Active Service - Stephen Crane (librera reader .TXT) 📗

Green And White. From The Tops Of The Enormous

Funnels Streamed level Masses Of Smoke Which Were

Immediately Torn To Nothing by The Headlong Wind. Meanwhile

As The Steamer Rushed into The Northeast,  Men In caps And

Ulsters Comfortably Paraded the Decks And Stewards Arranged

Deck Chairs For The Reception Of Various Women Who Were

Coming from Their Cabins With Rugs.

 

In The Smoking room,  Old Voyagers Were Settling down

Comfortably While New Voyagers Were Regarding them With A

Diffident Respect. Among The Passengers Coleman Found A

Number Of People Whom He Knew,  Including a Wholesale Wine

Merchant,  A Chicago Railway Magnate And A New York

Millionaire. They Lived practically In the Smoking room.

Necessity Drove Them From Time To Time To The Salon,  Or To Their

Berths. Once Indeed the Millionaire Was Absent,  From The Group

While Penning a Short Note To His Wife.

 

When The Irish Coast Was Sighted coleman Came On Deck To

Look At It. A Tall Young Woman Immediately Halted in her Walk

Until He Had Stepped up To Her. " Well,  Of All Ungallant Men,

Rufus Coleman,  You Are The Star," She Cried laughing and Held

Out Her Hand.

 

" Awfully Sorry,  I'M Sure," He Murmured. " Been Playing poker

In The Smoking room All Voyage. Didn'T Have A Look At The

Passenger List Until Just Now. Why Didn'T You Send Me Word?"

These Lies Were Told So Modestly And Sincerely That When The

Girl Flashed her,  Brilliant Eyes Full Upon Their Author There Was A

Mixt Of Admiration In the Indignation.

 

" Send You A Card " I Don'T Believe You Can Read,   Else You

Would Have Known I Was To Sail On This Steamer. If I Hadn'T Been

Ill Until To-Day You Would Have Seen Me In the Salon. I Open At

The Folly Theatre Next Week. Dear Ol' Lunnon,  Y' Know."

 

" Of Course,  I Knew You Were Going," Said Coleman.

"But I Thought You Were To Go Later. What Do You Open In? "

 

" Fly By Night. Come Walk Along With Me. See Those Two Old

Ladies " They'Ve Been Watching for Me Like Hawks Ever Since We

Left New York. They Expected me To Flirt With Every Man On

Board. But I'Ve Fooled them. I'Ve Been Just As G-O-O-D. I Had To

Be."

 

As The Pair Moved toward The Stern,  Enormous And

Radiant Green Waves Were Crashing futilely After The Steamer.

Ireland Showed a Dreary Coast Line To The North. A Wretched

Man Who Had Crossed the Atlantic Eighty-Four Times Was

Declaiming to A Group Of Novices. A Venerable Banker,  Bundled

In Rugs,  Was Asleep In his Deck Chair.

 

" Well,  Nora," Said Coleman,  " I Hope You Make A Hit In

London. You Deserve It If Anybody Does. You'Ve Worked hard."

 

"Worked hard," Cried the Girl. "I Should Think So. Eight Years

Ago I Was In the Rear Row. Now I Have The Centre Of The Stage

Whenever I Want It. I Made Chalmers Cut Out That Great Scene In

The Second Act Between The Queen And Rodolfo. The Idea! Did

He Think I Would Stand That ? And Just Because He Was In love

With Clara Trotwood,  Too."

 

Coleman Was Dreamy. " Remember When I Was Dramatic Man

For The Gazette And Wrote The First Notice ? "

 

" Indeed,  I Do," Answered the Girl Affectionately.

" Indeed,  I Do,  Rufus. Ah,  That Was A Great Lift. I Believe That

Was The First Thing that Had An Effect On Old Oliver. Before That,

He Never Would Believe That I Was Any Good. Give Me Your Arm,

Rufus. Let'S Parade Before The Two Old Women." Coleman

Glanced at Her Keenly. Her Voice Had Trembled slightly. Her Eyes

Were Lustrous As If She Were About To Weep.

 

" Good Heavens," He Said. " You Are The Same Old

Nora Black. I Thought You Would Be Proud And 'Aughty By This

Time."

 

" Not To My Friends," She Murmured.,  " Not To My Friends. I'M

Always The Same And I Never Forget. Rufus."

 

" Never Forget What? " Asked coleman.

 

" If Anybody Does Me A Favour I Never Forget It As Long As I

Live," She Answered fervently.

 

" Oh,  You Mustn'T Be So Sentimental,  Nora. You Remember

That Play You Bought From Little Ben Whipple,  Just Because He

Had Once Sent You Some Flowers In the Old Days When You Were

Poor And Happened to Bed sick. A Sense Of Gratitude Cost You

Over Eight Thousand Dollars That Time,  Didn'T It? " Coleman

Laughed heartily.

 

" Oh,  It Wasn'T The Flowers At All," She Interrupted seriously. "

Of Course Ben Was Always A Nice Boy,  But Then His Play Was

Worth A Thousand Dollars. That'S All I Gave Him. I Lost Some More

In Trying to Make It Go. But It Was Too Good. That Was What Was

The Matter. It Was Altogether Too Good For The Public. I Felt

Awfully Sorry For Poor Little Ben."

 

"Too Good?" Sneered coleman. "Too Good? Too

Indifferently Bad,  You Mean. My Dear Girl,  You Mustn'T Imagine

That You Know A Good Play. You Don'T,  At All."

 

She Paused abruptly And Faced him. This Regal,  Creature

Was Looking at Him So Sternly That Coleman

Felt Awed for A Moment As If He,  Were In the Presence Of A Great

Mind. " Do You Mean To Say That I'M Not An Artist ? " She Asked.

 

Coleman Remained cool. " I'Ve Never Been Decorated for

Informing people Of Their Own Affairs," He Observed,  " But I

Should Say That You Were About As Much Of An Artist As I Am."

 

Frowning slightly,  She Reflected upon This Reply. Then,  Of A

Sudden,  She Laughed. " There Is No Use In being angry With

You,  Rufus. You Always Were A Hopeless Scamp. But," She

Added,  Childishly Wistful,  "Have You Ever Seen Fly By Night?

Don'T You Think My Dance In the Second Act Is Artistic? "

 

" No," Said Coleman,  " I Haven'T Seen Fly By Night Yet,  But

Of Course I Know That You Are The Most Beautiful Dancer On The

Stage. Everybody Knows That."

 

It Seemed that Her Hand Tightened on His Arm. Her

Face Was Radiant. " There," She Exclaimed. " Now

You Are Forgiven. You Are A Nice Boy,  Rufus-Some-

Times."

 

When Miss Black Went To Her Cabin,  Coleman Strolled into

The Smoking room. Every Man There Covertly Or Openly

Surveyed him. He Dropped lazily Into A Chair At A Table Where

The Wine Merchant,  The Chicago Railway King and The New York

Millionaire Were Playing cards. They Made A Noble Pretense Of

Not Being aware Of Him. On The Oil Cloth Top Of The Table The

Cards Were Snapped down,  Turn By Turn.

 

Finally The Wine Merchant,  Without Lifting his Head To-

Address A Particular Person,  Said: " New Conquest."

 

Hailing a Steward Coleman Asked for A Brandy And Soda.

 

The Millionaire Said: " He'S A Sly Cuss,  Anyhow." The Railway

Man Grinned. After An Elaborate Silence The Wine Merchant

Asked: " Know Miss Black Long,  Rufus?" Coleman Looked

Scornfully At His Friends. " What'S Wrong With You There,

Fellows,  Anyhow?" The Chicago Man Answered airily. " Oh,

Nothin'. Nothin',  Whatever."

 

At Dinner In the Crowded salon,  Coleman Was Aware That

More Than One Passenger Glanced first At Nora Black And Then

At Him,  As If Connecting them In some Train Of Thought,  Moved to

It By The Narrow Horizon Of Shipboard And By A Sense Of The

Mystery That Surrounds The Lives Of The Beauties Of The Stage.

Near The Captain'S Right Hand Sat The Glowing and Splendid

Nora,  Exhibiting under The Gaze Of The Persistent Eyes Of Many

Meanings,  A Practiced and Profound Composure That To The

Populace Was Terrfying dignity.

 

Strolling toward The Smoking room After Dinner,  Coleman Met

The New York Millionaire,  Who Seemed agitated. He Took

Coleman Fraternally By The Arm. " Say,  Old Man,  Introduce Me,

Won'T You ? I'M Crazy To Know Her."

 

"Do You Mean Miss Black?" Asked coleman.

 

" Why,  I Don'T Know That I Have A Right. Of Course,  You Know,

She Hasn'T Been Meeting anybody Aboard. I'Ll Ask Her,  Though-

Certainly."

 

" Thanks,  Old Man,  Thanks. I'D Be Tickled to Death. Come

Along And Have A Drink. When Will You Ask Her? "

" Why,  I Don'T Know When I'Ll See Her. To-Morrow,  I Suppose-"

 

They Had Not Been Long In the Smoking room,  However,

When The Deck Steward Came With A Card To Coleman. Upon It

Was Written: "Come For' A Stroll?" Everybody,  Saw Coleman Read

This Card And Then Look Up And Whisper To The Deck Steward.

The Deck Steward Bent His Head And Whispered discreetly In

Reply. There Was An Abrupt Pause In the Hum Of Conversation.

The Interest Was Acute.

 

Coleman Leaned carelessly Back In his Chair,  Puffing at His

Cigar. He Mingled calmly In a Discussion Of The Comparative

Merits Of Certain Trans-Atlantic Lines. After A Time He Threw Away

His Cigar And Arose. Men Nodded. "Didn'T I Tell You?" His

Studiously Languid Exit Was Made Dramatic By The Eagle-Eyed

Attention Of The Smoking room.

 

On Deck He Found Nora Pacing to And Fro. "You Didn'T Hurry

Yourself," She Said,  As He Joined her. The Lights Of Queenstown

Were Twinkling. A Warm Wind,  Wet With The Moisture Of Rain-

Stricken Sod,  Was Coming from The Land.

 

"Why," Said Coleman,  "We'Ve Got All These Duffers Very Much Excited."

 

"Well What Do You Care? " Asked hte Girl. "You Don'T,  Care Do You?"

 

"No,  I Don'T Care.  Only It'S Rather Absurd To Be

Watched all The Time."  He Said This Precisely As

If He Abhorred being watched in this Case.

"Oh By The Way," He Added.  Then He Paused for A

Moment.  "Aw--A Friend Of Mine--Not A Bad Fellow--

He Asked me For An Introduction.  Of Course,  I

Told Him I'D Ask You."

 

She Made A Contemptuous Gesture.  "Oh,  Another Willie.

Tell Him No.  Tell Him To Go Home To His Family.  Tell

Him To Run Away."

 

"He Isn'T A Bad Fellow.  He--" Said Coleman Diffidently, 

"He Would Probably Be At The Theatre Every Night In a Box."

 

"Yes,  And Get Drunk And Throw A Wine Bottle On The

Stage Instead Of A Bouquet. No," She Declared positively,

"I Won'T See Him."

 

Coleman Did Not Seem To Be Oppressed by This Ultimatum.

"Oh,  All Right.  I Promised him--That Was All."

 

"Besides,  Are You In a Great Hurry To Get Rid Of Me?"

 

"Rid Of You?  Nonsense."

 

They Walked in the Shadow.  "How Long Are You Going to Be

In London,  Rufus?" Asked nora Softly.

 

"Who?  I? Oh,  I'M Going right Off To Greece.  First

Train.  There'S Going to Be A War,  You Know."

 

"A War?  Why,  Who Is Going to Fight?  The Greeks

And The--The--The What?"

 

"The Turks.  I'M Going right Over There."

 

"Why,  That'S Dreadful,  Rufus,"  Said The Girl,  Mournfull

And Shocked.  "You Might Get Hurt Or Something." 

Presently She Asked: "And Aren'T You Going to Be In

London Any Time At All?"

 

"Oh," He Answered,  Puffing out His Lips,  "I May Stop

In Londom For Three Or Four Days On My Way Home.  I'M

Not Sure Of It."

 

"And When Will That Be?"

 

"Oh,  I Can'T Tell.  It May Be In three Or Four Months, 

Or It May Be A Year From Now.  When The War Stops."

 

There Was A Long Silence As The Walked up And Down

The Swaying deck.

 

"Do You Know," Said Nora At Last,  "I Like You,  Rufus Coleman.

I Don'T Know Any Good Reason For It Either,  Unless It Is Because

You Are Such A Brute.  Now,  When I Was Asking you If You Were

To Be In london You Were Perfectly Detestable.  You Know I Was

Anxious."

 

"I--Detestable?" Cried coleman,  Feigning amazement. 

"Why,  What Did I Say?"  

 

"It Isn'T So Much What You Said--" Began Nora Slowlly. 

Then She Suddenly Changed her Manner.

"Oh,  Well,  Don'T Let'S Talk About It Any More.  It'S

Too Foolish. Only-You Are A Disagreeable Person Sometimes."

 

In The Morning,  As The Vessel Steamed up The Irish Channel,

Coleman Was On Deck,  Keeping furtive Watch On The Cabin

Stairs. After Two Hours Of Waiting,  He Scribbled a Message On A

Card And Sent It Below. He Received an Answer That Miss Black

Had A Headache,  And Felt Too Ill To Come On Deck. He Went To The

Smoking room. The Three Card-Players Glanced up,  Grinning.

"What'S The Matter?" Asked the Wine Merchant. "You Look

Angry." As A Matter Of Fact,  Coleman Had Purposely Wreathed

His Features In a Pleasant And Satisfied expression,  So He Was

For A Moment Furious At The Wine Merchant.

 

"Confound The Girl," He Thought To Himself. "She Has

Succeeded in making all These Beggars Laugh At Me." He Mused

That If He Had Another Chance He Would Show Her How

Disagreeable Or Detestable Or Scampish He Was Under Some

Circumstances. He Reflected ruefully That The Complacence With

Which He Had Accepted the Comradeship Of The Belle Of The

Voyage Might Have Been Somewhat Overdone. Perhaps He Had Got A

Little Out Of Proportion. He Was Annoyed at The Stares Of The

Other Men In the Smoking room,  Who Seemed now To Be Reading

His Discomfiture. As For Nora Black He Thought Of Her Wistfully

And Angrily As A Superb Woman Whose Company Was Honour

And Joy,  A