options-第33章
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〃Have you got a dollar？〃 asked Tripp； with his most fawning look and his dog…like eyes that blinked in the narrow space between his high… growing matted beard and his low…growing matted hair。
〃I have；〃 said I； and again I said； 〃I have；〃 more loudly and inhospitably； 〃and four besides。 And I had hard work corkscrewing them out of old Atkinson； I can tell you。 And I drew them；〃 I continued； 〃to meet a wanta hiatusa demanda needan exigencya requirement of exactly five dollars。〃
I was driven to emphasis by the premonition that I was to lose one of the dollars on the spot。
〃I don't want to borrow any；〃 said Tripp； and I breathed again。 〃I thought you'd like to get put onto a good story；〃 he went on。 〃I've got a rattling fine one for you。 You ought to make it run a column at least。 It'll make a dandy if you work it up right。 It'll probably cost you a dollar or two to get the stuff。 I don't want anything out of it myself。〃
I became placated。 The proposition showed that Tripp appreciated past favors； although he did not return them。 If he had been wise enough to strike me for a quarter then he would have got it。
〃What is the story ？〃 I asked； poising my pencil with a finely calculated editorial air。
〃I'll tell you；〃 said Tripp。 〃It's a girl。 A beauty。 One of the howlingest Amsden's Junes you ever saw。 Rosebuds covered with dew… violets in their mossy bedand truck like that。 She's lived on Long Island twenty years and never saw New York City before。 I ran against her on Thirty…fourth Street。 She'd just got in on the East River ferry。 I tell you； she's a beauty that would take the hydrogen out of all the peroxides in the world。 She stopped me on the street and asked me where she could find George Brown。 Asked me where she could find George Brown in New York City！ What do you think of that？
〃I talked to her； and found that she was going to marry a young farmer named DoddHiram Doddnext week。 But it seems that George Brown still holds the championship in her youthful fancy。 George had greased his cowhide boots some years ago； and came to the city to make his fortune。 But he forgot to remember to show up again at Greenburg； and Hiram got in as second…best choice。 But when it comes to the scratch Adaher name's Ada Lowerysaddles a nag and rides eight miles to the railroad station and catches the 6。45 A。M。 train for the city。 Looking for George； you knowyou understand about women George wasn't there； so she wanted him。
〃Well； you know； I couldn't leave her loose in Wolftown…on…the…Hudson。 I suppose she thought the first person she inquired of would say： 'George Brown ？why； yeslemme seehe's a short man with light…blue eyes； ain't he？ Oh yesyou'll find George on One Hundred and Twenty… fifth Street； right next to the grocery。 He's bill…clerk in a saddle… and…harness store。' That's about how innocent and beautiful she is。 You know those little Long Island water…front villages like Greenburg… …a couple of duck…farms for sport； and clams and about nine summer visitors for industries。 That's the kind of a place she comes from。 But； sayyou ought to see her！
〃What could I do？ I don't know what money looks like in the morning。 And she'd paid her last cent of pocket…money for her railroad ticket except a quarter； which she had squandered on gum…drops。 She was eating them out of a paper bag。 I took her to a boarding…house on Thirty…second Street where I used to live； and hocked her。 She's in soak for a dollar。 That's old Mother McGinnis' price per day。 I'll show you the house。〃
〃What words are these； Tripp？〃 said I。 〃I thought you said you had a story。 Every ferryboat that crosses the East River brings or takes away girls from Long Island。〃
The premature lines on Tripp's face grew deeper。 He frowned seriously from his tangle of hair。 He separated his hands and emphasized his answer with one shaking forefinger。
〃Can't you see；〃 he said； 〃what a rattling fine story it would make？ You could do it fine。 All about the romance； you know； and describe the girl； and put a lot of stuff in it about true love； and sling in a few stickfuls of funny businessjoshing the Long Islanders about being green； and； wellyou know how to do it。 You ought to get fifteen dollars out of it； anyhow。 And it'll。 cost you only about four dollars。 You'll make a clear profit of eleven。〃
〃How will it cost me four dollars？〃 I asked； suspiciously。
〃One dollar to Mrs。 McGinnis；〃 Tripp answered； promptly； 〃and two dollars to pay the girl's fare back home。〃
〃And the fourth dimension？〃 I inquired； making a rapid mental calculation。
〃One dollar to me；〃 said Tripp。 〃For whiskey。 Are you on？〃
I smiled enigmatically and spread my elbows as if to begin writing again。 But this grim； abject； specious； subservient； burr…like wreck of a man would not be shaken off。 His forehead suddenly became shiningly moist。
〃Don't you see；〃 he said； with a sort of desperate calmness； 〃that this girl has got to be sent home to…daynot to…night nor to…morrow； but to…day？ I can't do anything for her。 You know； I'm the janitor and corresponding secretary of the Down…and…Out Club。。 I thought you could make a newspaper story out of it and win out a piece of money on general results。 But； anyhow； don't you see that she's got to get back home before night？〃
And then I began to feel that dull； leaden； soul…depressing sensation known as the sense of duty。 Why should that sense fall upon one as a weight and a burden？ I knew that I was doomed that day to give up the bulk of my store of hard…wrung coin to the relief of this Ada Lowery。 But I swore to myself that Tripp's whiskey dollar would not be forthcoming。 He might play knight…errant at my expense； but he would indulge in no wassail afterward； commemorating my weakness and gullibility。 In a kind of chilly anger I put on my coat and hat。
Tripp； submissive； cringing； vainly endeavoring to please； conducted me via the street…cars to the human pawn…shop of Mother McGinnis。 I paid the fares。 It seemed that the collodion…scented Don Quixote and the smallest minted coin were strangers。
Tripp pulled the bell at the door of the mouldly red…brick boarding… house。 At its faint tinkle he paled； and crouched as a rabbit makes ready to spring away at the sound of a hunting…dog。 I guessed what a life he had led； terror…haunted by the coming footsteps of landladies。
〃Give me one of the dollarsquick！〃 he said。
The door opened six inches。 Mother McGinnis stood there with white eyesthey were white； I sayand a yellow face； holding together at her throat with one hand a dingy pink flannel dressing…sack。 Tripp thrust the dollar through the space without a word； and it bought us entry。
〃She's in the parlor；〃 said the McGinnis； turning the back of her sack upon us。
In the dim parlor a girl sat at the cracked marble centre…table weeping comfortably and eating gum…drops。 She was a flawless beauty。 Crying had only made her brilliant eyes brighter。 When she crunched a gum…drop you thought only of the poetry of motion and envied the senseless confection。 Eve at the age of five minutes must have been a ringer for Miss Ada Lowery at nineteen or twenty。 I was introduced； and a gum…drop suffered neglect while she conveyed to me a naive interest； such as a puppy dog （a prize winner） might bestow upon a crawling beetle or a frog。
Tripp took his stand by the table； with the fingers of one hand spread upon it； as an attorney or a master of ceremonies might have stood。 But he looked the master of nothing。 His faded coat was buttoned high； as if it sought to be charitable to deficiencies of tie and linen。
I thought of a Scotch terrier at the sight of his shifty eyes in the glade between his tangled hair and beard。 For one ignoble moment I felt ashamed of having been introduced as his friend in the presence of so much beauty in distress。 But evidently Tripp meant to conduct the ceremonies； whatever they might be。 I thought I detected in his actions and pose an intention of foisting the situation upon me as material for a newspaper story； in a lingering hope of extrac
