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until dark。 Observing the Sabbath calm of the streets； and the pageant of
baby carriages wheeling toward Thackeray Boulevard； he wondered again
whether he had thrown away this girl's friendship for a merely imaginary
suspicion。
At last he could endure his cramped bedroom no longer。 Downstairs
someone was dolefully playing a flute； most horrible of all tortures to
tightened nerves。 While her lodgers were at church the tireless Mrs。
Schiller was doing a little housecleaning： he could hear the monotonous
rasp of a carpet…sweeper passing back and forth in an adjoining room。
He creaked irritably downstairs； and heard the usual splashing behind the
bathroom door。 In the frame of the hall mirror he saw a pencilled note：
Will Mrs。 Smith please call Tarkington 1565； it said。 Unreasonably
annoyed； he tore a piece of paper out of his notebook and wrote on it Will
Mrs。 Smith please call Bath 4200。 Mounting to the second floor he
tapped on the bathroom door。 〃Don't come in！〃 cried an agitated female
voice。 He thrust the memorandum under the door； and left the house。
Walking the windy paths of Prospect Park he condemned himself to
relentless self…scrutiny。 〃I've damned myself forever with her；〃 he groaned；
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〃unless I can prove something。〃 The vision of Titania's face silhouetted
against the shelves of books came maddeningly to his mind。 〃I was going
to have such a good time； and you've spoilt it all！〃 With what angry
conviction she had said： 〃I never saw a man like you beforeand I've
seen a good many！〃
Even in his disturbance of soul the familiar jargon of his profession
came naturally to utterance。 〃At least she admits I'm DIFFERENT；〃 he
said dolefully。 He remembered the first item in the Grey…Matter Code； a
neat little booklet issued by his employers for the information of their
representatives：
Business is built upon CONFIDENCE。 Before you can sell Grey…
Matter Service to a Client； you must sell YOURSELF。
〃How am I going to sell myself to her？〃 he wondered。 〃I've simply
got to deliver； that's all。 I've got to give her service that's DIFFERENT。
If I fall down on this； she'll never speak to me again。 Not only that； the
firm will lose the old man's account。 It's simply unthinkable。〃
Nevertheless； he thought about it a good deal； stimulated from time to
time as in the course of his walk （which led him out toward the faubourgs
of Flatbush） he passed long vistas of signboards； which he imagined
placarded with vivid lithographs in behalf of the Chapman prunes。
〃Adam and Eve Ate Prunes On Their Honeymoon〃 was a slogan that
flashed into his head； and he imagined a magnificent painting illustrating
this text。 Thus； in hours of stress； do all men turn for comfort to their
chosen art。 The poet； battered by fate； heals himself in the niceties of
rhyme。 The prohibitionist can weather the blackest melancholia by
meditating the contortions of other people's abstinence。 The most
embittered citizen of Detroit will never perish by his own hand while he
has an automobile to tinker。
Aubrey walked many miles； gradually throwing his despair to the
winds。 The bright spirits of Orison Swett Marden and Ralph Waldo Trine；
Dioscuri of Good Cheer； seemed to be with him reminding him that
nothing is impossible。 In a small restaurant he found sausages； griddle
cakes and syrup。 When he got back to Gissing Street it was dark； and he
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THE HAUNTED BOOKSHOP
girded his soul for further endeavour。
About nine o'clock he walked up the alley。 He had left his overcoat
in his room at Mrs。 Schiller's and also the Cromwell bookcover having
taken the precaution； however； to copy the inscriptions into his pocket
memorandum…book。 He noticed lights in the rear of the bookshop； and
concluded that the Mifflins and their employee had got home safely。
Arrived at the back of Weintraub's pharmacy； he studied the contours of
the building carefully。
The drug store lay； as we have explained before； at the corner of
Gissing Street and Wordsworth Avenue； just where the Elevated railway
swings in a long curve。 The course of this curve brought the scaffolding
of the viaduct out over the back roof of the building； and this fact had
impressed itself on Aubrey's observant eye the day before。 The front of the
drug store stood three storeys； but in the rear it dropped to two； with a flat
roof over the hinder portion。 Two windows looked out upon this roof。
Weintraub's back yard opened onto the alley； but the gate； he found； was
locked。 The fence would not be hard to scale； but he hesitated to make so
direct an approach。
He ascended the stairs of the 〃L〃 station； on the near side； and paying a
nickel passed through a turnstile onto the platform。 Waiting until just after
a train had left； and the long； windy sweep of planking was solitary； he
dropped onto the narrow footway that runs beside the track。 This
required watchful walking； for the charged third rail was very near； but
hugging the outer side of the path he proceeded without trouble。 Every
fifteen feet or so a girder ran sideways from the track； resting upon an
upright from the street below。 The fourth of these overhung the back
corner of Weintraub's house； and he crawled cautiously along it。 People
were passing on the pavement underneath； and he greatly feared being
discovered。 But he reached the end of the beam without mishap。 From
here a drop of about twelve feet would bring him onto Weintraub's back
roof。 For a moment he reflected that； once down there； it would be
impossible to return the same way。 However； he decided to risk it。
Where he was； with his legs swinging astride the girder； he was