第10章

Two squares, and she was passing the show place of Sutherland, the home of the Wrights.She paused to regale herself with a glance into the grove of magnificent elms with lawns and bright gardens beyond--for the Wright place filled the entire square between Broad and Myrtle Streets and from Main to Monroe.She was starting on when she saw among the trees a young man in striped flannels.At the same instant he saw her.

"Hel-_lo_, Susie!" he cried."I was thinking about you."Susan halted."When did you get back, Sam?" she asked."I heard you were going to stay on in the East all summer."After they had shaken hands across the hedge that came almost to their shoulders, Susan began to move on.Sam kept pace with her on his side of the carefully trimmed boxwood barrier."I'm going back East in about two weeks," said he."It's awfully dull here after Yale.I just blew in--haven't seen Lottie or father yet.

Coming to Lottie's party?"

"No," said Susan.

"Why not?"

Susan laughed merrily."The best reason in the world.Lottie has only invited just so many couples.""I'll see about that," cried Sam."You'll be asked all right, all right.""No," said Susan.She was one of those whose way of saying no gives its full meaning and intent."I'll not be asked, thank you--and I'll not go if I am."By this time they were at the gate.He opened it, came out into the street.He was a tallish, athletic youth, dark, and pleasing enough of feature to be called handsome.He was dressed with a great deal of style of the efflorescent kind called sophomoric.

He was a Sophomore at Yale.But that was not so largely responsible for his self-complacent expression as the deference he had got from babyhood through being heir apparent to the Wright fortune.He had a sophisticated way of inspecting Susan's charms of figure no less than charms of face that might have made a disagreeable impression upon an experienced onlooker.There is a time for feeling without knowing why one feels; and that period ought not to have been passed for young Wright for many a year.

"My, but you're looking fine, Susie!" exclaimed he."I haven't seen anyone that could hold a candle to you even in the East."Susan laughed and blushed with pleasure."Go on," said she with raillery."I love it.""Come in and sit under the trees and I'll fill all the time you'll give me."This reminded her."I must hurry uptown," she said."Good-by.""Hold on!" cried he."What have you got to do?" He happened to glance down the street."Isn't that Ruth coming?""So it is," said Susan."I guess Bessie Andrews wasn't at home."Sam waved at Ruth and called, "Hello! Glad to see you."Ruth was all sweetness and smiles.She and her mother--quite privately and with nothing openly said on either side--had canvassed Sam as a "possibility." There had been keen disappointment at the news that he was not coming home for the long vacation."How are you, Sam?" said she, as they shook hands."My, Susie, _doesn't_ he look New York?"Sam tried to conceal that he was swelling with pride."Oh, this is nothing," said he deprecatingly.

Ruth's heart was a-flutter.The Fisher picture of the Chambers love-maker, thought she, might almost be a photograph of Sam.

She was glad she had obeyed the mysterious impulse to make a toilette of unusual elegance that morning.How get rid of Susan?

"_I_'ll take the sample, Susie," said she."Then you won't have to keep father waiting."Susie gave up the sample.Her face was no longer so bright and interested.

"Oh, drop it," cried Sam."Come in--both of you.I'll telephone for Joe Andrews and we'll take a drive--or anything you like."He was looking at Susan.

"Can't do it," replied Susan."I promised Uncle George.""Oh, bother!" urged Sam."Telephone him.It'll be all right--won't it, Ruth?""You don't know Susie," said Ruth, with a queer, strained laugh.

"She'd rather die than break a promise."

"I must go," Susan now said."Good-by."

"Come on, Ruth," cried Sam."Let's walk uptown with her.""And you can help match the silk," said Ruth.

"Not for me," replied young Wright.Then to Susan, "What've _you_got to do? Maybe it's something I could help at.""No.It's for Uncle George and me."

"Well, I'll go as far as the store.Then--we'll see."They were now in the business part of Main Street, were at Wilson's dry goods store."You might find it here," suggested the innocent Susan to her cousin.

Ruth colored, veiled her eyes to hide their flash."I've got to go to the store first--to get some money," she hastily improvised.

Sam had been walking between the two girls.He now changed to the outside and, so, put himself next Susan alone, put Susan between him and Ruth.The maneuver seemed to be a mere politeness, but Ruth knew better.What fate had intended as her lucky day was being changed into unlucky by this cousin of hers.

Ruth walked sullenly along, hot tears in her eyes and a choke in her throat, as she listened to Sam's flatterings of her cousin, and to Susan's laughing, delighted replies.She tried to gather herself together, to think up something funny or at least interesting with which to break into the _tete-a-tete_ and draw Sam to herself.She could think nothing but envious, hateful thoughts.At the doors of Warham and Company, wholesale and retail grocers, the three halted.