Elizabeth Jordan

“ Miss Holloway agreed, with the expression that so warmed her features. But she had known Philip's charms through five years of close association, following their first intimate inspection a day after he had arrived on earth. Those of the Furnace Man were only now dawning upon her; he suggested hinterlands of possibility. She concentrated on the Furnace Man.
"Do you live by furnaces alone?" she inquired. "Forgive me for asking," she added, hastily, "but you know I'm interested in such things."
The Furnace Man's smile faded and the light died out of his eyes. ”

“ Jim, you just got to come out and bring Carlotta, so please do it, quick."
Professor Gray looked very much as Anita had expected him to look. Clark was an elegant person, with a Van Dyke beard and a manner. Both murmured pleasant phrases, to which Anita replied in kind. Both were utterly insignificant in the presence of the third man, a young giant with brown eyes and the handsomest head and face Miss Holloway had ever seen. They were almost too handsome; they rather took one's breath away and made one self-conscious—but the manner of their possessor was extremely simple and natural. ”

“ At the head of the table Philip was devoting himself to Carlotta, who listened to him with a smile on her fair, sullen face. Dr. Clark and the nurse were deep in the animated discussion of "a case." Professor Gray was starting Jimmy on another reminiscence. The world was hers and the Furnace Man's. But she must not make another false beginning. While she hesitated he spoke.
"We aren't hitting it off as well as we should be, are we?" he asked, sympathetically.
"No," she admitted, with regret. "Do you know why we're not?"
"Of course. We live on different planets. We have different viewpoints. ”

“ Talk to me not as one of 'the deserving poor,' but as a man in your own class."
Miss Holloway flushed darkly, and her lips set. The next instant she had turned to him with a new expression—a most unusual one for her, apologetic, even contrite.
"I deserved that," she conceded; "I'm glad you gave it to me. Now we'll begin all over. Tell me," she added, mischievously—"tell me what you think of the Russian dancers. I know you're longing to." ”

“ Then you will be happy."
The cloud passed from the brow of Carlotta from Sweden. "I could not like you no better as I do," she said.
Philip's response was as eager as a lover's. "Does that mean you like me now—really, truly?" he cried. ”

“ In twenty minutes her masseuse would arrive, and the strenuous hour of this young person's visit would be succeeded by the attentions of a maid, who might or might not arouse the momentary interest attending the building of a new style of coiffure on the head of her mistress. After that there would be the nuisance of getting dressed, Anita reflected gloomily; and then a luncheon, at which eight or ten women would gabble, none listening to any of the others. At five she must go to Harriet Mason's tea, "to meet" a person she had not the slightest desire to meet ”

“ Philip's "Furnis Man"
BY ELIZABETH JORDAN
MISS ANITA HOLLOWAY rested her arms inelegantly on her breakfast-tray and frowned down at the silver coffee-pot, the cream-pitcher, the two slices of toast, and the pile of letters that met her weary glance. She was twenty-four. A loving but candid friend had once said of her that she looked twenty when she was interested, and thirty when she was bored. She was not interested now. ”

“ Fancy letting him associate with newsboys and furnace-men!"
"But think of getting Professor Gray!" another breathed in awe. "He never goes anywhere, and his books are simply wonderful."
"The Camerons ought to be putting Philip up now for the best schools and the big clubs, so he'll get in when he's old enough," another matron thought. "We entered Billy for Groton the day he was born."
"Are you really his aunt?" a fourth asked Miss Holloway. ”

“ Carlotta, the Swedish nurse of a neighboring child, had coyly retreated into a corner behind a potted palm. Three men, however, rose as Anita entered, and two of these Philip presented in turn.
"This is my doctor," he said. "He's awful busy, but he came to my party just the same. He's going to bring me a little brother soon 's he can 'tend to it. And this is the Professor. He knows everything."
The foot of Jim, appearing under the divan at this point, distracted the attention of the host. ”

“ Profeser Gray— —Dokter Clark
Carlotta from Sweden— —Nurs
X
ME
"Couldn't have done it better myself," chuckled the elder Cameron. "Few pictures could be more stimulating to the tired mind than that of Clark between Nurse and the Furnace Man."
"Unless," murmured his wife, "it's that of Nita between Jim and the Furnace Man. Oh, Phil, isn't it an appalling mixture!"
"They'll carry it off," predicted her husband. "Trust Gray for that."
"Nita could swing the thing alone, if she happened to be in the humor," brooded Philip's mother. "But probably she won't be. She almost never is, nowadays. ”

“ He nodded. "Working my way through," he added, cheerfully.
"Hence the furnace?"
"Yes. I've a whole string of furnaces on this street. That's how I met Philip. He's an early riser. So am I. I get here at six every morning, and Philip's about the only person stirring. He trots down into the basement and we talk things over. We've settled most of the big problems of life. A few we've had to leave."
"What were they?"
Anita was interested. Her picture of Philip in the basement on the upturned box had been surprisingly accurate, as these sudden visualizations of hers were apt to be. ”

“ Pale but calm, Master Philip asked a few questions. He learned that the table arrangement of his guests was highly important. Also that there were hosts so given to detail that they actually wrote out a list of their guests and then made a diagram of their positions at the banquet-board. ”

“ The longest-living author of this work died in 1947, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 76 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works. ”