Harold MacGrath

“ I prefer to defend myself.” She faced Sister Ann. “Is it because I am a show-girl, exposing my ankles nightly, that I am not worthy of him?”
“No.”
“Exactly how am I not worthy of him? You are his sister. I would like to love you, if you would let me. No matter! You thought I wanted his money? Have I proven that I don't? Money! What makes me angry with you is that, apparently, you cannot see your brother as other women see him. I love him for what he is, not for what he has. I will marry him because he wants me. When he goes, I will return to the stage. You will have no responsibility. ”

“ We never dodder over likes and dislikes. He and Rollins trapped me. I had to get to the safe before Donny. I came in from the country home, Rollins at the wheel. When he opened the door for me, he swept me up in his arms and carried me into the house, where my brother lay in waiting. I fought him, but only to save him. He is temporarily insane. I don't know how he found out the combination to the wall-safe. Don't misjudge him. He suffered for what he did. I know it. He loves me, but I cannot make him understand. He believes all women are like me—honest. ”

“ When the curtain went down on the finale, I saw our aviator chap spring to his feet and plow up the aisle. He was in such a hurry that he was downright rude. Soon his beautiful hawky profile vanished, and I came back to earth.
I say, what a rummy old top it is! Fancy me stumbling upon that slipper! A little white slipper, no bigger than my hand, light as thistledown—a proud and patriotic little slipper. But did I stumble on it? I rather fancy was positively led to it. Fact! I say, how the deuce do you roll those rotten “makings,” as you Yankees call 'em? ”

“ Those wonder eyes of hers bored me through and through; and curiously, I thought what a poor, futile job it would be to come home late, tipsy, to a wife like this and tell her you'd been sitting up with a sick friend. Mind you, bodily she was a Watteau; but there was the fire of paladins in her heart.. “Very well!” she said. “We'll discuss the slipper later. Just now I am in a tremendous hurry. I am going upstairs for shoes. Please wait here. You may smoke.” ”

“ Out with it.”
“She—she isn't worthy of you, Donny.”
“Ann, that statement needs some elaboration.”
“I tried to save you from the humiliation of this affair.”
“Humiliation? Lord, what are you doing now? You're testifying before strangers that I'm a fool who doesn't know his own mind. Ann,”—softly,—“I'm going away in a few days. The fortunes of war may not permit me to return. I should hate to go, feeling bitterness toward my lovely sister. Sonia has had to work hard all her life. ”

“ Who? Why, demn it the aviator chap and the raving beauty from the Follies! Fact!
“STOP!”
The ancient duffer (a village magistrate, I learned, that young Sheldon had picked up on the way out) looked astonishedly over the rim of his spectacles. The brother whirled, and his tan disappeared for a moment. But I say, I wish you could have seen those two ripping beauties stare at each other. It was equal to any first night I ever saw. Dramatic? Well, rather! Tableau, as the French say. Our ancient broke it.
“Why should I stop? What's the matter?” ”

“ All the better.”
“I wonder!” he mused, returning the slipper to his pocket, where it left a noticeable bulge over his heart.
A LONESOME man (Cameron began) is always inviting a tail-spin. The lonesomer he is, the more curious he is; and it's curiosity that makes these air-pockets. A chap cant get chummy with these melancholy bartenders on ginger-ale. ”

“ She wanted facts.
“My name is Cameron,” I said with what dignity I had left. “I came to return a slipper I found.”
“Oh! But I heard no bell.”
“I came in by the window.”
“You—what?”
“Yes. Somehow I rather fancied things were a bit off here, y' know; so I topped the grille, opened that window and came in. In fact, I rather suspect your chauffeur brought me here on purpose.” It's the only way: carry it off with a good face.
“Rollins! I see. A bit conscience-stricken, I imagine, over this night's work. No matter! You are welcome. You have the air of a gentleman.” ”

“ But as I was wanting a taxi, I nodded and followed him to the curb. I was determined to go to some restaurant where there'd be plenty of pretty women and a lot of of tum-ti-tum music. I can't step yet in these demned hotel rooms. I still can't help waiting for the whiz-bangs.
Illustration: “Donny,” said the sister, “you will lose everything you have if you go on with this.” “Ann,” he answered, “this lady has done me the honor to accept my name.” ”

“ And inside the slipper was the lady's name and address. On my word of honor! Let you see? Well, rather not!
I'm an idiot, of course. Never denied it. Who but a bally idiot would have ordered the chauffeur to proceed at once to the address in that slipper? Wanted an adventure, and here it was. Remember, I was lonesome. Maybe she'd be pretty. No old woman ever wore such a slipper. I forgot it was near midnight.
We turned into a side-street and went off in a westerly direction. By and by I saw the River. We stopped before a fine Mansion with a grille at the side and a bit of lawn. I understood. ”

“ And I love them both, sir. It wont do any good to ring the bell. No one will answer. But you'll find the third window open, sir. Thank you.”
He then went back to his seat—dashed back—and sailed away, leaving me on the curb, stymied. I stared at the slipper, at the blank windows, at the vanishing cab. I was half a mind to toss the slipper over the grille and go on; but dem it, I just couldn't. Something was wrong inside the house. But how the deuce was I to get over that grille, with all those motors shooting past? Some one would see me and report to the police. ”

“ Sisters are always saving brothers, and brothers hating the good offices. My sister never had any trouble with me, though. I was always more or less of a dud. I never blew up over a woman. But I now began to hear ominous rumblings inside the shell. Maybe it was the moonshine; maybe it was the girl's nerve and beauty. Anyhow, I began to look at life seriously,
Well, eventually we came to a beautiful stone wall with iron gates, which were open ”

“ Young—no more than twenty-three; a profile I'm more or less familiar with. I'll explain. Familiar, because I never saw it that it did not belong to a reckless, devil-may-care spirit—proud and hawky. Do you gather? ”