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。
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