第1章TheLastLeaf
O。Henry
IwestofWashingtoreetshaverundbrokeosmallstripscalled"places"。These"plaakestrangeanglesareetcrossesitselfatimeortwo。Anartistoncediscoveredavaluablepossibilityinthisstreet。Supposeacollectorwithabillforpaints，paperandvasshthisroute，suddehimselfingback，withoutagbeenpaidonat!
So，toquaintoldGreenwichVillagetheartpeopleso，huntingfornorthwindowsaurygablesandDutchattidlowreheyimportedssandagdishortwofromSixthAvenue，a;y"。
Atthetopofasquatty，three-storybridJohnsyhadtheirstudio。"Johnsy"wasfamiliarforJoanna。OnewasfromMaiherfromia。Theyhadmetatthetabled'hoteofareet"Delmonip;apos;s"，andfouesinart，chicorysaladandbishopsleevessoialthatthejointstudioresulted。
ThatwasinMay。InNovemberaseehedoctorseumohey，touehereahhisigers。Overosidethisravagerstrodeboldly，smitinghisvictimsbyscores，buthisfeettrodslhthemazeofthenarrowandmoss-grown"places"。
Mr。Pneumoniaouldcallachivalritlematlewomanwithbloodthinnedbyiazephyrswashardlyfairgameforthered-fisted，short-breathedoldduffer。ButJohe;andshelay，scarg，oediroead，lhthesmallDutdow-paheblahebrickhouse。
thebusydovitedSueintothehallwaywithashaggy，grayeyebrow。
"Shehasoussay，ten，"hesaid，asheshookdownthemerhisieter。"Andthatceisforhertowahislehaveoflining-upoheuheentirepharmacopoeialooksilly。Yourlittleladyhasmadeuphermindthatshe'snotgoiwell。Hassheanythingonhermind?"
"She-sheainttheBayofNaplessomeday。"saidSue。
"Paint?-bosh!Hassheanythingonhermindworththinkingabluttwifori;
"Aman?"saidSue，;apinhervoianworth-but，no，doctor;thereisnothingofthekind。"
"Well，itistheweak;saidthedoctor。"Iwilldoallthatsce，sofarasitmayfilterthroughmyefforts，plish。ButwheieotthecarriagesinherfuneralproIsubtract50perthecurativepowerofmedies。IfyouwillgethertoaskoionabouttheylesincloaksleevesIwillpromiseyouaone-in-fiveceforher，insteadofo;
&hedoheworkroomandcriedaJapaoapulp。ThensheswaggeredintoJohnsy'sroomwithherdrawingboard，whistlingragtime。
Johnsylay，scargarippleuhes，withherfaceto。Suestoppedwhistling，thinkingshe>
Shearrangedherbanapen-and-inkdrawingtaziartistsmustpavetheirwaytoArtbydrawingpiagaziyoungauthorswritetopavetheirwaytoLiterature。
AsSuewassketgapairofeleganthtrousersandamohefigureofthehero，anIdahocowboy，sheheardalowsouimesrepeated。Shewentquicklytothebedside。
Johnsy'seyeswereopenwide。Shewaslookingoutthewindowandg-gback>
"Twelve，"shesaid，aer"eleven";aen，"and";;a;eight"a;，almosttogether。
Suelooksolicitouslyoutoftheastheretot?Therewasonlyabare，drearyyardtobeseen，andtheblahebrickhousetweaway。Anold，oldivyvine，gnarledaheroots，climbedhalfthebrickwall。Thecoldbreathofautumnhadstriitsleavesfromthevisskeletonbrang，almostbare，tbricks。
"Whatisit，dear?"askedSue。
"Six，"saidJohnsy，inalmostawhisper。"They&apfasternow。Threedaysagotherewerealmostahumademyheada。Butnoos;seasy。Theregoesahereareonow。"
"Fivewhat，dear?TellyourSudie。"
"Leaves。OntheivyvihelastonefallsImustgo，too。I'veknownthatforthreedays。Didn'tthedoctortellyou?"
"Oh，Ineverheardofsuse，"plaihmags。"Whathaveoldivyleavestodowithywell?Aolovethatvineso，younaughtygirl。Don'tbeagoosey。Why，thedoethismthatyourcesfwellrealsoo'sseeexactlywhathesaid-hesaidtheceswerete'salmostasgoodaceaswehaveinNeerideocarsorastanewbuilding。TrytotakesomebrothSudiegobackt，sosheselltheeditormanortwineforhersickdporkchreedyself。"
"Youneedn'tgetanymorewi;saidJohnsy，keepinghereyesfixedoutthewindow。&quoesanother。No，Idon'twantanybroth。Thatleavesjustfour。Iwaogetsdark。ThenI'llgo，too。"
"Joh;saidSue，bendi;willyoupromisemetokeepyoureyesdnotlookoutthewindowuntilIamd?Imusthandthsinbytomorrow。I，orIwoulddrawtheshadedown。"
"p;apos;tyoudrawiherroom?"askedJohnsy，coldly。