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！
handed it to the proprietor。
Each morning for breakfast I want an egg； toast； and coffee
0。15
For lunch I want soup （any kind）； a meat sandwich； and milk
— 0。25
Please bring me ut dinner three vegetables （any kind but
cabbage）； fish or meat； and a glass of beer—
0。35
Thank you。
The proprietor read the note and gave him an alert； tactful
glance。 He was a hard man of middle height； with a beard so
dark and heavy that the lower part of his face looked as
though it were molded of iron。 He usually stood in the corner
by the cash register； his arms folded over his chest； quietly
observing all that went on around him。 Singer came to know
this man's face very well； for he ate at one of his tables three
times a day。
Each evening the mute walked alone for hours in the street。
Sometimes the nights were cold with the sharp； wet winds of
March and it would be raining heavily。 But to him this did not
matter。 His gait was agitated and he always kept his hands
stuffed tight into the pockets of his trousers。 Then as the
weeks passed the days grew warm and languorous。 His
agitation gave way gradually to exhaustion and there was a
look about him of deep calm。 In his face there came to be a
brooding peace that is seen most often in the faces of the very
sorrowful or the very wise。 But still he wandered through the
streets of the town； always silent and alone。10
_f N A black； sultry night in early summer Biff Brannon
stood behind the cash register of the New York Cafe。 It was
twelve o'clock。 Outside the street lights had already been
turned off； so that the light from the cafe made a sharp； yellow
rectangle on the sidewalk。 The street was deserted； but inside
the cafe there were half a dozen customers drinking beer or
Santa Lucia wine or whiskey。 Biff waited stolidly； his elbow
resting on the counter and his thumb mashing the tip of his
long nose。 His eyes were intent。 He watched especially a
short； squat man in overalls who had become drunk and
boisterous。 Now and then his gaze passed on to the mute who
sat by himself at one of the middle tables； or to others of the
customers before the counter。 But he always turned back to
the drunk in overalls。 The hour grew later and Biff continued
to wait silently behind the counter。 Then at last he gave the
restaurant a final survey and went toward the door at the back
which led upstairs。
Quietly he entered the room at the top of the stairs。 It was dark
inside and he walked with caution。 After he had gone a few
paces his toe struck something hard and he reached down and
felt for the handle of a suitcase on the floor。 He had only been
in the room a few seconds and was about to leave when the
light was turned on。
Alice sat up in the rumpled bed and looked at him。 'What you
doing with that suitcase？' she asked。 'Can't you get rid of that
lunatic without giving him back what he's already drunk up？'
'Wake up and go down yourself。 Call the cop and let him get
soused on the chain gang with cornbread and peas。 Go to it；
Misses Brannon。'
'I will all right if he's down there tomorrow。 But you leave that
bag alone。 It don't belong to that sponger any more。'
'I know spongers； and Blount's not one；' Biff said。 'Myself—I
don't know so well。 But I'm not that kind of a thief。'
Calmly Biff put down the suitcase on the steps outside。
11
The air was not so stale and sultry in the room as it was
downstairs。 He decided to stay for a short while and douse his
face with cold water before going back。
'I told you already what I'll do if you don't get rid of that
fellow for good tonight。 In the daytime he takes them naps at
the back； and then at night you feed him dinners and beer。 For
a week now he hasn't paid one cent。 And all his wild talking
and carrying…on will ruin any decent trade。'
'You don't know people and you don't know real business；'
Biff said。 〃The fellow in question first came in here twelve
days ago and he was a stranger in the town。 The first week he
gave us twenty dollars' worth of trade。 Twenty at the
minimum。'
'And since then on credit；' Alice said。 Tive days on credit； and
so drunk it's a disgrace to the business。 And besides； he's
nothing but a bum and a freak。'
'I like freaks；' Biff said。
'I reckon you dol I just reckon you certainly ought to； Mister
Brannon—being as you're one yourself。'
He rubbed his bluish chin and paid her no attention。 For the
first fifteen years of their married life they had called each
other just plain Biff and Alice。 Then in one of their quarrels
they had begun calling each other Mister and Misses； and
since then they had never made it up enough to change it。
Tm just warning you he'd better not be there when I come
down tomorrow。'
Biff went into the bathroom； and after he had bathed his face
he decided that he would have time for a shave。 His beard was
black and heavy as though it had grown for three days。 He
stood before the mirror and rubbed his cheek meditatively。 He
was sorry he had talked to Alice。 With her； silence was better。
Being around that woman always made him different from his
real self。 It made him tough and small and common as she
was。 Biff's eyes were cold and staring； half…concealed by the
cynical droop of his eyelids。 On the fifth finger of his
calloused hand there was a woman's wedding ring。 The door
was open behind him； and in the mirror he could see Alice
lying in the bed。
'Listen；' he said。 〃The trouble with you is that you don't have
any real kindness。 Not but one woman Fve ever known had
this real kindness I'm talking about'12
'Well； I've known you to do things no man in this world would
be proud of。 I've known you to'
'Or maybe it's curiosity I mean。 You don't ever see or notice
anything important that goes on。 You never watch and think
and try to figure anything out。 Maybe that's the biggest
difference between you and me； after all。'
Alice was almost asleep again； and through the mirror he
watched her with detachment。 There was no distinctive point
about her on which he could fasten his attention； and his gaze
glided from her pale brown hair to the stumpy outline of her
feet beneath the cover。 The soft curves of her face led to the
roundness of her hips and thighs。 When he was away from her
there was no one feature that stood out in his mind and he
remembered her as a complete； unbroken figure。
〃The enjoyment of a spectacle is something you have never
known；' he said。
Her voice was tired。 〃That fellow downstairs is a spectacle； all
right； and a circus too。 But I'm through putting up with him。'
'Hell； the man don't mean anything to me。 He's no relative or
buddy of mine。 But you don't know what it is to store up a
whole lot of details and then come upon something real。' He
turned on the hot water and quickly began to shave。
It was the morning of May 15； yes； that Jake Blount had come
in。 He had noticed him immediately and watched。 The man
was short； with heavy shoulders like beams。 He had a small；
ragged mustache； and beneath this his lower lip looked as
though it had been stung by a wasp。 There were many things
about the fellow that seemed contrary。 His head was very
large and well…shaped； but his neck was soft and slender as a
boy's。 The mustache looked false； as if it had been stuck on for
a costume party and would fall off if he talked too fast。 It
made him seem almost middle…aged； although his face with its
high； smooth forehead and wide…open eyes was young。 His
hands were huge； stained； and calloused； and he was dressed
in a cheap white…linen suit。 There was something very funny
about the man； yet at the same time another feeling would not
let you laugh。
He ordered a pint of liquor and drank it straight in half an
hour。 Then he sat at one of the booths and ate a big
chicken dinner。 Later he read a book and drank beer。 That was
the beginning。 And although Biff had noticed Blount very
carefully he would never have guessed about the crazy things
that happened later。 Never had he seen a man change so many
times in twelve days。 Never had he seen a fellow drink so
much； stay drunk so long。
Biff pushed up the end of his nose with his thumb and shaved
his upper lip。 He was finished and his face seemed cooler。
Alice was asleep when he went through the bedroom on the
way downstairs。
The suitcase was heavy。 He carried it to the front of the
restaurant； behind the cash register； where he usually stood
each evening。 Methodically he glanced around the place。 A
few customers had left and the room was not so crowded； but
the set…up was the same。 The deaf…mute still drank coffee by
himself at one of the middle tables。 The drunk had not stopped
talking。 He was not addressing anyone around him in
particular； nor was anyone listening。 When he had come into
the place that evening he wore those blue overalls instead of
the filthy linen suit he had been wearing the twelve days。 His
socks were gone and his ankles were scratched and caked with
mud。
Alertly Biff picked up fragments of his monologue。 The
fellow seemed