第 4 节
作者:月寒      更新:2024-04-14 09:15      字数:9322
  assembled friends and sycophants how glad he was they were there to see
  him give away a million dollars。
  〃Aren't     you   going    to  get   his   speech?〃;    asked    Redding;     the   staff
  photographer。
  〃Get    HIS    speech!〃    said   Sam。    〃They    have    Pinkertons     all  over   the
  grounds   to     see   that   you  don't   escape   with   less   than  three   copies。   I'm
  waiting to hear the ritual they always have; and then I'm going to sprint for
  the first train back to the centre of civilization。〃
  〃There's   going   to   be   a   fine   lunch;〃   said   Redding;   〃and   reporters   are
  expected。 I asked the policeman if we were; and he said we were。〃
  Sam   rose;   shook   his   trousers   into     place;   stuck   his   stick   under  his
  armpit   and   smoothed   his   yellow   gloves。   He   was   very   thoughtful   of   his
  clothes and always treated them with courtesy。
  〃You can have my share;〃 he said。 〃I cannot forget that I am fifty…five
  minutes from Broadway。 And even if I were starving I would rather have a
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  club   sandwich   in   New York   than   a   Thanksgiving   turkey   dinner   in   New
  Rochelle。〃
  He nodded and with eager; athletic strides started toward the iron gates;
  but   he   did not   reach the   iron gates;  for on the instant trouble barred his
  way。 Trouble came to him wearing the blue cambric uniform of a nursing
  sister; with a red cross on her arm; with a white collar turned down; white
  cuffs   turned   back;  and   a tiny  black   velvet bonnet。 A  bow  of  white   lawn
  chucked her impudently under the chin。 She had hair like golden…rod and
  eyes as blue as flax; and a complexion of such health and cleanliness and
  dewiness as blooms only on trained nurses。
  She   was   so   lovely   that   Redding   swung   his   hooded   camera   at   her   as
  swiftly as a cowboy could have covered her with his gun。
  Reporters become star reporters because they observe things that other
  people miss and because they do not let it appear that they have observed
  them。 When the great man who is being interviewed blurts out that which
  is   indiscreet   but   most    important;    the  cub   reporter    says:  〃That's    most
  interesting; sir。 I'll make a note of that。〃 And so warns the great man into
  silence。 But the star reporter receives the indiscreet utterance as though it
  bored   him;   and   the   great   man   does   not   know   he   has   blundered   until   he
  reads of it the next morning under screaming headlines。
  Other men; on being suddenly confronted by Sister Anne; which was
  the   official   title   of   the   nursing   sister;   would   have   fallen   backward;   or
  swooned;   or   gazed   at   her   with   soulful;   worshipping   eyes;   or;   were   they
  that sort of beast; would have ogled her with impertinent approval。 Now
  Sam; because he was a star reporter; observed that the lady before him was
  the most beautiful young woman he had ever seen; but no one would have
  guessed that he observed thatleast of all Sister Anne。 He stood in her way
  and lifted his hat; and even looked into the eyes of blue as impersonally
  and as calmly as though she were his great…auntas though his heart was
  not beating so fast that it choked him。
  〃I am from the REPUBLIC;〃 he said。 〃Everybody is so busy here to…
  day that I'm not able to get what I need about the Home。 It seems a pity;〃
  he added disappointedly;   〃because it's   so well   done that   people ought to
  know about it。〃 He frowned at the big hospital buildings。 It was apparent
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  that   the   ignorance     of  the   public    concerning     their   excellence    greatly
  annoyed him。
  When again he looked at Sister Anne she was regarding him in alarm
  obviously she was upon the point of instant flight。
  〃You are a reporter?〃 she said。
  Some     people    like  to   place   themselves     in  the  hands    of  a  reporter
  because they hope he will print their names in black letters; a few others
  only   reporters   know   how   fewwould   as   soon   place   themselves   in   the
  hands of a dentist。
  〃A reporter from the REPUBLIC;〃 repeated Sam。
  〃But why ask ME?〃 demanded Sister Anne。
  Sam     could    see   no   reason    for   her   question;    in  extenuation      and
  explanation he glanced at her uniform。
  〃I   thought    you   were    at  work    here;〃   he  said   simply。   〃I  beg   your
  pardon。〃
  He   stepped     aside   as   though   he   meant   to   leave   her。   In  giving   that
  impression he was distinctly dishonest。
  〃There     was   no   other   reason;〃    persisted   Sister   Anne。    〃I  mean    for
  speaking to me?〃
  The   reason   for   speaking   to   her   was   so   obvious   that   Sam   wondered
  whether this could be the height of innocence or the most banal coquetry。
  The hostile look in the eyes of the lady proved it could not be coquetry。
  〃I am sorry;〃 said Sam。 〃I mistook you for one of the nurses here; and;
  as you didn't seem busy; I thought you might give me some statistics about
  the Home not really statistics; you know; but local color。〃
  Sister    Anne    returned     his  look    with   one   as   steady    as  his   own。
  Apparently she was weighing his statement。 She seemed to disbelieve it。
  Inwardly he was asking himself what could be the dark secret in the past
  of this young woman that at the mere approach of a reportereven of such
  a   nice…looking     reporter   as   himselfshe   should   shake   and   shudder。   〃If
  that's what you really want to know;〃 said Sister Anne doubtfully;〃 I'll try
  and   help   you;   but;〃   she   added;   looking   at   him   as   one   who   issues   an
  ultimatum; 〃you must not say anything about me!〃
  Sam knew that a woman of the self…advertising; club… organizing class
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  will always say that to a reporter at the time she gives him her card so that
  he   can   spell  her   name    correctly;   but  Sam   recognized      that  this  young
  woman meant it。 Besides; what was there that he could write about her?
  Much as he might like to do so; he could not begin his story with: 〃The
  Flagg Home for Convalescents is also the home of the most beautiful of
  all living women。〃 No copy editor would let that get by him。 So; as there
  was nothing to say that he would be allowed to say; he promised to say
  nothing。   Sister Anne   smiled;   and   it   seemed   to   Sam   that   she   smiled;   not
  because   his   promise   had   set   her   mind   at   ease;   but   because   the   promise
  amused her。 Sam wondered why。
  Sister Anne fell into step beside him and led him through the wards of
  the hospital。 He found that it existed for and revolved entirely about one
  person。    He   found    that  a  million   dollars   and   some    acres   of  buildings;
  containing sun…rooms and hundreds of rigid white beds; had been donated
  by Spencer Flagg only to provide a background for Sister Anneonly to
  exhibit the depth of her charity; the kindness of her heart; the unselfishness
  of her nature。
  〃Do you really scrub the floors?〃 he demanded〃I mean you yourself…
  …down on your knees; with a pail and water and scrubbing brush?〃
  Sister Anne raised her beautiful eyebrows and laughed at him。
  〃We     do  that   when    we   first  come    here;〃   she   said〃when     we   are
  probationers。 Is there a newer way of scrubbing floors?〃
  〃And   these   awful   patients;〃   demanded   Sam〃do   you   wait   on   them?
  Do you have to submit to their complaints and whinings and ingratitude?〃
  He glared at the unhappy convalescents as though by that glance he would
  annihilate them。 〃It's not fair!〃 exclaimed Sam。 〃It's ridiculous。 I'd like to
  choke them!〃
  〃That's not exactly the object of a home for convalescents;〃 said Sister
  Anne。
  〃You know perfectly well what I mean;〃 said Sam。 〃Here are youif
  you'll allow me to say soa magnificent; splendid; healthy young person;
  wearing     out   your   young    life  over   a  lot  of  lame   ducks;    failures;  and
  cripples。〃
  〃Nor is that quite the way we look at;〃 said Sister Anne。
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  〃We?〃 demanded Sam。
  Sister Anne nodded toward a group of nurse
  〃I'm not the only nurse here;〃 she said 〃There are over forty。〃
  〃You are the only one here;〃 said S