Poetry -- 20th century -- Periodicals; Short stories -- Periodicals
“Well, take the tray; I’ll get up in an hour or so,” said Jane,
deliberately composing herself for another nap.
She dreamed of the bungalow and of Ormsby, and, when she finally
dressed, it was with the defeated feeling of one who has striven hard
to put certain thoughts out of her head, but who finds that they have
taken possession even of her dreams.
She saw Uncle Jacob and Aunt Susan for the first time at the luncheon
table. The rain was still falling with what Jane called disgusting
pertinacity.
“Of course you’re not going out a day like this,” said Mrs. Willoughby,
in the disapproving voice she seemed to reserve for Jane and her
husband. By “out” she meant the bungalow. Until Aunt Susan had spoken,
Mrs. De Mille had made up her mind that a visit to the bungalow on such
a day was out of the question, and that Ormsby would not expect her.
Now, however, she found herself saying, perversely: “Out! Of course
I’m going out. A woman who works for a living cannot afford to mind a
little rain. I have an appointment at the bungalow with Mr. Ormsby, and
I have to keep it.”
Aunt Susan sniffed. “The neighbors are commenting----”
Jane held up a reproachful finger. “No gossip, aunt!” she said,
rebukingly. “Don’t you think that living in the country has a
tendency--_just a slight tendency_--to make people too deeply
interested in their neighbors’ affairs?” Jane looked excessively
virtuous. “I’d hate, Aunt Susan, to have you degenerate. But one has to
be _so_ careful!”
Mrs. Willoughby deigned no response, and finished the meal in stony
silence. Uncle Jacob, who found himself unable to carry on a peaceful
conversation with Jane and his wife both present, stealthily perused
the columns of a belated city paper he held on his knee.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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