Hulbert Footner

“ Timothy demanded.
“Love is a duet,” said she. “The man sets the key in which it is to be sung, and the woman accommodates her voice to it as well as she can!”
“Good!” he said. “But like other similes, it wont bear too close an examination!”
“What would you say?” inquired Clorinda.
“Love is the paddle in the churn of life!”
Clorinda laughed. “Too general!” she said. “There are too many kinds!”
“Of churns?”
“Yes, and of love!”
“Only two kinds of love,” said Timothy. “Greek and Gothic.”
“The usual male view, I believe,” said Clorinda. “You will learn better.” ”

“ This is a day to be your real self—you are a woman who longs to be herself!”
Again Clorinda looked at him uneasily.
“I can see it!” he said in answer to her unexpressed thought. “If you miss this opportunity you will never cease to regret it. Here's a chance to throw off the petty restrictions that hem you in! We will be honest with each other. We will talk—we will understand without talking! Come!”
Timothy paused.
Clorinda did not speak, but elaborately traced the pattern of the rug with the toe of her boot. ”

“ A man coming down the street at the moment saluted her, and she smiled. The keyed-up Timothy read volumes in that smile; it was neither forced nor cold; there was nothing in it particularly for the man to whom it was addressed, but much for the pleasure of being alive on such an afternoon. Timothy paused to allow her to cross the sidewalk in front of him, and so got a fair look at her. She did not look at him, but a faint odor of the violets she was wearing drifted back, which to one in Timothy's state of mind was sufficiently maddening. ”

“ The sunshine—or what ever it was—filled me with a kind of turbulence—I couldn't work—and I didn't feel as if I ought to come to you when I felt that way. You are so good!”
Clorinda wiggled her shoulders impatiently.
“I thought I could walk it off. I went to the park, but the greenery—the sky—only made me worse. Good Heavens! Clorinda, I was aghast at myself! Every woman attracted me—every pretty one, I mean! And when I saw that girl sitting on a bench—such an appealing picture! And she was inspired by the day, too! And an accident brought us together! ”

“ He groaned, sinking back. “What would she think of me!”
“Oh, brace up!” said Clorinda. “You were bold enough five minutes ago.”
“But I thought she was so good!” said poor Timothy.
Clorinda threw up her hands.
“But what am I to think of the look of it,” he groaned.
Clorinda's eyes snapped.
“Really,” she began, in tones of exasperation, “a man is superb in his inconsistency! If this situation will only teach you and the clergyman over there a lesson it's a good thing it was brought about.” ”

“ Run along! Surely I don't have to impress upon you the necessity of carrying things with a high hand. All is lost if you let the weakness of your position be seen! And take a pointer from me; scold your angel well and she'll think more of you!”
Timothy, after further protesting that he would not leave Clorinda, prepared to get up.
“Good-by, Timothy,” said Clorinda pleasantly. “Thanks for explaining to me the difference between the two kinds!”
Timothy mumbled his farewells and heat a retreat to 'Riquetta's kitchen. ”

“ And the recollection of 'Riquetta's haunted me—one of my classmates is always talking about it. And before I well knew it, we were on our way there!”
“Did you go in a hansom?” asked Clorinda.
“No, the elevated,” he replied.
“You are almost human,” said Clorinda. ”

“ The longest-living author of this work died in 1944, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 79 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. ”