ATRIBUTE
EvennowIcannotrealizethatheisdead，andofteninthecitystreets——onFifthAvenueinparticular——Ifindmyselfglancingaheadforaglimpseofthetall，boyish，familiarfigure——experienceonceagainaflashoftheoldhappyexpectancy。
Ihavelivedinmanylands，andhaveknownmen。IneverknewafinermanthanGrahamPhillips。
Hisweretheclearest，bluest，mosthonesteyesIeversaw——eyesthatscorneduntruth——eyesthatpenetratedallsham。
Inreposehishandsomefeatureswereatriflestern——andthemagicofhissmilewasthemorewonderful——suchasunny，youthful，engagingsmile。
Hismerepresenceinaroomwasexhilarating。Itseemedtofreshentheveryairwithakeensweetnessalmostpungent。
Hewastall，spare，leisurely，iron-strong；yetfigure，featuresandbearingweredelightfullyboyish。
Menlikedhim，womenlikedhimwhenhelikedthem。
HewasthemosthonestmanIeverknew，cleaninmind，clean-cutinbody，alittleover-seriousperhaps，exceptwhenamongintimates；alittlepronetohoisttheburdensoftheworldonhisyoungshoulders。
Hiswasaknightlymind；apaladincharacter。Buthecouldunbend，andthememoryofsuchhourswithhim——hoursthatcanneverbeagain——hurtsmorekeenlythanthememoryofcalmerandmoresobermoments。
Weagreedinmanymatters，heandI；inmanywediffered。Tomeitwasagreaterhonortodifferinopinionwithsuchamanthantofindanentiresynodofmyownmind。
Because——andofcoursethisistheopinionofonemanandworthnomorethanthat——IhavealwaysthoughtthatGrahamPhillipswasheadandshouldersaboveusallinhisprofession。
Hewastohavebeenreallygreat。Heis——byhislastbook，“SusanLenox。”
Notthat，whenhesometimesdiscussedthewritingofitwithme，Iwasinsympathywithit。Iwasnot。Wealwaysweretruthfultoeachother。
Butwhenagiantmoldsalumpofclayintotremendousmasses，lessermenbecomeconfusedbythehugecontours，thevastdistances，theterrificspaces，themajesticscopeoftheensemble。SoI。Buthewentonabouthisbusiness。
Idonotknowwhatthepublicmaythinkof“SusanLenox。”I
scarcelyknowwhatIthink。
Itisaterriblebook——terribleandtrueandbeautiful。
Underthedepthsthereareunspeakablethingsthatwrithe。Hisplumb-linetouchesthemandtheysquirm。Hebendshisheadfromthecloudstodoit。Isitworthdoing？Idon”tknow。
ButthisIdoknow——thatwithintherangeofallfictionofalllandsandofalltimesnocharacterhassooverwhelmedmeasthecharacterofSusanLenox。
Sheisasrealaslifeandasunreal。SheisLife。HerswastheconcentratednobilityofHeavenandHell。Andthedivinityoftheoneandthetragedyoftheother。Forshehadknownboth——thisgirl——themostpathetic，themosthuman，themosthonestcharactereverdrawnbyanAmericanwriter。
Inthepresenceofhislastwork，sooverwhelming，sostupendous，welessermenareleftataloss。Itsmagnitudedemandstheperspectivethattimeonlycanlendit。Itsdignityandausterityanditspitilesstruthimposeuponusthathonestandintelligentsilencewhicheventhequickestmindsconcedeisnecessarybeforeanhonestverdict。
Truthwashisgoddess；hewroughthonestlyandonlyforher。
Heisdead，butheistohavehisdayincourt。Andwhatevertheverdict，ifitbeatrueone，werehelivinghewouldrestcontent。
ROBERTW。CHAMBERS。
BEFORETHECURTAIN
Afewyearsago，astothemostimportantandmostinterestingsubjectintheworld，therelationsofthesexes，anauthorhadtochoosebetweensilenceandtellingthosedistortedtruthsbesidewhichplainlyingseemsalmostwhiteandquiteharmless。
Andasnoauthorcouldaffordtobesilentonthesubjectthatunderliesallsubjects，ourliterature，insofarasitattemptedtodealwiththemostvitalphasesofhumannature，wasbeneathcontempt。Theauthorswhoknewtheywerelyingsankalmostaslowasthenasty-nicepurveyorsoffakeidealismandcandiedpruriencywhofanciedtheywerewritingthetruth。Nowitalmostseemsthatthedayoflyingconsciousandunconsciousisaboutrun。“Andyeshallknowthetruth，andthetruthshallmakeyoufree。”
Therearethreewaysofdealingwiththesexrelationsofmenandwomen——twowrongandoneright。
ForlackofmoreaccuratenamesthetwowrongwaysmaybecalledrespectivelytheAnglo-SaxonandtheContinental。Bothareinessenceprocessesofspicingupandcoloringupperfectlyinnocuousfactsofnaturetomakethempoisonouslyattractivetopervertedpalates。Thewishy-washyliteratureandthewishy-washymoralityonwhichitisbasedarenotonestagemore——orless——rottenthanthelibertineliteratureandthelibertinemoralityonwhichitisbased。Sofarasdegradingeffectisconcerned，the“pure，sweet“storyorplay，falsetonature，falsetotruemorality，propagandistofindecentemotionsdisguisedasidealism，needyieldnothingtotheso-called“strong“story。Bothpandertodifferentformsofthesamediseasedcravingfortheunnatural。Bothproducemoralatrophy。Theonetendstoencouragetheshallowandunthinkinginignoranceoflifeandsocausesthemtosufferthemercilesspenaltiesofignorance。Theothertendstomiseducatetheshallowandunthinking，togivethemaruinouslyfalsenotionofthedelightsofvice。TheAnglo-Saxon“morality“islikeanudefiguresalaciouslydraped；theContinental“strength“islikeanudefiguresalaciouslydistorted。TheAnglo-Saxonarticlereeksthestenchofdisinfectants；theContinentalreeksthestenchofdegenerateperfume。TheContinentalshouts“Hypocrisy！“attheAnglo-Saxon；theAnglo-Saxonshouts“Filthiness！“attheContinental。Bothareright；theyaretwinsistersofthesamehorridmother。Andanauthorofeitherallegiancehastohavemanyaredeeminggraceofstyle，ofcharacterdrawing，ofphilosophy，togainhimtoleranceinacleanmind。
Thereisthethirdandrightwayofdealingwiththesexrelationsofmenandwomen。Thatisthewayofsimplecandorandnaturalness。Treatthesexquestionasyouwouldanyotherquestion。Don”ttreatitreverently；don”ttreatitrakishly。
Treatitnaturally。Don”tinsultyourintelligenceandloweryourmoraltonebythinkingabouteitherthedecencyortheindecencyofmattersthatarefamiliar，undeniable，andunchangeablefactsoflife。Don”tlookonwomanasmerefemale，butashumanbeing。Rememberthatshehasamindandaheartaswellasabody。Inasentence，don”tjoinintheprurientclamorof“purity“hypocritesand“strong“libertinesthatexaggeratesanddistortsthemostcommonplace，ifthemostimportantfeatureoflife。Letustrytobeassensibleaboutsexaswearetryingtobeaboutalltheotherphenomenaoftheuniverseinthismoreenlightenedday。
Nothingsosweetensasinorsodelightsasinnerasgettingbig-eyedaboutitandhim。Thoseofuswhoarenaughtyaren”tnearlysonaughtyasweliketothink；norarethoseofuswhoarenicenearlysonice。Ourvirtuesandourfailingsare——perhapstoanunsuspecteddegree——theresultofthecircumstancesinwhichweareplaced。Thewaytoimproveindividualsistoimprovethesecircumstances；andthewaytostartatimprovingthecircumstancesisbylookinghonestlyandfearlesslyatthingsastheyare。Wemustknowourworldandourselvesbeforewecanknowwhatshouldbekeptandwhatchanged。Andthebeginningofthiswisdomisinseeingsexrelationsrationally。Untilthatfundamentalmatterisbroughtundertheswayofgoodcommonsense，improvementinotherdirectionswillbeslowindeed。Letusstoplying——toothers——toourselves。
D。G。P。
July，1908。
SUSANLENOX：HERRISEANDFALL
byDavidGrahamPhillipsVolumeI
SUSANLENOX
CHAPTERI
THEchild”sdead，“saidNora，thenurse。Itwastheupstairssitting-roominoneofthepretentioushousesofSutherland，oldestandmostcharmingofthetownsontheIndianabankoftheOhio。Thetwobigwindowswereopen；theirlimpandlistlessdraperiesshowedthattherewasnottheleastmotioninthestiflinghumidairoftheJulyafternoon。Atthecenteroftheroomstoodanoblongtable；overitwereneatlyspreadseveralthicknessesofwhitecottoncloth；nakeduponthemlaythebodyofanewborngirlbaby。AtonesideofthetablenearerthewindowstoodNora。Herswerethehardfeaturesandcorrugatedskinpopularlyregardedastheresultofalifeoftoil，butinfacttheresultofalifeofdefiancetothelawsofhealth。Asadditionalpenaltiesforthatsameself-indulgenceshehadanenormousbustandhips，thinfaceandarms，hollow，sinew-stripedneck。Theyoungman，blondandsmoothfaced，attheothersideofthetableandfacingthelight，wasDoctorStevens，arecentlygraduatedpupilofthefamousSchulzeofSaintChristopherwhoasmuchasanyotheronemanisresponsiblefortherejectionofhocus-pocusandtheinjectionofcommonsenseintoAmericanmedicine。ForupwardsofanhouryoungStevens，coatoffandshirtsleevesrolledtohisshoulders，hadbeentoilingwiththelifelessformonthetable。
Hehadtriedeverythinghistraining，hisreadingandhisexperiencesuggested——allthemoreorlessfamiliardevicessimilartothoseindicatedforcasesofdrowning。Norahadwatchedhim，atfirstwithinterestandhope，thenwithinterestalone，finallywithswiftlydeepeningdisapproval，ashercompressedlipsandangryeyesplainlyrevealed。Itseemedtoherhiseffortwasdegeneratingintosacrilege，intodefianceofanobviousdecreeoftheAlmighty。However，shehadnotventuredtospeakuntiltheyoungman，withamutteredejaculationsuspiciouslylikeanimprecation，straightenedhisstockyfigureandbegantomopthesweatfromhisface，handsandbaredarms。
Whenshesawthatherverdicthadnotbeenheard，sherepeateditmoreemphatically。“Thechild”sdead，“saidshe，“asItoldyoufromtheset-out。”Shemadethesignofthecrossonherforeheadandbosom，whileherfat，drylipsmovedina“Hail，Mary。”
Theyoungmandidnotrousefromhisreverie。Hecontinuedtogazewithabaffledexpressionatthetinyform，solikeawhimsicalcaricatureofhumanity。Heshowedthathehadheardthewoman”sremarkbysaying，tohimselfratherthantoher，“Dead？What”sthat？Merelyanothernameforignorance。”Butthecurrentofhisthoughtdidnotswerve。Itheldtotheonecourse：Whatwouldhismaster，thedauntless，theinfinitelyresourcefulSchulze，doifhewereconfrontedbythisintolerableobstacleofaperfectmachinerefusingtodoitsdutyandpumpvitalforcethroughaneagerlywaitingbody？
“He”d_make_itgo，I”dbetmylife，“theyoungmanmuttered。
“I”mashamedofmyself。”
Asifthereproachwerejustthespurhiscourageandhisintelligencehadneeded，hisfacesuddenlyglowedwiththeupshootingfireofaninspiration。Hethrustthebigwhitehandkerchiefintohishippocket，laidonelargestronghanduponthesmall，beautifullyarchedchestofthebaby。Nora，rousedbyhisexpressionevenmorethanbyhisgesture，gaveanexclamationofhorror。“Don”ttouchitagain，“shecried，betweenentreatyandcommand。“You”vedoneallyoucan——andmore。”
Stevenswasnotlistening。“Suchafinebaby，too，“hesaid，hesitating——theoldwomanmistakenlyfancieditwasherwordsthatmadehimpause。“Ifeelnogoodatall，“hewenton，asifreasoningwithhimself，“nogoodatall，losingboththemotherandthechild。”
“_She_didn”twanttolive，“repliedNora。Herglancesstolesomewhatfearfullytowardthedooroftheadjoiningroom——thebedroomwherethemotherlaydead。
“Therewasn”tnothingbutdisgraceaheadforbothofthem。
Everybody”llbeglad。”
“Suchafinebaby，“mutteredtheabstractedyoungdoctor。
“Love-childrenalwaysis，“saidNora。Shewaslookingsadlyandtenderlydownatthetiny，symmetricalform——symmetricaltoherandthedoctor”sexperteyes。“Suchadeepchest，“shesighed。
“Suchprettyhandsandfeet。Areallove-child。”Theresheglancednervouslyatthedoctor；itwasmeetandproperandpioustospeakwellofthedead，butshefeltshemightbegoingratherfarfora“goodwoman。”
“I”lltryit，“criedtheyoungmaninaresolutetone。“Itcan”tdoanyharm，and——”
Withoutfinishinghissentencehelaidholdofthebodybytheankles，swungitclearofthetable。AsNorasawitdanglingheaddownwardslikeadressedsucklingpigonabutcher”shooksheventedascreamanddartedroundthetabletostopbymainforcethisrevoltingdesecrationofthedead。Stevenscalledoutsternly：“Mindyourbusiness，Nora！Pushthetableagainstthewallandgetoutoftheway。Iwantalltheroomthereis。”
“Oh，Doctor——fortheblessedJesus”sake——”
“Pushbackthattable！“
Norashrankbeforehisfierceeyes。Shethoughthisexertions，hisdisappointmentandtheheathadcombinedtotopplehimoverintoinsanity。Sheretreatedtowardthefartheroftheopenwindows。WithacurseatherstupidityStevenskickedoverthetable，usedhisfootvigorouslyinthrustingittothewall。
“Now！“exclaimedhe，takinghisstandinthecenteroftheroomandgaugingthedistanceofceiling，floorandwalls。
Nora，herbackagainstthewindowframe，herfingerssunkinherbigloosebosom，staredpetrified。Stevens，likeanathleteswinginganindianclub，whirledthebodyroundandroundhishead，atthefulllengthofhispowerfularms。Moreandmorerapidlyheswungit，untilhisbreathcameandwentingaspsandthesweatwastricklinginstreamsdownhisfaceandneck。Roundandroundbetweenceilingandfloorwhirledthenakedbodyofthebaby——roundandroundforminutesthatseemedhourstothehorrifiednurse——roundandroundwithallthestrengthandspeedtheyoungmancouldputforth——roundandrounduntiltheroomwasablurbeforehisthrobbingeyes，untilhisexpressionbecamefullyasdemoniacasNorahadbeenfancyingit。Justasshewasrecoveringfromherparalysisofhorrorandwasabouttoflyshriekingfromtheroomshewashaltedbyasoundthatmadeherdrawinairuntilherbosomswelledasifitwouldburstitsginghamprison。ShecranedeagerlytowardStevens。Hewaswhirlingthebodymorefuriouslythanever。
“Wasthatyou？“askedNorahoarsely。“Orwasit——”Shepaused，listened。
Thesoundcameagain——thesoundofadrowningpersonfightingforbreath。
“It”s——it”s——”mutteredNora。“Whatisit，Doctor？“
“Life！“pantedStevens，triumphinhisglistening，streamingface。“Life！“
Hecontinuedtowhirlthelittleform，butnotsorapidlyorsovigorously。Andnowthesoundwaslouder，or，rather，lessfaint，lessuncertain——wasacry——wasthecryofalivingthing。
“She”salive——alive！“shriekedthewoman，andintimewithhismovementssheswayedtoandfrofromsidetoside，laughing，weeping，wringingherhands，pattingherbosom，hercheeks。Shestretchedoutherarms。“Myprayersareanswered！“shecried。
“Don”tkillher，youbrute！Givehertome。Youshan”ttreatababythatway。”
Theunheedingdoctorkeptonwhirlinguntilthecrywascontinuous，alowbutlustywailofangryprotest。Thenhestopped，caughtthebabyupinbotharms，burstoutlaughing。
“Youlittleminx！“hesaid——or，rather，gasped——atendernessquitematernalinhiseyes。“ButIgotyou！Nora，thetable。”
Norarightedthetable，spreadandsmoothedthecloths，extendedherscrawnyeagerarmsforthebaby。Stevenswithajerkoftheheadmotionedheraside，laidthebabyonthetable。Hefeltforthepulseatitswrist，benttolistenattheheart。Quiteuseless。Thatstrong，risinghowlofhelplessfurywasproofenough。Hermajestythebabywasmadthroughandthrough——thereforealivethroughandthrough。
“Grandheartaction！“saidtheyoungman。Hestoodaloof，handsonhiships，headataproudangle。“Youneversawahealthierspecimen。It”llbemanyayear，baraccidents，beforeshe”sthatneardeathagain。”
ButitwasNora”sturnnottohear。Shewassoothingandswaddlingtheoutragedbaby。“There——there！“shecrooned。
“Nora”lltakecareofyou。Thebadmanshan”tcomenearmylittleprecious——no，thewickedmanshan”ttouchheragain。”
Thebedroomdooropened。AttheslightnoisesuperstitiousNorapaled，shriveledwithinhergreenandwhitecheckedgingham。Sheslowlyturnedherheadasifonthisdayofmiraclessheexpectedyetanother——theresurrectionoftheresurrectedbaby”smother，“poorMissLorella。”ButLorellaLenoxwasforevertranquilinthesleepthatengulfedherandthesorrowsinwhichshehadbeenentangledbyanimpetuous，trustingheart。
Theapparitioninthedoorwaywascommonplace——themistressofthehouse，Lorella”selderandmarriedsisterFanny——neitherfairnordark，neithertallnorshort，neitherthinnorfat，neitherprettynorhomely，neitherstupidnorbright，neitherneatnordowdy——oneofthatmultitudeofexcellent，unobtrusivehumanbeingswhomaketherestfulstretchesinaworldofagitations——andwhorespondtotheimpetusofcircumstanceasunresistinglyascloudtowind。
AsthewailofthechildsmoteuponFanny”searssheliftedherhead，startled，andcriedoutsharply，“What”sthat？“
“We”vesavedthebaby，Mrs。Warham，“repliedtheyoungdoctor，beamingonherthroughhisglasses。
“Oh！“saidMrs。Warham。Andsheabruptlyseatedherselfonthebigchintz-coveredsofabesidethedoor。
“Andit”salovelychild，“pleadedNora。Herwoman”sinstinctguidedherstraighttothesecretoftheconflictragingbehindMrs。Warham”sunhappyface。
“Thefinestgirlintheworld，“criedStevens，well-meaningbuttactless。
“Girl！“exclaimedFanny，startingupfromthesofa。“Isita_girl_？“
Noranodded。Theyoungmanlookeddowncast；hewasrealizingthepracticalsideofhisvictoryforscience——theconsequencestothegirlchild，toalltherelatives。
“Agirl！“moanedFanny，sinkingtothesofaagain。“Godhavemercyonus！“
Louderandangrierrosethewail。Fanny，afterabriefstrugglewithherself，hurriedtothetable，lookeddownatthetinyhelplessness。Herfacesoftened。Shehadbeenamotherfourtimes。Onlyonehadlived——herfairlittletwo-year-oldRuth——andshewouldneverhaveanymorechildren。Thetearsglistenedinhereyes。“Whatailsyou，NoraMulvey？“shedemanded。“Whyaren”tyou”tendingtothispoorlittlecreature？“
Norasprangintoaction，butshewrappedthebabyherself。Thedoctorindeepembarrassmentwithdrewtothefartherwindow。Shefussedoverthebabylingeringly，butfinallyresignedittothenurse。“Takeitintothebathroom，“shesaid，“whereeverything”sreadytofeedit——thoughIneverdreamed——”AsNorawasabouttodepart，shedetainedher。“Letmelookatitagain。”
ThenurseunderstoodthatFannyWarhamwassearchingforevidenceofthemysteriousbutsuspectedpaternitywhosesecretLorella，withtrueLenoxobstinacy，hadguardedtotheend。Thetwowomenscannedthefeatures。Amanwouldataglancehaveabandonedhopeofdiscoveringanythingfromachartsovagueandconfusedasthatwrinkled，twisted，swollenfaceofthenewborn。
Notsoawoman。SaidNora：“SheseemstometofavortheLenoxes。ButIthink——I_kind_o”think——Iseea_trace_
of——of——”Thereshehalted，waitingforencouragement。
“OfGalt？“suggestedFanny，inanundertone。
“OfGalt，“assentedNora，hertoneequallydiscreet。“ThatnoseisGalt-likeandthesetoftheears——andakindofsomethingtotheneckandshoulders。”
“Maybeso，“saidFannydoubtfully。Sheshookherheaddrearily，sighed。“What”stheuse？Lorella”sgone。AndthismorningGeneralGaltcamedowntoseemyhusbandwithaletterhe”dgotfromJimmie。Jimmiedeniesit。Perhapsso。Again，perhapstheGeneralwrotehimtowritethat，andthreatenedhimifhedidn”t。Butwhat”stheuse？We”llneverknow。”
Andtheyneverdid。
WhenyoungStevenswasleaving，GeorgeWarhamwaylaidhimatthefrontgate，separatedfromthespaciousoldcreeper-cladhousebylonglawnsandanavenueofelms。“Ihearthechild”sgoingtolive，“saidheanxiously。
“I”veneverseenanythingmorealive，“repliedStevens。
Warhamstaredgloomilyattheground。Hewasevidentlyashamedofhisfeelings，yetconvincedthattheywerehumanandnatural。
Amoment”ssilencebetweenthemen，thenStevensputhishandonthegatelatch。“Did——did——mywife——”beganWarham。“Didshesaywhatshecalculatedtodo？“
“Notaword，George。”Afterasilence。“Youknowhowfondsheisofbabies。”
“Yes，Iknow，“repliedWarham。“Fannyisatruewomanifevertherewasone。”Withacertaindefiance，“AndLorella——shewasasweet，womanlygirl！“
“Assweetandgoodasshewaspretty，“repliedStevensheartily。
“Thewayshekepthermouthshutaboutthathound，whoeverheis！“Warham”sRomanfacegrewsavage，revealedinstartlingapparitionastubborncrueltyofwhichtherewasnotatraceuponthesurface。“IfIevercatchthe——I”llfillhimfullofholes。”
“He”dbelynched——_whoever_heis，“saidStevens。
“That”sright！“criedWarham。“ThisistheNorth，butit”snearenoughtoKentuckytoknowwhattodowithawretchofthatsort。”Hisfacebecamecalmer。“Thatpoorlittlebaby！He”llhaveahardrowtohoe。”
Stevensflushedaguiltyred。“It”s——it”s——agirl，“hestammered。
Warhamstared。“A_girl_！“hecried。Thenhisfacereddenedandinafurioustoneheburstout：“Nowdon”tthatbeatthedevilforluck！……Agirl！GoodLord——agirl！“
“Nobodyinthistown”llblameher，“consoledStevens。
“Youknowbetterthanthat，Bob！Agirl！Why，it”sdownrightwicked……IwonderwhatFannyallowstodo？“HeshowedwhatfearwasinhismindbywheelingsavagelyonStevenswithastormy，“Wecan”tkeepher——wesimplycan”t！“
“What”stobecomeofher？“protestedStevensgently。
Warhammadeawildvaguegesturewithbotharms。“DamnifI
know！I”vegottolookoutformyowndaughter。Iwon”thaveit。
Damnit，Iwon”thaveit！“Stevensliftedthegatelatch。“Well——
“Good-by，George。I”lllookinagainthisevening。”Andknowingthemoralideasofthetown，allhecouldmusterbywayofencouragementwasahalf-hearted“Don”tborrowtrouble。”
ButWarhamdidnothear。Hewasmovingupthetanbarkwalktowardthehouse，mutteringtohimself。WhenFanny，unablelongertoconcealLorella”splight，hadtoldhim，pityandaffectionforhissweetsister-in-lawwhohadmadeherhomewiththemforfiveyearshadtriumphedoverhisprinciples。HehadhimselfarrangedforFannytohideLorellainNewYorkuntilshecouldsafelyreturn。Butjustasthesisterswereabouttosetout，Lorella，lowinbodyandinmind，fellill。ThenGeorge——andFanny，too——hadstrivenwithhertogivethemthenameofherbetrayer，thathemightbecompelledtodoherjustice。Lorellarefused。“Itoldhim，“shesaid，“andhe——I
neverwanttoseehimagain。”Theypleadedthedisgracetothem，butsherepliedthathewouldnotmarryherevenifshewouldmarryhim；andsheheldtoherrefusalwiththefirmnessforwhichtheLenoxeswerefamous。TheysuspectedJimmieGalt，becausehehadbeenaboutthemostattentiveoftheyoungmenuntiltwoorthreemonthsbefore，andbecausehehadabruptlydepartedforEuropetostudyarchitecture。Lorelladeniedthatitwashe。“Ifyoukillhim，“shesaidtoWarham，“youkillaninnocentman。”Warhamwassoexasperatedbyherobstinacythathewasatfirstfortakingheratherofferandlettinghergoaway。ButFannywouldnothearofit，andheacquiesced。
Now”Thischildmustbesentawayoffsomewhere，andneverbeheardofagain，“hesaidtohimself。“Ifit”dbeenaboy，perhapsitmighthavegotalong。Butagirl——
“There”snothingcanbedonetomakethingsrightforagirlthat”sgotnofatherandnoname。”
ThesubjectdidnotcomeupbetweenhimandhiswifeuntilaboutaweekafterLorella”sfuneral。Buthewasthinkingofnothingelse。Athisbiggrocerystore——wholesaleandretail——hesatmoroselyinhisoffice，broodingoverthedisgraceandthedangerofdeeperdisgrace——forhesawwhataholdthebabyalreadyhaduponhiswife。Hewasashamedtoappearinthestreets；heknewwhatwasgoingonbehindthesympatheticfaces，heardthewhisperingsasiftheyhadbeentrumpetings。Andhewasasmuchafraidofhisownsoftheartasofhiswife”s。Butforthesakeofhisdaughterhemustbefirmandjust。
Onemorning，ashewasleavingthehouseafterbreakfast，heturnedbackandsaidabruptly：“Fan，don”tyouthinkyou”dbettersendthebabyawayandgetitoverwith？“
“No，“saidhiswifeunhesitatingly——andheknewhisworstsuspicionwascorrect。“I”vemadeupmymindtokeepher。”
“Itisn”tfairtoRuth。”
“Senditaway——where？“
“Anywhere。GetitadoptedinChicago——Cincinnati——Louisville。”
“Lorella”sbaby？“
“WhensheandRuthgrowup——whatthen？“
“Peopleain”tsolowassomethink。”
“`Thesinsoftheparentsarevisitedonthechildrenunto——”“
“Idon”tcare，“interruptedFanny。“Iloveher。I”mgoingtokeepher。Waithereaminute。”
Whenshecamebackshehadthebabyinherarms。“Justlook，“
shesaidsoftly。
Georgefrowned，triednottolook，butwassoondrawnandheldbythesweet，fresh，bloomingface，sosmooth，sowinning，soinnocent。
“Andthinkhowshewassentbacktolife——frombeyondthegrave。
Itmusthavebeenforsomepurpose。”
Warhamgroaned，“Oh，Lord，Idon”tknow_what_todo！But——itain”tfairtoourRuth。”
“Idon”tseeitthatway……Kissher，George。”
Warhamkissedoneofthesoftcheeks，swellinglikearipeningapple。Thebabyopenedwideapairofwonderfuldarkeyes，threwupitschubbyarmsandlaughed——suchalaugh！……Therewasnomoretalkofsendingheraway。
CHAPTERII
NOTquiteseventeenyearslater，onafineJunemorning，RuthWarhamissuedhastilyfromthehouseandstarteddownthelongtanbarkwalkfromthefrontverandatothestreetgate。Shewasnownineteen——nearertwenty——andaveryprettyyoungwoman，indeed。Shehadgrownuponeofthosesmallslenderblondes，exquisiteanddoll-like，whocannothelpseemingfreshandsweet，whateverthetruthaboutthem，withoutorwithin。Thismorningshehadonanewsummerdressofabluethatmatchedhereyesandharmonizedwithhercoloring。Shewaslookingherbest，andshehadthesatisfying，confidence-givingsensethatitwasso。Likemostoftheunattachedgirlsofsmalltowns，shewasalwaysdreamingofthehandsomestrangerwhowouldfallinlove——thethrilling，love-storykindofloveatfirstsight。Theweatherplaysaconspicuouspartintheromancingsofyouth；shefeltthatthiswaspreciselythekindofdayfatewouldbemostlikelytoselectforthemeeting。Justbeforedressingshehadbeenreadingaboutthewonderful_him_——inRobertChambers”
lateststory——andshehadspentfullfifteenminutesofblissfulreverieovertheaccompanyingFisherillustration。Nowshewasissuinghopefullyforth，ashopefullyasifadventureweretheruleandorderoflifeinSutherland，insteadofadesperatemonotonymadethehardertobearbythegloryofitsscenery。
Shehadgotonlyfarenoughfromthehousetobevisibletothesecond-storywindowswhenayoungvoicecalled：
“Ruthie！Aren”tyougoingtowaitforme？“
Ruthhalted；anexpressionanythingbutharmoniouswiththeprettybluecostumestormedacrossherface。“Iwon”thaveheralong！“shemuttered。“Isimplywon”t！“Sheturnedslowlyand，assheturned，effacedeverytraceoftemperwithadexteritywhichmighthavegivenanonlookerapooreropinionofhercharacterthanperhapsthefactsastohumannaturejustify。Thecountenanceshepresentlyrevealedtothoseupperwindowswassunnyandsweet。Noonewasvisible；butthehorizontalslatsinoneoftheonlyclosedpairofshuttersandavaguesuggestionofmovementratherthanformbehindthemgavetheimpressionthatawoman，notfarenoughdressedtoriskbeingseenfromthestreet，washiddenthere。EvidentlyRuthknew，foritwastowardthiswindowthatshedirectedhergazeandtheremark：“Can”twait，dear。I”minagreathurry。MammawantsthesilkrightawayandI”vegottomatchit。”
“ButI”llbeonlyaminute，“pleadedthevoice——amuchmoreinteresting，moremusicalvoicethanRuth”srathershrillandthinhighsoprano。
“No——I”llmeetyouupatpapa”sstore。”
“Allright。”
Ruthresumedherjourney。Shesmiledtoherself。“Thatmeans，“
saidshe，halfaloud，“I”llsteerclearofthestorethismorning。”
Butasshewasleavingthegateintothewide，shady，sleepystreet，whoshouldcomedrivingpastinavillagecartbutLottieWright！AndLottiereinedherponyintothesidewalkandintheshadeofasymmetricalwalnuttreeproceededtoinviteRuthtoadance——alongstory，asLottiehadtotellallaboutit，thedecorations，thefavors，thefood，whowouldbethere，whatshewasgoingtowear，andsoonandon。Ruthwasintenselyinterestedbutkeptrememberingsomethingthatcausedhertoglanceuneasilyfromtimetotimeupthetanbarkwalkunderthearchingboughstowardthehouse。Evenifshehadnotbeeninterested，shewouldhardlyhaveventuredtobreakoff；LottieWrightwastheonlydaughteroftherichestmaninSutherlandand，therefore，socialarbitertotheyoungerset。
Lottiestoppedabruptly，said：“Well，Ireallymustgeton。Andthere”syourcousincomingdownthewalk。Iknowyou”vebeenwaitingforher。”
Ruthtriedtokeepincountenance，butablushofshameandafrownofirritationcameinspiteofher。
“I”msorryIcan”taskSusie，too，“pursuedLottie，inavoiceofhypocriticalregret。“Buttherearetobeexactlyeighteencouples——andIcouldn”t。”
“Ofcoursenot，“saidRuthheartily。“Susan”llunderstand。”
“Iwouldn”tfortheworlddoanythingtohurtherfeelings，“
continuedLottiewiththeself-complacentrighteousnessofadeacontellingthecongregationhowgood“grace“hasmadehim。
Herprominentcommonplacebrowneyesweregazingupthewalk，anexpressiondistressinglylikeenviousangerinthem。Shehadathick，pudgyface，anoilyskin，anoutcroppingofdullredpimplesonthechin。Manywomencanindulgetheirpassionforsweetsatmealsandsweetsbetweenmealswithoutseriousinjury——tocomplexion；LottieWright，unluckily，couldn”t。
“IfeelsorryforSusie，“shewenton，intheludicrouspatronizingtonethatneedsnodescribingtoanyoneacquaintedwithanyfashionablesetanywherefromChinatoPeru。“AndI
thinkthewayyoualltreatherissimplybeautiful。But，then，everybodyfeelssorryforherandtriestobekind。Sheknows——aboutherself，Imean——doesn”tshe，Ruthie？“
“Iguessso，“repliedRuth，almosthangingherheadinhermortification。“She”sverygoodandsweet。”
“Indeed，sheis，“saidLottie。“Andfathersaysshe”sfarandawaytheprettiestgirlintown。”
Withthispartingshot，whichstruckpreciselywhereshehadaimed，Lottiegatheredupthereinsanddroveon，callingoutafriendly“Hello，Susiedearie，“toSusanLenox，who，onherpurposelylaggingwayfromthehouse，hadnearlyreachedthegate。
“WhatanastythingLottieWrightis！“exclaimedRuthtohercousin。
“Shehasameantongue，“admittedSusan，tallandslimandstraight，withgloriousdarkhairandaskinhealthilypallidandassmoothasclear。“Butshe”sgotagoodheart。Shegivesalotawaytopoorpeople。”
“Becauseshelikestopatronizeandbekowtowedto，“retortedRuth。“She”smean，Itellyou。”Then，withaviciousgleamintheblueeyesthathintedadeeperandlesspresentablemotiveforthetelling，sheadded：“Why，she”snotgoingtoaskyoutoherparty。”
Susanwasobviouslyunmoved。“Shehastherighttoaskwhomshepleases。And“——shelaughed”ifIweregivingapartyI”dnotwanttoaskher——thoughImightdoitforfearshe”dfeelleftout。”
“Don”tyoufeel——leftout？“
Susanshookherhead。“Iseemnottocaremuchaboutgoingtopartieslately。Theboysdon”tliketodancewithme，andIgettiredofsittingthedancesout。”
ThistouchedRuth”simpulsivelygenerousheartandwoman”seasytearsfilledhereyes；hercousin”sremarkwassopathetic，themorepatheticbecauseitspathoswasabsolutelyunconscious。
RuthshotapityingglanceatSusan，buttheinstantshesawthelovelinessofthefeaturesuponwhichthatexpressionofunconsciousnesslaylikeinnocenceuponabedofroses，thepityvanishedfromhereyestobereplacedbyadisfiguringenvyashatefulasanevilemotioncanbeatnineteen。Susanstilllackednearlyamonthofseventeen，butsheseemedolderthanRuthbecausehermindandherbodyhaddevelopedbeyondheryears——or，perhapsitwouldbemoreaccuratetosaybeyondtheaverageofgrowthatseventeen。Also，herpersonalitywasstronger，farmoredefinite。Ruthtriedtobelieveherselftheclevererandthemorebeautiful，attimeswithacertainsuccess。Butasshehappenedtobeashrewdyoungperson——aninheritancefromtheWarhams——shewashauntedbymisgivings——andworse。Thosewhosevanityneversuffersfromthesetormentswill，ofcourse，condemnher；butwhoeverhasknownthepainofhavingtoconcedesuperioritytosomeonewithwhomsheorhe——isconstantlycontrastedwillnotbealtogetherwithoutsympathyforRuthinherstruggles，oftenvainstruggles，againstthemortalsinofjealousy。
Thetruthis，SusanwasbeyondquestionthebeautyofSutherland。Hereyes，verydarkatbirth，hadchangedtoasoft，dreamyviolet-gray。Hairandcoloring，lashesandeyebrowsremaineddark；thushereyesandtheintenseredofherlipshadthatvicinageofcontrastwhichisnecessarytodistinction。Tolookatherwastobeatoncefascinatedbythoseviolet-grayeyes——bytheircolor，bytheirclearness，bytheirregardofcalm，graveinquiry，bytheirmysterynotuntouchedbyacertainsadness。Shehadathickabundanceofwavyhair，notsolongasRuth”sgoldenbraids，butgrowingbeautifullyinsteadofthinlyaboutherlowbrow，aboutherdelicatelymodeledears，andatthebackofherexquisiteneck。Herslimnosedepartedenoughfromtheclassiclinetopreventthesuggestionofmonotonythatisinallpurelyclassicfaces。Hernostrilshadthesensitivenessthatmorethananyotheroutwardsignindicatestheimaginativetemperament。Herchinandthroat——tolookatthemwastoknowwhereherloverwouldchoosetokissherfirst。
Whenshesmiledherlargeeventeethweredazzling。Andthesmileitselfwasexceedinglysweetandwinning，withtheviolet-grayeyescastingoveritthatseriousnessvergingonsadnesswhichisthenaturaloutlookofahighlyintelligentnature。Forwhilestupidvainpeoplearesuspiciousandeasilyoffended，onlytheintelligentaretrulysensitive——keenlysusceptibletoallsensations。Thedullearissuspicious；theacuteearissensitive。
Theintenseredofherlips，attimessovividthatitseemedartificial，andtheirsinuous，sensitivecurveindicatedatemperamentthatwasfranklyproclaimedinherfigure——sensuous，graceful，slender——thefigureofgirlhoodinitsperfectionandofperfectwomanhood，too——likethosetropicalflowersthatlookinnocentandyoungandfresh，yetstirinthebeholderpassionatelongingsandvisions。Herwalkwasworthyoffaceandfigure——freeandfirmandgraceful，thesmallheadcarriedproudlywithouthaughtiness。
Thisphysicalbeautyhadasanaureoletoilluminateitandtosetitoffamannerthatwaswhollydevoidofmannerisms——ofthosethatmenandwomenthinkoutandexhibittogiveaddedcharmtothemselves——tricksofcuteness，aslispandbabystare；
tricksofdignity，asgravebrowandbodyalwayscarriedrigidlyerect；tricksofsweetnessandkindliness，astheeverreadysmileandthewarmhandclasp。Susan，theinterestedintheworldabouther，Susan，theself-unconscious，hadnoneofthesetricks。Shewasatalltimesherownself。Beautyisanythingbutrare，likewiseintelligence。Butthisqualityofnaturalnessisthegreatestofallqualities。ItmadeSusanLenoxunique。
Itwasnotstrange——norinexcusablethatthegirlsandtheirparentshadbeguntopitySusanassoonasthisbeautydevelopedandthispersonalityhadbeguntoexhaleitsdeliciousperfume。
Itwasbutnaturalthattheyshouldstartthewholetownto“beingkindtothepoorthing。”Anditwasequallythematterofcoursethattheyshouldhaveachievedtheirobject——shouldhaveimpressedtheconventionalmasculinemindofthetownwithsuchasenseofthe“poorthing”s“socialisolationand“impossibility“thattheboysceasedtobehereagerlyadmiringfriends，wereafraidtobealonewithher，toaskhertodance。
Womenareconventionalasabusiness；butwithmenconventionalityisagrovelingsuperstition。TheyouthsofSutherlandlongedfor，sighedforthealluring，sweet，brightSusan；buttheydarednot，withallthewomensaying“Poorthing！Whatapityanicemancan”taffordtohaveanythingtodowithher！“Itwasaninterestingtypicalexampleoftheprofoundsnobbishnessofthemalecharacter。Rarely，afterSusanwassixteen，didanyoftheboysventuretoaskhertodanceandsogivehimselfthejoyofencirclingthatlovelyformofhers；
yetfrombabyhoodherfascinationforthemalesex，regardlessofageortemperament，hadbeenuncanny”naturally，shebeingalove-child，“saidtheoldwomen。Andfromfourteenon，itgrewsteadily。
ItwouldbedifficultforonewhohasnotlivedinasmalltowntounderstandexactlythekindofisolationtowhichSutherlandconsignedthegirlwithoutherrealizingit，withouttheirfullyrealizingitthemselves。Everyonewasfriendlywithher。A
strangerwouldnothavenoticedanydifferenceinthetreatmentofherandofhercousinRuth。Yetnotoneoftheyoungmenwouldhavethoughtofmarryingher，wouldhaveregardedherashisequalortheequalofhissisters。Shewenttoallthegeneralentertainments。Shewasinvitedtoallthehouseswhenfailuretoinviteherwouldhaveseemedpointed——butonlythen。
Shedidnotthinkmuchaboutherself；shewasfondofstudy——fonderofreading——fondest，perhaps，ofmakingdressesandhats，especiallyforRuth，whomshethoughtmuchprettierthanherself。Thus，shewasonlyvaguely，subconsciouslyconsciousoftherebeingsomethingpeculiarandmysteriousinherlot。
Thisisolation，ratherthanherdominantqualityofself-effacingconsiderationforothers，wasthechiefcauseoftheextraordinaryinnocenceofhermind。Noservant，nogirl，noaudaciousboyeverventuredtoraisewithheranyquestionremotelytouchingonsex。AllthosequestionsseemedtoPuritanSutherlandinanycircumstanceshighlyindelicate；inrelationtoSusantheyseemedworsethanindelicate，dreadfulthoughthethoughtwasthattherecouldbeanythingworsethanindelicacy。
Atfifteensheremainedasunawareofeventheexistenceofthemysteriesofsexasshehadbeenatbirth。Nothingdefiniteenoughtoarousehercuriosityhadeverbeensaidinherhearing；andsuchreferencestothosemattersasshefoundinherreadingpassedherby，asanymatterofwhichhehasnotthebeginningsofknowledgewillfailtoarresttheattentionofanyreader。Itwasgenerallyassumedthatsheknewallaboutherorigin，thatsomeonehad，sometimeorother，toldher。EvenherAuntFannythoughtso，thoughtshewashidingtheknowledgedeepinherheart，explainedinthatwayhercontentwiththesolitudeofbooksandsewing。
SusanwastheworstpossibleinfluenceinRuth”slife。Ourcharacterisourself，isbornwithus，clingstousasthefleshtoourbones，persistsunchangeduntilwedie。Butuponthecircumstancesthatsurroundusdependswhatpartofourcharactershallshowitself。Ruthwasbornwithperhapssomethingmorethanthenormaltendencytobeenviousandpetty。
ButthesequalitiesmightneverhaveshownthemselvesconspicuouslyhadtherebeennoSusanforhertoenvy。TheveryqualitiesthatmadeSusanlovablereacteduponthepretty，pertblondcousintomakeherthemoreunlovable。Againandagain，whensheandSusanwereabouttostartouttogether，andSusanwouldappearinbeautyandgraceofpersonanddress，Ruthwouldexcuseherself，wouldflytoherroomtolockherselfinandweepandrageandhate。Andatthehighschool，whenSusanscoredinarecitationorinsomedramaticentertainment，Ruthwouldsitwithbittenlipandsurgingbosom，palewithjealousy。
Susan”sisolation，thewaytheboysavoidedhavingwithherthefriendlyrelationsthatspringupnaturallyamongyoungpeoplethesegaveRuthapartialrevenge。ButSusan，seeminglyunconscious，risingsweetlyandserenelyaboveallpettiness——
Ruth”shatreddeepened，thoughshehiditfromeveryone，almostfromherself。AndshedependedmoreandmoreutterlyuponSusantoselectherclothesforher，todressher，tomakeherlookwell；forSusanhadtasteandRuthhadnot。
OnthatbrightJunemorningasthecousinswentupMainStreettogether，Susangaveherselfovertothedelightofsunandairandofthefloweringgardensbeforetheattractivehousestheywerepassing；Ruth，withthedayquitedarkforher，allitsjoysgone，wasfightingagainstahatredofhercousinsoviciousthatitmadeherafraid。“I”llhavenochanceatall，“
herangryheartwassaying，“solongasSusie”saround，keepingeverybodyremindedofthefamilyshame。”Andthatwasatruthshecouldnotdownface，meanandungenerousthoughthinkingitmightbe。TheworstofallwasthatSusan，inasimplewhitedressandanalmostuntrimmedwhitestrawhatwithagracefulcurvetoitsbrimandsetattherightangleuponthatwavydarkhair，wasmakingthebeautyofhershortblondcousindimandsomehowcommon。
AtthecornerofMapleStreetRuth”sself-controlreacheditslimit。Shehalted，tookthesampleofsilkfromherglove。Therewasnotahintofherfeelingsinhercountenance，forshameandthedesiretoseemtobebetterthanshewaswerefastmakingheranadeptinhypocrisy。“Yougoaheadandmatchitformamma，“saidshe。“I”vegottoruninandseeBessieAndrews。”
“ButIpromisedUncleGeorgeI”dcomeandhelphimwiththemonthlybills，“objectedSusan。
“Youcandoboth。It”lltakeyouonlyaminute。Ifmotherhadknownyouweregoinguptown，she”dneverhavetrusted_me_。”AndRuthhadtuckedthesampleinSusan”sbeltandwashurryingoutMapleStreet。TherewasnothingforSusantodobutgoonalone。
Twosquares，andshewaspassingtheshowplaceofSutherland，thehomeoftheWrights。Shepausedtoregaleherselfwithaglanceintothegroveofmagnificentelmswithlawnsandbrightgardensbeyond——fortheWrightplacefilledtheentiresquarebetweenBroadandMyrtleStreetsandfromMaintoMonroe。Shewasstartingonwhenshesawamongthetreesayoungmaninstripedflannels。Atthesameinstanthesawher。
“Hel-_lo_，Susie！“hecried。“Iwasthinkingaboutyou。”
Susanhalted。“Whendidyougetback，Sam？“sheasked。“IheardyouweregoingtostayonintheEastallsummer。”
Aftertheyhadshakenhandsacrossthehedgethatcamealmosttotheirshoulders，Susanbegantomoveon。Samkeptpacewithheronhissideofthecarefullytrimmedboxwoodbarrier。“I”mgoingbackEastinabouttwoweeks，“saidhe。“It”sawfullydullhereafterYale。Ijustblewin——haven”tseenLottieorfatheryet。
ComingtoLottie”sparty？“
“No，“saidSusan。
“Whynot？“
Susanlaughedmerrily。“Thebestreasonintheworld。Lottiehasonlyinvitedjustsomanycouples。”
“I”llseeaboutthat，“criedSam。“You”llbeaskedallright，allright。”
“No，“saidSusan。Shewasoneofthosewhosewayofsayingnogivesitsfullmeaningandintent。“I”llnotbeasked，thankyou——andI”llnotgoifIam。”
Bythistimetheywereatthegate。Heopenedit，cameoutintothestreet。Hewasatallish，athleticyouth，dark，andpleasingenoughoffeaturetobecalledhandsome。Hewasdressedwithagreatdealofstyleoftheefflorescentkindcalledsophomoric。
HewasaSophomoreatYale。Butthatwasnotsolargelyresponsibleforhisself-complacentexpressionasthedeferencehehadgotfrombabyhoodthroughbeingheirapparenttotheWrightfortune。HehadasophisticatedwayofinspectingSusan”scharmsoffigurenolessthancharmsoffacethatmighthavemadeadisagreeableimpressionuponanexperiencedonlooker。Thereisatimeforfeelingwithoutknowingwhyonefeels；andthatperiodoughtnottohavebeenpassedforyoungWrightformanyayear。
“My，butyou”relookingfine，Susie！“exclaimedhe。“Ihaven”tseenanyonethatcouldholdacandletoyouevenintheEast。”
Susanlaughedandblushedwithpleasure。“Goon，“saidshewithraillery。“Iloveit。”
“ComeinandsitunderthetreesandI”llfillallthetimeyou”llgiveme。”
Thisremindedher。“Imusthurryuptown，“shesaid。“Good-by。”
“Holdon！“criedhe。“Whathaveyougottodo？“Hehappenedtoglancedownthestreet。“Isn”tthatRuthcoming？“
“Soitis，“saidSusan。“IguessBessieAndrewswasn”tathome。”
SamwavedatRuthandcalled，“Hello！Gladtoseeyou。”
Ruthwasallsweetnessandsmiles。Sheandhermother——quiteprivatelyandwithnothingopenlysaidoneitherside——hadcanvassedSamasa“possibility。”Therehadbeenkeendisappointmentatthenewsthathewasnotcominghomeforthelongvacation。“Howareyou，Sam？“saidshe，astheyshookhands。“My，Susie，_doesn”t_helookNewYork？“
Samtriedtoconcealthathewasswellingwithpride。“Oh，thisisnothing，“saidhedeprecatingly。
Ruth”sheartwasa-flutter。TheFisherpictureoftheChamberslove-maker，thoughtshe，mightalmostbeaphotographofSam。
Shewasgladshehadobeyedthemysteriousimpulsetomakeatoiletteofunusualelegancethatmorning。HowgetridofSusan？
“_I_”lltakethesample，Susie，“saidshe。“Thenyouwon”thavetokeepfatherwaiting。”
Susiegaveupthesample。Herfacewasnolongersobrightandinterested。
“Oh，dropit，“criedSam。“Comein——bothofyou。I”lltelephoneforJoeAndrewsandwe”lltakeadrive——oranythingyoulike。”
HewaslookingatSusan。
“Can”tdoit，“repliedSusan。“IpromisedUncleGeorge。”
“Oh，bother！“urgedSam。“Telephonehim。It”llbeallright——won”tit，Ruth？“
“Youdon”tknowSusie，“saidRuth，withaqueer，strainedlaugh。
“She”dratherdiethanbreakapromise。”
“Imustgo，“Susannowsaid。“Good-by。”
“Comeon，Ruth，“criedSam。“Let”swalkuptownwithher。”
“Andyoucanhelpmatchthesilk，“saidRuth。
“Notforme，“repliedyoungWright。ThentoSusan，“What”ve_you_
gottodo？Maybeit”ssomethingIcouldhelpat。”
“No。It”sforUncleGeorgeandme。”
“Well，I”llgoasfarasthestore。Then——we”llsee。”
TheywerenowinthebusinesspartofMainStreet，wereatWilson”sdrygoodsstore。“Youmightfindithere，“suggestedtheinnocentSusantohercousin。
Ruthcolored，veiledhereyestohidetheirflash。“I”vegottogotothestorefirst——togetsomemoney，“shehastilyimprovised。
Samhadbeenwalkingbetweenthetwogirls。Henowchangedtotheoutsideand，so，puthimselfnextSusanalone，putSusanbetweenhimandRuth。Themaneuverseemedtobeamerepoliteness，butRuthknewbetter。Whatfatehadintendedasherluckydaywasbeingchangedintounluckybythiscousinofhers。
Ruthwalkedsullenlyalong，hottearsinhereyesandachokeinherthroat，asshelistenedtoSam”sflatteringsofhercousin，andtoSusan”slaughing，delightedreplies。Shetriedtogatherherselftogether，tothinkupsomethingfunnyoratleastinterestingwithwhichtobreakintothe_tete-a-tete_anddrawSamtoherself。Shecouldthinknothingbutenvious，hatefulthoughts。AtthedoorsofWarhamandCompany，wholesaleandretailgrocers，thethreehalted。
“IguessI”llgotoVandermark”s，“saidRuth。“Ireallydon”tneedmoney。Comeon，Sam。”
“No——I”mgoingbackhome。IoughttoseeLottieandfather。My，butit”sdullinthistown！“
“Well，solong，“saidSusan。Shenodded，sparklingofhairandskinandeyes，andwentintothestore。
SamandRuthwatchedherasshewalkeddownthebroadaislebetweenthecounters。Fromthestorecameaminglingofodorsoffruit，ofspices，offreshlygroundcoffee。“Susan”sanawfulprettygirl，isn”tshe？“declaredSamwithrudeenthusiasm。
“Indeedsheis，“repliedRuthasheartily——andwithanhonestifdiscouragedefforttofeelenthusiastic。
“Whatafigure！Andshehassuchagoodwalk。Mostwomenwalkhorribly。”
“ComeontoVandermark”swithmeandI”llstrollbackwithyou，“
offeredRuth。Samwasstillgazingintothestorewhere，fartotherear，Susancouldbeseen；thegracefulhead，thegentlyswellingbust，thesoftlinesofthewhitedress，theprettyanklesrevealedbytheshortskirt——therewas，indeed，aprofileworthaman”slookingatonafineJuneday。Ruth”seyeswereuponSam，handsome，dressedintheEasternfashion，anideallover。“Comeon，Sam，“urgedRuth。
“No，thanks，“herepliedabsently。“I”llgoback。Goodluck！“
Andnotglancingather，heliftedhisstrawhatwithitsbandofYaleblueandsetout。
Ruthmovedslowlyanddisconsolatelyintheoppositedirection。
Shewasashamedofherthoughts；butshameneveryetwithheldanybodyfrombeinghumaninthought。AssheturnedtoenterVandermark”ssheglanceddownthestreet。TherewasSam，returnedandgoingintoherfather”sstore。Shehesitated，coulddevisenoplanofaction，hurriedintothedrygoodsstore。
Sinclair，theheadsalesmanandthebeauofSutherland，wasanespecialfriendofhers。Thetall，slender，hungry-lookingyoungman，devouredwithambitionforspeedywealth，hadnomindtoneglectsoeasyanaidtothatambitionasnaturegavehiminmakinghimalady-charmer。HehadresolvedtomarryeitherLottieWrightorRuthWarham——Ruthpreferred，because，whileLottiewouldhavemanytimesmoremoney，herskinmadeherastiffdoseforayoungmanbroughtuptotheAmericantraditionthatthefaceisthewoman。ButthatmorningSinclairexertedhischarmsinvain。Ruthwasinahurry，wasdistinctlyrude，cutshortwhatinothercircumstanceswouldhavebeenaprolongedanddelightfulflirtationbytossingthesampleonthecounterandaskinghimtodothematchingforherandtosendthesilkrightaway。Whichsaid，shefairlyboltedfromthestore。
Shearrivedbarelyintime。YoungWrightwasissuingfromWarhamandCompany。Hesmiledfriendlyenough，butRuthknewwherehisthoughtswere。“Getwhatyouwanted？“inquiredhe，andwentontoexplain：“IcamebacktofindoutifyouandSusieweretobeathomethisevening。ThoughtI”dcall。”
Ruthpaledwithangrydismay。ShewasgoingtoapartyattheSinclairs”——onetowhichSusanwasnotinvited。“Aren”tyougoingtoSinclairs”？“saidshe。
“Iwas。ButIthoughtI”drathercall。PerhapsI”llgotherelater。”
HewascomingtocallonSusan！AllthewaydownMainStreettotheWrightplaceRuthfoughtagainsthermoodofangryanddepressedsilence，triedtomakethebestofherchancetoimpressSam。ButSamwasabsentandhumiliatinglyneartocurt。
Hehaltedathisfather”sgate。Shehaltedalso，searchedthegroundswithanxiouseyesforsignofLottiethatwouldgivehertheexcuseforentering。
“Solong，“saidSam。
“DocometoSinclairs”early。Youalwaysdiddancesowell。”
“Oh，dancingboresme，“saidtheblaseSophomore。“ButI”llberoundbeforetheshindy”sover。I”vegottotakeLothome。”
HeliftedthehatagainwithwhatbothheandRuthregardedasagestureofmostelegantcarelessness。Ruthstrolledreluctantlyon，feelingasifhertoilethadbeensplashedorcrushed。Assheenteredthefrontdoorhermother，inawrapperandcurlpapers，appearedattheheadofthestairs。“Why！“criedshe。“Where”sthesilk？It”sforyourdresstonight，youknow。”
“It”llbealong，“wasRuth”sanswer，hertonedreary，herlipquivering。“ImetSamWright。”
“Oh！“exclaimedhermother。“He”sback，ishe？“
Ruthdidnotreply。Shecameonupthestairs，wentintothesitting-room——theroomwhereDoctorStevensseventeenyearsbeforehadtornthebabySusanfromtheveryclawsofdeath。Sheflungherselfdown，buriedherheadinherarmsuponthatsametable。Sheburstintoastormoftears。
“Why，deariedear，“criedhermother，“whateveristhematter？“
“It”swickedandhateful，“sobbedthegirl，“but——Oh，mamma，I
_hate_Susan！Shewasalong，andSamhardlynoticedme，andhe”scomingherethiseveningtocall。”
“Butyou”llbeatSinclairs”！“exclaimedMrs。Warham。
“NotSusan，“sobbedRuth。“Hewantstoseeonlyher。”
ThemembersoftheSecondPresbyterianChurch，ofwhichFannyWarhamwasaboutthemostexemplaryandassiduousfemalemember，wouldhardlyhaverecognizedthefaceencircledbythattriplerowofcurl-paperedlocks，shinilyplasteredwithquince-seedliquor。Shewasatwoman”ssecondcriticalage，andthestrangeemotionsworkinginhermind——ofwhosedisordernoonehadaninkling——wereuponthesurfacenow。Sheventuredthisfreedomoffacialexpressionbecauseherdaughter”sfacewashid。Shedidnotspeak。Shelaidatenderdefendinghandforaninstantuponherdaughter”sshoulder——likethecaressofloveandencouragementthelionessgiveshercubassheisabouttogivebattleforit。Thenshelefttheroom。Shedidnotknowwhattodo，butsheknewshemustandwoulddosomething。
CHAPTERIII
THEtelephonewasdownstairs，intherearendofthehallwhichdividedthelowerfloorintotwoequalparts。ButhardlyhadMrs。WarhamgiventheSinclairs”numbertotheexchangegirlwhenRuthcalledfromtheheadofthestairs：
“What”reyoudoingthere，mamma？“
“I”lltellMrs。Sinclairyou”resickandcan”tcome。ThenI”llsendSusaninyourplace。”
“Don”t！“criedRuth，inanagitated，angryvoice。“Ringoff——quick！“
“Now，Ruth，letme——”
“Ringoff！“orderedRuth。“Youmustn”tdothat。You”llhavethewholetowntalkingabouthowI”mthrowingmyselfatSam”shead——andthatI”mjealousofSusan。”
Mrs。Warhamsaid，“Nevermind“intothetelephonesenderandhungupthereceiver。Shewasfrightened，butnotconvinced。
Herswasaslow，old-fashionedmind，andtoittheschemeithadworkedoutseemedamodelofskillfulduplicity。ButRuth，oftheyoungerandsubtlergeneration，realizedinstantlyhowtransparentthethingwas。Mrs。Warhamwasabashedbutnotangeredbyherdaughter”scurtcontempt。
“It”stheonlywayIcanthinkof，“saidshe。“AndIstilldon”tsee——”
“Ofcourseyoudon”t，“cutinRuth，ruffledbytheperilouslynarrowescapefrombeingthelaughingstockofthetown。“Peoplearen”tasbigfoolsastheyusedtobe，mamma。Theydon”tbelievenowadayseverythingthat”stoldthem。Thereisn”tanybodythatdoesn”tknowI”mneversick。No——we”llhaveto——”
Shereflectedamoment，pausinghalfwaydownthestairs，whilehermotherwatchedherswollenandtear-stainedface。
“WemightsendSusanawayfortheevening，“suggestedthemother。
“Yes，“assentedthedaughter。“PapacouldtakeherwithhimforadrivetoNorthSutherland——toseetheProvosts。ThenSam”dcomestraightontotheSinclairs”。”
“I”llcallupyourfather。”
“No！“criedRuth，stampingherfoot。“CallupMr。Provost，andtellhimpapa”scoming。Thenyoucantalkwithpapawhenhegetshometodinner。”
“Butmaybe——”
“Ifthatdoesn”tworkoutwecandosomethingelsethisafternoon。”
Themotherandthedaughteravoidedeachother”seyes。Bothfeltmeanandsmall，guiltytowardSusan；butneitherwasforthatreasondisposedtodrawback。AsMrs。Warhamwastryingthenewdressonherdaughter，shesaid：
“Anyhow，Sam”dbewastingtimeonSusan。He”dhangroundherfornogood。She”dsimplygettalkedabout。Thepoorchildcan”tbelivelyorsmilebutwhatpeoplebegintowonderifshe”sgoingthewayof——ofLorella。”
“That”sso，“agreedRuth，andbothfeltbetter。“WasAuntLorella_very_pretty，mamma？“
“Lovely！“repliedFanny，andhereyesgrewtender，forshehadadoredLorella。“Youneversawsuchacomplexion——likeSusan”s，onlysnow-white。”Nervouslyandhastily，“Mostasfineasyours，Ruthie。”
Ruthgazedcomplacentlyintothemirror。“I”mgladI”mfair，andnotbig，“saidshe。
“Yes，indeed！Ilikethewomanlywoman。Andsodomen。”
“Don”tyouthinkweoughttosendSusanawaytovisitsomewhere？“askedRuthatthenextopportunityfortalkthefittinggave。“It”sgettingmoreandmore——pointed——thewaypeopleact。Andshe”ssosweetandgood，I”dhatetohaveherfeelingshurt。”Inaburstofgenerosity，“She”sthemostconsideratehumanbeingIeverknew。She”dgiveupanythingratherthanseesomeoneelseputout。She”stoomuchthatway。”
“Wecan”tbetoomuchthatway，“saidMrs。WarhaminmechanicalChristianreproof。
“Oh，Iknow，“retortedRuth，“that”sallverywellforchurchandSundays。ButIguessifyouwanttogetalongyou”vegottolookoutforNumberOne……Yes，sheoughttovisitsomewhere。”
“I”vebeentryingtothink，“saidhermother。“Shecouldn”tgoanyplacebutyourUncleZeke”s。Butit”ssolonesomeoutthereIhaven”tthehearttosendher。Besides，shewouldn”tknowwhattomakeofit。”
“What”dfathersay？“
“That”sanotherthing。”Mrs。Warhamhadlatterlygrownjealous——
notwithoutreason——ofherhusband”spartialityforSusan。
Ruthsighed。“Oh，dear！“criedshe。“Idon”tknowwhattodo。
How”ssheevergoingtogetmarried！“
“Ifshe”donlybeenaboy！“saidMrs。Warham，onherknees，takingtheunevennessoutofthefrontoftheskirt。“Agirlhastosufferforhermother”ssins。”
Ruthmadenoreply。Shesmiledtoherself——thecommentoftheyoungergenerationupontheolder。Sinitmighthavebeen；but，worsethanthat，itwasastupidity——toletamanmakeafoolofher。Lorellamusthavebeenapoorweak-mindedcreature。
BydinnertimeRuthhadcompletelysoothedandsmoothedhervanity。SamhadbeencaughtbySusansimplybecausehehadseenSusanbeforehesawher。
Allthatwouldbenecessarywasagoodchanceathim，andhewouldneverlookatSusanagain。HehadbeenintheEast，wheretheadmiredtypewasherown——refined，ladylike，thewomanofthedaintyappearanceandmannersandtastes。AbriefundisturbedexposuretohercharmsandSusanwouldseemcoarseandcountrifiedtohim。TherewasnodenyingthatSusanhadstyle，butitwasfullyeffectiveonlywhenappliedtoasunnyfairy-likebeautysuchashers。
Butatmidday，whenSusancameinwithWarham，Ruth”sjealousyopenedallherinward-bleedingwoundsagain。Susan”smerryeyes，herlaughingmouth，herfunnywayofsayingevencommonplacethings——howcouldquiet，unobtrusive，ladylikecharmssuchasRuth”shaveachanceifSusanwereabout？Shewaited，silentandanxious，whilehermotherwashavingthetalkwithherfatherinthesitting-room。Warham，mereman，wasamusedbyhiswife”sscheming。
“Don”tputyourselfout，Fanny，“saidhe。“IftheboywantsRuthandshewantshim，why，wellandgood。Butyou”llonlymakeamessinterfering。Lettheyoungpeoplealone。”
“I”msurprised，GeorgeWarham，“criedFanny，“thatyoucanshowsolittlesenseandheart。”
“Tohearyoutalk，I”dthinkmarriagewasabusiness，likegroceries。”
Mrs。Warhamthoughtitwas，inasense。Butshewouldneverhavedaredsaysoaloud，eventoherhusband——or，rather，especiallytoherhusband。Inmattersofmenandwomenhewasthoroughlyinnocent，withthesimplicityoftheold-timemanofthesmalltownandthecountry；hefanciedthat，whileingrocerymattersandtheliketheworldwasfullofguile，inmattersoftheheartitwasidyllic，Arcadian，withneverathoughtofduplicity，exceptamongafewobviouslywickedanddesigningpeople。
“IguesswebothwanttoseeRuthmarriedwell，“wasallshecouldventure。
“I”dratherthegirlsstayedwithus，“declaredWarham。“I”dhatetogivethemup。”
“Ofcourse，“hastilyagreedFanny。“Still——it”stheregularorderofnature。”
“Oh，Ruth”llmarry——onlytoosoon，“saidWarham。“Andmarrywell。I”mnotsosure，though，thatmarryinganyofoldWright”sbreedwouldbemarryingwhatoughttobecalledwell。Moneyisn”teverything——notbyalongsight——though，ofcourse，it”scomfortable。”
“IneverheardanythingagainstSam，“protestedMrs。Warham。
“You”veheardwhatI”veheard——thathe”swildandloose。Butthenyouwomenlikethatinaman。”
“We”vegottoputupwithit，youmean，“criedFanny，indignant。
“Womenlikeit，“persistedWarham。“AndIguessSam”sonlysowingtheusualwildoats，gettingreadytosettle。No，mother，youletRuthalone。Ifshewantshim，she”llgethim——sheorSusan。”
Mrs。Warhamcompressedherlipsandloweredhereyes。RuthorSusan——asifitdidn”tmatterwhich！“Susanisn”t_ours_，“shecouldnotrefrainfromsaying。
“Indeed，sheis！“retortedGeorgewarmly。“Why，shecouldn”tbemoreourown——”
“Yes，certainly，“interruptedFanny。
Shemovedtowardthedoor。Shesawthatwithoutrevealingherentirescheme——hersandRuth”s——shecouldmakenoheadwaywithGeorge。Andifshedidrevealithewouldsternlyvetoit。Soshegaveupthatdirection。Shewentupstairs；Georgetookhishatfromthefronthallrackandpushedopenthescreendoor。AsheappearedontheverandaSusanwaspickingdeadleavesfromoneofthehangingbaskets；Ruth，seatedinthehammock，handsinlap，herwholeattitudeintenselystill，waswatchingherwithnarrowedeyes。
“What”sthisIhear，“criedWarham，laughing，“aboutyoutwogirlssettingyourcapsforSamWright？“Andhisgood-humoredbrowneyesglancedatRuth，passedontoSusan”swealthofwavydarkhairandlong，roundedform，andlingeredthere。
Ruthloweredhereyesandcompressedherlips，atrickshehadborrowedfromhermotheralongwiththepeculiaritiesofhermother”sdispositionthatitfitted。Susanflungalaughingglanceoverhershoulderatheruncle。“NotRuth，“saidshe。
“Onlyme。Isawhimfirst，sohe”smine。He”scomingtoseemethisevening。”
“SoIhear。Well，themoon”sfullandyourauntandI”llnotinterrupt——atleastnottillteno”clock。Nocallersonachildlikeyouafterten。”
“Oh，Idon”tthinkI”llbeabletoholdhimthatlong。”
“Don”tyoufret，Brownie。ButImustn”tmakeyouvain。Comingalongtothestore？“
“No。Tomorrow，“saidSusan。“Icanfinishinthemorning。I”mgoingtowearmywhitedresswithembroidery，andit”sgottobepressed——andthatmeansImustdoitmyself。”
“PoorSam！AndIsuppose，whenhecalls，you”llcomedownasifyou”dputonanyoldthinganddidn”tcarewhetherhecameornot。Andyou”llhaveprimpedforanhour——andhe，too——shavingandcombingandtryingdifferentties。”
Susansparkledattheideaofayoungman，and_such_ayoungman，takingtroubleforher。Ruth，pale，kepthereyesdownandherlipscompressed。ShewaspicturingthegallantappearancetheyoungSophomorefromYale，awayoffinthegorgeousfashionableEast，wouldmakeashecameinatthatgateyonderandupthewalkandseatedhimselfontheveranda——withSusan！
Evidentlyhermotherhadfailed；Susanwasnottobetakenaway。
WhenWarhamdeparteddownthewalkRuthrose；shecouldnotbearbeingalonewithhertriumphantrival——triumphantbecauseunconscious。SheknewthattogetSamtoherselfallshewouldhavetodowouldbetohinttoSusan，thegenerous，whatshewanted。Butprideforbadethat。Asherhandwasontheknobofthescreendoor，Susansaid：“Whydon”tyoulikeSam？“
“Oh，Ithinkhe”sstuck-up。He”sbeenspoiledintheEast。”
“Why，Idon”tseeanysignofit。”
“Youweretooflatteredbyhistalkingtoyou，“saidRuth，withasweet-sourlittlelaugh——anaspofasneerhidinabasketofflowers。
Susanfeltthesting；but，seeingonlytheflowers，didnotdreamwhenceithadcome。“It_was_nice，wasn”tit？“saidshe，gayly。“Maybeyou”rerightabouthim，butIcan”thelplikinghim。Youmustadmithe”shandsome。”
“Hehasabadlookinhiseyes，“repliedRuth。SuchrageagainstSusanwasswellingwithinherthatitseemedtohershewouldfaintifshedidnotreleaseatleastpartofit。“Youwanttolookoutforhim，Susie，“saidshe，calmlyandevenly。“Youdon”twanttotakewhathesaysseriously。”
“Ofcoursenot，“saidSusan，quitehonestly，thoughshe，nomorethanthenexthumanbeing，couldavoidtakingseriouslywhateverwaspleasantlyflattering。
“He”dneverthinkofmarryingyou。”Ruthtrembledbeforeandafterdeliveringthisvenomousshaft。
“Marrying！“criedSusan，againquitehonestly。“Why，I”monlyseventeen。”
Ruthdrewabreathofrelief。Theshafthadglancedoffthearmorofinnocencewithoutmakingthefaintestdent。Sherushedintothehouse。Shedidnotdaretrustherselfwithhercousin。
Whatmightthedemonwithinhertempthertosaynext？
“Comeup，Ruth！“calledhermother。“Thedressisreadyforthelasttry-on。Ithinkit”sgoingtohangbeautifully。”
Ruthdraggedherselfupthestairs，laggedintothesitting-room，gazedatthedresswithascowl。“Whatdidfathersay？“sheasked。
“It”snousetryingtodoanythingwithyourfather。”
Ruthflungherselfinacornerofthesofa。
“TheonlythingIcanthinkof，“saidhermother，humblyandtimidly，“isphonetheSinclairsasIoriginallysetouttodo。”
“Andhavethewholetownlaughingatme……Oh，whatdoI
care，anyhow！“
“ArthurSinclair”stallerandasighthandsomer。Rightintheface，Sam”sasplainasDick”shatband。Hislooksisallclothesandpolish——andmightypoorpolish，Ithink。Arthur”sgotriseinhim，too，whileSam——well，Idon”tknowwhat”dbecomeofhimifoldWrightlosthismoney。”
ButArthur，amerepromise，seemedpoorindeedbesideSam，theactuallyarrived。TomarrySamwouldbetostepatonceintograndeur；tomarryArthurwouldmeanyearsofstruggle。
Besides，Arthurwasheavy，atleastseemedheavytolightRuth，whileSamwasheridealofgayelegance。“I_detest_ArthurSinclair，“shenowannounced。
“YoucangetSamifyouwanthim，“saidhermotherconfidently。“OneeveningwithamerechildlikeSusieisn”tgoingtoamounttomuch。”
Ruthwinced。“DoyousupposeIdon”tknowthat？“criedshe。
“Whatmakesmesomadishisimpudence——comingheretoseeherwhenhewouldn”tmarryherortakeheranyplace。It”sinsultingtousall。”
“Oh，Idon”tthinkit”sasbadasallthat，Ruthie，“soothedhermother，toosimple-mindedtoacceptimmediatelythiscleversubtletyofself-deception。
“Youknowthistown——howpeopletalk。Why，hissister——”andsherelatedtheirconversationatthegatethatmorning。
“Yououghttohavesatonherhard，Ruth，“saidMrs。Warham，withdangerouslysparklingeyes。“Nomatterwhatwemaythinkprivately，itgivespeoplealowopinionofusto——”
“Don”tIknowthat！“shrilledRuth。Shebegantoweep。“I”mashamedofmyself。”
“Butwemusttrythedresson。”Mrs。Warhamspreadtheskirt，usingherselfasform。“Isn”tittoolovely！“
Ruthdriedhereyesasshegazed。Thedresswasindeedlovely。
ButherpleasureinitwasshadowedbytheremembrancethatmostofthelovelinesswasduetoSusan”ssuggestions。Still，shetriediton，andfeltbetter。ShewouldlingeruntilSamcame，wouldexhibitherselftohim；andsurelyhewouldnottarrylongwithSusan。Thisprojectimprovedthesituationgreatly。Shebeganhertoiletfortheeveningatonce，thoughitwasonlythreeo”clock。Susanfinishedherpressingandstartedtodressatfive——becausesheknewRuthwouldbeappealingtohertocomeinandhelpputthefinishingtouchestothetoiletfortheparty。And，sureenough，athalf-pastfive，beforeshehadnearlyfinished，Ruth，withasneakinghumility，beggedhertocome“forhalfaminute——ifyoudon”tmind——andhavegottime。”
SusandidRuth”shairover，madeherchangetoanothercolorofstockingsandslippers，putthedressonher，didnearlyanhour”srefittingandredraping。Bothwerelateforsupper；andaftersupperSusanhadtomakecertainfinalamendmentstothewonderfultoilet，andthengetherselfready。SoitwasRuthalonewhowentdownwhenSamWrightcame。“My，butyoudolookalltothegood，Ruth！“criedSam。Andhiseyesnolessthanhistoneshowedthathemeantit。Hehadn”trealizedwhatasoftwhitenecktheblondcousinhad，orhowperfectlyhershouldersroundedintoherslimarms。AsRuthmovedtodepart，hesaid：
“Don”tbeinsucharush。WaittillSusiefinishesherprimpingandcomesdown。”
“Shehadtohelpme，“saidRuth，witharighteousnessshecouldjustlyplumeherselfupon。“That”swhyshe”slate。No，Imustgetalong。”Shewaswiseenoughtoresistthetemptationtoimproveuponanalreadysplendidimpression。“Comeassoonasyoucan。”
“I”llbethereinafewminutes，“Samassuredherconvincingly。
“Savesomedancesforme。”
Ruthwentawayhappy。Atthegatesheglancedfurtivelyback。
Samwaslookingafterher。Shemarcheddownthestreetwithlightstep。“Imustwearlow-neckeddressesmoreintheevenings，“shesaidtoherself。“It”sfoolishforagirltohideagoodneck。”
Sam，attheedgeoftheveranda，regrettinghispromisetocallonSusan，wasrousedbyhervoice：“DidyoueverseeanythingaslovelyasRuth？“
Sam”sregretvanishedtheinstanthelookedather，andthegreedyexpressioncameintohissensual，confidentyoungface。
返回顶部