The Washington herald., 1922-10-26
The Beautiful
And Damned
cesss.~ss from Yssts,day.
By =. scott Fitsgerald

tude. All the distress that ne nao
ever known. the sorrow and the
,ain, had been because Of women.
II was something that In different
ways they did tn him. unconsciously.
almost casually--eerhaps finding
him tender minded and afraid. they
killed the things in him that men
aced their absolute sway.
Turning about from the window
ne faced his reflection in the mirror.
contemplating dejectediy the wan.
pasty face, the eyes with their criss-
cross of lines like shreds of dried
blood, the stopped and habby ngure
whose very sag was q document In
lethargy. He was SHE looked 40.
Well. things would be different.
The door-bell rang abruptly and
Ne started as though he had been
iealt a blow Recovering himself.
he went into the hall and opened
the outer door. It was Dot.
The Eneounter.
He retreated before her into the
living room. comprehending only a
word here and there in the slow
flood of sentences that poured from
her steadily, one after the other. In
a persistent monotone. She was
decently and shabbily dressed-a
somehow pitiabls little hat adorned
with pink and blue flowers covered
and hid her dark hair. He gathered
from her words that several days
before she had seen an item in the
paper concerning the lawsuit, and
had obtained his address from the
clerk of the Appellate Division. She
had called up the apartment and
had been told that Anthony was out
by a woman to whom she had re-
fused to give her name.
In the living room he stood by
the door regarding her with sort OF
stupefied horror as she ratified on.
His predominant sensation
was that all the civilization and con-
vention around him was curiously
unreal. She was in a milli-
ner's shop on Sixth avenue, she said.
1t was a lonesome life. She had
been sick for a long while after he
left for Camp Mills; her mother had
come down and taken her home
again to Carolina She had
come to New York with the idea of
finding Anthony.
She was appallingly in earnest.
Her violet eyes wer red with tears;
her soft intonation was ragged with
little gasping sobs-
That was all. She had never
changed. She wanted him now. and
u she couldn't have him she must
die.
You'll have to get out" he said
at length. speaking with tortuous
intensity. Haven't 1 enough to
worry me now without you coming
here? My God! You1l have to get
Outi''
Sobbing, she sat down in a chair.
Il love you" she cried: II don't
care what you say to me-! I love
you
Il don't care he almost shrieked;
get out-oh, get out! Haven't you
done me harm enough?> Haven't
you-done-enough?"
Hit me-" she implored him-wild-
ly, stupidity "Oh, hit me, and I'll
kiss the hand you hit me with"
His voice rose until it was pitched
almost at a scream. I'll kill you"'
he cried IF you don't get out I'll
Kill you. I'll kill your'
There was madness in his eyes
now. but, unintimidated. Dot rose
ana look step IOWdTu MIN.
Anthony, Anthony,-"
He made a little clicking sound
with his teeth and drew back as
though to spring at her-then,
changing his purpose, he looked
wildly about him on the floor and
wall.
I'll kill you" he was muttering
in short. broken gasps. "I1l kill
IL fn hifa at the
word as though to force it into ma
terialization. Alarmed at last she
made no further movement forward,
but meeting his frantic eyes took
step back toward the door. Anthony
began to race here and there on his
side of the room, still giving out his
single cursing cry. Then he found
what he had been seeking-a stiff
oaken chair that stood beside the
table. Uttering harsh, broken
shout, he seized it. swung 1t above
his head and let IT go with all his
raging strength straight at the
white. frightened face across the
room then a thick. impene-
trable darkness came down upon
him and blotted out thought, rage.
and madness together-with almost
a tangible swapping sound the face
of the world changed before his
eyes. e..
Gloria and Dick came in at five
and g. led his name. There was no
..0sw they went into the living
r.-.u and found a chair with its
back mashed lying in the doorway,
ar. ~ noticed that all about the
-.sa lere was a sort of disorder
u KS had slid. the pictures and
b-~-a brac were upset upon the
csu-g- table. The air was sickly
Swoe with cheap perfume
Th-~ found Anthony sitting in a
patch sunshine on the floor of his
3cdTo0 n Before him. open. were
sp~ss his three big stamp books,
aEu :. zen they entered he was run
ming his hands through a great pile
of stamps that he had dumped from
the back of one OF them. Looking
up and seeing Dick and Gloria he
put his head critically on one side
and motioned them back.
Anthony" cried Gloria tensely
we've won. They reversed the de-
cifonw
Don't come in" he murmured
wanly. you'll uss them. I'm sorting
and I know you'll step IN them.
Everything always gets mussed."
What are you doing?" demanded
Dick in astonishment. Going back
to childhood? Don't you realize
you've won the suit? They've re-
versed the decision of the lower
courts. You're worth thirty mil
lions.'
Anthony only looked at him re-
proachfully.
Shut the dor when you go out"
He spoke like a pert child