An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser

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