The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1906-10-18
ODE Deluge
BY DAVID GRAHAM PHILLIPS

locked his arm In mine and started
toward the broughnm.
He was turning all kinds OF colors.
and was acting In n way that puzzled
me-then. Despite all my years In New
York I was ignorant OF the elaborate
social distinctions that had grown up
In Its Fifth avenue quarter. l knew.
OF course. that there. was n fashionable
society and that some OF the most
conspicuous OF those In II seemed un-
able to get used TO the idea OF being
rich and were In n state Of great agi-
tation over their own Importance. Inn
portant they might be. but not To me.
I knew nothing OF their careful grada-
lions OF snobbism-the people To know
socially. the people Co know In a busi-
ness way. the people To know I'm ways
religious and phiianthropic. the people
20 know for the fun to be got out OF
them. the people To pride oneself on
the hysteria about preserving these
disgusting gradations. All thia, j say.
was an undreamed-of mystery To mo
who gave and took liking I'm the sensi-
ole. self respecting American fashion.
80 I didn't understand why Sam. rs
l almost dragged him along. was STAN
mering: Thank you-but-I-shc-
thc fact is. we really must get uptown"
BY this time I was where l could
look into the brougham. A glance
-an see much ut n glance. ns can any
man who spends every day OF every
year In an all-day fight for his purse
and his life. with tho blows coming
from all sides. can see much at n
glance: often have seen much: i new
er saw more than just then. Instant
". i made UP my mind that the Ell
!crslys would lunch with me. You've
got To eat somewhere" said I. I'm a tone
that put an end To- his attempts TO
mn 49, Fra.s ~. n
Lighted To have you. Don't make up
any more yarns"
He slowly opened the door. Anita"
said he. MIR. Blackjack. He's invited
as TO lunch.
lifted my hat. and bowed. kept
my eyes straight upon hers. And IL
;gavc me more pleasure to look into
;hcm than had ever before got out OF
pcking into anybody's. l am passion
atcly fond OF flowers. and OF children:
and her face reminded me OF both. or.
rather. II seemed Tn mc that what /
had seen. with delight and longing. In
complete In their freshness and beauty
md charm, was now before me In the
tuilncss. l felt like saying To her. Il
have heard OF you often. The children
and the flowers have told me you were
coming. Perhaps my eyes did say a..
at any rate. she looked as straigh; ut
We MS j ut her. and I noticed that she
palcd little and shrank--yct con-
hnnsd to look. as IL were compelling
her. But her voice. beautifully
clear. and lingering In tho ears
liko the resonance of the violin after
the bow has swept It's strings and
lifted, was perfectly self possessed. as
she said To her brother: THAT will be
delightful-if YOU think we have time"
! saw that she. uncertain whether he
wished To accept. was giving him n
EhnnrR A. off Ana
ume-nothing but time" said /. Ills
engagements are always with people
who want TO get something out OF him.
And they can walt" I pretended TO
think he was expecting me To enter the
trap; got In. seated myself beside her.
said To Sam: I've saved the little seat
Tor you. Tell your man TO take us TO
the Equitable bulldlng-Nassau street
entrance"
i talked n good deal during the first
half OF the nearly two hours we were
iogether--partly because both Sam and
mis- sister seemed under some sort OF
Hirain. chiefly because ! was deter
mined To make "A good impression.
told her about myself. my horses. my
mouse In the country. my yacht. tried
20 show her l wasn't an ignoramus as
To books and art. even II hadn't been
10 college. She listened. while sam sat
embarrassed. You must bring your
ulster down To visit me- | said finally.
I'll see that you both have the time
or your lives. Make up party OF your
friends, Sam, and come down--when
rhall We say? Next Sunday? You know
you were coming anyhow. can change
the rest or the party"
sam grew as red as " he were going
into apoplexy. I thought then he was
afraid I'd blurt out something about
who were In the party was proposing
to change. ! was soon 10 know better.
Thank you, Mr.. Blackjack" said his
GIstcr. But j have an engagement
next Sunday. ] have a great many
engagements just now. without look
ing IL my book I couldn't say when I
ran GO" This easily and naturally. In
her set they certainly do learn thor
orEhly that branch OF tact which plain
people call lying.
Sam gave her n grateful look. which
he thought I didn't see. and which
didn't rightly intcrprct--then.
We'll fix II up later, Blackjack"
said he.
IAN right" said !. And from that
minute l was almost silent. IL was
something I'm her tone and manner that
, Rllcnccd me. l suddenly realized that
wasn't making az good an impression
rs | had been fattcring myself.
When man has money and IL will
Ing 10 spend IL o. can readily fool him
self into imagining he gets OF grandly
I with women. hut had better grounds
than that for thinking myself not un-
attractive To them. AK "a rule. Women
had liked mo when I had nothing:
women had liked me when they didn't
know who I was. l felt that this wom-
Un did not like me. And yet. by the
way she lokcd ut me In spite of her
efforts not Ia do SO. | could tell that
had some sort az unusual interest for
her. Why didn't she Ike me? She
made me feel the reason. | didn't be-
long Ia her world. My ways and my
.ooks offended her. She dislIked me a
good deal. she feared me little. She
would have felt safer NJ she had been
gratifying her curiosity. gazing In ut
me through the bars OF u cage.
Where ! had been feeling and show
ting my usual assurance, | now became
81 at ease. I lonEcd FOR them To- be
gone al the same time ! hated To- let
her go .uI. when and how would I
zee her again. would I get the chance
10 remove her bad impression IL ir-
gitatcd me thus tO be concerned about
the sister OF u man into my liking for
whom there WAS mixed much pity and
some contempt. But I am of the dispo-
Uition that. whenever | see an obstacle
az whatever kind. | cannot restrain
myself from trying To jump "a. Here
was an Obstacle dislike. To clear II
was 81 the smallest importance In the
world. was "A silly waste OF time. Yet
felt ! could not maintain with my