buttered side down(抹黄油的一面朝下)-第28部分
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floor to himself； and shuts himself up there for weeks at a time； writin'
books； or some such truck。 That guy； he owns the building。〃
〃Owns the building！〃 said Mary Louise； faintly。 〃Why he lookedhe
looked〃
〃Sure；〃 grinned Charlie。 〃That's him。 Name's ReevesCecil Reeves。
Say； ain't that a divil of a name？〃
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PART。 XII
WHERE THE CAR TURNS AT 18TH
This will be a homing pigeon story。 Though I send it ever so far
though its destination be the office of a home…and…fireside magazine or
one of the kind with a French story in the back； it will return to me。 After
each flight its feathers will be a little more rumpled； its wings more weary；
its course more wavering； until； battered； spent； broken； it will flutter to
rest in the waste basket。
And yet； though its message may never be delivered； it must be sent；
becausewell； because
You know where the car turns at Eighteenth？ There you see a glaringly
attractive billboard poster。 It depicts groups of smiling； white…clad men
standing on tropical shores； with waving palms overhead； and a glimpse of
blue sea in the distance。 The wording beneath the picture runs something
like this：
〃Young men wanted。 An unusual opportunity for travel； education； and
advancement。 Good pay。 No expenses。〃
When the car turns at Eighteenth； and I see that； I remember Eddie
Houghton back home。 And when I remember Eddie Houghton I see red。
The day after Eddie Houghton finished high school he went to work。
In our town we don't take a job。 We accept a position。 Our paper had it that
〃Edwin Houghton had accepted a position as clerk and assistant chemist at
the Kunz drugstore； where he would take up his new duties Monday。〃
His new duties seemed； at first； to consist of opening the store in the
morning； sweeping out； and whizzing about town on a bicycle with an
unnecessarily insistent bell； delivering prescriptions which had been
telephoned for。 But by the time the summer had really set in Eddie was
installed back of the soda fountain。
There never was anything better looking than Eddie Houghton in his
white duck coat。 He was one of those misleadingly gold and pink and
white men。 I say misleadingly because you usually associate pink…and…
whiteness with such words as sissy and mollycoddle。 Eddie was neither。
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He had played quarter…back every year from his freshman year； and he
could putt the shot and cut classes with the best of 'em。 But in that white
duck coat with the braiding and frogs he had any musical…comedy； white…
flannel tenor lieutenant whose duty it is to march down to the edge of the
footlights； snatch out his sword； and warble about his country's flag；
looking like a flat…nosed； blue…gummed Igorrote。 Kunz's soda water
receipts swelled to double their usual size； and the girls' complexions were
something awful that summer。 I've known Nellie Donovan to take as many
as three ice cream sodas and two phosphates a day when Eddie was
mixing。 He had a way of throwing in a good…natured smile； and an easy
flow of conversation with every drink。 While indulging in a little airy
persiflage the girls had a great little trick of pursing their mouths into
rosebud shapes over their soda straws； and casting their eyes upward at
Eddie。 They all knew the trick； and its value； so that at night Eddie's
dreams were haunted by whole rows of rosily pursed lips； and seas of
upturned； adoring eyes。 Of course we all noticed that on those rare
occasions when Josie Morehouse came into Kunz's her glass was heaped
higher with ice cream than that of any of the other girls； and that Eddie's
usually easy flow of talk was interspersed with certain stammerings and
stutterings。 But Josie didn't come in often。 She had a lot of dignity for a
girl of eighteen。 Besides； she was taking the teachers' examinations that
summer； when the other girls were playing tennis and drinking sodas。
Eddie really hated the soda water end of the business； as every soda
clerk in the world does。 But he went about it good…naturedly。 He really
wanted to learn the drug business； but the boss knew he had a drawing
card； and insisted that Eddie go right on concocting faerie queens and
strawberry sundaes； and nectars and Kunz's specials。 One Saturday； when
he happened to have on hand an over…supply of bananas that would have
spoiled over Sunday； he invented a mess and called it the Eddie Extra； and
the girls swarmed on it like flies around a honey pot。
That kind of thing would have spoiled most boys。 But Eddie had a
sensible mother。 On those nights when he used to come home nauseated
with dealing out chop suey sundaes and orangeades； and saying that there
was no future for a fellow in our dead little hole； his mother would give
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him something rather special for supper； and set him hoeing and watering
the garden。
So Eddie stuck to his job； and waited； and all the time he was saying；
with a melting look； to the last silly little girl who was drinking her third
soda； 〃Somebody looks mighty sweet in pink to…day；〃 or while he was
doping to…morrow's ball game with one of the boys who dropped in for a
cigar； he was thinking of bigger things； and longing for a man…size job。
The man…size job loomed up before Eddie's dazzled eyes when he least
expected it。 It was at the close of a particularly hot day when it seemed to
Eddie that every one in town had had everything from birch beer to peach
ice cream。 On his way home to supper he stopped at the postoffice with a
handful of letters that old man Kunz had given him to mail。 His mother
had told him that they would have corn out of their own garden for supper
that night； and Eddie was in something of a hurry。 He and his mother were
great pals。
In one corner of the dim little postoffice lobby a man was busily
tacking up posters。 The whitewashed walls bloomed with them。 They were
gay； attractive…looking posters； done in red and blue and green； and after
Eddie had dumped his mail into the slot； and had called out； 〃Hello； Jake！〃
to the stamp clerk； whose back was turned to the window； he strolled idly
over to where the man was putting the finishing touches to his work。 The
man was dressed in a sailor suit of blue； with a picturesque silk scarf
knotted at his hairy chest。 He went right on tacking posters。
They certainly were attractive pictures。 Some showed groups of
stalwart； immaculately clad young gods lolling indolently on tropical
shores； with a splendor of palms overhead； and a sparkling blue sea in the
distance。 Others depicted a group of white…clad men wading knee…deep in
the surf as they laughingly landed a cutter on the sandy beach。 There was a
particularly fascinating one showing two barefooted young chaps on a
wave…swept raft engaged in that delightfully perilous task known as
signaling。 Another showed the keen…eyed gunners busy about the big guns。
Eddie studied them all。
The man finished his task and looked up； quite casually。
〃Hello； kid；〃 he said。
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〃Hello；〃 answered Eddie。 Then〃That's some picture gallery you're
giving us。〃
The man in the sailor suit fell back a pace or two and surveyed his
work with a critical but satisfied eye。
〃Pitchers；〃 he said； 〃don't do it justice。 We've opened a recruiting
office here。 Looking for young men with brains； and muscle； and ambition。
It's a great chance。 We don't get to these here little towns much。〃
He placed a handbill in Eddie's hand。 Eddie glanced down at it
sheepishly。
〃I've heard；〃 he said； 〃that it's a hard life。〃
The man in the sailor suit threw back his head and laughed； displaying
a great deal of hairy throat and chest。 〃Hard！〃 he jeered； and slapped one
of the gay…colored posters with the back of his hand。 〃You see that！ Well；
it ain't a bit exaggerated。 Not a bit。 I ought to know。 It's the only life for a
young man； especially for a guy in a little town。 There's no chance here for
a bright young man； and if he goes to the city； what does he get？ The city's
jam full of kids that flock there in the spring and fall； looking for jobs； and
thinking the city's sittin' up waitin' for 'em。 And where do they land？ In the
dime lodging houses； that's where。 In the navy you see the world； and it
don't cost you a cent。 A guy is a fool to bury himself alive in a hole like
this。 You could be seeing the world； traveling by sea from port to port；
