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- Фрэнк Норрис
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- Спрут: Калифорнийская история
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- Стр. 358/416
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”
A
little
electric
bell
on
the
wall
near
at
hand
trilled
a
warning
.
The
young
man
who
was
ruling
forms
laid
down
his
pen
,
and
opening
the
door
of
the
President
’
s
office
,
thrust
in
his
head
,
then
after
a
word
exchanged
with
the
unseen
occupant
of
the
room
,
he
swung
the
door
wide
,
saying
to
Presley
:
“
Mr
.
Shelgrim
will
see
you
,
sir
.
”
Presley
entered
a
large
,
well
lighted
,
but
singularly
barren
office
.
A
well
-
worn
carpet
was
on
the
floor
,
two
steel
engravings
hung
against
the
wall
,
an
extra
chair
or
two
stood
near
a
large
,
plain
,
littered
table
.
That
was
absolutely
all
,
unless
he
excepted
the
corner
wash
-
stand
,
on
which
was
set
a
pitcher
of
ice
water
,
covered
with
a
clean
,
stiff
napkin
.
A
man
,
evidently
some
sort
of
manager
’
s
assistant
,
stood
at
the
end
of
the
table
,
leaning
on
the
back
of
one
of
the
chairs
.
Shelgrim
himself
sat
at
the
table
.
He
was
large
,
almost
to
massiveness
.
An
iron
-
grey
beard
and
a
mustache
that
completely
hid
the
mouth
covered
the
lower
part
of
his
face
.
His
eyes
were
a
pale
blue
,
and
a
little
watery
;
here
and
there
upon
his
face
were
moth
spots
.
But
the
enormous
breadth
of
the
shoulders
was
what
,
at
first
,
most
vividly
forced
itself
upon
Presley
’
s
notice
.
Never
had
he
seen
a
broader
man
;
the
neck
,
however
,
seemed
in
a
manner
to
have
settled
into
the
shoulders
,
and
furthermore
they
were
humped
and
rounded
,
as
if
to
bear
great
responsibilities
,
and
great
abuse
.
At
the
moment
he
was
wearing
a
silk
skull
-
cap
,
pushed
to
one
side
and
a
little
awry
,
a
frock
coat
of
broadcloth
,
with
long
sleeves
,
and
a
waistcoat
from
the
lower
buttons
of
which
the
cloth
was
worn
and
,
upon
the
edges
,
rubbed
away
,
showing
the
metal
underneath
.
At
the
top
this
waistcoat
was
unbuttoned
and
in
the
shirt
front
disclosed
were
two
pearl
studs
.
Presley
,
uninvited
,
unnoticed
apparently
,
sat
down
.
The
assistant
manager
was
in
the
act
of
making
a
report
.
His
voice
was
not
lowered
,
and
Presley
heard
every
word
that
was
spoken
.
The
report
proved
interesting
.
It
concerned
a
book
-
keeper
in
the
office
of
the
auditor
of
disbursements
.
It
seems
he
was
at
most
times
thoroughly
reliable
,
hard
-
working
,
industrious
,
ambitious
.
But
at
long
intervals
the
vice
of
drunkenness
seized
upon
the
man
and
for
three
days
rode
him
like
a
hag
.
Not
only
during
the
period
of
this
intemperance
,
but
for
the
few
days
immediately
following
,
the
man
was
useless
,
his
work
untrustworthy
.
He
was
a
family
man
and
earnestly
strove
to
rid
himself
of
his
habit
;
he
was
,
when
sober
,
valuable
.
In
consideration
of
these
facts
,
he
had
been
pardoned
again
and
again
.
“
You
remember
,
Mr
.
Shelgrim
,
”
observed
the
manager
,
“
that
you
have
more
than
once
interfered
in
his
behalf
,
when
we
were
disposed
to
let
him
go
.
I
don
’
t
think
we
can
do
anything
with
him
,
sir
.
He
promises
to
reform
continually
,
but
it
is
the
same
old
story
.
This
last
time
we
saw
nothing
of
him
for
four
days
.
Honestly
,
Mr
.
Shelgrim
,
I
think
we
ought
to
let
Tentell
out
.
We
can
’
t
afford
to
keep
him
.
He
is
really
losing
us
too
much
money
.
Here
’
s
the
order
ready
now
,
if
you
care
to
let
it
go
.
”
