A Collection of Stories, Reviews and EssaysCather, Willa
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A Collection of Stories, Reviews and Essays
Cather, Willa
Essays; Short stories; United States -- Social life and customs -- Fiction
Rollins took himself off, and Eastman settled down at the big table
in his sitting-room. He had to read a lot of letters submitted as
evidence in a breach of contract case, and before he got very far he
found that long paragraphs in some of the letters were written in
German. He had a German dictionary at his office, but none here.
Rollins had gone, and anyhow, the bookstores would be closed. He
remembered having seen a row of dictionaries on the lower shelf of
one of Cavenaugh's bookcases. Cavenaugh had a lot of books, though
he never read anything but new stuff. Eastman prudently turned down
his student's lamp very low--the thing had an evil habit of
smoking--and went down two flights to Cavenaugh's door.
The young man himself answered Eastman's ring. He was freshly
dressed for the evening, except for a brown smoking jacket, and his
yellow hair had been brushed until it shone. He hesitated as he
confronted his caller, still holding the door knob, and his round
eyes and smooth forehead made their best imitation of a frown. When
Eastman began to apologize, Cavenaugh's manner suddenly changed. He
caught his arm and jerked him into the narrow hall. "Come in, come
in. Right along!" he said excitedly. "Right along," he repeated as
he pushed Eastman before him into his sitting-room. "Well I'll--" he
stopped short at the door and looked about his own room with an air
of complete mystification. The back window was wide open and a
strong wind was blowing in. Cavenaugh walked over to the window and
stuck out his head, looking up and down the fire escape. When he
pulled his head in, he drew down the sash.
"I had a visitor I wanted you to see," he explained with a nervous
smile. "At least I thought I had. He must have gone out that way,"
nodding toward the window.
"Call him back. I only came to borrow a German dictionary, if you
have one. Can't stay. Call him back."
Cavenaugh shook his head despondently. "No use. He's beat it.
Nowhere in sight."
"He must be active. Has he left something?" Eastman pointed to a
very dirty white glove that lay on the floor under the window.
"Yes, that's his." Cavenaugh reached for his tongs, picked up the
glove, and tossed it into the grate, where it quickly shriveled on
the coals. Eastman felt that he had happened in upon something
disagreeable, possibly something shady, and he wanted to get away at
once. Cavenaugh stood staring at the fire and seemed stupid and
dazed; so he repeated his request rather sternly, "I think I've seen
a German dictionary down there among your books. May I have it?"
Cavenaugh blinked at him. "A German dictionary? Oh, possibly! Those
were my father's. I scarcely know what there is." He put down the
tongs and began to wipe his hands nervously with his handkerchief.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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