第32章ByCourier

第32章bycourier

itwasneithertheseasonnorthehourwhentheparkhadfre-quenters;anditislikelythattheyounglady,whowasseatedononeofthebenchesatthesideofthewalk,hadmerelyobeyedasuddenimpulsetositforawhileandenjoyaforetasteofcomingspring.

sherestedthere,pensiveandstill.acertainmelancholythattouchedhercountenancemusthavebeenofrecentbirth,forithadnotyetalteredthefineandyouthfulcontoursofhercheek,norsubduedthearchthoughresolutecurveofherlips.

atallyoungmancamestridingthroughtheparkalongthepathnearwhichshesat.behindhimedaboycarryingasuitcase.atsightoftheyounglady,theman'sfacechangedtoredandbacktopaleagain.hewatchedhercountenanceashedrewnearer,withhopeandanxietymingledonhisown.hepassedwithinafewyardsofher,buthesawnoevidencethatshewasawareofhispresenceorexistence.

somefiftyyardsfurtheronhesuddenlystoppedandsatonabenchatoneside.theboydroppedthesuitcaseandstaredathimwithwondering,shrewdeyes,theyoungmantookouthishandkerchiefandwipedhisbrow.itwasagoodhandkerchief,agoodbrow,andtheyoungmanwasgoodtolookat.hesaidtotheboy:

"iwantyoutotakeamessagetothatyoungladyonthatbench,tellheriamonmywaytothestation,toleaveforsanfrancisco,whereishalljointhatalaskamoose-huntingexpedition.tellherthat,sinceshehascommandedmeneithertospeaknortowritetoher,itakethismeansofmakingonelastappealtohersenseofjustice,forthesakeofwhathasbeen,tellherthattocondemnanddiscardonewhohasnotdeservedsuchtreatment,withoutgivinghimherreasonsorachancetoexplainiscontrarytohernatureasibelieveittobe.tellherthatihavethus,toacertaindegree,disobeyedherinjunctions,inthehopethatshemayyetbeinclinedtoseejusticedone.go,andtellherthat."

theyoungmandroppedahalf-dollarintotheboy'shand.theboylookedathimforamomentwithbright,cannyeyesoutofadirty,intelligentface,andthensetoffatarun.heapproachedtheladyonthebenchalittledoubtfully,butunembarrassed.hetouchedthebrimoftheoldplaidbicyclecapperchedonthebackofhishead.theladylookedathimcoolly,withoutprejudiceorfavor.

"lady,"hesaid,"datgentondeoderbenchsentyerasonganddancebyme.ifyetdon'tknowdeguy,andhe'stryin'tododejohnnyact,saydeword,andi'llcallacopint'reeminutes.ifyetdoesknowhim,andhe'sondesquare,w'yi'llspielyetdebunchofhotairhesentyer."

theyoungladybetrayedafaintinterest.

"asonganddance!"shesaid,inadeliberatesweetvoicethatseemedtoclotheherwordsinadiaphanousgarmentofimpalpableirony,"anewidea—inthetroubadourline,isuppose.i—usedtoknowthegentlemanwhosentyousoithinkitwillhardlybenecessarytocallthepolice.youmayexecuteyoursonganddance,butdonotsingtooloudly,itisalittleearlyyetforopen-airvaudeville,andwemightattractattention."

"awe,"saidtheboy,withashrugdownthelengthofhim,"yerknowwhatimean,lady.tain'taturn,it'swind.hetoldmetotellyerhe'sgothiscollarsandcuffsindatgripforascootcleanoutto'frisco.denhe'sgoin'toshootsnow-birdsindeklondike.hesaysyertoldhimnottosend'roundnomorepinknotesnorcomehangin'overdegardengate,andhetakesdismeansofputtin'yerwise.hesaysyerrefereedhimoutlikeahas-been,andnevergivehimnochancetokickatdedecision.hesaysyerswipedhim,andneversaidwhy."

theslightlyawakenedinterestintheyounglady'seyesdidnotabate,perhapsitwascausedbyeithertheoriginalityortheaudacityofthesnow-birdhunter,inthuscircumventingherexpresscommandsagainsttheordinarymodesofcommunication.shefixedhereyeonastatuestandingdisconsolateinthedisheveledpark,andspokeintothetransmitter:

"tellthegentlemanthatineednotrepeattohimadescriptionofmyideals.heknowswhattheyhavebeenandwhattheystillare,sofarastheytouchonthiscase,absoluteloyaltyandtrutharetheonesparamount.tellhimthatihavestudiedmyownheartaswellasonecan,andiknowitsweaknessaswellasidoitsneeds.thatiswhyideclinetohearhispleas,whatevertheymaybe.ididnotcondemnhimthroughhearsayordoubtfulevidence,andthatiswhyimadenocharge.but,sincehepersistsinheatingwhathealreadywellknows,youmayconveythematter.

"tellhimthatienteredtheconservatorythateveningfromtherear,tocutaroseformymother.tellhimisawhimandmissashburtonbeneaththepinkoleander.thetableauwaspretty,buttheposeandjuxtapositionweretooeloquentandevidenttorequireexplanation.ilefttheconservatory,and,atthesametime,theroseandmyideal.youmaycarrythatsonganddancetoyourimpresario."

"i'mshyononeword,lady.jux—jux—putmewiseondat,willyer?"

"juxtaposition—oryoumaycallitpropinquity—or,ifyoulike,beingrathertoonearforonemaintainigthepositionofanideal."

thegravelspunfrombeneaththeboy'sfeet.hestoodbytheotherbench.theman'seyesinterrogatedhim,hungrily.theboy'swereshiningwiththeimpersonalzealofthetranslator.

"deladysaysdatshe'sontodefactdargalsisdeadeasywhenafellercomesspielin'ghoststoriesandtryin'tomakeup,anddat'swhyshewon'tlistentonosoft-soap.shesaysshecaughtyerdeadtorights,in'abuncho'calicoindehot-house.sheside-steppedintopullsomeposiesandyerwassqueezin'deodergaltobeatdeband.shesaysitlookedcute,allrightallright,butitmadehersick.shesaysyerbettergitbusy,andmakeasneakfordetrain."

theyoungmangavealowwhistleandhiseyesflashedwithasuddenthought.hishandflewtotheinsidepocketofhiscoat,anddrewoutahandfulofletters.selectingone,hehandedittotheboy,followingitwithasilverdollarfromhisvest-pocket.

"givethatlettertothelady,"hesaid,"andaskhertoreadit.tellherthatitshouldexplainthesituation.tellherthat,ifshehadmingledalittletrustwithherconceptionoftheideal,muchheartachemighthavebeenavoided.tellherthattheloyaltysheprizessomuchhasneverwavered.tellheriamwaitingforananswer."

themessengerstoodbeforethelady.

"degentsayshe'shaddeski-bunkputonhimwidoutnocause.hesayshe'snobumguy;and,lady,yerreaddarletter,andi'llbetyerhe'sawhitesport,allright."

theyoungladyunfoldedtheletter,somewhatdoubtfully,andreadit.

deardr.arnold,

iwanttothankyouforyourmostkindandopportuneaidtomydaughterlastfridayevening,whenshewasovercomebyanattackofheroldheart-troubleintheconservatoryatmrs.waldron'sreception.hadyounotbeenneartocatchherasshefellandtorenderproperattention,wemighthavelosther.iwouldbegladifyouwouldcallandundertakethetreatmentofhercase.

gratefullyyours,

robertashburton

theyoungladyrefoldedtheletter,andhandedittotheboy.

"degentwantsananswer,saidthemessenger.wot'sdeword?"

thelady'seyessuddenlyflashedonhim,bright,smilingandwet.

"tellthatguyontheotherbench,"shesaid,withahappy,tremulouslaugh,"thathisgirlwantshim."