the haunted bookshop(闹鬼的书店)-第30章
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off。 I don't care what you think of me。 You've got to promise me that。〃
〃I won't promise you ANYTHING；〃 she said； 〃except never to speak to
you again。 I never saw a man like you beforeand I've seen a good
many。〃
〃I won't leave here until you promise me not to warn them；〃 he
retorted。 〃What I told you； I said in confidence。 They've already found
out where I'm lodging。 Do you think this is a joke？ They've tried to put
me out of the way twice。 If you breathe a word of this to Mifflin he'll
warn the other two。〃
〃You're afraid to have Mr。 Mifflin know you broke into his shop；〃 she
taunted。
〃You can think what you like。〃
〃I won't promise you anything！〃 she burst out。 Then her face altered。
The defiant little line of her mouth bent and her strength seemed to run out
at each end of that pathetic curve。 〃Yes； I will；〃 she said。 〃I suppose
that's fair。 I couldn't tell Mr。 Mifflin； anyway。 I'd be ashamed to tell
him how you frightened me。 I think you're hateful。 I came over here
thinking I was going to have such a good time； and you've spoilt it all！〃
For one terrible moment he thought she was going to cry。 But he
remembered having seen heroines cry in the movies； and knew it was only
done when there was a table and chair handy。
〃Miss Chapman；〃 he said； 〃I'm as sorry as a man can be。 But I swear I
did what I did in all honesty。 If I'm wrong in this； you need never speak
to me again。 If I'm wrong； youyou can tell your father to take his
advertising away from the Grey…Matter Company。 I can't say more than
that。〃
And； to do him justice； he couldn't。 It was the supreme sacrifice。
She let him out of the front door without another word。
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CHAPTER XII
AUBREY DETERMINES TO GIVE SERVICE THAT'S
DIFFERENT
Seldom has a young man spent a more desolate afternoon than
Aubrey on that Sunday。 His only consolation was that twenty minutes
after he had left the bookshop he saw a taxi drive up （he was then sitting
gloomily at his bedroom window） and Titania enter it and drive away。 He
supposed that she had gone to join the party in Larchmont； and was glad to
know that she was out of what he now called the war zone。 For the first
time on record； O。 Henry failed to solace him。 His pipe tasted bitter and
brackish。 He was eager to know what Weintraub was doing； but did not
dare make any investigations in broad daylight。 His idea was to wait
until dark。 Observing the Sabbath calm of the streets； and the pageant of
baby carriages wheeling toward Thackeray Boulevard； he wondered again
whether he had thrown away this girl's friendship for a merely imaginary
suspicion。
At last he could endure his cramped bedroom no longer。 Downstairs
someone was dolefully playing a flute； most horrible of all tortures to
tightened nerves。 While her lodgers were at church the tireless Mrs。
Schiller was doing a little housecleaning： he could hear the monotonous
rasp of a carpet…sweeper passing back and forth in an adjoining room。
He creaked irritably downstairs； and heard the usual splashing behind the
bathroom door。 In the frame of the hall mirror he saw a pencilled note：
Will Mrs。 Smith please call Tarkington 1565； it said。 Unreasonably
annoyed； he tore a piece of paper out of his notebook and wrote on it Will
Mrs。 Smith please call Bath 4200。 Mounting to the second floor he
tapped on the bathroom door。 〃Don't come in！〃 cried an agitated female
voice。 He thrust the memorandum under the door； and left the house。
Walking the windy paths of Prospect Park he condemned himself to
relentless self…scrutiny。 〃I've damned myself forever with her；〃 he groaned；
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THE HAUNTED BOOKSHOP
〃unless I can prove something。〃 The vision of Titania's face silhouetted
against the shelves of books came maddeningly to his mind。 〃I was going
to have such a good time； and you've spoilt it all！〃 With what angry
conviction she had said： 〃I never saw a man like you beforeand I've
seen a good many！〃
Even in his disturbance of soul the familiar jargon of his profession
came naturally to utterance。 〃At least she admits I'm DIFFERENT；〃 he
said dolefully。 He remembered the first item in the Grey…Matter Code； a
neat little booklet issued by his employers for the information of their
representatives：
Business is built upon CONFIDENCE。 Before you can sell Grey…
Matter Service to a Client； you must sell YOURSELF。
〃How am I going to sell myself to her？〃 he wondered。 〃I've simply
got to deliver； that's all。 I've got to give her service that's DIFFERENT。
If I fall down on this； she'll never speak to me again。 Not only that； the
firm will lose the old man's account。 It's simply unthinkable。〃
Nevertheless； he thought about it a good deal； stimulated from time to
time as in the course of his walk （which led him out toward the faubourgs
of Flatbush） he passed long vistas of signboards； which he imagined
placarded with vivid lithographs in behalf of the Chapman prunes。
〃Adam and Eve Ate Prunes On Their Honeymoon〃 was a slogan that
flashed into his head； and he imagined a magnificent painting illustrating
this text。 Thus； in hours of stress； do all men turn for comfort to their
chosen art。 The poet； battered by fate； heals himself in the niceties of
rhyme。 The prohibitionist can weather the blackest melancholia by
meditating the contortions of other people's abstinence。 The most
embittered citizen of Detroit will never perish by his own hand while he
has an automobile to tinker。
Aubrey walked many miles； gradually throwing his despair to the
winds。 The bright spirits of Orison Swett Marden and Ralph Waldo Trine；
Dioscuri of Good Cheer； seemed to be with him reminding him that
nothing is impossible。 In a small restaurant he found sausages； griddle
cakes and syrup。 When he got back to Gissing Street it was dark； and he
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girded his soul for further endeavour。
About nine o'clock he walked up the alley。 He had left his overcoat
in his room at Mrs。 Schiller's and also the Cromwell bookcover having
taken the precaution； however； to copy the inscriptions into his pocket
memorandum…book。 He noticed lights in the rear of the bookshop； and
concluded that the Mifflins and their employee had got home safely。
Arrived at the back of Weintraub's pharmacy； he studied the contours of
the building carefully。
The drug store lay； as we have explained before； at the corner of
Gissing Street and Wordsworth Avenue； just where the Elevated railway
swings in a long curve。 The course of this curve brought the scaffolding
of the viaduct out over the back roof of the building； and this fact had
impressed itself on Aubrey's observant eye the day before。 The front of the
drug store stood three storeys； but in the rear it dropped to two； with a flat
roof over the hinder portion。 Two windows looked out upon this roof。
Weintraub's back yard opened onto the alley； but the gate； he found； was
locked。 The fence would not be hard to scale； but he hesitated to make so
direct an approach。
He ascended the stairs of the 〃L〃 station； on the near side； and paying a
nickel passed through a turnstile onto the platform。 Waiting until just after
a train had left； and the long； windy sweep of planking was solitary； he
dropped onto the narrow footway that runs beside the track。 This
required watchful walking； for the charged third rail was very near； but
hugging the outer side of the path he proceeded without trouble。 Every
fifteen feet or so a girder ran sideways from the track； resting upon an
upright from the street below。 The fourth of these overhung the back
corner of Weintraub's house； and he crawled cautiously along it。 People
were passing on the pavement underneath； and he greatly feared being
discovered。 But he reached the end of the beam without mishap。 From
here a drop of about twelve feet would bring him onto Weintraub's back
roof。 For a moment he reflected that； once down there； it would be
impossible to return the same way。 However； he decided to risk it。
Where he was； with his legs swinging astride the girder； he was in serious
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danger of attracting attention。
He would have given a great deal； just then； to have his overcoat with
him； for by lowering it first he could have jumped onto it and muffled the
noise of his fall。 He took off his coat and carefully dropped it on the
corner of the roof。 Then cannily waiting until a train passed overhead；
drowning all other sounds with its roar； he lowered himself as far as he
could hang by his hands； and let go。
For some minutes he lay prone on the tin roof； and during that time a
number of distressing ideas occurred to him。 If he really expected to get
into Weintraub's house； why had he not laid his plans more carefully？
Why （for instance） had he not made some attempt to find out how many
there
