按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
his waistcoat。 His fingers trembled； and when he laughed his
voice trembled。
〃Miss the boat！〃 the head clerk exclaimed。 〃If she gets away from
Millie and me she's got to start now。 We'll go on board to…night！〃
A half…hour later Millie was on her knees packing a trunk； and
her husband was telephoning to the drug…store for a sponge…bag
and a cure for seasickness。
Owing to the joy in her heart and to the fact that she was on her
knees； Millie was alternately weeping into the trunk…tray and
offering up incoherent prayers of thanksgiving。 Suddenly she
sank back upon the floor。
〃John！〃 she cried； 〃doesn't it seem sinful to sail away in a
'royal suite' and leave this beautiful flat empty？〃
Over the telephone John was having trouble with the drug clerk。
〃No！〃 he explained； 〃I'm not seasick now。 The medicine I want is
to be taken later。 I know I'm speaking from the Pavonia； but the
Pavonia isn't a ship； it's an apartment…house。〃
He turned to Millie。 〃We can't be in two places at the same
time；〃 he suggested。
〃But； think；〃 insisted Millie； 〃of all the poor people stifling
to…night in this heat； trying to sleep on the roofs and fire…escapes；
and our flat so cool and big and prettyand no one in it。〃
John nodded his head proudly。
〃I know it's big；〃 he said； 〃but it isn't big enough to hold all
the people who are sleeping to…night on the roofs and in the
parks。〃
〃I was thinking of your brotherand Grace；〃 said Millie。 〃They've
been married only two weeks now； and they're in a stuffy hall
bedroom and eating with all the other boarders。 Think what our
flat would mean to them； to be by themselves； with eight rooms
and their own kitchen and bath； and our new refrigerator and the
gramophone！ It would be heaven！ It would be a real honeymoon！〃
Abandoning the drug clerk； John lifted Millie in his arms and
kissed her； for； next to his wife； nearest his heart was the
younger brother。
The younger brother and Grace were sitting on the stoop of the
boarding…house。 On the upper steps； in their shirt…sleeves； were
the other boarders； so the bride and bridegroom spoke in whispers。
The air of the cross street was stale and stagnant； from it rose
exhalations of rotting fruit； the gases of an open subway； the
smoke of passing taxicabs。 But between the street and the hall
bedroom； with its odors of a gas…stove and a kitchen； the choice
was difficult。
〃We've got to cool off somehow；〃 the young husband was saying；
〃or you won't sleep。 Shall we treat ourselves to ice…cream sodas
or a trip on the Weehawken ferry…boat？〃
〃The ferry…boat！〃 begged the girl； 〃where we can get away from
all these people。〃
A taxicab with a trunk in front whirled into the street； kicked
itself to a stop； and the head clerk and Millie spilled out upon
the pavement。 They talked so fast； and the younger brother and
Grace talked so fast； that the boarders； although they listened
intently； could make nothing of it。
They distinguished only the concluding sentences：
〃Why don't you drive down to the wharf with us；〃 they heard the
elder brother ask； 〃and see our royal suite？〃
But the younger brother laughed him to scorn。
〃What's your royal suite；〃 he mocked； 〃to our royal palace？〃
An hour later； had the boarders listened outside the flat of the
head clerk； they would have heard issuing from his bathroom the
cooling murmur of running water and from his gramophone the
jubilant notes of 〃Alexander's Rag…time Band。〃
When in his private office Carroll was making a present of the
royal suite to the head clerk； in the main office Hastings； the
junior partner； was addressing 〃Champ〃 Thorne； the bond clerk。
He addressed him familiarly and affectionately as 〃Champ。〃 This
was due partly to the fact that twenty…six years before Thorne had
been christened Champneys and to the coincidence that he had
captained the football eleven of one of the Big Three to the
championship。
〃Champ；〃 said Mr。 Hastings； 〃last month； when you asked me to
raise your salary； the reason I didn't do it was not because you
didn't deserve it； but because I believed if we gave you a raise
you'd immediately get married。〃
The shoulders of the ex…football captain rose aggressively； he
snorted with indignation。
〃And why should I not get married？〃 he demanded。 〃You're a fine
one to talk！ You're the most offensively happy married man I ever
met。〃
〃Perhaps I know I am happy better than you do；〃 reproved the
junior partner； 〃but I know also that it takes money to support a
wife。〃
〃You raise me to a hundred a week；〃 urged Champ； 〃and I'll make
it support a wife whether it supports me or not。〃
〃A month ago；〃 continued Hastings； 〃we could have promised you a
hundred； but we didn't know how long we could pay it。 We didn't
want you to rush off and marry some fine girl〃
〃Some fine girl！〃 muttered Mr。 Thorne。 〃The finest girl！〃
〃The finer the girl；〃 Hastings pointed out； 〃the harder it would
have been for you if we had failed and you had lost your job。〃
The eyes of the young man opened with sympathy and concern。
〃Is it as bad as that？〃 he murmured。
Hastings sighed happily。
〃It was；〃 he said； 〃but this morning the Young Man of Wall Street
did us a good turnsaved ussaved our creditors； saved our homes；
saved our honor。 We're going to start fresh and pay our debts； and
we agreed the first debt we paid would be the small one we owe you。
You've brought us more than we've given； and if you'll stay with us
we're going to 'see' your fifty and raise it a hundred。 What do you
say？〃
Young Mr。 Thorne leaped to his feet。 What he said was： 〃Where'n
hell's my hat？〃
But by the time he had found the hat and the door he mended his
manners。
〃I say； 'Thank you a thousand times；〃' he shouted over his
shoulder。 〃Excuse me； but I've got to go。 I've got to break the
news to〃
He did not explain to whom he was going to break the news； but
Hastings must have guessed； for again he sighed happily and then；
a little hysterically laughed aloud。 Several months had passed
since he had laughed aloud。
In his anxiety to break the news Champ Thorne almost broke his
neck。 In his excitement he could not remember whether the red
flash meant the elevator was going down or coming up； and sooner
than wait to find out he started to race down eighteen flights of
stairs when fortunately the elevator…door swung open。
〃You get five dollars；〃 he announced to the elevator man； 〃if you
drop to the street without a stop。 Beat the speed limit！ Act like
the building is on fire and you're trying to save me before the
roof falls。〃
Senator Barnes and his entire family； which was his daughter
Barbara； were at the Ritz…Carlton。 They were in town in August
because there was a meeting of the directors of the Brazil and
Cuyaba Rubber Company； of which company Senator Barnes was
president。 It was a secret meeting。 Those directors who were
keeping cool at the edge of the ocean had been summoned by
telegraph； those who were steaming across the ocean； by wireless。
Up from the equator had drifted the threat of a scandal； sickening；
grim； terrible。 As yet it burned beneath the surface； giving out only
an odor； but an odor as rank as burning rubber itself。 At any moment
it might break into flame。 For the directors； was it the better wisdom
to let the scandal smoulder； and take a chance； or to be the first to give
the alarm； the first to lead the way to the horror and stamp it out？
It was to decide this that； in the heat of August； the directors and the
president had foregathered。
Champ Thorne knew nothing of this； he knew only that by a miracle
Barbara Barnes was in town； that at last he was in a position to ask
her to marry him； that she would certainly say she would。 That was
all he cared to know。
A year before he had issued his declaration of independence。
Before he could marry； he told her； he must be able to support a
wife on what he earned； without her having to accept money from
her father； and until he received 〃a minimum wage〃 of five thousand
dollars they must wait。
〃What is the matter with my father's money？〃 Barbara had demanded。
Thorne had evaded the direct question。
〃There is too much of it；〃 he said。
〃Do you object to the way he makes it？〃 insisted Barbara。 〃Because
rubber is most useful。 You put it in golf balls and auto tires and
galoshes。 There is nothing so perfectly respectable as galoshes。
And what is there 'tainted' about a raincoat？〃
Thorne shook his head unhappily。
〃It's not the finished product to which I refer；〃 he stammered； 〃it's
the way they get the raw material。〃
〃They get it out of trees；〃 said Barbara。 Then she exclaimed with
enlightenment〃Oh！〃 she cried； 〃you are thinking of the Congo。
There it is terrible！ That is slavery。 But there are no slaves on the
Amazon。 The natives are free and the work is easy。 They just tap
the trees the way the farmers gather sugar in Vermont。 Father has
told me about it often。〃
Thorne had made no comment。 He could abuse a friend； if the
friend were among those present； but denouncing any one he
disliked as heartily as he disliked Senator Barnes was a public
service