第13章ThePendulum

第13章thependulum

"eighty-firststreet—let'emout,please,"yelledtheshep-herdinblue.

aflockofcitizensheepscrambledoutandanotherflockscrambledaboard.ding-ding!thecattlecarsofthemanhattanelevatedraffledaway,andjohnperkinsdrifteddownthestairwayofthestationwiththereleasedflock.

johnwalkedslowlytowardhisflat.slowly,becauseinthelexiconofhisdailylifetherewasnosuchwordas"perhaps."therearenosurprisesawaitingamanwhohasbeenmarriedtwoyearsandlivesinaflat.ashewalkedjohnperkinsprophesiedtohimselfwithgloomyanddowntroddencynicismtheforegoneconclusionsofthemonotonousday.

katywouldmeethimatthedoorwithakissflavoredwithcoldcreamandbutter-scotch.hewouldremovehiscoat,situponamacadamizedloungeandread,intheeveningpaper,ofrussiansandjapsslaughteredbythedeadlylinotype.fordinnertherewouldbepotroast,asaladflavoredwithadressingwarrantednottocrackorinjuretheleather,stewedrhubarbandthebottleofstrawberrymarmaladeblushingatthecertificateofchemicalpurityonitslabel.afterdinnerkatywouldshowhimthenewpatchinhercrazyquiltthattheicemanhadcutforherofftheendofhisfour-in-hand.

athalf-pastseventheywouldspreadnewspapersoverthefurn-ituretocatchthepiecesofplasteringthatfellwhenthefatmanintheflatoverheadbegantotakehisphysicalcultureexercises.exactlyateighthickey&mooney,ofthevaudevilleteam(unbooked)intheflatacrossthehall,wouldyieldtothegentleinfluenceofdeliriumtremensandbegintooverturnchairsunderthedelusionthathammersteinwaspursuingthemwithafive-hundred-dollar-a-weekcontract.thenthegentatthewindowacrosstheair-shaftwouldgetouthisflute;thenightlygasleakwouldstealforthtofrolicinthehighways;thedumbwaiterwouldslipoffitstrolley;thejanitorwoulddrivemrs.zanowitski'sfivechildrenoncemoreacrosstheyalu,theladywiththechampagneshoesandtheskyeterrierwouldtripdownstairsandpasteherthursdaynameoverherbellandletter-box—andtheeveningroutineofthefrogmoreflatswouldbeunderway.

johnperkinsknewthesethingswouldhappen.andheknewthatataquarterpasteighthewouldsummonhisnerveandreachforhishat,andthathiswifewoulddeliverthisspeechinaqueruloustone:

"now,whereareyougoing,i'dliketoknow,johnperkins?"

"thoughti'ddropuptomccloskey's,"bewouldanswer,"andplayagameortwoofpoolwiththefellows."

oflatesuchhadbeenjohnperkinshabit.attenorelevenhewouldreturn.sometimeskatywouldbeasleep;sometimeswaitingup,readytomeltinthecrucibleofherirealittlemoregoldplatingfromthewroughtsteelchainsofmatrimony.forthesethingscupidwillhavetoanswerwhenhestandsatthebarofjusticewithhisvictimsfromthefrogmoreflats.

tonightjohnperkinsencounteredatremendousupheavalofthecommonplacewhenhereachedhisdoor.nokatywastherewithheraffectionate,confecfionatekiss.thethreeroomsseemedinportentousdisorder.allaboutlayherthingsinconfusion.shoesinthemiddleofthefloor,curlingtongs,hairbows,kimonos,powderbox,jumbledtogetherondresserandchairs—thiswasnotkaty'sway.withasinkingheartjohnsawthecombwithacurlingcloudofherbrownhairamongitsteeth.someunusualhurryandperturbationmusthavepossessedher,forshealwayscarefullyplacedthesecombingsinthelittlebluevaseonthemanteltobesomedayformedintothecovetedfeminine"rat".

hangingconspicuouslytothegasjetbyastringwasafoldedpaper.johnseizedit.itwasanotefromhiswiferunningthus:

dearjohn,

ijusthadatelegramsayingmotherisverysick.iamgoingtotakethe4:30train.brothersamisgoingtomeetmeatdiedepotthere.thereiscoldmuttonintheicebox.ihopeitisn'therquinzyagain.paythemilkman50cents.shehaditbadlastspring.don'tforgettowritetothecompanyaboutthegasmeter,andyourgoodsocksareinthetopdrawer.

iwillwritetomorrow.

hastily,

katy.

neverduringtheirtwoyearsofmatrimonyhadheandkatybeenseparatedforanight.johnreadthenoteoverandoverinadumbfoundedway.herewasabreakinaroutinethathadnevervaried,anditlefthimdazed.

thereonthebackofachairhung,patheticallyemptyandformless,theredwrapperwithblackdotsthatshealwaysworewhilegettingthemeals.herweekdayclotheshadbeentossedhereandthereinherhaste.alittlepaperbagofherfavoritebutter-scotehlaywithitsstringyetunwound.adailypapersprawledonthefloor,gapingrectangularlywherearailroadtimetablehadbeenclippedfromit.

everythingintheroomspokeofaloss,ofanessencegone,ofitssoulandlifedeparted.johnperkinsstoodamongthedeadremainswithaqueerfeelingofdesolationinhisheart.

hebegantosettheroomstidyaswellashecould.whenhetouchedherclothesathrillofsomethingliketerrorwentthroughhim.hehadneverthoughtwhatexistencewouldbewithoutkaty.shehadbecomesothoroughlyannealedintohislifethatshewasliketheairhebreathed—necessarybutscarcelynoticed.now,withoutwarning,shewasgone,vanished,ascompletelyabsentasifshehadneverexisted.ofcourseitwouldbeonlyforafewdays,oratmostaweekortwo,butitseemedtohimasiftheveryhandofdeathhadpointedafingerathissecureanduneventfulhome.

johnedthecoldmuttonfromtheice-box,madecoffeeandsatdowntoalonelymealfacetofacewiththestrawberrymarmalade'sshamelesscertificateofpurity.brightamongwithdrawnblessingsnowappearedtohimtheghostsofpotroastsandthesaladwithtanpolishdressing.hishomewasdismantled.aquinziedmother-in-lawhadknockedhislaresandpenatessky-high.afterhissolitarymealjohnsatatafrontwindow.

hedidnotcaretosmoke.outsidethecityroaredtohimtocomejoininitsdanceoffollyandpleasure.thenightwashis.hemightgoforthunquestionedandthrumthestringsofjollityasfreeasanygaybachelorthere.hemightcarouseandwanderandhavehisflinguntildawnifheliked;andtherewouldbenowrathfulkatywaitingforhim,bearingthechalicethatheldthedregsofhisjoy.hemightplaypoolatmccloskey'swithhisroisteringfriendsuntilauroradimmedtheelectricbulbsifhechose.thehymenealstringsthathadcurbedhimalwayswhenthefrogmoreflatshadpalleduponhimwereloosened.katywasgone.

johnperkinswasnotaccustomedtoanalyzinghisemotions.butashesatinhiskaty-bereft10x12parlorhehitunerringlyuponthekeynoteofhisdiscomfort.heknewnowthatkatywasnecessarytohishappiness.hisfeelingforher,lulledintounconsciousnessbythedullroundofdomesticity,hadbeensharplystirredbythelossofherpresence.hasitnotbeendinnedintousbyproverbandsermonandfablethatweneverprizethemusictillthesweet-voicedbirdhasflown—orinothernolessfloridandtrueutterances?

"i'madouble-dyeddub,"musedjohnperkins,"thewayi'vebeentreatingkaty.offeverynightplayingpoolandbummingwiththeboysinsteadofstayinghomewithher.thepoorgirlhereallalonewithnothingtoamuseher,andmeactingthatway!johnperkins,you'retheworstkindofashine.i'mgoingtomakeitupforthelittlegirl.i'lltakeheroutandletherseesomeamusement.andi'llcutoutthemccloskeygangrightfromthisminute."

yes,therewasthecityroaringoutsideforjohnperkinstocomedanceinthetrainofmomus.andatmccloskey'stheboyswereknockingtheballsidlyintothepocketsagainstthehourforthenightlygame.butnoprimrosewaynorclickingcuecouldwootheremorsefulsoulofperkinsthebereft.thethingthatwashis,lightlyheldandhalfscorned,hadbeentakenawayfromhim,andhewantedit.backwardtoacertainmannamedadam,whomthecherubimbouncedfromtheorchard,couldperkins,theremorseful,tracehisdescent.

neartherighthandofjohnperkinsstoodachair.onthebackofitstoodkaw'sblueshirtwaist.itstillretainedsomethingofhercontour.midwayofthesleeveswerefine,individualwrinklesmadebythemovementsofherarmsinworkingforhiscomfortandpleasure.adelicatebutimpellingodorofbluebellscamefromit.johntookitandlookedlongandsoberlyattheunresponsitegrenadine.katyhadneverbeenunresponsive.tears:—yes,tears—cameintojohnperkins'seyes.whenshecamebackthingswouldbedifferent.hewouldmakeupforallhisneglect.whatwaslifewithouther?

thedooropened.katywalkedincarryingalittlehandsatchel.johnstaredatherstupidly.

"my!i'mgladtogetback,"saidkaty."mawasn'tsicktoamounttoanything.samwasatthedepot,andsaidshejusthadalittlespell,andgotallrightsoonaftertheytelegraphed.soitookthenexttrainback.i'mjustdyingforacupofcoffee."

nobodyheardtheclickandrattleofthecog-wheelsasthethirdfloorfrontofthefrogmoreflatsbuzzeditsmachinerybackintotheorderofthings.abandslipped,aspringwastouched,thegearwasadjustedandthewheelsrevolveintheiroldorbit.

johnperkinslookedattheclock.itwas8:15.hereachedforhishatandwalkedtothedoor.

"now,whereareyougoing.i'dliketoknow,johnperkins?"askedkaty,inaqueruloustone.

"thougthi'ddropuptomccloskey,"saidjohn,"andplayagameortwoofpoolwiththefellows."