The town has been laid out with great rectangularity; the river divides
it unequally. On the western bank is the larger community--locally, the
Old Town, retaining its characteristics of sobriety, quiet and comfort;
here, also, is the business centre--such business as there is. Here
Duncan found homely residences sitting back from the street in ample
grounds--grounds, perhaps, not very carefully groomed, but in spite of
that attractive and pleasant to the eye. With one or two exceptions,
none were strongly suggestive of wealth. He detected a trace of
ostentation, and no taste whatever, in Lockwood's new villa (I'm told
that's the polite designation for the edifice he caused to be erected
what time the plague of riches smote him and the old home on Cherry
Street became too small for the collective family chest), and there was
quiet dignity in the quaintly columned facade of the Bohun mansion, now
occupied solely by old Colonel Bohun, lonely and testy, reputed the
richest as well as the most miserable man in the county. But as to his
wealth, I doubt if rumour runs by more than tradition; Blinky
Lockwood's new-found hundred-thousands are growing rapidly toward the
million mark, unless Blinky's a worse business man than the town takes
him to be.
An old stone arch (whereon lovers linger in the moonlight) spans the
stream and links the Old Town with the new, which we sometimes term the
Flats, but more often simply Over There. It is a sordid huddle of dingy
and down-at-the-heel tenements, housing the poorer working classes and
the frankly worthless and ruffianly riff-raff of the neighbourhood.
There are eight gin-mills Over There as against two sample-rooms in the
Old Town, and of the local constabulary two-thirds lead exciting lives
patrolling the Flats; the remaining third is ordinarily to be found
dozing in the backroom of Schwartz's, and if roused will answer to the
name and title of Pete Willing, Sheriff and Chief of Police.
Duncan reviewed both sides of the municipal face with fine
impartiality--the Flats last; and turned back to the Old Town. "There's
one thing," he communed as he reached the bridge: "If these people ever
find me out they'll run me across the river--sure."
He paused there, looking up and down the valley with contemplative
gaze; and it was there I found him.
As is my custom, I had devoted the earlier morning hours to the
compilation of that work which is to gain for the name of Littlejohn a
trifle more respect than, I fear, it owns in Radville nowadays; and
afterwards, again in accordance with habit, had started out for my
morning constitutional. As I was about to leave the house Miss
Carpenter waylaid me and, in a voice still tremulous from the shock of
yesterday, asked me to hunt up Jake Sawyer in the Flats and tell him to
come and cut the grass.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account