FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138  
139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   >>   >|  
ed. She felt quite overcome by the revulsion of feeling which swept through her. How she had misjudged him! She had taken him for an ordinary soulless purloiner of cats, a snapper-up of cats at random and without reason; and all the time he had been reluctantly compelled to the act by this deep and praiseworthy motive. All the unselfishness and love of sacrifice innate in good women stirred within her. 'Why, of _course_ you mustn't let him go! It would mean awful bad luck.' 'But how about you--' 'Never mind about me. Think of all the people who are dependent on your play being a success.' The young man blinked. 'This is overwhelming,' he said. 'I had no notion why you wanted him. He was nothing to me--at least, nothing much--that is to say--well, I suppose I was rather fond of him--but he was not--not--' 'Vital?' 'That's just the word I wanted. He was just company, you know.' 'Haven't you many friends?' 'I haven't any friends.' 'You haven't any friends! That settles it. You must take him back.' 'I couldn't think of it.' 'Of course you must take him back at once.' 'I really couldn't.' 'You must.' 'I won't.' 'But, good gracious, how do you suppose I should feel, knowing that you were all alone and that I had sneaked your--your ewe lamb, as it were?' 'And how do you suppose I should feel if your play failed simply for lack of a black cat?' He started, and ran his fingers through his rough hair in an overwrought manner. 'Solomon couldn't have solved this problem,' he said. 'How would it be--it seems the only possible way out--if you were to retain a sort of managerial right in him? Couldn't you sometimes step across and chat with him--and me, incidentally--over here? I'm very nearly as lonesome as you are. Chicago is my home. I hardly know a soul in New York.' Her solitary life in the big city had forced upon Elizabeth the ability to form instantaneous judgements on the men she met. She flashed a glance at the young man and decided in his favour. 'It's very kind of you,' she said. 'I should love to. I want to hear all about your play. I write myself, you know, in a very small way, so a successful playwright is Someone to me.' 'I wish I were a successful playwright.' 'Well, you are having the first play you have ever written produced on Broadway. That's pretty wonderful.' ''M--yes,' said the young man. It seemed to Elizabeth that he spoke doubtfully, and this modes
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138  
139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
suppose
 

couldn

 

friends

 

playwright

 

successful

 
wanted
 
Elizabeth
 

instantaneous

 
Someone
 

Couldn


managerial

 

produced

 
flashed
 

retain

 
judgements
 

overwrought

 
manner
 
fingers
 

Solomon

 

problem


decided

 

solved

 

favour

 

glance

 

wonderful

 

written

 

started

 

solitary

 

Chicago

 

doubtfully


incidentally

 
forced
 

Broadway

 

pretty

 

lonesome

 
ability
 

unselfishness

 
sacrifice
 

innate

 
motive

praiseworthy
 

stirred

 
compelled
 
reluctantly
 

feeling

 

misjudged

 
revulsion
 

overcome

 
ordinary
 

reason