Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1907-01-10
XVIII.
ANITA BEGINS TO w HERSELF.

XVIII.
ANITA BEGINS TO t.E HERSELF.
| had asked SAN Ellersly 10 din,
with me. So prcoccupled was | that not
until ten minutes before the hour set
did he come into my mind-he or any
of his family. eve his sister. Ny first
impulse was II send word tina,
couldn't keep the engagement. but l
must dine soinewhere.' | reelected. "an,i
there's no reason why / hould t dine
with him. since TNc done everything
that can be done" In my office suite
had u bath and dressing room. with
Il complete wardrobe. Thus. by hur-
iying IL little over my toilet. and by
making my chauffeur crowd the speed
, limit. I was at I,elmonico's only twenty
minutes late.
sam. who had been late also. as usual.
was having Il cocktail and was ordering
the dinner. 1 smoked u ciGaret and
watched him. At business or at any
thing serious his mind was all but use
less. but at ordering dinner and things
of that sort II" shonc. Those small ac-
coinplishfncnts OF his had often moved
me To a sort of pitving contempt. as If
one saw Il man of talent devotin1 him
self to engraving the Lords prayer on
gold dollars. That evening, however.
as ] saw how connfortahi. and content
ed he looked. with not Il care IN the
world. since he was tn have Il good
dinner and a good cigar afterward; AS
! SAN how much genuine pleasure he
was getting out of selecting TN" dishes
and giving the waiter minute dircc-
ti"ns For the chef. | envied nim.
What l.angdon had once said came
back to me We are under the tyranny
OF tomorrow. and happiness is inlpos-
sihlc." And | thought 20 true that
was. But. for The Sammys. high and
low. there is no tomorrow. He was
somehow imprcssing me With Il sense
that he was my superior. His face
but there MAS Il certain tincneSs of
quality in il. u sort of dollhouse look,
as If he had been sheltered all his life.
and brought up ~ especially selected
food. Men like me- thought l With
IL certain envy. rise and fall. Eut his
sort of men have got something that
can't be taken way. that enables them
to carry of with grace. poverty ~ the
degradation of being spongers and beg
CARS. This shows ~ far | had let
that attack of snobbish,iess eat into lle.
! glanced down ut my hands. No deli
cateness there. certainly those fingers.
though white enough nowadays. and
long enough. too. We're not made for
fancy work and parlor tricks. They
ott hiNC IVohtl VA DI.ltt IOuIlI tHS
handle of IA spade or the throttle OF an
engine. while SANS seemed made for
the keyboard of a piano.
You must ONE over to my oons
after dinner, and give me some music"
said J..
Thanks" he replied, but I've prom
lsed to go home and play bridge. Moth.
er's got a few in To dinner. and more
are coming afterward, / believe"
Then I'll go with you. and talk to
your sister-she doesn't play"
He glanced ut me in a way that made
me pass my hand ov.r my face.
learned at least part of the reason fo,
my feeling at disadvantage before him.
I had forgotten to shave: and as my
beard is heav., and black. il has to be
looked after twice Il day. oh. | can
stop at ,,iy rooms and get my face into
condition in Il few minutes" said l..
And put on evening dress. too he
suggested. You wouldn't want to go
in II dinner Jacket"
l can't SAY why this was the last
straw" but il was.
Bother" said l.. my common sens,
smashing the spell of suohbishness that
got into his unnatural. unhealthy at
mosphere. I'm go rs I am. beard and
all. 1 only make myself ridiculous. try
ing TO be a sheep. I'm a goat. and a
goat I'll stay"
That shut him into himself. When
he re-emergcd. 1t was to say: Some
thing doing down town today. ehr"
a sharpness in his voice and in his
eyes. too. made me put my rlind on
him more closely. n then I saw what
l should have seer before he was
moody and slightly distant.
Seen Tom IDangdon this a~fternoon""
I asked carele.sly.
He colorcd. "Yes-had lunch with
him." Was his answer.
I smiled his benefit. aha"
thought |. $50 Tom Langdo, has been
fool enough to take this into
his confidence. Then s;lid 10 him.
lis Tom making the rounds. warning
the RATS to leave The sinking ship"
What do YOU mean. MATE" he de-
handed. as ii l had accused him.
looked steadily at him. and l i'm
Hsine my u%nshaven jaw did not make
my aspect alluring.
That I'm thinking of driving the
rats overheard replied I. "Thc ships
sound. but IL would be sounder il there
were fewer of them"
You don't imagine anything Tom
could say would change my feeling TO-
ward you" he pleaded.
Il don't know. and I don't care a
damn replied I coolly. But do
know. before the Langdons or any
body else can have Blackjack ME.
they'll have first to catch Their
Blackjack
saw Langdon had made him nm
easy. despite his belief in my strength.
And he was cropping for confirmation
or reinsurance. But" thought /. III
he thinks I may be going up the spout
why 8 he more upset? He proh.
ably hates ME because I've befriendsd
him, but no matter how much ne hated
me. wouldn't his fear Of being cut of
from supplies drive him almost crazy"
anxiety. Either Tom didn't tell MIN
much. l decided. or he didn't believ.
Tom knew what no was talking aho,t
What did Tom say about me-" 7
Inquired.
'Oh. almost nothing. We were nix