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！
I was。 It wasn't pleasant at the time； but it had a very bracing effect。 I have been quite different ever since。 It was a man； of course； who did it。 His method was quite simple。 He just made fun of me； and Nature did the rest。〃
Jimmy scowled in the darkness。 Murderous thoughts towards the unknown brute flooded his mind。
〃I wish I could meet him！〃 he growled。
〃You aren't likely to；〃 said Ann。 〃He lives in England。 His name is Crocker。 Jimmy Crocker。 I spoke about him just now。〃
Through the howling of the wind cut the sharp notes of a bugle。 Ann turned to the saloon entrance。
〃Dinner！〃 she said brightly。 〃How hungry one gets on board ship！〃 She stopped。 〃Aren't you ing down； Mr。 Bayliss？〃
〃Not just yet；〃 said Jimmy thickly。
CHAPTER VIII
PAINFUL SCENE IN A CAFé
THE noonday sun beat down on Park Row。 Hurrying mortals； released from a thousand offices； congested the sidewalks； their thoughts busy with the vision of lunch。 Up and down the canyon of Nassau Street the crowds moved more slowly。 Candy…selling aliens jostled newsboys； and huge dray…horses endeavoured to the best of their ability not to grind the citizenry beneath their hooves。 Eastward； pressing on to the City Hall； surged the usual dense army of happy lovers on their way to buy marriage…licenses。 Men popped in and out of the subway entrances like rabbits。 It was a stirring； bustling scene； typical of this nerve…centre of New York's vast body。
Jimmy Crocker； standing in the doorway； watched the throngs enviously。 There were men in that crowd who chewed gum； there were men who wore white satin ties with imitation diamond stick…pins； there were men who； having smoked seven…tenths of a cigar； were eating the remainder： but there was not one with whom he would not at that moment willingly have exchanged identities。 For these men had jobs。 And in his present frame of mind it seemed to him that no further ingredient was needed for the recipe of the ultimate human bliss。
The poet has said some very searching and unpleasant things about the man 〃whose heart has ne'er within him burned as home his footsteps he has turned from wandering on some foreign strand；〃 but he might have excused Jimmy for feeling just then not so much a warmth of heart as a cold and clammy sensation of dismay。 He would have had to admit that the words 〃High though his titles； proud his name； boundless his wealth as wish can claim〃 did not apply to Jimmy Crocker。 The latter may have been 〃concentred all on self；〃 but his wealth consisted of one hundred and thirty…three dollars and forty cents and his name was so far from being proud that the mere sight of it in the files of the New York Sunday Chronicle； the record…room of which he had just been visiting； had made him consider the fact that he had changed it to Bayliss the most sensible act of his career。
The reason for Jimmy's lack of enthusiasm as he surveyed the portion of his native land visible from his doorway is not far to seek。 The Atlantic had docked on Saturday night； and Jimmy； having driven to an excellent hotel and engaged an expensive room therein； had left instructions at the desk that breakfast should be served to him at ten o'clock and with it the Sunday issue of the Chronicle。 Five years had passed since he had seen the dear old rag for which he had reported so many fires； murders； street…accidents； and weddings： and he looked forward to its perusal as a formal taking seisin of his long…neglected country。 Nothing could be more fitting and symbolic than that the first morning of his return to America should find him propped up in bed reading the good old Chronicle。 Among his final meditations as he dropped off to sleep was a gentle speculation as to who was City editor now and whether the ic supplement was still featuring the sprightly adventures of the Doughnut family。
A wave of not unmanly sentiment passed over him on the following morning as he reached out for the paper。 The sky…line of New York； seen as the boat es up the bay； has its points and the rattle of the Elevated trains and the quaint odour of the Subway extend a kindly wele； but the thing that really convinces the returned traveller that he is back on Manhattan Island is the first Sunday paper。 Jimmy； like every one else； began by opening the ic supplement： and as he scanned it a chilly disfort； almost a premonition of evil； came upon him。 The Doughnut Family was no more。 He knew that it was unreasonable of him to feel as if he had just been informed of the death of a dear friend； for Pa Doughnut and his associates had been having their adventures five years before he had left the country； and even the toughest ic supplementary hero rarely endures for a decade： but nevertheless the shadow did fall upon his morning optimism； and he derived no pleasure whatever from the artificial rollickings of a degraded creature called Old Pop Dill…Pickle who was offered as a substitute。
But this； he was to discover almost immediately； was a trifling disaster。 It distressed him； but it did not affect his material welfare。 Tragedy really began when he turned to the magazine section。 Scarcely had he started to glance at it when this headline struck him like a bullet：
PICCADILLY JIM AT IT AGAIN
And beneath it his own name。
Nothing is so capable of diversity as the emotion we feel on seeing our name unexpectedly in print。 We may soar to the heights or we may sink to the depths。 Jimmy did the latter。 A mere cursory first inspection of the article revealed the fact that it was no eulogy。 With an unsparing hand the writer had muck…raked his eventful past； the text on which he hung his remarks being that ill…fated encounter with Lord Percy Whipple at the Six Hundred Club。 This the scribe had recounted at a length and with a boisterous vim which outdid even Bill Blake's effort in the London Daily Sun。 Bill Blake had been handicapped by consideration of space and the fact that he had turned in his copy at an advanced hour when the paper was almost made up。 The present writer was shackled by no restrictions。 He had plenty of room to spread himself in； and he had spread himself。 So liberal had been the editor's views in the respect that； in addition to the letter…press； the pages contained an unspeakably offensive picture of a burly young man in an obviously advanced condition of alcoholism raising his fist to strike a monocled youth in evening dress who had so little chin that Jimmy was surprised that he had ever been able to hit it。 The only gleam of consolation that he could discover in this repellent drawing was the fact that the artist had treated Lord Percy even more scurvily than himself。 Among other things； the second son of the Duke of Devizes was depicted as wearing a coroneta thing which would have excited remark even in a London night…club。
Jimmy read the thing through in its entirety three times before he appreciated a nuance which his disordered mind had at first failed to graspto wit； that this character…sketch of himself was no mere isolated outburst but apparently one of a series。 In several places the writer alluded unmistakeably to other theses on the same subject。
Jimmy's breakfast congealed on its tray； untouch