College teachers -- Fiction; Interpersonal relations -- Fiction; United States -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction
Utterly found a hard, uneven bed in an unaired room and spent a
wretchedly uncomfortable night filled with foolish dreams of impossible
quests. So depressed was he with the last search, which seemed to
extend over years and years and lead nowhere, that his first act upon
waking was to reach out and take in his hand the thin old magazines
which lay in his bag on a chair near by and open to "Bitter Bread."
"It was late afternoon when she reached her destination," he read.
"There, instead of the eager face of Arnold, she saw looking from the
inn door the cruel face of Corbin; there, instead of Arnold's welcoming
voice, she heard the sharp bark of Corbin's unfriendly dog."
Having read the two sentences, which seemed to restore his confidence,
Utterly rose, dressed himself in white flannel, and went down to the
dining-room.
Breakfast was, as was to be expected, poor. But among the mildly excited
persons with whom the room was filled, Utterly was at first the only one
who complained. Mothers and fathers were nervous with fear that John and
Harry might not do well; sisters watched, bright-eyed, for brothers and
the friends of brothers. Mr. Illington stopped at Utterly's end of one
of the long, untidy tables to bid him good-morning. He called him now by
his name, having consulted the hotel register, and offered in friendly
fashion to introduce him to "the girls."
There was, Utterly said to himself, but one person with a mind in the
room. The person whom he thus distinguished was Dr. Green, who came late
and brought with him the strong odor of drugs which betrayed his
profession. He moved his chair as though he would have liked to relieve
a black mood by tossing it above his head, and perhaps by slamming it
down upon the floor. His quick motions and his bright eyes indicated an
abundance of physical and mental energy, neither of which had, perhaps,
full exercise. Having waited long for a late-appearing housekeeper, he
had at last sped down the street to the hotel. Now he ordered breakfast
sharply and impatiently.
Old Jerry, waiter as well as man-of-all-work, obeyed him spryly with
many a chuckled "Yes, doctor; yes, mars'r," which indicated that the
doctor was a less formidable person than he seemed.
"That good-for-nothin' Jinnie ought to go to Geo'gia trade, mars'r,
that's where she ought to be sent a-flyin'. Didn't get you no breakfus!
Yes, mars'r, these is meant for cakes." Old Jerry looked toward the
kitchen. "That one out there's like Jinnie, mars'r. The wimmen, they is
all alike, seems to me."
The doctor looked as though he agreed with Jerry's humorous disgust with
the sex. Utterly, watching him, grew more certain that here at last was
promise of intelligence. He might have been less sure of the doctor's
intelligence could he have seen the complete turn of head and body which
followed his own exit.
"These," said Dr. Green, "go clad as the angels."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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