R。H。D。
"Andtheyrisetotheirfeetashepasses，gentlemenunafraid。"
Hewasalmosttoogoodtobetrue。Inaddition，thegodslovedhim，andsohehadtodieyoung。Somepeoplethinkthatamanoffifty—twoismiddle—aged。ButifR。H。D。hadlivedtobeahundred，hewouldneverhavegrownold。ItisnotgenerallyknownthatthenameofhisotherbrotherwasPeterPan。
Withintheyearwehaveplayedatpiratestogether，atthetakingofspermwhales；andwehaveransackedtheWestchesterHillsforgunsitesagainsttheMexicaninvasion。Andwehavemadelistsofguns，andmedicines，andtinnedthings，incaseweshouldeverhappentogoelephantshootinginAfrica。Butweweren’tgoingtohurttheelephants。OnceR。H。D。shotahippopotamusandhewasalwaysashamedandsorry。Ithinkheneverkilledanythingelse。Hewasn’tthatkindofasportsman。Ofhunting，asofmanyotherthings，hehassaidthelastword。DoyouremembertheHappyHuntingGroundin"TheBarSinister"？——"Wherenobodyhuntsus，andthereisnothingtohunt。"
Experiencedpersonstellusthataman—huntisthemostexcitingofallsports。R。H。D。huntedmeninCuba。Hehuntedforwoundedmenwhowereoutinfrontofthetrenchesandstillunderfire，andfoundsomeofthemandbroughtthemin。TheRoughRidersdidn’tmakehimanhonorarymemberoftheirregimentjustbecausehewascharmingandafaithfulfriend，butlargelybecausetheywerealotofdaredevilsandhewasanother。
Tohearhimtalkyouwouldn’thavethoughtthathehadeverdoneabravethinginhislife。Hetalkedagreatdeal，andhetalkedevenbetterthanhewrote（athisbesthewrotelikeanangel），butIhavedustedeverycornerofmymemoryandcannotrecallanystoryofhisinwhichheplayedaheroicorsuccessfulpart。Alwayshewasrunningattopspeed，orhidingbehindatree，orlyingfacedowninafootofwater（forhours！）soasnottobeseen。Alwayshewasgettingtheworstofit。Butabouttheotherfellowshetoldthewholetruthwithlightningflashesofwitandcharacterbuildingandadmirationorcontempt。Untiltheinventionofmovingpicturestheworldhadnothingintheleastlikehistalk。Hiseyehadphotographed，hismindhaddevelopedandpreparedtheslides，hiswordssentthelightthroughthem，andloandbehold，theywerereproducedonthescreenofyourownmind，exactindrawingandcolor。Withthewrittenwordorthespokenwordhewasthegreatestrecorderandreporterofthingsthathehadseenofanyman，perhaps，thateverlived。Thehistoryofthelastthirtyyears，itsmannersandcustomsanditsleadingeventsandinventions，cannotbewrittentruthfullywithoutreferencetotherecordswhichhehasleft，tohisspecialarticlesandtohisletters。ReadoveragaintheQueen’sJubilee，theCzar’sCoronation，theMarchoftheGermansthroughBrussels，andseeforyourselfifIspeaktoozealously，evenforafriend，towhom，nowthatR。H。D。isdead，theworldcanneverbethesameagain。
ButIdidnotsetouttoestimatehisgenius。Thatmatterwillcomeinduetimebeforetheunerringtribunalofposterity。
OnesecretofMr。Roosevelt’sholduponthosewhocomeintocontactwithhimishisenergy。Retainingenoughforhisownuse（heusesagooddeal，becauseeverydayhedoestheworkoffiveorsixmen），hedistributestheinexhaustibleremainderamongthosewhomostneedit。Mengotohimtiredanddiscouraged，hesendsthemawaygladtobealive，stillgladderthatheisalive，andreadytofightthedevilhimselfinagoodcause。UponhisfriendsR。H。D。hadthesameeffect。Anditwasnotonlyinproximitythathecoulddistributeenergy，butfromafar，byletterandcable。Hehadsomeintuitivewayofknowingjustwhenyouwereslippingintoasloughoflazinessanddiscouragement。Andatsuchtimesheeitherappearedsuddenlyuponthescene，ortherecameaboyonabicycle，withayellowenvelopeandabooktosign，orthepostmaninhisbuggy，orthetelephonerangandfromthereceivertherepouredintoyouaffectionandencouragement。
Butthegreattimes，ofcourse，werewhenhecameinperson，andthetemperatureofthehouse，whichamomentbeforehadbeentoohotortoocold，becamejustright，andasenseofcheerfulnessandwell—beinginvadedtheheartsofthemasterandthemistressandoftheservantsinthehouseandintheyard。Andtheolderdaughterrantohim，andthebaby，whohadbeenfrettingbecausenobodywouldgiveheradouble—
barrelledshotgun，climbeduponhiskneeandforgotallaboutthedisappointmentsofthisuncompromisingworld。
Hewastouchinglysweetwithchildren。Ithinkhewasalittleafraidofthem。Hewasafraidperhapsthattheywouldn’tfindouthowmuchhelovedthem。Butwhentheyshowedhimthattheytrustedhim，and，unsolicited，climbeduponhimandlaidtheircheeksagainsthis，thentheloveliestexpressioncameoverhisface，andyouknewthatthegreatheart，whichtheotherdayceasedtobeat，throbbedwithanexquisitebliss，akintoanguish。
OneofthehappiestdaysIrememberwaswhenIandminereceivedatelegramsayingthathehadababyofhisown。AndIthankGodthatlittleMissHopeistooyoungtoknowwhatanappallinglossshehassuffered……
Perhapshestayedtodine。Thenperhapstheolderdaughterwasallowedtositupanextrahalf—hoursothatshecouldwaitonthetable（andthoughIsayit，thatshouldn’t，shecoulddothisbeautifully，withdignityandwithoutgiggling），andperhapsthedinnerwasgood，orR。H。D。
thoughtitwas，andinthateventhemustabandonhisplaceandstormthekitchentotellthecookallaboutit。Perhapsthegardenerwastakinglifeeasyonthekitchenporch。He，too，cameinforpraise。R。H。D。hadneverseenourJapaneseirissobeautiful；asforhis，theywouldn’tgrowatall。Itwasn’ttheiris，itwasthemanbehindtheiris。Andthenbackhewouldcometous，withawonderfulstoryofhisadventuresinthepantryonhiswaytothekitchen，andleavingbehindhimacooktowhomtherehadbeenissuedanewleaseoflife，andagardenerwhoblushedandsmiledinthedarknessundertheActinidiavines。
ItwasinourlittlehouseatAiken，inSouthCarolina，thathewaswithusmostandwelearnedtoknowhimbest，andthatheandIbecamedependentuponeachotherinmanyways。
Events，intowhichIshallnotgo，hadmadehislifeverydifficultandcomplicated。Andhewhohadgivensomuchfriendshiptosomanypeopleneededalittlefriendshipinreturn，andperhaps，too，heneededforatimetoliveinahousewhosemasterandmistresslovedeachother，andwheretherewerechildren。Beforehecamethatfirstyearourhousehadnoname。Nowitiscalled"Let’sPretend。"
Nowthechimneyintheliving—roomdraws，butinthosefirstdaysofthebuilt—overhouseitdidn’t。Atleast，itdidn’tdrawallthetime，butwepretendedthatitdid，andwithmuchpretensecamefaith。Fromthefireplacethatsmokedtotheseriousthingsoflifeweextendedourpretendings，untilrealtroubleswentdownbeforethem——downandout。
ItwasoneofAiken’sverybestwinters，andtheearliestspringIeverlivedanywhere。R。H。D。cameshortlyafterChristmas。Thespireaswereinbloom，andthemonthlyroses；
youcouldalwaysfindasweetvioletortwosomewhereintheyard；hereandtheresplotchesofdeeppinkagainstgraycabinwallsprovedthatprecociouspeach—treeswereinbloom。
Itneverrained。Atnightitwascoldenoughforfires。Inthemiddleofthedayitwashot。Thewindneverblew，andeverymorningwehadafourfortennisandeveryafternoonwerodeinthewoods。Andeverynightwesatinfrontofthefire（thatdidn’tsmokebecauseofpretending）andtalkeduntilthenextmorning。
Hewasoneofthoserarelygiftedmenwhofindtheirchiefestpleasurenotinlookingbackwardorforward，butinwhatisgoingonatthemoment。WeeksdidnothavetopassbeforeitwasforceduponhisknowledgethatTuesday，thefourteenth（letussay），hadbeenagoodTuesday。Heknewitthemomenthewakedat7A。M。andperceivedtheTuesdaysunshinemakingpatternsofbrightlightuponthefloor。Thesunshinerejoicedhimandtheknowledgethatevenbeforebreakfasttherewasvouchsafedtohimawholehouroflife。Thatdaybeganwithattentionstohisphysicalwell—being。Therewereexercisesconductedwithgreatvigorandrejoicing，followedbyatub，artesiancold，andaloudandjoyoussingingofballads。
AtfiftyR。H。D。mighthaveposedtosomePraxitelesand，copiedinmarble，gonedowntheagesas"statueofayoungathlete。"Hestoodsixfeetandover，straightasaSiouxchief，anobleandleonineheadcarriedbyasplendidtorso。
Hisskinwasasfineandcleanasachild’s。Heweighednearlytwohundredpoundsandhadnofatonhim。Hewastheweight—throwingratherthantherunningtypeofathlete，butsotenaciouslyhadheclungtothesupplenessofhisadolescentdaysthathecouldstandstiff—leggedandlayhishandsflatuponthefloor。
Thesingingover，silencereigned。Butifyouhadlistenedathisdooryoumusthaveheardapengoing，swiftlyandboldly。
Hewashardatwork，doinguntootherswhatothershaddoneuntohim。Youwereastrangertohim；somemagazinehadacceptedastorythatyouhadwrittenandpublishedit。
R。H。D。hadfoundsomethingtolikeandadmireinthatstory（verylittleperhaps），anditwashisdutyandpleasuretotellyouso。Ifhehadlikedthestoryverymuchhewouldsendyouinsteadofanoteatelegram。Oritmightbethatyouhaddrawnapicture，or，asacubreporter，hadshowngoldenpromiseinahalfcolumnofunsignedprint，R。H。D。
wouldfindyouout，andfindtimetopraiseyouandhelpyou。
Soitwasthatwhenheemergedfromhisroomatsharpeighto’clock，hewaswide—awakeandhappyandhungry，andwhistledanddouble—shuffledwithhisfeet，outofexcessiveenergy，andcarriedinhishandsawholesheafofnotesandlettersandtelegrams。
BreakfastwithhimwasnottheusualAmericanbreakfast，asullen，dyspepticgatheringofpersonswhoonlythenightbeforehadrejoicedineachother’ssociety。Withhimitwasthetimewhenthemindis，oroughttobe，atitsbest，thebodyatitsfreshestandhungriest。Discussionsofthelatestplaysandnovels，thedoingsandundoingsofstatesmen，laughterandsentiment——tohim，atbreakfast，thesethingswereasimportantassausagesandthickcream。
Breakfastover，therewasnodawdlingandputtingoffoftheday’swork（elsehow，atelevensharp，couldtennisbeplayedwithafreeconscience？）。Loving，ashedid，everythingconnectedwithanewspaper，hewouldnowpassbythoseonthehall—tablewithneversomuchasawistfulglance，andhurrytohisworkroom。
Hewrotesittingdown。Hewrotestandingup。And，almostyoumaysay，hewrotewalkingupanddown。Somepeople，accustomedtothedeliciouseaseandclarityofhisstyle，imaginethathewroteveryeasily。Hedidandhedidn’t。
Letters，easy，clear，tothepoint，andgorgeouslyhuman，flowedfromhimwithoutletorhindrance。Thatmasterpieceofcorresponding，"TheGermanMarchThroughBrussels，"wasprobablywrittenalmostasfastashecouldtalk（nexttoPhillipsBrooks，hewasthefastesttalkerIeverheard），butwhenitcametofictionhehadnofacilityatall。PerhapsI
shouldsaythatheheldincontemptanyfacilitythathemayhavehad。ItwasowingtohisincomparableenergyandJoblikepatiencethatheevergaveusanyfictionatall。Everyphraseinhisfictionwas，ofallthemyriadphraseshecouldthinkof，thefittestinhisrelentlessjudgmenttosurvive。
Phrases，paragraphs，pages，wholestorieseven，werewrittenoverandoveragain。Heworkeduponaprincipleofelimination。Ifhewishedtodescribeanautomobileturninginatagate，hemadefirstalongandelaboratedescriptionfromwhichtherewasomittednodetail，whichthemostobservantpairofeyesinChristendomhadevernotedwithreferencetojustsuchaturning。Thereuponhewouldbeginaprocessofomittingonebyonethosedetailswhichhehadbeenatsuchpainstorecall；andaftereachomissionhewouldaskhimself："Doesthepictureremain？"Ifitdidnot，herestoredthedetailwhichhehadjustomitted，andexperimentedwiththesacrificeofsomeother，andsoon，andsoon，untilafterHerculeanlaborthereremainedforthereaderoneofthoseswiftlyflashed，ice—clearpictures（completeineverydetail）withwhichhistalesandromancesaresodelightfullyandcontinuouslyadorned。
Butitisquartertoeleven，and，thisbeingatimeofholiday，R。H。D。emergesfromhisworkroomhappytothinkthathehasplacedonehundredandsevenwordsbetweenhimselfandthewolfwhohangsabouteverywriter’sdoor。Heisn’tsatisfiedwiththosehundredandsevenwords。Heneverwasintheleastsatisfiedwithanythingthathewrote，buthehassearchedhismindandhisconscienceandhebelievesthatunderthecircumstancestheyaretheverybestthathecando。Anyway，theycanstandintheirpresentorderuntil——
afterlunch。
Asignofhisyouthwasthefactthattothedayofhisdeathhehaddeniedhimselftheluxuryandslothfulnessofhabits。
Ihaveneverseenhimsmokeautomaticallyasmostmendo。Hehadtoomuchrespectforhisownpowersofenjoymentandforthesensibilities，perhaps，ofthebestHavanatobacco。Atatimeofhisowndeliberatechoosing，oftenaftermanyhoursofhankeringandrenunciation，hesmokedhiscigar。Hesmokeditwithdelight，withasenseofbeingrewarded，andheusedallthesmoketherewasinit。
Hedearlylovedthebestfood，thebestchampagne，andthebestScotchwhiskey。Butthesethingswerefriendstohim，andnotenemies。HehadtowardfoodanddrinktheContinentalattitude；namely，thatqualityisfarmoreimportantthanquantity；andhegothisexhilarationfromthefactthathewasdrinkingchampagneandnotfromthechampagne。PerhapsI
shalldowelltosaythatonquestionsofrightandwronghehadawillofiron。Allhislifehemovedresolutelyinwhicheverdirectionhisconsciencepointed；and，althoughthateverpresentandneverobtrusiveconscienceofhismademistakesofjudgmentnowandthen，asmustallconsciences，I
thinkitcanneveroncehavetrickedhimintoanyactionthatwasimpureorunclean。Somecriticsmaintainthattheheroesandheroinesofhisbooksareimpossiblypureandinnocentyoungpeople。R。H。D。nevercalleduponhischaractersforanytraitofvirtue，orrenunciation，orself—masteryofwhichhisownlifecouldnotfurnishexamples。
Fortunately，hedidnothaveforhisfriendsthesameconsciencethathehadforhimself。Hisgreatgiftofeyesightandobservationfailedhiminhisjudgmentsuponhisfriends。Ifonlyyoulovedhim，youcouldgetyourbiggestfailuresofconductsomewhatmorethanforgiven，withoutanytroubleatall。Andofyourmole—hillvirtueshemadesplendidmountains。Heonlyinterferedwithyouwhenhewasafraidthatyouweregoingtohurtsomeoneelsewhomhealsoloved。OnceIhadatelegramfromhimwhichurgedmeforheaven’ssakenottoforgetthatthenextdaywasmywife’sbirthday。WhetherIhadforgottenitornotismyownprivateaffair。AndwhenIdeclaredthatIhadreadastorywhichI
likedvery，verymuchandwasgoingtowritetotheauthortotellhimso，healwayskeptatmetilltheletterwaswritten。
HaveIsaidthathehadnohabits？Everyday，whenhewasawayfromher，hewrotealettertohismother，andnoswiftscrawlatthat，for，nomatterhowcrowdedandeventfultheday，hewroteherthebestletterthathecouldwrite。Thatwastheonlyhabithehad。Hewasaslavetoit。
OnceIsawR。H。D。greethisoldmotherafteranabsence。
Theythrewtheirarmsabouteachotherandrockedtoandfroforalongtime。Andithadn’tbeenalongabsenceatthat。
Nooceanhadbeenbetweenthem；herhearthadnotbeeninhermouthwiththethoughtthathewasunderfire，orabouttobecomeavictimofjunglefever。Hehadonlybeenawayuponalittleexpedition，amerematterofdiggingforburiedtreasure。Wehadfoundthetreasure，partofitachipmunk’sskullandabrokenarrow—head，andR。H。D。hadbeenabsentfromhismotherfornearlytwohoursandahalf。
IsetaboutthisarticlewiththeknowledgethatImustfailtogivemorethanafewhintsofwhathewaslike。Thereisn’tmuchmorespaceatmycommand，andthereweresomanysidestohimthattotouchuponthemallwouldfillavolume。
TherewerethepatriotismandtheAmericanism，asmuchapartofhimasthemarrowofhisbones，andfromwhichsprangallthosebrilliantheadlongletterstothenewspapers；thosetrenchantassaultsuponevil—doersinpublicoffice，thosequixoticeffortstoredresswrongs，andthosesimpleanddexterousexposuresofthisandthat，fromanabsolutelyunexpectedpointofview。Hewasaquickenerofthepublicconscience。Thatpeoplearebeginningtothinktolerantlyofpreparedness，thatanationwhichatonetimelookedyellowasadandelionisbeginningtoturnRed，White，andBlueisowinginsomemeasuretohim。
R。H。D。thoughtthatwarwasunspeakablyterrible。Hethoughtthatpeaceatthepricewhichourcountryhasbeenforcedtopayforitwasinfinitelyworse。Andhewasoneofthosewhohavegraduallytaughtthiscountrytoseethematterinthesameway。
Imustcometoaclosenow，andIhavehardlyscratchedthesurfaceofmysubject。AndthatisafailurewhichIfeelkeenlybutwhichwasinevitable。AsR。H。D。himselfusedtosayofthosedeplorable"personalinterviews"whichappearinthenewspapers，andinwhichtheimportantpersoninterviewedismadebythecubreportertosaythingswhichheneversaid，orthought，ordreamedof——"Youcan’texpectafifteen—
dollar—a—weekbraintodescribeathousand—dollar—a—weekbrain。"
Thereis，however，onequestionwhichIshouldattempttoanswer。Notwomenarealike。InwhatonesalientthingdidR。H。D。differfromothermen——differinhispersonalcharacterandinthecharacterofhiswork？AndthatquestionIcanansweroffhand，withouttakingthought，andbesurethatIamright。
Ananalysisofhisworks，astudyofthatbookwhichtheRecordingAngelkeepswillshowonedominantcharacteristictowhichevenhisbrilliancy，hisclarityofstyle，hisexcellentmechanismasawriteraresubordinate；andtowhich，asaman，evenhissenseofduty，hispowersofaffection，offorgiveness，ofloving—kindnessaresubordinate，too；andthatcharacteristiciscleanliness。
Thebiggestforceforcleanlinessthatwasintheworldhasgoneoutoftheworld——gonetothatHappyHuntingGroundwhere"Nobodyhuntsusandthereisnothingtohunt。"
GOUVERNEURMORRIS。
Chapter1
THEREDCROSSGIRL
WhenSpencerFlagglaidthefoundation—stoneforthenewmillion—dollarwinghewasaddingtotheFlaggHomeforConvalescents，onthehillsaboveGreenwich，theNewYorkREPUBLICsentSamWardtocoverthestory，andwithhimReddingtotakephotographs。Itwasacrisp，beautifuldayinOctober，fullofsunshineandthejoyofliving，andfromthegreatlawninfrontoftheHomeyoucouldseehalfoverConnecticutandacrossthewatersoftheSoundtoOysterBay。
UponSamWard，however，thebeautiesofNaturewerewasted。
When，thenightprevious，hehadbeengiventheassignmenthehadsulked，andhewasstillsulking。OnlyayearbeforehehadgraduatedintoNewYorkfromasmallup—statecollegeandasmallup—statenewspaper，butalreadyhewasa"star"man，andHewitt，thecityeditor，humoredhim。
"What’sthematterwiththestory？"askedthecityeditor。
"Withthespeechesandlistsofnamesitoughttoruntotwocolumns。"
"Supposeitdoes！"exclaimedWard；"anybodycancollecttype—writtenspeechesandlistsofnames。That’samessengerboy’sjob。Where’sthereanyheart—interestinaWallStreetbrokerlikeFlaggwavingasilvertrowelandsinging，’Seewhatagoodboyam！’andalotofgrownupmeninpinaforessaying，’Thisstoneiswellandtrulylaid。’Where’sthestoryinthat？"
"WhenIwasareporter，"declaredthecityeditor，"Iusedtobegladtogetadayinthecountry。"
"Becauseyou’dneverlivedinthecountry，"returnedSam。"Ifyou’dwastedtwenty—sixyearsinthebackwoods，asIdid，you’dknowthateveryminuteyouspendoutsideofNewYorkyou’rerobbingyourself。"
"Ofwhat？"demandedthecityeditor。"There’snothingtoNewYorkexceptcement，irongirders，noise，andzincgarbagecans。YouneverseethesuninNewYork；youneverseethemoonunlessyoustandinthemiddleofthestreetandbendbackward。WeneverseeflowersinNewYorkexceptonthewomen’shats。Weneverseethewomenexceptincagesintheelevators——theyspendtheirlivesshootingupanddownelevatorshaftsindepartmentstores，inapartmenthouses，inofficebuildings。AndweneverseechildreninNewYorkbecausethejanitorswon’tletthewomenwholiveinelevatorshavechildren！Don’ttalktome！NewYork’saLittleNemonightmare。It’sajoke。It’saninsult！"
"Howcurious！"saidSam。"NowIseewhytheytookyouoffthestreetandmadeyouacityeditor。Idon’tagreewithanythingyousay。Especiallyareyouwrongaboutthewomen。
Theyoughttobecagedinelevators，butthey’renot。
Instead，theyflashpastyouinthestreet；theyshineuponyoufromboxesinthetheatre；theyfrownatyoufromthetopsofbuses；theysmileatyoufromthecushionsofataxi，acrossrestauranttablesunderredcandleshades，whenyouofferthemaseatinthesubway。TheyaretheonlythinginNewYorkthatgivesmeanytrouble。"
Thecityeditorsighed。"Howyoungyouare！"heexclaimed。
"However，to—morrowyouwillbefreefromyouronlytrouble。
Therewillbefewwomenatthecelebration，andtheywillbeinterestedonlyinconvalescents——andyoudonotlooklikeaconvalescent。"
SamWardsatattheouteredgeofthecrowdofoverdressedfemalesandoverfedmen，and，withasardonicsmile，listenedtoFlaggtellinghisassembledfriendsandsycophantshowgladhewastheyweretheretoseehimgiveawayamilliondollars。
"Aren’tyougoingtogethisspeech？"，askedRedding，thestaffphotographer。
"GetHISspeech！"saidSam。"TheyhavePinkertonsalloverthegroundstoseethatyoudon’tescapewithlessthanthreecopies。I’mwaitingtoheartheritualtheyalwayshave，andthenI’mgoingtosprintforthefirsttrainbacktothecentreofcivilization。"
"There’sgoingtobeafinelunch，"saidRedding，"andreportersareexpected。Iaskedthepolicemanifwewere，andhesaidwewere。"
Samrose，shookhistrousersintoplace，stuckhisstickunderhisarmpitandsmoothedhisyellowgloves。Hewasverythoughtfulofhisclothesandalwaystreatedthemwithcourtesy。
"Youcanhavemyshare，"hesaid。"IcannotforgetthatIamfifty—fiveminutesfromBroadway。AndevenifIwerestarvingIwouldratherhaveaclubsandwichinNewYorkthanaThanksgivingturkeydinnerinNewRochelle。"
Henoddedandwitheager，athleticstridesstartedtowardtheirongates；buthedidnotreachtheirongates，forontheinstanttroublebarredhisway。Troublecametohimwearingthebluecambricuniformofanursingsister，witharedcrossonherarm，withawhitecollarturneddown，whitecuffsturnedback，andatinyblackvelvetbonnet。Abowofwhitelawnchuckedherimpudentlyunderthechin。Shehadhairlikegolden—rodandeyesasblueasflax，andacomplexionofsuchhealthandcleanlinessanddewinessasbloomsonlyontrainednurses。
ShewassolovelythatReddingswunghishoodedcameraatherasswiftlyasacowboycouldhavecoveredherwithhisgun。
Reportersbecomestarreportersbecausetheyobservethingsthatotherpeoplemissandbecausetheydonotletitappearthattheyhaveobservedthem。Whenthegreatmanwhoisbeinginterviewedblurtsoutthatwhichisindiscreetbutmostimportant，thecubreportersays："That’smostinteresting，sir。I’llmakeanoteofthat。"Andsowarnsthegreatmanintosilence。Butthestarreporterreceivestheindiscreetutteranceasthoughitboredhim；andthegreatmandoesnotknowhehasblundereduntilhereadsofitthenextmorningunderscreamingheadlines。
Othermen，onbeingsuddenlyconfrontedbySisterAnne，whichwastheofficialtitleofthenursingsister，wouldhavefallenbackward，orswooned，orgazedatherwithsoulful，worshippingeyes；or，weretheythatsortofbeast，wouldhaveogledherwithimpertinentapproval。NowSam，becausehewasastarreporter，observedthattheladybeforehimwasthemostbeautifulyoungwomanhehadeverseen；butnoonewouldhaveguessedthatheobservedthat——leastofallSisterAnne。Hestoodinherwayandliftedhishat，andevenlookedintotheeyesofblueasimpersonallyandascalmlyasthoughshewerehisgreat—aunt——asthoughhisheartwasnotbeatingsofastthatitchokedhim。
"IamfromtheREPUBLIC，"hesaid。"Everybodyissobusyhereto—daythatI’mnotabletogetwhatIneedabouttheHome。
Itseemsapity，"headdeddisappointedly，"becauseit’ssowelldonethatpeopleoughttoknowaboutit。"Hefrownedatthebighospitalbuildings。Itwasapparentthattheignoranceofthepublicconcerningtheirexcellencegreatlyannoyedhim。
WhenagainhelookedatSisterAnneshewasregardinghiminalarm——obviouslyshewasuponthepointofinstantflight。
"Youareareporter？"shesaid。
Somepeopleliketoplacethemselvesinthehandsofareporterbecausetheyhopehewillprinttheirnamesinblackletters；afewothers——onlyreportersknowhowfew——wouldassoonplacethemselvesinthehandsofadentist。
"AreporterfromtheREPUBLIC，"repeatedSam。
"ButwhyaskME？"demandedSisterAnne。
Samcouldseenoreasonforherquestion；inextenuationandexplanationheglancedatheruniform。
"Ithoughtyouwereatworkhere，"hesaidsimply。"Ibegyourpardon。"
Hesteppedasideasthoughhemeanttoleaveher。Ingivingthatimpressionhewasdistinctlydishonest。
"Therewasnootherreason，"persistedSisterAnne。"Imeanforspeakingtome？"
ThereasonforspeakingtoherwassoobviousthatSamwonderedwhetherthiscouldbetheheightofinnocenceorthemostbanalcoquetry。Thehostilelookintheeyesoftheladyproveditcouldnotbecoquetry。
"Iamsorry，"saidSam。"Imistookyouforoneofthenurseshere；and，asyoudidn’tseembusy，IthoughtyoumightgivemesomestatisticsabouttheHomenotreallystatistics，youknow，butlocalcolor。"
SisterAnnereturnedhislookwithoneassteadyashisown。
Apparentlyshewasweighinghisstatement。Sheseemedtodisbelieveit。Inwardlyhewasaskinghimselfwhatcouldbethedarksecretinthepastofthisyoungwomanthatatthemereapproachofareporter——evenofsuchanice—lookingreporterashimself——sheshouldshakeandshudder。"Ifthat’swhatyoureallywanttoknow，"saidSisterAnnedoubtfully，"
I’lltryandhelpyou；but，"sheadded，lookingathimasonewhoissuesanultimatum，"youmustnotsayanythingaboutme！"
Samknewthatawomanoftheself—advertising，club—
organizingclasswillalwayssaythattoareporteratthetimeshegiveshimhercardsothathecanspellhernamecorrectly；butSamrecognizedthatthisyoungwomanmeantit。
Besides，whatwastherethathecouldwriteabouther？Muchashemightliketodoso，hecouldnotbeginhisstorywith：
"TheFlaggHomeforConvalescentsisalsothehomeofthemostbeautifulofalllivingwomen。"Nocopyeditorwouldletthatgetbyhim。So，astherewasnothingtosaythathewouldbeallowedtosay，hepromisedtosaynothing。SisterAnnesmiled；anditseemedtoSamthatshesmiled，notbecausehispromisehadsethermindatease，butbecausethepromiseamusedher。Samwonderedwhy。
SisterAnnefellintostepbesidehimandledhimthroughthewardsofthehospital。Hefoundthatitexistedforandrevolvedentirelyaboutoneperson。Hefoundthatamilliondollarsandsomeacresofbuildings，containingsun—roomsandhundredsofrigidwhitebeds，hadbeendonatedbySpencerFlaggonlytoprovideabackgroundforSisterAnne——onlytoexhibitthedepthofhercharity，thekindnessofherheart，theunselfishnessofhernature。
"Doyoureallyscrubthefloors？"hedemanded——"Imeanyouyourself——downonyourknees，withapailandwaterandscrubbingbrush？"
SisterAnneraisedherbeautifuleyebrowsandlaughedathim。
"Wedothatwhenwefirstcomehere，"shesaid——"whenweareprobationers。Isthereanewerwayofscrubbingfloors？"
"Andtheseawfulpatients，"demandedSam——"doyouwaitonthem？Doyouhavetosubmittotheircomplaintsandwhiningsandingratitude？"Heglaredattheunhappyconvalescentsasthoughbythatglancehewouldannihilatethem。"It’snotfair！"exclaimedSam。"It’sridiculous。I’dliketochokethem！"
"That’snotexactlytheobjectofahomeforconvalescents，"
saidSisterAnne。
"YouknowperfectlywellwhatImean，"saidSam。"Hereareyou——ifyou’llallowmetosayso——amagnificent，splendid，healthyyoungperson，wearingoutyouryounglifeoveralotoflameducks，failures，andcripples。"
"Noristhatquitethewaywelookat，"saidSisterAnne。
"We？"demandedSam。
SisterAnnenoddedtowardagroupofnurse"I’mnottheonlynursehere，"shesaid"Thereareoverforty。"
"Youaretheonlyonehere，"saidSam，"whoisnot！That’sJustwhatImean——Iappreciatetheworkofatrainednurse；I
understandtheministeringangelpartofit；butyou——I’mnottalkingaboutanybodyelse；I’mtalkingaboutyou——youaretooyoung！Somehowyouaredifferent；youarenotmeanttowearyourselfoutfightingdiseaseandsickness，measuringbeefbrothandmakingbeds。"
SisterAnnelaughedwithdelight。
"Ibegyourpardon，"saidSamstiffly。
"No——pardonme，"saidSisterAnne；"butyourideasofthedutiesofanursearesoquaint。"
"Nomatterwhatthedutiesare，"declaredSam；"Youshouldnotbehere！"
SisterAnneshruggedhershoulders；theywerecharmingshoulders——asdelicateasthepinionsofabird。
"Onemustlive，"saidSisterAnne。
Theyhadpassedthroughthelastcoldcorridor，betweenthelastrowsofrigidwhitecots，andhadcomeoutintothesunshine。BelowthemstretchedConnecticut，paintedinautumncolors。SisterAnneseatedherselfuponthemarblerailingoftheterraceandlookeddownupontheflashingwatersoftheSound。
"Yes；that’sit，"sherepeatedsoftly——"onemustlive。"
Samlookedather——but，findingthattodosomadespeechdifficult，lookedhurriedlyaway。Headmittedtohimselfthatitwasoneofthoseoccasions，onlytoofrequentwithhim，whenhisindignantsympathywasheightenedbythefactthat"thewoman。wasveryfair。"Heconcededthat。HewasnotgoingtopretendtohimselfthathewasnotprejudicedbytheoutrageousbeautyofSisterAnne，bytheassaultuponhisfeelingsmadebyheruniform——madebytheappealofherprofession，thegentlestandmostgraciousofallprofessions。Hewashonestlydisturbedthatthisyounggirlshoulddevoteherlifetotheserviceofselfishsickpeople。
"Ifyoudoitbecauseyoumustlive，thenitcaneasilybearranged；forthereareotherwaysofearningaliving。"
Thegirllookedathimquickly，buthewasquitesincere——andagainshesmiled。
"Nowwhatwouldyousuggest？"sheasked。"Yousee，"shesaid，"Ihavenoonetoadviseme——nomanofmyownage。Ihavenobrotherstogoto。Ihaveafather，butitwashisideathatIshouldcomehere；andsoIdoubtifhewouldapproveofmychangingtoanyotherwork。Yourownworkmustmakeyouacquaintedwithmanywomenwhoearntheirownliving。Maybeyoucouldadviseme？"
Samdidnotatonceanswer。Hewascalculatinghastilyhowfarhissalarywouldgotowardsupportingawife。Hewastryingtorememberwhichofthemenintheofficeweremarried，andwhethertheywerethosewhosesalariesweresmallerthanhisown。Collins，oneofthecopyeditors，heknew，wasveryill—paid；butSamalsoknewthatCollinswasmarried，becausehiswifeusedtowaitforhimintheofficetotakehertothetheatre，andoftenSamhadthoughtshewasextremelywelldressed。OfcourseSisterAnnewassobeautifulthatwhatshemightwearwouldbeamatterofindifference；butthenwomendidnotalwayslookatitthatway。SamwassolongconsideringofferingSisterAnnealifepositionthathissilencehadbecomesignificant；andtocoverhisrealthoughtshesaidhurriedly：
"Taketype—writing，forinstance。Thatpaysverywell。Thehoursarenotdifficult。"
"Andmanicuring？"suggestedSisterAnne。
Samexclaimedinhorror。
"You！"hecriedroughly。"Foryou！Quiteimpossible！"
"Whyforme？"saidthegirl。
InthedistressatthethoughtSamwasjabbinghisstickintothegravelwalkasthoughdrivingthemanicuringideaintoadeepgrave。Hedidnotseethatthegirlwassmilingathimmockingly。
"You？"protestedSam。"Youinabarber’sshopwashingmen’sfingerswhoarenotfittowashthestreetsyouwalkonI
GoodLord！"Hisvehemencewasquitehonest。Thegirlceasedsmiling。Samwasstilljabbingatthegravelwalk，hisprofiletowardher——and，unobserved，shecouldstudyhisface。Itwasanattractivefacestrong，clever，almostillegallygood—looking。Itexplainedwhy，as，hehadcomplainedtothecityeditor，hischieftroubleinNewYorkwaswiththewomen。Withhiseyesfullofconcern，Samturnedtoherabruptly。"Howmuchdotheygiveyouamonth？""Fortydollars，"answeredSisterAnne。"Thisiswhathurtsmeaboutit，"saidSam。
Itisthatyoushouldhavetoworkandwaitonotherpeoplewhentherearesomanystrong，hulkingmenwhowouldcountitGod’sblessingtoworkforyou，towaitonyou，andgivetheirlivesforyou。However，probablyyouknowthatbetterthanIdo。"
"No；Idon’tknowthat，"saidSisterAnne。
Samrecognizedthatitwasquiteabsurdthatitshouldbeso，butthisstatementgavehimasenseofgreatelation，adelightfulthrillofrelief。Therewaseveryreasonwhythegirlshouldnotconfideinacompletestranger——eventodeceivehimwasquitewithinherrights；but，thoughSamappreciatedthis，hepreferredtobedeceived。
"Ithinkyouareworkingtoohard，"hesaid，smilinghappily。
"Ithinkyououghttohaveachange。Yououghttotakeadayoff！Dotheyevergiveyouadayoff？"
"NextSaturday，"saidSisterAnne。"Why？"
"Because，"explainedSam，"ifyouwon’tthinkittoopresumptuous，Iwasgoingtoprescribeadayoffforyou——adayentirelyawayfromiodoformandwhiteenamelledcots。Itiswhatyouneed，adayinthecityandalunchwheretheyhavemusic；andamatinee，whereyoucanlaugh——orcry，ifyoulikethatbetter——andthen，maybe，somefreshairintheparkinataxi；andafterthatdinnerandmoretheatre，andthenI’llseeyousafeonthetrainforGreenwich。Beforeyouanswer，"headdedhurriedly，"IwanttoexplainthatIcontemplatetakingadayoffmyselfanddoingallthesethingswithyou，andthatifyouwanttobringanyoftheotherfortynursesalongasachaperon，Ihopeyouwill。Only，honestly，Ihopeyouwon’t！"
TheproposalapparentlygaveSisterAnnemuchpleasure。Shedidnotsayso，buthereyesshoneandwhenshelookedatSamshewasalmostlaughingwithhappiness。
"Ithinkthatwouldbequitedelightful，"saidSisterAnne，"
——quitedelightful！Onlyitwouldbefrightfullyexpensive；
evenifIdon’tbringanothergirl，whichIcertainlywouldnot，itwouldcostagreatdealofmoney。Ithinkwemightcutoutthetaxicab——andwalkintheparkandfeedthesquirrels。"
"Oh！"exclaimedSamindisappointment，——"thenyouknowCentralPark？"
SisterAnne’seyesgrewquiteexpressionless。
"Ioncelivednearthere，"shesaid。
"InHarlem？"
"NotexactlyinHarlem，butnearit。Iwasquiteyoung，"saidSisterAnne。"SincethenIhavealwayslivedinthecountryorin——otherplaces。"
Sam’sheartwassingingwithpleasure。
"It’ssokindofyoutoconsent，"hecried。"Indeed，youarethekindestpersoninalltheworld。IthoughtsowhenIsawyoubendingoverthesesickpeople，and，nowIknow。"
"Itisyouwhoarekind，"protestedSisterAnne，"totakepityonme。"
"Pityonyou！"laughedSam。"Youcan’tpityapersonwhocandomorewithasmilethanoldmanFlaggcandowithallhismillions。Now，"hedemandedinhappyanticipation，"wherearewetomeet？"
"That’sit，"saidSisterAnne。"Wherearewetomeet？"
"LetitbeattheGrandCentralStation。Thedaycan’tbegintoosoon，"saidSam；"andbeforethentelephonemewhattheatreandrestaurantsyouwantandI’llreserveseatsandtables。Oh，"exclaimedSamjoyfully，"itwillbeawonderfulday——awonderfulday！"
SisterAnnelookedathimcuriouslyand，so，itseemed，alittlewistfully。Sheheldoutherhand。
"Imustgobacktomyduties，"shesaid。"Good—by。"
"Notgood—by，"saidSamheartily，"onlyuntilSaturday——andmyname’sSamWardandmyaddressisthecityroomoftheREPUBLIC。What’syourname？"
"SisterAnne，"saidthegirl。"InthenursingordertowhichIbelongwehavenolastnames。"
"So，"askedSam，"I’llcallyouSisterAnne？"
"No；justSister，"saidthegirl。
"Sister！"repeatedSam，"Sister！"Hebreathedthewordratherthanspokeit；andthewayhesaiditandthewayhelookedwhenhesaiditmadeitcarryalmostthetouchofacaress。
Itwasasifhehadsaid"Sweetheart！or"Beloved！""I’llnotforget，"saidSam。
SisterAnnegaveanimpatient，annoyedlaugh。
"NorI，"shesaid。
SamreturnedtoNewYorkinthesmoking—car，puffingfeverishlyathiscigarandglaringdreamilyatthesmoke。Hewaslivingthedayoveragainand，inanticipation，thedayoff，stilltocome。Herehearsedtheirnextmeetingatthestation；heconsideredwhetherornothewouldmeetherwithahugebunchofvioletsorwouldhaveitbroughttoherwhentheywereatluncheonbytheheadwaiter。Hedecidedthelatterwaywouldbemoreofapleasantsurprise。Heplannedtheluncheon。Itwastobethemostmarvellousrepasthecouldevolve；and，lestthereshouldbetheslightesterror，hewouldhaveitpreparedinadvance——anditshouldcosthalfhisweek’ssalary。
Theplacewheretheyweretodinehewouldleavetoher，becausehehadobservedthatwomenhadstrangeideasaboutclothes——someofthemthinkingthatcertainclothesmustgowithcertainrestaurants。Someofthemseemedtobelievethat，insteadoftheirconferringdistinctionupontherestaurant，therestaurantconferreddistinctionuponthem。
HewassureSisterAnnewouldnotbesofoolish，butitmightbethatshemustalwayswearhernurse’suniformandthatshewouldprefernottobeconspicuous；sohedecidedthatthechoiceofwheretheywoulddinehewouldleavetoher。Hecalculatedthatthewholedayoughttocostabouteightydollars，which，asstarreporter，waswhathewasthenearningeachweek。Thatwaslittleenoughtogiveforadaythatwouldbethebirthdayofhislife！No，hecontradicted——
thedayhehadfirstmethermustalwaysbethebirthdayofhislife；forneverhadhemetonelikeherandhewassurethereneverwouldbeonelikeher。Shewassoentirelysuperiortoalltheothers，sofine，sodifficult——inhermannertherewassomethingthatrenderedherunapproachable。Evenhersimplenurse’sgownwaswornwithadifference。Shemighthavebeenaprincessinfancydress。
Andyet，howhumbleshehadbeenwhenhebeggedhertolethimforonedaypersonallyconductheroverthegreatcity！
"Youaresokindtotakepityonme，"shehadsaid。Hethoughtofmanyclever，prettyspeecheshemighthavemade。
Hewassoannoyedhehadnotthoughtofthematthetimethathekickedviolentlyattheseatinfrontofhim。
Hewonderedwhatherhistorymightbe；hewassureitwasfullofbeautifulcourageandself—sacrifice。Itcertainlywasoutrageousthatonesogloriousmustworkforherliving，andforsuchapaltryliving——fortydollarsamonth！Itwasworththatmerelytohavehersitintheflatwhereonecouldlookather；foralreadyhehaddecidedthat，whentheyweremarried，theywouldliveinaflat——probablyinoneoverlookingCentralPark，onCentralParkWest。Heknewofseveralattractivesuitesthereatthirty—fivedollarsaweek——or，ifshepreferredthesuburbs，hewouldforsakehisbelovedNewYorkandreturntothecountry。Inhisgratitudetoherforbeingwhatshewas，heconcededeventhatsacrifice。
WhenhereachedNewYork，fromthespeculatorsheboughtfront—rowseatsatfivedollarsforthetwomostpopularplaysintown。Heputthemawaycarefullyinhiswaistcoatpocket。Possessionofthemmadehimfeelthatalreadyhehadobtainedanoptiononsixhoursofcompletehappiness。
AftersheleftSam，SisterAnnepassedhurriedlythroughthehospitaltothematron’sroomand，wrappingherselfinaraccooncoat，madeherwaytoawaitingmotorcarandsaid，"Home！"tothechauffeur。HedrovehertotheFlaggfamilyvault，asFlagg’senviousmillionaireneighborscalledthepileofwhitemarblethattoppedthehighesthillaboveGreenwich，andwhichforyearshadservedasalandfalltomarinersontheSound。
Therewereanumberofpeopleatteawhenshearrivedandtheygreetedhernoisily。
"Ihavehadamostsplendidadventure！"saidSisterAnne。
"Thereweresixofus，youknow，dressedupasRedCrossnurses，andwegaveawayprogrammes。Well，oneoftheNewYorkreportersthoughtIwasarealnurseandinterviewedmeabouttheHome。OfcourseIknewenoughaboutittokeepitup，andIkeptitupsowellthathewasterriblysorryforme；and……"
OneoftheteadrinkerswaslittleHollisHolworthy，whopridedhimselfonknowingwho’swhoinNewYork。HehadmetSamWardatfirstnightsandprizefights。Helaughedscornfully。
"Don’tyoubelieveit！"heinterrupted。"ThatmanwhowastalkingtoyouwasSamWard。He’sthesmartestnewspapermaninNewYork；hewasjustleadingyouon。Doyousupposethere’sareporterinAmericawhowouldn’tknowyouinthedark？WaituntilyouseetheSundaypaper。"
SisterAnneexclaimedindignantly。
"Hedidnotknowme！"sheprotested。"ItquiteupsethimthatIshouldbewastingmylifemeasuringoutmedicinesandmakingbeds。"
Therewasashriekofdisbeliefandlaughter。
"Itoldhim，"continuedSisterAnne，"thatIgotfortydollarsamonth，andhesaidIcouldmakemoreasatypewriter；andIsaidIpreferredtobeamanicurist。"
"Oh，Anita！"protestedtheadmiringchorus。
"Andhewasmostindignant。Heabsolutelyrefusedtoallowmetobeamanicurist。AndheaskedmetotakeadayoffwithhimandlethimshowmeNewYork。Andheoffered，asattractions，moving—pictureshowsandadriveonaFifthAvenuebus，andfeedingpeanutstotheanimalsinthepark。
AndifIinsisteduponachaperonImightbringoneofthenurses。We’retomeetatthesoda—waterfountainintheGrandCentralStation。Hesaid，’Thedaycannotbegintoosoon。’"
"Oh，Anita！"shriekedthechorus。
LordDeptford，whoasthenewspapershadrepeatedlyinformedtheAmericanpublic，hadcometotheFlaggs’country—placetotrytomarryAnitaFlagg，wasamused。
"Whatanawfullyjollyrag！"hecried。"Andwhatareyougoingtodoaboutit？"
"Nothing，"saidAnitaFlagg。"Thereportershavebeenmakingmeridiculousforthelastthreeyears；nowIhavegotbackatoneofthem！"And，"sheadded，"that’sallthereistothat！"
Thatnight，however，whenthehousepartywasmakingtowardbed，SisterAnnestoppedbythestairsandsaidtoLordDeptford："IwanttohearyoucallmeSister。"
"Callyouwhat？"exclaimedtheyoungman。"Iwilltellyou，"
hewhispered，"whatI’dliketocallyou！"
"Youwillnot！"interruptedAnita。"DoasItellyouandsaySisteronce。Sayitasthoughyoumeantit。"
"ButIdon’tmeanit，"protestedhislordship。"I’vesaidalreadywhatI……"
"Nevermindwhatyou’vesaidalready，"commandedMissFlagg。
"I’veheardthatfromalotofpeople。SaySisterjustonce。"
Hislordshipfrownedinembarrassment。
"Sister！"heexclaimed。Itsoundedlikethepopofacork。
AnitaFlagglaughedunkindlyandherbeautifulshouldersshiveredasthoughshewerecold。
"Notabitlikeit，Deptford，"shesaid。"Good—night。"
LaterHelenPage，whocametoherroomtoaskheraboutahorseshewastorideinthemorning，foundherreadyforbedbutstandingbytheopenwindowlookingouttowardthegreatcitytothesouth。
WhensheturnedMissPagesawsomethinginhereyesthatcausedthatyoungwomantoshriekwithamazement。
"Anita！"sheexclaimed。"Youcrying！WhatinHeaven’snamecanmakeyoucry？"
Itwasnotakindspeech，nordidMissFlaggreceiveitkindly。Sheturneduponthetactlessintruder。
"Suppose，"criedAnitafiercely，"amanthoughtyouwereworthfortydollarsamonth——honestlydidn’tknow！——honestlybelievedyouwerepoorandworkedforyourliving，andstillsaidyoursmilewasworthmorethanallofoldmanFlagg’smillions，notknowingtheywereYOURmillions。Supposehedidn’taskanymoneyofyou，butjusttotakecareofyou，toslaveforyou——onlywantedtokeepyourprettyhandsfromworking，andyourprettyeyesfromseeingsicknessandpain。
Supposeyoumetthatmanamongthisrottenlot，whatwouldyoudo？Whatwouldn’tyoudo？"
"Why，Anita！"exclaimedMissPage。
"Whatwouldyoudo？"demandedAnitaFlagg。"Thisiswhatyou’ddo：You’dgodownonyourkneestothatmanandsay：
’Takemeaway！Takemeawayfromthem，andpityme，andbesorryforme，andloveme——andloveme——andloveme！"
"Andwhydon’tyou？"criedHelenPage。
"BecauseI’masrottenastherestofthem！"criedAnitaFlagg。"BecauseI’macoward。Andthat’swhyI’mcrying。
Haven’tItherighttocry？"
AttheexactmomentMissFlaggwasproclaimingherselfamoralcoward，inthelocalroomoftheREPUBLICCollins，thecopyeditor，waseditingSam’sstory’ofthelayingofthecorner—stone。Thecopyeditor’scigarwastiltednearhislefteyebrow；hisbluepencil，likeaguillotinereadytofallupontheguiltywordorparagraph，wassuspendedinmid—
air；andcontinually，likeahawkpreparingtostrike，thebluepencilswoopedandcircled。Butpageafterpagefellsoftlytothedeskandthebluepencilremainedinactive。Asheread，thevoiceofCollinsroseinmutteredejaculations；
and，ashecontinuedtoread，theseexplosionsgrewlouderandmoreamazed。Atlasthecouldendurenomoreand，swingingswiftlyinhisrevolvingchair，hisglanceswepttheoffice。"InthenameofMike！"heshouted。"WhatISthis？"
Thereportersnearesthim，busywithpencilandtypewriters，frownedinimpatientprotest。SamWard，swinginghislegsfromthetopofatable，wasgazingattheceiling，wrappedindreamsandtobaccosmoke。Uponhisclever，clean—cutfeaturestheexpressionwasfar—awayandbeatific。Hecamebacktoearth。
"What’swhat？"Samdemanded。
AtthatmomentElliott，themanagingeditor，waspassingthroughtheroomhishandsfilledwithfreshlypulledproofs。
HeswungtowardCollinsquicklyandsnatchedupSam’scopy。
Thestoryalreadywaslate——anditwasimportant。
"What’swrong？"hedemanded。Overtheroomtherefellasuddenhush。
"Readtheopeningparagraph，"protestedCollins。"It’slikethatforacolumn！It’sallaboutagirl——aboutaRedCrossnurse。NotawordaboutFlaggorLordDeptford。Nospeeches！
Nonews！It’snotanewsstoryatall。It’saneditorial，andanessay，andaspringpoem。Idon’tknowwhatitis。And，what’sworse，"wailedthecopyeditordefiantlyandtotheamazementofall，"it’ssodarnedgoodthatyoucan’ttouchit。You’vegottoletitgoorkillit。"
Theeyesofthemanagingeditor，maskedbyhisgreenpapershade，wereracingoverSam’swrittenwords。HethrustthefirstpagebackatCollins。
"Isitalllikethat？"
"There’sacolumnlikethat！"
"Runitjustasitis，"commandedthemanagingeditor。"Useitforyourintroductionandgetyourstoryfromtheflimsy。
And，inyourhead，cutoutFlaggentirely。Callit’TheRedCrossGirl。’Andplayitupstrongwithpictures。"HeturnedonSamandeyedhimcuriously。
"What’stheidea，Ward？"hesaid。"Thisisanewspaper——notamagazine！"
Theclickofthetypewriterswassilent，thehecticrushofthepencilshadceased，andthestaff，expectant，smiledcynicallyuponthestarreporter。Samshovedhishandsintohistrouserspocketsandalsosmiled，butunhappily。
"Iknowit’snotnews，Sir，"hesaid；butthat’sthewayI
sawthestory——outsideonthelawn，thebandplaying，andthegovernorandthegovernor’sstaffandtheclergyburningincensetoFlagg；andinside，thisgirlrightonthejob——
takingcareofthesickandwounded。Itseemedtomethatamillionfromamanthatwon’tmissamilliondidn’tstackupagainstwhatthisgirlwasdoingforthesesickfolks！WhatI
wantedtosay，"continuedSamstoutly"wasthatthemovingspiritofthehospitalwasnotinthemanwhosignedthechecks，butinthesewomenwhodothework——thenurses，liketheoneIwroteabout；theoneyoucalled’TheRedCrossGirl。’"
Collins，strongthroughmanyyearsoffaithfulservice，backedbythetraditionsoftheprofession，snortedscornfully。
"Butit’snotnews！"
"It’snotnews，"saidElliottdoubtfully；"butit’sthekindofstorythatmadeFrankO’Malleyfamous。It’sthekindofstorythatdrivesmenoutofthisbusinessintothearmsofwhatKiplingcalls’theillegitimatesister。’"
Itseldomisgrantedtoamanonthesamedaytogivehiswholehearttoagirlandtobepattedonthebackbyhismanagingeditor；anditwasthiscombination，andnotthedrinkshedispensedtothestaffinreturnforitscongratulations，thatsentSamhomewalkingonair。Helovedhisbusiness，hewasproudofhisbusiness；butneverbeforehaditservedhimsowell。Ithadenabledhimtotellthewomanheloved，andincidentallyamillionotherpeople，howdeeplyhehonoredher；howclearlyheappreciatedherpowerforgood。NoonewouldknowhemeantSisterAnne，savetwopeople——SisterAnneandhimself；butforherandforhimthatwasasmanyasshouldknow。Inhisstoryhehadusedrealincidentsoftheday；hehaddescribedherasshepassedthroughthewardsofthehospital，cheeringandsympathetic；
hehadtoldofthelittleactsofconsiderationthatendearedhertothesickpeople。
Thenextmorningshewouldknowthatitwassheofwhomhehadwritten；andbetweenthelinesshewouldreadthatthemanwhowrotethemlovedher。Sohefellasleep，impatientforthemorning。InthehotelatwhichhelivedtheREPUBLIC
wasalwaysplacedpromptlyoutsidehisdoor；and，aftermanyexcursionsintothehall，heatlastfoundit。Onthefrontpagewashisstory，"TheRedCrossGirl。"Ithadtheplaceofhonor——right—handcolumn；butmoreconspicuousthantheheadlinesofhisownstorywasoneofRedding’s，photographs。
ItwastheonehehadtakenofSisterAnnewhenfirstshehadapproachedthem，inheruniformofmercy，advancingacrossthelawn，walkingstraightintothefocusofthe，camera。
Therewasnomistakingherforanyotherlivingwoman；butbeneaththepicture，inbold，staring，uncompromisingtype，wasastrangeandgrotesquelegend。
"DaughterofMillionaireFlagg，"itread，"inaNewRole，MissAnitaFlaggasTheRedCrossGirl。"
ForalongtimeSamlookedatthepicture，andthen，foldingthepapersothatthepicturewashidden，hewalkedtotheopenwindow。Frombelow，Broadwaysentupatumultuousgreeting——cablecarsjangled，taxishooted；and，onthesidewalks，ontheirwaytowork，processionsofshop—girlssteppedoutbriskly。Itwasthestreetandthecityandthelifehehadfoundfascinating，butnowitjarredandaffrontedhim。Agirlheknewhaddied，hadpassedoutofhislifeforever——worsethanthathadneverexisted；andyetthecitywentorjustasthoughthatmadenodifference，orjustaslittledifferenceasitwouldhavemadehadSisterAnnereallylivedandreallydied。
Atthesameearlyhour，anhourfartooearlyfortherestofthehouseparty，AnitaFlaggandHelenPage，bootedandriding—habited，sataloneatthebreakfasttable，theirteabeforethem；andinthehandsofAnitaFlaggwastheDAILY
REPUBLIC。MissPagehadbroughtthepapertothetableand，withaffectedindignationattheimpertinenceofthepress，hadpointedatthefront—pagephotograph；butMissFlaggwasnotlookingatthephotograph，ordrinkinghertea，orshowinginherimmediatesurroundingsanyinterestwhatsoever。Instead，herlovelyeyeswerefastenedwithfascinationuponthecolumnundertheheading"TheRedCrossGirl"；and，assheread，thelovelyeyeslostalltraceofrecentslumber，herlovelylipspartedbreathlessly，andonherlovelycheeksthecolorflowedandfadedandglowedandbloomed。Whenshehadreadasfarasaparagraphbeginning，"WhenSisterAnnewalkedbetweenthemthosewhosufferedraisedtheireyestohersasflowerslifttheirfacestotherain，"shedroppedthepaperandstartedfortelephone。
返回顶部