstmeeting，CarterandMasiestrolledarm—in—armintoalittle，dimly—litpark。Theyfoundabench，tree— shadowedandsecluded，andsatthere。 Forthefirsttimehisarmstolegentlyaroundher。 Hergolden—bronzeheadslidrestfullyagainsthisshoulder。 \"Gee！\"sighedMasie，thankfully。\"Whydidn’tyoueverthinkofthatbefore？\" \"Masie，\"saidCarter，earnestly，\"yousurelyknowthatIloveyou。Iaskyousincerelytomarryme。Youknowmewellenoughbythistimetohavenodoubtsofme。Iwantyou，andImusthaveyou。 Icarenothingforthedifferenceinourstations。\" \"Whatisthedifference？\"askedMasie，curi— ously。 \"Well，thereisn’tany，\"saidCarter，quickly，\"ex— ceptinthemindsoffoolishpeople。Itisinmypowertogiveyoualifeofluxury。Mysocialpositionisbe— yonddispute，andmymeansareample。\" \"Theyallsaythat，\"remarkedMasie。\"It’sthekidtheyallgiveyou。Isupposeyoureallyworkinadelicatessenorfollowtheraces。Iain’tasgreenasIlook。\" \"Icanfurnishyoualltheproofsyouwant，\"saidCarter，gently。\"AndIwantyou，Masie。IlovedyouthefirstdayIsawyou。\" \"Theyalldo，\"saidMasie，withanamusedlaugh，\"tohear’emtalk。IfIcouldmeetamanthatgotstuckonmethethirdtimehe’dseenmeIthinkI’dgetmashedonhim。\" \"Pleasedon’tsaysuchthings，\"pleadedCarter。 \"Listentome，dear。EversinceIfirstlookedintoyoureyesyouhavebeentheonlywomanintheworldforme。\" \"Oh，ain’tyouthekidder！\"smiledMasie。\"Howmanyothergirlsdidyouevertellthat？\" ButCarterpersisted。Andatlengthbereachedtheflimsy，flutteringlittlesouloftheshopgirlthatexistedsomewheredeepdowninherlovelybosom。 Hiswordspenetratedtheheartwhoseverylightnesswasitssafestarmor。Shelookedupathimwitheyesthatsaw。Andawarmglowvisitedhercoolcheeks。 Tremblingly，awfully，hermothwingsclosed，andsheseemedabouttosettleuponthefloweroflove。 Somefaintglimmeroflifeanditspossibilitiesontheothersideofherglovecounterdawneduponher。 Carterfeltthechangeandcrowdedtheopportunity。 \"Marryme，Masie，\"bewhisperedsoftly，\"andwewillgoawayfromthisuglycitytobeautifulones。 Wewillforgetworkandbusiness，andlifewillbeonelongholiday。IknowwhereIshouldtakeyou—I havebeenthereoften。Justthinkofashorewheresummeriseternal，wherethewavesarealwaysrip— plingonthelovelybeachandthepeoplearehappyandfreeaschildren。Wewillsailtothoseshoresandremainthereaslongasyouplease。Inoneofthosefar—awaycitiestherearegrandandlovelypalacesandtowersfullofbeautifulpicturesandstatues。 Thestreetsofthecityarewater，andonetravelsaboutin——\" \"Iknow，\"saidMasie，sittingupsuddenly。 \"Gondolas。\" \"Yes，\"smiledCarter。 \"Ithoughtso，\"saidMasie。 \"Andthen，\"continuedCarter，\"wewilltravelonandseewhateverwewishintheworld。AftertheEuropeancitieswewillvisitIndiaandtheancientcitiesthere，andrideonelephantsandseethewonder— fultemplesoftheHindoosandBrahminsandtheJapanesegardensandthecameltrainsandchariotracesinPersia，andallthequeersightsofforeigncountries。Don’tyouthinkyouwouldlikeit，Masie？ Masierosetoherfeet。 \"Ithinkwehadbetterbegoinghome，\"shesaid，coolly。\"It’sgettinglate。\" Carterhumoredher。Hehadcometoknowhervarying，thistle—downmoods，andthatitwasuselesstocombatthem。Buthefeltacertainhappytriumph。 Hehadheldforamoment，thoughbutbyasilkenthread，thesoulofhiswildPsyche，andhopewasstrongerwithinhim。Onceshehadfoldedherwingsandhercoolbandbadclosedabouthisown。 AttheBiggestStorethenextdayMasie’schum，Lulu，waylaidherinanangleofthecounter。 \"Howareyouandyourswellfriendmakingit？ sheasked。 \"Oh，him？\"saidMasie，pattinghersidecurls。 \"Heain’tinitanymore。Say，Lu，whatdoyouthinkthatfellowwantedmetodo？\" \"Goonthestage？\"guessedLulu，breathlessly。 \"Nit;he’stoocheapaguyforthat。HewantedmetomarryhimandgodowntoConeyIslandforaweddingtour！\" DOUGHERTY’SEYE—OPENER BigJimDoughertywasasport。Hebelongedtothatraceofmen。InManhattanitisadistinctrace。TheyaretheCaribsoftheNorth——strong，artful，self—sufficient，clannish，honorablewithinthelawsoftheirrace，holdinginlenientcontemptneigh— boringtribeswhobowtothemeasureofSociety’stapeline。Irefer，ofcourse，tothetitlednobilityofsportdom。Thereisaclasswhichbearsasaqualify— ingadjectivethesubstantivebelongingtoawindin— strumentmadeofacheapandbasemetal。ButthetinminesofCornwallneverproducedthematerialformanufacturingdescriptivenomenclaturefor\"BigJim\"Dougherty。 Thehabitatofthesportisthelobbyortheoutsidecornerofcertain—hotelsandcombinationrestaurantsandcafes。Theyaremostlymenofdifferentsizes，runningfromsmalltolarge;buttheyareunanimousinthepossessionofarecentlyshaven，blue—blackcheekandchinanddarkovercoats（inseason）withblackvelvetcollars。 Ofthedomesticlifeofthesportlittleisknown。IthasbeensaidthatCupidandHymensometimestakeabandinthegameandcopperthequeenofheartstolose。Daringtheoristshaveaverred—notcontentwithsimplysaying—thatasportoftencontractsaspouse，andevenincursdescendants。Sometimeshe。 sitsinthegameofpolitics;andthenatchowderpicnicsthereisarevelationofaMrs。SportandlittleSportsinglazedhatswithtinpails。 ButmostlythesportisOriental。Hebelieveshiswomen—folkshouldnotbetoopatent。Somewherebe— bindgrillesorflower—ornamentedfireescapestheyawaithim。There，nodoubt，theytreadonrugsfromTeheranandaredivertedbythebulbulandplayuponthedulcimerandfeeduponsweetmeats。Butawayfromhishomethesportisaninteger。Hedoesnot，asmenofotherracesinManhattando，becometheconvoyinhisunoccupiedhoursofflutteringlacesandhighheelsthattickoffdelectablythehappysecondsoftheeveningparade。Heherdswithhisownraceatcorners，anddeliversacommentaryinhisCariblingouponthepassingshow。 \"BigJim\"Doughertyhadawife，butbedidnotwearabuttonportraitofheruponhislapel。Hebadahomeinoneofthosebrown—stone，iron—railedstreetsonthewestsidethatlooklikearecentlyex— cavatedbowlingalleyofPompeii。 TothishomeofhisMr。Doughertyrepairedeachnightwhenthehourwassolateastopromisenofurtherdiversioninthearchdomainsofsport。Bythattimetheoccupantofthemonogamisticharemwouldbeindreamland，thebulbulsilencedandthehourpropitiousforslumber。 \"BigJim\"alwaysaroseattwelve，meridian，forbreakfast，andsoonafterwardhewouldreturntotherendezvousofhis\"crowd。\" HewasalwaysvaguelyconsciousthattherewasaMrs。Dougherty。Hewouldhavereceivedwithoutdenialthechargethatthequiet，neat，comfortablelittlewomanacrossthetableathomewashiswife。Infact，herememberedprettywellthattheybadbeenmarriedfornearlyfouryears。ShewouldoftentellhimaboutthecutetricksofSpot，thecanary，andthelight—hairedladythatlivedinthewindowoftheflatacrossthestreet。 \"BigJim\"Doughertyevenlistenedtothiscon— versationofherssometimes。Heknewthatshewouldhaveanicedinnerreadyforhimeveryeveningatsevenwhenhecameforit。Shesometimeswenttomatinees，andshebadatalkingmachinewithsixdozenrecords。OncewhenherUncleAmosblewinonawindfromup—state，shewentwithhimtotheEdenMusee。Surelythesethingswerediversionsenoughforanywoman。 OneafternoonMr。Doughertyfinishedhisbreak— fast，putonhisbatandgotawayfairlyforthedoor。 Whenhishandwasontheknobbeheardhiswife’svoice。 \"Jim，\"shesaid，firmly，\"Iwishyouwouldtakemeouttodinnerthisevening。Ithasbeenthreeyearssinceyouhavebeenoutsidethedoorwithme。\" \"BigJim\"wasastounded。Shebadneveraskedanythinglikethisbefore。Ithadtheflavorofatotallynewproposition。Buthewasagamesport。 \"Allright，\"besaid。\"YoubereadywhenIcomeatseven。Noneofthis’waittwominutestillIprimpanhourortwo’kindofbusiness，now，Dele。\" \"I’llbeready，\"saidhiswife，calmly。 AtsevenshedescendedthestonestepsinthePom— peianbowlingalleyatthesideof\"BigJim\"Dough— erty。Sheworeadinnergownmadeofastuffthatthespidersmusthavewoven，andofacolorthatatwilightskymusthavecontributed。Alightcoatwithmanyadmirablyunnecessarycapesandadorablyinutileribbonsfloateddownwardfromhershoulders。 Finefeathersdomakefinebirds;andtheonlyre— proachinthesayingisforthemanwhorefusestogiveuphisearningstotheostrich—tipindustry。 \"BigJim\"Doughertywastroubled。Therewasabeingathissidewhombedidnotknow。Hethoughtofthesober—huedplumagethatthisbirdofparadisewasaccustomedtowearinhercage，andthiswingedrevelationpuzzledhim。InsomewaysheremindedhimoftheDeliaCullenthatbehadmarriedfouryearsbefore。Shylyandratherawkwardlyhestalkedatherrightband。 \"AfterdinnerI’lltakeyoubackhome，Dele，\"saidMr。Dougherty，\"andthenI’lldropbackuptoSelt— zer’swiththeboys。Youcanhaveswellchuckto— nightifyouwantit。ImadeawinningonAnacondayesterday;soyoucangoasfarasyoulike。\" Mr。Doughertyhadintendedtomaketheoutingwithhisunwontedwifeaninconspicuousone。Uxori— ousnesswasaweaknessthatthepreceptsoftheCaribsdidnotcountenance。Ifanyofhisfriendsofthetrack，thebilliardclothorthesquarecirclehadwivestheyhadnevercomplainedofthefactinpublic。 Therewereanumberoftabled’hoteplacesonthecrossstreetsnearthebroadandshiningway;andtooneofthesehehadpurposedtoescorther，sothatthebushelmightnotberemovedfromthelightofhisdomesticity。 ButwhileonthewayMr。Doughertyalteredthoseintentions。Hehadbeencastingstealthyglancesathisattractivecompanionandhewasseizedwiththeconvictionthatshewasnosellingplater。Here— solvedtoparadewithhiswifepastSeltzer’scafe，whereatthistimeanumberofhistribewouldbegatheredtoviewthedailyeveningprocession。Yes; andhewouldtakehertodineatHoogley’s，theswell— estslow—lunchwarehouseontheline，hesaidtohimself。 Thecongregationofsmooth—facedtribalgentle— menwereonwatchatSeltzer’s。AsMr。DoughertyandhisreorganizedDeliapassedtheystared，mo— mentarilypetrified，andthenremovedtheirhats—aperformanceasunusualtothemaswastheastonish— inginnovationpresentedtotheirgazeby\"BigJim\"。 Onthelattergentleman’simpassivefacethereap— pearedaslightflickeroftriumph—afaintflicker，nomoretobeobservedthantheexpressioncalledtherebythedraftoflittlecasinotoafour—cardspadeflush。 Hoogley’swasanimated。Electriclightsshoneas，indeed，theywereexpectedtodo。Andthenapery，theglasswareandtheflowersalsomeritoriouslyper— formedthespectaculardutiesrequiredofthem。Theguestswerenumerous，well—dressedandgay。 Awaiter—notnecessarilyobsequious—conducted\"BigJim\"Doughertyandhiswifetoatable。 \"Playthatmenustraightacrossforwhatyoulike，Dele，\"said\"BigJim。\"\"It’syouforatroughofthegildedoatsto—night。Itstrikesmethatmaybewe’vebeenstickingtoofasttohomefodder。\" \"BigJim’s\"wifegaveherorder。Helookedatherwithrespect。Shehadmentionedtruffles;andbebadnotknownthatsheknewwhattruffleswere。Fromthewinelistshedesignatedanappropriateandde— sirablebrand。Helookedatherwithsomeadmiration。 Shewasbeamingwiththeinnocentexcitementthatwomanderivesfromtheexerciseofhergregarious— ness。Shewastalkingtohimaboutahundredthingswithanimationanddelight。Andasthemealpro— gressedhercheeks，colorlessfromalifeindoors，tookonadelicateflush。\"BigJim\"lookedaroundtheroomandsawthatnoneofthewomentherehadhercharm。Andthenhethoughtofthethreeyearsshehadsufferedimmurement，uncomplaining，andaflushofshamewarmedhim，forhecarriedfairplayasaniteminhiscreed。 ButwhentheHonorablePatrickCorrigan，leaderinDougherty’sdistrictandafriendofhis，sawthemandcameovertothetable，mattersgottothethree— quarterstretch。TheHonorablePatrickwasagal— lantman，bothindeedsandwords。AsfortheBlar— neystone，hispreviousactionstowarditmusthavebeenpronounced。HeavydamagesforbreachofpromisecouldsurelyhavebeenobtainedhadtheBlarneystoneseenfittosuetheHonorablePatrick。 \"Jimmy，oldman！\"hecalled;heclappedDough— ertyontheback;beshonelikeamiddaysunuponDelia。 \"HonorableMr。Corrigan—Mrs。Dougherty，\" said\"BigJim。\" TheHonorablePatrickbecameafountainofen— tertainmentandadmiration。Thewaiterhadtofetchathirdchairforhim;hemadeanotheratthetable，andthewineglasseswererefilled。 \"Youselfisholdrascal！\"heexclaimed，shakinganarchfingerat\"BigJim，\"\"tohavekeptMrs。 Doughertyasecretfromus。\" Andthen\"BigJim\"Dougherty，whowasnotalker，satdumb，andsawthewifewhohaddinedeveryeveningforthreeyearsathome，blossomlikeafairyflower。Quick，witty，charming，fulloflightandreadytalk，shereceivedtheexperiencedattackoftheHonorablePatrickonthefieldofreparteeandsurprised，vanquished，delightedhim。Sheunfoldedherlong—closedpetalsandaroundhertheroombecameagarden。Theytriedtoinclude\"BigJim\"intheconversation，buthewaswithoutavocabulary。 Andthenastraybunchofpoliticiansandgoodfellowswholivedforsportcameintotheroom。Theysaw\"BigJim\"andtheleader，andovertheycameandweremadeacquaintedwithMrs。Dougherty。Andinafewminutesshewasholdingasalon。Halfadozenmensurroundedher，courtiersall，andsixfoundhercapableofcharming。\"BigJim\"sat，grim，andkeptsayingtohimself：\"Threeyears，threeyears！\" Thedinnercametoanend。TheHonorablePat— rickreachedforMrs。Dougherty’scloak;butthatwasamatterofactioninsteadofwords，andDough— erty’sbigbandgotitfirstbytwoseconds。 WhilethefarewellswerebeingsaidatthedoortheHonorablePatricksmoteDoughertymightilybetweentheshoulders。 \"Jimmy，meboy，\"hedeclared，inagiantwhis— per，\"themadamisajewelofthefirstwater。Ye’realuckydog。\" \"BigJim\"walkedhomewardwithhiswife。SheseemedquiteaspleasedwiththelightsandshowwindowsinthestreetsaswiththeadmirationofthemeninHoogley’s。AstheypassedSeltzer’stheyheardthesoundofmanyvoicesinthecafe。Theboyswouldbestartingthedrinksaroundnowanddiscussingpastperformances。 AtthedooroftheirhomeDeliapaused。Thepleasureoftheoutingradiatedsoftlyfromhercountenance。ShecouldnothopeforJimofevenings，butthegloryofthisonewouldTightenherlonelyhoursforalongtime。 \"Thankyoufortakingmeout，Jim，\"shesaid，gratefully。\"You’llbegoingbackuptoSeltzer’snow，ofcourse。\" \"To——withSeltzer’s，\"said\"BigJim，\"em— emphatically。\"Andd——PatCorrigan！DoeshethinkIhaven’tgotanyeyes？ Andthedoorclosedbehindbothofthem。 LITTLESPECKINGARNEREDFRUIT Thehoneymoonwasatitsfull。Therewasaflatwiththereddestofnewcarpets，tasselledportieresandsixsteinswithpewterlidsarrangedonaledgeabovethewainscotingofthedining—room。Thewon— derofitwasyetuponthem。Neitherofthemhadeverseenayellowprimrosebytheriver’sbrim;butifsuchasighthadmettheireyesatthattimeitwouldhaveseemedlike—well，whateverthepoetexpectedtherightkindofpeopletoseeinitbesidesaprim— rose。 Thebridesatintherockerwithherfeetrestingupontheworld。Shewaswraptinrosydreamsandakimonoofthesamehue。Shewonderedwhatthepeo— pleinGreenlandandTasmaniaandBeloochistanweresayingonetoanotherabouthermarriagetoKidMcGarry。Notthatitmadeanydifference。 Therewasnowelter—weightfromLondontotheSouthernCrossthatcouldstandupfourhours—no; fourrounds—withherbridegroom。Andhehadbeenhersforthreeweeks;andthecrookofherlittlefingercouldswayhimmorethanthefistofany142— pounderintheworld。 Love，whenitisours，istheothernameforself— abnegationandsacrifice。Whenitbelongstopeopleacrosstheairshaftitmeansarroganceandself—con— ceit。 Thebridecrossedheroxfordsandlookedthought— fullyatthedistemperCupidsontheceiling。 \"Precious，\"saidshe，withtheairofCleopatraaskingAntonyforRomedoneupintissuepaperanddeliveredatresidence，\"IthinkIwouldlikeapeach。\" KidMcGarryaroseandputonhiscoatandhat。 Hewasserious，shaven，sentimental，andspry。 \"Allright，\"saidhe，ascoollyasthoughbewereonlyagreeingtosignarticlestofightthechampionofEngland。\"I’llstepdownandcoponeoutforyousee？\" \"Don’tbelong，\"saidthebride。\"I’llbelonesomewithoutmynaughtyboy。Getanice，ripeone。\" Afteraseriesoffarewellsthatwouldhavebefittedanimminentvoyagetoforeignparts，theKidwentdowntothestreet。 Herehenotunreasonablyhesitated，fortheseasonwasyetearlyspring，andthereseemedsmallchanceofwrestinganywherefromthosechillstreetsandstoresthecovetedlusciousguerdonofsummer’sgoldenprime。 AttheItalian’sfruit—standonthecornerbestoppedandcastacontemptuouseyeoverthedis— playofpaperedoranges，highlypolishedapplesandwan，sun—hungrybananas。 \"Gottadapeach？\"askedtheKidinthetongueofDante，theloveroflovers。 \"Ah，no，—\"sighedthevender。\"Notforonemontcom—adapeach。Toosoon。Gottadanice—aorange。 Like—adaorange？\" Scornful，theKidpursuedhisquest。Heenteredtheall—nightchop—house，cafe，andbowling—alleyofhisfriendandadmirer，JustusO’Callahan。TheO’Callahanwasaboutinhisinstitution，lookingforleaks。 \"Iwantitstraight，\"saidtheKidtohim。\"Theoldwomanhasgotahunchthatshewantsapeach。 Now，ifyou’vegotapeach，Cal，getitoutquick。I wantitandotherslikeitifyou’vegot’eminpluralquantities。\" \"Thehouseisyours，\"saidO’Callahan。\"Butthere’snopeachinit。It’stoosoon。Idon’tsup— poseyoucouldevenfind’ematoneoftheBroadwayjoints。That’stoobad。Whenaladyfixeshermouthforacertainkindoffruitnothingelsewon’tdo。It’stoolatenowtofindanyofthefirst—classfruiterersopen。ButifyouthinkthemissiswouldlikesomeniceorangesI’vejustgotaboxoffineonesinthatshemight。\" \"Muchobliged，Cal。It’sapeachpropositionrightfromtheringofthegong。I’lltryfurther。\" ThetimewasnearlymidnightastheKidwalkeddowntheWest—Sideavenue。Fewstoreswereopenandsuchaswerepracticallyhootedattheideaofapeach。 ButinhermoatedflatthebrideconfidentlyawaitedherPersianfruit。Achampionwelter—weightnotfindapeach？—notstridetriumphantlyovertheseasonsandthezodiacandthealmanactofetchanAmsden’sJuneoraGeorgiaclingtohisowny—own？ TheKid’seyecaughtsightofawindowthatwaslightedandgorgeouswithnature’smostentrancingcolors。Thelightsuddenlywentout。TheKidsprintedandcaughtthefruitererlockinghisdoor。