登陆注册
5250800000094

第94章 Chapter XXVIII The Exposure of Stephanie(2)

"I think so," said Francis, who was the pink of perfection this morning in a brown suit, garnet tie, and sard sleeve-links. His shoes were immaculately polished, and his young, healthy face glistened.

"I'll tell you what I want you to do. There is a young actress, or amateur actress, by the name of Stephanie Platow, who frequents the studio of an artist named Cross in the New Arts Building. She may even occupy it in his absence--I don't know. I want you to find out for me what the relations of Mr. Gurney and this woman are. I have certain business reasons for wanting to know."

Young Kennedy was all attention.

"You couldn't tell me where I could find out anything about this Mr. Gurney to begin with, could you?" he asked.

"I think he is a friend of a critic here by the name of Gardner Knowles. You might ask him. I need not say that you must never mention me.

"Oh, I understand that thoroughly, Mr. Cowperwood." Young Kennedy departed, meditating. How was he to do this? With true journalistic skill he first sought other newspaper men, from whom he learned--a bit from one and a scrap from another--of the character of the Garrick Players, and of the women who belonged to it. He pretended to be writing a one-act play, which he hoped to have produced.

He then visited Lane Cross's studio, posing as a newspaper interviewer. Mr. Cross was out of town, so the elevator man said.

His studio was closed.

Mr. Kennedy meditated on this fact for a moment.

"Does any one use his studio during the summer months?" he asked.

"I believe there is a young woman who comes here--yes."

"You don't happen to know who it is?"

"Yes, I do. Her name is Platow. What do you want to know for?"

"Looky here," exclaimed Kennedy, surveying the rather shabby attendant with a cordial and persuasive eye, "do you want to make some money--five or ten dollars, and without any trouble to you?"

The elevator man, whose wages were exactly eight dollars a week, pricked up his ears.

"I want to know who comes here with this Miss Platow, when they come--all about it. I'll make it fifteen dollars if I find out what I want, and I'll give you five right now."

The elevator factotum had just sixty-five cents in his pocket at the time. He looked at Kennedy with some uncertainty and much desire.

"Well, what can I do?" he repeated. "I'm not here after six. The janitor runs this elevator from six to twelve."

"There isn't a room vacant anywhere near this one, is there?"

Kennedy asked, speculatively.

The factotum thought. "Yes, there is. One just across the hall."

"What time does she come here as a rule?"

"I don't know anything about nights. In the day she sometimes comes mornings, sometimes in the afternoon."

"Anybody with her?"

"Sometimes a man, sometimes a girl or two. I haven't really paid much attention to her, to tell you the truth."

Kennedy walked away whistling.

From this day on Mr. Kennedy became a watcher over this very unconventional atmosphere. He was in and out, principally observing the comings and goings of Mr. Gurney. He found what he naturally suspected, that Mr. Gurney and Stephanie spent hours here at peculiar times--after a company of friends had jollified, for instance, and all had left, including Gurney, when the latter would quietly return, with Stephanie sometimes, if she had left with the others, alone if she had remained behind. The visits were of varying duration, and Kennedy, to be absolutely accurate, kept days, dates, the duration of the hours, which he left noted in a sealed envelope for Cowperwood in the morning. Cowperwood was enraged, but so great was his interest in Stephanie that he was not prepared to act. He wanted to see to what extent her duplicity would go.

The novelty of this atmosphere and its effect on him was astonishing.

Although his mind was vigorously employed during the day, nevertheless his thoughts kept returning constantly. Where was she? What was she doing? The bland way in which she could lie reminded him of himself. To think that she should prefer any one else to him, especially at this time when he was shining as a great constructive factor in the city, was too much. It smacked of age, his ultimate displacement by youth. It cut and hurt.

One morning, after a peculiarly exasperating night of thought concerning her, he said to young Kennedy: "I have a suggestion for you. I wish you would get this elevator man you are working with down there to get you a duplicate key to this studio, and see if there is a bolt on the inside. Let me know when you do. Bring me the key. The next time she is there of an evening with Mr.

Gurney step out and telephone me."

The climax came one night several weeks after this discouraging investigation began. There was a heavy yellow moon in the sky, and a warm, sweet summer wind was blowing. Stephanie had called on Cowperwood at his office about four to say that instead of staying down-town with him, as they had casually planned, she was going to her home on the West Side to attend a garden-party of some kind at Georgia Timberlake's. Cowperwood looked at her with--for him--a morbid eye. He was all cheer, geniality, pleasant badinage; but he was thinking all the while what a shameless enigma she was, how well she played her part, what a fool she must take him to be. He gave her youth, her passion, her attractiveness, her natural promiscuity of soul due credit; but he could not forgive her for not loving him perfectly, as had so many others. She had on a summery black-and-white frock and a fetching brown Leghorn hat, which, with a rich-red poppy ornamenting a flare over her left ear and a peculiar ruching of white-and-black silk about the crown, made her seem strangely young, debonair, a study in Hebraic and American origins.

"Going to have a nice time, are you?" he asked, genially, politically, eying her in his enigmatic and inscrutable way. "Going to shine among that charming company you keep! I suppose all the standbys will be there--Bliss Bridge, Mr. Knowles, Mr. Cross--dancing attendance on you?"

He failed to mention Mr. Gurney.

同类推荐
  • 佛说北斗七星延命经

    佛说北斗七星延命经

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 药师仪轨一具

    药师仪轨一具

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 龙王兄弟经

    龙王兄弟经

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 周氏冥通记

    周氏冥通记

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 梦窗稿

    梦窗稿

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 梅宝有片竹林(中国好小说)

    梅宝有片竹林(中国好小说)

    梅宝田和刘西荞两位留守老人在乡村发生的一系列悲喜剧。梅宝田不满儿媳妇总是在刘西荞家看电视,叫刘西荞“爹”,不满孙女叫刘西荞“爷爷”,于是他处处和刘西荞作对,他甚至怀疑儿媳妇和刘西荞有一腿。为了打击刘西荞,他联合外乡人来找茬。谁知有一天晚上,梅宝田亲眼看见外乡人和自己儿媳妇在做苟且之事,梅宝田悔不当初……事情败露,梅宝田的儿媳妇带着孙女豆豆和外乡人一起私奔。梅宝田给刘西荞道歉,二人重归于好,可是仍无法找回出走的儿媳妇,两位老人心情落寞,在乡村里凄凄惨惨地相守、生活……
  • 黑色智慧

    黑色智慧

    黑色智慧即潜智慧,潜智慧让你上下腾挪,见微知著。有的避凶险于旦夕之间,有的装疯卖傻,有的精明老道,有的与“敌”合作,有的跟“友”争夺,有的满脸堆笑,有的面露凶光,有的隐身遁行,有的大白天下……行走江湖,你需要黑色智慧。
  • 师兄太妖孽

    师兄太妖孽

    现代修真世家蓝家的修炼天才,家主指定的蓝家下任继承人——蓝乔月,意外穿越到楚国镇南王府,成为被指婚给三皇子的王府嫡女秦落衣。前世,她是修炼天才。今生,她是修炼废材,体内还有奇怪的封印。蛇蝎姐姐窥视她的未婚夫,用天下奇毒坏她名节。她惊才绝艳的冷笑,雕虫小技!她最擅长的就是以其人之道还治其人之身,害人之后还想嫁如意郎君?门都没有!什么?中毒之后半个时辰不解就没命?那简单,找人解了就是,只是…为什么她随便找的解毒人竟然是楚国一人之下,万人之上的太子?未婚夫风闻她中毒传言,黑着脸拦住她质问:“告诉我那人是谁,皇子府中,我赏你一个妾位…”施舍般的不屑语气。她咬着唇满脸为难:“你究竟让我告诉你哪一个?”噗,未婚夫抽搐着吐血倒地!绝美的脸上绽开无声的笑意…妾位也好,正位也罢,她都不稀罕,她还要寻求无上仙道,还要解开体内那奇怪的封印,没功夫嫁人!闻说圣龙大陆海中有蓬莱仙岛,岛上有法力高强的仙人,秦落衣狂喜无比,包袱款款,从此踏上了她激情四射的修仙之路…第一仙门飘渺宗不收经脉堵塞的弟子?没关系,她有数不尽的高阶灵丹,可以当糖豆吃。某女腰缠银票,手握金条,笑嘻嘻的拿出一瓶又一瓶灵丹摆在掌门面前。掌门目瞪口呆:咳,你究竟有多少?某女笑颜如花再度轻松拿出数瓶。掌门愣然之后,喜笑颜开:我已百年不曾收徒,今日和你投缘,收为关门弟子!蓬莱仙岛地杰人灵,专出俊男美女。什么?被她一针封穴的人是她二师兄?没事,咱当年不认识,现在是师兄妹了,师兄妹要互相友爱,治好师兄那就是分分钟的事。都说大师兄玉树临风,风流潇洒,和天仙般的五师姐是天造地设一对,可是为什么他不搭理五师姐,却偏偏处处护着她?……此文女强文,宠文,集修炼,各种异能,身世之迷,女主纵横称霸天下于一体,呵呵,简介无能,内容绝对精彩……
  • 三生三世枕上书(上册)

    三生三世枕上书(上册)

    唐七公子《三生三世十里桃花》姐妹篇,开启三生三世系列最惊艳篇章,引发千万读者疯狂追捧的言情经典。完美再现唐七公子笔下最令人叹服的前世今生。如果执著终归于徒然,谁会将此生用尽,只为守候一段触摸不得的缘恋?如果两千多年的执念,就此放下、隔断,是否会有眼泪倾洒,以为祭奠?纵然贵为神尊,东华也会羽化而湮灭。虽是青丘女君,凤九亦会消逝在时光悠然间。只是不知,当风云淡去,当仍在无羁岁月间穿行,当偶有擦肩。东华还能记起凤九吗,还能否记起她就是那只曾守在自己身边的红狐?记起自己曾经救过一只九尾红狐?
  • 红楼之霸乾坤

    红楼之霸乾坤

    主角依然是水溶和黛玉,一样的红楼不一样的故事。试看两个身负血海深仇的人如何演绎红楼的生死大爱。------“贱人。”水纳捞起床上的凌嫣照其脸上左右开攻就是两巴掌。“圣上。”凌嫣眼前金得乱晃,猛然觉醒。“溶儿?”眼前的水溶正张着惊恐的眼睛看着自己。-------“啊!”凌嫣羞愧难当发出凄惨的惊呼声,抓起床单裹住自己的身子头猛然朝凤床那一角上的铜柱上撞去。“圣上,溶儿?”凌嫣眼角的泪凝在那双剪水秋眸上,她睁大的瞳孔慢慢扩散开来,芳魂一缕了无踪。顿时万朵桃花浸染了水溶的世界,水溶惊叫着奔出了朝凤宫,震耳的雷声掩住了他的尖叫。------曹先生是咱的偶像,偶坐着飞箭也够不着人家的衣角,大家别拿我偶像的标准要求我呀!新文出炉《红楼鸳梦玉舞蹁跹》推荐自己完结文心若芷萱《红楼之还珠与溶》推荐个大神的力作,这家伙天天在勤奋榜上霸着呢!皇焱儿《师叔个个很狂野》皇焱儿《哥哥个个欠调教》蝴蝶吻花香:<夫君太多喂不饱>下面是小友新文哦!步行街《红楼之溶情惜黛》纳兰蝶儿《红楼之蝶玉雍祥》心随碧草《红楼一梦之千古情痴》《红楼之禛心锁玉》莫言染《小兽相公很有爱》再推两个令我神往的现代文哦!霓虹雨中《冷血总裁带球妻》《凤孽九重天》玄幻简思《毒婚》
  • 世纪末的黑洞

    世纪末的黑洞

    1988年夏,广东沿海某市。混混周继才与政工干部谈志军在偷渡船上相遇,二人此前有过矛盾。被边防巡逻队发现,偷渡分子纷纷跳海。周继才受伤被抓,谈志军因准备充分而逃脱。
  • 御灵

    御灵

    夫天地万物,俱有灵气,或内敛,或外现。是以风水相士之眼观之,天时地利,良莠不齐,盖不可直论优劣。崇山峻岭,却有毒蛇猛兽出没;涓流镜湖,却有决堤泛滥之险......
  • 重生娇妻,老公超暖的

    重生娇妻,老公超暖的

    我很庆幸,我爱上了你。——夜语绫我很确定,我爱你。——欧晗辰
  • 一拍即合:和任何人都能在60秒内,获得好感,情投意合,谈笑风生

    一拍即合:和任何人都能在60秒内,获得好感,情投意合,谈笑风生

    你是否希望走进一间都是陌生人的房间,然后迅速和每个人都成为朋友?为什么有些人不管去哪里都能交到朋友,并给每个人都留下很棒的第一印象?到底是什么让人们情投意合,敞开心扉,甚至一拍即合呢?在本书中你将学到:向外释放的正能量将如何最终反馈给你*忽视一些小细节,关注人们谈话的重心将如何改善你的谈话质量*不费力气的举手之劳,却能让人们爱上你。如果你能掌控与人打交道时最初的60秒,你的世界将从此变得更加广阔。
  • 佛说阿鸠留经

    佛说阿鸠留经

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。