Every one knew him at sight: every onecalled
him by name, and spoke to him kindly. Eugene screamed with a crazy laugh,
stamping up anddown the kitchen in a frenzy.
Some one coming up those steps might falland
break a leg. A few people hurried past,as if driven along by the brief pouncing
gusts of wind.
He took Eugenes head and placed it against his
heart.
The boywas badly burned: a bunch of us got
together and chipped in with alittle hide.
Thats enough, now, said Miss Brown with
authority.
Youll get no peace, he said, as long as youre
near them.
The appraisal of personality, like all other
appraisal withthem, was coarse and blunt.
Why had no oneever written adequately about
it? But I may not be here to laugh at much longer.
She went constantly to thedoctors for
treatment and advice. His father spent most of the day staring vacantly into
the parlorfire.
He remonstrated withEugene, with good-natured
seriousness, about his habits.
But he drew no closer to her: hehalted,
afraid, before her loveliness.
Alone,alone, and far away, with falling
rain.
And there was sorrow in his heart for what
would come no more. Instead, he called together all the local clergy, including
theArchbishop of Canterbury, Dr. I doubted if he would last the winter
through.
Before he had finished she began to laugh. In
this strange place Eugene flourished amazingly. He cast his arms up suddenly in
a tortured incomplete gesture. Bob Sterlings pleasant face was dead white,
spotted by palefreckles.
She laughed; then, with abstracted eyes,
plucked vaguely at herlarge chin. He was happy, full of expansive joy, he
greeted every one withenthusiastic gusto. Youre not sick; Ive wasted my life
nursing you,and youre not as sick as I am! But he unpacked the burden of his
heart,trembling and passionate. Do you want to make me as miserable as you
can?
Hes a rich man, Gene, said Irene, smiling. She
waslike a Luini madonna, mixed of holiness and seduction, the worldand heaven.
Id give anything for a smoke, muttered Miss Brown.
He sat beside her in the swing,obediently,
with the sense of an impending lecture. You could get rid of her if you wanted
to.
Do you want to make me as miserable as you
can?
You dont feel good enough to tend to business
any more; ifI were you, Id retire. They lavished fair warnings on him as he
lifted his glass.
Silently she collected the clothing that no
one wouldever wear.
The other room-mate, Harold Gay, was a good
soul, no older than achild. He laughed idiotically at sight of her troubled
face and proddedher.