The Voice of the City: Further Stories of the Four MillionHenry, O.
Philosophy
The Voice of the City: Further Stories of the Four Million
Henry, O.
New York (N.Y.) -- Social life and customs -- Fiction; Short stories
"Twenty too much," said Vuyning. "Six months old in cut, one inch too
long, and half an inch too much lapel. Your hat is plainly dated one
year ago, although there's only a sixteenth of an inch lacking in
the brim to tell the story. That English poke in your collar is too
short by the distance between Troy and London. A plain gold link
cuff-button would take all the shine out of those pearl ones with
diamond settings. Those tan shoes would be exactly the articles to
work into the heart of a Brooklyn school-ma'am on a two weeks' visit
to Lake Ronkonkoma. I think I caught a glimpse of a blue silk sock
embroidered with russet lilies of the valley when you--improperly--
drew up your trousers as you sat down. There are always plain ones to
be had in the stores. Have I hurt your feelings, Emerson?"
"Double the ante!" cried the criticised one, greedily. "Give me more
of it. There's a way to tote the haberdashery, and I want to get wise
to it. Say, you're the right kind of a swell. Anything else to the
queer about me?"
"Your tie," said Vuyning, "is tied with absolute precision and
correctness."
"Thanks," gratefully--"I spent over half an hour at it before I--"
"Thereby," interrupted Vuyning, "completing your resemblance to a
dummy in a Broadway store window."
"Yours truly," said Emerson, sitting down again. "It's bully of you
to put me wise. I knew there was something wrong, but I couldn't
just put my finger on it. I guess it comes by nature to know how to
wear clothes."
"Oh, I suppose," said Vuyning, with a laugh, "that my ancestors
picked up the knack while they were peddling clothes from house to
house a couple of hundred years ago. I'm told they did that."
"And mine," said Emerson, cheerfully, "were making their visits at
night, I guess, and didn't have a chance to catch on to the correct
styles."
"I tell you what," said Vuyning, whose ennui had taken wings, "I'll
take you to my tailor. He'll eliminate the mark of the beast from
your exterior. That is, if you care to go any further in the way of
expense."
"Play 'em to the ceiling," said Emerson, with a boyish smile of joy.
"I've got a roll as big around as a barrel of black-eyed peas and as
loose as the wrapper of a two-for-fiver. I don't mind telling you
that I was not touring among the Antipodes when the burglar-proof
safe of the Farmers' National Bank of Butterville, Ia., flew open
some moonless nights ago to the tune of $16,000."
"Aren't you afraid," asked Vuyning, "that I'll call a cop and hand
you over?"
"You tell me," said Emerson, coolly, "why I didn't keep them."
He laid Vuyning's pocketbook and watch--the Vuyning 100-year-old
family watch--on the table.
"Man," said Vuyning, revelling, "did you ever hear the tale Kirk
tells about the six-pound trout and the old fisherman?"
"Seems not," said Emerson, politely. "I'd like to."
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.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account