The Washington herald., 1922-08-24
Ehe Beautiful
And Damned
-ge~finned from Yesferday.
By r. Scott Fitzgerald.

bhaN- icdnins, as all war cOrre-
spondents lean. upon a heavy stick.
portfolio at shoulder-trying to look
nksrIan Englishman. I'D like to
think 1t over" he confessed. TITS
certainly very kind Of you. I'll think
IL over and III let you know"
Thinking IL over absorbed him on
the journey to New York. He had
had one of those sudden flashes of
Illumination vouchsafed to all men
who are dominated by a strong and
beloved woman. which show them a
world of harder men, more fcrcely
trained and graphing with the alb
stractions Of thought and war. In
that world the arms of Gloria would
exist only as the hot embrace of a
chance mistress. coolly sought and
quickly forgotten.
These unfamiliar phantoms were
erowdtng closely about him when
ne Sboarded his train for Marietta,
IN the Grand Central Station. The
car was crowded; he secured the
last vacant seat and II was only
after several minutes that he gave
even a casual glance to the man
beside him. When he did he saw
a heavy lay of jaw and nose.
curved chin and small, puffed- under
eyes. In a moment he recognized
Joseph Bloekman.
simultaneously they both half
rose. were half embarrassed. and
exchanged what amounted to a half
handshake. Then, as though to
complete the matter. they both half
laughed
"TelL" remarked Anthony with
out Inspiration. 81 haven't seen you
for a long time" Immediately he
regretted his words and started to
add: Il didn't know you lived out
this way" But Bloeckman antici-
pated him by asking pleasantly:
"How's your wife? :"
shes very well. How've you
beeng'
Excellent" His tone amplifed
the grandeur of the word.
II seemed to Anthony that during
the last year Bloeckman had grown
tremendously in dignity. The boiled
look was gone. he seemed dome"
at last. In addition he was no
longer overdressed. The inappro-
pirate facetiousness he had affected
in ties had given way to a sturdy
dark pattern. and his right hand.
which had formerly displayed two
heavy rings, was now innocent of
ornament and even without the raw
glow of a manicure.
This dignity appeared also in his
personality. The last aura of the
successful travelling man had faded
from him. that deliberate ingratia-
tion of which the lowest form is the
bawdy joke in the Pullman smoker.
One imagined that. having been
fawned upon financially. he had at
tained sloofness: having been
snubbed socially. he had acquired
reticence- But whatever had given
him weight instead of bulk, An
thony no longer felt a correct su-
periority in his presence.
D'you remember Caramel. Rich
ard Caramel? l believe you met him
one night
II remember. He was writing a
book"
Welt he sold IL to the movies
Then they had some scenario man
named Jordan work on II. Well,
Dick subscribes to a clipping bureau
and he's furious because about half
the movie reviewers speak of the
'powAx and strength Of William
Jordan's Demon Lover" Didn't
mention old Dick at all. You'd
think this fellow Jordan had actual
" conceived and developed the
thing
Bloeckman nodded comprehen-
sively.
Most of the contracts state that
the original writer's name goes into
all the paid publicity. Is Caramel
still writinE?"
oh. yes. Writing hard. Short
stories"
Well that's fine. You on
this train often?'
about once week. We live in
Marietta"
rs that soe Well. well. I live
near Cos Cob myself. Bought
rlace there only recently. We're
only fiVe miles apart"
"Ycu'Il have to come and see us
.inthony was surprised at his own
courtesy. I'm sure Gloria'd be de-
lighted to see an old friend. Any
rody'fl tell you where the house is
its our second season there"
Thank you" Then. as though
returning a Complementary polite
ness: How is your grandfather?
Hes been well. had lunch with
hsm today"
~ great character" said Bloeck-
man severely. "a fine example OF
an American"
The Triumph of LetharEy.
Anthony found his wife deep in
the porch hammock voluptuously
engaged with a lemonade and a
tomato sandwich and carrying on
an apparently cherry conversation
with Tana upon one Of Tana's COM
plicated themes.
Tn my countree." Anthony
recognized his invariable preface.
''aIl time-peoples-eat rice-be-
cause haven't got. Cannot eat what
no have got" Had his nationality
not been desperately apparent one
would have thought he had ac-
duired his knowledge OF his native
land from American primary-school
Biographies.
when the Oriental had been
s1uelched and dismissed to the
kitchen. Anthony turned question
ineiy to Gloria:
IT'S all right" she announced,
smiling broadly. And 1t surprised
me more than It does you"
There's no doubt"
None, Couldn't be-"
They rejoieed happily. gay again
with reborn irresponsibility. Then
he told her of ht opportunity to
go abroad. and that he was almost
ashamed to reject II.
What do you think? Just tell