Just Around the Corner. Fannie Hurst
the seedy kind. But the second time I dropped in for a manicure was not accident, nor the third time, nor the tenth—it was you."
"You've been extravagant all on account of me?" she parried.
"I've been more than that on account of you, dear girl. I've been consumed night and day by the sweet thought of you."
"Oh-h-h!" She placed one hand at her throat.
"Miss Sprunt, I am not asking anything of you; I simply want you to know me better. I want to begin to-night to try to teach you to reciprocate the immense regard—the love I feel for you."
She closed her eyes for a moment; his firm clasp of her hand tightened.
"You'll think I'm a bold girl, Mr. Chase; you'll—you'll—"
"Yes?"
"You'll think I'm everything I ought not to be, but you—you can't teach me what I already know."
"Gertrude!"
She nodded, swallowing back unaccountable tears.
"I never let myself hope, because I didn't think there was a chance, Mr. Chase."
"Dear, is it possible without knowing me—who, what I am—you—"
"I only know you," she said, softly. "That is all that matters."
"My little girl," he whispered, regarding her with unshed tears shining in his eyes.
She placed her two hands over her face for a moment.
"What is it, dear?"
She burrowed deeper into her hands.
"I'm so happy," she said, between her fingers.
They regarded each other with almost incredulous eyes, seeking to probe the web of enchantment their love had woven.
"I do not deserve this happiness, dearest." But his voice was a pæan of triumph.
"It is I who do not deserve," she said, in turn. "You are too—too everything for me."
They talked in whispers until there were two appointees ranged along the wall. He was loath to go; she urged him gently.
"I can't work while you are here, dear; return for me at six—no," she corrected, struck by a sudden thought, "at six-thirty."
"Let me wait for you, dearest," he pleaded.
She waggled a playful finger at him.
"Good-by until later."
"Until six-thirty, cruel one."
"Yes."
"There is so much to be said, Gertrude dear."
"To-night."
He left her lingeringly. They tried to cover up their fervent, low-voiced farewells with passive faces, but after he had departed her every feature was lyric.
Juliet might have looked like that when her love was young.
Mr. Barker arrived, but she met him diffidently, even shamefacedly. Before she could explain he launched forth:
"I'm sorry, kiddo, but we'll have to make it to-morrow night for that ride of ourn. That party I was tellin' you about is goin' to get busy on that big deal, and I gotta do a lot of signin' up to-night."
Fate had carved a way for her with gentle hand.
"That's all right, Mr. Barker; just don't you feel badly about it." She felt a gush of sympathy for him; for all humanity.
"You understand, kiddo, don't you? A feller's got to stick to business as much as pleasure, and we'll hit the high places to-morrow night, all right, all right. You're the classiest doll I've met yet."
She swallowed her distaste.
"That's the right idea, Mr. Barker; business appointments are always important."
"I'll see you to-morrow mornin', and we'll fix up some swell party."
"Good night, Mr. Barker."
"So long, honey."
Directly after he departed Miss Ethyl bade her good night in cold, cracky tones.
"The goin's-on in this parlor don't make it no place for a minister's daughter, Miss Gertie Sprunt."
"Then you ought to be glad your father's a policeman," retorted her friend, graciously. "Good night, dearie."
She hummed as she put her table in order. At each footstep down the marble corridor her pulse quickened; she placed her cheeks in her hands, vise-fashion, to feel of their unnatural heat. When Mr. Chase finally came they met shyly and with certain restraint. Whispering together like diffident children, they went out, their hands lightly touching. Broadway was already alight; the cool spring air met them like tonic.
Like an exuberant lad, Mr. Chase led her to the curb. A huge, mahogany-colored touring-car, caparisoned in nickel and upholstered in a darker red, vibrated and snorted alongside. A chauffeur, with a striped rug across his knees, reached back respectfully and flung open the door. Like an automaton Gertrude placed her small foot upon the step and paused, her dumfounded gaze confronting the equally stunned eyes of the chauffeur. Mr. Chase aided and encouraged at her elbow.
"It's all right, dearest, it's all right; this is your surprise."
"Why," she gasped, her eyes never leaving the steel-blue shaved face of the chauffeur—"why—I—"
Mr. Chase regarded her in some anxiety. "What a surprised little girl you are! I shouldn't have taken you so unawares." He almost lifted her in.
"This machine is yours, Mr. Chase?"
"Yes, dear, this machine is ours."
"You never told me anything."
"There is little to tell, Gertrude. I have not used my cars to amount to anything since I'm back from Egypt. I've been pretty busy with affairs."
"Back from Egypt!"
"Do not look so helpless, dear. I'm only back three months from a trip round the world, and I've been putting up with hotel life meanwhile. Then I happened to meet you, and as long as you had me all sized up I just let it go—that's all, dear."
"You're not the Mr. Adam Chase who's had the rose suite on the tenth floor all winter?"
"That's me," he laughed.
Her slowly comprehending eyes did not leave his face.
"Why, I thought—I—you—"
"It was my use of the private elevator on the east side of the building that gave you the Sixth Avenue idea, and it was too good a joke on me to spoil, dearie."
She regarded him through blurry eyes.
"What must you think of me?"
He felt for her hand underneath the lap-robe.
"Among other things," he said, "I think that your eyes exactly match the violets I motored out to get for you this morning at my place ten miles up the Hudson."
"When did you go, dear?"
"Before you were up. We were back before ten, in spite of a spark-plug that gave us some trouble."
"Oh," she said.
The figure at the wheel squirmed to be off. She lay back faint against the upholstery.
"To think," she said, "that you should care for me!"
"My own dear girl!"
He touched a spring and the back of her seat reclined like a Morris chair.
"Lie back, dear. I invented that scheme so I can recline at night and watch the stars parade past. I toured that way all through Egypt."
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