The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1939-05-27
SHORT
SHORT
STORY

for you"
cts lucky you don't overtake me
every night, you'd soon spoil me-"
''Was it a hard day? Are you
tired?"
mot a bit. I feel great. 1 had
a raise today, and after the first of
April I'm to have my own office"
what do you mean by your own
office? Are you going to leave where
you are?"
ooh, no, I should hope not.
mean that Pm not to work in the
general Office with a lot of other
girls. I'm to have a little corner
near my boss
'Is he married?"
'I never asked"
would you care?"
'Not a snap"
"Do you mean you like him so
much it wouldn't make any differ
ence whether he was married or
not?"
81 mean it wouldn't matter to me,
yes. What have you been reading
since I saw you last?"
"Why do you ask that?"
"You sound as though you might
have been examining shipment of
would-be best sellers-a bit Freud
ian. But l wish you'd eat some
thing"
"Say, do you agree with that
chap?"
'Who, my boss?"
''No, that Freud"
81 never read him. I don't have
time to read anything but novels,
working all day, and in the evening
sewing and mending, and a dash of
washing and ironing; and some
times I like to go to the pictures
or show"
you've never let me take you to
a show, yet, and I've asked you
.times enough, Lord knows"
ooh, you've been fine to ask me,
and do appreciate it; but, you see,
I can't quite bring myself-I'm not
exactly lapperish, you know, and
we don't even know each other S
names"
"Well, what of it? Say, listen.
Did you ever think it out like this?
Suppose you're walking with a girl
friend and a man comes along that
she knows and she names him to
you and you to him and you all walk
along together and come to her
house and she says good-by and
goes in. You walk along with this
strange man and it's all right for
you to ask him in to your house
just because she's told you his
name. And perhaps he's man
you ought not to know at ALL"
'Would you be so kind as to fill
my glass for me?"
''What was going to say was, >"
he continued, "that if we were in
troduced a hundred times we
wouldn't know each other any better
on that account. We've talked about
books-of course, 1 didn't believe
what you said just now about not
reading-and music and pictures
and life, and that's the way you get
to know people. Why, l can read
your thoughts about things as if
they were photographs"
ooh, you can, can you? Just to
test you and show you up, what am
I thinking now?"
"You won't be angry?"
'No, I'll take the risks"
"Well, then, you're thinking things
are reaching a point when Pm going
to talk about something besides
books and music and pictures
something more personal, and you
want to hear and you're half afraid.
You're held back by inhibitions that
aren't worthy of you. You rather
envy girls that take the bit between
their teeth and bolt, but still you
cling to old-fashioned ideas. Am |
right"
Eyes, and you make me feel
ashamed, somehow"
Look here, what is your name?"
She told him.
He left her abruptly, to return in
a few minutes with the manager
of the cafe.
Good evening"" said he, "this
young man is neighbor of
mine and he's very anxious to be
introduced to you. You'll excuse me
if l don't stop. l see I'm wanted at
the desk"
"I'm pleased to know you, and
now that the conventions have been
observed, will you marry me?"
"You make me more and more
ashamed with every word you speak
to take me on trust like that"
"But love you, YOU, no matter
what your name is. If you dis
trusted me, why did you let me
join you night after night?"
II don't distrust you. l love you,
too"
Come on, let's cut dessert"
They went out, the young man
carrying both checks conspicuously
in his hand.