buttered side down(抹黄油的一面朝下)-第6部分
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by the 〃Duchess；〃 page 179） the average reader wants to know what sort
of a filmy wrap she snatches up on the way out。 He demands a description；
with as many illustrations as the publisher will stand for； of what she wore
from the bedroom to the street； with full stops for the ribbons on her robe
de nuit； and the buckles on her ballroom slippers。 Half the poor creatures
one sees flattening their noses against the shop windows are authors
getting a line on the advance fashions。 Suppose a careless writer were to
dress his heroine in a full…plaited skirt only to find； when his story is
published four months later； that full…plaited skirts have been relegated to
the dim past！
I started to read a story once。 It was a good one。 There was in it not a
single allusion to brandy…and…soda； or divorce； or the stock market。 The
dialogue crackled。 The hero talked like a live man。 It was a shipboard
story； and the heroine was charming so long as she wore her heavy ulster。
But along toward evening she blossomed forth in a yellow gown； with a
scarlet poinsettia at her throat。 I quit her cold。 Nobody ever wore a scarlet
poinsettia； or if they did； they couldn't wear it on a yellow gown。 Or if
they did wear it with a yellow gown； they didn't wear it at the throat。
Scarlet poinsettias aren't worn； anyhow。 To this day I don't know whether
the heroine married the hero or jumped overboard。
You see； one can't be too careful about clothing one's heroine。
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I hesitate to describe Sophy Epstein's dress。 You won't like it。 In the
first place； it was cut too low； front and back； for a shoe clerk in a
downtown loft。 It was a black dress； near…princess in style； very tight as to
fit； very short as to skirt； very sleazy as to material。 It showed all the
delicate curves of Sophy's under…fed； girlish body； and Sophy didn't care a
bit。 Its most objectionable feature was at the throat。 Collarless gowns were
in vogue。 Sophy's daring shears had gone a snip or two farther。 They had
cut a startlingly generous V。 To say that the dress was elbow…sleeved is
superfluous。 I have said that Sophy clerked in a downtown loft。
Sophy sold 〃sample〃 shoes at two…fifty a pair； and from where you
were standing you thought they looked just like the shoes that were sold in
the regular shops for six。 When Sophy sat on one of the low benches at the
feet of some customer； tugging away at a refractory shoe for a would…be
small foot； her shameless little gown exposed more than it should have。
But few of Sophy's customers were shocked。 They were mainly chorus
girls and ladies of doubtful complexion in search of cheap and ultra
footgear； andto use a health termhardened by exposure。
Have I told you how pretty she was？ She was so pretty that you
immediately forgave her the indecency of her pitiful little gown。 She was
pretty in a daringly demure fashion； like a wicked little Puritan； or a
poverty…stricken Cleo de Merode； with her smooth brown hair parted in
the middle； drawn severely down over her ears； framing the lovely oval of
her face and ending in a simple coil at the neck。 Some serpent's wisdom
had told Sophy to eschew puffs。 But I think her prettiness could have
triumphed even over those。
If Sophy's boss had been any other sort of man he would have
informed Sophy； sternly； that black princess effects； cut low； were not au
fait in the shoe…clerk world。 But Sophy's boss had a rhombic nose； and no
instep； and the tail of his name had been amputated。 He didn't care how
Sophy wore her dresses so long as she sold shoes。
Once the boss had kissed Sophynot on the mouth； but just where her
shabby gown formed its charming but immodest V。 Sophy had slapped
him； of course。 But the slap had not set the thing right in her mind。 She
could not forget it。 It had made her uncomfortable in much the same way
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as we are wildly ill at ease when we dream of walking naked in a crowded
street。 At odd moments during the day Sophy had found herself rubbing
the spot furiously with her unlovely handkerchief； and shivering a little。
She had never told the other girls about that kiss。
Sothere you have Sophy and her costume。 You may take her or leave
her。 I purposely placed these defects in costuming right at the beginning of
the story； so that there should be no false pretenses。 One more detail。
About Sophy's throat was a slender； near…gold chain from which was
suspended a cheap and glittering La Valliere。 Sophy had not intended it as
a sop to the conventions。 It was an offering on the shrine of Fashion； and
represented many lunchless days。
At eleven o'clock one August morning； Louie came to Chicago from
Oskaloosa； Iowa。 There was no hay in his hair。 The comic papers have
long insisted that the country boy； on his first visit to the city； is known by
his greased boots and his high…water pants。 Don't you believe them。 The
small…town boy is as fastidious about the height of his heels and the stripe
of his shift and the roll of his hat…brim as are his city brothers。 He peruses
the slangily worded ads of the 〃classy clothes〃 tailors； and when scarlet
cravats are worn the small…town boy is not more than two weeks late in
acquiring one that glows like a headlight。
Louie found a rooming…house； shoved his suitcase under the bed；
changed his collar； washed his hands in the gritty water of the wash bowl；
and started out to look for a job。
Louie was twenty…one。 For the last four years he had been employed in
the best shoe store at home； and he knew shoe leather from the factory to
the ash barrel。 It was almost a religion with him。
Curiosity； which plays leads in so many life dramas； led Louie to the
rotunda of the tallest building。 It was built on the hollow center plan； with
a sheer drop from the twenty…somethingth to the main floor。 Louie
stationed himself in the center of the mosaic floor； took off his hat； bent
backward almost double and gazed； his mouth wide open。 When he
brought his muscles slowly back into normal position he tried hard not to
look impressed。 He glanced about； sheepishly； to see if any one was
laughing at him； and his eye encountered the electric…lighted glass display
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case of the shoe company upstairs。 The case was filled with pink satin
slippers and cunning velvet boots； and the newest thing in bronze street
shoes。 Louie took the next elevator up。 The shoe display had made him
feel as though some one from home had slapped him on the back。
The God of the Jobless was with him。 The boss had fired two boys the
day before。
〃Oskaloosa！〃 grinned the boss； derisively。 〃Do they wear shoes there？
What do you know about shoes； huh boy？〃
Louie told him。 The boss shuffled the papers on his desk； and chewed
his cigar； and tried not to show his surprise。 Louie； quite innocently； was
teaching the boss things about the shoe business。
When Louie had finished〃Well； I try you； anyhow；〃 the boss grunted；
grudgingly。 〃I give you so…and…so much。〃 He named a wage that would
have been ridiculous if it had not been so pathetic。
〃All right； sir；〃 answered Louie； promptly； like the boys in the Alger
series。 The cost of living problem had never bothered Louie in Oskaloosa。
The boss hid a pleased smile。
〃Miss Epstein！〃 he bellowed； 〃step this way！ Miss Epstein； kindly
show this here young man so he gets a line on the stock。 He is from
Oskaloosa； Ioway。 Look out she don't sell you a gold brick； Louie。〃
But Louie was not listening。 He was gazing at the V in Sophy Epstein's
dress with all his scandalized Oskaloosa； Iowa； eyes。
Louie was no mollycoddle。 But he had been in great demand as usher
at the Young Men's Sunday Evening Club service at the Congregational
church； and in his town there had been no Sophy Epsteins in too…tight
princess dresses； cut into a careless V。 But Sophy was a city productI was
about to say pure and simple； but I will notwise； bold； young； old；
underfed； overworked； and triumphantly pretty。
〃How…do！〃 cooed Sophy in her best baby tones。 Louie's disapproving
eyes jumped from the objectionable V in Sophy's dress to the lure of
Sophy's face； and their expression underwent a lightning change。 There
was no disapproving Sophy's face； no matter how long one had dwelt in
Oskaloosa。
〃I won't bite you；〃 said Sophy。 〃I'm never vicious on Tuesdays。 We'll
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start here with the misses' an' children's； and work over to the other side。〃
Whereupon L
