按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
Frederick Ottenburg lived in California； at Santa Bar…
bara； where her health was supposed to be better than
elsewhere； and her husband lived in Chicago。 He visited
his wife every winter to reinforce her position； and his
devoted mother； although her hatred for her daughter…in…
law was scarcely approachable in words； went to Santa
Barbara every year to make things look better and to
relieve her son。
When Frederick Ottenburg was beginning his junior year
at Harvard； he got a letter from Dick Brisbane； a Kansas
City boy he knew； telling him that his FIANCEE； Miss Edith
Beers； was going to New York to buy her trousseau。 She
would be at the Holland House； with her aunt and a girl
from Kansas City who was to be a bridesmaid； for two
weeks or more。 If Ottenburg happened to be going down
to New York； would he call upon Miss Beers and 〃show
her a good time〃？
Fred did happen to be going to New York。 He was going
down from New Haven； after the Thanksgiving game。 He
called on Miss Beers and found her； as he that night tele…
graphed Brisbane； a 〃ripping beauty； no mistake。〃 He
took her and her aunt and her uninteresting friend to the
theater and to the opera； and he asked them to lunch with
him at the Waldorf。 He took no little pains in arranging
the luncheon with the head waiter。 Miss Beers was the
sort of girl with whom a young man liked to seem experi…
enced。 She was dark and slender and fiery。 She was witty
and slangy； said daring things and carried them off with
NONCHALANCE。 Her childish extravagance and contempt for
all the serious facts of life could be charged to her father's
generosity and his long packing…house purse。 Freaks that
would have been vulgar and ostentatious in a more simple…
minded girl； in Miss Beers seemed whimsical and pictur…
esque。 She darted about in magnificent furs and pumps
and close…clinging gowns； though that was the day of full
skirts。 Her hats were large and floppy。 When she wrig…
gled out of her moleskin coat at luncheon； she looked like
a slim black weasel。 Her satin dress was a mere sheath； so
conspicuous by its severity and scantness that every one in
the dining…room stared。 She ate nothing but alligator…pear
salad and hothouse grapes； drank a little champagne； and
took cognac in her coffee。 She ridiculed； in the raciest
slang； the singers they had heard at the opera the night
before； and when her aunt pretended to reprove her； she
murmured indifferently； 〃What's the matter with you；
old sport？〃 She rattled on with a subdued loquacious…
ness； always keeping her voice low and monotonous；
always looking out of the corner of her eye and speaking；
as it were； in asides； out of the corner of her mouth。 She
was scornful of everything；which became her eyebrows。
Her face was mobile and discontented； her eyes quick
and black。 There was a sort of smouldering fire about
her； young Ottenburg thought。 She entertained him pro…
digiously。
After luncheon Miss Beers said she was going uptown to
be fitted； and that she would go alone because her aunt
made her nervous。 When Fred held her coat for her； she
murmured； 〃Thank you； Alphonse；〃 as if she were address…
ing the waiter。 As she stepped into a hansom； with a long
stretch of thin silk stocking； she said negligently； over her
fur collar； 〃Better let me take you along and drop you
somewhere。〃 He sprang in after her； and she told the driver
to go to the Park。
It was a bright winter day； and bitterly cold。 Miss Beers
asked Fred to tell her about the game at New Haven； and
when he did so paid no attention to what he said。 She
sank back into the hansom and held her muff before her
face； lowering it occasionally to utter laconic remarks
about the people in the carriages they passed； interrupt…
ing Fred's narrative in a disconcerting manner。 As they
entered the Park he happened to glance under her wide
black hat at her black eyes and hairthe muff hid every…
thing elseand discovered that she was crying。 To his
solicitous inquiry she replied that it 〃was enough to make
you damp； to go and try on dresses to marry a man you
weren't keen about。〃
Further explanations followed。 She had thought she
was 〃perfectly cracked〃 about Brisbane； until she met
Fred at the Holland House three days ago。 Then she
knew she would scratch Brisbane's eyes out if she married
him。 What was she going to do？
Fred told the driver to keep going。 What did she want
to do？ Well； she didn't know。 One had to marry some…
body； after all the machinery had been put in motion。
Perhaps she might as well scratch Brisbane as anybody
else； for scratch she would； if she didn't get what she
wanted。
Of course； Fred agreed； one had to marry somebody。
And certainly this girl beat anything he had ever been up
against before。 Again he told the driver to go ahead。 Did
she mean that she would think of marrying him； by any
chance？ Of course she did； Alphonse。 Hadn't he seen that
all over her face three days ago？ If he hadn't； he was a
snowball。
By this time Fred was beginning to feel sorry for the
driver。 Miss Beers； however； was compassionless。 After
a few more turns； Fred suggested tea at the Casino。 He
was very cold himself； and remembering the shining silk
hose and pumps； he wondered that the girl was not frozen。
As they got out of the hansom； he slipped the driver a bill
and told him to have something hot while he waited。
At the tea…table； in a snug glass enclosure； with the steam
sputtering in the pipes beside them and a brilliant winter
sunset without； they developed their plan。 Miss Beers had
with her plenty of money； destined for tradesmen； which
she was quite willing to divert into other channelsthe
first excitement of buying a trousseau had worn off； any…
way。 It was very much like any other shopping。 Fred
had his allowance and a few hundred he had won on the
game。 She would meet him to…morrow morning at the
Jersey ferry。 They could take one of the west…bound
Pennsylvania trains and goanywhere； some place
where the laws weren't too fussy。 Fred had not even
thought about the laws！ It would be all right with
her father； he knew Fred's family。
Now that they were engaged； she thought she would
like to drive a little more。 They were jerked abou