The Washington herald., 1922-09-25
The Beautiful
: And Damned
cortinues from Yesterday.
By P. Scott Fitzgerald

moved lackadaisically up a side
street. as IL following a drifting
eable to which they were attached.
In this town 1t seemed entirely
natural to turn corners like that,
IL seemed natural to be bound no.
where in particular. to be thinking
nothing. -. The side street was
dark. a sudden offshoot into a dis
triet of wild-rose hedges and little
dufet- houses set far back from the
street.
.''where're you goingy" he in
auired politely.
Just goin'." The answer was an
apoIogy. question. an explsna-
tion.
Can ] stroll along with you?"
Reckon So"
II was an advantage that her
accent was different. He could not
have determined the social status
of a Southerner from her talk
in New York a girl of a lower class
would have been raucous. unendur-
sble--except through the rosy spec
tacIes of intoxicstion.
Dark was creeping down. Talk
ing 'little-Anthony in careless. cas-
uaI questions. the other two with
provincial economy of phrase and
burden-they sauntered past an
other corner. and another. In the
middle Of a block they stopped be-
- meath a lamp post.
Il live near here" explained the
other girl.
Il live around the block" said
the girl in lilac.
"Can 1 see you home:"
ITO the corner. If you want to-"
The other girl took a few steps,
backward Anthony removed his
hat.
You're supposed to salute" said
the girl in lilac with a laugh. "All
the soldiers salute
I'll learn" he responded sober
".
The other girl said. well"
hesitated. then added. call me up
tomorrow. Dot" and retreated
from the yellow circle Of the street
lamp. Then. in silence. Anthony
and the girl in lilac walked tn.
three blocks to the small rickety
house which was her home. Out
side the wooden gate she hesitated.
"weII-thanl5s"
Must you 20 In so soon?"
~ ought to-"
Can't you stroll around a little
longer"
She regarded him dispassionate-
"'I don't even know you"
anthony laughed.
It's not too late"
II reckon I better go in
II thought we might walk down
and see a movie"
I'D like to-"
Then could bring you home.
I'd have just enough time. I've got
to be in camp by eleven"
II was so dark that he could
scarcely see her now. She wore a
dress swsyed inhnitesimally by the
wind. two Iimpid. reckless eyes
Why don't you Come-Dot?
Don't you like movies? Better
come"
She shook her head.
'T oughtn't to-"
He liked her. realizing that she
was temporizinG for the effect on
him. He came closer and took her
hand
"1f We get back by ten. can't
YOU: Just to the movies"
well reckon so"
Hand in hand they walked back
toward downtown. along a hazy.
dusky street where a negro news
hoy was calling an extra in the
cadence Of the local venders' ira
dition. cadence that was as musi-
cal as song.
AnthOny's affair with Dorothy
EsyCroft was an inevitable result
"f his increasing Carelessness about
himself. He did not 60 to her de-
string to possess the desirable. nor
did he fall before a personality
more vital. more compelling than
his own. as he had done with
Gloria four years before. He mere
" slid into the matter through his
inability to make definite iudg-
ments He could say Mo- neither
70 man nor woman: borrower and
temptress alike found him tender
minded and pliable. Indeed he
seldom made decisions at all. and
when he did they were but half
hysterical resolves formed in rhe
panic of some aEhast and irrepar-
able awakening.
The particular weakness he in
dulged on this occasion was his
need OF excitement and stimulus
from without. He felt that for the
first time in four years he could
express and interpret himself anew.
The girl promised rest; and hours
in her company each evening alle-
waited the morbid and inevitably
futile poundings OF his imagina-
tion. He had become a coward in
earnest-completely the slave OF
hundred disordered and prowline
thoughts which were released by
the collapse Of the authentic de-
votion to Gloria that had been the
chief jailer of his insuficiency.
On that first night as they stood
by the gate. he kissed Dorothy and
made an engagement to meet her
the following Saturday. Then he
went out to camp, and with the
light burning lawlessly in his tent.
he wrote a long letter to Gloria.
glowing letter. full Of the senti-
mental dark. full of the remem-
bered breath Of flowers. full Of
true and exceeding tenderness
these things he had learned again
for a moment in a kiss given ana