O. Henry

                   The Buyer from Cactus City

IT IS WELL THAT HAY FEVER and colds do not obtain in the healthful 
vicinity of Cactns City, Texas, for the dry goods emporium of Navarro 
& Platt, situated there, is not to be sneezed at.
   Twenty thousand people in Cactus City scatter their silver coin 
with liberal hands for the things that their hearts desire. The bulk 
of this semiprecious metal goes to Navarro & Platt. Their huge brick 
building covers enough ground to graze a dozen head of sheep. You can 
buy of them a rattlesnake-skin necktie, an automobile, or an eighty-
five-dollar, latest style, ladies' tan coat in twenty different 
shades. Navarro & Platt first introduced pennies west of the Colorado 
River. They had been ranchmen with business heads, who saw that the 
world did not necessarily have to cease its revolutions after free 
grass went out.
   Every spring, Navarro, senior partner, fifty-five, half Spanish, 
cosmopolitan, able, polished, had `gone on' to New York to buy goods. 
This year he shied at taking up the long trail. He was undoubtedly 
growing older; and he looked at his watch several times a day before 
the hour came for his siesta.
   `John,' he said, to his junior partner, `you shall go on this year 
to buy the goods.'
   Platt looked tired.
   `I'm told,' said he, `that New York is a plumb dead town; but I'll 
go. I can take a whirl in San Antone for a few days on my way and have 
some fun.
Two weeks later a man in a Texas full dresssuit - black frock-coat, 
broad-brimmed, soft, white hat, and lay-down collar 3-4 inch high, 
with black, wrought-iron necktie - entered the wholesale cloak and 
suit establishment of Zizzbaum & Son, on Lower Broadway.
   Old Zizzbaum had the eye of an osprey, the memory of an elephant 
and a mind that unfolded from him in three movements like the puzzle 
of the carpenter's rule. He rolled to the front like a brunette polar 
bear, and shook Platt's hand.
   `And how is the good Mr. Navarro in Texas?' he said. `The trip was 
too long for him this year, so? We welcome Mr. Platt instead.' 
   `A bull's eye,' said Platt, `and I'd give forty acres of 
unirrigated
Pecos County land to know how you did it.'
   `I knew,' grinned Zizzbaum, `just as I know that the rainfall in El 
Paso for the year was 28.5 inches, or an increase of 15 inches, and 
that therefore Navarro & Platt will buy a $15,000 stock of suits this 
spring instead of $10,000, as in a dry year. But that will be to-
morrow. There is first a cigar in my private office that will remove 
from your mouth the taste of the ones you smuggle across the Rio 
Grande and like - because they are smuggled.'
   It was late in the afternoon and business for the day had ended, 
Zizzbaum left Platt with a half smoked cigar and came out of the 
private office to Son, who was arranging his diamond scarfpin before a 
mirror, ready to leave.
   `Abey,' he said, `you will have to take Mr. Platt around to-night 
and show him things. They are customers for ten years. Mr. Navarro and 
I we played chess every moment of spare time when he came. That is 
good, but Mr. Platt is a young man and this is his first visit to New 
York. He should amuse easily.'
   `All right,' said Abey, screwing the guard tightly on his pin. 
`I'll take him on. After he's seen the Flatiron and the head waiter at 
the Hotel Astor and heard the phonograph play "Under the old Apple 
Tree" it'll be half past ten, and Mr. Texas will be ready to roll up 
in his blanket. I've got a supper engagement at 11.30, but he'll be 
all to the Mrs. Winslow before then.'
   The next morning at ten Platt walked into the store ready to do 
business. He had a bunch of hyacinths pinned on his lapel. Zizzbaum 
himself waited on him. Navarro & Platt were good customers, and never 
failed to take their discount for cash.
   `And what did you think of our little town?' asked Zizzbaum with 
the fatuous smile of the Manhattanite.
   `I shouldn't care to live in it,' said the Texan. `Your son and I 
knocked around quite a little last night. You've got good water, but 
Cactus City is better lit up.'
   `We've got a few lights on Btoadway, don't you think, Mr. Platt?'
   `And a good many shadows,' said Platt. `I think I like your horses 
best. I haven't seen a crowbait since I've been in town.'
   Zizzbaum led him upstairs to show the samples of suits.
   `Ask Miss Asher to come,' he said to a clerk.
   Miss Asher came, and Platt, of Navarro & Platt, felt for the first 
time the wonderful bright light of romance and glory descend upon him. 
He stood still as a granite cliff above the canon of the Colorado, 
with his wide-open eyes fixed upon her. She noticed his look and 
flushed a little, which was contrary to her custom.
   Miss Asher was the crack model of Zizzbaum & Son. She was of the 
blonde type known as `medium,' and her measurements even went the 
required 38-25-42 standard a little better. She had been at Zizzbaum's 
two years, and knew her business. Her eye was bright, but cool; and 
had she chosen to match her gaze against the optic of the famed 
basilisk, that fabulous monster's gaze would -have wavered and 
softened first. Incidentally, she knew buyers.
  `Now, Mr. Platt,' said Zizzbaum, `I want you to see these princesse 
gowns in the light shades. They will be the thing in your climate. 
This first, if you please, Miss Asher.'
   Swiftly in and out of the dressing-room the prize model flew, each 
time wearing a new costume and looking more stunning with every 
change. She posed with absolute self possession before the stricken 
buyer, who stood, tongue-tied and motionless, while Zizzbaum orated 
oilily of the styles. On the model's face was her faint, impersonal 
professional smile that seemed to cover something like weariness or 
contempt.
   When the display was over Platt seemed to hesitate. Zizzbaum was a 
little anxious, thinking that his customer might be inclined to try 
elsewhere. But Platt was only looking over in his mind the best 
building sites in Cactus City, trying to select one on which to build 
a house for his wife-to-be - who was just then in the dressing-room 
taking off an evening gown of lavender and tulle.
   `Take your time, Mr. Platt,' said Zizzbaum. `Think it over tonight. 
You won't find anybody else meet our prices on goods like these. I'm 
afraid you're having a dull time in New York, Mr. Platt. A young man 
like you - of course, you miss the society of the ladies. Wouldn't you 
like a nice young lady to take out to dinner this evening? Miss Asher, 
now, is a very nice young lady; she will make it agreeable for you.'
   `Why, she doesn't know me,' said Platt wonderingly. `She doesn't 
know anything about me. Would she go? I'm not acquainted with her.'
   `Would she go?' repeated Zizzbaum, with uplifted eyebrows. `Sure, 
she would go. I will introduce you. Sure, she would go.'
   He called Miss Asher loudly.
   She came, calm and slightly contemptuous, in her white shirt waist 
and plain black shirt.
   `Mr. Platt would like the pleasure of your company to dinner this 
evening,' said Zizzbaum, walking away.
   `Sure,' said Miss Asher, looking at the ceiling. `I'd be much 
pleased. Nine-eleven West Twentieth Street. What time?'
   `Say seven o'clock.'
   `All right, but please don't come ahead of time. I room with a 
school-teacher, and she doesn't allow any gentlemen to call in the 
room. There isn't any parlour, so you'll have to wait in the hall. 
I'll be ready.'
   At half past seven Platt and Miss Asher sat at a table in a Broad-
way restaurant. She was dressed in a plain filmy black. Platt didn't 
know that it was all a part of her day's work.
   With the unobtrusive aid of a good waiter he managed to order a 
respectable dinner, minus the usual Broadway preliminaries. 
   Miss Asher flashed upon him a dazzling smile.
   `Mayn't I have something to drink?' she asked.
   Why, certainly,' said Platt. `Anything you want.' 
   'A dry Martini,' she said to the waiter.
   When it was brought and set before her Platt reached over and took 
it away.
   What is this?' he asked. 
   'A cocktail, of course.'
   'I thought it was some kind of tea you ordered. This is liquor. You 
can't drink this. What is your first name?'
   'To my intimate friends,' said Miss Asher freezingly, `it is 
"Helen."'
   `Listen, Helen,' said Platt, leaning over the table. `For many 
every time the spring flowers blossomed out on the prairies I got to 
thinking of somebody that I'd never seen or heard of. I knew it was 
you the minute I saw you yesterday. I'm going back home to-morrow and 
you're going with me. I know it, for I saw it in your eyes when you 
first looked at me. You needn't kick, for you've got to fall into 
line. Here's a little trick I picked out for you on my way over.
   He flicked a two-carat diamond solitaire ring across the table. 
Miss Asher flipped it back to him with her fork.
   `Don't get fresh,' she said severely.
   `I'm worth a hundred thousand dollars,' said Platt. `I'll build you 
the finest house in West Texas.'
   `You can't buy me, Mr. Buyer,' said Miss Asher, `if you had a 
hundred million. I didn't think I'd have to call you down. You didn't 
look like the others to me at first, but I see you're all alike.' 
    'All who?' asked Platt.
    `All you buyers. You think because we girls have to go out to 
dinner with you or lose our jobs that you're privileged to say what 
you please. Well, forget it. I thought you were different from the 
others, but I see I was mistaken.'
   Platt struck his fingers on the table with a gesture of sudden, 
illuminating satisfaction.
   `I've got it!' he exclaimed, almost hilariously - `the Nicholson 
glace, over on the north side. There's a big grove of live oaks and a 
natural lake. The old house can be pulled down and the new one set 
farther back.'
   `Put out your pipe,' said Miss Asher. `I'm sorry to wake you up, 
but you fellows might as well get wise, once for all, to where you 
stand. I'm supposed to go to dinner with you and help jolly you along 
so you'll trade with old Zizzy, but don't expect to find me in any of 
the suits you buy.'
   `Do you mean to tell me,' said Platt, `that you go out this way 
with customers, and they all - they all talk to you like I have?'
   `They all make plays,' said Miss Asher. `But I must say that you've 
got 'em beat in one respect. They generally talk diamonds while you've 
actually dug one up.'
   `How long have you been working, Helen?'
   `Got my name pat, haven't you? I've been supporting myself for 
eight years. I was a cash girl, and a wrapper, and then a shop-girl 
until I was grown, and then I got to be a suit model. Mr. Texas Man, 
don't you think a little wine would make this dinner a little less 
dry?'
   `You're not going to drink wine any more, dear. It's awful to think 
how - I'll come to the store to-morrow and get you. I want you to pick 
out an automobile before we leave. That's all we need to buy here.'
   `Oh, cut that out. If you knew how sick I am of hearing such talk.'
   After the dinner they walked down Broadway and came upon Diana's 
little wooded park. The trees caught Platt's eye at once, and he must 
turn along under the winding walk beneath them. The lights shone upon 
two bright tears in the model's eyes.
   `I don't like that,' said Platt. `What's the matter?'
   `Don't you mind,' said Miss Asher. `Well, it's because - well, I 
didn't think you were that kind when I first saw you. But you are all 
alike. And now will you take me home, or will I have to call a cop?'
   Platt took her to the door of her boarding-house. They stood for a 
minute in the vestibule. She looked at him with such scorn in her eyes 
that even his heart of oak began to waver. His arm was half way around 
her waist, when she struck him a stinging blow on the face with her 
open hand.
   As he stepped back a ring fell from somewhere and bounded on the 
tiled floor. Platt groped for it and found it.
   `Now, take your useless diamond and go, Mr. Buyer,' she said. `This 
was the other one - the wedding ring,' said the Texan, holding the 
smooth, gold band on the palm of his hand.
   Miss Asher's eyes blazed upon him in the half darkness. 
   `Was that what you meant? - did you -'
   Somebody opened the door from inside the house.
   `Good night,' said Platt. `I'll see you at the store to-morrow.' 
   Miss Asher ran up to her room and shook the school-teacher until 
she sat up in bed ready to scream `Fire!'
   `Where is it?' she cried.
   `That's what I want to know,' said the model. `You've studied 
geography, Emma, and you ought to know. Where is a town called Cac - 
Cac - Carac - Caracas City, I think they called it?' 
   `How dare you wake me up for that?' said the school-teacher. 
Caracas is in Venezuela, of course.'
   `What's it like?'
   `Why, it's principally earthquakes and negroes and monkeys and 
malarial fever and volcanoes.'
   `I don't care,' said Miss Asher blithely; `I'm going there