R。H。D。
\"Andtheyrisetotheirfeetashepasses,gentlemenunafraid。\"
Hewasalmosttoogoodtobetrue。Inaddition,thegodslovedhim,andsohehadtodieyoung。Somepeoplethinkthatamanoffifty—twoismiddle—aged。ButifR。H。D。hadlivedtobeahundred,hewouldneverhavegrownold。ItisnotgenerallyknownthatthenameofhisotherbrotherwasPeterPan。
Withintheyearwehaveplayedatpiratestogether,atthetakingofspermwhales;andwehaveransackedtheWestchesterHillsforgunsitesagainsttheMexicaninvasion。Andwehavemadelistsofguns,andmedicines,andtinnedthings,incaseweshouldeverhappentogoelephantshootinginAfrica。Butweweren’tgoingtohurttheelephants。OnceR。H。D。shotahippopotamusandhewasalwaysashamedandsorry。Ithinkheneverkilledanythingelse。Hewasn’tthatkindofasportsman。Ofhunting,asofmanyotherthings,hehassaidthelastword。DoyouremembertheHappyHuntingGroundin\"TheBarSinister\"?——\"Wherenobodyhuntsus,andthereisnothingtohunt。\"
Experiencedpersonstellusthataman—huntisthemostexcitingofallsports。R。H。D。huntedmeninCuba。Hehuntedforwoundedmenwhowereoutinfrontofthetrenchesandstillunderfire,andfoundsomeofthemandbroughtthemin。TheRoughRidersdidn’tmakehimanhonorarymemberoftheirregimentjustbecausehewascharmingandafaithfulfriend,butlargelybecausetheywerealotofdaredevilsandhewasanother。
Tohearhimtalkyouwouldn’thavethoughtthathehadeverdoneabravethinginhislife。Hetalkedagreatdeal,andhetalkedevenbetterthanhewrote(athisbesthewrotelikeanangel),butIhavedustedeverycornerofmymemoryandcannotrecallanystoryofhisinwhichheplayedaheroicorsuccessfulpart。Alwayshewasrunningattopspeed,orhidingbehindatree,orlyingfacedowninafootofwater(forhours!)soasnottobeseen。Alwayshewasgettingtheworstofit。Butabouttheotherfellowshetoldthewholetruthwithlightningflashesofwitandcharacterbuildingandadmirationorcontempt。Untiltheinventionofmovingpicturestheworldhadnothingintheleastlikehistalk。Hiseyehadphotographed,hismindhaddevelopedandpreparedtheslides,hiswordssentthelightthroughthem,andloandbehold,theywerereproducedonthescreenofyourownmind,exactindrawingandcolor。Withthewrittenwordorthespokenwordhewasthegreatestrecorderandreporterofthingsthathehadseenofanyman,perhaps,thateverlived。Thehistoryofthelastthirtyyears,itsmannersandcustomsanditsleadingeventsandinventions,cannotbewrittentruthfullywithoutreferencetotherecordswhichhehasleft,tohisspecialarticlesandtohisletters。ReadoveragaintheQueen’sJubilee,theCzar’sCoronation,theMarchoftheGermansthroughBrussels,andseeforyourselfifIspeaktoozealously,evenforafriend,towhom,nowthatR。H。D。isdead,theworldcanneverbethesameagain。
ButIdidnotsetouttoestimatehisgenius。Thatmatterwillcomeinduetimebeforetheunerringtribunalofposterity。
OnesecretofMr。Roosevelt’sholduponthosewhocomeintocontactwithhimishisenergy。Retainingenoughforhisownuse(heusesagooddeal,becauseeverydayhedoestheworkoffiveorsixmen),hedistributestheinexhaustibleremainderamongthosewhomostneedit。Mengotohimtiredanddiscouraged,hesendsthemawaygladtobealive,stillgladderthatheisalive,andreadytofightthedevilhimselfinagoodcause。UponhisfriendsR。H。D。hadthesameeffect。Anditwasnotonlyinproximitythathecoulddistributeenergy,butfromafar,byletterandcable。Hehadsomeintuitivewayofknowingjustwhenyouwereslippingintoasloughoflazinessanddiscouragement。Andatsuchtimesheeitherappearedsuddenlyuponthescene,ortherecameaboyonabicycle,withayellowenvelopeandabooktosign,orthepostmaninhisbuggy,orthetelephonerangandfromthereceivertherepouredintoyouaffectionandencouragement。
Butthegreattimes,ofcourse,werewhenhecameinperson,andthetemperatureofthehouse,whichamomentbeforehadbeentoohotortoocold,becamejustright,andasenseofcheerfulnessandwell—beinginvadedtheheartsofthemasterandthemistressandoftheservantsinthehouseandintheyard。Andtheolderdaughterrantohim,andthebaby,whohadbeenfrettingbecausenobodywouldgiveheradouble—
barrelledshotgun,climbeduponhiskneeandforgotallaboutthedisappointmentsofthisuncompromisingworld。
Hewastouchinglysweetwithchildren。Ithinkhewasalittleafraidofthem。Hewasafraidperhapsthattheywouldn’tfindouthowmuchhelovedthem。Butwhentheyshowedhimthattheytrustedhim,and,unsolicited,climbeduponhimandlaidtheircheeksagainsthis,thentheloveliestexpressioncameoverhisface,andyouknewthatthegreatheart,whichtheotherdayceasedtobeat,throbbedwithanexquisitebliss,akintoanguish。
OneofthehappiestdaysIrememberwaswhenIandminereceivedatelegramsayingthathehadababyofhisown。AndIthankGodthatlittleMissHopeistooyoungtoknowwhatanappallinglossshehassuffered……
Perhapshestayedtodine。Thenperhapstheolderdaughterwasallowedtositupanextrahalf—hoursothatshecouldwaitonthetable(andthoughIsayit,thatshouldn’t,shecoulddothisbeautifully,withdignityandwithoutgiggling),andperhapsthedinnerwasgood,orR。H。D。
thoughtitwas,andinthateventhemustabandonhisplaceandstormthekitchentotellthecookallaboutit。Perhapsthegardenerwastakinglifeeasyonthekitchenporch。He,too,cameinforpraise。R。H。D。hadneverseenourJapaneseirissobeautiful;asforhis,theywouldn’tgrowatall。Itwasn’ttheiris,itwasthemanbehindtheiris。Andthenbackhewouldcometous,withawonderfulstoryofhisadventuresinthepantryonhiswaytothekitchen,andleavingbehindhimacooktowhomtherehadbeenissuedanewleaseoflife,andagardenerwhoblushedandsmiledinthedarknessundertheActinidiavines。
ItwasinourlittlehouseatAiken,inSouthCarolina,thathewaswithusmostandwelearnedtoknowhimbest,andthatheandIbecamedependentuponeachotherinmanyways。
Events,intowhichIshallnotgo,hadmadehislifeverydifficultandcomplicated。Andhewhohadgivensomuchfriendshiptosomanypeopleneededalittlefriendshipinreturn,andperhaps,too,heneededforatimetoliveinahousewhosemasterandmistresslovedeachother,andwheretherewerechildren。Beforehecamethatfirstyearourhousehadnoname。Nowitiscalled\"Let’sPretend。\"
Nowthechimneyintheliving—roomdraws,butinthosefirstdaysofthebuilt—overhouseitdidn’t。Atleast,itdidn’tdrawallthetime,butwepretendedthatitdid,andwithmuchpretensecamefaith。Fromthefireplacethatsmokedtotheseriousthingsoflifeweextendedourpretendings,untilrealtroubleswentdownbeforethem——downandout。
ItwasoneofAiken’sverybestwinters,andtheearliestspringIeverlivedanywhere。R。H。D。cameshortlyafterChristmas。Thespireaswereinbloom,andthemonthlyroses;
youcouldalwaysfindasweetvioletortwosomewhereintheyard;hereandtheresplotchesofdeeppinkagainstgraycabinwallsprovedthatprecociouspeach—treeswereinbloom。
Itneverrained。Atnightitwascoldenoughforfires。Inthemiddleofthedayitwashot。Thewindneverblew,andeverymorningwehadafourfortennisandeveryafternoonwerodeinthewoods。Andeverynightwesatinfrontofthefire(thatdidn’tsmokebecauseofpretending)andtalkeduntilthenextmorning。
Hewasoneofthoserarelygiftedmenwhofindtheirchiefestpleasurenotinlookingbackwardorforward,butinwhatisgoingonatthemoment。WeeksdidnothavetopassbeforeitwasforceduponhisknowledgethatTuesday,thefourteenth(letussay),hadbeenagoodTuesday。Heknewitthemomenthewakedat7A。M。andperceivedtheTuesdaysunshinemakingpatternsofbrightlightuponthefloor。Thesunshinerejoicedhimandtheknowledgethatevenbeforebreakfasttherewasvouchsafedtohimawholehouroflife。Thatdaybeganwithattentionstohisphysicalwell—being。Therewereexercisesconductedwithgreatvigorandrejoicing,followedbyatub,artesiancold,andaloudandjoyoussingingofballads。
AtfiftyR。H。D。mighthaveposedtosomePraxitelesand,copiedinmarble,gonedowntheagesas\"statueofayoungathlete。\"Hestoodsixfeetandover,straightasaSiouxchief,anobleandleonineheadcarriedbyasplendidtorso。
Hisskinwasasfineandcleanasachild’s。Heweighednearlytwohundredpoundsandhadnofatonhim。Hewastheweight—throwingratherthantherunningtypeofathlete,butsotenaciouslyhadheclungtothesupplenessofhisadolescentdaysthathecouldstandstiff—leggedandlayhishandsflatuponthefloor。
Thesingingover,silencereigned。Butifyouhadlistenedathisdooryoumusthaveheardapengoing,swiftlyandboldly。
Hewashardatwork,doinguntootherswhatothershaddoneuntohim。Youwereastrangertohim;somemagazinehadacceptedastorythatyouhadwrittenandpublishedit。
R。H。D。hadfoundsomethingtolikeandadmireinthatstory(verylittleperhaps),anditwashisdutyandpleasuretotellyouso。Ifhehadlikedthestoryverymuchhewouldsendyouinsteadofanoteatelegram。Oritmightbethatyouhaddrawnapicture,or,asacubreporter,hadshowngoldenpromiseinahalfcolumnofunsignedprint,R。H。D。
wouldfindyouout,andfindtimetopraiseyouandhelpyou。
Soitwasthatwhenheemergedfromhisroomatsharpeighto’clock,hewaswide—awakeandhappyandhungry,andwhistledanddouble—shuffledwithhisfeet,outofexcessiveenergy,andcarriedinhishandsawholesheafofnotesandlettersandtelegrams。
BreakfastwithhimwasnottheusualAmericanbreakfast,asullen,dyspepticgatheringofpersonswhoonlythenightbeforehadrejoicedineachother’ssociety。Withhimitwasthetimewhenthemindis,oroughttobe,atitsbest,thebodyatitsfreshestandhungriest。Discussionsofthelatestplaysandnovels,thedoingsandundoingsofstatesmen,laughterandsentiment——tohim,atbreakfast,thesethingswereasimportantassausagesandthickcream。
Breakfastover,therewasnodawdlingandputtingoffoftheday’swork(elsehow,atelevensharp,couldtennisbeplayedwithafreeconscience?)。Loving,ashedid,everythingconnectedwithanewspaper,hewouldnowpassbythoseonthehall—tablewithneversomuchasawistfulglance,andhurrytohisworkroom。
Hewrotesittingdown。Hewrotestandingup。And,almostyoumaysay,hewrotewalkingupanddown。Somepeople,accustomedtothedeliciouseaseandclarityofhisstyle,imaginethathewroteveryeasily。Hedidandhedidn’t。
Letters,easy,clear,tothepoint,andgorgeouslyhuman,flowedfromhimwithoutletorhindrance。Thatmasterpieceofcorresponding,\"TheGermanMarchThroughBrussels,\"wasprobablywrittenalmostasfastashecouldtalk(nexttoPhillipsBrooks,hewasthefastesttalkerIeverheard),butwhenitcametofictionhehadnofacilityatall。PerhapsI
shouldsaythatheheldincontemptanyfacilitythathemayhavehad。ItwasowingtohisincomparableenergyandJoblikepatiencethatheevergaveusanyfictionatall。Everyphraseinhisfictionwas,ofallthemyriadphraseshecouldthinkof,thefittestinhisrelentlessjudgmenttosurvive。
Phrases,paragraphs,pages,wholestorieseven,werewrittenoverandoveragain。Heworkeduponaprincipleofelimination。Ifhewishedtodescribeanautomobileturninginatagate,hemadefirstalongandelaboratedescriptionfromwhichtherewasomittednodetail,whichthemostobservantpairofeyesinChristendomhadevernotedwithreferencetojustsuchaturning。Thereuponhewouldbeginaprocessofomittingonebyonethosedetailswhichhehadbeenatsuchpainstorecall;andaftereachomissionhewouldaskhimself:\"Doesthepictureremain?\"Ifitdidnot,herestoredthedetailwhichhehadjustomitted,andexperimentedwiththesacrificeofsomeother,andsoon,andsoon,untilafterHerculeanlaborthereremainedforthereaderoneofthoseswiftlyflashed,ice—clearpictures(completeineverydetail)withwhichhistalesandromancesaresodelightfullyandcontinuouslyadorned。
Butitisquartertoeleven,and,thisbeingatimeofholiday,R。H。D。emergesfromhisworkroomhappytothinkthathehasplacedonehundredandsevenwordsbetweenhimselfandthewolfwhohangsabouteverywriter’sdoor。Heisn’tsatisfiedwiththosehundredandsevenwords。Heneverwasintheleastsatisfiedwithanythingthathewrote,buthehassearchedhismindandhisconscienceandhebelievesthatunderthecircumstancestheyaretheverybestthathecando。Anyway,theycanstandintheirpresentorderuntil——
afterlunch。
Asignofhisyouthwasthefactthattothedayofhisdeathhehaddeniedhimselftheluxuryandslothfulnessofhabits。
Ihaveneverseenhimsmokeautomaticallyasmostmendo。Hehadtoomuchrespectforhisownpowersofenjoymentandforthesensibilities,perhaps,ofthebestHavanatobacco。Atatimeofhisowndeliberatechoosing,oftenaftermanyhoursofhankeringandrenunciation,hesmokedhiscigar。Hesmokeditwithdelight,withasenseofbeingrewarded,andheusedallthesmoketherewasinit。
Hedearlylovedthebestfood,thebestchampagne,andthebestScotchwhiskey。Butthesethingswerefriendstohim,andnotenemies。HehadtowardfoodanddrinktheContinentalattitude;namely,thatqualityisfarmoreimportantthanquantity;andhegothisexhilarationfromthefactthathewasdrinkingchampagneandnotfromthechampagne。PerhapsI
shalldowelltosaythatonquestionsofrightandwronghehadawillofiron。Allhislifehemovedresolutelyinwhicheverdirectionhisconsciencepointed;and,althoughthateverpresentandneverobtrusiveconscienceofhismademistakesofjudgmentnowandthen,asmustallconsciences,I
thinkitcanneveroncehavetrickedhimintoanyactionthatwasimpureorunclean。Somecriticsmaintainthattheheroesandheroinesofhisbooksareimpossiblypureandinnocentyoungpeople。R。H。D。nevercalleduponhischaractersforanytraitofvirtue,orrenunciation,orself—masteryofwhichhisownlifecouldnotfurnishexamples。
Fortunately,hedidnothaveforhisfriendsthesameconsciencethathehadforhimself。Hisgreatgiftofeyesightandobservationfailedhiminhisjudgmentsuponhisfriends。Ifonlyyoulovedhim,youcouldgetyourbiggestfailuresofconductsomewhatmorethanforgiven,withoutanytroubleatall。Andofyourmole—hillvirtueshemadesplendidmountains。Heonlyinterferedwithyouwhenhewasafraidthatyouweregoingtohurtsomeoneelsewhomhealsoloved。OnceIhadatelegramfromhimwhichurgedmeforheaven’ssakenottoforgetthatthenextdaywasmywife’sbirthday。WhetherIhadforgottenitornotismyownprivateaffair。AndwhenIdeclaredthatIhadreadastorywhichI
likedvery,verymuchandwasgoingtowritetotheauthortotellhimso,healwayskeptatmetilltheletterwaswritten。
HaveIsaidthathehadnohabits?Everyday,whenhewasawayfromher,hewrotealettertohismother,andnoswiftscrawlatthat,for,nomatterhowcrowdedandeventfultheday,hewroteherthebestletterthathecouldwrite。Thatwastheonlyhabithehad。Hewasaslavetoit。
OnceIsawR。H。D。greethisoldmotherafteranabsence。
Theythrewtheirarmsabouteachotherandrockedtoandfroforalongtime。Andithadn’tbeenalongabsenceatthat。
Nooceanhadbeenbetweenthem;herhearthadnotbeeninhermouthwiththethoughtthathewasunderfire,orabouttobecomeavictimofjunglefever。Hehadonlybeenawayuponalittleexpedition,amerematterofdiggingforburiedtreasure。Wehadfoundthetreasure,partofitachipmunk’sskullandabrokenarrow—head,andR。H。D。hadbeenabsentfromhismotherfornearlytwohoursandahalf。
IsetaboutthisarticlewiththeknowledgethatImustfailtogivemorethanafewhintsofwhathewaslike。Thereisn’tmuchmorespaceatmycommand,andthereweresomanysidestohimthattotouchuponthemallwouldfillavolume。
TherewerethepatriotismandtheAmericanism,asmuchapartofhimasthemarrowofhisbones,andfromwhichsprangallthosebrilliantheadlongletterstothenewspapers;thosetrenchantassaultsuponevil—doersinpublicoffice,thosequixoticeffortstoredresswrongs,andthosesimpleanddexterousexposuresofthisandthat,fromanabsolutelyunexpectedpointofview。Hewasaquickenerofthepublicconscience。Thatpeoplearebeginningtothinktolerantlyofpreparedness,thatanationwhichatonetimelookedyellowasadandelionisbeginningtoturnRed,White,andBlueisowinginsomemeasuretohim。
R。H。D。thoughtthatwarwasunspeakablyterrible。Hethoughtthatpeaceatthepricewhichourcountryhasbeenforcedtopayforitwasinfinitelyworse。Andhewasoneofthosewhohavegraduallytaughtthiscountrytoseethematterinthesameway。
Imustcometoaclosenow,andIhavehardlyscratchedthesurfaceofmysubject。AndthatisafailurewhichIfeelkeenlybutwhichwasinevitable。AsR。H。D。himselfusedtosayofthosedeplorable\"personalinterviews\"whichappearinthenewspapers,andinwhichtheimportantpersoninterviewedismadebythecubreportertosaythingswhichheneversaid,orthought,ordreamedof——\"Youcan’texpectafifteen—
dollar—a—weekbraintodescribeathousand—dollar—a—weekbrain。\"
Thereis,however,onequestionwhichIshouldattempttoanswer。Notwomenarealike。InwhatonesalientthingdidR。H。D。differfromothermen——differinhispersonalcharacterandinthecharacterofhiswork?AndthatquestionIcanansweroffhand,withouttakingthought,andbesurethatIamright。
Ananalysisofhisworks,astudyofthatbookwhichtheRecordingAngelkeepswillshowonedominantcharacteristictowhichevenhisbrilliancy,hisclarityofstyle,hisexcellentmechanismasawriteraresubordinate;andtowhich,asaman,evenhissenseofduty,hispowersofaffection,offorgiveness,ofloving—kindnessaresubordinate,too;andthatcharacteristiciscleanliness。
Thebiggestforceforcleanlinessthatwasintheworldhasgoneoutoftheworld——gonetothatHappyHuntingGroundwhere\"Nobodyhuntsusandthereisnothingtohunt。\"
GOUVERNEURMORRIS。
Chapter1
THEREDCROSSGIRL
WhenSpencerFlagglaidthefoundation—stoneforthenewmillion—dollarwinghewasaddingtotheFlaggHomeforConvalescents,onthehillsaboveGreenwich,theNewYorkREPUBLICsentSamWardtocoverthestory,andwithhimReddingtotakephotographs。Itwasacrisp,beautifuldayinOctober,fullofsunshineandthejoyofliving,andfromthegreatlawninfrontoftheHomeyoucouldseehalfoverConnecticutandacrossthewatersoftheSoundtoOysterBay。
UponSamWard,however,thebeautiesofNaturewerewasted。
When,thenightprevious,hehadbeengiventheassignmenthehadsulked,andhewasstillsulking。OnlyayearbeforehehadgraduatedintoNewYorkfromasmallup—statecollegeandasmallup—statenewspaper,butalreadyhewasa\"star\"man,andHewitt,thecityeditor,humoredhim。
\"What’sthematterwiththestory?\"askedthecityeditor。
\"Withthespeechesandlistsofnamesitoughttoruntotwocolumns。\"
\"Supposeitdoes!\"exclaimedWard;\"anybodycancollecttype—writtenspeechesandlistsofnames。That’samessengerboy’sjob。Where’sthereanyheart—interestinaWallStreetbrokerlikeFlaggwavingasilvertrowelandsinging,’Seewhatagoodboyam!’andalotofgrownupmeninpinaforessaying,’Thisstoneiswellandtrulylaid。’Where’sthestoryinthat?\"
\"WhenIwasareporter,\"declaredthecityeditor,\"Iusedtobegladtogetadayinthecountry。\"
\"Becauseyou’dneverlivedinthecountry,\"returnedSam。\"Ifyou’dwastedtwenty—sixyearsinthebackwoods,asIdid,you’dknowthateveryminuteyouspendoutsideofNewYorkyou’rerobbingyourself。\"
\"Ofwhat?\"demandedthecityeditor。\"There’snothingtoNewYorkexceptcement,irongirders,noise,andzincgarbagecans。YouneverseethesuninNewYork;youneverseethemoonunlessyoustandinthemiddleofthestreetandbendbackward。WeneverseeflowersinNewYorkexceptonthewomen’shats。Weneverseethewomenexceptincagesintheelevators——theyspendtheirlivesshootingupanddownelevatorshaftsindepartmentstores,inapartmenthouses,inofficebuildings。AndweneverseechildreninNewYorkbecausethejanitorswon’tletthewomenwholiveinelevatorshavechildren!Don’ttalktome!NewYork’saLittleNemonightmare。It’sajoke。It’saninsult!\"
\"Howcurious!\"saidSam。\"NowIseewhytheytookyouoffthestreetandmadeyouacityeditor。Idon’tagreewithanythingyousay。Especiallyareyouwrongaboutthewomen。
Theyoughttobecagedinelevators,butthey’renot。
Instead,theyflashpastyouinthestreet;theyshineuponyoufromboxesinthetheatre;theyfrownatyoufromthetopsofbuses;theysmileatyoufromthecushionsofataxi,acrossrestauranttablesunderredcandleshades,whenyouofferthemaseatinthesubway。TheyaretheonlythinginNewYorkthatgivesmeanytrouble。\"
Thecityeditorsighed。\"Howyoungyouare!\"heexclaimed。
\"However,to—morrowyouwillbefreefromyouronlytrouble。
Therewillbefewwomenatthecelebration,andtheywillbeinterestedonlyinconvalescents——andyoudonotlooklikeaconvalescent。\"
SamWardsatattheouteredgeofthecrowdofoverdressedfemalesandoverfedmen,and,withasardonicsmile,listenedtoFlaggtellinghisassembledfriendsandsycophantshowgladhewastheyweretheretoseehimgiveawayamilliondollars。
\"Aren’tyougoingtogethisspeech?\",askedRedding,thestaffphotographer。
\"GetHISspeech!\"saidSam。\"TheyhavePinkertonsalloverthegroundstoseethatyoudon’tescapewithlessthanthreecopies。I’mwaitingtoheartheritualtheyalwayshave,andthenI’mgoingtosprintforthefirsttrainbacktothecentreofcivilization。\"
\"There’sgoingtobeafinelunch,\"saidRedding,\"andreportersareexpected。Iaskedthepolicemanifwewere,andhesaidwewere。\"
Samrose,shookhistrousersintoplace,stuckhisstickunderhisarmpitandsmoothedhisyellowgloves。Hewasverythoughtfulofhisclothesandalwaystreatedthemwithcourtesy。
\"Youcanhavemyshare,\"hesaid。\"IcannotforgetthatIamfifty—fiveminutesfromBroadway。AndevenifIwerestarvingIwouldratherhaveaclubsandwichinNewYorkthanaThanksgivingturkeydinnerinNewRochelle。\"
Henoddedandwitheager,athleticstridesstartedtowardtheirongates;buthedidnotreachtheirongates,forontheinstanttroublebarredhisway。Troublecametohimwearingthebluecambricuniformofanursingsister,witharedcrossonherarm,withawhitecollarturneddown,whitecuffsturnedback,andatinyblackvelvetbonnet。Abowofwhitelawnchuckedherimpudentlyunderthechin。Shehadhairlikegolden—rodandeyesasblueasflax,andacomplexionofsuchhealthandcleanlinessanddewinessasbloomsonlyontrainednurses。
ShewassolovelythatReddingswunghishoodedcameraatherasswiftlyasacowboycouldhavecoveredherwithhisgun。
Reportersbecomestarreportersbecausetheyobservethingsthatotherpeoplemissandbecausetheydonotletitappearthattheyhaveobservedthem。Whenthegreatmanwhoisbeinginterviewedblurtsoutthatwhichisindiscreetbutmostimportant,thecubreportersays:\"That’smostinteresting,sir。I’llmakeanoteofthat。\"Andsowarnsthegreatmanintosilence。Butthestarreporterreceivestheindiscreetutteranceasthoughitboredhim;andthegreatmandoesnotknowhehasblundereduntilhereadsofitthenextmorningunderscreamingheadlines。
Othermen,onbeingsuddenlyconfrontedbySisterAnne,whichwastheofficialtitleofthenursingsister,wouldhavefallenbackward,orswooned,orgazedatherwithsoulful,worshippingeyes;or,weretheythatsortofbeast,wouldhaveogledherwithimpertinentapproval。NowSam,becausehewasastarreporter,observedthattheladybeforehimwasthemostbeautifulyoungwomanhehadeverseen;butnoonewouldhaveguessedthatheobservedthat——leastofallSisterAnne。Hestoodinherwayandliftedhishat,andevenlookedintotheeyesofblueasimpersonallyandascalmlyasthoughshewerehisgreat—aunt——asthoughhisheartwasnotbeatingsofastthatitchokedhim。
\"IamfromtheREPUBLIC,\"hesaid。\"Everybodyissobusyhereto—daythatI’mnotabletogetwhatIneedabouttheHome。
Itseemsapity,\"headdeddisappointedly,\"becauseit’ssowelldonethatpeopleoughttoknowaboutit。\"Hefrownedatthebighospitalbuildings。Itwasapparentthattheignoranceofthepublicconcerningtheirexcellencegreatlyannoyedhim。
WhenagainhelookedatSisterAnneshewasregardinghiminalarm——obviouslyshewasuponthepointofinstantflight。
\"Youareareporter?\"shesaid。
Somepeopleliketoplacethemselvesinthehandsofareporterbecausetheyhopehewillprinttheirnamesinblackletters;afewothers——onlyreportersknowhowfew——wouldassoonplacethemselvesinthehandsofadentist。
\"AreporterfromtheREPUBLIC,\"repeatedSam。
\"ButwhyaskME?\"demandedSisterAnne。
Samcouldseenoreasonforherquestion;inextenuationandexplanationheglancedatheruniform。
\"Ithoughtyouwereatworkhere,\"hesaidsimply。\"Ibegyourpardon。\"
Hesteppedasideasthoughhemeanttoleaveher。Ingivingthatimpressionhewasdistinctlydishonest。
\"Therewasnootherreason,\"persistedSisterAnne。\"Imeanforspeakingtome?\"
ThereasonforspeakingtoherwassoobviousthatSamwonderedwhetherthiscouldbetheheightofinnocenceorthemostbanalcoquetry。Thehostilelookintheeyesoftheladyproveditcouldnotbecoquetry。
\"Iamsorry,\"saidSam。\"Imistookyouforoneofthenurseshere;and,asyoudidn’tseembusy,IthoughtyoumightgivemesomestatisticsabouttheHomenotreallystatistics,youknow,butlocalcolor。\"
SisterAnnereturnedhislookwithoneassteadyashisown。
Apparentlyshewasweighinghisstatement。Sheseemedtodisbelieveit。Inwardlyhewasaskinghimselfwhatcouldbethedarksecretinthepastofthisyoungwomanthatatthemereapproachofareporter——evenofsuchanice—lookingreporterashimself——sheshouldshakeandshudder。\"Ifthat’swhatyoureallywanttoknow,\"saidSisterAnnedoubtfully,\"
I’lltryandhelpyou;but,\"sheadded,lookingathimasonewhoissuesanultimatum,\"youmustnotsayanythingaboutme!\"
Samknewthatawomanoftheself—advertising,club—
organizingclasswillalwayssaythattoareporteratthetimeshegiveshimhercardsothathecanspellhernamecorrectly;butSamrecognizedthatthisyoungwomanmeantit。
Besides,whatwastherethathecouldwriteabouther?Muchashemightliketodoso,hecouldnotbeginhisstorywith:
\"TheFlaggHomeforConvalescentsisalsothehomeofthemostbeautifulofalllivingwomen。\"Nocopyeditorwouldletthatgetbyhim。So,astherewasnothingtosaythathewouldbeallowedtosay,hepromisedtosaynothing。SisterAnnesmiled;anditseemedtoSamthatshesmiled,notbecausehispromisehadsethermindatease,butbecausethepromiseamusedher。Samwonderedwhy。
SisterAnnefellintostepbesidehimandledhimthroughthewardsofthehospital。Hefoundthatitexistedforandrevolvedentirelyaboutoneperson。Hefoundthatamilliondollarsandsomeacresofbuildings,containingsun—roomsandhundredsofrigidwhitebeds,hadbeendonatedbySpencerFlaggonlytoprovideabackgroundforSisterAnne——onlytoexhibitthedepthofhercharity,thekindnessofherheart,theunselfishnessofhernature。
\"Doyoureallyscrubthefloors?\"hedemanded——\"Imeanyouyourself——downonyourknees,withapailandwaterandscrubbingbrush?\"
SisterAnneraisedherbeautifuleyebrowsandlaughedathim。
\"Wedothatwhenwefirstcomehere,\"shesaid——\"whenweareprobationers。Isthereanewerwayofscrubbingfloors?\"
\"Andtheseawfulpatients,\"demandedSam——\"doyouwaitonthem?Doyouhavetosubmittotheircomplaintsandwhiningsandingratitude?\"Heglaredattheunhappyconvalescentsasthoughbythatglancehewouldannihilatethem。\"It’snotfair!\"exclaimedSam。\"It’sridiculous。I’dliketochokethem!\"
\"That’snotexactlytheobjectofahomeforconvalescents,\"
saidSisterAnne。
\"YouknowperfectlywellwhatImean,\"saidSam。\"Hereareyou——ifyou’llallowmetosayso——amagnificent,splendid,healthyyoungperson,wearingoutyouryounglifeoveralotoflameducks,failures,andcripples。\"
\"Noristhatquitethewaywelookat,\"saidSisterAnne。
\"We?\"demandedSam。
SisterAnnenoddedtowardagroupofnurse\"I’mnottheonlynursehere,\"shesaid\"Thereareoverforty。\"
\"Youaretheonlyonehere,\"saidSam,\"whoisnot!That’sJustwhatImean——Iappreciatetheworkofatrainednurse;I
understandtheministeringangelpartofit;butyou——I’mnottalkingaboutanybodyelse;I’mtalkingaboutyou——youaretooyoung!Somehowyouaredifferent;youarenotmeanttowearyourselfoutfightingdiseaseandsickness,measuringbeefbrothandmakingbeds。\"
SisterAnnelaughedwithdelight。
\"Ibegyourpardon,\"saidSamstiffly。
\"No——pardonme,\"saidSisterAnne;\"butyourideasofthedutiesofanursearesoquaint。\"
\"Nomatterwhatthedutiesare,\"declaredSam;\"Youshouldnotbehere!\"
SisterAnneshruggedhershoulders;theywerecharmingshoulders——asdelicateasthepinionsofabird。
\"Onemustlive,\"saidSisterAnne。
Theyhadpassedthroughthelastcoldcorridor,betweenthelastrowsofrigidwhitecots,andhadcomeoutintothesunshine。BelowthemstretchedConnecticut,paintedinautumncolors。SisterAnneseatedherselfuponthemarblerailingoftheterraceandlookeddownupontheflashingwatersoftheSound。
\"Yes;that’sit,\"sherepeatedsoftly——\"onemustlive。\"
Samlookedather——but,findingthattodosomadespeechdifficult,lookedhurriedlyaway。Headmittedtohimselfthatitwasoneofthoseoccasions,onlytoofrequentwithhim,whenhisindignantsympathywasheightenedbythefactthat\"thewoman。wasveryfair。\"Heconcededthat。HewasnotgoingtopretendtohimselfthathewasnotprejudicedbytheoutrageousbeautyofSisterAnne,bytheassaultuponhisfeelingsmadebyheruniform——madebytheappealofherprofession,thegentlestandmostgraciousofallprofessions。Hewashonestlydisturbedthatthisyounggirlshoulddevoteherlifetotheserviceofselfishsickpeople。
\"Ifyoudoitbecauseyoumustlive,thenitcaneasilybearranged;forthereareotherwaysofearningaliving。\"
Thegirllookedathimquickly,buthewasquitesincere——andagainshesmiled。
\"Nowwhatwouldyousuggest?\"sheasked。\"Yousee,\"shesaid,\"Ihavenoonetoadviseme——nomanofmyownage。Ihavenobrotherstogoto。Ihaveafather,butitwashisideathatIshouldcomehere;andsoIdoubtifhewouldapproveofmychangingtoanyotherwork。Yourownworkmustmakeyouacquaintedwithmanywomenwhoearntheirownliving。Maybeyoucouldadviseme?\"
Samdidnotatonceanswer。Hewascalculatinghastilyhowfarhissalarywouldgotowardsupportingawife。Hewastryingtorememberwhichofthemenintheofficeweremarried,andwhethertheywerethosewhosesalariesweresmallerthanhisown。Collins,oneofthecopyeditors,heknew,wasveryill—paid;butSamalsoknewthatCollinswasmarried,becausehiswifeusedtowaitforhimintheofficetotakehertothetheatre,andoftenSamhadthoughtshewasextremelywelldressed。OfcourseSisterAnnewassobeautifulthatwhatshemightwearwouldbeamatterofindifference;butthenwomendidnotalwayslookatitthatway。SamwassolongconsideringofferingSisterAnnealifepositionthathissilencehadbecomesignificant;andtocoverhisrealthoughtshesaidhurriedly:
\"Taketype—writing,forinstance。Thatpaysverywell。Thehoursarenotdifficult。\"
\"Andmanicuring?\"suggestedSisterAnne。
Samexclaimedinhorror。
\"You!\"hecriedroughly。\"Foryou!Quiteimpossible!\"
\"Whyforme?\"saidthegirl。
InthedistressatthethoughtSamwasjabbinghisstickintothegravelwalkasthoughdrivingthemanicuringideaintoadeepgrave。Hedidnotseethatthegirlwassmilingathimmockingly。
\"You?\"protestedSam。\"Youinabarber’sshopwashingmen’sfingerswhoarenotfittowashthestreetsyouwalkonI
GoodLord!\"Hisvehemencewasquitehonest。Thegirlceasedsmiling。Samwasstilljabbingatthegravelwalk,hisprofiletowardher——and,unobserved,shecouldstudyhisface。Itwasanattractivefacestrong,clever,almostillegallygood—looking。Itexplainedwhy,as,hehadcomplainedtothecityeditor,hischieftroubleinNewYorkwaswiththewomen。Withhiseyesfullofconcern,Samturnedtoherabruptly。\"Howmuchdotheygiveyouamonth?\"\"Fortydollars,\"answeredSisterAnne。\"Thisiswhathurtsmeaboutit,\"saidSam。
Itisthatyoushouldhavetoworkandwaitonotherpeoplewhentherearesomanystrong,hulkingmenwhowouldcountitGod’sblessingtoworkforyou,towaitonyou,andgivetheirlivesforyou。However,probablyyouknowthatbetterthanIdo。\"
\"No;Idon’tknowthat,\"saidSisterAnne。
Samrecognizedthatitwasquiteabsurdthatitshouldbeso,butthisstatementgavehimasenseofgreatelation,adelightfulthrillofrelief。Therewaseveryreasonwhythegirlshouldnotconfideinacompletestranger——eventodeceivehimwasquitewithinherrights;but,thoughSamappreciatedthis,hepreferredtobedeceived。
\"Ithinkyouareworkingtoohard,\"hesaid,smilinghappily。
\"Ithinkyououghttohaveachange。Yououghttotakeadayoff!Dotheyevergiveyouadayoff?\"
\"NextSaturday,\"saidSisterAnne。\"Why?\"
\"Because,\"explainedSam,\"ifyouwon’tthinkittoopresumptuous,Iwasgoingtoprescribeadayoffforyou——adayentirelyawayfromiodoformandwhiteenamelledcots。Itiswhatyouneed,adayinthecityandalunchwheretheyhavemusic;andamatinee,whereyoucanlaugh——orcry,ifyoulikethatbetter——andthen,maybe,somefreshairintheparkinataxi;andafterthatdinnerandmoretheatre,andthenI’llseeyousafeonthetrainforGreenwich。Beforeyouanswer,\"headdedhurriedly,\"IwanttoexplainthatIcontemplatetakingadayoffmyselfanddoingallthesethingswithyou,andthatifyouwanttobringanyoftheotherfortynursesalongasachaperon,Ihopeyouwill。Only,honestly,Ihopeyouwon’t!\"
TheproposalapparentlygaveSisterAnnemuchpleasure。Shedidnotsayso,buthereyesshoneandwhenshelookedatSamshewasalmostlaughingwithhappiness。
\"Ithinkthatwouldbequitedelightful,\"saidSisterAnne,\"
——quitedelightful!Onlyitwouldbefrightfullyexpensive;
evenifIdon’tbringanothergirl,whichIcertainlywouldnot,itwouldcostagreatdealofmoney。Ithinkwemightcutoutthetaxicab——andwalkintheparkandfeedthesquirrels。\"
\"Oh!\"exclaimedSamindisappointment,——\"thenyouknowCentralPark?\"
SisterAnne’seyesgrewquiteexpressionless。
\"Ioncelivednearthere,\"shesaid。
\"InHarlem?\"
\"NotexactlyinHarlem,butnearit。Iwasquiteyoung,\"saidSisterAnne。\"SincethenIhavealwayslivedinthecountryorin——otherplaces。\"
Sam’sheartwassingingwithpleasure。
\"It’ssokindofyoutoconsent,\"hecried。\"Indeed,youarethekindestpersoninalltheworld。IthoughtsowhenIsawyoubendingoverthesesickpeople,and,nowIknow。\"
\"Itisyouwhoarekind,\"protestedSisterAnne,\"totakepityonme。\"
\"Pityonyou!\"laughedSam。\"Youcan’tpityapersonwhocandomorewithasmilethanoldmanFlaggcandowithallhismillions。Now,\"hedemandedinhappyanticipation,\"wherearewetomeet?\"
\"That’sit,\"saidSisterAnne。\"Wherearewetomeet?\"
\"LetitbeattheGrandCentralStation。Thedaycan’tbegintoosoon,\"saidSam;\"andbeforethentelephonemewhattheatreandrestaurantsyouwantandI’llreserveseatsandtables。Oh,\"exclaimedSamjoyfully,\"itwillbeawonderfulday——awonderfulday!\"
SisterAnnelookedathimcuriouslyand,so,itseemed,alittlewistfully。Sheheldoutherhand。
\"Imustgobacktomyduties,\"shesaid。\"Good—by。\"
\"Notgood—by,\"saidSamheartily,\"onlyuntilSaturday——andmyname’sSamWardandmyaddressisthecityroomoftheREPUBLIC。What’syourname?\"
\"SisterAnne,\"saidthegirl。\"InthenursingordertowhichIbelongwehavenolastnames。\"
\"So,\"askedSam,\"I’llcallyouSisterAnne?\"
\"No;justSister,\"saidthegirl。
\"Sister!\"repeatedSam,\"Sister!\"Hebreathedthewordratherthanspokeit;andthewayhesaiditandthewayhelookedwhenhesaiditmadeitcarryalmostthetouchofacaress。
Itwasasifhehadsaid\"Sweetheart!or\"Beloved!\"\"I’llnotforget,\"saidSam。
SisterAnnegaveanimpatient,annoyedlaugh。
\"NorI,\"shesaid。
SamreturnedtoNewYorkinthesmoking—car,puffingfeverishlyathiscigarandglaringdreamilyatthesmoke。Hewaslivingthedayoveragainand,inanticipation,thedayoff,stilltocome。Herehearsedtheirnextmeetingatthestation;heconsideredwhetherornothewouldmeetherwithahugebunchofvioletsorwouldhaveitbroughttoherwhentheywereatluncheonbytheheadwaiter。Hedecidedthelatterwaywouldbemoreofapleasantsurprise。Heplannedtheluncheon。Itwastobethemostmarvellousrepasthecouldevolve;and,lestthereshouldbetheslightesterror,hewouldhaveitpreparedinadvance——anditshouldcosthalfhisweek’ssalary。
Theplacewheretheyweretodinehewouldleavetoher,becausehehadobservedthatwomenhadstrangeideasaboutclothes——someofthemthinkingthatcertainclothesmustgowithcertainrestaurants。Someofthemseemedtobelievethat,insteadoftheirconferringdistinctionupontherestaurant,therestaurantconferreddistinctionuponthem。
HewassureSisterAnnewouldnotbesofoolish,butitmightbethatshemustalwayswearhernurse’suniformandthatshewouldprefernottobeconspicuous;sohedecidedthatthechoiceofwheretheywoulddinehewouldleavetoher。Hecalculatedthatthewholedayoughttocostabouteightydollars,which,asstarreporter,waswhathewasthenearningeachweek。Thatwaslittleenoughtogiveforadaythatwouldbethebirthdayofhislife!No,hecontradicted——
thedayhehadfirstmethermustalwaysbethebirthdayofhislife;forneverhadhemetonelikeherandhewassurethereneverwouldbeonelikeher。Shewassoentirelysuperiortoalltheothers,sofine,sodifficult——inhermannertherewassomethingthatrenderedherunapproachable。Evenhersimplenurse’sgownwaswornwithadifference。Shemighthavebeenaprincessinfancydress。
Andyet,howhumbleshehadbeenwhenhebeggedhertolethimforonedaypersonallyconductheroverthegreatcity!
\"Youaresokindtotakepityonme,\"shehadsaid。Hethoughtofmanyclever,prettyspeecheshemighthavemade。
Hewassoannoyedhehadnotthoughtofthematthetimethathekickedviolentlyattheseatinfrontofhim。
Hewonderedwhatherhistorymightbe;hewassureitwasfullofbeautifulcourageandself—sacrifice。Itcertainlywasoutrageousthatonesogloriousmustworkforherliving,andforsuchapaltryliving——fortydollarsamonth!Itwasworththatmerelytohavehersitintheflatwhereonecouldlookather;foralreadyhehaddecidedthat,whentheyweremarried,theywouldliveinaflat——probablyinoneoverlookingCentralPark,onCentralParkWest。Heknewofseveralattractivesuitesthereatthirty—fivedollarsaweek——or,ifshepreferredthesuburbs,hewouldforsakehisbelovedNewYorkandreturntothecountry。Inhisgratitudetoherforbeingwhatshewas,heconcededeventhatsacrifice。
WhenhereachedNewYork,fromthespeculatorsheboughtfront—rowseatsatfivedollarsforthetwomostpopularplaysintown。Heputthemawaycarefullyinhiswaistcoatpocket。Possessionofthemmadehimfeelthatalreadyhehadobtainedanoptiononsixhoursofcompletehappiness。
AftersheleftSam,SisterAnnepassedhurriedlythroughthehospitaltothematron’sroomand,wrappingherselfinaraccooncoat,madeherwaytoawaitingmotorcarandsaid,\"Home!\"tothechauffeur。HedrovehertotheFlaggfamilyvault,asFlagg’senviousmillionaireneighborscalledthepileofwhitemarblethattoppedthehighesthillaboveGreenwich,andwhichforyearshadservedasalandfalltomarinersontheSound。
Therewereanumberofpeopleatteawhenshearrivedandtheygreetedhernoisily。
\"Ihavehadamostsplendidadventure!\"saidSisterAnne。
\"Thereweresixofus,youknow,dressedupasRedCrossnurses,andwegaveawayprogrammes。Well,oneoftheNewYorkreportersthoughtIwasarealnurseandinterviewedmeabouttheHome。OfcourseIknewenoughaboutittokeepitup,andIkeptitupsowellthathewasterriblysorryforme;and……\"
OneoftheteadrinkerswaslittleHollisHolworthy,whopridedhimselfonknowingwho’swhoinNewYork。HehadmetSamWardatfirstnightsandprizefights。Helaughedscornfully。
\"Don’tyoubelieveit!\"heinterrupted。\"ThatmanwhowastalkingtoyouwasSamWard。He’sthesmartestnewspapermaninNewYork;hewasjustleadingyouon。Doyousupposethere’sareporterinAmericawhowouldn’tknowyouinthedark?WaituntilyouseetheSundaypaper。\"
SisterAnneexclaimedindignantly。
\"Hedidnotknowme!\"sheprotested。\"ItquiteupsethimthatIshouldbewastingmylifemeasuringoutmedicinesandmakingbeds。\"
Therewasashriekofdisbeliefandlaughter。
\"Itoldhim,\"continuedSisterAnne,\"thatIgotfortydollarsamonth,andhesaidIcouldmakemoreasatypewriter;andIsaidIpreferredtobeamanicurist。\"
\"Oh,Anita!\"protestedtheadmiringchorus。
\"Andhewasmostindignant。Heabsolutelyrefusedtoallowmetobeamanicurist。AndheaskedmetotakeadayoffwithhimandlethimshowmeNewYork。Andheoffered,asattractions,moving—pictureshowsandadriveonaFifthAvenuebus,andfeedingpeanutstotheanimalsinthepark。
AndifIinsisteduponachaperonImightbringoneofthenurses。We’retomeetatthesoda—waterfountainintheGrandCentralStation。Hesaid,’Thedaycannotbegintoosoon。’\"
\"Oh,Anita!\"shriekedthechorus。
LordDeptford,whoasthenewspapershadrepeatedlyinformedtheAmericanpublic,hadcometotheFlaggs’country—placetotrytomarryAnitaFlagg,wasamused。
\"Whatanawfullyjollyrag!\"hecried。\"Andwhatareyougoingtodoaboutit?\"
\"Nothing,\"saidAnitaFlagg。\"Thereportershavebeenmakingmeridiculousforthelastthreeyears;nowIhavegotbackatoneofthem!\"And,\"sheadded,\"that’sallthereistothat!\"
Thatnight,however,whenthehousepartywasmakingtowardbed,SisterAnnestoppedbythestairsandsaidtoLordDeptford:\"IwanttohearyoucallmeSister。\"
\"Callyouwhat?\"exclaimedtheyoungman。\"Iwilltellyou,\"
hewhispered,\"whatI’dliketocallyou!\"
\"Youwillnot!\"interruptedAnita。\"DoasItellyouandsaySisteronce。Sayitasthoughyoumeantit。\"
\"ButIdon’tmeanit,\"protestedhislordship。\"I’vesaidalreadywhatI……\"
\"Nevermindwhatyou’vesaidalready,\"commandedMissFlagg。
\"I’veheardthatfromalotofpeople。SaySisterjustonce。\"
Hislordshipfrownedinembarrassment。
\"Sister!\"heexclaimed。Itsoundedlikethepopofacork。
AnitaFlagglaughedunkindlyandherbeautifulshouldersshiveredasthoughshewerecold。
\"Notabitlikeit,Deptford,\"shesaid。\"Good—night。\"
LaterHelenPage,whocametoherroomtoaskheraboutahorseshewastorideinthemorning,foundherreadyforbedbutstandingbytheopenwindowlookingouttowardthegreatcitytothesouth。
WhensheturnedMissPagesawsomethinginhereyesthatcausedthatyoungwomantoshriekwithamazement。
\"Anita!\"sheexclaimed。\"Youcrying!WhatinHeaven’snamecanmakeyoucry?\"
Itwasnotakindspeech,nordidMissFlaggreceiveitkindly。Sheturneduponthetactlessintruder。
\"Suppose,\"criedAnitafiercely,\"amanthoughtyouwereworthfortydollarsamonth——honestlydidn’tknow!——honestlybelievedyouwerepoorandworkedforyourliving,andstillsaidyoursmilewasworthmorethanallofoldmanFlagg’smillions,notknowingtheywereYOURmillions。Supposehedidn’taskanymoneyofyou,butjusttotakecareofyou,toslaveforyou——onlywantedtokeepyourprettyhandsfromworking,andyourprettyeyesfromseeingsicknessandpain。
Supposeyoumetthatmanamongthisrottenlot,whatwouldyoudo?Whatwouldn’tyoudo?\"
\"Why,Anita!\"exclaimedMissPage。
\"Whatwouldyoudo?\"demandedAnitaFlagg。\"Thisiswhatyou’ddo:You’dgodownonyourkneestothatmanandsay:
’Takemeaway!Takemeawayfromthem,andpityme,andbesorryforme,andloveme——andloveme——andloveme!\"
\"Andwhydon’tyou?\"criedHelenPage。
\"BecauseI’masrottenastherestofthem!\"criedAnitaFlagg。\"BecauseI’macoward。Andthat’swhyI’mcrying。
Haven’tItherighttocry?\"
AttheexactmomentMissFlaggwasproclaimingherselfamoralcoward,inthelocalroomoftheREPUBLICCollins,thecopyeditor,waseditingSam’sstory’ofthelayingofthecorner—stone。Thecopyeditor’scigarwastiltednearhislefteyebrow;hisbluepencil,likeaguillotinereadytofallupontheguiltywordorparagraph,wassuspendedinmid—
air;andcontinually,likeahawkpreparingtostrike,thebluepencilswoopedandcircled。Butpageafterpagefellsoftlytothedeskandthebluepencilremainedinactive。Asheread,thevoiceofCollinsroseinmutteredejaculations;
and,ashecontinuedtoread,theseexplosionsgrewlouderandmoreamazed。Atlasthecouldendurenomoreand,swingingswiftlyinhisrevolvingchair,hisglanceswepttheoffice。\"InthenameofMike!\"heshouted。\"WhatISthis?\"
Thereportersnearesthim,busywithpencilandtypewriters,frownedinimpatientprotest。SamWard,swinginghislegsfromthetopofatable,wasgazingattheceiling,wrappedindreamsandtobaccosmoke。Uponhisclever,clean—cutfeaturestheexpressionwasfar—awayandbeatific。Hecamebacktoearth。
\"What’swhat?\"Samdemanded。
AtthatmomentElliott,themanagingeditor,waspassingthroughtheroomhishandsfilledwithfreshlypulledproofs。
HeswungtowardCollinsquicklyandsnatchedupSam’scopy。
Thestoryalreadywaslate——anditwasimportant。
\"What’swrong?\"hedemanded。Overtheroomtherefellasuddenhush。
\"Readtheopeningparagraph,\"protestedCollins。\"It’slikethatforacolumn!It’sallaboutagirl——aboutaRedCrossnurse。NotawordaboutFlaggorLordDeptford。Nospeeches!
Nonews!It’snotanewsstoryatall。It’saneditorial,andanessay,andaspringpoem。Idon’tknowwhatitis。And,what’sworse,\"wailedthecopyeditordefiantlyandtotheamazementofall,\"it’ssodarnedgoodthatyoucan’ttouchit。You’vegottoletitgoorkillit。\"
Theeyesofthemanagingeditor,maskedbyhisgreenpapershade,wereracingoverSam’swrittenwords。HethrustthefirstpagebackatCollins。
\"Isitalllikethat?\"
\"There’sacolumnlikethat!\"
\"Runitjustasitis,\"commandedthemanagingeditor。\"Useitforyourintroductionandgetyourstoryfromtheflimsy。
And,inyourhead,cutoutFlaggentirely。Callit’TheRedCrossGirl。’Andplayitupstrongwithpictures。\"HeturnedonSamandeyedhimcuriously。
\"What’stheidea,Ward?\"hesaid。\"Thisisanewspaper——notamagazine!\"
Theclickofthetypewriterswassilent,thehecticrushofthepencilshadceased,andthestaff,expectant,smiledcynicallyuponthestarreporter。Samshovedhishandsintohistrouserspocketsandalsosmiled,butunhappily。
\"Iknowit’snotnews,Sir,\"hesaid;butthat’sthewayI
sawthestory——outsideonthelawn,thebandplaying,andthegovernorandthegovernor’sstaffandtheclergyburningincensetoFlagg;andinside,thisgirlrightonthejob——
takingcareofthesickandwounded。Itseemedtomethatamillionfromamanthatwon’tmissamilliondidn’tstackupagainstwhatthisgirlwasdoingforthesesickfolks!WhatI
wantedtosay,\"continuedSamstoutly\"wasthatthemovingspiritofthehospitalwasnotinthemanwhosignedthechecks,butinthesewomenwhodothework——thenurses,liketheoneIwroteabout;theoneyoucalled’TheRedCrossGirl。’\"
Collins,strongthroughmanyyearsoffaithfulservice,backedbythetraditionsoftheprofession,snortedscornfully。
\"Butit’snotnews!\"
\"It’snotnews,\"saidElliottdoubtfully;\"butit’sthekindofstorythatmadeFrankO’Malleyfamous。It’sthekindofstorythatdrivesmenoutofthisbusinessintothearmsofwhatKiplingcalls’theillegitimatesister。’\"
Itseldomisgrantedtoamanonthesamedaytogivehiswholehearttoagirlandtobepattedonthebackbyhismanagingeditor;anditwasthiscombination,andnotthedrinkshedispensedtothestaffinreturnforitscongratulations,thatsentSamhomewalkingonair。Helovedhisbusiness,hewasproudofhisbusiness;butneverbeforehaditservedhimsowell。Ithadenabledhimtotellthewomanheloved,andincidentallyamillionotherpeople,howdeeplyhehonoredher;howclearlyheappreciatedherpowerforgood。NoonewouldknowhemeantSisterAnne,savetwopeople——SisterAnneandhimself;butforherandforhimthatwasasmanyasshouldknow。Inhisstoryhehadusedrealincidentsoftheday;hehaddescribedherasshepassedthroughthewardsofthehospital,cheeringandsympathetic;
hehadtoldofthelittleactsofconsiderationthatendearedhertothesickpeople。
Thenextmorningshewouldknowthatitwassheofwhomhehadwritten;andbetweenthelinesshewouldreadthatthemanwhowrotethemlovedher。Sohefellasleep,impatientforthemorning。InthehotelatwhichhelivedtheREPUBLIC
wasalwaysplacedpromptlyoutsidehisdoor;and,aftermanyexcursionsintothehall,heatlastfoundit。Onthefrontpagewashisstory,\"TheRedCrossGirl。\"Ithadtheplaceofhonor——right—handcolumn;butmoreconspicuousthantheheadlinesofhisownstorywasoneofRedding’s,photographs。
ItwastheonehehadtakenofSisterAnnewhenfirstshehadapproachedthem,inheruniformofmercy,advancingacrossthelawn,walkingstraightintothefocusofthe,camera。
Therewasnomistakingherforanyotherlivingwoman;butbeneaththepicture,inbold,staring,uncompromisingtype,wasastrangeandgrotesquelegend。
\"DaughterofMillionaireFlagg,\"itread,\"inaNewRole,MissAnitaFlaggasTheRedCrossGirl。\"
ForalongtimeSamlookedatthepicture,andthen,foldingthepapersothatthepicturewashidden,hewalkedtotheopenwindow。Frombelow,Broadwaysentupatumultuousgreeting——cablecarsjangled,taxishooted;and,onthesidewalks,ontheirwaytowork,processionsofshop—girlssteppedoutbriskly。Itwasthestreetandthecityandthelifehehadfoundfascinating,butnowitjarredandaffrontedhim。Agirlheknewhaddied,hadpassedoutofhislifeforever——worsethanthathadneverexisted;andyetthecitywentorjustasthoughthatmadenodifference,orjustaslittledifferenceasitwouldhavemadehadSisterAnnereallylivedandreallydied。
Atthesameearlyhour,anhourfartooearlyfortherestofthehouseparty,AnitaFlaggandHelenPage,bootedandriding—habited,sataloneatthebreakfasttable,theirteabeforethem;andinthehandsofAnitaFlaggwastheDAILY
REPUBLIC。MissPagehadbroughtthepapertothetableand,withaffectedindignationattheimpertinenceofthepress,hadpointedatthefront—pagephotograph;butMissFlaggwasnotlookingatthephotograph,ordrinkinghertea,orshowinginherimmediatesurroundingsanyinterestwhatsoever。Instead,herlovelyeyeswerefastenedwithfascinationuponthecolumnundertheheading\"TheRedCrossGirl\";and,assheread,thelovelyeyeslostalltraceofrecentslumber,herlovelylipspartedbreathlessly,andonherlovelycheeksthecolorflowedandfadedandglowedandbloomed。Whenshehadreadasfarasaparagraphbeginning,\"WhenSisterAnnewalkedbetweenthemthosewhosufferedraisedtheireyestohersasflowerslifttheirfacestotherain,\"shedroppedthepaperandstartedfortelephone。