The Danger MarkChambers, Robert W. (Robert William)
General
The Danger Mark
Chambers, Robert W. (Robert William)
New York (N.Y.) -- Social life and customs -- Fiction
"The Pink 'uns, Naida, and Jack Dysart. There's ten up on every set," he
added, "and I've side obligations with Rosalie and Duane. Take you on if
you like; odds are on the Pink 'uns. Or I'll get a lump of sugar and we
can play 'Fly Loo.'"
"No, thanks."
A few moments later she said:
"Do you know, somehow, recently, the forest world--all this pretty place
of lakes and trees--" waving her arm toward the horizon--"seems to be
tarnished with the hard living and empty thinking of the people I have
brought into it.... I include myself. The region is redolent of money
and the things it buys. I had a better time before I had any or heard
about it."
"Why, you've always had it----"
"But I didn't know it. I'd like to give mine away and do something for a
living."
"Oh, every girl has that notion once in a lifetime."
"Have they?" she asked.
"Sure. It's hysteria. I had it myself once. But I found I could keep
busy enough doing nothing without presenting my income to the
Senegambians and spending life in a Wall Street office. Of course if I
had a pretty fancy for the artistic and useful--as Duane Mallett has--I
suppose I'd get busy and paint things and sell 'em by the perspiration
of my brow----"
She said disdainfully: "If you were never any busier than Duane, you
wouldn't be very busy."
"I don't know. Duane seems to keep at it, even here, doesn't he?"
She looked up in surprise: "Duane hasn't done any work since he's been
here, has he?"
"Didn't you know? What do you suppose he's about every morning?"
"He's about--Rosalie," she said coolly. "I've never seen any colour box
or easel in their outfit."
"Oh, he keeps his traps at Hurryon Lodge. He's made a lot of sketches. I
saw several at the Lodge. And he's doing a big canvas of Rosalie down
there, too."
"At Hurryon Lodge?"
"Yes. Miller lets them have the garret for a studio."
"I didn't know that," she said slowly.
"Didn't you? People are rather catty about it."
"Catty?"
Sheer surprise silenced her for a while, then hurt curiosity drove her
to questions; but little Bunbury didn't know much more about the matter,
merely shrugging his shoulders and saying: "It's casual but it's all
right."
Later the tennis players, sunburned and perspiring, came swinging up
from the courts on their way to the showers. Bunbury began to settle his
obligations; Naida and the Pink 'uns went indoors; Jack Dysart,
handsome, dishevelled, sat down beside Geraldine, fastening his sleeves.
"I lost twice twenty," he observed. "Bunny is in fifty, I believe. Duane
and Rosalie lose."
"Is that all you care about the game?" she asked with a note of contempt
in her voice.
"Oh, it's good for one's health," he said.
"So is confession, but there's no sport in it. Tell me, Mr. Dysart,
don't you play any game for it's own sake?"
"Two, mademoiselle," he said politely.
"What two?"
"Chess is one."
"What is the other?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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