options-第42章
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seless； roaring city for me。〃
Miss Ashton looked surprised。 North laughed。
〃I am going to begin one of my plays tonight；〃 I said； 〃so I must be going。〃 And with that I took my departure。
A few days later Miss Ashton telephoned to me； asking me to call at four in the afternoon。
I did。
〃You have been very good to me；〃 she said； hesitatingly； 〃and I thought I would tell you。 I am going to leave the stage。〃
〃Yes；〃 said I； 〃I suppose you will。 They usually do when there's so much money。〃
〃There is no money；〃 she said； 〃or very little。 Our money is almost gone。〃
〃But I am told；〃 said I； 〃that he has something like two or ten or thirty millionsI have forgotten which。〃
〃I know what you mean；〃 she said。 〃I will not pretend that I do not。 I am not going to marry Mr。 North。〃
〃Then why are you leaving the stage ？〃 I asked； severely。 〃What else can you do to earn a living？〃
She came closer to me； and I can see the look in her eyes yet as she spoke。
〃I can pick ducks；〃 she said。
We sold the first year's feathers for 350。
A POOR RULE
I have always maintained； and asserted ime to time； that woman is no mystery； that man can foretell； construe； subdue； comprehend； and interpret her。 That she is a mystery has been foisted by herself upon credulous mankind。 Whether I am right or wrong we shall see。 As 〃Harper's Drawer〃 used to say in bygone years： 〃The following good story is told of Miss ； Mr。 ； Mr。 and Mr。 。〃
We shall have to omit 〃Bishop X〃 and 〃the Rev。 ；〃 for they do not belong。
In those days Paloma was a new town on the line of the Southern Pacific。 A reporter would have called it a 〃mushroom〃 town； but it was not。 Paloma was； first and last； of the toadstool variety。
The train stopped there at noon for the engine to drink and for the passengers both to drink and to dine。 There was a new yellow…pine hotel； also a wool warehouse； and perhaps three dozen box residences。 The rest was composed of tents； cow ponies； 〃black…waxy〃 mud； and mesquite…trees； all bound round by a horizon。 Paloma was an about…to… be city。 The houses represented faith； the tents hope； the twice…a… day train by which you might leave； creditably sustained the role of charity。
The Parisian Restaurant occupied the muddiest spot in the town while it rained； and the warmest when it shone。 It was operated； owned； and perpetrated by a citizen known as Old Man Hinkle； who had come out of Indiana to make his fortune in this land of condensed milk and sorghum。
There was a four…room； unpainted； weather…boarded box house in which the family lived。 From the kitchen extended a 〃shelter〃 made of poles covered with chaparral brush。 Under this was a table and two benches； each twenty feet long； the product of Paloma home carpentry。 Here was set forth the roast mutton； the stewed apples； boiled beans； soda… biscuits； puddinorpie； and hot coffee of the Parisian menu。
Ma Hinkle and a subordinate known to the ears as 〃Betty；〃 but denied to the eyesight； presided at the range。 Pa Hinkle himself； with salamandrous thumbs； served the scalding viands。 During rush hours a Mexican youth； who rolled and smoked cigarettes between courses； aided him in waiting on the guests。 As is customary at Parisian banquets； I place the sweets at the end of my wordy menu。
Ileen Hinkle！
The spelling is correct； for I have seen her write it。 No doubt she had been named by ear； but she so splendidly bore the orthography that Tom Moore himself （had he seen her） would have indorsed the phonography。
Ileen was the daughter of the house； and the first Lady Cashier to invade the territory south of an east…and…west line drawn through Galveston and Del Rio。 She sat on a high stool in a rough pine grand… standor was it a temple？under the shelter at the door of the kitchen。 There was a barbed…wire protection in front of her； with a little arch under which you passed your money。 Heaven knows why the barbed wire； for every man who dined Parisianly there would have died in her service。 Her duties were light； each meal was a dollar； you put it under the arch； and she took it。
I set out with the intent to describe Ileen Hinkle to you。 Instead； I must refer you to the volume by Edmund Burke entitled： A Philosophical Inquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful。 It is an exhaustive treatise； dealing first with the primitive conceptions of beautyroundness and smoothness； I think they are； according to Burke。 It is well said。 Rotundity is a patent charm； as for smoothnessthe more new wrinkles a woman acquires； the smoother she becomes。
Ileen was a strictly vegetable compound； guaranteed under the Pure Ambrosia and Balm…of…Gilead Act of the year of the fall of Adam。 She was a fruit…stand blonde…strawberries； peaches； cherries； etc。 Her eyes were wide apart； and she possessed the calm that precedes a storm that never comes。 But it seems to me that words （at any rate per） are wasted in an effort to describe the beautiful。 Like fancy； 〃It is engendered in the eyes。〃 There are three kinds of beautiesI was foreordained to be homiletic； I can never stick to a story。
The first is the freckle…faced； snub…nosed girl whom you like。 The second is Maud Adams。 The third is； or are； the ladies in Bouguereau's paintings。 Ileen Hinkle was the fourth。 She was the mayoress of Spotless Town。 There were a thousand golden apples coming to her as Helen of the Troy laundries。
The Parisian Restaurant was within a radius。 Even from beyond its circumference men rode in to Paloma to win her smiles。 They got them。 One mealone smileone dollar。 But； with all her impartiality； Ileen seemed to favor three of her admirers above the rest。 According to the rules of politeness； I will mention myself last。
The first was an artificial product known as Bryan Jacksa name that had obviously met with reverses。 Jacks was the outcome of paved cities。 He was a small man made of some material resembling flexible sandstone。 His hair was the color of a brick Quaker meeting…house； his eyes were twin cranberries； his mouth was like the aperture under a drop…letters…here sign。
He knew every city from Bangor to San Francisco； thence north to Portland； thence S。 45 E。 to a given point in Florida。 He had mastered every art； trade； game； business； profession； and sport in the world； had been present at； or hurrying on his way to； every head… line event that had ever occurred between oceans since he was five years old。 You might open the atlas； place your finger at random upon the name of a town； and Jacks would tell you the front names of three prominent citizens before you could close it again。 He spoke patronizingly and even disrespectfully of Broadway； Beacon Hill； Michigan； Euclid； and Fifth avenues； and the St。 Louis Four Courts。 Compared with him as a cosmopolite； the Wandering Jew would have seemed a mere hermit。 He had learned everything the world could teach him； and he would tell you about it。
I hate to be reminded of Pollock's Course of Time； and so do you； but every time I saw Jacks I would think of the poet's description of another poet by the name of G。 G。 Byron who 〃Drank early； deeply drankdrank draughts that common millions might have quenched； then died of thirst because there was no more to drink。〃
That fitted Jacks； except that； instead of dying； he came to Paloma； which was about the same thing。 He was a telegrapher and station… and express…agent at seventy…five dollars a month。 Why a young man who knew everything and could do everything was content to serve in such an obscure capacity I never could understand； although he let out a hint once that it was as a personal favor to the president and stockholders of the S。 P。 Ry。 Co。
One more line of description； and I turn Jacks over to you。 He wore bright blue clothes； yellow shoes； and a bow tie made of the same cloth as his shirt。
My rival No。2 was Bud Cunningham； whose services had been engaged by a ranch near Paloma to assist in compelling refractory cattle to keep within the bounds of decorum and order。 Bud was the only cowboy off the st
