The Green Mouse
Sudden Madnes
and Forty-second Street, Brown suddenly halted, pressed his hand to his forehead, gazed earnestly up at the sky as though trying to recollec
otested Smith, wrig
ed at him and
me and then look at the sky? Is--is a monoplane attempt
dreamily, "is creeping over me. Don't mov
me!" reto
's certainly cr
reeping o
cing that strange feeling that all--
t?--conf
the stifling odor of the pavements; I seem to remember that very hackman over there sponging the nose of his horse--even that pushcart piled up with peaches
f fidget occasionally, and there's no reason to stand on
features puckered in a futile effort to seize the evanescent memor
"as though everything that you and I do and say had once before been don
second Street," cut in Smith impatiently. "
gazed
y life," he muttered; "it's--it's astonishing.
?" demand
the boat and the tra
going to that week-end at the Carringtons we'd better get into a taxi and hustl
e must take a taxi!" insisted Brown,
; "up to five minutes ago you were reasonable. Wha
eavens! I knew you were going to say that to
olish on this broiling curbstone the rest o
nutes we have done and said before--somewhere--perhaps on some other pla
due this century at a house party on this planet. They expect us on this train. Are you com
g strangely portentous. I've got the funniest se
dangerously, "if you
y to increasing exciteme
ccur! I--I never before felt this way--so strongly--in all my l
oldly; "you've gone dippy. Also, we'v
? I--I believe I can almost tell you
ou trying to do now?" With real misgiving, for Brown, balanced on the edge of the gutter, began waving h
e cherry-colored cross-town car! Where
-town car in sight. Brown, don't act like
ere's a car comi
re a racing runabo
him away i
g to occur--in a cherry-colored tram car.... And so
o wh
cker basket in it--somebody holding a wicker basket--and there'll
lf on the gutter's edge, pale, rapt, uttering incoherent prophecy concerning t
had better come very quietly somewhere with me.
exclaime
thingly, "or I'll bark for you if you like
wn, laboring under tremendous emoti
ive minutes. What the devil is there to astonish anyb
. "The wicker basket! The summer gown! Exactly as
into the transverse seat behind that occupied by a wicker basket, a filmy summer frock, a big, white straw hat, and--a girl--the most amazingly
he gasped, sliding fiercely up beside
ok his head with a
or are you a respectable lawyer with a glimmering sense of common decenc
nd flourished it furiously under B
along the seat awa
my life to have a well-intentioned but intellectually dwa
ean me?" asked Smith, unable
d of a stockbroker, unable to appreciate it, come clattering and clamoring after me about a house p
" faltered Smi
though compelled by some unseen power--to foretell things? Didn't I prophesy the coming of this cross-town car? Didn't I even name its color befo
ive million white hats and dresses in this borough. There are five billion girls wearing 'em----!" "Yes; but the wicker basket" br
you are going before I
," replied Br
ng to follow that girl?" w
plain--you couldn't understand even if I tried to enlighten you. The sentiment I ha
retorted Smith, hotly. "And I know a--an
nd I forgive you, Smithy, for losing
aid Smith, grin
ut at last what all this maddening, tantalizing, unexplained and mysterious feeling that it all has occurred befo
ing to spe
How else can
l the police. If s
ll comprehend as soon as I begin to explain. She is inte
xasperated him. "To think--to think," he burst out, "that a modest, decent, law-loving business man
iness man as you are! And my grammar is better. And, thank Heaven! I've intellect enough to recognize a miracle when it happens to
esses you to act this way. People don't experience miracles in New York cross-town cars. The wildest stretch of imaginati
the b
There are quadrillio
, "with the conte
y n
look at the basket balanced
exterior with concentrated gaze.
at is in that basket? And how
lieve me if
r any corroborat
here's a cat i
-wh
c
o you
w, but there's a big, g
a gra
is gray, and it has si
that he was now b
the five boroughs had come to me with affidavits and told
ngs dawned upon him, rang out above the rattle and grinding of the car,
e, the violet eyes widening a little
er calm contemplation of the crowded street once more. Yet he
en gazed at
a low, agitated voice. "You--you would
fore. I recognize everything as it occurs.... Eve
traight
cibly from this car. Do yo
at incident did not happen. You only
slight chill creep up over his
ith a friend suddenly gone mad in the streets of New York and running
is arm. "Watch
id and rim a soft, furry, six-toed gray paw was