Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat — John Shaqi
Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble PetticoatWells, Carolyn
General
Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat
Wells, Carolyn
Fiction; Lewis, Sinclair, 1885-1951 -- Parodies, imitations, etc.
In a tone of forceful mildness the speaker began: “It must be conceded
that, other things being equal, and granting the investiture of all
insensate communication, that a psychic moment may or may not, in
accordance with what under no circumstances could be termed irrelevancy,
become warily regarded as a coherent symbol by one obviously of a
trenchant humor. But, however, in proof of a smouldering discretion,
no feature is entitled to less exorbitant honor than the unquenchable
demand of endurance.
“Though, of course, other things being equal, and granting the
investiture of all insensate communication, no feature is entitled, in
accordance with what under no circumstances could be termed irrelevancy,
to become warily regarded as a coherent symbol. And doubtless in proof
of a smouldering discretion, and in accordance with one obviously of a
trenchant humor, it may or may not be warily regarded.
“Though it cannot be denied that the true relevancy of thought to
psychic action is largely dependent on the ever increasing forces of
disregarded symbolisms. And this again proves the pantheistic power
of doubt, considered for the moment and for the subtle purposes of our
argument as faith. For, granting that two and two are six, the
corollary reasoning must be that no premise is or may be capable of such
conclusion as will render it sublunary to its agreed parallel.
“But this view is ultra and should be adopted with caution.
“We are therefore forced to the conclusion that pure altruism is
impossible in connection with neo-psychology.”
There was more, but it was at that point that Warble went to sleep.
She was awakened later by the high notes of a celebrated Metropolitan
soprano, who had consented to exchange a few of her liquid notes for
Goldwin Leathersham's yellow-backed ones.
Tired, hungry and sleepy, Warble fidgeted in her little gilt chair, but
the music went inexorably on.
It was followed by the appearance of a Neo Poet.
This man wore eccentric dress of some sort, and as he waited for the
applause to melt away, he stood, absent-mindedly picking crumbs out of
his beard.
By subtle hint of auto-suggestion this made Warble hungrier than ever
and she looked around for Petticoat. But he was busy flirting with Daisy
Snow, and it was not Warble's way to cut in.
In hollow tones the performer read extracts, excerpts and exceptions
from the works of Amy Lynn, Carl Sandpiper and Padriac, the Colyumist,
and Warble went back to sleep.
There was more, but no merrier, and when at last the platform was
cleared for the last time, the guests were refreshed by the passing of a
small glass of punch and a wafer to each.
Then they went, with a flutter of silk stockings and twinkling slipper
buckles, and a medley of shrieked goodbys.
Warble and Petticoat reached home.
“Howja like 'em?” he asked.
“I'm so hungry,” she wailed.
“Oh, Warble, you ought to be more careful about eating in public. It
isn't done. Watch Iva Payne--she doesn't.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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