登陆注册
15319900000013

第13章 The Gay Old Dog [1917](8)

Jo looked at him, and his face flushed purple.His eyes, the hard- boiled eyes of a Loop-hound, took on the look of a sad old man.And suddenly he was no longer Jo, the sport; old J.Hertz, the gay dog.He was Jo Hertz, thirty, in love with life, in love with Emily, and with the stinging blood of young manhood coursing through his veins.

Another minute and the boy had passed on up the broad street--the fine, flag-bedecked street--just one of a hundred service hats bobbing in rhythmic motion like sandy waves lapping a shore and flowing on.

Then he disappeared altogether.

Emily was clinging to Jo.She was mumbling something, over andover."I can't.I can't.Don't ask me to.I can't let him go.

Like that.I can't." Jo said a queer thing.

"Why, Emily! We wouldn't have him stay home, would we? We wouldn't want him to do anything different, would we? Not our boy.I'm glad he enlisted.I'm proud of him.So are you glad."Little by little he quieted her.He took her to the car that was waiting, a worried chauffeur in charge.They said good-by, awkwardly.Emily's face was a red, swollen mass.

So it was that when Jo entered his own hallway half an hour later he blinked, dazedly, and when the light from the window fell on him you saw that his eyes were red.

Eva was not one to beat about the bush.She sat forward in her chair, clutching her bag rather nervously.

"Now, look here, Jo.Stell and I are here for a reason.We're here to tell you that this thing's going to stop.""Thing?Stop?"

"You know very well what I mean.You saw me at the milliner's that day.And night before last, Ethel.We're all disgusted.If you must go about with people like that, please have some sense of decency."Something gathering in Jo's face should have warned her.But he was slumped down in his chair in such a huddle, and he looked so old and fat that she did not heed it.She went on."You've got us to consider.Your sisters.And your nieces.Not to speak of your own----"But he got to his feet then, shaking, and at what she saw in his face even Eva faltered and stopped.It wasn't at all the face of a fat, middle- aged sport.It was a face Jovian, terrible.

"You!" he began, low-voiced, ominous."You!" He raised a great fist high."You two murderers! You didn't consider me, twenty years ago.You come to me with talk like that.Where's my boy! You killed him, you two, twenty years ago.And now he belongs to somebody else.Where's my son that should have gone marching by today?" He flung his arms out in a great gesture of longing.The red veins stood out on his forehead."Where's my son! Answer me that, you two selfish,miserable women.Where's my son!"Then, as they huddled together, frightened, wild-eyed.

"Out of my house!Out of my house!Before I hurt you!" They fled, terrified.The door banged behind them.

Jo stood, shaking, in the center of the room.Then he reached for a chair, gropingly, and sat down.He passed one moist, flabby hand over his forehead and it came away wet.The telephone rang.He sat still.It sounded far away and unimportant, like something forgotten.But it rang and rang insistently.Jo liked to answer his telephone when he was at home.

"Hello!"He knew instantly the voice at the other end."That you, Jo?" it said.

"Yes."

"How's my boy?" "I'm--all right."

"Listen, Jo.The crowd's coming over tonight.I've fixed up a little poker game for you.Just eight of us.""I can't come tonight, Gert." "Can't!Why not?""I'm not feeling so good."

"You just said you were all right."

"I AM all right.Just kind of tired."

The voice took on a cooing note."Is my Joey tired? Then he shall be all comfy on the sofa, and he doesn't need to play if he don't want to.No, sir."Jo stood staring at the black mouthpiece of the telephone.He was seeing a procession go marching by.Boys, hundreds of boys, in khaki.

"Hello! Hello!" The voice took on an anxious note."Are you there?""Yes," wearily.

"Jo, there's something the matter.You're sick.I'm coming right over.""No!" "Why not? You sound as if you'd been sleeping.Look here----""Leave me alone!" cried Jo, suddenly, and the receiver clacked onto the hook."Leave me alone.Leave me alone." Long after the connection had been broken.

He stood staring at the instrument with unseeing eyes.Then he turned and walked into the front room.All the light had gone out of it.Dusk had come on.All the light had gone out of everything.The zest had gone out of life.The game was over--the game he had been playing against loneliness and disappointment.And he was just a tired old man.A lonely, tired old man in a ridiculous rose-colored room that had grown, all of a sudden, drab {sic}

同类推荐
  • 雷虚篇

    雷虚篇

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 明朝小史

    明朝小史

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 佛说兜调经

    佛说兜调经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 病逸漫记

    病逸漫记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 妇人良方集要

    妇人良方集要

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 浣纱石上女

    浣纱石上女

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 福妻驾到

    福妻驾到

    现代饭店彪悍老板娘魂穿古代。不分是非的极品婆婆?三年未归生死不明的丈夫?心狠手辣的阴毒亲戚?贪婪而好色的地主老财?吃上顿没下顿的贫困宭境?不怕不怕,神仙相助,一技在手,天下我有!且看现代张悦娘,如何身带福气玩转古代,开面馆、收小弟、左纳财富,右傍美男,共绘幸福生活大好蓝图!!!!快本新书《天媒地聘》已经上架开始销售,只要3.99元即可将整本书抱回家,你还等什么哪,赶紧点击下面的直通车,享受乐乐精心为您准备的美食盛宴吧!)
  • 少年神探狄仁杰

    少年神探狄仁杰

    本书是根据电视剧少年神探狄仁杰所改编的,根据电视剧所留情节续写,圆剧迷一个梦,
  • 重生之世纪全能巨星

    重生之世纪全能巨星

    身怀成为明星梦想少年凌寒因为意外传越重生异世。重生来到了一个富有的有钱的世家。世界仍是仍是如此美丽,世界仍是如此安静。但上天让他不在做浪荡的公子哥,让天王系统砸在了他的头上。前世熟悉的音乐,磁性的声音,帅气英俊的外貌,随和的性格,富有的家世,天王系统。一切的一切让他成为了一位让世界震动的巨星!还可用天王系统的防护系统成为自身安全,成为武术高手!所有乐器精通,创立我是歌手,好歌曲,好声音的栏目。成为一位全能巨星!万千粉丝拥护!万千歌迷爱戴!
  • 最新企业商务礼仪实用全书

    最新企业商务礼仪实用全书

    本书通过对商务生活中的工作、社交、会客、谈话、宴请、着装等方面的商务礼仪知识的详细解说,传播和普及商务礼仪知识,扩大和提升商务礼仪的实用价值,以塑造企业和个人的商务形象,避免礼仪方面的失误。
  • 如果可以重来,你会后悔吗

    如果可以重来,你会后悔吗

    每个人都有童年,酸甜苦辣,也许会因为一些事情会改变你的人你的生活你的性格。让你从懵懂无知满满变得成熟。这是每个人必走的过程有的人会早一些有的会晚一些而已...
  • 缘音,这首曲为你而作

    缘音,这首曲为你而作

    叶缘音出生在音乐世家里,她从懂事起,一直接触着音乐,她希望自己能成为钢琴家。可好景不长,她的父亲出了意外去世了,她和母亲只能相依为命。虽然如此,但她仍然没放弃自己的梦想,她会完成自己的梦想吗?
  • 尼玛,这也叫穿越

    尼玛,这也叫穿越

    叶家废物,蠢笨如猪。一朝穿越,吓得你奶奶都不认识。丑?那这个女神谁。废?那这个天才是谁。成长路上美男不断,桃花很多,暴打白莲,吊炸天!
  • 极品剑仙在都市

    极品剑仙在都市

    剑修周温携带剑仙元珠穿越重生都市左手修炼绝世功法,誓成绝代剑仙右手浪荡都市,权财、美人,一个也不能少他助父成龙,官运亨通,一路高升,要做大衙内,他助母成凤,制霸国际米兰时装秀周温的背后隐藏有无数身份他是东海纨绔太子,他更是英国公主索菲亚的梦中情人,他甚至是华夏最神秘的特种部队神剑的地下教官……修真界的腥风血雨古剑柔情,都市的波云诡谲权财美人新作《极品剑仙在都市》奉上
  • 未央西南

    未央西南

    我是未央,因为我是未央,所以为了对得起这个名字,我未央求过任何人,任何事。