Booth Tarkington

“ Mr. Zarff, arranging some little cakes, with his back turned to his customer and the two eager observers, was startled by the breaking of a glass upon the floor and simultaneous sounds indicating an impressive strangulation. For a moment he saw nothing unusual, except that Mrs. Peyton had vanished, and that the observers were again outside the store. ”

“ During the past few weeks he had become a poignantly sensitive man, of the highest and most delicate ideals in all matters concerning his personal appearance; and now his mind was full of pictures of what that appearance had been on the roof of the Baptist church. Only lovers can comprehend what he felt and suffered.
A lane ran through the meadow, and, when the fugitives reached it, Maud and Bill would have turned in the direction that led to open country, but Lucius galloped before them and beckoned urgently. ”

“ BILL SPRANG UP SUDDENLY BEFORE THE WINDOW, AND BELLOWED “WAW!”
At noon the Square became deserted; even Mortimer Fole was gone. However, before the court-house clock struck one, he reappeared, smoking a cigar which the traveler in drugs had given him; but he did not return to the terrasse of the National House. The glare was too great there now, and Mortimer would not use the telegraph-pole again until the western sun threw the shadow of the court-house that far eastward. ”

“ Throughout the summer six or seven wooden chairs are to be found upon the sidewalk in front of the hotel, and usually most of these are occupied; but sometimes it it happens that the loungers drift to other parts of the Square, or even to their homes, and only one is left, perhaps drowsing with an open jack-knife in his hand. That is Mortimer Fole. ”

“ Mortimer will not be sitting in one of the chairs upon the sidewalk, close to the broad window of the hotel: he establishes his chair in the gutter so that he can tilt back against the telegraph-pole which stands at the edge of the pavement, though when his mood is lively he will face about to join in the conversation of the occupants of the other chairs, and then he places his feet against the telegraph-pole at about the level of the buckle his suspender. Of all the men of leisure in Marlow, Mortimer is the one who has the most ”

“ The roof of the church was as simple as the roof of a Noah's Ark, which, except for the steeple at one end, it perfectly resembled. There was an oval air-hole in the steeple, just above the ridge of the roof; and Maud and Bill, after literally seeking sanctuary from a populace which threatened to rise from several directions at once, had climbed up into the steeple, crawled out through the air-hole, and had slid down the roof to the tin gutter, where their heels prevented them from descending the rest of the way through the air. ”

“ When they again appeared upon the Square, by way of an alley, it was upon the side opposite to L. Zarff's bakery and creamery, and the harmony which had until now prevailed between them was threatened. In dropping the halter-buckle into the glass of buttermilk, when Mrs. Peyton and Mr. Zarff went to select a roll, Bill had merely followed the impulse to experiment which had been stirred within him earlier by Mr. Fole's revelation of so much that was unusual. Bill had not intended to choke anybody, nor had he the slightest ill-will toward Mrs. Peyton. ”

“ Neither Maud nor Bill felt a reply to be necessary, and Mrs. Peyton's irritation increased. “I declare!” she complained to the proprietor. “They keep watchin' me just like two cats lookin' at a penjulum! I can't make a move! Who are them two chuldern?”
“I think they're the ones belong to Mrs. Ricketts,” Mr. Zarff replied uneasily.
Mrs. Peyton, who had finished the roll, lifted the second glass of buttermilk, but allowed it to remain half-way to her lips. “Are you two Lucy Cope Ricketts's chuldern?”
Bill nodded; and Maud, having noted this action, also nodded. ”

“ Inevitable that the experimental impulse should be stimulated by such revelations of the marvels of Nature: this is the very seed of human progress. Therefore, his eye falling upon a rusty buckle in the gutter, he decided to ascertain the effect of dropping the buckle into the orifice.
But though the visible Mortimer slept, his subliminal self had flung out guards and pickets on the watch ”

“ Zarff's hybrid establishment.
“WELL, I'VE HEARD ABOUT YOU!” MRS. PEYTON THOUGHT PROPER TO INFORM THEM; AND SHE ADDED VEHEMENTLY, “PLENTY!”
“The doctor says I might as well try it, anyhow, Mr. Zarff,” she was explaining. “He says it wouldn't do any harm just givin' it a try. It was Mrs. Rolfo Williams told me about it. She says, 'You'll kill yourself, Ruby, just livin' on greens and one cup of hot water a day,' she says. 'Why don't you try what my cousin over in Springfield took herself down on?' she says. ”

“ As the days grow longer in the spring-time, Mortimer arrives upon the Square a little earlier every morning, because when women are busy about a house with their domestic duties, and all this and that, as Mortimer sometimes explains, a man ought to show them a little consideration and keep out of their way, especially early in the morning. ”

“ Mortimer shook his head. “You wouldn't never do it but wunst!”
“Why not?”
“Maud and Bill.”
“Oh, well, it all depends,” the traveler said, laughing. “I guess I could get on with them, all right.”
“Then you'd have it on anybody in this town,” said Mortimer. “For brains, you would. The smartest man in Marlow is tryin' it right now, and the bettin' ain't hardly any of it on him. 'Most everybody that knows Maud and Bill thinks they'll drive him out.” ”

“ If, however, they had selected it as a hiding-place, little praise can be given them for intelligence, since no spot in all the town could have been more conspicuously in the view of all upward-looking people. ”

“ Not the window display but the appearance of this customer had arrested Maud's attention; and Bill immediately felt the reasonableness of his sister's wishing to stop. Mr. Zarff's customer would have concentrated public interest anywhere except in Marlow, where every one was used to her and sympathized with her; for, though her height was a little less than the average height of women, she weighed almost three hundred pounds. She was of middle age, and the greater part of her blameless life was spent in efforts to reduce her affliction which accounted for her present visit to Mr. ”

“ Maud repeated.
“Don't you tell me no stories! I was awake every minute, and I saw you, Bill Ricketts!”
“Wasn't.”
“Wasn't,” Maud echoed.
“Look here!” said Mr. Foie. “What you doin' up-town alone? That Norwegian lady that works at your house told me last week your mother had went and laid down the law that the both of you couldn't come up to the Square or on Main Street without either her or the Norwegian lady bein' along with you. ”

“ Allen. “What have Maud and Bill been doing?”
“It wouldn't be no such a strain on a person's voice to answer you what they ain't,” Mr. Fole responded. “They begun on me. Tried to drop an ole, rusty halter-buckle down my shirt; then they took and went and stuck it into some buttermilk over at Zarff's pore Ruby Peyton was drinkin' to take her down; and it like to killed her, because she'd got it about half swallered before she coaxed it up. ”