Paddock carried him off to see the remainder of the house, whose
facilities he hoped to augment by purchasing the adjoining property and
adding a swimming pool.
“I think I like the cooking school best,” observed Wayne, “but a pool
would be a valuable addition; I see that. If you bathe the flock and
persuade them not to fry their food you’re doing a lot for their
bodies, and I suppose it won’t hurt their souls any.”
Paddock opened a door at the back of the second floor and turned on
the electric lights, disclosing a small room containing an iron bed, a
table, a shelf of books, a desk and little else.
“Remember that cup? Got it at St. John’s for sprinting. You were
second, Craighill, a fact which I always remember with satisfaction.
That’s the only bit of ancient memorabilia that I lug about with me.
Those were the good times of the consulship of Plancus all right, and
seeing you brings them back with a rush. Off here is a little special
indulgence I allow myself--a shower; I take all my ice water that way.
But let’s go down and see what they’re doing below.”
Joe had put the assembly room in order and stood by the door discussing
baseball with a group of admiring youngsters. Paddock had carried his
hat and coat to the assembly room.
“I’m going to take Miss Morley and her friend into town. Here they are
now.”
The young women were just appearing at the head of the basement
stairway. Joe crossed the room to meet Wayne.
“Are you ready, sir?”
“Yes, bring the car up. And, Paddock, if you are going in with those
women, I’ll take you all in the car; there’s plenty of room.”
“Thank you. I’m sure we’ll be grateful. The trolleys are a torture.”
Wayne went into the street to where Joe was lighting the car lamps at
the curb, leaving Paddock to repeat his invitation to the young women.
As he returned to the assembly room Miss Morley met him.
“It’s kind of you to offer to take us in; but it’s unnecessary for Mr.
Paddock to go. He means to come back here to-night and it’s a hard
trip. After what I said to you that day at the Institute you might
think----”
“Yes,” he said, fumbling the buttons of his coat.
“Whatever I felt that day I don’t feel any more. And I don’t want to be
a trouble to Mr. Paddock.”
He smiled as she finished. What she meant was that having seen him in
this place and having found that he and Paddock were friends, she could
forgive him for having tried to flirt with her; that his visit to the
settlement had in a way lightened the burden of his sins and made their
acquaintance possible.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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