Bambi
"Oh, six weeks or so," said the youth.
"No possible chance of seeing Mr. Frohman?"
"Only by appointment. He is in Europe now."
Jarvis relinquished his precious bundle and departed. It occurred to
him, when he reached the street, that part of his depression was from
hunger. He bought a sandwich and coffee at a Childs restaurant. Later,
he went into a drug store and looked up magazine offices in the
telephone book. Then he set out. From _Collier's_ to the _Cosmopolitan_
is many a weary mile. And Jarvis walked it, visiting all the
intervening offices.
In only one case did he get to the editor. Mr. Davis, of _Munsey's_, let
him come in, and was decent to him, promised to read anything he sent in
at once, took his address, and made him feel like a human being. Many a
young writer besides Jarvis has to thank Mr. Bob Davis for just such a
bit of encouragement. For the most part, he saw clerks or secretaries
who made excuses for the editor, took his name and address with the same
old "Come in again." Out in the hot sun the pavement wavered and melted
into hillocks before his dizzy eyes. So he went back to the hot bedroom,
which seemed, all at once, a haven of rest.
He threw himself on the hard bed and was asleep in a second. It seemed
aeons later that he was dragged up from the depths of slumber by
continued pounding on his door. The slattern chambermaid announced that
a gentleman wished to see him. He called to her it must be a mistake. He
didn't know any gentlemen.
"'E h'ast for Jarvis Jocelyn. 'Ere's 'is card," she retorted, opening
the door and marching to the bed with it.
"Richard Strong. Tell him I'm out."
"Hi've already said you was in. Hi see you come hup."
"The devil! Where is he?"
"Coolin' 'is 'eels in the 'all."
"Say I'll be down in a minute. Ask him to wait."
"Hi get you," said she, and clomped out.
Then Jarvis's eye fell on Bambi's letter on his table, unopened. It must
have come the day before, when he was lost in his play. He glanced
through it. At the mention of Strong's visit he frowned. He read that
part twice. There was no doubt of it. Strong had the only chance with
her. He made no secret of his devotion to her, and the probabilities
were that now that he, Jarvis, was out of the way, she would realize how
much she cared for Strong.
"Well, what is, is," he muttered. He'd have no favours from Strong,
though, that was sure.
Twenty minutes later, shaved and dressed, he descended upon his guest,
who sat in torment, on a hall-tree shelf, in Stygian darkness.
"How do you do?" said Jarvis, stiffly. "Sorry to keep you waiting in
this hole of Calcutta."
"How are you, Jocelyn?" said Strong, cordially. "Your wife gave me your
address, and I thought you might save me from a deadly evening by dining
with me at Claremont."
"Thank you, I have dined," replied Jarvis.
"So early? Well, come with me while I get a bite somewhere, and we will
go to a show, or hear some music."
"Much obliged. I am engaged for the evening."
"Oh, that's a pity. Your wife told me you were a friendless stranger in
a foreign land, so I lost no time in coming to look you up."
"Very kind of you."
"I had a charming weekend in the country. We missed you very much."
"Indeed?"
"You're a lucky chap, Jocelyn. Your wife is one of the most enchanting
women I ever met. She is unique."
"I am glad she pleases you."
"My dear fellow, I hope I haven't annoyed you. I meant no disrespect in
complimenting you on Mrs. Jocelyn's charm."
"You made your admiration a trifle conspicuous the last time I saw you,"
said Jarvis in a rage.
"I apologize, I assure you. I bid you good night."
"Unmannerly boor," was Strong's comment as he turned toward the avenue.
"Hope that settles Mr. Richard Strong," fumed Jarvis as he turned away
from the avenue.
Two letters were written Bambi that night concerning this meeting. Mr.
Strong wrote:
"DEAR LADY: I cannot possibly tell you how much of the fragrance of the
garden, and of you, stays with me even in the heat and ugliness of New
York. I am so grateful to you and the Professor for your hospitality and
your friendship.
"I went to see your Jarvis to-night, as I promised to do, but he made it
exceedingly plain to me that he desired neither my visit nor my
acquaintance. I thought he looked very tired and a trifle hectic. No
doubt the heat has worn on him. I don't mean to alarm you. I am only
searching for some excuse for my own comfort for his reception of me.
"I shall look for the next chapters with eagerness. None of your many
readers knows my proprietary delight in that tale of yours.
"My cordial regards to your father, and to yourself my thanks and my
best wishes. Faithfully,
"RICHARD STRONG."
Jarvis was not so politic. He permitted himself some rancor.
"DEAR BAMBINA: I did not get your letter announcing Strong's visit, and
his approaching descent upon me, until this evening. He followed close
upon its heels. I have no doubt you intended it kindly sending him here
to look me up, but the truth is I am in no mood for callers, and I fear
I made that rather plain to your friend. I may as well say, frankly, I
disliked him exceedingly on the occasion of his visit to you. It would
be useless for me to try to disguise the fact. I would never dream of
asking him for work on his magazine, which I consider of a very
low grade.
"By some misunderstanding the Parkes sailed sooner than they expected,
and failed to see my play. I have offered it to Charles Frohman. I
should prefer him to any other New York manager.
"The weather here is extremely hot, and I have been working rather hard,
so I am a little knocked out. Will you send me the manuscript of my two
unfinished plays you will find on the table in my study? With regards to
the Professor and yourself. Hastily,
"JARVIS."
Having got this off his mind and into the mailbox, Jarvis went for his
nightly prowl. His steps turned toward the crowded East Side district,
where a new interest was beginning to attract him. Until now "men" were
his only concern. These hot nights, as he tramped along, discouraged
with his own futility, he was beginning to discover "Man."
It seemed to him that all the children in the world were playing in
these crowded streets. He had never turned his attention to children
before. And he began to look at the shrewd, old faces, even to talk to a
group here and there. They made him think of monkeys, clever, nervous
little beasts.
He skirted several mothers' meetings conducted on the sidewalk. He even
went into a saloon to have a look at the men, but the odour of stale
beer and hot bodies was insufferable and drove him out. As he sauntered
along, he passed an unlighted business building. Out of the shadow a
girl stole, and fell in step beside him.
"Hello, kid!" she began, her hand tucked under his arm. Before she could
complete her sentence, a policeman was upon them. He laid hold of the
girl roughly.
"Now I got you! I told you to keep off'n this block," he growled.
"What's the matter with you? What do you want?" Jarvis demanded.
"I want her to come along with me. That's what I want."
"She hasn't done anything."
"You bet she hasn't. I didn't give her time."
"Let go of her! What charge are you taking her on?"
"Don't get fresh, young guy. The charge is s'licitin'."
"That's a lie! She's a friend of mine, and she merely said, 'Good
evening.'"
The copper laughed derisively, and the girl turned a cynical young-old
face to Jarvis.
"Much obliged, kid, but it ain't no use. He's got me spotted."
"If you arrest her, you must arrest me."
"I got nottin' on you."
"Yes, you have. I said 'Good evening' to her, just what she said to me."
"Get the hell out of here, and don't give me none of your lip, or I'll
run you in. Come along!" the policeman ordered, and he and the girl
started on toward Jefferson Market. Jarvis marched beside them. When
they turned in at the door where prisoners are entered, the policeman
again ordered Jarvis off.
"Go round in front if you're crazy to be in on this," he said.
Jarvis hurried round to the front door and went in. The courtroom was
packed. He had trouble in finding a seat, but he finally got into the
front row, just behind the rail that divides the dock from the
spectators. One half of the room was full of swine--fat, blowse-necked
Jewish men, lawyers, cadets, owners of houses--all the low breeds who
fatten off the degradation of women. Their business was to pay the fines
or go bail.
The other half of the room, to Jarvis's horror, was full of young boys
and girls, some almost children, there out of curiosity. A goodly number
of street walkers sat at the back. It was their habit to come into court
to see what judge was sitting. If it was one who levied strict fines, or
was prone to send girls up to Bedford, they spent the evening there,
instead of on the streets.
The first case called, after Jarvis's entrance, was that of the keeper
of a disorderly house. She was horrible. He felt she ought to be branded
in some way, so that she and her vile trade would be known wherever she
went. A man went her bail, and she flounced out in a cloud of patchouli.
Two coloured girls were brought in, and sent up for thirty days. Then
several old women, the kind of human travesties Jarvis had seen sleeping
on the benches, were marched before the judge, who called them all
by name.
"Well, Annie," he said to one of them, "you haven't been here for some
weeks. How did it happen this time?"
"I've been a-walkin' all day, your honour. I guess I fell asleep in the
doorway."
"You've been pretty good lately. I'll let you off easy. Fine, one
dollar."
"Oh, thanks, your honour." She was led off, and Jarvis sickened at the
sight.
A series of young girls followed, cheaply modish, with their willow
plumes and their vanity bags. Some cheerful, some cynical, some defiant.
One slip of a thing heard her sentence, looked up in the judge's face,
and laughed. Jarvis knew that never, while he lived, would he forget
that girl's laugh. It was into the face of our whole hideous Society
that she hurled that bitter laugh.
Then his girl was brought in. He saw her clearly for the first time. A
thin, wizened little face, framed in curly red hair, with bright,
birdlike eyes. Her thin, flat child's figure was outlined in a tight,
black satin dress, with a red collar and sash. Her quick glance darted
to him, and she smiled. The policeman made his charge. The judge
glanced at her.
"Anything to say for yourself?"
She shook her head wearily. Jarvis was out of his seat before he
thought.
"I have something to say for her. I am the man she was supposed to have
approached."
"Silence in the courtroom," said the judge, sternly.
"She didn't say one word to me, except 'Good evening,'" shouted Jarvis.
"Is that the man?" the judge asked the officer.
"Yes. He's made a lot of trouble, too, trying to make me arrest him."
"If you have any evidence to give in this case, come to the front and be
sworn in."
Jarvis jumped the railing and stood before him. The oath was
administered.
"Now, tell me, briefly, what the girl said to you."
"She said, 'Hello, kid!'"
A titter went over the courtroom. The clerk rapped for order.
"Then what happened?"
"This officer arrested her. I told him what had passed between us, and
insisted on being arrested, too. We said the same thing, the girl
and I."
"The girl has been here before. She has a record."
"Where are the men she made the record with?" demanded Jarvis.
"We do not deal with that feature of it," replied the judge, turning to
the officer.