Kogel called: “Oh, let’s all dance to that, will you? Can’t you
stop that other old thing?” she added.
“Sure, after it runs down,” explained Ratterer, laughingly.
“The only way to stop that thing is not to feed it any nickels.”
But now a waiter coming in, Higby began to inquire what
everybody wanted. And in the meantime, to show off her
charms, Hortense had taken the center of the floor and was
attempting to imitate a grizzly bear walking on its hind legs,
which she could do amusingly enough—quite gracefully.
And Sparser, seeing her alone in the center of the floor was
anxious to interest her now, followed her and tried to imitate
her motions from behind. Finding him clever at it, and
anxious to dance, she finally abandoned the imitation and
giving him her arms went one-stepping about the room
most vividly. At once, Clyde, who was by no means as
good a dancer, became jealous—painfully so. In his
eagerness for her, it seemed unfair to him that he should be
deserted by her so early—at the very beginning of things.
But she, becoming interested in Sparser, who seemed
more worldly-wise, paid no attention at all to Clyde for the
time being, but went dancing with her new conquest, his
rhythmic skill seeming charmingly to match her own. And
then, not to be out of it, the others at once chose partners,
Hegglund dancing with Maida, Ratterer with Lucille and
Higby with Tina Kogel. This left Laura Sipe for Clyde, who
did not like her very much. She was not as perfect as she
might be—a plump, pudgy-faced girl with inadequate
sensual blue eyes—and Clyde, lacking any exceptional
skill, they danced nothing but the conventional one-step
while the others were dipping and lurching and spinning.
In a kind of sick fury, Clyde noticed that Sparser, who was
still with Hortense, was by now holding her close and
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looking straight into her eyes. And she was permitting him.
It gave him a feeling of lead at the pit of his stomach. Was it
possible she was beginning to like this young upstart who
had this car? And she had promised to like him for the
present. It brought to him a sense of her fickleness—the
probability of her real indifference to him. He wanted to do
something—stop dancing and get her away from Sparser,
but there was no use until this particular record ran out.
And then, just at the end of this, the waiter returned with a
tray and put down cocktails, ginger ale and sandwiches
upon three small tables which had been joined together. All
but Sparser and Hortense quit and came toward it—a fact
which Clyde was quick to note. She was a heartless flirt!
She really did not care for him after all. And after making
him think that she did, so recently—and getting him to help
her with that coat. She could go to the devil now. He would
show her. And he waiting for her! Wasn’t that the limit? Yet,
finally seeing that the others were gathering about the
tables, which had been placed near the fire, Hortense and
Sparser ceased dancing and approached. Clyde was white
and glum. He stood to one side, seemingly indifferent. And
Laura Sipe, who had already noted his rage and
understood the reason now moved away from him to join
Tina Kogel, to whom she explained why he was so angry.
And then noting his glumness, Hortense came over,
executing a phase of the “Grizzly” as she did so.
“Gee, wasn’t that swell?” she began. “Gee, how I do love to
dance to music like that!”
“Sure, it’s swell for you,” returned Clyde, burning with envy
and disappointment.
“Why, what’s the trouble?” she asked, in a low and almost
injured tone, pretending not to guess, yet knowing quite
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well why he was angry. “You don’t mean to say that you’re
mad because I danced with him first, do you? Oh, how silly!
Why didn’t you come over then and dance with me? I
couldn’t refuse to dance with him when he was right there,
could I?”
“Oh, no, of course, you couldn’t,” replied Clyde sarcastically,
and in a low, tense tone, for he, no more than Hortense,
wanted the others to hear. “But you didn’t have to fall all
over him and dream in his eyes, either, did you?” He was
fairly blazing. “You needn’t say you didn’t, because I saw
you.”
At this she glanced at him oddly, realizing not only the
sharpness of his mood, but that this was the first time he
had shown so much daring in connection with her. It must
be that he was getting to feel too sure of her. She was
showing him too much attention. At the same time she
realized that this was not the time to show him that she did
not care for him as much as she would like to have him
believe, since she wanted the coat, already agreed upon.
“Oh, gee, well, ain’t that the limit?” she replied angrily, yet
more because she was irritated by the fact that what he
said was true than anything else. “If you aren’t the grouch.
Well, I can’t help it, if you’re going to be as jealous as that. I
didn’t do anything but dance with him just a little. I didn’t
think you’d be mad.” She moved as if to turn away, but
realizing that there was an understanding between them,
and that he must be placated if things were to go on, she
drew him by his coat lapels out of the range of the hearing
of the others, who were already looking and listening, and
began.
“Now, see here, you. Don’t go acting like this. I didn’t mean
anything by what I did. Honest, I didn’t. Anyhow, everybody
dances like that now. And nobody means anything by it.
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Aren’t you goin’ to let me be nice to you like I said, or are
you?”
And now she looked him coaxingly and winsomely and
calculatingly straight in the eye, as though he were the one
person among all these present whom she really did like.
And deliberately, and of a purpose, she made a pursy,
sensuous mouth—the kind she could make—and practised
a play of the lips that caused them to seem to want to kiss
him—a mouth that tempted him to distraction.
“All right,” he said, looking at her weakly and yieldingly. “I
suppose I am a fool, but I saw what you did, all right. You
know I’m crazy about you, Hortense—just wild! I can’t help
it. I wish I could sometimes. I wish I wouldn’t be such a
fool.” And he looked at her and was sad. And she, realizing
her power over him and how easy it was to bring him
around, replied: “Oh, you—you don’t, either. I’ll kiss you
after a while, when the others aren’t looking if you’ll be
good.” At the same time she was conscious of the fact that
Sparser’s eyes were upon her. Also that he was intensely
drawn to her and that she liked him more than any one she
had recently encountered.
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Chapter 18
THE climax of the afternoon was reached, however, when
after several more dances and drinks, the small river and its
possibilities was again brought to the attention of all by
Hegglund, who, looking out of one of the windows,
suddenly exclaimed: “What’s de matter wit de ice down
dere? Look at de swell ice. I dare dis crowd to go down
dere and slide.”
They were off pell-mell—Ratterer and Tina Kogel, running
hand in hand, Sparser and Lucille Nickolas, with whom he
had just been dancing, Higby and Laura Sipe, whom he
was finding interesting enough for a change, and Clyde and
Hortense. But once on the ice, which was nothing more
than a narrow, winding stream, blown clean in places by the
wind, and curving among thickets of leafless trees, the
company were more like young satyrs and nymphs of an
older day. They ran here and there, slipping and sliding—
Higby, Lucille and Maida immediately falling down, but
scrambling to their feet with bursts of laughter.
And Hortense, aided by Clyde at first, minced here and
there. But soon she began to run and slide, squealing in
pretended fear. And now, not only Sparser but Higby, and
this in spite of Clyde, began to show Hortense attention.
They joined her in sliding, ran after her and pretended to try
to trip her up, but caught her as she fell. And Sparser,
taking her by the hand, dragged her, seemingly in spite of
herself and the others, far upstream and about a curve
where they could not be seen. Determined not to show
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further watchfulness or jealousy Clyde remained behind.
But he could not help feeling that Sparser might be taking