whirligigs-第19节

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the　fence　till　I　struck　the　woods；　and　was　back　at　the　cave

in　another　half　an　hour。　　I　opened　the　note；　got　near　the

lantern　and　read　it　to　Bill。　　It　was　written　with　a　pen　in　a

crabbed　hand；　and　the　sum　and　substance　of　it　was　this：



Two　Desperate　Men。

　　　Gentlemen：　　　　　I　received　your　letter　to…day　by　post；

in　regard　to　the　ransom　you　ask　for　the　return　of　my　son。

I　think　you　are　a　little　high　in　your　demands；　and　I　hereby

make　you　a　counter…proposition；　which　I　am　inclined　to

believe　you　will　accept。　　You　bring　Johnny　home　and

pay　me　two　hundred　and　fifty　dollars　in　cash；　and　I　agree

to　take　him　off　your　hands。　　You　had　better　come　at

night；　for　the　neighbours　believe　he　is　lost；　and　I　couldn't

be　responsible　for　what　they　would　do　to　anybody　they

saw　bringing　him　back。　　　　　　　　　　　　　Very　respectfully；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　EBENEZER　DORSET。



〃Great　pirates　of　Penzance！〃　　says　I；　〃of　all　the

impudent　　〃



But　I　glanced　at　Bill；　and　hesitated。　　He　had　the　most

appealing　look　in　his　eyes　I　ever　saw　on　the　face　of　a　dumb

or　a　talking　brute。



〃Sam；〃　says　he；　〃what's　two　hundred　and　fifty　dollars；

after　all？　We've　got　the　money。　　One　more　night　of

this　kid　will　send　me　to　a　bed　in　Bedlam。　　Besides　being

a　thorough　gentleman；　I　think　Mr。　Dorset　is　a　spend…

thrift　for　making　us　such　a　liberal　offer。　　You　ain't　going

to　let　the　chance　go；　are　you？〃



〃Tell　you　the　truth；　Bill；〃　says　I；　〃this　little　he　ewe

lamb　has　somewhat　got　on　my　nerves　too。　　We'll　take

him　home；　pay　the　ransom　and　make　our　get…away。〃



We　took　him　home　that　night。　　We　got　him　to　go

by　telling　him　that　his　father　had　bought　a　silver…mounted

rifle　and　a　pair　of　moccasins　for　him；　and　we　were　going

to　hunt　bears　the　next　day。



It　was　just　twelve　o'clock　when　we　knocked　at　Ebene…

zer's　front　door。　　Just　at　the　moment　when　I　should　have

been　abstracting　the　fifteen　hundred　dollars　from　the　box

under　the　tree；　according　to　the　original　proposition；　Bill

was　counting　out　two　hundred　and　fifty　dollars　into

Dorset's　hand。




When　the　kid　found　out　we　were　going　to　leave　him　at

home　he　started　up　a　howl　like　a　calliope　and　fastened

himself　as　tight　as　a　leech　to　Bill's　leg。　　His　father　peeled

him　away　gradually；　like　a　porous　plaster。



〃How　long　can　you　hold　him？〃　　asks　Bill。



〃I'm　not　as　strong　as　I　used　to　be；〃　says　old　Dorset；

〃but　I　think　I　can　promise　you　ten　minutes。〃



〃Enough；〃　says　Bill。　　〃In　ten　minutes　I　shall　cross

the　Central；　Southern　and　Middle　Western　States；　and　be

legging　it　trippingly　for　the　Canadian　border。〃



And；　as　dark　as　it　was；　and　as　fat　as　Bill　was；　and　as

good　a　runner　as　I　am；　he　was　a　good　mile　and　a　half

out　of　Summit　before　I　could　catch　up　with　him。







　　　　　　　　　　　THE　MARRY　MONTH　OF　MAY



PRITHEE；　smite　the　poet　in　the　eye　when　he　would

sing　to　you　praises　of　the　month　of　May。　　It　is　a　month

presided　over　by　the　spirits　of　mischief　and　madness。

Pixies　and　flibbertigibbets　haunt　the　budding　woods：

Puck　and　his　train　of　midgets　are　busy　in　town　and

country。



In　May　nature　holds　up　at　us　a　chiding　finger；　bidding

us　remember　that　we　are　not　gods；　but　overconceited

members　of　her　own　great　family。　　She　reminds　us　that

we　are　brothers　to　the　chowder…doomed　clam　and　the

donkey；　lineal　scions　of　the　pansy　and　the　chimpanzee；

and　but　cousins…german　to　the　cooing　doves；　the　quacking

ducks　and　the　housemaids　and　policemen　in　the　parks。



In　May　Cupid　shoots　blindfolded　　millionaires　marry

stenographers；　wise　professors　woo　white…aproned　gum…

chewers　behind　quick…lunch　counters；　schoolma'ams

make　big　bad　boys　remain　after　school；　lads　with　ladders

steal　lightly　over　lawns　where　Juliet　waits　in　her　trellissed

window　with　her　telescope　packed；　young　couples　out

for　a　walk　come　home　married；　old　chaps　put　on　white

spats　and　promenade　near　the　Normal　School；　even

married　men；　grown　unwontedly　tender　and　sentimental；

whack　their　spouses　on　the　back　and　growl：　〃How　goes

it；　old　girl：〃



This　May；　who　is　no　goddess；　but　Circe；　masquerading

at　the　dance　given　in　honour　of　the　fair　d閎utante；　Sum…

mer；　puts　the　kibosh　on　us　all。



Old　Mr。　Coulson　groaned　a　little；　and　then　sat　up

straight　in　his　invalid's　chair。　　He　had　the　gout　very

bad　in　one　foot；　a　house　near　Gramercy　Park；　half　a

million　dollars　and　a　daughter。　　And　he　had　a　house…

keeper；　Mrs。　Widdup。　　The　fact　and　the　name　deserve

a　sentence　each。　　They　have　it。



When　May　poked　Mr。　Coulson　he　became　elder　brother

to　the　turtle…dove。　　In　the　window　near　which　he　sat

were　boxes　of　jonquils；　of　hyacinths；　geraniums　and

pansies。　　The　breeze　brought　their　odour　into　the　room。

Immediately　there　was　a　well…contested　round　between

the　breath　of　the　flowers　and　the　able　and　active　effluvium

from　gout　liniment。　　The　liniment　won　easily；　but　not

before　the　flowers　got　an　uppercut　to　old　Mr。　Coulson's

nose。　　The　deadly　work　of　the　implacable；　false　enchant…

ress　May　was　done。



Across　the　park　to　the　olfactories　of　Mr。　Coulson　came

other　unmistakable；　characteristic；　copyrighted　smells

of　spring　that　belong　to　the…big…city…above…the…Subway；

alone。　　The　smells　of　hot　asphalt；　underground　caverns；

gasoline；　patchouli；　orange　peel；　sewer　gas；　Albany　grabs；

Egyptian　cigarettes；　mortar　and　the　undried　ink　on　news…

papers。　　The　inblowing　air　was　sweet　and　mild。　　Sparrows

wrangled　happily　everywhere　outdoors。　　Never　trust　May。



Mr。　Coulson　twisted　the　ends　of　his　white　mustache；

cursed　his　foot；　and　pounded　a　bell　on　the　table　by　his

side。



In　came　Mrs。　Widdup。　　She　was　comely　to　the　eye；

fair；　flustered；　forty　and　foxy。



〃Higgins　is　out；　sir；〃　she　said；　with　a　smile　suggestive

of　vibratory　massage。　　〃He　went　to　post　a　letter。　　Can

I　do　anything　for　you；　sir？〃



〃It's　time　for　my　aconite；〃　said　old　Mr。　Coulson。

〃Drop　it　for　me。　　The　bottle's　there。　　Three　drops。

In　water。　　D　　that　is；　confound　Higgins！　　There's

nobody　in　this　house　cares　if　I　die　here　in　this　chair　for

want　of　attention。〃



Mrs。　Widdup　sighed　deeply。



〃Don't　be　saying　that；　sir；〃　she　said。　　〃There's　them

that　would　care　more　than　any　one　knows。　　Thirteen

drops；　you　said；　sir？〃



〃Three；〃　said　old　man　Coulson。



He　took　his　dose　and　then　Mrs。　Widdup's　hand。　　She

blushed。　　Oh；　yes；　it　can　be　done。　　Just　hold　your

breath　and　compress　the　diaphragm。



〃Mrs。　Widdup；〃　said　Mr。　Coulson；　〃the　springtime's

full　upon　us。〃



〃Ain't　that　right？〃　　said　Mrs。　Widdup。　　〃The　air's

real　warm。　　And　there's　bock…beer　signs　on　every　corner。

And　the　park's　all　yaller　and　pink　and　blue　with　flowers；

and　I　have　such　shooting　pains　up　my　legs　and

body。〃



〃'In　the　spring；'〃　quoted　Mr。　Coulson；　curling　his

mustache；　〃'a　y　that　is；　a　man's　　fancy　lightly　turns

to　thoughts　of　love。'〃



〃Lawsy；　now！〃　　exclaimed　Mrs。　Widdup；　〃ain't　that

right？　　Seems　like　it's　in　the　air。〃



〃'In　the　spring；'〃　continued　old　Mr。　Coulson；　〃'a

livelier　iris　shines　upon　the　burnished　dove。'〃



〃They　do　be　lively；　the　Irish；〃　sighed　Mrs。　Widdup

pensively。



〃Mrs。　Widdup；〃　said　Mr。　Coulson；　making　a　face　at

a　twinge　of　his　gouty　foot；　〃this　would　be　a　lonesome

house　without　you。　　I'm　an　　that　is；　I'm　an　elderly

man　　but　I'm　worth　a　comfortable　lot　of　money。　　If

half　a　million　dollars'　worth　of　Government　bonds　and

the　true　affection　of　a　heart　that；　though　no　longer　beating

with　the　first　ardour　of　youth；　can　still　throb　with

genuine　　〃



The　loud　noise　of　an　overturned　chair　near　the　porti鑢es

of　the　adjoining　room　interrupted　the　venerable　and

scarcely　suspecting　victim　of　May。



In　stalked　Miss　Van　Meeker　Constantia　Coulson；　bony；

durable；　tall；　high…nosed；　frigid；　well…bred；　thirty…five；

in…the…neighbourhood…of…Gramercy…Parkish。　　She　put　up

a　lorgnette。　　Mrs。　Widdup　hastily　stooped　and　arranged

the　bandages　on　Mr。　Coulson's　gouty　foot。



〃I　thought　Higgins　was　with　you；〃　said　Miss　Van

Meeker　Constantia。



〃Higgins　went　out；〃　explained　her　father；　〃and　Mrs。

Widdup　answered　the　bell。　　That　is　better　now；　Mrs。

Widdup；　thank　you。　　No；　there　is　nothing　else　I　require。〃



The　housekeeper　retired；　pink　under　the　cool；　inquiring

stare　of　Miss　Coulson。



〃This　spring　weather　is　lovely；　isn't　it；　daughter？〃

said　the　old　man；　consciously　conscious。



〃That's　just　it；〃　replied　Miss　Van　Meeker　Constantia

Coulson；　somewhat　obscurely。　　〃When　does　Mrs。　Wid…

dup　start　on　her　vacation；　papa？〃



〃I　believe　she　said　a　week　from　to…day；〃　said　Mr。

Coulson。



Miss　Van　Meeker　Constantia　stood　for　a　minute　at

the　window　gazing；　toward　the　little　park；　flooded　with

the　mellow　afternoon　sunlight。　　With　the　eye　of　a　botanist

she　viewed　the　flowers　　most　potent　weapons　of　insid…

ious　May。　　With　the　cool　pulses　of　a　virgin　of　Cologne

she　withstood　the　attack　of　the　ethereal　mildness。　　The

arrows　of　t