Active Service, Stephen Crane [classic books for 11 year olds TXT] 📗

You Better Look Out Or You May Get A Punch In

The Eye!,"

 

"You Take One Punch In the General Direction Of

My Eye,  Me Son," Said -Peter Cheerfully,  " And I'Ll

Distribute Your Remains,  Over This Hotel In a Way That Will

Cause Your,  Friends Years Of Trouble To Collect You.

Instead Of Anticipating an Attack Upon My Eye,  You

Had Much Better Be Engaged in improving your Mind,

Which Is At Present Not A Fit Machine To Cope With Exciting

Situations. There'S Coke! Hello,  Coke,  Hear

The News? Well,  Marjory Wainwright And Rufus

Coleman ,  Are Engaged.. Straight ? Certainly ! Go

Ask The Minister."

 

Coke Did Not Take Peter'S Word. "Is That So ? " He

Asked the Others.

 

" So The Minister Told Us," They Answered,  And Then

These Two,  Who Seemed so Unhappy,  Watched coke'S

Face To See If They Could Not Find Surprised misery

There. But Coke Coolly Said: " Well,  Then,  I Suppose

It'S True."

 

It Soon Became Evident That The Students Did Not

Care For Each Other'S Society.  Peter Tounley Was

Probably An Exception,  But The Others Seemed to Long

For Quiet Corners. They Were Distrusting each Other,

And,  In a Boyish Way,  They Were Even Capable Of Maligant

Things. Their Excuses For Separation Were Badly

Made.

 

"I-I Think I'Ll Go For A Walk."

" I'M Going up Stairs To Read."

" Well,  So Long,  Old Man.' " So Long." There Was

No Heart To It.

 

Peter Tounley Went To Coleman'S Door,  Where He

Knocked with Noisy Hilarity. " Come In i " The Correspondent

Apparently Had Just Come From The Street,

For His Hat Was On His Head And A Light Top-Coat Was On

His Back. He Was Searching hurriedly Through Some,

Papers. " Hello,  You Young Devil What Are You

Doing here ?

 

Peter'S Entrance Was A Somewhat Elaborate Comedy

Which Coleman Watched in icy Silence. Peter After A

Long,And Impudent Pantomime Halted abruptly And

Fixing coleman With His Eye Demanded: "Well?"

 

"Well-What?." Said Coleman,  Bristling a Trifle.

 

" Is It True ?"

 

" Is What True ?"

 

" Is It True? " Peter Was Extremely Solemn.

" Say,  Me Bucko," Said Coleman Suddenly,  " If

You'Ve. Come Up Here To Twist The Beard Of The Patriarch,

Don'T You Think You Are Running a Chance? "

 

"All Right. I'Ll Be Good," Said Peter,  And He Sat On

The Bed. " But-Is It True?

 

" Is What True? "

 

" What The Whole Hotel Is Saying."

 

]     "I Haven'T Heard The Hotel Making any Remarks

Lately. Been Talking to The Other Buildings,  I Sup-

Pose."

 

"Well,  I Want To Tell You That Everybody Knows

That You And Marjory Have Done Gone And Got

Yourselves Engaged," Said Peter Bluntly.

 

"And Well? " Asked coleman Imperturbably.

 

" Oh,  Nothing," Replied peter,  Waving his Hand.

" Only-I Thought It Might Interest You."

 

Coleman Was Silent For Some Time. He Fingered his

Papers. At Last He Burst Out Joyously. "And So

They Know It Already,  Do They? Well-Damn Them-

Let Them Know It. But You Didn'T Tell Them Yourself ? "

 

" I ! " Quoth Peter Wrathfully. " No! The Minister Told Us."

 

Then Coleman Was Again Silent For A Time And Peter

Tounley Sat On The. Bed reflectively Looking at The

Ceiling. " Funny Thing,  Marjory 'Way Over Here In

Greece,  And Then You Happening over Here The Way

You Did."

 

" It Isn'T Funny At All."

 

" Why Isn'T It ? "

 

" Because," Said Coleman Impressively,,  " That Is

Why I Came To Greece. It Was All Planned. See?"

 

"Whirroo," Exclaimed peter. "This Here Is

Magic."

 

" No Magic At All." Coleman Displayed some Complacence.

" No Magic At All. Just Pure,  Plain--

Whatever You Choose To Call It."

 

" Holy Smoke," Said Peter,  Admiring the Situation.

"Why,  This Is Plum Romance,  Coleman. I'M Blowed

If It Isn'T."

 

Coleman Was Grinning with Delight. He Took A

Fresh Cigar And His Bright Eyes Looked at Peter Through

The Smoke.,  "Seems Like It,  Don'T It? Yes. Regular

Romance. Have A Drink,  My Boy,  Just To Celebrate

My Good Luck. And Be Patient If I Talk A Great Deal

Of My-My-Future. My Head Spins With It." He

Arose To Pace The Room Flinging out Bis Arms In a Great

Gesture. " God! When I Think Yesterday Was Not

Like To-Day I Wonder How I Stood It." There Was A

Knock At The Door And A Waiter Left A Note In coleman'S Hand

 

"Dear Ruf Us:-We Are Going for A Drive This Afternoon

At Three,  And Mother Wishes You To Come,  If You.

Care To. I Too Wish It,  If You Care To. Yours,

" Marjory."

 

With A Radiant Face,  Coleman Gave The Note A Little

Crackling flourish In the Air. " Oh,  You Don'T Know

What Life Is,  Kid."

 

" S-Steady The Blues," Said Peter Tounley Seriously.

You'Ll Lose Your Head If You Don'T Watch Out."

 

" Not I" Cried coleman With Irritation. " But A

Man Must Turn Loose Some Times,  Mustn'T He?"

 

When The Four,  Students Had Separated in the Corri-

Dor,  Coke Had Posted at Once To Nora Black'S Sitting

Room. His Entrance Was Somewhat Precipitate,  But

He Cooled down Almost At Once,  For He Reflected that

He Was Not Bearing good News. He Ended by Perching

In Awkward Fashion On The Brink Of His Chair And

Fumbling his Hat Uneasily. Nora Floated to Him In a

Cloud Of A White Dressing gown. She Gave Him

A Plump Hand. "Well,  Youngman? "She Said,  With A

Glowing smile. She Took A Chair,  And The Stuff Of Her

Gown Fell In curves Over The Arms Of It.,

 

Coke Looked hot And Bothered,  As If He Could Have

More Than Half Wanted to Retract His Visit. " I-Aw-

We Haven'T Seen Much Of You Lately," He Began,  Sparing.

He Had Expected to Tell His News At Once.

 

No," Said Nora,  Languidly. " I Have Been Resting

After That Horrible Journey-That Horrible Journey.

Dear,  Dear! Nothing,Will Ever Induce Me To Leave

London,  New York And Paris. I Am At Home There.

But Here I Why,  It Is Worse Than Living in brooklyn.

And That Journey Into The Wilds! No. No; Not For

Me! "

 

" I Suppose We'Ll All Be Glad To Get Home," Said

Coke,  Aimlessly.

 

At The Moment A Waiter Entered the Room And Began

To Lay The Table For Luncheon. He Kept Open The

Door To The Corridor,  And He Had The Luncheon At A

Point Just Outside The Door. His Excursions To The

Trays Were Flying ones,  So That,  As Far As Coke'S Purpose

Was Concerned,  The Waiter Was Always In the

Room. Moreover,  Coke Was Obliged,  Naturally,  To Depart

At Once. He Had Bungled everything.

 

As He Arose He Whispered hastily: " Does This

Waiter Understand English ? "

 

"Yes," Answered nora. "Why?"

 

"Because I Have Something to Tell You-Important."

 

"What Is It? " Whispered nora,  Eagerly.

 

He Leaned toward Her And Replied: " Marjory

Wainwright And Coleman Are Engaged."

 

To His Unfeigned astonishment,  Nora Black Burst

Into Peals Of Silvery Laughter,  " Oh,  Indeed? And

So This Is Your Tragic Story,  Poor,  Innocent Lambkin?

And What Did You Expect? That I Would Faint?" -

 

" I Thought-I Don'T Know-" Murmured coke In

Confusion.

 

Nora Became Suddenly Business-Like. " But How Do

You Know? Are You Sure? Who Told You? Anyhow,

Stay To Luncheon. Do-Like A Good Boy. Oh,

You Must."

 

Coke Dropped again Into His Chair. He Studied her

In Some Wonder. " I Thought You'D Be Surprised,"

He Said,  Ingenuously.

 

" Oh,  You Did,  Did You ? Well,  You See I'M Not.

And Now Tell Me All About It."

 

"There'S Really Nothing to Tell But The Plain Fact.

Some Of The Boys Dropped in at The Minister'S

Rooms A Little While Ago,  And,  He Told Them Of It.

That'S All."

 

Well,  How Did He Know?

 

"I Am Sure I Can'T Tell You. Got It First Hand,  I

Suppose. He Likes Coleman,  And Coleman Is Always

Hanging up There."

 

" Oh,  Perhaps Coleman Was Lying," Said Nora

Easily. Then Suddenly Her Face Brightened and She

Spoke With Animation. " Oh,  I Haven'T Told You How

My Little Greek Officer Has Turned out. Have I?

No? Well,  It Is Simply Lovely. Do You Know,  He Belongs

To One Of The Best Families In athens? Hedoes.

And They'Re Rich-Rich As Can Be. My Courier Tells

Me That The Marble Palace Where They Live Is Enough

To Blind You,  And That If Titles Hadn'T Gone Out Of

Style-Or Something-Here In greece,  My Little Officer

Would Be A Prince! Think Of That! The Courier

Didn'T Know It Until We Got To Athens,  And The Little

Officer-The Prince-Gave Me His Card,  Of Course. One

Of The Oldest,  Noblest And Richest Families In greece.

Think Of That! There I Thought He Was Only A

Bothersome Little Officer Who Came In handy At Times,

And There He Turns Out To Be A Prince. I Could Hardly

Keep Myself From Rushing right Off To Find Him And

Apologise To Him For The Way I Treated him. It Was

Awful! And-" Added the Fair Nora,  Pensively,  "If

He Does Meet Me In paris,  I'Ll Make Him Wear That

Title Down To A Shred,  You Can Bet. What'S The Good

Of Having a Title Unless You Make It Work?"

Chapter 28

Coke Did Not Stay To Luncheon With Nora Black.

He Went Away Saying to Himself Either That Girl

Don'T Care A Straw For Coleman Or She Has Got A Heart

Absolutely Of Flint,  Or She Is The Greatest Actress On

Earth Or-There Is Some Other Reason."

 

At His Departure,  Nora Turned and Called into An

Adjoining room. " Maude I " The Voice Of Her Companion

And Friend Answered her Peevishly. " What ?"

 

"Don'T Bother Me. I'M Reading."

 

" Well,  Anyhow,  Luncheon Is Ready,  So You Will Have

To Stir Your Precious Self," Responded nora. " You'Re

Lazy."

 

" I Don'T Want Any Luncheon. Don'T Bother Me.

I'Ve Got A Headache."

 

" Well,  If You Don'T Come Out,  You'Ll Miss The News.

That'S All I'Ve Got To Say."

 

There Was A Rustle In the Adjoining room,  And

Immediately The Companion Appeared,  Seeming much

Annoyed but Curious. " Well,  What Is It ? "

 

" Rufus Coleman Is Engaged to Be Married to That

Wainwright Girl,  After All."

 

" Well I Declare! " Ejaculated the Little Old Lady.

" Well I Declare." She Meditated for A Moment,

And Then Continued in a Tone Of Satisfaction. " I Told

You That You Couldn'T Stop That Man Coleman If He

Had Feally Made Up His Mind To-"

 

" You'Re A Fool," Said Nora,  Pleasantly.

" Why? " Said The Old Lady.

Because You Are. Don'T Talk To Me About It. I

Want To Think Of Marco."

 

" 'Marco,'" Quoted the Old Lady Startled.

 

"The Prince. The Prince. Can'T You Understand?

I Mean The Prince."

 

" ' Marco!'" Again Quoted the Old Lady,  Under Her

Breath.

 

" Yes,  'Marco,'" Cried nora,  Belligerently. " 'Marco,'

Do You Object To The Name? What'S The Matter With

You,  Anyhow?"

 

" Well," Rejoined the Other,  Nodding her Head Wisely,

"He May Be A Prince,  But I'Ve Always Heard That

These Continental Titles Are No Good In comparison To

The English Titles."

 

"Yes,  But Who Told You So,  Eh? " Demanded nora,

Noisily. She Herself Answered the Question. " The

English! "

 

" Anyhow,  That Little Marquis Who Tagged after You

In London Is A Much Bigger Man In every Way,  I'Ll

Bet,  Than This Little Prince Of Yours."

 

" But-Good Heavens-He Didn'T Mean It. Why,  He

Was Only One Of The Regular Rounders. But Marco,  He

Is Serious I He Means It. He'D Go Through Fire And

Water For Me And Be Glad Of The Chance."

 

" Well," Proclaimed the Old Lady,  " If You Are Not

The Strangest Woman In the World,  I'D Like To Know!

Here I Thought-"

 

"What Did You Think?" Demanded nora,  Suspisciously.

" I Thought That Coleman---"

 

"Bosh!" Interrupted,  The Graceful Nora. "I Tell

You What,  Maude; You'D Better Try To Think As Little

As Possible. It Will Suit Your Style Of Beauty Better.

And Above All,  Don'T Think Of My Affairs. I Myself

Am Taking pains Not To Think Of Them. It'S Easier."

 

Mrs. Wainwright,  With No Spirit Of Intention What.

Ever,  Had Sit About Readjusting her Opinions. It Is

Certain That She Was Unconscious Of Any Evolution. If

Some One Had Said To Her That She Was Surrendering to

The Inevitable,  She Would Have Been Immediately On

Her Guard,  And Would Have Opposed forever All Suggestions

Of A Match Between Marjory And Coleman. On

The Other Hand,  If Some One Had Said To Her That Her

Daughter Was Going to Marry A Human Serpent,