So,toquaintoldGreenwichVillagetheartpeoplesooncameprowling,huntingfornorthwindowsandeighteenth-centurygablesandDutchatticsandlowrents.ThentheyimportedsomepewtermugsandachafingdishortwofromSixthAvenue,andbecamea「colony.」
Atthetopofasquatty,three-storybrickSueandJohnsyhadtheirstudio.「Johnsy」wasfamiliarforJoanna.OnewasfromMaine;theotherfromCalifornia.TheyhadmetatthetableofanEighthStreet「Delmonico』s,」andfoundtheirtastesinart,chicorysaladandbishopsleevessocongenialthatthejointstudioresulted.
ThatwasinMay.InNovemberacold,unseenstranger,whomthedoctorscalledPneumonia,stalkedaboutthecolony,touchingonehereandtherewithhisicyfingers.Overontheeastsidethisravagerstrodeboldly,smitinghisvictimsbyscores,buthisfeettrodslowlythroughthemazeofthenarrowandmoss-grown「places.」
Mr.Pneumoniawasnotwhatyouwouldcallachivalricoldgentleman.AmiteofalittlewomanwithbloodthinnedbyCaliforniazephyrswashardlyfairgameforthered-fisted,short-breathedoldduffer.ButJohnsyhesmote;andshelay,scarcelymoving,onherpaintedironbedstead,lookingthroughthesmallDutchwindow-panesattheblanksideofthenextbrickhouse.
OnemorningthebusydoctorinvitedSueintothehallwaywithashaggy,grayeyebrow.
「Shehasonechancein—letussay,ten,」hesaid,asheshookdownthemercuryinhisclinicalthermometer.「Andthatchanceisforhertowanttolive.Thiswaypeoplehaveoflining-uonthesideoftheundertakermakestheentirepharmacopoeialooksilly.Yourlittleladyhasmadeuphermindthatshe』snotgoingtogetwell.Hassheanythingonhermind?」
「She…shewantedtopainttheBayofNaplessomeday.」saidSue.
「Paint?Bosh!Hassheanythingonhermindworththinkingtwice,amanforinstance?」
「Aman?」saidSue,withajew』s-harptwanginhervoice.「Isamanworth—but,no,doctor.Thereisnothingofthekind.」「Well,itistheweakness,then,」saidthedoctor.
「Iwilldoallthatscience,sofarasitmayfilterthroughmyefforts,canaccomplish.ButwhenevermypatientbeginstocountthecarriagesinherfuneralprocessionIsubtract50percentfromthecurativepowerofmedicines.IfyouwillgethertoaskonequestionaboutthenewwinterstylesincloaksleevesIwillpromiseyouaone-in-fivechanceforher,insteadofoneinten.」
AfterthedoctorhadgoneSuewentintotheworkroomandcriedaJapanesenapkintoapulp.ThensheswaggeredintoJohnsy』sroomwithherdrawingboard,whistlingragtime.
Johnsylay,scarcelymakingarippleunderthebedclothes,withherfacetowardthewindow.Suestoppedwhistling,thinkingshewasasleep.Shearrangedherboardandbeganapen-and-inkdrawingtoillustrateamagazinestory.YoungartistsmustpavetheirwaytoArtbydrawingpicturesformagazinestoriesthatyoungauthorswritetopavetheirwaytoLiterature.
AsSuewassketchingapairofeleganthorseshowridingtrousersandamonocleofthefigureofthehero,anIdahocowboy,sheheardalowsound,severaltimesrepeated.Shewentquicklytothebedside.
Johnsy』seyeswereopenwide.Shewaslookingoutthewindowandcounting…countingbackward.
「Twelve,」shesaid,andlittlelater「eleven」;andthen「ten,」and「nine」;andthen「eight」and「seven」,almosttogether.
Suelooksolicitouslyoutofthewindow.Whatwastheretocount?Therewasonlyabare,drearyyardtobeseen,andtheblanksideofthebrickhousetwentyfeetaway.Anold,oldivyvine,gnarledanddecayedattheroots,climbedhalfwayupthebrickwall.Thecoldbreathofautumnhadstrickenitsleavesfromthevineuntilitsskeletonbranchesclung,almostbare,tothecrumblingbricks.
「Whatisit,dear?」askedSue.
「Six,」saidJohnsy,inalmostawhisper.「They』refallingfasternow.Threedaysagotherewerealmostahundred.Itmademyheadachetocountthem.Butnowit』seasy.Theregoesanotherone.Thereareonlyfiveleftnow.」
「Fivewhat,dear?TellyourSudie.」
「Leaves.Ontheivyvine.WhenthelastonefallsImustgo,too.I』veknownthatforthreedays.Didn』tthedoctortellyou?」
「Oh,Ineverheardofsuchnonsense,」complainedSue,withmagnificentscorn.「Whathaveoldivyleavestodowithyourgettingwell?Andyouusedtolovethatvineso,younaughtygirl.Don』tbeagoosey.Why,thedoctortoldmethismorningthatyourchancesforgettingwellrealsoonwere,let』sseeexactlywhathesaid—hesaidthechancesweretentoone!Why,that』salmostasgoodachanceaswehaveinNewYorkwhenwerideonthestreetcarsorwalkpastanewbuilding.Trytotakesomebrothnow,andletSudiegobacktoherdrawing,soshecanselltheeditormanwithit,andbuyportwineforhersickchild,andporkchopsforhergreedyself.」
「Youneedn』tgetanymorewine,」saidJohnsy,keepinghereyesfixedoutthewindow.「Theregoesanother.No,Idon』twantanybroth.Thatleavesjustfour.Iwanttoseethelastonefallbeforeitgetsdark.ThenI』llgo,too.」
「Johnsy,dear,」saidSue,bendingoverher,「willyoupromisemetokeepyoureyesclosed,andnotlookoutthewindowuntilIamdoneworking?Imusthandthosedrawingsinbytomorrow.Ineedthelight,orIwoulddrawtheshadedown.」
「Couldn』tyoudrawintheotherroom?」askedJohnsy,coldly.
「I』dratherbeherebyyou,」saidSue.「Beside,Idon』twantyoutokeeplookingatthosesillyivyleaves.」