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。