The Washington herald., 1920-05-22
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.


spinning his club, "it don't say
nothing. l get my orders from the
man higher up. Say, / guess
you're all right. Stand here for
a few minutes and keep an eye
open for the roundsman."
The cop melted into the dark
ness of the side street. In ten
minutes he had returned.
Married last Tuesday" he said,
half grufhy. You know how
they are. She comes to that cor
ner at . every night for a-comes
to say hello" / generally man
age to be there. Say. what was
1t you asked me a bit ago
what's doing in the city? Oh,
there's a roofgarden or two just
opened. twelve blocks up"
crossed a crow's-foot of street
car tracks, and skirted the edge
of an outrageous park. An arti-
fcial DIANA gilded, heroic. poised.
wind-ruled, on the tower, SHIN
namesake in the sky. Along came
my poet, hurrying, HATED. haired.
emitting dactyls, spondees and
dactylis. seized him.
Bill" said Gin the magazine
he is Cleon), give me a lift. I
am on an assignment to find out
the Voice of the City. You see,
it's a special order. Ordinarily a
symposium comprisi the views
of Henry Clews, John l.. Sullivan,
Edwin Markham, May Irwin and
Charles Schwab would be about
all. But this is different
matter. We want broad,
poetic, mystic vocalization of the
city's soul and meaning. You are
the very chap to give me a hint.
Some years ago man got at the
Niagara Falls and gave US its
pitch. The note was about two
feet below the lowest G on the
piano. Now, you can't put New
York into a note unless it's bet
ter Endorsed than that. But give
me an idea of what 1t would say
IL 1t should speak. 1t is bound to
be a mighty and far-reaching ut
terance. To arrive at it we must
take the tremendous crash of the
chords of the days traffic, the
laughter and music of the night,
the solemn tones of DR.. Parkhurst,
the rag-time, the weeping, the
stealthy hum of cab-wheels, the
shout of the press agent, the tinkle
of fountains on the roof gardens,
the huliabaloo of the strawberry
vender and the covers of Every
body's Magazine, the whispers of
the lovers in the parks-all these
sounds must go into your Voice
not combined. but mixed, and of
the mixture an essence made: and
of the essence an extract-an audi
BILE extract, of which one drop
shall form the thing we seek"
DO you remember" asked the
poet, with a chuckle, that Cali
fornia girl we met at Stivers
studio last week? Well, I'm on
my way to see her. She repeated
that poem Of mine. The Tribute
of Spring word for. word. She's
the smartest proposition in this
town just at present. Say, how
does this confounded tie look?
spoiled four before got one to set
right"
And the Voice that I asked you
about?' I inquired.
"Oh. she doesn't sing" said
Cleon. But you ought to hear
her recite my Angel Of the In
shore Wind" .
I passed on. I cornered a news
boy and he flashed at me prophetic
pink papers that outstripped the
news by two revolutions of the
clocks longest hand.
Son." said, while pretended
to chase coins In my penny pocket,
doesn't 1t sometimes seem to you
as If the city ought to be able to
talk? All these ups and downs
and funny business and queer
things happening every day -
what would 1t say, do you think,
II 1t could speak.
"ouit yer kiddfn'," said the boy.
Wot paper yer want? got no
time to waste. It's Mays birth
day. and want 30 cents to git her
a present
Here was no interpreter OF the
city's mouthpiece. bought a
paper. and consigned its unde-
clared treaties, it's. premeditated
murders and unfought battles to
an ash can.
Again I repaired to the park and
sat in the moon shade. I thought
and thought and wondered why
none could tell me what asked
for.
And then. as swift as light from
a fixed star. the answer came to
me. I arose and hurried-hurried
as so many reasoners must. back
around my circle. knew the
answer and I hugged 1t in my
breast as / new. fearing lest some
one would stop me and demand
my secret.