Four Million , livre ebook

Pub One Info - O. Henry

Découvre YouScribe en t'inscrivant gratuitement

Je m'inscris

Obtenez un accès à la bibliothèque pour le consulter en ligne
En savoir plus

99 pages

English

Vous pourrez modifier la taille du texte de cet ouvrage

Obtenez un accès à la bibliothèque pour le consulter en ligne
En savoir plus

A propos
Informations
Extrait

Description

pubOne.info present you this new edition. Tobin and me, the two of us, went down to Coney one day, for there was four dollars between us, and Tobin had need of distractions. For there was Katie Mahorner, his sweetheart, of County Sligo, lost since she started for America three months before with two hundred dollars, her own savings, and one hundred dollars from the sale of Tobin's inherited estate, a fine cottage and pig on the Bog Shannaugh. And since the letter that Tobin got saying that she had started to come to him not a bit of news had he heard or seen of Katie Mahorner. Tobin advertised in the papers, but nothing could be found of the colleen.

Informations

Publié par	Pub One Info
Date de parution	06 novembre 2010
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9782819943198
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0100€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

TOBIN'S PALM
Tobin and me, the two of us, went down to Coney oneday, for there was four dollars between us, and Tobin had need ofdistractions. For there was Katie Mahorner, his sweetheart, ofCounty Sligo, lost since she started for America three monthsbefore with two hundred dollars, her own savings, and one hundreddollars from the sale of Tobin's inherited estate, a fine cottageand pig on the Bog Shannaugh. And since the letter that Tobin gotsaying that she had started to come to him not a bit of news had heheard or seen of Katie Mahorner. Tobin advertised in the papers,but nothing could be found of the colleen.
So, to Coney me and Tobin went, thinking that a turnat the chutes and the smell of the popcorn might raise the heart inhis bosom. But Tobin was a hardheaded man, and the sadness stuck inhis skin. He ground his teeth at the crying balloons; he cursed themoving pictures; and, though he would drink whenever asked, hescorned Punch and Judy, and was for licking the tintype men as theycame.
So I gets him down a side way on a board walk wherethe attractions were some less violent. At a little six by eightstall Tobin halts, with a more human look in his eye.
“'Tis here, ” says he, “I will be diverted. I'llhave the palm of me hand investigated by the wonderful palmist ofthe Nile, and see if what is to be will be. ”
Tobin was a believer in signs and the unnatural innature. He possessed illegal convictions in his mind along thesubjects of black cats, lucky numbers, and the weather predictionsin the papers.
We went into the enchanted chicken coop, which wasfixed mysterious with red cloth and pictures of hands with linescrossing 'em like a railroad centre. The sign over the door says itis Madame Zozo the Egyptian Palmist. There was a fat woman insidein a red jumper with pothooks and beasties embroidered upon it.Tobin gives her ten cents and extends one of his hands. She liftsTobin's hand, which is own brother to the hoof of a drayhorse, andexamines it to see whether 'tis a stone in the frog or a cast shoehe has come for.
“Man, ” says this Madame Zozo, “the line of yourfate shows— ”
“Tis not me foot at all, ” says Tobin, interrupting.“Sure, 'tis no beauty, but ye hold the palm of me hand. ”
“The line shows, ” says the Madame, “that ye've notarrived at your time of life without bad luck. And there's more tocome. The mount of Venus— or is that a stone bruise? — shows thatye've been in love. There's been trouble in your life on account ofyour sweetheart. ”
“'Tis Katie Mahorner she has references with, ”whispers Tobin to me in a loud voice to one side.
“I see, ” says the palmist, “a great deal of sorrowand tribulation with one whom ye cannot forget. I see the lines ofdesignation point to the letter K and the letter M in her name.”
“Whist! ” says Tobin to me, “do ye hear that? ”
“Look out, ” goes on the palmist, “for a dark manand a light woman; for they'll both bring ye trouble. Ye'll make avoyage upon the water very soon, and have a financial loss. I seeone line that brings good luck. There's a man coming into your lifewho will fetch ye good fortune. Ye'll know him when ye see him byhis crooked nose. ”
“Is his name set down? ” asks Tobin. “'Twill beconvenient in the way of greeting when he backs up to dump off thegood luck. ”
“His name, ” says the palmist, thoughtful looking,“is not spelled out by the lines, but they indicate 'tis a longone, and the letter 'o' should be in it. There's no more to tell.Good-evening. Don't block up the door. ”
“'Tis wonderful how she knows, ” says Tobin as wewalk to the pier.
As we squeezed through the gates a nigger man stickshis lighted segar against Tobin's ear, and there is trouble. Tobinhammers his neck, and the women squeal, and by presence of mind Idrag the little man out of the way before the police comes. Tobinis always in an ugly mood when enjoying himself.
On the boat going back, when the man calls “Whowants the good-looking waiter? ” Tobin tried to plead guilty,feeling the desire to blow the foam off a crock of suds, but whenhe felt in his pocket he found himself discharged for lack ofevidence. Somebody had disturbed his change during the commotion.So we sat, dry, upon the stools, listening to the Dagoes fiddlingon deck. If anything, Tobin was lower in spirits and less congenialwith his misfortunes than when we started.
On a seat against the railing was a young womandressed suitable for red automobiles, with hair the colour of anunsmoked meerschaum. In passing by, Tobin kicks her foot withoutintentions, and, being polite to ladies when in drink, he tries togive his hat a twist while apologising. But he knocks it off, andthe wind carries it overboard.
Tobin came back and sat down, and I began to lookout for him, for the man's adversities were becoming frequent. Hewas apt, when pushed so close by hard luck, to kick the bestdressed man he could see, and try to take command of the boat.
Presently Tobin grabs my arm and says, excited:“Jawn, ” says he, “do ye know what we're doing? We're taking avoyage upon the water. ”
“There now, ” says I; “subdue yeself. The boat'llland in ten minutes more. ”
“Look, ” says he, “at the light lady upon the bench.And have ye forgotten the nigger man that burned me ear? And isn'tthe money I had gone— a dollar sixty-five it was? ”
I thought he was no more than summing up hiscatastrophes so as to get violent with good excuse, as men will do,and I tried to make him understand such things was trifles.
“Listen, ” says Tobin. “Ye've no ear for the gift ofprophecy or the miracles of the inspired. What did the palmist ladytell ye out of me hand? 'Tis coming true before your eyes. 'Lookout, ' says she, 'for a dark man and a light woman; they'll bringye trouble. ' Have ye forgot the nigger man, though he got some ofit back from me fist? Can ye show me a lighter woman than theblonde lady that was the cause of me hat falling in the water? Andwhere's the dollar sixty-five I had in me vest when we left theshooting gallery? ”
The way Tobin put it, it did seem to corroborate theart of prediction, though it looked to me that these accidentscould happen to any one at Coney without the implication ofpalmistry.
Tobin got up and walked around on deck, lookingclose at the passengers out of his little red eyes. I asked him theinterpretation of his movements. Ye never know what Tobin has inhis mind until he begins to carry it out.
“Ye should know, ” says he, “I'm working out thesalvation promised by the lines in me palm. I'm looking for thecrooked-nose man that's to bring the good luck. 'Tis all that willsave us. Jawn, did ye ever see a straighter-nosed gang of hellionsin the days of your life? ”
'Twas the nine-thirty boat, and we landed and walkedup-town through Twenty-second Street, Tobin being without hishat.
On a street corner, standing under a gas-light andlooking over the elevated road at the moon, was a man. A long manhe was, dressed decent, with a segar between his teeth, and I sawthat his nose made two twists from bridge to end, like the wriggleof a snake. Tobin saw it at the same time, and I heard him breathehard like a horse when you take the saddle off. He went straight upto the man, and I went with him.
“Good-night to ye, ” Tobin says to the man. The mantakes out his segar and passes the compliments, sociable.
“Would ye hand us your name, ” asks Tobin, “and letus look at the size of it? It may be our duty to become acquaintedwith ye. ”
“My name” says the man, polite, “is Friedenhausman—Maximus G. Friedenhausman. ”
“'Tis the right length, ” says Tobin. “Do you spellit with an 'o' anywhere down the stretch of it? ”
“I do not, ” says the man.
“ Can ye spell it with an 'o'? ” inquiresTobin, turning anxious.
“If your conscience, ” says the man with the nose,“is indisposed toward foreign idioms ye might, to please yourself,smuggle the letter into the penultimate syllable. ”
“'Tis well, ” says Tobin. “Ye're in the presence ofJawn Malone and Daniel Tobin. ”
“Tis highly appreciated, ” says the man, with a bow.“And now since I cannot conceive that ye would hold a spelling beeupon the street corner, will ye name some reasonable excuse forbeing at large? ”
“By the two signs, ” answers Tobin, trying toexplain, “which ye display according to the reading of the Egyptianpalmist from the sole of me hand, ye've been nominated to offsetwith good luck the lines of trouble leading to the nigger man andthe blonde lady with her feet crossed in the boat, besides thefinancial loss of a dollar sixty-five, all so far fulfilledaccording to Hoyle. ”
The man stopped smoking and looked at me.
“Have ye any amendments, ” he asks, “to offer tothat statement, or are ye one too? I thought by the looks of ye yemight have him in charge. ”
“None, ” says I to him, “except that as onehorseshoe resembles another so are ye the picture of good luck aspredicted by the hand of me friend. If not, then the lines ofDanny's hand may have been crossed, I don't know. ”
“There's two of ye, ” says the man with the nose,looking up and down for the sight of a policeman. “I've enjoyedyour company immense. Good-night. ”
With that he shoves his segar in his mouth and movesacross the street, stepping fast. But Tobin sticks close to oneside of him and me at the other.
“What! ” says he, stopping on the opposite sidewalkand pushing back his hat; “do ye follow me? I tell ye, ” he says,very loud, “I'm proud to have met ye. But it is my desire to be ridof ye. I am off to me home. ”
“Do, ” says Tobin, leaning against his sleeve. “Dobe off to your home. And I will sit at the door of it till ye comeout in the morning. For the dependence is upon ye to obviate thecurse of the nigger man and the blonde lady and the financial lossof the one-sixty-five. ”
“'Tis a strange hallucination, ” says the man,turning to me as a more reasonable lunatic. “Hadn't ye better gethim home? ”
“Listen, man, ” says I to him. “Daniel Tobin is assensible a