buttered side down(抹黄油的一面朝下)-第20部分
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〃Have I！〃 yelled the leading lady。 And made a flying leap from the bed
to the floor。
She flapped back the cover of a big suit…case and began burrowing into
its depths； strewing the floor with lingerie； newspaper clippings； blouses；
photographs and Dutch collars。 Pearlie came over and sat down on the
floor in the midst of the litter。 The leading lady dived once more； fished
about in the bottom of the suit…case and brought a crumpled piece of paper
triumphantly to the surface。
〃This is it。 It only takes a yard and five…eighths。 And fits！ Like Anna
Held's skirts。 Comes down in a V front and backlike this。 See？ And no
fulness。 Wait a minute。 I'll show you my princess slip。 I made it all by
hand； too。 I'll bet you couldn't buy it under fifteen dollars； and it cost me
four dollars and eighty cents； with the lace and all。〃
Before an hour had passed； the leading lady had displayed all her
treasures； from the photograph of her baby that died to her new Blanche
Ring curl cluster； and was calling Pearlie by her first name。 When a bell
somewhere boomed six o'clock Pearlie was being instructed in a new
exercise calculated to reduce the hips an inch a month。
〃My land！〃 cried Pearlie； aghast； and scrambled to her feet as nimbly
as any woman can who weighs two hundred pounds。 〃Supper…time； and
I've got a bunch of letters an inch thick to get out！ I'd better reduce that
some before I begin on my hips。 But say； I've had a lovely time。〃
The leading lady clung to her。 〃You've saved my life。 Why； I forgot all
about being hot and lonely and a couple of thousand miles from New York。
Must you go？〃
〃Got to。 But if you'll promise you won't laugh； I'll make a date for this
evening that'll give you a new sensation anyway。 There's going to be a
strawberry social on the lawn of the parsonage of our church。 I've got a
booth。 You shed that kimono； and put on a thin dress and those curls and
some powder； and I'll introduce you as my friend； Miss Evans。 You don't
look Evans； but this is a Methodist church strawberry festival； and if I was
to tell them that you are leading lady of the ‘Second Wife' company they'd
excommunicate my booth。〃
〃A strawberry social！〃 gasped the leading lady。 〃Do they still have
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them？〃 She did not laugh。 〃Why； I used to go to strawberry festivals when
I was a little girl in〃
〃Careful！ You'll be giving away your age； and； anyway； you don't look
it。 Fashions in strawberry socials ain't changed much。 Better bathe your
eyes in eau de cologne or whatever it is they're always dabbing on 'em in
books。 See you at eight。〃
At eight o'clock Pearlie's thump…thump sounded again； and the leading
lady sprang to the door as before。 Pearlie stared。 This was no tear…stained；
heat…bedraggled creature in an unbecoming red…striped kimono。 It was a
remarkably pretty woman in a white lingerie gown over a pink slip。 The
leading lady knew a thing or two about the gentle art of making…up！
〃That just goes to show；〃 remarked Pearlie； 〃that you must never judge
a woman in a kimono or a bathing suit。 You look nineteen。 Say； I forgot
something down…stairs。 Just get your handkerchief and chamois together
and meet in my cubbyhole next to the lobby； will you？ I'll be ready for
you。〃
Down…stairs she summoned the lank bell…boy。 〃You go outside and tell
Sid Strang I want to see him； will you？ He's on the bench with the baseball
bunch。〃
Pearlie had not seen Sid Strang outside。 She did not need to。 She knew
he was there。 In our town all the young men dress up in their pale gray
suits and lavender…striped shirts after supper on summer evenings。 Then
they stroll down to the Burke House； buy a cigar and sit down on the
benches in front of the hotel to talk baseball and watch the girls go by。 It is
astonishing to note the number of our girls who have letters to mail after
supper。 One would think that they must drive their pens fiercely all the
afternoon in order to get out such a mass of correspondence。
The obedient Sid reached the door of Pearlie's little office just off the
lobby as the leading lady came down the stairs with a spangled scarf
trailing over her arm。 It was an effective entrance。
〃Why； hello！〃 said Pearlie； looking up from her typewriter as though
Sid Strang were the last person in the world she expected to see。 〃What do
you want here？ Ethel； this is my friend； Mr。 Sid Strang； one of our rising
young lawyers。 His neckties always match his socks。 Sid； this is my friend；
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Miss Ethel Evans； of New York。 We're going over to the strawberry social
at the M。 E。 parsonage。 I don't suppose you'd care about going？〃
Mr。 Sid Strang gazed at the leading lady in the white lingerie dress
with the pink slip； and the V…shaped neck； and the spangled scarf； and
turned to Pearlie。
〃Why； Pearlie Schultz！〃 he said reproachfully。 〃How can you ask？ You
know what a strawberry social means to me！ I haven't missed one in
years！〃
〃I know it；〃 replied Pearlie； with a grin。 〃You feel the same way about
Thursday evening prayer…meeting too； don't you？ You can walk over with
us if you want to。 We're going now。 Miss Evans and I have got a booth。〃
Sid walked。 Pearlie led them determinedly past the rows of gray suits
and lavender and pink shirts on the benches in front of the hotel。 And as
the leading lady came into view the gray suits stopped talking baseball and
sat up and took notice。 Pearlie had known all those young men inside of
the swagger suits in the days when their summer costume consisted of a
pair of dad's pants cut down to a doubtful fit； and a nondescript shirt damp
from the swimming…hole。 So she called out； cheerily：
〃We're going over to the strawberry festival。 I expect to see all you
boys there to contribute your mite to the church carpet。〃
The leading lady turned to look at them； and smiled。 They were such a
dapper； pink…cheeked； clean…looking lot of boys； she thought。 At that the
benches rose to a man and announced that they might as well stroll over
right now。 Whenever a new girl comes to visit in our town our boys make
a concerted rush at her； and develop a 〃case〃 immediately； and the girl
goes home when her visit is over with her head swimming； and forever
after bores the girls of her home town with tales of her conquests。
The ladies of the First M。 E。 Church still talk of the money they
garnered at the strawberry festival。 Pearlie's out…of…town friend was
garnerer…in…chief。 You take a cross…eyed； pock…marked girl and put her in a
white dress； with a pink slip； on a green lawn under a string of rose…
colored Japanese lanterns； and she'll develop an almost Oriental beauty。 It
is an ideal setting。 The leading lady was not cross…eyed or pock…marked。
She stood at the lantern…illumined booth； with Pearlie in the background；
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and dis… pensed an unbelievable amount of strawberries。 Sid Strang and
the hotel bench brigade assisted。 They made engagements to take Pearlie
and her friend down river next day； and to the ball game； and planned
innumerable picnics； gazing meanwhile into the leading lady's eyes。 There
grew in the cheeks of the leading lady a flush that was not brought about
by the pink slip； or the Japanese lanterns； or the skillful application of
rouge。
By nine o'clock the strawberry supply was exhausted； and the
president of the Foreign Missionary Society was sending wildly down…
town for more ice…cream。
〃I call it an outrage；〃 puffed Pearlie happily； ladling ice…cream like
mad。 〃Making a poor working girl like me slave all evening！ How many
was that last order？ Four？ My land！ that's the third dish of ice…cream Ed
White's had！ You'll have something to tell the villagers about when you get
back to New York。〃
The leading lady turned a flushed face toward Pearlie。 〃This is more
fun than the Actors' Fair。 I had the photograph booth last year； and I took
in nearly as much as Lil Russell； and goodness knows； all she needs to do
at a fair is to wear her diamond…and…pearl stomacher and her set…piece
smile； and the men just swarm around her like the pictures of a crowd in a
McCutcheon cartoon。〃
When the last Japanese lantern had guttered out； Pearlie Schultz and
the leading lady prepared to go home。 Before they left； the M。 E。 ladies
came over to Pearlie's booth and personally congratulated the leading lady；
and thanked her for the interest she had taken in the cause； and the
secretary of the Epworth League asked her to come to the tea that was to
be held at her home the following Tuesday。 The leading lady thanked her
and said she'd come if she coul
