第9章AnUnfinishedStory

第9章anunfinishedstory

wenolongergroanandheapashesuponourheadswhentheflamesoftophetarementioned.for,eventhepreachershavebeguntotellusthatgodisradium,oretherorsomescientificcompound,andthattheworstwewickedonesmayexpectisachemicalreaction.thisisapleasinghypothesis;buttherelingersyetsomeoftheold,goodlyterroroforthodoxy.

therearebuttwosubjectsuponwhichonemaydiscoursewithafreeimagination,andwithoutthepossibilityofbeingcontroverted.youmaytalkofyourdreams;andyoumaytellwhatyouheardaparrotsay.bothmorpheusandthebirdareincompetentwithesses;andyourlistenerdarenotattackyourrecitai.thebaselessfabricofavision,then,shallfurnishmytheme—chosenwithapologiesandregretsinsteadofthemorelimitedfieldofprettypolly'ssmalltalk.

ihadadreamthatwassofarremovedfromthehighercriticismthatithadtodowiththeancient,respectable,andlamentedbar-ofjudgmenttheory.

gabrielhadplayedhistrump;andthoseofuswhocouldnotfollowsuitwerearraignedforexamination.inoticedatonesideagatheringofprofessionalbondsmeninsolemblackandcollarsthatbuttonedbehind;butitseemedtherewassometroubleabouttheirrealestatetitles;andtheydidnotappeartobegettinganyofusout.

aflycop—anangelpoliceman—flewovertomeandtookmebytheleftwing.nearathandwasagroupofveryprosperous-lookingspiritsarraignedforjudgment.

"doyoubelongwiththatbunch?"thepolicemanasked.

"whoarethey?"wasmyanswer.

"why,"saidhe,"theyare—"

butthisirrelevantstuffistakingupspace,thatthestoryshouldoccupy.

dulcieworkedinadepartmentstore.shesoldhamburgedging,orstuffedpeppers,orautomobiles,orotherlittletrinketssuchastheykeepindepartmentstores.ofwhatsheearned,dulciereceivedsixdollarsperweek.theremainderwascreditedtoheranddebitedtosomebodyelse'saccountintheledgerkeptbyg—oh,primalenergy,yousay,reverenddoctor—wellthen,intheledgerofprimalenergy.

duringherfirstyearinthestore,dulciewaspaidfivedollarsperweek.itwouldbeinstructivetoknowhowshelivedonthatamount.don'tcare?verywell;probablyyouareinterestedinlargeramounts.sixdollarsisalargeramount.iwilltellyouhowshelivedonsixdollarsperweek.

oneafternoonatsix,whendulciewasstickingherhat-pinwithinaneighthofaninchofhermedullaoblongata,shesaidtoherchum,sadie—thegirlthatwaitsonyouwithherleftside:

"say,sade,imadeadatefordinnerthiseveningwithy."

"youneverdid!"exclaimedsadieadmiringly."well,ain'tyoutheluckyone?y'sanawfulswell;andhealwaystakesagirltoswellplaces.hetookblancheuptothehoffmanhouseoneevening,wheretheyhaveswellmusic,andyouseealotofswells.you'llhaveaswelltime,dulcie."

dulciehurriedhomeward.hereyeswereshining,andhercheeksshowedthedelicatepinkoflife's—reallife's—approachingdawn.itwasfriday;andshehadfiftycentsleftofherlastweek'swages.

thestreetswerefilledwiththerush-hourfloodsofpeople.theelectriclightsofbroadwaywereglowing—callingmothsfrommiles,fromleagues,fromhundredsofleaguesoutofdarknessaroundtocomeinandattendthesingeingschool.meninaccurateclothes,withfaceslikethosecarvedoncherrystonesbytheoldsaltsinsailors'homes,turnedandstaredatdulcieasshesped,unheeding,pastthem.manhattan,thenight-bloomingcereus,wasbeginningtounfolditsdead-white,heavy-odoredpetals.

dulciestoppedinastorewheregoodswerecheapandboughtanimitationlacecollarwithherfiftycents.thatmoneywastohavebeenspentotherwise—fifteencentsforsupper,tencentsforbreakfast,tencentsforlunch.anotherdimewastobeaddedtohersmallstoreofsavings;andfivecentswastobesquanderedforlicoricedrops—thekindthatmadeyourcheeklooklikethetoothache,andlastaslong.thelicoricewasanextravagance—almostacarouse—butwhatislifewithoutpleasures?

dulcielivedinafurnishedroom.thereisthisdifferencebetweenafurnishedroomandaboardinghouse.inafurnishedroom,otherpeopledonotknowitwhenyougohungry.

dulciewentuptoherroom—thethirdfloorbackinawestsidebrownstone-front.shelitthegas.scientiststellusthatthediamondisthehardestsubstanceknown.theirmistake.landladiesknowofacompoundbesidewhichthediamondisasputty.theypackitinthetipsofgas-burners;andonemaystandonachairanddigatitinvainuntilone'sfingersarepinkandbruised.ahairpinwillnotremoveit;thereforeletuscallitimmovable.

sodulcielitthegas.initsone-fourth-candlepowerglowwewillobservetheroom.

couch-bed,dresser,table,washstand,chair—ofthismuchthelandladywasguilty.therestwasdulcie's.onthedresserwerehertreasures—agiltchinavasepresentedtoherbysadie,acalendarissuedbyapickleworks,abookonthedivinationofdreams,somericepowderinaglassdish,andaclusterofartificialcherriestiedwithapinkribbon.

againstthewrinklymirrorstoodpicturesofgeneralkitchener,williammuldoon,theduchessofmarlborough,andbenvenutocellini.againstonewallwasaplasterofparisplaqueofano'callahaninaromanhelmet.nearitwasaviolentoleographofalemon-coloredchildassaultinganinflammatorybutterfly.thiswasdulcie'sfinaljudgmentinart;butithadneverbeenupset.herresthadneverbeendisturbedbywhispersofstolencopes;nocritichadelevatedhiseyebrowsatherinfantileentomologist.

ywastocallforheratseven.whilesheswiftlymakesready,letusdiscreetlyfacetheotherwayandgossip.

fortheroom,dulciepaidtwodollarsperweek.onweek-daysherbreakfastcosttencents;shemadecoffeeandcookedaneggoverthegaslightwhileshewasdressing.onsundaymorningsshefeastedroyallyonvealchopsandpineapplefrittersat"billy's"restaurant,atacostoftwenty-fivecents—andtippedthewaitresstencents.newyorkpresentssomanytemptationsforonetorunintoextravagance.shehadherlunchesinthedepartment-storerestaurantatacostofsixtycentsfortheweek;dinnerswere$1.05.theeveningpapers—showmeanewyorkergoingwithouthisdailypaper!—cametosixcents;andtwosundaypapers—oneforthepersonalcolumnandtheothertoread—weretencents.thetotalamountsto$4.76.now,onehastobuyclothes,and—igiveitup.ihearofwonderfulbargainsinfabrics,andofmiraclesperformedwithneedleandthread;butiamindoubt.iholdmypenpoisedinvainwheniwouldaddtodulcie'slifesomeofthosejoysthatbelongtowomanbyvirtueofalltheunwritten,sacred,natural,inactiveordinancesoftheequityofheaven.twiceshehadbeentoconeyislandandhadriddenthehobby-horses.'tisawearythingtocountyourpleasuresbysummersinsteadofbyhours.

yneedsbutaword.whenthegirlsnamedhim,anundeservingstigmawascastuponthenoblefamilyofswine.thewordsof-three-letterslessonintheoldbluespellingbookbeginswithy'sbiography.hewasfat;hehadthesoulofarat,thehabitsofabat,andthemagnanimityofacatheworeexpensiveclothes;andwasaconnoisseurinstarvation.hecouldlookatashop-girlandtellyoutoanhourhowlongithadbeensinceshehadeatenanythingmorenourishingthanmarshmallowsandtea.hehungabouttheshoppingdistricts,andprowledaroundindeparmentstoreswithhisinvitationstodinner.menwhoescortdogsuponthestreetsattheendofastringlookdownuponhim.heisatype;icandwelluponhimnolonger;mypenisnotthekindintendedforhim;iamnocarpenter.

attenminutestosevendulciewasready.shelookedatherselfinthewrinklymirror.thereflectionwassatisfactory.thedarkbluedress,fittingwithoutawrinkle,thehatwithitsjauntyblackfeather,thebut-slightly-soiledgloves—allrepresentingself-denial,evenoffooditself—werevastlybecoming.

dulcieforgoteverythingelseforamomentexceptthatshewasbeautiful,andthatlifewasabouttoliftacornerofitsmysteriousveilforhertoobserveitswonders.nogentlemanhadeveraskedheroutbefore.nowshewasgoingforabriefmomentintotheglitterandexaltedshow.

thegirlssaidthatywasa"spender".therewouldbeagranddinner,andmusic,andsplendidlydressedladiestolookat,andthingstoeatthatstrangelytwistedthegirls'jawswhentheytriedtotellaboutthem.nodoubtshewouldbeaskedoutagain.therewasabluepongeesuitinawindowthatsheknew—bysavingtwentycentsaweekinsteadoften,in—let'ssee—oh,itwouldrunintoyears!buttherewasasecond-handstoreinseventhavenuewhere—

somebodyknockedatthedoor.dulcieopenedit.thelandladystoodtherewithaspurioussmile,sniffingforcookingbystolengas.

"agentleman'sdownstairstoseeyou,"shesaid."nameismr.ins."

bysuchepithetwasyknowntounfortunateoneswhohadtotakehimseriously.

dulcieturnedtothedressertogetherhandkerchief;andthenshestoppedstill,andbitherunderliphard.whilelookinginhermirrorshehadseenfairylandandherself,aprimcess,justawakeningfromalongslumber.shehadforgottenonethatwaswatchingherwithsad,beautiful,sterneyes—theonlyonetherewastoapproveorcondemnwhatshedid.straightandslenderandtall,withalookofsorrowfulreproachonhishandsome,melancholyface,generalkitchenerfixedhiswonderfuleyesonheroutofhisgiltphotographframeonthedresser.

dulcieturnedlikeanautomaticdolltothelandlady.

"tellhimican'tgo,"shesaiddully."tellhimi'msick,orsomething.tellhimi'mnotgoingout."

afterthedoorwasclosedandlocked,dulciefelluponherbed,crushingherblacktip,andcriedfortenminutes.generalkitchenerwasheronlyfriend.hewasdulcie'sidealofagallantknight.helookedasifhemighthaveasecretsorrow,andhiswonderfulmoustachewasadream,andshewasalittleafraidofthatsternyettenderlookinhiseyes.sheusedtohavelittlefanciesthathewouldcallatthehousesometime,andaskforher,withhisswordclankingagainsthishighboots.once,whenaboywasrattlingapieceofchainagainstalamp-postshehadopenedthewindowandlookedout.buttherewasnouse.sheknewthatgeneralkitchenerwasawayoverinjapan,leadinghisarmyagainstthesavageturks;andhewouldneverstepoutofhisgiltframeforher.yetonelookfromhimhadvanquishedythatnight.yes,forthatnight.

whenhercrywasoverdulciegotupandtookoffherbestdress,andputonheroldbluekimono.shewantednodinner.shesangtwoversesof"sammy."thenshebecameintenselyinterestedinalittleredspeckonthesideofhernose.andafterthatwasattendedto,shedrewupachairtothericketytable,andtoldherfortunewithanolddeckofcards.

"thehorrid,impudentthing!"shesaidaloud"andinevergavehimawordoralooktomakehimthinkit!"

atnineo'clockdulcietookatinboxofcrackersandalittlepotofraspberryjamoutofhertrunk,andhadafeast.sheofferedgeneralkitchenersomejamonacracker;butheonlylookedatherasthesphinxwouldhavelookedatabutterfly—iftherearebutterfliesinthedesert.

"don'teatitifyoudon'twantto,"saiddulcie"anddon'tputonsomanyairsandscoldsowithyoureyes.iwonderifyou'dbesosuperiorandsnippyifyouhadtoliveonsixdollarsaweek."

itwasnotagoodsignfordulcietoberudetogeneralkitchener.andthensheturnedbenvenutocellinifacedownwardwithaseveregesture.butthatwasnotinexcusable;forshehadalwaysthoughthewashenryviii,andshedidnotapproveofhim.

athalf-pastninedulcietookalastlookatthepicturesonthedresser,turnedoutthelight,andskippedintobed.it'sanawfulthingtogotobedwithagood-nightlookatgeneralkitchener,williammuldoon,theduchessofmarlborough,andbenvenutocellini.thisstoryreallydoesn'tgetanywhereatall.therestofitcomeslater—sometimewhenyasksdulcieagaintodinewithhim,andsheisfeelinglonelierthanusual,andgeneralkitchenerhappenstobelookingtheotherway;andthen—

asisaidbefore,idreamedthatiwasstandingnearacrowdofprosperous-lookingangels,andapolicemantookmebythewingandaskedifibelongedwiththem.

"whoarethey?"iasked.

"why,"saidhe,"theyarethemenwhohiredworking-girls,andpaid'emfiveorsixdollarsaweektoliveon.areyouoneofthebunch?"

"notonyourimmortality,"saidi."i'monlyfilefellowthatsetfiretoanorphanasylum,andmurderedablindmanforhispennies."