"The Hunters" - читать интересную книгу автора (Morrison William)

"And now, my friends, it is time to say farewell." He actually looked sad and
regretful. "But it is my hope that I shall be able to see you againЧ"
Screams of exultation, shrill as ever, small hands beating enthusiastically to
indicate joy. Thank God that's over with, he thought. Now for those drinksЧand
he didn't mean drink, singular. Talk of being useful, he'd certainly been useful
now. He'd made those kids happy. What more can any reasonable person want?
But it wasn't over with. Another old lady had stepped up on the platform.
"Mr. George," she said, in a strangely affected voice, like that of the first
dramatic teacher he had ever had, the one who had almost ruined his acting
career. "Mr. George, I can't tell you how happy you have made us all, young and
old. Hasn't Mr. George made us happy, children?"
"Yes, Miss Burton!" came the shrill scream.
"And we feel that it would be no more than fair to repay you in some small
measure for the pleasure you have given us. First, a 'Thank You' song by Frances
HellerЧ"
He hadn't expected this, and he repressed a groan. Mercifully, the first song
was short. He grinned the thanks he didn't feel. To think that he could take
this, while sober as a judge! What strength of character, what will-power!
Next, Miss Burton introduced another kid, who recited. And then, Miss Burton
stood upright and recited herself.
That was the worst of all. He winced once, then bore up. You can get used even
to torture, he told himself. An adult making a fool of herself is always more
painful than a kid. And that affected elocutionist's voice gave him the horrors.
But he thanked her too. His good deed for the day. Maybe Carol would have him
now, he thought.
A voice shrilled, "Miss Burton?"
"Yes, dear?"
"Aren't you going to call on Carolyn to act?"
"Oh, yes, I was forgetting. Come up here, Carolyn, come up, Doris. Carolyn and
Doris, Mr. George, are studying how to act. They act people and animals. Who
knows? Some day they, too, may be in the movies, just as you are, Mr. George.
Wouldn't that be nice, children?"
What the devil do you do in a case like that? You grin, of courseЧbut what do
you say, without handing over your soul to the devil? Agree how nice it would be
to have those sly little brats with faces magnified on every screen all over the
country? Like hell you do.
"Now, what are we going to act, children?"
"Please, Miss Burton," said Doris. "I don't know how to act. I can't even
imitate a puppy. Really I can't, Miss BurtonЧ"
"Come, come, mustn't be shy. Your friend says that you act very nicely indeed.
Can't want to go on the stage and still be shy. Now, do you know any movie
scenes? Shirley Temple used to be a good little actress, I remember. Can you do
any scenes that she does?"
The silence was getting to be embarrassing. And Carol said he didn't amount to
anything, he never did anything useful. Why, if thanks to his being here this
afternoon, those kids lost the ambition to go on the stage, the whole human race
would have cause to be grateful to him. To him, and to Miss Burton. She'd kill
ambition in anybody.
Miss Burton had an idea. "I know what to do, children. If you can act
animalsЧMr. George has shown you what the hunter does; you show him what the