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their fellow beings。 They gloat and pore and glare and squint and stare
with their fishy eyes like goggle… eyed perch at the book baited with
calamity。
It would seem that Cupid would find these ocular vampires too cold
game for his calorific shafts； but have we not yet to discover an immune
even among the Protozoa？ Yes； beautiful Romance descended upon two of
this tribe； and love came into their hearts as they crowded about the
prostrate form of a man who had been run over by a brewery wagon。
William Pry was the first on the spot。 He was an expert at such
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gatherings。 With an expression of in… tense happiness on his features； be
stood over the vic… tim of the accident； listening to his groans as if to the
sweetest music。 When the crowd of spectators had swelled to a closely
packed circle William saw a violent commotion in the crowd opposite him。
Men were hurled aside like ninepins by the impact of some moving body
that clove them like the rush of a tor… nado。 With elbows； umbrella； hat…pin；
tongue； and fingernails doing their duty； Violet Seymour forced her way
through the mob of onlookers to the first row。 Strong men who even had
been able to secure a seat on the 5。30 Harlem express staggered back like
chil… dren as she bucked centre。 Two large lady spectators who bad seen
the Duke of Roxburgh married and had often blocked traffic on Twenty…
third Street fell back into the second row with ripped shirtwaists when
Violet had finished with them。 William Pry loved her at first sight。
The ambulance removed the unconscious agent of Cupid。 William and
Violet remained after the crowd had dispersed。 They were true Rubberers。
People who leave the scene of an accident with the ambulance have not
genuine caoutchouc in the cosmogony of their necks。 The delicate； fine
flavor of the affair is to be bad only in the after…taste … in gloating over the
spot； in gazing fixedly at the houses opposite； in hovering there in a dream
more exquisite than the opium…eater's ecstasy。 William Pry and Violet Sey…
mour were connoisseurs in casualties。 They knew bow to extract full
enjoyment from every incident。
Presently they looked at each other。 Violet had a brown birthmark on
her neck as large as a silver half…dollar。 William fixed his eyes upon it。
William Pry had inordinately bowed legs。 Violet allowed her gaze to linger
unswervingly upon them。 Face to face they stood thus for moments； each
staring at the other。 Etiquette would not allow them to speak； but in the
Caoutchouc City it is permitted to gaze with… out stint at the trees in the
parks and at the physi… cal blemishes of a fellow creature。 At length with a
sigh they parted。 But Cupid had been the driver of the brewery wagon； and
the wheel that broke a leg united two fond hearts。
The next meeting of the hero and heroine was in front of a board fence
near Broadway。 The day had been a disappointing one。 There had been no
fights on the street； children had kept from under the wheels of the street
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The Voice of the City
cars； cripples and fat men in negligee shirts were scarce； nobody seemed
to be inclined to slip on banana peels or fall down with heart disease。 Even
the sport from Kokomo； Ind。； who claims to be a cousin of ex…Mayor Low
and scatters nickels from a cab window； had not put in his appearance。
There was nothing to stare at； and William Pry had premonitions of ennui。
But he saw a large crowd scrambling and pushing excitedly in front of
a billboard。 Sprinting for it； he knocked down an old woman and a child
carrying a bottle of milk； and fought his way like a demon into the mass of
spectators。 Already in the inner line stood Violet Seymour with one sleeve
and two gold fill… ings gone； a corset steel puncture and a sprained wrist；
but happy。 She was looking at what there was to see。 A man was painting
upon the fence：
〃Eat Bricklets … They Fill Your Face。〃
Violet blushed when she saw William Pry。 William jabbed a lady in a
black silk raglan in the ribs； kicked a boy in the shin； bit an old gentleman
on the left ear and managed to crowd nearer to Violet。 They stood for an
hour looking at the man paint the letters。 Then William's love could be
repressed no longer。 He touched her on the arm。
〃Come with me；〃 he said。 〃I know where there is a bootblack without
an Adam's apple。〃
She looked up at him shyly； yet with unmistakable love transfiguring
her countenance。
〃And you have saved it for me？〃 she asked； trembling with the first
dim ecstasy of a woman be… loved。
Together they hurried to the bootblack's stand。 An hour they spent
there gazing at the malformed youth。
A window…cleaner fell from the fifth story to the sidewalk beside them。
As the ambulance came clang… ing up William pressed her hand joyously。
〃Four ribs at least and a compound fracture；〃 he whispered； swiftly。 〃You
are not sorry that you met me； are you； dearest？
〃Me？〃 said Violet； returning the pressure。 〃Sure not。 I could stand all
day rubbering with you。〃
The climax of the romance occurred a few days later。 Perhaps the
reader will remember the intense excitement into which the city was
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The Voice of the City
thrown when Eliza Jane； a colored woman； was served with a subpoena。
The Rubber Tribe encamped on the spot。 With his own hands William Pry
placed a board upon two beer kegs in the street opposite Eliza Jane's
residence。 He and Violet sat there for three days and nights。 Then it
occurred to a detective to open the door and serve the subpoena。 He sent
for a kinetoscope and did so。
Two souls with such congenial tastes could not long remain apart。 As a
policeman drove them away with his night stick that evening they plighted
their troth。 The seeds of love bad been well sown； and had grown up；
hardy and vigorous； into a … let us call it a rub… ber plant。
The wedding of William Pry and Violet Seymour was set for June 10。
The Big Church in the Middle of the Block was banked high with flowers。
The populous tribe of Rubberers the world over is ram… pant over
weddings。 They are the pessimists of the pews。 They are the guyers of the
groom and the banterers of the bride。 They come to laugh at your marriage；
and should you escape from Hymen's tower on the back of death's pale
steed they will come to the funeral and sit in the same pew and cry over
your luck。 Rubber will stretch。
The church was lighted。 A grosgrain carpet lay over the asphalt to the
edge of the sidewalk。 Brides… maids were patting one another's sashes
awry and speaking of the Bride's freckles。 Coachmen tied white ribbons
on their whips and bewailed the space of time between drinks。 The
minister was musing over his possible fee； essaying conjecture whether it
would suffice to purchase a new broadcloth suit for himself and a
photograph of Laura Jane Libbey for his wife。 Yea； Cupid was in the air。
And outside the church； oh； my brothers； surged and heaved the rank
and file o