impressive-looking car, was waiting for her father who was
still in the Stark Building opposite. And Miss Stark,
fashionably outfitted according to the season, her world and
her own pretentious taste, was affectedly posed at the
wheel, not only for the benefit of Clyde but the public in
general. And to Roberta, who by now was reduced to the
verge of distraction between Clyde’s delay and her
determination to compel him to act in her behalf, she
appeared to be little less than an epitome of all the security,
luxury and freedom from responsibility which so enticed and
hence caused Clyde to delay and be as indifferent as
possible to the dire state which confronted her. For, alas,
apart from this claim of her condition, what had she to offer
him comparable to all he would be giving up in case he
acceded to her request? Nothing—a thought which was far
from encouraging.
Yet, at this moment contrasting her own wretched and
neglected state with that of this Miss Stark, for example,
she found herself a prey to an even more complaining and
antagonistic mood than had hitherto characterized her. It
was not right. It was not fair. For duing the several weeks
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629
that had passed since last they had discussed this matter,
Clyde had scarcely said a word to her at the factory or
elsewhere, let alone called upon her at her room, fearing as
he did the customary inquiry which he could not satisfy. And
this caused her to feel that not only was he neglecting but
resenting her most sharply.
And yet as she walked home from this trivial and fairly
representative scene, her heart was not nearly so angry as
it was sad and sore because of the love and comfort that
had vanished and was not likely ever to come again … ever
… ever … ever. Oh, how terrible, … how terrible!
On the other hand, Clyde, and at approximately this same
time, was called upon to witness a scene identified with
Roberta, which, as some might think, only an ironic and
even malicious fate could have intended or permitted to
come to pass. For motoring north the following Sunday to
Arrow Lake to the lodge of the Trumbulls’ to take
advantage of an early spring week-end planned by Sondra,
the party on nearing Biltz, which was in the direct line of the
trip, was compelled to detour east in the direction of
Roberta’s home. And coming finally to a north and south
road which ran directly from Trippettsville past the Alden
farm, they turned north into that. And a few minutes later,
came directly to the corner adjoining the Alden farm, where
an east and west road led to Biltz. Here Tracy Trumbull,
driving at the time, requested that some one should get out
and inquire at the adjacent farm-house as to whether this
road did lead to Biltz. And Clyde, being nearest to one door,
jumped out. And then, glancing at the name on the mail-
box which stood at the junction and evidently belonged to
the extremely dilapidated old farm-house on the rise above,
he was not a little astonished to note that the name was
that of Titus Alden—Roberta’s father. Also, as it instantly
came to him, since she had described her parents as being
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630
near Biltz, this must be her home. It gave him pause,
caused him for the moment to hesitate as to whether to go
on or not, for once he had given Roberta a small picture of
himself, and she might have shown it up here. Again the
mere identification of this lorn, dilapidated realm with
Roberta and hence himself, was sufficient to cause him to
wish to turn and run.
But Sondra, who was sitting next him in the car and now
noting his hesitation, called: “What’s the matter, Clyde?
Afraid of the bow-wow?” And he, realizing instantly that they
would comment further on his actions if he did not proceed
at once, started up the path. But the effect of this house,
once he contemplated it thoroughly, was sufficient to
arouse in his brain the most troubled and miserable of
thoughts. For what a house, to be sure! So lonely and bare,
even in this bright, spring weather! The decayed and
sagging roof. The broken chimney to the north—rough
lumps of cemented field stones lying at its base; the
sagging and semi-toppling chimney to the south, sustained
in place by a log chain. The unkempt path from the road
below, which slowly he ascended! He was not a little
dejected by the broken and displaced stones which served
as steps before the front door. And the unpainted
dilapidated out-buildings, all the more dreary because of
these others.
“Gee!” To think that this was Roberta’s home. And to think,
in the face of all that he now aspired to in connection with
Sondra and this social group at Lycurgus, she should be
demanding that he marry her! And Sondra in the car with
him here to see—if not know. The poverty! The reduced
grimness of it all. How far he had traveled away from just
such a beginning as this!
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631
With a weakening and sickening sensation at the pit of his
stomach, as of some blow administered there, he now
approached the door. And then, as if to further distress him,
if that were possible, the door was opened by Titus Alden,
who, in an old, thread-bare and out-at-elbows coat, as well
as baggy, worn, jean trousers and rough, shineless, ill-
fitting country shoes, desired by his look to know what he
wanted. And Clyde, being taken aback by the clothes, as
well as a marked resemblance to Roberta about the eyes
and mouth, now as swiftly as possible asked if the east and
west road below ran through Biltz and joined the main
highway north. And although he would have preferred a
quick “yes” so that he might have turned and gone, Titus
preferred to step down into the yard and then, with a
gesture of the arm, indicate that if they wanted to strike a
really good part of the road, they had better follow this
Trippettsville north and south road for at least two more
miles, and then turn west. Clyde thanked him briefly and
turned almost before he had finished and hurried away.
For, as he now recalled, and with an enormous sense of
depression, Roberta was thinking and at this very time, that
soon now, and in the face of all Lycurgus had to offer him—
Sondra—the coming spring and summer—the love and
romance, gayety, position, power—he was going to give all
that up and go away with and marry her. Sneak away to
some out-of-the-way place! Oh, how horrible! And with a
child at his age! Oh, why had he ever been so foolish and
weak as to identify himself with her in this intimate way?
Just because of a few lonely evenings! Oh, why, why
couldn’t he have waited and then this other world would
have opened up to him just the same? If only he could have
waited!
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632
And now unquestionably, unless he could speedily and
easily disengage himself from her, all this other splendid
recognition would be destined to be withdrawn from him,
and this other world from which he sprang might extend its
gloomy, poverty-stricken arms to him and envelop him once
more, just as the poverty of his family had enveloped and
almost strangled him from the first. And it even occurred to
him, in a vague way for the first time, how strange it was
that this girl and he, whose origin had been strikingly
similar, should have been so drawn to each other in the
beginning. Why should it have been? How strange life was,
anyway? But even more harrowing than this, was the
problem of a way out that was before him. And his mind
from now on, on this trip, was once more searching for
some solution. A word of complaint from Roberta or her
parents to his uncle or Gilbert, and assuredly he would be
done for.
The thought so troubled him that once in the car, and
although previously he had been chattering along with the
others about what might be in store ahead in the way of
divertissement, he now sat silent. And Sondra, who sat next
to him and who previously had been whispering at intervals
of her plans for the summer, now, instead of resuming the
patter, whispered: “What come over de sweet
phing?” (When Clyde appeared to be the least reduced in
mind she most affected this patter with him, since it had an
almost electric, if sweetly tormenting effect on him. “His
baby-talking girl,” he sometimes called her.) “Facey all dark
now. Little while ago facey all smiles. Come make facey all
nice again. Smile at Sondra. Squeeze Sondra’s arm like