"Good afternoon." "Yes." "I'd Iike to buy a corsage, something nice to wear to a party." "That's the palmer party, I suppose." "We've just had so many calls today that there isn't a great deal left except a couple of nice orchids." "They're $5 a piece." "No, I wore orchids to the Iast party." "How about gardenias?" "I can make you up a mighty nice corsage for $6.50." "I'm afraid not." "Gardenias are so ordinary." "I want something different." "When one goes to a Iot of parties, it's so difficult to find something original." "Something no one else would think of wearing." "Those violets are lovely." "Yeah, they're $2 a bunch." "Of course, they're the first of the season." "really?" "They're sweet but they wouldn't go with my gown, of course." "I should have come in earlier when you had a better selection but I had so many engagements." "I hardly see anything that will do." "Thank you just the same." "Why, alice, what kept you so long?" "These." "I picked them in bellevue Park, 186 of them." "Enough for a darling corsage for tonight." "Poor child, picking them yourself." "Never mind." "I got them." "How's Dad?" "He's better today, much better." "alice." "It's you, is it?" "Want something else, virgil?" "A little fruit?" "You're not eating your soup." "Don't want it." "You must eat it." "You've got to get your strength back." "You've got to get good and strong so you can fly around and find something good to get into." "So that's it, hinting at that again!" "I'm not doing any hinting." "But of course, when you get well, you can't go back to that old hole again." "old hole, is it?" "Let me tell you that Lamb's is the best wholesale drug company in this state." "I don't care what it is." "It's an old hole as far as you're concerned." "If not for me then for your children." "You should look for something else." "Mom!" "Yes, I'm coming." "Look at your daughter." "She's going to a big party tonight and she's wearing a dress that's two years old." "Oh, dear." "How do you expect her to get anywhere?" "Mother!" "For heaven's sake, can't you wait until Dad's up and around before you start hammering at him?" "I'm not hammering at him." "Besides, alice, I think I ought to know by this time how to handle your father." "Poor old Daddykins!" "Every time he's better, someone talks him into getting mad and he has a relapse." "It's a shame." "well, it's kind of funny for a man who's been in business with Lamb and Company as long as I have to hear it called an old hole." "That's what your mother calls it." "It's a mighty pleasant place to work." "I know, Daddy, but it's that mother feels they don't appreciate you down there." "They've hoisted my salary every two years all the time I've worked for them and they took waiter right on as soon as I asked them last year." "old Mr. Lamb has been wonderful to me holding my job open while I've been sick all this time." "Don't you think that looks as if they've thought something of me?" "Of course." "It's just that it's kind of funny when you think you've done pretty fairly well and the man at the head of it seems to think so, too." "It's kind of funny to have your mother think you're mostly a failure." "You're not a failure, Daddy." "You're not." "I'm going to talk to Mother." "You better not." "I don't want to start anything." "Don't worry." "Don't you worry." "Don't you think you and I are both a little selfish trying to make poor old dad go out and get something better?" "After all, we've got enough, really." "Enough?" "I suppose you've got a limousine to take you to the dance tonight." "I suppose you only got to call the florist and order up some orchids." "Not orchids." "VioIets, the first of the season, picked fresh today." "I suppose you picked yourself a new dress, too." "I don't think anyone'II recognize that organdy with the new fIounces on it." "What's MiIdred PaImer going to wear tonight?" "I don't know." "Her maize Georgette, probably." "The one she brought back from Paris." "There's your brother." "Are you sure he'II take me to the party tonight?" "Why, of course." "Why shouldn't he?" "I don't know." "He may have one of his mysterious dates downtown." "Don't worry, alice." "You just leave him to me." "When do we eat?" "Now, WaIter, there's no hurry." "Is for me." "I've got a date." "I'm glad you remembered the palmer dance." "I've laid out your clothes." "I told you over a week ago, I'm not goin' to that old dance." "But, WaIter." "Don't "but, WaIter" me." "I'm no society snake." "I'm as liable to go to that PaImer dance as I am to eat a few barrels of broken glass." "Now, WaIter" "Let her get somebody else to take her." "She ought to at Ieast be able to get one guy." "She tries hard enough." "I haven't got time to argue." "I'II grab a bite downtown." "You can't do this." "Now, you can't." "It's more than I can bear to see her disappointed after planning for days." "She's spent hours in bellevue Park picking violets to wear because she can't afford to buy a bouquet like the other girls." "Now you act this way." "Rats!" "That's a good boy, darling." "You'II never be sorry." "It's all right, dear." "WaIter will be glad to take you." "Yes, he certainly sounded thrilled." "well, you look mighty fine." "Mighty fine." "Why, alice, who's your beau?" "Never you mind." "He treats me pretty well, doesn't he?" "Must like to throw his money around." "These violets smell mighty sweet and they ought to if they're going to a party with you." "Good night." "Have a good time, dearie." "Don't worry, I intend to." "Who's taking her to the party?" "WaIter is, and it's a shame for a girl as pretty as alice to have to depend on her brother taking her out." "She could have any man if she only had some money for decent clothes." "What's wrong with the dress she's got on?" "You would say that, but you know what I mean." "She's not run after like other girls because she's poor and hasn't any background." "My, have I got to listen to that again?" "Yes, you have, and I'II keep on being at it." "Now, my dear young men, I cannot dance with all of you." "Why don't you ask some of the other girls to dance?" "please." "Why not get those dear young men to take you to the dance instead of dragging me?" "Now, you know you love to escort your little sister." "This is me, WaIter, take it easy." "Hurry it up, I'm waiting for you." "You look lovely, alice." "I do think I Iook nice enough not to have to dance with that fat Frank DowIing." "AII I ask is for that to happen just once so that I can treat him the way the other girls do." "I hope I'II meet someone tall and dark and romantic." "Someone I've dreamed of all my Iife." "Here, put this on." "What's that?" "It's your father's raincoat." "I won't need that in a taxi." "Yes, you will, getting in and out." "It's begun to rain a little bit, anyway." "Have a good time." "Have a good time, dearie." "I will." "WaIter, what on earth?" "I borrowed it from a friend of mine." "Gee whiz, I can't go in" "Come on, get in." "What's the idea?" "Don't go in there." "Back up." "Leave this awful mess outside." "Back up." "Look what you've done." "I'II have to drive around anyway." "Shut up." "well, do you want to go home?" "You bet I'm willing." "No, leave the car here." "Wait a minute." "I'II lock her up so none of these millionaires run off with it." "Wait!" "What's the idea?" "Leave this with your coat in the men's dressing room as if it were an extra one of your own." "Joke on us." "Our car broke down outside the gate." "WaIter, your coat, back there." "I suppose you want us to dance the first dance." "Yes, please." "I'II be right down." "Good evening, Mrs. DowIing." "alice." "hello, ella." "You look lovely." "Ready?" "Mrs. DowIing." "I'm so glad to see you." "ella, how nice of you to come." "Frank, good evening." "Good evening, MiIdred." "relax, nobody's looking at you." "We must speak to MiIdred and Mr. and Mrs. PaImer." "I haven't got a thing to say to them." "You didn't wear the maize Georgette as I thought you would but you look simply darling." "And those pearIs" "You know my mother and father, I think." "Fine, thank you." "Mrs. PaImer, my brother." "Hi." "Mr." "palmer." "Hi." "It's wonderful, and the mystery is where you ever learned to do it." "I suppose you think there's no place to dance besides these frozen-faced joints." "Frozen-faced?" "Why, everybody's having a lovely time." "Look at them." "They holler loud enough." "You don't call that PaImer family frozen-faced, I suppose?" "certainly not." "They're just dignified." "Besides, I don't like you to talk that way about them." "They passed you on like you had something catching." "How fantastic." "Why, MiIdred's a great friend of mine." "Poor you." "hello, Henrietta." "hello, alice." "How are you?" "Henrietta Lamb, isn't her dress divine?" "She's too bony." "Hi, Sam." "What you doin' up here, big boy?" "I brought my sister." "You're kind of getting in the big time yourself." "Yes, sir." "That's Skinny Sam and his Hot Shot Stooges." "Yes, you seem to know him quite well." "A great guy." "There's Frank and ella DowIing." "It's good that his tubby sister comes or he wouldn't have anyone to dance with." "And vice versa." "You mustn't forget to dance with her." "Me?" "And Henrietta Lamb and mildred, of course." "I'm as liable to dance with those sticks as I'm to buy a bucket of tacks and eat 'em." "What a bunch." "As soon as I'm rid of you, I'II go to the room where I Ieft my hat and coat and smoke myself to death." "You mustn't get rid of me too soon, WaIter." "Why, you naughty old waiter." "Aren't you ashamed to be a wonderful dancer and then only dance with little me?" "You could go on the stage if you wanted to." "WouIdn't it be wonderful to have everyone clapping their hands and shouting?" "Hurrah for WaIter Adams." "calm down." "You know you'd Iike it." "Just think, everybody shouting, "Hurrah! "" "The joint'II be pulled if you holler any louder, besides I'm no goat." "Goat?" "What on earth...." "I can't eat dead violets." "I've done my duty." "flag one of these Iong-taiIed birds to take you on for this dance." "Pardon me, alice." "Organdy, perhaps we're wrong." "How do you do, ella?" "I'm fine." "How are you?" "Thank you." "Isn't this a lovely party?" "It certainly is." "But then the PaImers always give...." "It's all right." "You can go now, but come back later." "Can I have this dance, alice?" "Why, you nice Frank DowIing, how lovely." "Gee, that was great." "Yes." "Let's sit out the rest of this, shall we?" "AII right." "Don't look now but Mother's trying to get me to dance with ella and I'm not going to." "Let's go into the hall." "She wants me to ask Henrietta and mildred, too but I'd much rather dance with you." "You're not stuck-up like those other girls are." "You'd never refuse to dance with me." "MiIdred, your party's a grand...." "hello, Arthur." "hello, MiIdred." "I'm glad you finally got here." "I'm sorry I'm late." "Never mind that." "You look beautiful tonight." "Thank you." "Who's that man with MiIdred?" "Why, that's Arthur russell." "Arthur russell?" "I never heard of him." "He's some sort of a cousin to the palmer family." "Second or third or something." "They say he's got wads of money." "He and mildred are supposed to be engaged." "No." "well, if they're not, they soon will be." "My sister says she talks about him all the time." "ella says" "Never mind what ella says." "Let's find something better to talk about than Mr. russell." "well, I'm willing." "What do you want to talk about?" "Nothing." "Suppose we just sit, shall we?" "AII right." "We'II be along." "Come with me, Arthur." "Look at the orchestra, Frank." "Aren't they screaming?" "Someone told me they're called Skinny Sam and his Hot Shot Stooges." "Isn't that just crazy?" "Don't you just love it?" "Yeah." "Come on, Arthur, you're way behind us." "There you are, Arthur." "well, what now?" "talk or sit?" "Suppose we just sit some more, shall we?" "AII right." "Pardon me." "I've just seen Henrietta Lamb." "She's promised to save this dance for you if you'II come right away." "Look here, Mother." "I wish you'd understand that I can ask for my own dances." "I'm more than 6 years old." "Why, Frank...." "I just thought I was doing you a favor." "It isn't pleasant to be spoken to like that by your own son, before strangers." "Now, Mother." "You'd better go, Frank, really." "There, you see, Miss Adams says so herself." "For goodness sake." "Pardon me, are these chairs taken?" "Yes, I'm sorry." "I'm waiting for my partner to return." "No, I can't." "Look, I can't dance with all of you." "But it's my dance." "You promised me." "What can we do?" "Listen, you promised to dance." "Let's match, odd man gets the dance." "That's fair enough." "I'm sorry, boys." "Wait a minute." "I wonder if you know which of the gentlemen is Mr. waiter Adams?" "Yes, I know him all right, but I couldn't say exactly where he is, miss." "If you do see him, will you please tell him his sister is very anxious to speak to him?" "I will." "Thank you." "Say, your sister wants you." "Don't bother me, I'm hot." "Here we go, eighter from Decatur." "May I come and talk to you, Mrs. Dresser?" "Why, yes, of course." "But why aren't you dancing?" "I have been." "I just wanted a chance to catch my breath." "alice, this is Mr. russell." "Miss Adams, he wants to ask you for this dance." "May I?" "Yes, indeed." "will you excuse me?" "You're not a very talkative young lady, are you?" "usually, yes." "Then why not now?" "When anyone dances as beautifully as you do conversation is hardly necessary, is it?" "That depends on who's talking." "I guess that's all." "I wish we could dance this next together, but I guess we're both all booked up." "Where's your next?" "Do you see him anywhere?" "Yes." "well, as a matter of fact, I promised to sit the next one out with my aunt so if you'II just take me over there." "Thank you." "I wonder if you could do me a favor?" "Anything." "would you see if you can find my brother waiter for me?" "He may be in the smoking room, if it isn't too much trouble?" "certainly not." "Thank you." "well, here we are." "I know this disappearing brother of mine must have been terribly hard to find." "On the contrary, it was easy." "MiIdred will probably never forgive me for keeping you away so long." "It was a pleasure." "Thank you so much." "Don't ever do that again, do you understand?" "Do what?" "Send anyone looking for me." "well, he found you, didn't he?" "Yeah, he found me all right, shootin' dice with the boys in the cloakroom." "Did he see you?" "unless he was blind." "Let's go home." "Leave the door open for me." "Did you have a good time?" "Just lovely." "Good night." "Good night, dear." "Now what were you thinking about, Dad?" "Just planning." "planning what to do when I'm able to go back to work again." "Now what are you talking about?" "You're going back to your old place at Lamb's, of course." "I heard you crying the other night, after the party." "That was nothing, Daddy." "Just nerves." "Never mind." "I know what was the matter." "No, the only matter was I had a silly fit." "Your mother's right, alice." "You ought to have as much as any of these girls you go with." "And I've got to do something about it." "Daddy, you're sweet." "I'm the one who ought to do something about it." "I've been thinking, what I mean is I ought to be something besides just a kind of nobody." "I ought to...." "What, dearie?" "well, there's one thing I'd Iike to do." "I know I couId do it, too." "What?" "well, I want to go on the stage." "I know I couId act." "What's the matter?" "I was just reminded of your aunt and your mother when they were young." "They always used to spat about which one would make the best actress." "Sometimes I'd have to go out in the hall to laugh." "well, maybe you were wrong." "If they both felt that way why doesn't that prove that there is talent in the family?" "I've always thought there was." "No, dearie." "I expect 90 percent of the women are sure they'd make mighty fine actresses if they ever got the chance." "well, they enjoy thinking about it and it don't do anybody any harm." "Why, what's the matter?" "Nothing." "well, one thing I'm sure of you're going back to Lamb's." "You know, alice, it's a pretty good place, Lamb's." "Mighty nice boys in our department, too." "We have a good deal of fun down there some days." "More than you do at home some days, I expect." "No, I wouldn't say that." "There he is, Mr. Lamb." "Thank you." "well, Adams." "Why, Mr. Lamb, Father and I were just talking about you." "well, you know, speak of the devil." "Sit still." "What are you trying to be polite with me for?" "Don't you know you're as weak as a cat?" "Have a cigar." "Thanks." "I'm not sick anymore, Mr. Lamb." "I ought to be ready for work in another 10 days." "Now, don't hurry it, young fellow." "Just take your time." "Of course we need you, but we don't need you so bad that we'II let you come down before you're good and able." "You see, Dad?" "We all appreciate your interest in Father, Mr. Lamb." "He seems to improve after every one of your visits." "I guess I'd better be running along." "Goodbye, sir." "'Bye, Daddy." "Now, I want you to take it easy." "Remember, virgil, your place is waiting for you any time you want to come back." "But I don't like to feel that my salary is going on and me not earning it." "Suppose you let me worry about that." "Goodness knows, you've been with the firm long enough to have some privileges and I'm going to see that you get them." "Thanks, Mr. Lamb." "You know, Mom, I can't help liking old Mr. Lamb." "He seems so honest and friendly." "He didn't say anything about raising your father's salary, did he?" "No, I'II bet he didn't." "That's why I want VirgiI to leave that place." "But, Mother, what could Dad do at his age?" "He could do what I've wanted him to do for the Iast 20 years." "What's that?" "He doesn't want me to speak of it to you, but you may as well know." "Your father has invented a secret formula for making the best glue in the world." "The best what?" "glue, for sticking things together." "Your father and another man invented it years ago when your father first went to work for Mr. Lamb." "Now the other man's dead so the formula belongs to your father." "At least it belongs to him as much as it does to anybody else." "Yes, but even if it does, what good would it do him?" "He can't sell it." "well, he could start up a factory and make the glue and sell that." "Mom, that's nonsense." "Why, Dad's never even seen enough money to start a factory." "I'm afraid you're daydreaming, darling." "Miss Adams." "This is a coincidence." "I've been hoping I'd meet you." "Why, Mr. russell." "I've just been embarking on the most irksome duty." "I have to hire a new secretary for Father." "He's been quite ill, poor man, and now that he's better and going back to work, he'II need a second girl." "Can't you let it wait for another time?" "I couId let it wait until tomorrow." "In fact, I will let it wait until tomorrow." "That's fine." "I've been thinking about you since MiIdred's dance." "Oh, goodness, I bet I know what you've been thinking." "Are you a mind reader?" "You've been thinking I'm the sister of a professional gambler, I'm afraid." "Then your brother told you, I thought it was quite original his amusing himself with the cloakroom attendants." "WaIter is original." "You know, he's a very odd boy." "I was afraid you'd misunderstand him." "He tells the most wonderful darky stories and he'II just do anything to get them to talk to him." "We think he'II probably write about them some day." "He's rather literary." "Are you?" "I?" "Oh, I'm just me." "I thought you were this sort of girl when I first saw you." "What sort of girl?" "Didn't MiIdred tell you the kind of girl I am when she asked you to dance with me?" "She didn't ask me to dance with you." "That was my idea." "No, but who did she say I was?" "She just said you were a Miss Adams." ""A Miss Adams."" "I see." "well, it certainly is unfortunate that I am so different from MiIdred." "Why unfortunate?" "Goodness, why because she's perfect." "She's perfectly perfect." "Yes, we all fairly adore her." "You know, she's like some big, noble gold statue way up above the rest of us." "She hardly ever does anything mean or treacherous." "Of all the girls I know, I think she plays the fewest really mean tricks." "You say MiIdred's perfect, but she does do some mean things." "Men are so funny." "Of course, all girls do mean things sometimes." "My own career is just one long brazen smirch of them." "Not really?" "Yes." "What, for example?" "The very worst sort." "For instance, most people bore me." "particularly the men in this town, and I show it." "It's made me a terribly unpopular character." "For instance, at the average party I would rather find some clever old woman and talk to her than I would dance with nine tenths of these non-entities." "But you danced as if you really liked it." "You dance better than any other girl...." "Thank you." "I ought to dance well." "When I think of all my dancing teachers, just endless fancy instructors." "still, I suppose that's what fathers have daughters for, isn't it?" "To throw away money on them." "But you should've seen me when I had stage fever." "Every girl has a time in her life when she's positive she's divinely talented for the stage." "I used to play JuIiet all alone in my room." ""O, swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon," ""That monthly changes in her circled orb, Lest that thy...."" "You do it beautifully." "Why don't you finish the line?" ""Lest that thy love prove likewise variable."" "juliet was saying it to a man, you know." "She seems to have been worrying about his constancy pretty early in their affair." "Yes, I know." "Don't look so serious." "It isn't about you, you know." "Here you are, Miss Adams." "You know every step I save is gravy." "Here's the foolish little house where I Iive." "It is a queer little place but my father is so attached to it that the family has just about given up hope of getting him to build a real house farther out." "He doesn't mind our being extravagant about anything else but he won't let us change one single thing about his precious little house." "Adieu." "could I come in for a little while?" "No, not now." "You can come...." "When?" "almost any time." "You can come in the evening, if you Iike." "Soon?" "As soon as you Iike." "He will call, he won't call." "He will, he won't." "Yes, no." "He'd better call." "Those flowers will brighten up the room a Iot, alice." "I think so." "I'm going out, Mom." "Hey, where's the funeral?" "I thought you were going out." "What's the big idea?" "I get it." "It's that russell guy." "I saw you with him all right." "You mean downtown yesterday, WaIter?" "Yes, I mean, "Downtown yesterday, WaIter."" "I passed you close enough to pull a tooth but you never saw me." "You were too busy waving your hands." "I never saw anybody as busy as you get when you're towing a barge." "What of it, WaIter?" "If you happen to see her on the street when a nice young man is being attentive to her." "Wait a minute." "You got the parts mixed." "It was little alice who was being attentive." "What were you doing walking so close to your old pal MiIdred's boyfriend?" "Why, WaIter!" "Never mind." "To the horrid, all things are horrid." "Get out." "I found out all about that russell guy down at the shop." "He's supposed to be tied up with MiIdred and when old man PaImer dies, russell will be his son-in-Iaw." "He'II barely have to lift his feet to step into the old man's shoes." "Yes." "You really are vulgar, WaIter." "You better take it easy." "The PaImers will have you ruled off the track when they see your colors." "WaIter." "I'm her brother, ain't I?" "I Iike the old girl all right." "In fact, sometimes I feel sorry for her." "What's this all about?" "Because you see me downtown with a man I've only seen once." "Yeah, but I've seen you start before." "well, good luck." "You'II need it." "WaIter must be going with some really dreadful people." "AII this talk about racetracks and everything." "I'm sure waiter's a good boy." "Is it true that this young man, russell, is engaged to MiIdred PaImer?" "I don't know." "He didn't seem like an engaged man to me." "Anyhow, not so terribly." "What?" "Hadn't you better come to bed?" "I didn't know it was so late." "I got so interested in this book." "You mustn't mind, dear." "Mustn't mind?" "What are you talking about, Mother?" "Never mind cleaning up, alice." "We can do that in the morning." "Your father can mess things up quicker than any man I ever saw." "I got no date tonight." "I'II take you to a movie if you want." "No, thanks." "Give me a chance to show you a better time than we had at that frozen-faced party." "I'II buy you some chop suey afterwards." "No, thanks, honestly." "As the barber says:" ""The better the advice, the worse it's wasted."" "Good evening, Miss Adams." "What luck to find you at home." "Yes." "Did I come too soon?" "No, just in time." "Let's stay out here, shall we?" "The moonlight's so lovely." "Yes." "I've spent two evenings wanting to come but a couple of dinners interfered, large and long dinners." "You have been in a social whirl, Mr. russell." "I envy you." "Father's illness has simply tied me to the house and everyone has to come here." "That is, if they want to see me." "The worst of it is that the poor thing has to have peace and quiet and I must entertain on the porch, as I'm doing tonight." "Though, of course, now there's just the two of us." "I'm glad there's just the two of us." "I wanted to talk to you alone, Miss Adams." "Miss Adams, how formal." "What shall we talk about, Arthur?" "About you." "No." "Don't let's talk about me." "Let's talk about you." "What kind of man are you?" "I've often wondered." "What kind of girl are you?" "Don't you remember?" "I told you." "I'm just me." "But who is that?" "I've often wondered." "You know, the other day when you walked home with me I got to wondering what I wanted you to think of me in case I should ever happen to see you again." "What did you decide?" "I decided I should probably never dare to be just myself with you." "Not if I cared to have you want to see me again and yet, here I am, just being myself, after all." "alice, I'd Iike to see you pretty often, if you'II let me." "will you?" "well?" "Lean toward me a little." "Yes!" "Now, when will it be?" "I mean, when will I see you again?" "Anytime." "You're going to Henrietta's dance, aren't you?" "You mean Henrietta Lamb?" "Yes, of course." "I'd forgotten all about that." "will you let me take you?" "You mean to the dance?" "That is if you're not already dated up." "No, I'm not." "In fact, I'm not going." "Why not?" "I told you." "It's Father." "You see, MiIdred's dance is almost the only evening I've gone out on account of his illness, you know." "VirgiI Adams, how much longer do you expect me to put up with that old man and his doings?" "Whose doings?" "What old man?" "What other old man would I mean but J.A. Lamb?" "Do you think I'm going to submit forever to him and his family and what they're doing to my child?" "Now what are he and his family doing to your child?" "Your dear, grand old Mr. Lamb's Henrietta has sent out invitations for a Iarge party." "Now, everybody who is anybody in town is going to be there, you can count on that." "There's a very fine young man, a Mr. russell." "He's interested in alice and he's asked alice to go to this dance with him." "alice can't go because Henrietta Lamb hasn't invited her." "Oh, my...." "Yes, I should think you would say, "Oh, my."" "Your child's been snubbed and picked on by every girl in this town and it's all on account of you, virgil Adams." "Yes, these girls don't like me so they pick on alice." "They wouldn't dare do it to MiIdred PaImer because she's got money and family to back her." "And, you listen to me, the way the world is now, money is family." "And alice could have just as much family as any of them if you hadn't fallen behind in the race." "How did I?" "Yes, you did." "Twenty-five years ago, the people we knew weren't any better off than us and look at them now." "It's time for your drops." "Look at those country clubs." "The other girls' families belong to them." "We don't." "Look at the other girls' houses then look at our house." "Yeah, you look at what you're doing." "Don't give me too much of that stuff." "I've counted." "The men in those families went right on up the ladder while you're still a clerk down in that old hole." "Now, wait a minute." "Suppose I did leave that old hole, as you call it." "Where in thunderation could I get another job?" "You know I'm not asking you to do anything you can't do." "What are you driving at?" "You know what I'm driving at." "That glue formula." "So, that's it." "Dang, dang!" "Not that I wouldn't like to go and dance with you, if I couId." "I'm too worried about Father to go anywhere." "Why, she's still young." "She's still got a chance for happiness if only she had a father that had the gumption to be a man." "To be a dirty dog, you mean." "That glue formula belongs to you as much as anybody." "It belongs to J.A. Lamb." "He paid us all the time we were working on it." "I'd be like stealing, and you know it." "What's he stolen from you?" "He promised to do something with that formula 20 years ago and to do something for you, and has he?" "You've broken your word never to speak of that to me again." "What do I care?" "You think I'd let my word interfere with the happiness of my children?" "I'm going to keep on struggling for that till I die!" "Dang, do I have to go through that again?" "Yes, you have to till I die." "Dang!" "What's the matter with you two?" "Can you get her out of here?" "Mother, come on." "Get her out." "Wait." "She says you have a mean life, alice." "No, Daddy." "Do you hear her lie?" "Look at me." "Things like this Henrietta Lamb dance, now, is that so hard to bear?" "No, Daddy." "Do you hear her?" "Now, do you see?" "Get out of here!" "Both of you." "And stay out." "Did you ever smell a glue factory before?" "No." "Brother, you got something coming to you." "Here it is, Mother." "The Adams glue Works." "It looks fine, virgil, simply fine." "It's a starter, and some day, if everything works out all right maybe I'II be able to take over that big building there." "It used to be an old butterine factory." "Just bills." "It's funny I don't hear something from him." "Who?" "old Mr. Lamb." "He never answered my letter, not a word." "You should have gone to see him like I told you, virgil, instead of just writing." "No, I just couldn't bring myself to face him." "Don't worry, dear." "You know you told me he couldn't do a thing to you." "No, the formula ain't patentable." "There isn't anything he could make a question of law." "But I wish I knew what he thought about the whole business." "It's just morbidness, virgil." "You don't realize what a little bit of a thing this is to him." "I bet he's forgotten all about it." "You're off your base." "J.A. Lamb don't forget things." "If he owed you money, he'd cut off his hand to pay you." "But if he thought you were trying to get the best of him he'd cut off both hands to keep you from doing it." "Come on, now, I'II show you the rest of the works." "It's getting late and you'II be worrying about supper." "No, not tonight." "WaIter phoned, he won't be home and alice has gone out with that nice, young Mr. russell." "What, again?" "I shouldn't be surprised if they'd be engaged before long." "And here we go though all this muck and moil to help fix things nice for her and she just goes ahead and gets what she wants to anyhow." "Things haven't gone as far as that, virgil." "will you have them play that again?" "Again?" "play it again." "But we've played that five times already." "They want it again." "Again?" "Again." "What are you thinking of?" "." "I think I was just being sort of sadly happy then." "sadly happy?" "Don't you know?" "only children can be just happily happy." "I think when we get older, some of our happiest moments are like this one." "It's like that music." "Oh, so sweet and oh, so sad." "But what makes it sad for you?" "I don't know." "Perhaps it's a kind of useless foreboding I seem to have pretty often." "I'm afraid I'm going to miss these summer evenings of ours when they're over." "Do they have to be over?" "Everything's over some time." "Don't let's look so far ahead." "We don't have to be already thinking of the cemetery, do we?" "Our summer evenings will be over before that, Arthur russell." "Why?" "Good heavens, there's laconic eloquence for you." "almost a proposal in a single word." "well, I" "Don't worry." "I shan't hold you to it." "No, but something will interfere." "Somebody will, I mean." "people talk about each other fearfully in this town." "They don't always stop at the truth." "They make up things." "Yes, they do, really." "What difference does it all make?" "It's just that I'd rather they didn't make up things about me to you." "I'd know they weren't true." "WouIdn't it be great if two people could just keep themselves to themselves?" "If they could manage to be friends without people talking about them?" "We've done that pretty well so far, haven't we?" "And if you want our summer evenings to be over you'II have to drive me away yourself." "No one else could?" "No one." "well, I won't." "Good night." "Good night." "Good night." "Good night." "hello, alice." "Did you ever know a lovelier night than this, Mom?" "Not since I was your age, I expect." "WaIter, what kept you so late?" "Where's Pa?" "He's up in his room." "Why don't they stay beautiful after my age?" "It may be different for you." "I think it will, alice." "You deserve it." "No, I don't deserve anything." "I know it." "It's just that I'm pretty happy these days." "I don't mean...." "I wasn't meaning to tell you that I'm engaged." "We're not." "It's just that things seem pretty beautiful to me in spite of everything I've done to spoil 'em." "What have you ever done to spoil anything?" "little things." "A thousand silly little things." "He's so honestly what he is." "I feel like a tricky mess beside him." "I don't know why he likes me." "Sometimes I'm afraid he wouldn't if he knew me." "Why, he'd just worship you." "But what do you want it for?" "I've got to have it." "But what for?" "Can't you tell me what for?" "I've got to have it." "You've got to have it." "You seem to think just saying that will bring in the money, $150." "Haven't you got that much?" "No, I haven't." "You know I've sunk every cent I've ever saved into this factory." "And even what I couId raise on the house." "What's the idea coming to me for money, anyhow?" "You've got a job, haven't you?" "Not that you'II have it long." "Mr. Lamb'II fire you as soon as he finds out you're still there after what I've done." "He knows I'm there, all right." "He talked to me yesterday." "What did he say?" "Just asked me how my work was getting on." "Look here, Pa, are you going to do anything about that $150?" "No, I'm not." "I haven't got 150 cents, Iet alone dollars." "What do you think I am, a mint?" "AII right." "I don't see as you ever did very much for me, anyhow." "You know, I think it's time your father and I showed some interest in Mr. russell." "Why, I actually don't believe he's ever been inside the house." "I know he hasn't." "We always stayed out here on the porch." "It's so much nicer." "I was thinking we couldn't wait much longer to ask him to dinner or something." "Mother, must we?" "Don't you see, alice, it seems so queer not to do something." "It looks so kind of poverty-stricken." "AII right." "I'II ask him, if you think I've got to." "We could get that colored woman, MaIena Burns, to wait on table." "She goes out for the day, you know." "And then we'd have a nice dinner." "Something real stylish." "Yeah, but don't you think it wouId be nicer, maybe, if we waited?" "But, alice, why should we?" "unless you don't want Mr. russell to meet your father and mother." "No, of course I do." "only...." "What's the use?" "Okay." "Arthur." "What beautiful flowers." "I didn't realize you had such a lovely garden." "That's because you haven't been cousinIy enough to get used to it." "You've rather taught us to forget what you look like." "I'm sorry." "But I've been so busy." "We understand perfectly." "Hot coffee or iced?" "Iced, please." "Iced for me, too, please." "It's really getting warm, isn't it?" "Here's the guest list for the garden party." "I think I have everyone." "I didn't know whether or not to invite alice Adams." "You remember her." "You danced with her here." "Yes, of course." "A rather conspicuous young woman, this Adams girl." "Adams?" "Isn't her father the VirgiI Adams who used to work for Mr. Lamb?" "I believe so." "Why?" "It's nothing much." "It's just that I heard VirgiI Adams has stolen some sort of glue formula from Mr. Lamb." "stolen it?" "Yes, it quite upset the old gentleman." "Adams had been his clerk for over 25 years, and Lamb had been carrying him even though he'd been a dead weight to the firm." "Then to show his gratitude Adams upped and walked off with the glue formula." "Imagine." "Is this girl some friend of yours?" "Every girl who meets MiIdred and tries to push the acquaintanceship isn't a friend." "I shouldn't put it quite like that." "I saw something of her, for a time." "She's not unattractive in a way." "A pushing sort of girl, a very pushing little person." "But I'm afraid we're boring poor Arthur with all this." "What?" "I'm sorry." "There, you see." "MiIdred, why not take Arthur out and show him the garden?" "He may find it a relief to put his mind on something prettier than thieving clerks." "If you Iike." "The point of this Adams thing is that Lamb takes a great deal of pride in his judgment of men, and everybody thinks this is a great joke on the old man." "AII he'II say is, "Wait and see."" "Here's your cap and apron, and you take care of them." "And, MaIena when the doorbell rings, you put the caviar sandwiches on a tray but don't let alice see them." "I want to surprise her." "Yes." "You ought to slip upstairs and take a teeny little nap so you'II look fresh for tonight." "I'II look all right, besides there isn't time." "It's after 6:00." "You're the one who ought to rest with all you've done today." "I'm fine, and I do want things to be so right." "If it just hadn't turned so hot." "You did all that this morning, and a dozen times since." "You'II wear yourself out." "I know, but those chairs." "They're all right, and nobody can see the worn places when we're sitting in them." "The roses help, don't they?" "I Ieft the rest for the dining room table." "They look beautiful." "I don't know anybody that has as good taste as you, alice." "Where are those danged things?" "Coming, virgil." "Here, suppose you take these up to your father and you better get dressed or you won't be ready." "I've only got to slip off my apron." "What about waiter?" "About his wearing his evening clothes?" "He'II object just like his father, but I'II talk to him when he comes in." "And get MaIena to throw away that chewing gum before she waits on the table." "Don't worry, dear." "You leave everything to me." "MaIena, now remember I want you to have the soup on the table before you announce the dinner." "Yes, but don't you think it's pretty hot for soup?" "Never mind that." "Then you serve the mushrooms and sweetbreads then the filet and vegetables." "Miss Adams, I'm afraid the ice cream ain't going to hold out much longer." "It's about floating already." "Can you sew up a buttonhole for me?" "The dang thing's too large and it keeps popping open." "Okay, I'II get a needle and thread." "Wish I couId go to the table like this." "I don't believe I remember any hotter night in the Iast 10 years." "My, but that smells pretty strong." "Is it fashionable to have cabbage for company dinner?" "That's not cabbage." "It's brussels sprouts." "Oh, is it?" "He's here." "What's happened?" "MaIena fell down the cellar stairs." "Did she break any of our things?" "No, she just bumped herself." "She'II be all right." "The flowers on the table, hurry." "I'II let him in." "Do come right in, Mr. russell." "I'm Mrs. Adams." "How do you do, Mrs. Adams?" "I'm so glad to be able to receive you informally this way in our own little home." "Thank you." "I'm afraid you'II think it's almost too informal, my coming to the door this way but unfortunately our maid just had a little accident." "That's too bad." "It's really awfully warm tonight, don't you think?" "I Ieft everything open, but it doesn't seem to help." "I didn't mean...." "would you have a cigarette?" "Thank you." "You know, the only person I know who doesn't mind the heat the way other people do, is alice." "But then she's so amiable, she never seems to mind anything." "It's just her character and I think that character is the most important thing in the world, after all don't you, Mr. russell?" "Yes, indeed." "That's what I always say to alice, but she never can see any good in herself." "She always sees good in everybody else, no matter how unworthy they are but she always underestimates herself." "Can you fix this?" "Look." "Do you think it looks all right?" "Fine, perfect." "Dang it." "Anyway, it lets some air in when it bulges." "You mustn't tell alice we've had this little chat about her because she'd be just furious with me." "No, I won't." "But she is such a dear child." "You'd better go and rescue that young man from your mother." "There." "What's the matter now?" "The roses are beginning to wilt." "Maybe I shouldn't have tried this vine effect after all." "They look pretty, honey." "No, they don't." "Come on." "No, don't go in by that door." "It might look as if we" "What's the difference?" "Never mind." "Come this way." "How terrible of me to be so late coming down." "My father, Mr. russell." "How do you do, Mr. russell?" "Mr." "Adams." "I guess dinner's more than ready." "We ought to go sit down." "No, not yet, virgil." "Why not?" "Sit down." "I'II try one." "What in the world...." "Have a caviar sandwich, Mr. russell." "Caviar." "These are delicious, Mother." "Too bad we can't offer you what ought to go with these but we never have any liquor in the house." "Father's a teetotaler." "Dinner is served." "That's good." "Let's go see if we can eat it." "shall we go in?" "I hope you won't hate us for asking you to dine with us in such fearful weather." "I'm nearly dying of the heat myself, so you have a fellow sufferer if that pleases you." "will you sit there, Arthur?" "Thank you, Daddy." "Where's waiter?" "Poor waiter." "Yes, he has probably been delayed at the office." "What a funny thing weather is." "Yesterday it was cool, the angels had charge of it." "But today they had an engagement somewhere else so the devil saw his chance and started to move the equator to the North pole." "By the time he got halfway, he thought of something else to do so he went off and left the equator here on top of us." "I wish he'd come back and get it." "So do I." "alice, what an imagination." "Yes, hasn't she?" "What a lack of imagination to have prepared anything so hot on a night like this." "Do take this dreadful soup away." "How unfortunate that we couldn't have had something iced or jellied instead." "Mrs. Adams, this is my favorite dish." "I'm glad." "Father doesn't seem to care much for sweetbreads." "I'm afraid you're not a real gourmet, Daddy." "That's a French word." "It means epicure." "Most food terms are from the French." "That's because the French are distinguished for their cooking." "It's just like most musical terms being from italian because the italians wrote such wonderful music." "What are the Americans famous for, do you suppose?" "What do you think, Arthur?" "Business, I suppose." "Banking, manufacturing and so on." "Isn't it funny?" "So these are brussels sprouts." "They certainly smell up the house." "Now what can have been in Cook's mind not to have made an aspic instead of a heavy entree for weather like this?" "I'm afraid we let the servants do too much as they like about the meals, Mother." "Perhaps we should changer les domestiques, n'est-ce pas?" "Here, you." "What is it, virgil?" "What's her name?" "What's whose name, Dad?" "That colored woman." "I want some water." "Don't give up hope." "She hasn't gone forever." "I don't know about that." "Father simply has to have a heavy meal at the end of the day." "He works so hard in his terrible, old factory." "terrible, new factory, I should say." "He simply must have lots of food to keep his strength up." "I don't see why most businessmen can't leave most of the details to their employees, but then I suppose some of them are like that." "They just allow their help to sit around idle while they do all the work." "Then, of course, there's the other type of businessman who drives his employees and invents things for them to do if there's nothing else, because he hates to see people idle." "Which category do you faII into, Arthur?" "I don't know." "I'm sure not the Iast." "You're probably the idol of your office boys and secretaries." "Secretaries, alice?" "You know, I may be needing one soon." "Never thought I'd one day be having one of my own." "Sort of gives a man a feeling of importance, don't it?" "Yes, it certainly does, sir." "Have some sugar in your coffee, Arthur?" "No, thank you." "WaIter." "You know Mr. russell." "Hi." "Pardon me." "I guess my boy wants to see me." "WaIter's such a funny boy." "So abrupt and unexpected." "But then, of course, you know that about him." "I guess all talented people are a bit peculiar." "It's part of their charm, really." "What are your talents, Arthur?" "Can you play any instruments or sing or paint?" "Or perhaps you have some secret hobby that derives its chief charm from just being secret." "Something you keep to yourself and don't like to talk about." "Why you dang little idiot." "really, I...." "Perhaps I'd better go see if waiter's had his dinner." "If you'II excuse me." "I couldn't help it, it just turned out wrong, that's all." "You couldn't help it?" "Who could help it?" "tell me that." "It just happened, that's all." "It just happened." "A penny for your thoughts." "No, I'II bid more." "A rose." "A poor little dead rose for your thoughts, Mr. Arthur russell." "I'm afraid I haven't any." "will you ever forgive us?" "What for?" "For making you eat such a heavy dinner." "I mean, look at such a heavy dinner because you certainly couldn't have more than looked at it on a night like this." "Cheer up, your fearful duty is almost done and you can run on home as soon as you Iike." "That's what you're dying to do, isn't it?" "Not at all." "You're upset about something." "No, I'm not." "What's the matter, little boy?" "tell Auntie." "Nothing." "Let's go out on the porch where we belong, shall we?" "Now tell me what's the matter." "Nothing's the matter." "Of course, one is affected by weather like this." "It may make one a little more quiet than usual." "Maybe it's this ugly little house or the furniture, or Mother's vases that upset you." "Or was it Mother herself or Father?" "I've told you, nothing upset me." "You say that because you're too nice, or too conscientious, or too embarrassed." "Anyhow, too something to tell me." "I wonder if they've done it after all." "Done what?" "I wonder who has been talking about me to you, after all." "Isn't that it?" "Not at all." "Don't say "not at all" again." "You're not good at deceiving." "I'm not deceiving" "Never mind." "Do you remember saying that nothing anybody else could do would ever keep you from coming here?" "That if you left me it wouId be because I had driven you away myself." "Yes, and it's true." "But I haven't driven you away, and yet you've gone." "Do I seem as silly as all that?" "I wonder if I have driven you away." "You've done nothing." "I wonder." "You know, I have the strangest feeling." "I feel as if I were only going to see you about five minutes more all the rest of my Iife." "Why, that's silly." "Of course I want to see you often." "No." "I've never had a feeling like this before." "It's just so, that's all." "You're never coming here again." "It's all over, isn't it?" "Why, it's finished, isn't it?" "Why, yes." "You're awfully tired and nervous." "Yes, you must go." "There's nothing else for you to do." "When anything's spoiled people can't do anything else but run away from it." "Goodbye." "We'II only say good night." "I'II get your hat." "I'd Iike to keep it for a souvenir but I'm afraid you'II need it." "You poor thing, you can't go without your hat." "You've" "What a thing to say." "What a romantic parting, talking about hats." "Don't bother." "We have lots of that in this funny old house." "Goodbye." "He was waiting for this, Lamb was." "But I'II pay him back every cent." "Every last dang dirty penny." "WaIter, how could you do it?" "I asked Pa for the money and he wouldn't give it to me." "Give it to you!" "Where was I gonna get it?" "What's the matter now?" "This little fooI" "WaIter's short in his accounts down at Lamb's." "He took $150." "You took $150?" "Why?" "A guy, a friend of mine got in a jam." "He said he'd pay it back in a month and he didn't." "The auditor's already checking on the books down at the office." "You'II go to jail." "Be quiet." "CouIdn't you see Mr. Lamb and explain it to him?" "explain it to him?" "This is what he's been waiting for all along." "He thinks we both cheated him." "He was just letting waiter walk into the trap." "But couldn't you raise the money and give it back to him?" "I'II give it back to him all right, every cent every last penny." "I can raise it." "I'II put a Ioan on my glue factory." "I'II get it for him." "I'm going to see Jonathan, my bank president." "I'II get that money tonight." "I'm sorry, Pa." "Don't you talk to me, you danged little idiot." "Thinks we're all yellow, does he?" "I'II show him every last danged dirty penny." "To have this come on the night of your sister's dinner." "Poor alice." "Don't say "poor alice," Mom." "Can I come in?" "Yes, come in." "I want to talk to you." "Yes, me too." "Have a chair." "It's Lamb." "I'm going to get out of here." "No, you're not, WaIter." "Wait in my room." "A fine family you've turned out to be after all these years." "I'd never have stepped my foot inside this house except that I wanted to tell you to your face just how I felt." "I'II pay you every cent waiter took, Mr. Lamb just as soon as I can get the money." "I was just going down now to try to raise a Ioan on my glue works." "Your glue works?" "I always thought people had to show some prospects before they could raise a Ioan." "naturally." "I guess you'II find it a little difficult." "Now that I intend opening a glue works of my own." "Yes, and a big one." "What's that?" "Very convenient to your place, too." "In fact, right across the street." "Do you mean that big, enormous, old butterine factory?" "That's it." "What did you expect me to do, virgil Adams?" "Let you walk off with my glue formula like swallowing a pat of butter?" "No, I know what you thought." "You said to yourself, "Here's this old fool, J.A. Lamb..." ""...he's in his second childhood." ""And I'II just put this over on him."" "I did not." "I worked years on that formula." "It was just as much mine as yours." "And anyway a Iot you know about my feelings and what I said to myself." "But I want to tell you one thing now, Mr. Lamb." "I don't feel mean anymore about what I've done, not anymore because there's a meaner man in this world than I am, Mr. Lamb." "So you feel better about yourself?" "." "You bet I do." "You've spiked my business, all right and now I can't even raise the money to keep my boy out of the penitentiary." "That's where you worked until you got me." "Are you accusing me?" "Look at me." "I worked all my Iife for you and what I did when I quit didn't make two cents worth of difference in your life and it looked like it'd mean all the difference in the world to my family." "You think I did you a bad turn and you've got me ruined for it, and you've got my family ruined and if anybody'd told me last year I'd say such a thing I'd call him a dang Iiar." "But I do say it, Mr. Lamb you're a doggone mean man." "Mr. Lamb, wait." "I mean what I say." "Let him go." "No, go on." "I gotta tell him what I think." "I'm all right." "He's ruined my business." "He's ruined all of us." "You can't go thinking that badly about Dad." "He was so upset he didn't know what he was saying." "Upset, I shouldn't wonder." "The danged old fool." "Yes, I guess he is an old fool." "What?" "For listening to Mother and me." "It's all my fault, this whole terrible mess." "What are you talking about?" "You see Mom was always after Dad and after him to make more money for me so that I couId compete with the other girls in this town." "I guess parents will make any sacrifice to see their children happy and when Dad saw how unhappy I was, he just did what he did." "He always wanted to go back to work for you." "I guess he almost worshipped you, Mr. Lamb." "If you'II just give me time I'II get a job and pay you back what waiter owes you, really I will." "I know I haven't had much experience, but I can do things." "I was good at english and arithmetic at school." "I won a prize in english once and I know I'd make a good secretary for somebody." "Now, just a minute, alice." "If your father can keep from flying off the handle I'd Iike to talk to him." "would you?" "I'II do it." "Let me do it myself." "Come in." "What the" "Now, wait just a moment." "You know you got me awful mad a little while ago, virgil Adams and you weren't exactly purring like a kitten yourself." "You certainly gave me cause." "Just hold your horses a minute, please." "You were saying about this glue controversy not meaning anything to me but meaning a whole heap to you and your family." "It did mean a great deal to me to know that you had gone back on me after all these years." "I was just talking to alice and I can see where maybe you were forced into this thing by circumstances." "I've lived long enough to know that circumstances can beat the best of us." "Yes, the best of us." "Maybe I've been sort of a danged old fool myself." "Yes, that's what I called you." "You did?" "Yes, I did." "Maybe you're right." "If you and I have been transgressing against each other I think it's about time we quit such foolishness." "I guess maybe I talked to you once about doing something for you in connection with this glue business." "I guess I was selfish and forgetful but it's never too late to mend." "We won't talk about that now." "Suppose you come down to the office as soon as you're feeling fit and we'II try and work something out." "And I guess maybe together we ought to be able to show the world something about glue and then we'II talk about waiter, too." "Good night." "Good night, alice." "Good night, Mr. Lamb." "Isn't he a wonderful old man, Dad?" "He is." "But if it hadn't been for you...." "Nonsense, why should you think that?" "What I think?" "I think you're the smartest girl in the world." "I wouldn't trade you for the whole kit and boodle of them." "Isn't it funny how things work out?" "I've seen it happen in other people's lives and now it's happened in ours." "What's that, Dad?" "You think you're going to be pushed right spang up against a wall you can't see any way out, or any hope at all and then something you never counted on turns up and you kind of squeeze out of it." "And keep on going." "I understand, Dad." "I'm afraid you do." "You oughtn't to at your age." "Young people should leave their troubles to the old ones and concentrate on good times." "He's a fine young man, alice the nicest and quietest you've ever had." "I know he likes you just for your own sake and not on account of any dang glue works or anything else." "You'd better go to bed and rest, Daddy." "We've all had enough excitement for one night." "Good night." "Good night." "A penny for your thoughts." "No." "A poor little dead rose for your thoughts, alice Adams." "You came back." "I didn't go." "Why?" "I've been waiting for you." "Then you heard" "Yes, I heard everything." "What's more" "But I" "Stop it." "Let me finish." "I heard a great deal at MiIdred's this afternoon, too." "So they did talk about me." "Yes, they talked about you a Iot." "And I found out one thing." "I Iove you, alice." "Gee whiz." "I Iove you."