Up there, with
plenty of time on your hands, you looked back on your life and became
sick of it (for you have been wild and thoughtless--not worse than many
others perhaps, but bad enough). You were disgusted and decided to make
a fresh start. But what sort of start appealed to you? It wasn't to
build a hospital with the better part of your capital. It wasn't really
to undo any of the little things more or less wrong in your past. Oh
no, it was something much more to your fancy. You decided to marry the
youngest, most physically perfect girl you had ever found. You may have
told yourself that you would lift her a bit socially, that you would
aid her people, make her happy, and what not. But passion was at the
bottom of it. Real love does not feed on ideal forms and perfect
complexions. The man who marries beneath himself for only a pair of
bright eyes is the prime fool of the universe--the whole world loves to
sneer at him and watch his prize fade on his hands. Real love is above
doubt and suspicion, but you would doubt that girl's honesty at the
slightest provocation. Let another man be alone with her for a moment,
and you--"
The remainder fell on closed ears. He was thinking of the night he
stood watching Dolly's window in the moonlight. How true were the words
just uttered! Had he not suspected Dolly, even when she had been most
courageous and self-sacrificing? How well his sister understood him!
Just then the telephone bell rang. A maid-servant went to it and spoke
in a low tone. Presently she came to the door and called her mistress.
Mostyn sat limp, cold, undecided, miserable.
"She is right," he whispered, finding himself alone. "She is right. My
God, she is right! I am a fool, and yet--and yet--what _am_ I to do?"
Mrs. Moore came in at the door, a significant smile playing between her
eyes and lips. He was too despondent to be curious as to its cause.
"Guess who had me on the 'phone?" she asked, sitting down in her chair.
"How could I know?" he answered, too gloomy to fight his gloom.
"Nobody but the most rational, well-rounded, stylish woman in Atlanta.
It was my future sister-in-law, Irene Mitchell. She has had her little
dream, too, and survived it. She thought she cared a lot for Andrew
Buckton--or, rather, she liked to think that he was crazy about her,
but he is penniless--has no more energy than a pet kitten, and,
sensible girl that she is, she took her father's advice and sent him
adrift. Everybody knows that affair is dead. He followed her away this
summer, but came back with a long face, completely beaten. Dick, you
are lucky."
"What was she telephoning you about?" Mostyn asked, listlessly.
"You."
"Me?"
"Yes; she asked for you."
"And you didn't call me?" He was studying the designing face
apathetically.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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