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！
summoned to his official duty。 A busy man is Jesse Holmes。
I remember the clear picture of him that hung on the walls of my fancy
during my barefoot days when I was dodging his oft…threatened devoirs。
To me be was a terrible old man； in gray clothes； with a long； ragged； gray
beard； and reddish； fierce eyes。 I looked to see him come stumping up the
road in a cloud of dust； with a white oak staff in his hand and his shoes
tied with leather thongs。 I may yet
But this is a story； not a sequel。
I have taken notice with regret； that few stories worth reading have
been written that did not con… tain drink of some sort。 Down go the fluids；
from Arizona Dick's three fingers of red pizen to the in… efficacious
Oolong that nerves Lionel Montressor to repartee in the 〃Dotty
Dialogues。〃 So； in such good company I may introduce an absinthe drip
one absinthe drip； dripped through a silver dripper； orderly； opalescent；
cool； green…eyed deceptive。
Kerner was a fool。 Besides that； he was an artist and my good friend。
Now； if there is one thing on earth utterly despicable to another； it is an
artist in the eyes of an author whose story he has illus… trated。 Just try it
once。 Write a story about a mining camp in Idiho。 Sell it。 Spend the money；
and then； six months later； borrow a quarter （or a dime）； and buy the
magazine containing it。 You find a full…page wash drawing of your hero；
Black Bill； the cowboy。 Somewhere in your story you em… ployed the
100
… Page 101…
The Voice of the City
word 〃horse。〃 Aha！ the artist has grasped the idea。 Black Bill has on the
regulation trousers of the M。 F。 H。 of the Westchester County Hunt。 He
carries a parlor rifle； and wears a mon… ocle。 In the distance is a section of
Forty…second Street during a search for a lost gas…pipe； and the Taj Mahal；
the famous mausoleum in India。
〃Enough！ I hated Kerner； and one day I met him and we became
friends。 He was young and glori… ously melancholy because his spirits
were so high and life bad so much in store for him。 Yes； he was almost
riotously sad。 That was his youth。 When a man begins to be hilarious in a
sorrowful way you can bet a million that he is dyeing his hair。 Ker… ner's
hair was plentiful and carefully matted as an artist's thatch should be。 He
was a cigaretteur； and be audited his dinners with red wine。 But； most of
all； be was a fool。 And； wisely； I envied him； and listened patiently while
he knocked Velasquez and Tintoretto。 Once he told me that he liked a story
of mine that he bad come across in an anthology。 He described it to me；
and I was sorry that Mr。 Fitz… James O'Brien was dead and could not learn
of the eulogy of his work。 But mostly Kerner made few breaks and was a
consistent fool。
I'd better explain what I mean by that。 There was a girl。 Now； a girl； as
far as I am concerned； is a thing that belongs in a seminary or an album；
but I conceded the existence of the animal in order to retain Kerner's
friendship。 He showed me her picture in a locket she was a blonde or a
brunette I have forgotten which。 She worked in a factory for eight
dollars a week。 Lest factories quote this wage by way of vindication； I will
add that the girl bad worked for five years to reach that supreme ele…
vation of remuneration； beginning at 1。50 per week。
Kerner's father was worth a couple of millions He was willing to stand
for art； but he drew the line at the factory girl。 So Kerner disinherited his
father and walked out to a cheap studio and lived on sausages for breakfast
and on Farroni for dinner。 Farroni had the artistic soul and a line of credit
for painters and poets； nicely adjusted。 Sometimes Ker… rier sold a picture
and bought some new tapestry； a ring and a dozen silk cravats； and paid
Farroni two dollars on account。
One evening Kerner had me to dinner with himself and the factory girl。
101
… Page 102…
The Voice of the City
They were to be married as soon as Kerner could slosh paint profitably。 As
for the ex…father's two millions pouf！
She was a wonder。 Small and half…way pretty； and as much at her ease
in that cheap cafe as though she were only in the Palmer House； Chicago；
with a souvenir spoon already safely hidden in her shirt waist。 She was
natural。 Two things I noticed about her especially。 Her belt buckle was
exactly in the middle of her back； and she didn't tell us that a large man
with a ruby stick…pin had followed her up all the way from Fourteenth
Street。 Was Kerner such a fool？ I wondered。 And then I thought of the
quantity of striped cuffs and blue glass beads that 2；000；000 can buy for
the heathen； and I said to myself that he was。 And then Elise certainly
that was her name told us； merrily； that the brown spot on her waist was
caused by her landlady knocking at the door while she （the girl
confound the English language） was heating an iron over the gas jet； and
she hid the iron under the bedclothes until the coast was clear； and there
was the piece of chewing gum stuck to it when she began to iron the waist；
and well； I wondered bow in the world the chewing gum came to be
there don't they ever stop chewing it？
A while after that don't be impatient； the ab… sinthe drip is coming
now Kerner and I were dining at Farroni's。 A mandolin and a guitar were
being attacked； the room was full of smoke in nice； long crinkly layers just
like the artists draw the steam from a plum pudding on Christmas posters；
and a lady in a blue silk and gasolined gauntlets was be… ginning to bum
an air from the Catskills。
〃Kerner；〃 said I； 〃you are a fool。〃
〃Of course；〃 said Kerner； 〃I wouldn't let her go on working。 Not my
wife。 What's the use to wait？ She's willing。 I sold that water color of the
Pali… sades yesterday。 We could cook on a two…burner gas stove。 You know
the ragouts I can throw together？ Yes； I think we will marry next week。〃
〃Kerner；〃 said I； 〃you are a fool。〃
〃Have an absinthe drip？〃 said Kerner； grandly。 〃To…night you are the
guest of Art in paying quan… tities。 I think we will get a flat with a bath。〃
〃I never tried one I mean an absinthe drip；〃 said I。
The waiter brought it and poured the water slowly over the ice in the
102
… Page 103…
The Voice of the City
dripper。
〃It looks exactly like the Mississippi River water in the big bend below
Natchez；〃 said I； fascinated； gazing at the be…muddled drip。
〃There are such flats for eight dollars a week；〃 said Kerner。
〃You are a fool；〃 said I； and began to sip the filtration。 〃What you
need；〃 I continued； 〃is the official attention of one Jesse Holmes。〃
Kerner； not being a Southerner； did not compre… hend； so he sat；
sentimental； figuring on his flat in his sordid； artistic way； while I gazed
into the green eyes of the sophisticated Spirit of Wormwood。
Presently I noticed casually that a procession of bacchantes limned on
the wall immediately below the ceiling bad begun to move； traversing the
room from right to left in a gay and spectacular pilgrimage。 I did not
confide my discovery to Kerner。 The a