登陆注册
37364200000076

第76章

In a few moments Hilma was surrounded by a group of young men, clamouring for dances.They came from all corners of the barn, leaving the other girls precipitately, almost rudely.There could be little doubt as to who was to be the belle of the occasion.Hilma's little triumph was immediate, complete.

Annixter could hear her voice from time to time, its usual velvety huskiness vibrating to a note of exuberant gayety.

All at once the orchestra swung off into a march--the Grand March.There was a great rush to secure "partners." Young Vacca, still going the rounds, was pushed to one side.The gayly apparelled clerk from the Bonneville store lost his head in the confusion.He could not find his "partner." He roamed wildly about the barn, bewildered, his eyes rolling.He resolved to prepare an elaborate programme card on the back of an old envelope.Rapidly the line was formed, Hilma and Harran Derrick in the lead, Annixter having obstinately refused to engage in either march, set or dance the whole evening.Soon the confused shuffling of feet settled to a measured cadence; the orchestra blared and wailed, the snare drum, rolling at exact intervals, the cornet marking the time.It was half-past eight o'clock.

Annixter drew a long breath:

"Good," he muttered, "the thing is under way at last."Singularly enough, Osterman also refused to dance.The week before he had returned from Los Angeles, bursting with the importance of his mission.He had been successful.He had Disbrow "in his pocket." He was impatient to pose before the others of the committee as a skilful political agent, a manipulator.He forgot his attitude of the early part of the evening when he had drawn attention to himself with his wonderful clothes.Now his comic actor's face, with its brownish-red cheeks, protuberant ears and horizontal slit of a mouth, was overcast with gravity.His bald forehead was seamed with the wrinkles of responsibility.He drew Annixter into one of the empty stalls and began an elaborate explanation, glib, voluble, interminable, going over again in detail what he had reported to the committee in outline.

"I managed--I schemed--I kept dark--I lay low----"But Annixter refused to listen.

"Oh, rot your schemes.There's a punch in the harness room that will make the hair grow on the top of your head in the place where the hair ought to grow.Come on, we'll round up some of the boys and walk into it."They edged their way around the hall outside "The Grand March,"toward the harness room, picking up on their way Caraher, Dyke, Hooven and old Broderson.Once in the harness room, Annixter shot the bolt.

"That affair outside," he observed, "will take care of itself, but here's a little orphan child that gets lonesome without company."Annixter began ladling the punch, filling the glasses.

Osterman proposed a toast to Quien Sabe and the Biggest Barn.

Their elbows crooked in silence.Old Broderson set down his glass, wiping his long beard and remarking:

"That--that certainly is very--very agreeable.I remember a punch I drank on Christmas day in '83, or no, it was '84--anyhow, that punch--it was in Ukiah--'TWAS '83--" He wandered on aimlessly, unable to stop his flow of speech, losing himself in details, involving his talk in a hopeless maze of trivialities to which nobody paid any attention.

"I don't drink myself," observed Dyke, "but just a taste of that with a lot of water wouldn't be bad for the little tad.She'd think it was lemonade." He was about to mix a glass for Sidney, but thought better of it at the last moment.

"It's the chartreuse that's lacking," commented Caraher, lowering at Annixter.The other flared up on the instant.

"Rot, rot.I know better.In some punches it goes; and then, again, in others it don't."But it was left to Hooven to launch the successful phrase:

"Gesundheit," he exclaimed, holding out his second glass.After drinking, he replaced it on the table with a long breath."Ach Gott!" he cried, "dat poonsch, say I tink dot poonsch mek some demn goot vertilizer, hey?"Fertiliser! The others roared with laughter.

"Good eye, Bismarck," commented Annixter.The name had a great success.Thereafter throughout the evening the punch was invariably spoken of as the "Fertiliser." Osterman, having spilt the bottom of a glassful on the floor, pretended that he saw shoots of grain coming up on the spot.Suddenly he turned upon old Broderson.

"I'm bald, ain't I? Want to know how I lost my hair? Promise you won't ask a single other question and I'll tell you.Promise your word of honour.""Eh?What--wh--I--I don't understand.Your hair?Yes, I'll promise.How did you lose it?""It was bit off."

The other gazed at him stupefied; his jaw dropped.The company shouted, and old Broderson, believing he had somehow accomplished a witticism, chuckled in his beard, wagging his head.But suddenly he fell grave, struck with an idea.He demanded:

"Yes--I know--but--but what bit it off?"

"Ah," vociferated Osterman, "that's JUST what you promised not to ask."The company doubled up with hilarity.Caraher leaned against the door, holding his sides, but Hooven, all abroad, unable to follow, gazed from face to face with a vacant grin, thinking it was still a question of his famous phrase.

"Vertilizer, hey? Dots some fine joke, hey? You bedt."What with the noise of their talk and laughter, it was some time before Dyke, first of all, heard a persistent knocking on the bolted door.He called Annixter's attention to the sound.

Cursing the intruder, Annixter unbolted and opened the door.But at once his manner changed.

"Hello.It's Presley.Come in, come in, Pres."There was a shout of welcome from the others.A spirit of effusive cordiality had begun to dominate the gathering.

Annixter caught sight of Vanamee back of Presley, and waiving for the moment the distinction of employer and employee, insisted that both the friends should come in.

"Any friend of Pres is my friend," he declared.

同类推荐
  • 道法心传

    道法心传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 嘉兴退庵断愚智禅师语录

    嘉兴退庵断愚智禅师语录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • The Man Who Was Thursday

    The Man Who Was Thursday

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 愿学集

    愿学集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 孝经注疏

    孝经注疏

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 惊世逸闻录

    惊世逸闻录

    这是。剑雨中的江湖。旧梦里的春风。和世人都会经历的。梦想与爱恨。
  • 初始之界

    初始之界

    人生中会错过许多东西,一个人,一次聚会,一抹夕阳,一场流星雨,又或者是一部精彩的小说。那时的你是否会后悔,是否会懊恼。你不妨给自己一次机会,也给我一次机会。你不妨点开这部小说瞧一瞧,不去管它好看与否,只要努力过,它就是最闪亮的。别给自己美好的人生留下一场遗憾。醉心处女作《初始之界》,为你打开一片辽阔的玄幻空间,感谢大家的支持!谢谢!
  • 柳遇爱

    柳遇爱

    女:桃忧白,男:肖墨,男主因为被人追杀身受重伤,来到一棵柳树下,晕到了,女主在散步偶意间发现了他,最后两人慢慢爱上了对方。
  • 天行

    天行

    号称“北辰骑神”的天才玩家以自创的“牧马冲锋流”战术击败了国服第一弓手北冥雪,被誉为天纵战榜第一骑士的他,却受到小人排挤,最终离开了效力已久的银狐俱乐部。是沉沦,还是再次崛起?恰逢其时,月恒集团第四款游戏“天行”正式上线,虚拟世界再起风云!
  • 成功没有想象中的那么难

    成功没有想象中的那么难

    人人都向往成功,有人成功了,有人还没有成功,没有成功的人往往经常怀疑自己能力是否足够、条件是否具备,我今天要告诉你的第一个问题是:成功并不像想象中的那么困难,请不要用想象给自己制造困难!我想善意地提醒大家,不要被那些市面上充斥的成功学书籍所蒙蔽,那些成功人士所谓的成功经验和秘诀,大多不是他们的真实想法,他们的真实想法往往隐藏在那些看似正确、冠冕的道理之中。所有尚未成功的人们,包括初入社会的年轻人必须记住这样一个道理:成功并不像想象中的那么难。
  • 我即是怪物

    我即是怪物

    世界末日,平行时空的穿越,废土,末世,丧尸爆发,星际战争?他又会如何去应对。
  • 天行

    天行

    号称“北辰骑神”的天才玩家以自创的“牧马冲锋流”战术击败了国服第一弓手北冥雪,被誉为天纵战榜第一骑士的他,却受到小人排挤,最终离开了效力已久的银狐俱乐部。是沉沦,还是再次崛起?恰逢其时,月恒集团第四款游戏“天行”正式上线,虚拟世界再起风云!
  • 天行

    天行

    号称“北辰骑神”的天才玩家以自创的“牧马冲锋流”战术击败了国服第一弓手北冥雪,被誉为天纵战榜第一骑士的他,却受到小人排挤,最终离开了效力已久的银狐俱乐部。是沉沦,还是再次崛起?恰逢其时,月恒集团第四款游戏“天行”正式上线,虚拟世界再起风云!
  • 双面帝王:朱元璋

    双面帝王:朱元璋

    在中国历史这条长河中,有一个王朝很特别,历史在这里拐了一道弯。在众多英雄背后,他毫不起眼,和尚、乞丐,流浪、漂泊……家破人亡的悲痛,举目无亲的流浪。也正是因为这样,要用三尺利剑,打出一片天地来。乞丐摇身一变,成了革命先驱者……
  • 妖妃你别闹

    妖妃你别闹

    24世纪道家总部首席指挥官正安然入睡明明和往常没区别!!明明权势重握在手莫名其妙穿越了穿就穿吧!可怕的是她还衣着喜服身处喜轿……嗯……还有全身插满了箭!莫名成为王妃,带上个傻不溜秋又霸气的王爷的王爷……一个系统跟着她要她拯救世界?问个事吧,这可恶的系统告诉她她还没有权限!对系统好奇心和那诱人的条件好咯勉强答应拯救世界吧!