Amnesiacs -- Fiction; New York (State) -- Social life and customs -- Fiction; Trials -- Fiction; Young women -- Fiction
Something of tradition in the girl tried to drown it. Dismayed, she
realized how this thing possessed her, how this voice rang in her
physical being, "Very well, Miss Sard." She drew herself up. Was
she, then, a woman of birth, a girl of two years' college training
to be affected by the mere voice of a vagabond, a tramp, an unshaven
ne'er-do-well?
As the two girls got into their camping things, Sard outlined the
afternoon's programme. "And I want to suggest--let's see what you
think--I don't suppose we should treat Colter quite like a common
person; well, one can see that he's not exactly a man of all work."
Minga pinned back the flap of her scarlet tam-o'-shanter. "It would
be improper to treat him otherwise," Minga decided with what for her
was rather austere decision. "He isn't common exactly, but queer, and
that's worse; Sard," went on Minga with an air of superiority, "I don't
see how you could have picked him up like that and carted him in your
nice clean car to that boarding-house place; Dunce says you all but
helped carry him and gave directions and all--Ugh--and then lied to
your father, pretending all this about a common workman."
Sard's face darkened. "I didn't lie," she said in a low voice. "I
picked him up because I had seen him there sitting, hour after hour,
with that queer dazed look, so wretched, shaken and awful. I'll admit
he looked dreadful, but somehow his eyes didn't look dirty; something
that was awfully clean spoke through all his wretchedness, and when I
heard him tell those stupid policemen that he 'couldn't remember,' his
voice got to me--got to me----" Sard restlessly wandered about the room
unable to express what she meant. "I suddenly felt that I, well, I knew
him, and," announced the girl defiantly, "I've somehow felt that way
ever since. I just knew. I admit it's queer, Minga."
"It's queer, all right," Minga said succinctly, "and so are you." She
stuck her scarf inside her boyish little jacket and struck an attitude
in her boots and knickerbockers.
"Fluffy Fiddlestick, the film heroine, is now going to give the
Hackensack the once-over," she announced. "Talk about screen stuff; all
this that you say about this tramp man, Sard, is worse than any screen
story I ever saw, and you so demure! It isn't lying, but it's letting
things lie for you; you got that bank person at Morris to suggest
Colter to Judgie. Does Aunt Reely know you're responsible for his being
here? A regular Gentleman John, and nobody but you in the secret."
Minga, with quite an injured air, picked up her wrist-watch and
fastened it on; she eyed herself in the mirror. "Do I need lipstick,
no? Would the turtles appreciate red lips?"
"Well, you do know he's not a common man?" Sard asked, obstinately.
"Mercy, I don't know anything," retreated Minga easily. "Now, how do we
get by Auntie's bower in these knickers?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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