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
Cavenaugh looked startled. "Come now, it's not so bad as that, is
it? I've always thought that a serious man, like you, must know a
lot of Launcelots." When Eastman only laughed, the younger man
squirmed about in his chair. He spoke again hastily, as if he were
embarrassed. "Your military friend may have had personal
experiences, however, that his friends couldn't possibly get a line
on. He may accidentally have come to a place where he saw himself in
too unpleasant a light. I believe people can be chilled by a draft
from outside, somewhere."
"Outside?" Eastman echoed. "Ah, you mean the far outside! Ghosts,
delusions, eh?"
Cavenaugh winced. "That's putting it strong. Why not say tips from
the outside? Delusions belong to a diseased mind, don't they? There
are some of us who have no minds to speak of, who yet have had
experiences. I've had a little something in that line myself and I
don't look it, do I?"
Eastman looked at the bland countenance turned toward him. "Not
exactly. What's your delusion?"
"It's not a delusion. It's a haunt."
The lawyer chuckled. "Soul of a lost Casino girl?"
"No; an old gentleman. A most unattractive old gentleman, who
follows me about."
"Does he want money?"
Cavenaugh sat up straight. "No. I wish to God he wanted
anything--but the pleasure of my society! I'd let him clean me out
to be rid of him. He's a real article. You saw him yourself that
night when you came to my rooms to borrow a dictionary, and he went
down the fire-escape. You saw him down in the court."
"Well, I saw somebody down in the court, but I'm too cautious to
take it for granted that I saw what you saw. Why, anyhow, should I
see your haunt? If it was your friend I saw, he impressed me
disagreeably. How did you pick him up?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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