第 34 节
作者:蝴蝶的出走      更新:2024-04-14 09:15      字数:9319
  from the presses。  Giuseppi; with the cunning of his ilk;
  philandered on the opposite comer; leaving his patrons
  to help themselves; no doubt on a theory related to the
  hypothesis of the watched pot。
  This particular newspaper was; according to its custom
  and design; an educator; a guide; a monitor; a champion
  and a household counsellor and vade mecum。
  From its many excellencies might be selected three
  editorials。  One was in simple and chaste but illuminat…
  ing language directed to parents and teachers; depreca…
  ting corporal punishment for children。
  Another was an accusive and significant warning
  addressed to a notorious labour leader who was on the
  point of instigating his clients to a troublesome strike。
  The third was an eloquent demand that the police
  force be sustained and aided in everything that tended
  to increase its efficiency as public guardians and servants。
  Besides these more important chidings and requisitions
  upon the store of good citizenship was a wise prescription
  or form of procedure laid out by the editor of the heart…
  to…heart column in the specific case of a young man who
  had complained of the obduracy of his lady love; teaching
  him how he might win her。
  Again; there was; on the beauty page; a complete
  answer to a young lady inquirer who desired admonition
  toward the securing of bright eyes; rosy cheeks and a
  beautiful countenance。
  One other item requiring special cognizance was a
  brief 〃personal;〃 running thus:
  DEAR JACK:  Forgive me。  You were right。  Meet me
  comer Madison and …th at 8。30 this morning。  We
  leave at noon。
  PENITENT。
  At 8 o'clock a young man with a haggard look and the
  feverish gleam of unrest in his eye dropped a penny and
  picked up the top paper as he passed Giuseppi's stand。
  A sleepless night had left him a late riser。  There was
  an office to be reached by nine; and a shave and a hasty
  cup of coffee to be crowded into the interval。
  He visited his barber shop and then hurried on his
  way。  He pocketed his paper; meditating a belated
  perusal of it at the luncheon hour。  At the next corner
  it fell from his pocket; carrying with it his pair of new
  gloves。  Three blocks he walked; missed the gloves and
  turned back fuming。
  Just on the half…hour he reached the corner where
  lay the gloves and the paper。  But he strangely ignored
  that which he had come to seek。  He was holding
  two little hands as tightly as ever he could and looking
  into two penitent brown eyes; while joy rioted in his
  heart。
  〃Dear Jack;〃 she said; 〃I knew you would be here
  on time。〃
  〃I wonder what she means by that;〃 he was saying
  to himself; 〃but it's all right; it's all right。〃
  A big wind puffed out of the west; picked up the paper
  from the sidewalk; opened it out and sent it flying and
  whirling down a side street。  Up that street was driving
  a skittish bay to a spider…wheel buggy; the young man
  who had written to the heart…to…heart editor for a recipe
  that he might win her for whom he sighed。
  The wind; with a prankish flurry; flapped the flying
  newspaper against the face of the skittish bay。  There
  was a lengthened streak of bay mingled with the red of
  running gear that stretched itself out for four blocks。
  Then a water…hydrant played its part in the cosmogony;
  the buggy became matchwood as foreordained; and the
  driver rested very quietly where he had been flung on the
  asphalt in front of a certain brownstone mansion。
  They came out and had him inside very promptly。  And
  there was one who made herself a pillow for his head;
  and cared for no curious eyes; bending over and saying;
  〃Oh; it was you; it was you all the time; Bobby!  Couldn't
  you see it?  And if you die; why; so must I; and  〃
  But in all this wind we must hurry to keep in touch
  with our paper。
  Policeman O'Brine arrested it as a character dangerous
  to traffic。  Straightening its dishevelled leaves with his
  big; slow fingers; he stood a few feet from the family
  entrance of the Shandon Bells Caf?  One headline he
  spelled out ponderously: 〃The Papers to the Front in a
  Move to Help the Police。〃
  But; whisht!  The voice of Danny; the head bartender;
  through the crack of the door: 〃Here's a nip for ye; Mike;
  ould man。〃
  Behind the widespread; amicable columns of the press
  Policeman O'Brine receives swiftly his nip of the real
  stuff。  He moves away; stalwart; refreshed; fortified;
  to his duties。  Might not the editor man view with pride
  the early; the spiritual; the literal fruit that had blessed
  his labours。
  Policeman O'Brine folded the paper and poked it
  playfully under the arm of a small boy that was passing。
  That boy was named Johnny; and he took the paper
  home with him。  His sister was named Gladys; and
  she had written to the beauty editor of the paper asking
  for the practicable touchstone of beauty。  That was
  weeks ago; and she had ceased to look for an answer。
  Gladys was a pale girl; with dull eyes and a discontented
  expression。  She was dressing to go up to the avenue to
  get some braid。  Beneath her skirt she pinned two leaves
  of the paper Johnny had brought。  When she walked the
  rustling sound was an exact imitation of the real thing。
  On the street she met the Brown girl from the flat
  below and stopped to talk。  The Brown girl turned green。
  Only silk at 5 a yard could make the sound that she
  heard when Gladys moved。  The Brown girl; consumed
  by jealousy; said something spiteful and went her way;
  with pinched lips。
  Gladys proceeded toward the avenue。  Her eyes now
  sparkled like jagerfonteins。  A rosy bloom visited her
  cheeks; a triumphant; subtle; vivifying; smile transfigured
  her face。  She was beautiful。  Could the beauty editor
  have seen her then!  There was something in her answer
  in the paper; I believe; about cultivating kind feelings
  toward others in order to make plain features attractive。
  The labour leader against whom the paper's solemn
  and weighty editorial injunction was laid was the father
  of Gladys and Johnny。  He picked up the remains of
  the journal from which Gladys had ravished a cosmetic
  of silken sounds。  The editorial did not come under his
  eye; but instead it was greeted by one of those ingenious
  and specious puzzle problems that enthrall alike the
  simpleton and the sage。
  The labour leader tore off half of the page; provided
  himself with table; pencil and paper and glued himself
  to his puzzle。
  Three hours later; after waiting vainly for him at the
  appointed place; other more conservative leaders declared
  and ruled in favour of arbitration; and the strike with its
  attendant dangers was averted。  Subsequent editions
  of the paper referred; in coloured inks; to the clarion tone
  of its successful denunciation of the labour leader's
  intended designs。
  The remaining leaves of the active journal also went
  loyally to the proving of its potency。
  When Johnny returned from school he sought a secluded
  spot and removed the missing columns from the inside of
  his clothing; where they had been artfully distributed so as
  to successfully defend such areas as are generally attacked
  during scholastic castigations。  Johnny attended a private
  school and had had trouble with his teacher。  As has
  been said; there was an excellent editorial against corporal
  punishment in that morning's issue; and no doubt it had
  its effect。
  After this can any one doubt the power of the press?
  TOMMY'S BURGLAR
  AT TEN o'clock P。 M。 Felicia; the maid; left by the
  basement door with the policeman to get a raspberry
  phosphate around the corner。  She detested the police…
  man and objected earnestly to the arrangement。  She
  pointed out; not unreasonably; that she might have been
  allowed to fall asleep over one of St。 George Rathbone's
  novels on the third floor; but she was overruled。  Rasp…
  berries and cops were not created for nothing。
  The burglar got into the house without much difficulty;
  because we must have action and not too much descrip…
  tion in a 2;000…word story。
  In the dining room he opened the slide of his dark
  lantern。  With a brace and centrebit he began to bore
  into the lock of the silver…closet。
  Suddenly a click was heard。  The room was flooded
  with electric light。  The dark velvet porti鑢es parted to
  admit a fair…haired boy of eight in pink pajamas; bearing
  a bottle of olive oil in his hand。
  〃Are you a burglar?〃  he asked; in a sweet; childish
  voice。
  〃Listen to that;〃 exclaimed the man; in a hoarse voice。
  〃Am I a burglar?  Wot do you suppose I have a three…
  days' growth of bristly bread on my face for; and a cap
  with flaps?  Give me the oil; quick; and let me grease
  the bit; so I won't wake up your mamma; who is lying
  down with a headache; and left