第31章TheSkylightRoom

第31章theskylightroom

firstmrs.parkerwouldshowyouthedoubleparlors.youwouldnotdaretointerruptherdescriptionoftheiradvantagesandofthemeritsofthegentlemanwhohadoccupiedthemforeightyears.thenyouwouldmanagetostammerforththeconfessionthatyouwereneitheradoctornoradentist.mrs.parker'smannerofreceivingtheadmissionwassuchthatyoucouldneverafterwardentertainthesamefeelingtowardyourparents,whohadneglectedtotrainyouupinoneoftheprofessionsthatfittedmrs.parker'sparlors.

nextyouascendedoneflightofstairsandlookedatthesecondfloor-backat$8.convincedbyhersecond-floormannerthatitwasworththe$12thatmr.toosenberryalwayspaidforituntilhelefttotakechargeofhisbrother'sorangeplantationinfloridanearpalmbeach,wheremrs.mcintyrealwaysspentthewintersthathadthedoublefrontroomwithprivatebath,youmanagedtobabblethatyouwantedsomethingstillcheaper.

ifyousurvivedmrs.parker'sscorn,youweretakentolookatmr.skidder'slargehallroomonthethirdfloor.mr.skidder'sroomwasnotvacant.hewroteplaysandsmokedcigarettesinitalldaylong.buteveryroom-hunterwasmadetovisithisroomtoadmirethelambrequins.aftereachvisit,mr.skidder,fromthefrightcausedbypossibleeviction,wouldpaysomethingonhisrent.

then—oh,then—ifyoustillstoodononefoot,withyourhothandclutchingthethreemoistdollarsinyourpocket,andhoarselyproclaimedyourhideousandculpablepoverty,nevermorewouldmrs.parkerbeciceroneofyours.shewouldhonkloudlytheword"clara,"shewouldshowyouherback,andmarchdownstairs.thenclara,thecoloredmaid,wouldescortyouupthecarpetedladderthatservedforthefourthflight,andshowyoutheskylightroom.itoccupied7x8feetoffloorspaceatthemiddleofthehall.oneachsideofitwasadarklumberclosetorstoreroom.

initwasanironcot,awashstandandachair.ashelfwasthedresser.itsfourbarewailsseemedtocloseinuponyoulikethesidesofacoffin.yourhandcrepttoyourthroat,yougasped,youlookedupasfromawell—andbreathedoncemore.throughtheglassofthelittleskylightyousawasquareofblueinfinity.

"twodollars,suh,"clarawouldsayinherhalf-contemptuous,half-tuskegeenialtones.

onedaymissleesoncamehuntingforaroom.shecarriedatypewritermadetobeedaroundbyamuchlargerlady.shewasaverylittlegirl,witheyesandhairthathadkeptongrowingaftershehadstoppedandthatalwayslookedasiftheyweresaying:"goodnessme!whydidn'tyoukeepupwithus?"

mrs.parkershowedherthedoubleparlors."inthiscloset,"shesaid,"onecouldkeepaskeletonoranaestheticorcoal."

"butiamneitheradoctornoradentist,"saidmissleeson,withashiver.

mrs.parkergavehertheincredulous,pitying,sneering,icystarethatshekeptforthosewhofailedtoqualifyasdoctorsordentists,andledthewaytothesecondfloorback.

"eightdollars?"saidmissleeson."dearme!i'mnothettyifidolookgreen.i'miustapoorlittleworkinggirl.showmesomethinghigherandlower?

mr.skidderjumpedandstrewedthefloorwithcigarettestubsattheraponhisdoor.

"excuseme,mr.skidder,"saidmrs.parker,withherdemon'ssmileathispalelooks."ididn'tknowyouwerein.iaskedtheladytohavealookatyourlambrequins."

"they'retoolovelyforanything,"saidmissleeson,smilinginexactlythewaytheangelsdo.

aftertheyhadgonemr.skiddergotverybusyerasingthetall,black-hairedheroinefromhislatest(unproduced)playandinsertedasmall,roguishonewithheavy,brighthairandvivaciousfeatures.

"annaheld'lljumpatit,"saidmr.skiddertohimsdf,puttinghisfeetupagainstthelambrequinsanddisappearinginacloudofsmokelikeanaerialcuttlefish.

presentlythetocsincallof"clara!"soundedtotheworldthestateofmissleeson'spurse.adarkgoblinseizedher,mountedastygianstairway,thrustherintoavaultwithaglimmeroflightinitstopandmutteredthemenacingandcabalisticwords"twodollars!"

"i'lltakeit!"sighedmissleeson,sinkingdownuponthesqueakyironbed.

everydaymissleesonwentouttowork.atnightshebroughthomepaperswithhandwritingonthemandmadecopieswithhertypewriter.sometimesshehadnoworkatnight,andthenshewouldsitonthestepsofthehighstoopwiththeotherroomers.missleesonwasnotintendedforasky-lightroomwhentheplansweredrawnforhercreation.shewasgay-heartedandfulloftender,whimsicalfancies.oncesheletmr.skidderreadtoherthreeactsofhisgreat(unpublished)comedy,"it'snokid;or,theheirofthesubway."

therewasrejoicingamongthegentlemenroomerswhenevermissleesonhadtimetositonthestepsforanhourortwo.butmisslongnecker,thetallblondewhotaughtinapublicschoolandsaid."well,really!"toeverythingyousaid,satonthetopstepandsniffed.andmissdorn,whoshotatthemovingducksatconeyeverysundayandworkedinadepartmentstore,satonthebottomstepandsniffed.missleesonsatonthemiddlestepandthemenwouldquicklygrouparoundher.

especiallymr.skidder,wbohadcastherinhismindforthestarpartinaprivate,romantic(unspoken)dramainreallife.andespeciallymr.hoover,whowasforty-five,fat,flushandfoolish.andespeciallyveryyoungmr.evans,whosetupahollowcoughtoinducehertoaskhimtoleaveoffcigarettes.themenvotedher"thefunniestandjolliestever,"butthesniffsonthetopstepandthelowerstepwereimplacable.

iprayyouletthedramahaltwhilechoresstalkstothefootlightsanddropsanepicediantearuponthefatnessofmr.hoover.tunethepipestothetragedyoftallow,thebaneofbulk,thecalamityofcorpulence.triedout,falstaffmighthaverenderedmoreromancetothetonthanwouldhaveromeo'sricketyribstotheounce.alovermaysigh,buthemustnotpuff.tothetrainofmomusarethefatmenremanded.invainbeatsthefaithfullestheartabovea52inchbelt.avaunt,hoover!hoover,forty-five,flushandfoolish,mightcarryoffhelenherself;hoover,forty-five,flush,foolishandfatismeatforperdition.therewasneverachanceforyou,hoover.

asmrs.parker'sroomerssatthusonesummer'sevening,missleesonlookedupintothefirmamentandcriedwithherlittlegaylaugh:

"why,there'sbillyjackson!icanseehimfromdownhere,too."

alllookedup—someatthewindowsofskyscrapers,somecastingaboutforanairship,jackson-guided.

"it'sthatstar,"explainedmissleeson,pointingwithatinyfinger."notthebigonethattwinkles—thesteadyblueonenearit.icanseeiteverynightthroughmyskylight.inameditbillyjackson."

"well,really!"saidmisslongnecker."ididn'tknowyouwereanastronomer,missleeson."

"oh,yes,"saidthesmallstargazer,"iknowasmuchasanyofthemaboutthestyleofsleevesthey'regoingtowearnextfallinmars."

"well,reallyl"saidmisslongnecker."thestaryourefertoisgamma,oftheconstellationcassiopeia.itisnearlyofthesecondmaguitude,anditsmeridianpassageis—"

"oh,"saidtheveryyoungmr.evans,"ithinkbillyjacksonisamuchbetternameforit."

"samehere,"saidmr.hoover,loudlybreathingdefiancetomisslong—necker."ithinkmissleesonhasjustasmuchrighttonamestarsasanyofthoseoldastrologershad."

"well,really!"saidmisslongnecker.

"iwonderwhetherit'sashootingstar,"remarkedmissdorn."ihitnineducksandarabbitoutofteninthegalleryatconeysunday."

"hedoesn'tshowupverywellfromdownhere,"saidmissleeson."yououghttoseehimfrommyroom.youknowyoucanseestarseveninthedaytimefromthebottomofawell.atnightmyroomisliketheshaftofacoalmine,anditmakesbillyjacksonlooklikethebigdiamondpinthatnightfastensherkimonowith."

therecameatimeafterthatwhenmissleesonbroughtnoformidablepapershometocopy.andwhenshewentoutinthemorning,insteadofworking,shewentfromofficetoofficeandletherheartmeltawayinthedripofcoldrefusalstransmittedthroughinsolentofficeboys.thiswenton.

therecameaneveningwhenshewearilyclimbedmrs.parker'sstoopatthehourwhenshealwaysreturnedfromherdinnerattherestaurant.butshehadhadnodinner.

asshesteppedintothehallmr.hoovermetherandseizedhischance.heaskedhertomarryhim,andhisfatnesshoveredaboveherlikeanavalanche.shedodged,andcaughtthebalustrade.hetriedforherhand,andsheraiseditandsmotehimweaklyintheface.stepbystepshewentup,ingherselfbytherailing.shepassedmr.skidder'sdoorashewasred-inkingastagedirectionformyrtledelorme(missleeson)inhis(epted)comedy,to"pirouetteacrossstagefromltothesideofthecount."upthecarpetedladdershecrawledatlastandopenedthedooroftheskylightroom.

shewastooweaktolightthelamportoundress.shefellupontheironcot,herfragilebodyscarcelyhollowingthewornsprings.andinthaterebusoftheskylightroom,sheslowlyraisedherheavyeyelids,andsmiled.

forbillyjacksonwasshiningdownonher,calmandbrightandconstantthroughtheskylight.therewasnoworldabouther,shewassunkinapitofblackness,withbutthatsmallsquareofpallidlightframingthestarthatshehadsowhimsicallyandoh,soineffectually,named.misslongneckermustberight;itwasgamma,oftheconstellationcassiopeia,andnotbillyjackson,andyetshecouldnotletitbegamma.

asshelayonherbackshetriedtwicetoraiseherarm.thethirdtimeshegottwothinfingerstoherlipsandblewakissoutoftheblackpittobillyjackson.herarmfellhacklimply.

"good-bye,billy,"shemurmured,faintly."you'remillionsofmilesawayandyouwon'teventwinkleonce.butyoukeptwhereicouldseeyoumostofthetimeuptherewhentherewasn'tanythingelsebutdarknesstolookat,didn'tyou?millionsofmilesgoodbye,billyjackson."

clara,thecoloredmaid,foundthedoorlockedat10thenextday,andtheyforceditopen.vinegar,andtheslappingofwristsandburntfeathersprovingofnoavail,someoneranto'phoneforanambulance.

induetimeitbackeduptothedoorwithmuchgong-clanging,andthecapableyoungmedico,inhiswhitelinencoat,ready,active,confident,withhissmoothfacehalfdebonair,halfgrim,dancedupthesteps.

"ambulancecallto49,"hesaidbriefly."what'sthetrouble?"

"oh,yes,doctor,"sniffedmrs.parker,asthoughhertroublethatthereshouldbetroubleinthehousewasthegreater."ican'tthinkwhatcanbethematterwithher.nothingwecoulddowouldbringherto.it'sayoungwoman,amisselsie—yes,amisselsieleeson.neverbeforeinmyhouse—"

"whatroom?"criedthedoctorinaterriblevoice,towhichmrs.parkerwasastranger.

"theskylightroom.it—"

evidentlytheambulancedoctorwasfamiliarwiththelocationofskylightrooms.hewasgoneupthestairs,fouratatime.mrs.parkerfollowedslowly,asherdignitydemanded.

onthefirstlandingshemethimcomingbackbearingtheastronomerinhisarms.hestoppedandletloosethepractisedscalpelofhistongue,notloudly.graduallymrs.parkercrumpledasastiffgarmentthatslipsdownfromanail.everafterwardthereremainedcrumplesinhermindandbody.sometimeshercuriousroomerswouldaskherwhatthedoctorsaidtoher.