The Green Door O. Henry
Suppose you are walking down the middle, after dinner, has allocated ten minutes to the consumption of a cigar and trying to decide between having fun with a tragedy or do something serious, such musical comedy. Suddenly, someone put a hand on his arm. Turning, you encounter haunting eyes of a beautiful woman, who looks magnificently their diamonds and their Russian sable. She hastily put her hand on a buttered bun, very hot, and with a tiny pair of scissors cuts off the second button of his overcoat, exclaiming a word without meaning: "parallelogram!". He immediately fled down a side street, glancing fearfully at his back.
That would be an adventure. Do you accept? No, you do not. Flushed with shame, would drop the bun and would timidly walking down the street, fingering buttonhole feverishly empty. That is, this would be, unless you are one of the few blessed in those not yet dead the pure spirit of adventure.
The real adventurers have never been numerous. Those who are identified as such in print were mostly businessmen who recently invented methods applied. Seeking coveted things: golden fleeces, holy grails, the love of women, treasures, crowns and fame. The true adventurer moving aimlessly and without calculations the friendly encounter an unknown destination. A good example is provided by the Prodigal Son ... on the way back home.
Semiaventureros, all brave and wonderful characters, has been the spare. From the Crusades to the defenses terraced, have enriched the arts of history and fiction, and the trade of historical fiction. But each of them had a prize to get a goal to win, an ax to the edge to give a fresh blow to exhibit fencing, a name that gloss put a crown to adhere ... therefore were not persecutors of true adventure.
In the big city, Romance and Adventure, two kindred spirits, living on the lookout for suitors worthwhile. While wandering through the streets we look askance, challenging twenty different ways. Without knowing why, suddenly looked up at a window and spotted a face that seems to belong to our gallery of intimate portraits. In any neighborhood asleep we heard a cry of fear and torment, which comes from an empty house, closed. A taxi driver either, instead of leaving us in our familiar curb, leaves us before a strange door, someone opens before us with a smile, inviting us to enter. A piece of paper with writing flaps to land at our feet, from the high lattices of Chance. We exchanged looks of hatred, affection, or fear of any unknown instant hurries into the crowd. A sudden burst of rain ... and our umbrella may be protecting the Full Moon Daughter, cousin System Sidereal. In every corner handkerchiefs drop, fingers are calling us, we cornered eyes and the keys of the adventure, lost, lonely, seized, mysterious, dangerously changing furtively slip through our fingers. But few of us are willing to hold them and follow them. We are breeding rigid with the rod of the conventions attached to the back. We pass. And one day, after a very dull life, we think that our adventures have been the faded image of one or two marriages, a pink satin kept in the drawer of the safe and an eternal fight with the radiator heating.
Rudolf Steiner was a true adventurer. Few evenings were not left his cubicle - room in search of the unexpected and the egregious. For him, the most interesting part of life seemed to be what was perhaps just around the corner. Sometimes, those eager to tempt fate carried him down strange paths. On two occasions he had spent the night in a police station from time to time, ingenious and mercenary tricksters did his victim, and his watch and money had been, on one occasion, trophies flattering bait. But he, with undaunted zeal, kept picking up all the gloves that he threw in joyous pursuit of adventure.
One night, Rudolf walked down a side street, in the oldest part of downtown. Two streams of people filled the sidewalks, on the one hand, those who ran back home, and secondly, that restless contingent that abandons the tasty welcome a restaurant menu profusely illuminated.
The young adventurer was of nice size and moved cautiously calm. In the light of day worked selling pianos in a room. His tie was passed through a topaz ring instead of holding it with a pin. On one occasion he wrote to the editor of a magazine, stating that proof of the love of Junie, the work of Miss Libbey, had influenced his life more than any other book.
During his walk, a violent chattering the teeth displayed in a window caught his eye (wrapped in scruples) to the restaurant whose facade looked. But a second glance revealed the neon sign of a dentist, well above the next door. A gigantic black, wearing a beautifully embroidered red jacket, yellow pants and a military cap, discreetly distributed cards to passers who consented to take them. This type of propaganda
dentistry was a common sight to Rudolf. Usually passed along to the dealer cards without reducing his provision, but tonight the African slipped one in hand, with such skill that he held, smiling a bit to celebrate the triumphant achievement.
After walking a few meters, took the card to look indifferent. Surprised, she turned to her with interest. One side of the card was blank, on the other were read, written in ink three words: "The Green Door." In it, Rudolf saw a man, a few steps forward, threw to the ground the black board had given him. He picked it up, had printed the name and address of the dentist, with the usual notice of "fillings, crowns and bridges, more rich promises of" painless operations. "
The adventurous piano salesman halted in the corner to discuss the situation. Finally crossed the street, back a block, recrossed and joined back into the river of people moving along the street. Without showing that repaired in black, walked past him a second time and took it carelessly, the card offered. Ten steps further inspection. Showed, in the same script on the first card, the words "The Green Door." On the sidewalk were three or four cards, thrown by pedestrians who had gone before or after him. Were down with the blank side up, but saw Rudolf invert all printed with the announcement of the "salon" dental.
rarely had the malicious Adventure Elf convene twice a Rudolf Steiner, his faithful follower. But twice he had, and the feat was beginning now.
Rudolf walked slowly back to the position of the black giant, along with the cabinet of the chattering teeth. On that occasion, in passing, did not receive any card. Despite his gaudy and ridiculous garb, the Ethiopian exhibited an innate barbaric dignity while gently offering the cards to some, leaving others to pass unmolested. Every half minute singing a harsh sentence, unintelligible, similar to the gibberish of the drivers and opera singers. This time, not only retained their cards, but Rudolf seemed to receive, on that side shiny, black, bulky, a look of cold disdain, almost contemptuous look
That spurred the adventurer, who read it the silent accusation that he had been caught in crime desirable. Whatever the meaning of the mysterious words on the card, the black had selected him twice from the crowd as worthy of receiving them. And now condemn it seemed as lacking wits and courage to embark on the puzzle.
The young, away from the crowd, made a quick assessment of the building where, in his view, had to wait for the adventure. It had five floors, a small restaurant occupied the basement.
The ground floor, now closed, seemed to hold a fur. The first floor, next to the flashing sign, corresponding to the dentist. On top stood a polyglot babel of signs that were trying to indicate the whereabouts of palmists, dressmakers, musicians and doctors. Higher still, ruffled curtains and bottles of milk, white on the window sills, proclaimed the regions of domesticity.
After concluding its investigation, Rudolf gamely climbed the long flight of stone steps leading to the house. Ascended two flights of carpeted stairs and stopped at the top. There, the hallway was dimly lighted by two pale gas peaks, one far right, the other closer to his left. Rudolf saw the faint light from the nearest, a green door. For a moment he hesitated, but immediately thought he saw the African sneer card dealer, and went directly to the green door to call her. Moments like
passed before his call unanswered measure the rapid breath of true adventure. Do not have behind those green panels! Gamblers in the middle game of cards, clever con artists who fattened their traps with subtle skill; some beauty in love with the courage and, therefore, planned to be looking for him, danger, death, love, disappointment, ridicule, any of those things could respond to their reckless strokes.
In a faint whisper and the door opened slowly. A girl, still not yet twenty years, appeared at her, pale and trembling. Released the knob and swayed weakly, moving an arm as if in search of something to hold on. Rudolf held her, lifted her and placed her on a couch that looked faded against the wall. Then he closed the door and took a quick look around in the light of a flickering gas peak. The story that he read was that of a clean but extreme poverty. She was
motionless, like a swoon. Rudolf, excited, sought a barrel in the room. To do a barrel roll over the people who ... no, that's for the drowning. Then chose fanning with his hat. That turned out very well, I hit the nose with the brim of his hat and she opened her eyes. The youth could see that her face was, indeed, the missing link in the intimate portrait gallery in his heart. Franks gray eyes, your nose, which slyly curved upward, and curly brown hair like tendrils of sweet peas, all that seemed the end because the reward of all his wonderful adventures. But that face was painfully emaciated y pálido.
La muchacha le clavó una mirada tranquila. Luego sonrió.
- Me desmayé, ¿no es cierto?- preguntó, débilmente-. Bueno, vaya a no... trate de pasarse tres días sin comer y vea lo que le ocurre.
- ¡Recórcholis! – exclamó Rudolf, levantándose de un salto-. Espéreme; ya vuelvo.
Y salió a la carrera por la puerta verde, escaleras abajo. Veinte minutos después estaba de regreso. Tuvo que golpear la puerta con la punta del pie pata que ella abriera, pues traía los dos brazos ocupados con un cúmulo de paquetes del almacén y el restaurante. Los dejó sobre la mesa: pan, manteca, carnes frías, tortas, pasteles, encurtidos, oysters, roast chicken, a bottle of milk and a hot tea.
- is absurd, "he scolded, miss meals. You have to forget this type of betting. Dinner is ready.
As he approached the chair at the table, asked
- Is there a cup for tea?
- on the shelf by the window, "she said.
Returning to the bowl, saw Rudolf attack, with bright eyes and caught a huge celery pickled fish just any bag, with the unerring feminine instinct. He removed it, laughing, and filled his cup of milk.
- First drink this - -. ordained Then you take some tea and a chicken wing. Tomorrow if he behaves well, you can eat pickles. And now, if I invite to dinner, eat. Rudolf
took the other chair. The tea gave brightness to the eyes of the girl and returned a little color. Began to eat with a sort of elegant ferocity, as wild animals starving. It seemed that the young man's presence and assistance will feel natural. Not because they detract from the conventions, but as if their dire straits give him the right to put aside everything to keep artificial human. Gradually, however, to regain strength and well-being, took some small awareness of relevant conventions. Then he began to tell his little story. Was one among the thousands who were yawning every day to the big city: the history of selling winning underpaid, yet smaller "fines" that go to swell the profits of the trader, the time lost due to illness and, finally, lost jobs, lost hope y. .. And the call of adventure to the green door.
For Rudolf, however, that story sounded so great as the Iliad or the crisis in the proof of love Junie.
- And to think that you went through all that .- said.
- was something hard - recognized the girl, solemnly.
- Do not have relatives or friends in the city?
- No one at all.
- I too am only in the world - said Rudolf, after a pause.
- I'm glad, "she hastened to tell the girl.
And the young, somehow, I was glad to hear that she approved of his helpless condition. Very soon, she dropped her eyelids with a deep sigh.
- I have a terrible dream - he admitted. And I feel so good ... Rudolf
rose, picking up his hat.
- In that case, I say goodbye. A good night's rest will go down well.
He held out his hand and she took it, saying "Good night." But her eyes asked a question so eloquently, so frankly and pathos that he said out loud:
- Oh, come back tomorrow to see how it is. Not getting rid of me so easily.
At the door, as if they cared so much the reason for his appearance as the fact that there was, she asked
- What brought you to my door?
He looked for a moment, remembering the cards with a sudden pang of jealousy. What if I had fallen into other hands as adventurous as yours? Quickly, she decided that she should ignore the truth. Never knew you would know that the strange appeal which had been forced by her great distress.
- One of our piano tuners live in this house - responded. "I knocked on his door by mistake.
last thing he saw inside the room, before the green door was closed, was the smile of the girl.
When he was stopped downstairs to take a curious look around. Then down the hall to the end, rose to the upper floors and continued his puzzled explorations. All doors of the house were painted green.
Intrigued, he fell to the sidewalk. The fantastic African was still there, Rudolf confronted him with the two cards in hand.
- Will you tell me why I gave these cards and what they mean? - Asked.
The black exhibited a broad and friendly smile, a splendid propaganda of the profession of his master.
- You see, boss, "he said pointing down the street -. But I think it will be late for the first act.
Rudolf, to follow the direction of his finger, saw the entrance of a theater announcing, in dazzling electric points, his new book, "The Green Door."
- say that the work is first, Don, "said the black .- The agent gave me a dollar, you know? To distribute some cards along with the doctor. Do you want a doctor's gift?
At the corner of the block where he lived, Rudolf stopped for a glass of beer and buy a cigar. When he left, with his cigar lit, buttoned his coat, pushed back his hat and said, sternly, to the corner post:
- Anyway, I'm sure it was fate that gave me how to find it.
conclusion that given the circumstances, write to Rudolf Steiner, undoubtedly, in the ranks of the true followers of Romance and Adventure Weekend
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