United States or North Macedonia ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
"He's up to some game." Hurstwood obeyed. At the corner he saw the wisdom of it. No sooner did the man perceive the intention to ignore him, than he shook his fist. "Ah, you bloody coward!" he yelled. Some half dozen men, standing on the corner, flung taunts and jeers after the speeding car. Hurstwood winced the least bit. The real thing was slightly worse than the thoughts of it had been.
Night approaching, and a slightly more conversational feeling prevailing, Carrie said: "I think I'll sleep alone to-night. I have a headache." "All right," said Hurstwood. The third night she went to her front bed without apologies. This was a grim blow to Hurstwood, but he never mentioned it. "All right," he said to himself, with an irrepressible frown, "let her sleep alone."
As a rule, no money except the cash taken in after banking hours was kept about the place, and that was locked in the safe by the cashier, who, with the owners, was joint keeper of the secret combination, but, nevertheless, Hurstwood nightly took the precaution to try the cash drawers and the safe in order to see that they were tightly closed.
Her state still seemed fairly reasonable, however. All she did observe was that Hurstwood was somewhat different. Some time in the second year of their residence in Seventy-eighth Street the flat across the hall from Carrie became vacant, and into it moved a very handsome young woman and her husband, with both of whom Carrie afterwards became acquainted.
I don't care to talk about what I've been, but if you'd tell me how to get something to do, I'd be much obliged to you. It wouldn't matter if it only lasted a few days just now. I've got to have something." The porter still gazed, trying to look indifferent. Then, seeing that Hurstwood was about to go on, he said: "I've nothing to do with it. You'll have to ask inside."
Carrie hugged herself when next evening the lines got the same applause. She went home rejoicing, knowing that soon something must come of it. It was Hurstwood who, by his presence, caused her merry thoughts to flee and replaced them with sharp longings for an end of distress. The next day she asked him about his venture. "They're not trying to run any cars except with police.
" You must both go with me to the theater before you go." " Certainly," said Drouet. " Eh, Carrie?" " I'd like it ever so much," she replied. Hurstwood did his best to see that Carrie won the money. He rejoined in her success, kept counting her winnings, and finally gathered and put them in her extended hand.
Once more the plague of poverty galled her, but now she forgot in a measure her own troubles so far as to forget Hurstwood. He waited until four, five, and even six. It was getting dark when he got up out of his chair. "I guess she isn't coming home," he said, grimly. "That's the way," he thought. "She's getting a start now. I'm out of it."
Then began one of those pointless social conversations so common in American resorts where the would-be gilded attempt to rub off gilt from those who have it in abundance. If Hurstwood had one leaning, it was toward notabilities. He considered that, if anywhere, he belonged among them.
"Come again," said the youth, pushing out a small pile of reds. "Let me have some more chips," said Hurstwood to the keeper in charge, taking out a bill. A cynical grin lit up the face of his youthful opponent. When the chips were laid out, Hurstwood met the raise. "Five again," said the youth. Hurstwood's brow was wet. He was deep in now very deep for him. Sixty dollars of his good money was up.
Word Of The Day