第4章

Aftercastinguponhimlooksofunseeingcoldnessforadozentimes，oneafternoonshesuddenlythawedandpoureddownuponhimasmilethatputtoshamethesweetsuponhiscart。

"Candyman，"shesaid，cooingly，whileSidoniefollowedherimpulsivedive，brushingtheheavyauburnhair，"don’tyouthinkIambeautiful？

Thecandymanlaughedharshly，andlookedup，withhisthinjawset，whilehewipedhisforeheadwithared—and—bluehandkerchief"Yer’dmakeadandymagazinecover，"hesaid，grudgingly。"Beautifulornotisforthemthatcares。It’snotmyline。Ifyerlookin’forbou—

quetsapplyelsewherebetweennineandtwelve。I

thinkwe’llhaverain。"

Truly，fascinatingacandymanislikekillingrab—

bitsinadeepsnow;butthehunter’sbloodiswidelydiffused。MademoiselletuggedagreatcoilofhairfromSidonie’sbandsandletitfalloutthewindow。

"Candyman，haveyouasweetheartanywherewithhairaslongandsoftasthat？Andwithanarmsoround？"SheflexedanarmlikeGalatea’safterthemiracleacrossthewindow—sill。

Thecandymancackledshrillyashearrangedastockofbutter—scotchthathadtumbleddown。

"Smokeup！"saidhe，vulgarly。"Nothin’doin’

inthecomplimentaryline。I’mtoowisetobebam—

boozledbyaswitchofhairandanewlymassagedarm。Oh，Iguessyou’llmakegoodinthecalcium，allright，withplentyofpowderandpaintonandtheorchestraplaying"UndertheOldAppleTree。"

Butdon’tputonyourhatandchasedownstairstoflytotheLittleChurchAroundtheCornerwithme。

I’vebeenupagainstperoxideandmake—upboxesbe—

fore。Say，alljokingaside——don’tyouthinkwe’llhaverain？"

"Candyman，"saidMademoisellesoftly，withherlipscurvingandherchindimpling，"don’tyouthinkI’mpretty？"

Thecandymangrinned。

"Savin’money，ain’tyer？"saidbe，"bybein’yerownpressagent。Ismoke，butIhaven’tseenyermugonanyofthefive—centcigarboxes。It’dtakeanewbrandofwomantogetmegoin’，anyway。I

know’emfromsidecombstoshoelaces。Gimmeagoodday’ssalesandsteak—and—onionsatsevenandapipeandanevenin’paperbackthereinthecourt，andI’llnottroubleLillianRussellherselftowinkatme，ifyouplease。"

Mademoisellepouted。

"Candyman，"shesaid，softlyanddeeply，"yetyoushallsaythatIambeautiful。Allmensaysoandsoshallyou。"

Thecandymanlaughedandpulledouthispipe。

"Well，"saidbe，"Imustbegoin’in。Thereisastoryintheevenin’paperthatIamreadin’。Menaredivin’intheseasforatreasure，andpiratesarewatchin’themfrombehindareef。Andthereain’tawomanonlandorwaterorintheair。Good—

evenin’。"Andhetrundledhispushcartdownthealleyandbacktothemustycourtwherehelived。

Incrediblytohimwhohasnotlearnedwoman，Mademoisellesatatthewindoweachdayandspreadhernetsfortheignominiousgame。Onceshekeptagrandcavalierwaitinginherreceptionchamberforhalfanhourwhileshebatteredinvainthecandyman’stoughphilosophy。Hisroughlaughchafedhervanitytoitscore。Dailyhesatonhiscartinthebreezeofthealleywhileherhairwasbeingministeredto，anddailytheshaftsofherbeautyreboundedfromhisdullbosompointlessandineffectual。Un—

worthypiquebrightenedhereyes。Pride—hurtshegloweduponhiminawaythatwouldhavesentherhigheradorersintoanegoisticparadise。Thecandyman’shardeyeslookeduponherwithahalf—con—

cealedderisionthaturgedhertotheuseofthesharp—

estarrowinherbeauty’squiver。

Oneafternoonsheleanedfaroverthesill，andshedidnotchallengeandtormenthimasusual。

"Candyman，"saidshe，"standupandlookintomyeyes。"

Hestoodupandlookedintohereyes，withhisharshlaughlikethesawingofwood。Hetookouthispipe，fumbledwithit，andputitbackintobigpocketwithatremblingband。

"Thatwilldo，"saidMademoiselle，withaslowsmile。"Imustgonowtomymasseuse。Good—

evening。"

Thenexteveningatseventhecandymancameandrestedhiscartunderthewindow。Butwasitthecandyman？Hisclotheswereabrightnewcheck。

Hisnecktiewasaflamingred，adornedbyaglit—

teringhorseshoepin，almostlife—size。Hisshoeswerepolished;thetanofhischeekshadpaled——hishandshadbeenwashed。Thewindowwasempty，andhewaitedunderitwithhisnoseupward，likeahoundhopingforabone。

Mademoisellecame，withSidoniecarryingherloadofhair。Shelookedatthecandymanandsmiledaslowsmilethatfadedawayintoennui。Instantlysheknewthatthegamewasbagged;andsoquicklysheweariedofthechase。ShebegantotalktoSidonie。

"Beenafineday，"saidthecandyman，hollowly。

"FirsttimeinamonthI’vefeltfirst—class。HititupdownoldMadison，holleringoutlikeIuseter。

Thinkit’llrainto—morrow？"

Mademoisellelaidtworoundarmsonthecushiononthewindow—sill，andadimpledchinuponthem。

"Candyman，"saidshe，softly，"doyounotloveme？"

Thecandymanstoodupandleanedagainstthebrickwall。

"Lady，"saidbe，chokingly，"I’vegot$800savedup。DidIsayyouwasn’tbeautiful？Takeiteverybitofitandbuyacollarforyourdogwithit。"

AsoundasofahundredsilverybellstinkledintheroomofMademoiselle。Thelaughterfilledthealleyandtrickledbackintothecourt，asstrangeathingtoenterthereassunlightitself。Mademoisellewasamused。Sidonie，awiseecho，addedasepulchralbutfaithfulcontralto。Thelaughterofthetwoseemedatlasttopenetratethecandyman。Hefumbledwithhishorseshoepin。AtlengthMademoiselle，ex—

hausted，turnedherflushed，beautifulfacetothewin—

dow。

"Candyman，"saidshe，"goaway。WhenI

laughSidoniepullsmyhair。Icanbutlaughwhileyouremainthere。"

"HereisanoteforMademoiselle，"saidFe1ice，comingtothewindowintheroom。

"Thereisnojustice，"saidthecandyman，lift—

ingthehandleofhiscartandmovingaway。

Threeyardshemoved，andstopped。LoudshriekaftershriekcamefromthewindowofMademoiselle。

Quicklyheranback。Heheardabodythumpinguponthefloorandasoundasthoughheelsbeatalter—

natelyuponit。

"Whatisit？"becalled。

Sidonie’ssevereheadcameintothewindow。

"Mademoiselleisovercomebybadnews，"shesaid。

"Onewhomshelovedwithallhersoulhasgone——

youmayhavebeardofhim——heisMonsieurIves。

Hesailsacrosstheoceanto—morrow。Oh，youmen！"

SQUARINGTHECIRCLE

Atthehazardofwearyingyouthistaleofvehe—

mentemotionsmustbeprefacedbyadiscourseongeometry。

Naturemovesincircles;Artinstraightlines。

Thenaturalisrounded;theartificialismadeupofangles。Amanlostinthesnowwanders，inspiteofhimself，inperfectcircles;thecityman’sfeet，denaturalizedbyrectangularstreetsandfloors，carryhimeverawayfromhimself。

Theroundeyesofchildhoodtypifyinnocence;

thenarrowedlineoftheflirt’sopticprovesthein—

vasionofart。Thehorizontalmouthisthemarkofdeterminedcunning;whohasnotreadNature’smostspontaneouslyricinlipsroundedforthecandidkiss？

BeautyisNatureinperfection;circularityisitschiefattribute。Beholdthefullmoon，theenchant—

inggolfball，thedomesofsplendidtemples，thehuckleberrypie，theweddingring，thecircusring，theringforthewaiter，andthe"round"ofdrinks。

Ontheotherhand，straightlinesshowthatNa—

turehasbeendeflected。ImagineVenus’sgirdletransformedintoa"straightfront"！

Whenwebegintomoveinstraightlinesandturnsharpcornersournaturesbegintochange。TheconsequenceisthatNature，beingmoreadaptivethanArt，triestoconformtoitssternerregulations。Theresultisoftenarathercuriousproduct——forin—

stance：Aprizechrysanthemum，woodalcoholwhis—

key，aRepublicanMissouri，caulifloweraugratin，andaNewYorker，Natureislostquickestinabigcity。Thecauseisgeometrical，notmoral。Thestraightlinesofitsstreetsandarchitecture，therectangularityofitslawsandsocialcustoms，theundeviatingpavements，thehard，severe，depressing，uncompromisingrulesofallitsways——evenofitsrecreationandsports——

coldlyexhibitasneeringdefianceofthecurvedlineofNature。

Wherefore，itmaybesaidthatthebigcityhasdemonstratedtheproblemofsquaringthecircle。

Anditmaybeaddedthatthismathematicalintro—

ductionprecedesanaccountofthefateofaKentuckyfeudthatwasimportedtothecitythathasahabitofmakingitsimportationsconformtoitsangles。

ThefeudbeganintheCumberlandMountainsbe—

tweentheFolwellandtheHarknessfamilies。Thefirstvictimofthehomespunvendettawasa’possumdogbelongingtoBillHarkness。TheHarknessfamilyevenedupthisdirelossbylayingoutthechiefoftheFolwellclan。TheFolwellswerepromptatrepartee。TheyoileduptheirsquirrelriflesandmadeitfeasibleforBillHarknesstofollowhisdogtoalandwherethe’possumscomedownwhentreedwithoutthestrokeofanax。

Thefeudflourishedforfortyyears。Harknesseswereshotattheplough，throughtheirlamp—litcabinwindows，comingfromcamp—meeting，asleep，induello，soberandotherwise，singlyandinfamilygroups，preparedandunprepared。Folwellshadthebranchesoftheirfamilytreeloppedoffinsimilarways，asthetraditionsoftheircountryprescribedandauthorized。

Byandbythepruningleftbutasinglememberofeachfamily。AndthenCalHarkness，probablyreasoningthatfurtherpursuanceofthecontroversywouldgiveatoodecidedpersonalflavortothefeud，suddenlydisappearedfromtherelievedCumberlands，baulkingtheavenginghandofSam，theultimateop—

posingFolwell。

AyearafterwardSamFolwelllearnedthathishereditary，unsuppressedenemywaslivinginNewYorkCity。Samturnedoverthebigironwash—potintheyard，scrapedoffsomeofthesoot，whichhemixedwithlardandshinedhisbootswiththecom—

pound。Heputonhisstoreclothesofbutternutdyedblack，awhiteshirtandcollar，andpackedacarpet—sackwithSpartanlingerie。Hetookhissquirrelriflefromitshooks，butputitbackagainwithasigh。HoweverethicalandplausiblethehabitmightbeintheCumberlands，perhapsNewYorkwouldnotswallowhisposeofhuntingsquirrelsamongtheskyscrapersalongBroadway。AnancientbutreliableColt’srevolverthatheresurrectedfromabureaudrawerseemedtoproclaimitselfthepinkofweaponsformetropolitanadventureandvengeance。

Thisandahunting—knifeinaleathersheath，Sampackedinthecarpet—sack。Ashestarted，Muleback，forthelowlandrailroadstationthelastFolwellturnedinhissaddleandlookedgrimlyatthelittleclusterofwhite—pineslabsintheclumpofcedarsthatmarkedtheFolwellburying—ground。

SamFolwellarrivedinNewYorkinthenight。

Stillmovingandlivinginthefreecirclesofnature，hedidnotperceivetheformidable，pitiless，restless，fierceanglesofthegreatcitywaitinginthedarktocloseabouttherotundityofhisheartandbrainandmouldhimtotheformofitsmillionsofre—shapedvictims。Acabbypickedhimoutofthewhirl，asSamhimselfhadoftenpickedanutfromabedofwind—tossedautumnleaves，andwhiskedhimawaytoahotelcommensuratetohisbootsandcarpet—

sack。

OnthenextmorningthelastoftheFolwellsmadehissortieintothecitythatshelteredthelastHark—

ness。TheColtwasthrustbeneathhiscoatandse—

curedbyanarrowleatherbelt;thehunting—knifehungbetweenhisshoulder—blades，withthehaftaninchbelowhiscoatcollar。Heknewthismuch——

thatCalHarknessdroveanexpresswagonsome—

whereinthattown，andthathe，SamFolwell，hadcometokillhim。Andashesteppedupontheside—

walktheredcameintohiseyeandthefeud—hateintohisheart。

Theclamorofthecentralavenuesdrewhimthith—

erward。HehadhalfexpectedtoseeCalcomingdownthestreetinhisshirt—sleeves，withajugandawhipinhishand，justashewouldhaveseenhiminFrankfortorLaurelCity。ButanhourwentbyandCaldidnotappear。Perhapshewaswaitinginambush，toshoothimfromadoororawindow。Samkeptasharpeyeondoorsandwindowsforawhile。

Aboutnoonthecitytiredofplayingwithitsmouseandsuddenlysqueezedhimwithitsstraightlines。

SamFolwellstoodwheretwogreat，rectangulararteriesofthecitycross。Helookedfourways，andsawtheworldburledfromitsorbitandreducedbyspiritlevelandtapetoanedgedandcorneredplane。Alllifemovedontracks，ingrooves，accord—

ingtosystem，withinboundaries，byrote。Therootoflifewasthecuberoot;themeasureofexistencewassquaremeasure。Peoplestreamedbyinstraightrows;thehorribledinandcrashstupefiedhim。

Samleanedagainstthesharpcornerofastonebuilding。Thosefacespassedhimbythousands，andnoneofthemwereturnedtowardhim。Asuddenfool—

ishfearthathehaddiedandwasaspirit，andthattheycouldnotseehim，seizedhim。Andthenthecitysmotehimwithloneliness。

Afatmandroppedoutofthestreamandstoodafewfeetdistant，waitingforhiscar。Samcrepttohissideandshoutedabovethetumultintohisear：

"TheRankinses’hogsweighedmore’nournawholepassel，butthemastintharneighborhoodwasafinechancebetterthanwhatitwasdown——"

Thefatmanmovedawayunostentatiously，andboughtroastedchestnutstocoverhisalarm。

Samfelttheneedofadropofmountaindew。

Acrossthestreetmenpassedinandoutthroughswingingdoors。Briefglimpsescouldbehadofaglisteningbaranditsbedeckings。Thefeudistcrossedandessayedtoenter。AgainhadArteliminatedthefamiliarcircle。Sam’shandfoundnodoor—knob—

itslid，invain，overarectangularbrassplateandpolishedoakwithnothingevensolargeasapin’sheaduponwhichhisfingersmightclose。

Abashed，reddened，heartbroken，hewalkedawayfromthebootlessdoorandsatuponastep。Alocustclubtickledhimintheribs。

"Takeawalkforyourself，"saidthepoliceman。

You’vebeenloafingaroundherelongenough。"

AtthenextcornerashrillwhistlesoundedinSam’sear。Hewheeledaroundandsawablack—browedvil—

lainscowlingathimoverpeanutsheapedonasteam—

ingmachine。Hestartedacrossthestreet。Anim—

menseengine，runningwithoutmules，withthevoiceofabullandthesmellofasmokylamp，whizzedpast，grazinghisknee。Acab—driverbumpedhimwithahubandexplainedtohimthatkindwordswerein—

ventedtobeusedonotheroccasions。Amotormanclangedhisbellwildlyand，foronceinhislife，cor—

roboratedacab—driver。Alargeladyinachangeablesilkwaistduganelbowintohisback，andanewsypensivelypeltedhimwithbananarinds，murmuring，"Ihatestodoit——butifanybodyseenmeletitpass！"

CalHarkness，hisday’sworkoverandhisexpresswagonstabled，turnedthesharpedgeofthebuild—

ingthat，bythecheekofarchitects，ismodelleduponasafetyrazor。Outofthemassofhurryingpeoplehiseyepickedup，threeyardsaway，thesurvivingbloodyandimplacablefoeofhiskithandkin。

Hestoppedshortandwaveredforamoment，be—

ingunarmedandsharplysurprised。Butthekeenmountaineer’seyeofSamFolwellhadpickedhimout。

Therewasasuddenspring，arippleinthestreamofpassersbyandthesoundofSam’svoicecrying：

"Howdy，Cal！I’mdurnedgladtoseeye。"

AndintheanglesofBroadway，FifthAvenueandTwenty—thirdStreettheCumberlandfeudistsshookhands。

ROSES，RUSESANDROMANCE

Ravenel——Ravenel，thetraveller，artistandpoet，threwhismagazinetothefloor。SammyBrown，broker’sclerk，whosatbythewindow，jumped。

"Whatisit，Ravvy？"heasked。"Thecriticsbeenhammeringyourstockdown？"

"Romanceisdead，"saidRavenel，lightly。WhenRavenelspokelightlybewasgenerallyserious。Hepickedupthemagazineandfluttereditsleaves。

"EvenaPhilistine，likeyou，Sammy，"saidRave—

nel，seriously（atonethatinsuredhimtobespeak—

inglightly），"oughttounderstand。Now，hereisamagazinethatonceprintedPoeandLowellandWhitmanandBretHarteandDuMaurierandLanierand——well，thatgivesyoutheidea。Thecurrentnumberhasthisliteraryfeasttosetbeforeyou：anarticleonthestokersandcoalbunkersofbattleships，anexposeofthemethodsemployedinmakingliver—

wurst，acontinuedstoryofaStandardPreferredInternationalBakingPowderdealinWallStreet，a’poem’onthebearthatthePresidentmissed，an—

other’story’byayoungwomanwhospentaweekasaspymakingoverallsontheEastSide，another’fiction’storythatreeksofthe’garage’andacer—

tainmakeofautomobile。Ofcourse，thetitlecontainsthewords’Cupid’and’Chauffeur’——anarticleonnavalstrategy，illustratedwithcutsoftheSpanishArmada，andthenewStatenIslandferry—boats;an—

otherstoryofapoliticalbosswhowontheloveofaFifthAvenuebellebyblackeninghereyeandrefusingtovoteforaniniquitousordinance（itdoesn’tsaywhetheritwasintheStreet—CleaningDepartmentorCongress），andnineteenpagesbytheeditorsbrag—

gingaboutthecirculation。Thewholething，Sammy，isanobituaryonRomance。"

SammyBrownsatcomfortablyintheleatherarm—

chairbytheopenwindow。Hissuitwasavehementbrownwithvisiblechecks，beautifullymatchedinshadebytheendsoffourcigarsthathisvestpocketpoorlyconcealed。Lighttanwerehisshoes，grayhissocks，sky—bluehisapparentlinen，snowyandhighandadamantinehiscollar，againstwhichablackbut—

terflyhadalightedandspreadhiswings。Sammy’sface——leastimportant——wasroundandpleasantandpinkish，andinhiseyesyousawnohavenforfleeingRomance。

ThatwindowofRavenel’sapartmentopeneduponanoldgardenfullofancienttreesandshrubbery。

Theapartment—housetoweredaboveonesideofit;

ahighbrickwallfendeditfromthestreet;oppo—

siteRavenel’swindowanold，oldmansionstood，half—

hiddenintheshadeofthesummerfoliage。Thehousewasacastlebesieged。Thecityhowledandroaredandshriekedandbeatuponitsdoubledoors，andshookwhite，flutteringchecksabovethewall，offeringtermsofsurrender。Thegraydustsettleduponthetrees;thesiegewaspressedhotter，butthedraw—

bridgewasnotlowered。Nofurtherwillthelanguageofchivalryserve。Insidelivedanoldgentlemanwholovedhishomeanddidnotwishtosellit。Thatisalltheromanceofthebesiegedcastle。

ThreeorfourtimeseveryweekcameSammyBrowntoRavenel’sapartment。Hebelongedtothepoet’sclub，fortheformerBrownshadbeencon—

spicuous，thoughSammybadbeenvulgarizedbyBusiness。HehadnotearsfordepartedRomance。

Thesongofthetickerwastheonethatreachedhisheart，andwhenitcametomattersequineandbattingscoreshewassomethingofapinkedition。

HelovedtositintheleatherarmchairbyRavenel’swindow。AndRaveneldidn’tmindparticularly。

Sammyseemedtoenjoyhistalk;andthenthebroker’sclerkwassuchaperfectembodimentofmodernityandtheday’ssordidpracticalitythatRavenelratherlikedtousehimasascapegoat。

"I’lltellyouwhat’sthematterwithyou，"saidSammy，withtheshrewdnessthatbusinesshadtaughthim。"Themagazinehasturneddownsomeofyourpoetrystunts。That’swhyyouaresoreatit。"

"ThatwouldbeagoodguessinWallStreetorinacampaignforthepresidencyofawoman’sclub，"

saidRavenel，quietly。"Now，thereisapoem—ifyouwillallowmetocallitthat—ofmyowninthisnumberofthemagazine。"

"Readittome，"saidSammy，watchingacloudofpipe—smokebehadjustblownoutthewindow。

RavenelwasnogreaterthanAchilles。Nooneis。

Thereisboundtobeaspot。TheSomebody—or—OthermusttakeboldofussomewherewhenshedipsusintheSomething—or—Otherthatmakesusinvulnerable。

Hereadaloudthisverseinthemagazine：

THEFOURROSES

’OneroseItwinedwithinyourhair——

（Whiterose，thatspakeofworth）;

Andoneyouplaceduponyourbreast——

（Redrose，love’ssealofbirth）。

Youpluckedanotherfromitsstem——

（Tearose，thatmeansforaye）;

Andoneyougave——thatboreformeThethornsofmemory。"

"That’sacrackerjack，"saidSammy，admiringly。

Therearefivemoreverses，"saidRavenel，pa—

tientlysardonic。"Onenaturallypausesattheendofeach。Ofcourse——"

"Oh，let’shavetherest，oldman，"shoutedSammy，contritely，"Ididn’tmeantocutyouoff。I’mnotmuchofapoetryexpert，youknow。Ineversawapoemthatdidn’tlooklikeitoughttohaveterminalfacilitiesattheendofeveryverse。Reelofftherestofit。"

Ravenelsighed，andlaidthemagazinedown。"Allright，"saidSammy，cheerfully，"we’llhaveitnexttime。I’llbeoffnow。Gotadateatfiveo’clock。"

Hetookalastlookattheshadedgreengardenandleft，whistlinginanoffkeyanuntunefulairfromarooflessfarcecomedy。

ThenextafternoonRavenel，whilepolishingaraggedlineofanewsonnet，reclinedbythewindowoverlookingthebesiegedgardenoftheunmercenarybaron。Suddenlyhesatup，spillingtworhymesandasyllableortwo。，Throughthetreesonewindowoftheoldmansioncouldbeseenclearly。Initswindow，drapedinflow—

ingwhite，leanedtheangelofallhisdreamsofro—

manceandpoesy。Young，freshasadropofdew，gracefulasasprayofclematis，conferringuponthegardenhemmedinbytheroaringtraffictheairofaprincess’sbower，beautifulasanyflowersungbypoet——thusRavenelsawherforthefirsttime。

Shelingeredforawhile，andthendisappearedwithin，leavingafewnotesofabirdlikerippleofsongtoreachhisentrancedearsthroughtherattleofcabsandthesnarlingoftheelectriccars。

Thus，asiftochallengethepoet’sflauntatro—

manceandtopunishhimforhisrecreancytotheundyingspiritofyouthandbeauty，thisvisionbaddawneduponhimwithathrillingandaccusivepower。

AndsometabolicwasthepowerthatinaninstanttheatomsofRavenel’sentireworldwereredistrib—

uted。Theladendraysthatpassedthehouseinwhichshelivedrumbledadeepdouble—basstothetuneoflove。Thenewsboys’shoutswerethenotesofsingingbirds;thatgardenwasthepleasanceoftheCapulets;

thejanitorwasanogre;himselfaknight，readywithsword，lanceorlute。

Thusdoesromanceshowherselfamidforestsofbrickandstonewhenshegetslostinthecity，andtherehastobesentoutageneralalarmtofindheragain。

AtfourintheafternoonRavenellookedoutacrossthegarden。Inthewindowofhishopesweresetfoursmallvases，eachcontainingagreat，full—blownrose—redandwhite。And，ashegazed，sheleanedabovethem，shamingthemwithherlovelinessandseemingtodirecthereyespensivelytowardhisownwindow。Andthen，asthoughshehadcaughthisrespectfulbutardentregard，shemeltedaway，leavingthefragrantemblemsonthewindow—sill。

"Yes，emblems！——hewouldbeunworthyifbehadnotunderstood。Shehadreadhispoem，"TheFourRoses";ithadreachedherheart;andthiswasitsromanticanswer。OfcourseshemustknowthatRavenel，thepoet，livedthereacrosshergarden。Hispicture，too，shemusthaveseeninthemagazines。

Thedelicate，tender，modest，flatteringmessagecouldnotbeignored。

Ravenelnoticedbesidetherosesasmallflowering—

potcontainingaplant。Withoutshamebebroughthisopera—glassesandemployedthemfromthecoverofhiswindow—curtain。Anutmeggeranium！

Withthetruepoeticinstinctbedraggedabookofuselessinformationfromhisshelves，andtoreopentheleavesat"TheLanguageofFlowers。"

"Geranium，Nutmeg—Iexpectameeting。"

So！Romanceneverdoesthingsbyhalves。Ifshecomesbacktoyoushebringsgiftsandherknitting，andwillsitinyourchimney—cornerifyouwilllether。

AndnowRavenelsmiled。Theloversmileswhenbethinkshehaswon。Thewomanwholovesceasestosmilewithvictory。Heendsabattle;shebeginshers。Whataprettyideatosetthefourrosesinherwindowforhimtosee！Shemusthaveasweet，poeticsoul。Andnowtocontrivethemeeting。

AwhistlingandslammingofdoorspreludedthecomingofSammyBrown。

Ravenelsmiledagain。EvenSammyBrownwasshoneuponbythefar—flungraysoftherenaissance。

Sammy，withhisultraclothes，hishorseshoepin，hisplumpface，histriteslang，hisuncomprehendingadmirationofRavenel——thebroker’sclerkmadeanexcellentfoiltothenew，brightunseenvisitortothepoet’ssombreapartment。

Sammywenttohisoldseatbythewindow，andlookedoutoverthedustygreenfoliageinthegarden。Thenhelookedathiswatch，androsehastily。

"Bygrabs！"heexclaimed。"Twentyafterfour！

Ican’tstay，oldman;I’vegotadateat4：30。"

"Whydidyoucome，then？"askedRavenel，withsarcasticjocularity，"ifyouhadanengagementatthattime。Ithoughtyoubusinessmenkeptbetteraccountofyourminutesandsecondsthanthat。"

Sammyhesitatedinthedoorwayandturnedpinker。

"Factis，Ravvy，"beexplained，astoacustomerwhosemarginisexhausted，"Ididn’tknowIhadittillIcame。I’lltellyou，oldman—there’sadandygirlinthatoldhousenextdoorthatI’mdeadgoneon。Iputitstraight——we’reengaged。Theoldmansays’nit’butthatdon’tgo。Hekeepsherprettyclose。IcanseeEdith’swindowfromyourshere。Shegivesmeatipwhenshe’sgoingshopping，andImeether。It’s4：30to—day。MaybeIoughttohaveexplainedsooner，butIknowit’sallrightwithyou——solong。"

"Howdoyougetyour’tip，’asyoucallit？"askedRavenel，losingalittlespontaneityfromhissmile。

"Roses，"saidSammy，briefly。Fourof’emto—

day。Meansfouro’clockatthecornerofBroadwayandTwenty—third。"

"Butthegeranium？"persistedRavenel，clutch—

ingattheendofflyingRomance’strailingrobe。

"Meanshalf—past5，"shoutedSammyfromthehall。

"Seeyouto—morrow。"

THECITYOFDREADFULNIGHT

"Duringtherecentwarmed—overspell，"saidmyfriendCarney，driverofexpresswagonNo。8，606，"agoodmanyopportunitieswashadofobservinghumannaturethroughpeekaboowaists。

"TheParkCommissionerandtheCommissionerofPolisandtheForestryCommissiongetstogetherandagreestoletthepeoplesleepintheparksuntiltheWeatherBureaugetsthethermometerdownagaintoalivingbasis。Sotheydrawsupopen—airresolu—

tionsandhasthem0。K。’dbytheSecretaryofAgri—

culture，Mr。ComstockandtheVillageImprovementMosquitoExterminatingSocietyofSouthOrange，N。J。

"Whentheproclamationwasmadeopeninguptothepeoplebyspecialgrantthepublicparksthatbe—

longto’em，therewasageneralexodusintoCentralParkbythecommunitiesexistingalongitsborders。

Intenminutesaftersundownyou’dhavethoughtthattherewasanundressrehearsalofapotatofamineinIrelandandaKishineffmassacre。Theycomebyfamilies，gangs，clambakesocieties，clans，clubsandtribesfromallsidestoenjoyacoolsleeponthegrass。Themthatdidn’thaveoilstovesbroughtalongplentyofblankets，soasnottobeupsetwiththecoldanddiscomfortsofsleepingoutdoors。Bybuildingfiresoftheshadetreesandhuddlingtogetherinthebridlepaths，andburrowingunderthegrasswherethegroundwassoftenough，thelikesof5，000

headofpeoplesuccessfullybattledagainstthenightairinCentralParkalone。

"YeknowIliveintheelegantfurnishedapart—

menthousecalledtheBeershebaFlats，overagainsttheelevatedportionoftheNewYorkCentralRail—

road。

"Whentheordercometotheflatsthatallhandsmustturnoutandsleepinthepark，accordingtotheinstructionsoftheconsultingcommitteeoftheCityClubandtheMurphyDraying，ReturfingandSod—

dingCompany，therewasalookofacoupleoffiresandanevictionallovertheplace。

"Thetenantsbegantopackupfeatherbeds，rub—

berboots，stringsofgarlic，hot—waterbags，porta—

blecanoesandscuttlesofcoaltotakealongforthesakeofcomfort。ThesidewalklookedlikeaRussiancampinOyama’slineofmareb。TherewaswaitingandlamentingupanddownstairsfromDannyGeog—

hegan’sflatonthetopfloortotheapartmentsofMissisGoldsteinupskionthefirst。

"’Forwhy，"saysDanny，comingdownandraginginhisblueyarnsockstothejanitor，’shouldIbeturnedoutofmecomfortableapartmentstolayinthedirtygrasslikearabbit？’TislikeJerometostiruptroublewidsmallmatterslikethisinsteadof——"

"’Whist！’saysOfficerReaganonthesidewalk，rappingwithhisclub。’’TisnotJerome。’TisbyorderofthePolisCommissioner。Turnouteveryoneofyezandhikeyerselvestothepark。’

"Now，’twasapeacefulandhappyhomethatallofushadinthemsameBeershebaFlats。TheO’DowdsandtheSteinowitzesandtheCallahansandtheCohensandtheSpizzinellisandtheMcManusesandtheSpiegelmayersandtheJoneses——allnationsofus，welivedlikeonebigfamilytogether。AndwhenthehotnightscomealongwekeptalineofchildrenreachingfromthefrontdoortoKelly’sonthecornerpassingalongthecansofbeerfromonetoanotherwithoutthetroubleofrunningafterit。Andwithnomoreclothingonthanisprovidedforinthestatutes，sittinginallthewindies，withacoolgrowlerineveryone，andyourfeetoutintheair，andtheRosensteingirlssingingonthefire—escapeofthesixthfloor，andPatsyRourke’sflutegoingintheeighth，andtheladiescallingeachothersynonymsoutthewin—

dies，andnowandthenabreezesailinginoverMisterDepew’sCentral——ItellyoutheBeershebaFlatswasasummerresortthatmadetheCatskillslooklikeaboleintheground。Withhispersonfullofbeerandhisfeetoutthewindyandhisoldwomanfryingporkchopsoveracharcoalfurnaceandthechildrendancingincottonslipsonthesidewalkaroundtheorgan—grinderandtherentpaidforaweek——whatdoesamanwantbetteronahotnightthanthat？

Andthencomesthisrulingofthepolisdrivingpeopleouto’theircomfortablehomestosleepinparks——

’twasforalltheworldlikeaukaseofthemRus—

sians——’twillbeheardfromagainatnextelectiontime。

"Well，then，OfficerReagandrivesthewholelotofustotheparkandturnsusinbythenearestgate。’Tisdarkunderthetrees，andallthechildrensetsuptohowlingthattheywanttogohome。

"’Ye’llpassthenightinthisstretchofwoodsandscenery，’saysOfficerReagan。’’TwillbefineandimprisonmentforinsooltingtheParkCommis—

sionerandtheChiefoftheWeatherBureauifyere—

fuse。I’minchargeofthirtyacresbetweenhereandtheAgyptianMonument，andIadviseyetogivenotrouble。’Tissleepingonthegrassyezallhavebeencondemnedtobytheauthorities。Yez’llbepermittedtoleaveinthemorning，butyemustretoornbenight。

Meorderswassilentonthesubjectofbail，butI’11

findoutif’tisrequiredandthere’llbebondsmenatthegate。’

"Therebeingnolightsexceptalongtheautomo—

biledrives，us179tenantsoftheBeershebaFlatspreparedtospendthenightasbestwecouldintheragingforest。Themthatbroughtblanketsandkin—

dlingwoodwasbestoff。Theygotfiresstartedandwrappedtheblanketsroundtheirheadsandlaiddown，cursing，inthegrass。Therewasnothingtosee，nothingtodrink，nothingtodo。Inthedarkwehadnowayoftellingfriendorfoeexceptbyfeelingthenosesof’em。Ibroughtalongmelastwinterovercoat，metoothbrush，somequininepillsandtheredquiltoffthebedinmeflat。ThreetimesduringthenightsomebodyrolledonmequiltandstuckhiskneesagainsttheAdam’sappleofme。AndthreetimesIjudgedhischaracterbyrunningmehandoverhisface，andthreetimesIroseupandkickedthein—

truderdownthehilltothegravellywalkbelow。AndthensomeonewithaflavorofKelly’swhiskeysnug—

gleduptome，andIfoundhisnoseturneduptherightway，andIsays：’Isthatyou，then，Patsey？

andhesays，’Itis，Carney。Howlongdoyouthinkit’lllast？’

"’I’mnoweather—prophet，’saysI，’butiftheybringoutastronganti—Tammanyticketnextfallitoughttogetushomeintimetosleeponabedonceortwicebeforetheylineusupatthepolls。’

"A—playingofmyfluteintotheairshaft，IsaysPatseyRourke，’anda—perspiringinmeownwindytothejoyfulnoiseofthepassingtrainsandthesmellofliverandonionsanda—readingofthelatestmur—

derinthesmokeofthecookingiswellenoughforme，’sayshe。’Whatisthisherdingusingrassfor，nottomentionthecrawlingthingswithlegsthatwalkupthetrousersofus，andtheJerseysnipesthatpeckatus，masqueradingunderthenameanddenom—

inationofmosquitoes。WhatisitallforCarney，andtherintgoingonjustthesameoverattheflats？’

"TisthegreatannualMunicipalFreeNightOutingLawnParty，’saysI，’givenbythepolis，HettyGreenandtheDrugTrust。Duringtheheatedseasontheyholdaweekofitintheprincipalparks。

’Tisaschemetoreachthatportionofthepeoplethat’snotworthtakinguptoNorthBeachforafishfry。’

"’Ican’tsleepontheground，’saysPatsey，’widanybenefit。Ihavethehayfeverandtherheuma—

tism，andmecarisfullofants。’

"Well，thenightgoeson，andtheex—tenantsoftheFlatsgroansandstumblesaroundinthedark，tryingtofindrestandrecreationintheforest。Thechildrenisscreamingwiththecoldness，andthejan—

itormakeshotteafor’emandkeepsthefiresgoingwiththesignboardsthatpointtotheTavernandtheCasino。Thetenantstrytolaydownonthegrassbyfamiliesinthedark，butyou’reluckyifyoucansleepnexttoamanfromthesamefloororbelievinginthesamereligion。NowandthenaMurpby，acci—

dental，rollsoveronthegrassofaRosenstein，oraCohentriestocrawlundertheO’Gradybush，andthenthere’safeelingofnosesandsomebodyisrolleddownthehilltothedrivewayandstaysthere。Thereissomehair—pullingamongthewomenfolks，andeverybodyspanksthenearesthowlingkidtohimbythesenseoffeelingonly，regardlessofitsparentageandownership。’Tishardtokeepupthesocialdis—

tinctionsinthedarkthatflourishbydaylightintheBeershebaFlats。Mrs。Rafferty，thatdespisestheasphaltthataDagotreadson，wakesupinthemorn—

ingwithherfeetinthebosomofAntonioSpizzinelli。

AndMikeO’Dowd，thatalwaysthrewpeddlersdown—

stairsasfastashecameupon’em，hastounwindoldIsaacstein’swhiskersfromaroundhisneck，andwakeupthewholegangatdaylight。Buthereandtheresomefewgotacquaintedandoverlookedthediscom—

fortsoftheelements。Therewasfiveengagementstobemarriedannouncedattheflatsthenextmorning。

AboutmidnightIgetsupandwringsthedewoutofmyhair，andgoestothesideofthedrivewayandsitsdown。AtonesideoftheparkIcouldseethelightsinthestreetsandhouses;andIwasthinkinghowhappythemfolkswaswhocouldchasetheduckandsmoketheirpipesattheirwindows，andkeepcoolandpleasantlikenatureintendedfor’emto。

Justthenanautomobilestopsbyme，andafine—

looking，well—dressedmanstepsout。

’Meman，’sayshe，’canyoutellmewhyallthesepeoplearelyingaroundonthegrassinthepark？

Ithoughtitwasagainsttherules。’

"’’Twasanordinance，’saysI，’justpassedbythePolisDepartmentandratifiedbytheTurfCut—

ters’Association，providingthatallpersonsnotcar—

ryingalicensenumberontheirrearaxlesshallkeepinthepublicparksuntilfurthernotice。Fortu—

nately，theorderscomesthisyearduringaspelloffineweather，andthemortality，exceptonthebordersofthelakeandalongtheautomobiledrives，willnotbeanygreaterthanusual。’

"’Whoarethesepeopleonthesideofthebill？’

askstheman。

"’Sure，’saysI，’noneothersthanthetenantsoftheBeershebaFlats——afinehomeforanyman，especiallyonhotnights。Maydaylightcomesoon！’

"’Theycomeherebenight，’saysbe，’andbreatheinthepureairandthefragranceoftheflowersandtrees。Theydothat，’saysbe，’comingeverynightfromtheburningbeatofdwellingsofbrickandstone。’

"’Andwood，’saysI。’Andmarbleandplasterandiron。’

"’Thematterwillbeattendedtoatonce，’saystheman，puttinguphisbook。

"’AreyetheParkCommissioner？’Iasks。

"’IowntheBeershebaFlats，’sayshe。’Godblessthegrassandthetreesthatgiveextrabenefitstoaman’stenants。Therentsshallberaisedfifteenpercent。to—morrow。Good—night，’sayshe。"

THEEASTEROFTHESOUL

Itishardlylikelythatagoddessmaydie。ThenEastre，theoldSaxongoddessofspring，mustbelaughinginhermuslinsleeveatpeoplewhobelievethatEaster，hernamesake，existsonlyalongcertainstripsofFifthAvenuepavementafterchurchservice。

Aye！Itbelongstotheworld。TheptarmiganinChilkootPassdiscardshiswinterwhitefeathersforbrown;thePatagonianBeauBrummelloilshischi—

gnonandclubshimanothersweethearttodragtohisskull—strewnflat。AnddowninChrystieStreet——

Mr。"Tiger"McQuirkarosewithafeelingofdisquietthatbedidnotunderstand。Withaprac—

tisedfootberolledthreeofhisyoungerbrotherslikelogsoutofhiswayastheylaysleepingonthefloor。

Beforeafoot—squarelookingglasshungbythewin—

dowhestoodandshavedhimself。Ifthatmayseemtoyouatasktooslighttobethusimpressivelychron—

icled，Ibearwithyou;youdonotknowoftheareastobeaccomplishedintraversingthecheekandchinofMr。McQuirk。

McQuirk，senior，hadgonetoworklongbefore。

Thebigsonofthehousewasidle。Hewasamarble—

cutter，andthemarble—cutterswereoutonastrike。

"Whatailsye？"askedhismother，lookingathimcuriously;"areyenotfeelingwellthemorning，maybenow？"

"He’sthinkingalongofAnnieMariaDoyle，im—

pudentlyexplainedyoungerbrotherTim，tenyearsold。"

"Tiger"reachedoverthehandofachampionandsweptthesmallMcQuirkfromhischair。

"Ifeelfine，"saidhe，"beyondatouchoftheI—don’t—know—wbat—you—call—its。Ifeelliketherewasgoingtobeearthquakesormusicoratrifleofchillsandfeverormaybeapicnic。Idon’tknowhowI

feel。Ifeellikeknockingthefaceoffapoliceman，orelsemaybelikeplayingConeyIslandstraightacrosstheboardfrompop—corntotheelephantboudabs。"

"It’sthespringinyerbones，"saidMrs。McQuirk。

"It’sthesaprisin’。TimewaswhenIcouldn’tkeepmefeetstillnormeheadcoolwhentheearthwormsbegantocrawloutinthedewofthemornin’。’Tisabitofteawilldoyegood，madefrompipsissewaandgentianbarkatthedruggist’s。"

"Backup！"saidMr。McQuirk，impatiently。

"There’snospringinsightThere’ssnowyetontheshedinDonovan’sbackyard。AndyesterdaytheyputsopencarsontheSixthAvenuelines，andthejanitorshavequitorderingcoal。Andthatmeanssixweeksmoreofwinter，byallthesignsthatbe。"

AfterbreakfastMr。McQuirkspentfifteenminutesbeforethecorrugatedmirror，subjugatinghishairandarranginghisgreen—and—purpleascotwithitsamethysttombstonepin—eloquentofhischosencalling。

Sincethestrikehadbeencalleditwasthispar—

ticularstriker’shabittohiehimselfeachmorningtothecornersaloonofFlahertyBrothers，andthereestablishhimselfuponthesidewalk，withonefootrestingonthebootblack’sstand，observingthepanoramaofthestreetuntilthepaceoftimebroughttwelveo’clockandthedinnerhour。AndMr。

"Tiger"McQuirk，withhisathleticseventyinches，welltrainedinsportandbattle;hissmooth，pale，solid，amiableface——bluewheretherazorhadtrav—

elled;hiscarefullyconsideredclothesandairofcapa—

bility，washimselfaspectaclenotdispleasingtotheeye。

ButonthismorningMr。McQuirkdidnothastenimmediatelytohispostofleisureandobservation。

Somethingunusualthathecouldnotquitegraspwasintheair。Somethingdisturbedhisthoughts，ruffledhissenses，madehimatoncelanguid，irritable，elated，dissastisfiedandsportive。Hewasnodiagnostician，andhedidnotknowthatLentwasbreakingupphysiologicallyinhissystem。

Mrs。McQuirkhadspokenofspring。ScepticallyTigerlookedabouthimforsigns。Fewtheywere。Theorgan—grinderswereatwork;buttheywerealwaysprecociousharbingers。Itwasnearenoughspringforthemtogopenny—huntingwhentheskatingballdroppedatthepark。Inthemilliners’

windowsEasterhats，grave，gayandjubilant，blos—

somed。Thereweregreenpatchesamongtheside—

walkdebrisofthegrocers。Onathird—storywindow—

sillthefirstelbowcushionoftheseason——oldgoldstripesonacrimsonground——supportedthekimo—

noedarmsofapensivebrunette。ThewindblewcoldfromtheEastRiver，butthesparrowswerefly—

ingtotheeaveswithstraws。Asecond—handstore，combiningforesightwithfaith，hadsetoutanice—

chestandbaseballgoods。

Andthen"Tiger’s"eye，discreditingthesesigns，fellupononethatboreabudofpromise。Fromabright，newlithographtheheadofCapricornuscon—

frontedhim，betokeningtheforwardandheadybrew。

Mr。McQuirkenteredthesaloonandcalledforhisglassofbock。Hethrewhisnickelonthebar，raisedtheglass，setitdownwithouttastingitandstrolledtowardthedoor。

"Wot’sthematter，LordBolinbroke？"inquiredthesarcasticbartender;wantachinyvaseoragold—linedepergnetodrinkitoutof——hey？"

"Say，"saidMr。McQuirk，wheelingandshootingoutahorizontalhandandaforty—five—degreechin，"youknowyourplaceonlywhenitcomesforgivin’

titles。I’vechangedmemindaboutdrinkin——see？

Yougotyourmoney，ain’tyou？Waittillyougetstungbeforeyougetthedrooptoyourlip，willyou？"

ThusMr。Quirkaddedmutabilityofdesirestothestrangehumorsthathadtakenpossessionofhim。

Leavingthesaloon，hewalkedawaytwentystepsandleanedintheopendoorwayofLutz，thebarber。

HeandLutzwerefriends，maskingtheirsentimentsbehindabuseandbludgeonsofrepartee。

"Irishloafer，"roaredLutz，"howdoyoudo？

So，notyethafderbolicemansordercatcherofdogsdonedeirduty！"

"Hello，Dutch，"saidMr。McQuirk。"Can’tgetyourmindoffoffrankfurters，canyou？"

"Bah！"exclaimedtheGerman，comingandlean—

inginthedoor。"Ihafasoulabovefrankfurtersto—day。Dereisspringtimeinderair。Icanfeelitcominginoferdermudofderstreetsanddasiceinderriver。Soonwillderebebienicsinderislands，mitkegsofbeerunderdertrees。"

"Say，"saidMr。McQuirk，settinghisbatononeside，"iseverybodykiddin’meaboutgentleSpring？

Thereain’tanymorespringintheairthanthereisinahorsehairsofainaSecondAvenuefurnishedroom。Formethewinterunderwearyetandthebuckwheatcakes。"

"Youhafnoboetry，"saidLutz。True，itisyedtcold，undindercitywehafnotmanyofdersigns;butderearedreekindsofbeobledotshouldalwaysfeelder’approachofspringfirst——deyareboets，loversandpoorvidows。"

Mr。McQuirkwentonhisway，stillpossessedbythestrangeperturbationthathedidnotunderstand。

Somethingwaslackingtohiscomfort，anditmadehimhalfangrybecausebedidnotknowwhatitwas。

Twoblocksawayhecameuponafoe，oneConover，whomhewasboundinhonortoengageincombat。

Mr。McQuirkmadetheattackwiththecharac—

teristicsuddennessandfiercenessthathadgainedforhimtheendearingsobriquetof"Tiger。"Thede—

fenceofMr。Conoverwassopromptandadmirablethattheconflictwasprotracteduntiltheonlookersun—

selfishlygavethewarningcryof"Cheeseit——thecop！"Theprincipalsescapedeasilybyrunningthroughthenearestopendoorsintothecommuni—

catingbackyardsattherearofthehouses。

Mr。McQuirkemergedintoanotherstreet。Hestoodbyalamp—postforafewminutesengagedinthoughtandthenheturnedandplungedintoasmallnotionandnewsshop。Ared—hairedyoungwoman，eatinggum—drops，cameandlookedfreezinglyathimacrosstheice—boundsteppesofthecounter。

"Say，lady，"hesaid，"haveyougotasongbookwiththisinit。Let’sseebowitleadsoff——

"Whenthespringtimecomeswellwanderinthedale，love，Andwhisperofthosedaysofyore——"

"I’mhavingafriend，"explainedMr。McQuirk，"laidupwithabrokenleg，andhesentmeafterit。He’sadevilforsongsandpoetrywhenhecan’tgetouttodrink。"

"Wehavenot，"repliedtheyoungwoman，withun—

concealedcontempt。"Butthereisanewsongoutthatbeginsthisway：

"’Letussittogetherintheoldarmchair;

Andwhilethefirelightflickerswe’llbecomfortablethere。’"

TherewillbenoprofitinfollowingMr。"Tiger"

McQuirkthroughhisfurthervagariesofthatdayuntilhecomestostandknockingatthedoorofAnnieMariaDoyle。ThegoddessEastre，itseems，hadguidedhisfootstepsarightatlast。

"Isthatyounow，JimmyMcQuirk？"shecried，smilingthroughtheopeneddoor（AnnieMariahadneveracceptedthe"Tiger"）。"Well，whatever！"