New-York tribune., 1921-05-08
SIGNOR PUG OF NEW YORK n

Just loving you isn't enough I'm not sure
that you would take life seriously, or, for chat
matter, marriagc-or mel Every one in New
York thinks that you are an adorable good-for-
nothing, who will never do anything worth
while. You know, having speed isn't guar
anty of manliness You've got speed, all right,
Pug dear! You go faster than any one on
earth, but want you to go further---I want
you to go all the way"
He was tense in the circle of her arms, al
most hostile, as if his boyishness had vanished
with his smile. She fancied for moment that
he was steeling himself for her sake, and she
said again: 81 want you to go all the way to
success. Then I'll marry you. Make good,
Pug dear, and come back to me-"
"What do you mean by making good?S he
said. Putting the railway over? I'll do that
Earning fortune Of my own? TIL do that,
too! Glory be to God, Rita, it isn't having
things that brings happiness-its getting
them. Put on your hat and we'll get married"
Very neatly she tripped him with his own
plea. "If getting things is what make9 you
happy, go down to Magela and-get mel"
Pug shook his head and stared at her sol
emnly as if he were seeing her for the first
I'm sorry, Rita, you and could have had such
bully time scrapping it OUT
'It won't do you any harm to be unhappy,
Pug"
He caught her hand suddenly and shook it.
And his smile flashed out again, irrepressible,
effervescent, irresistible. "Goodby, Rita! |
can't be unhappy even for you. Pm a lost
soul. I enjoy life. | expect I'm going to until
the end of time
"I'm sorry she said in a sepuchral voice
But he was gone
SO that is why Pug Fairchild went to Ma
CELIA alone. The big fruit steamer that took
him as far as Panama backed away from the
East River dock and turned into the harbor
leaving Fug's dad on shore, waving his hat and
smiling bravely.
Pug was going away from the poetry of
Fifth Avenue at dusk, the brushing of elbows
with celebrities, the intoxication of civiliza-
tion out for stroll, the odor of good cigars
perfumes, flowers and gasoline; he was Ieav-
ing the delicious satisfaction of big, dark CON
cert halls and the electric pleasure of SYM
phony orchestras and great voices; he was leav-
ing that dad of his and the girl who danced
like breath, whose eyes were audacious and
whose heart had eluded him; the girl who spoke
language Of clipped syllables and slang, but
to whom he had not made himself clear Well
he would show her.
Pug snatched off his hat and waved it at the
retreating city of towers and giIded spires
Before Pug the world loonled like a new intoxi-
cation, four-ringed circus Already he could
swing his arms.
The fruit steamer drifted into Panama one
golden dawn, and Pug rushed ashore to find
that the companyys steamer had left the day
before, being no respecter of persons least of
all directors son. Pug had to take the Lii
berta, Wheeling old scow that chugged along
the seaboard on Irregular schedules, sometimes
bringing up at Magella if her engines held out
that long. She left Panama after dusk. bear
ing Pug and swarm Of Magelans Pug wan
dered up and down the cluttered decks watch
ing these men who hated his dad and opposed
the building of the new railway to the Marias
Three men, who might have belonged to the
upper classes, stood little apart from the nojsv