FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112  
113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   >>   >|  
omething Olympic but unfrequented. Inside, it was a vast cathedral of untenanted pews. Davidge paid the driver a duke's ransom. There was no porter about, and he carried Marie Louise's suit-cases to the parcel-room. Her baggage had had a long journey. She retreated to the women's room for what toilet she could make, and came forth with a very much washed face. Somnambulistic negroes took their orders at the lunch-counter. Marie Louise had weakly decided to return to New York again, but the hot coffee was full of defiance, and she said that she would make another try at Mrs. Widdicombe as soon as a human hour arrived. And she showed a tactfulness that won much respect from Davidge when she said: "Do get your morning paper and read it. I'm sure I have nothing to say that I haven't said, and if I had, it could wait till you find out how the battle goes in Europe." He bought her a paper, too, and they sat on a long bench, exchanging comments on the news that made almost every front page a chapter in world history. She heard him groan with rage. When she looked up he pointed to the submarine record of that week. "Last week the losses took a horrible jump--forty ships of over sixteen hundred tons. This week it's almost as bad--thirty-eight ships of over sixteen hundred, thirteen ships under, and eight fishing-vessels. Think of it--all of 'em merchant-ships! "Pretty soon I've got to send my ship out to run the gantlet. She's like Little Red Riding Hood going through the forest to take old Granny Britain some food. And the wolves are waiting for her. What a race of people, what a pack of beasts!" Marie Louise had an idea. "I'll tell you a pretty name for your ship--_Little Red Riding Hood_. Why don't you give her that?" He laughed. "The name would be heavier than the cargo. I wonder what the crew would make of it. No, this ship, my first one, is to be named after"--he lowered his voice as one does on entering a church--"after my mother." "Oh, that's beautiful!" Marie Louise said. "And will she be there to christen-- Oh, I remember, you said--" He nodded three or four times in wretchedness. But the grief was his own, and he must not exploit it. He assumed an abrupt cheer. "I'll name the next ship after you, if you don't mind." This was too glorious to be believed. What bouquet or jewel could equal it? She clapped her hands like a child hearing a Christmas promise. "What is your first name, Miss
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112  
113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Louise

 

sixteen

 

Davidge

 

Little

 

Riding

 
hundred
 

fishing

 

waiting

 

vessels

 
thirty

thirteen

 
people
 

Pretty

 

Granny

 

gantlet

 

forest

 

merchant

 

Britain

 

wolves

 

exploit


assumed

 

abrupt

 

wretchedness

 

hearing

 

Christmas

 

promise

 

clapped

 

believed

 

glorious

 

bouquet


nodded

 
heavier
 

laughed

 

pretty

 

beautiful

 
christen
 

remember

 

mother

 

church

 

lowered


entering

 

beasts

 

orders

 

counter

 

weakly

 

decided

 
negroes
 

washed

 

Somnambulistic

 

return