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Chapter 9
APART from the momentary thrill and zest of this, the effect
was to throw Clyde, as before, speculatively back upon the
problem of his proper course here. For here was this girl,
and she was approaching him in this direct and suggestive
way. And so soon after telling himself and his mother that
his course was to be so different here—no such
approaches or relationships as had brought on his downfall
in Kansas City. And yet—and yet——
He was sorely tempted now, for in his contact with Rita he
had the feeling that she was expecting him to suggest a
further step—and soon. But just how and where? Not in
connection with this large, strange house. There were other
rooms apart from the kitchen to which Dillard and Zella had
ostensibly departed. But even so, such a relationship once
established! What then? Would he not be expected to
continue it, or let himself in for possible complications in
case he did not? He danced with and fondled her in a
daring and aggressive fashion, yet thinking as he did so,
“But this is not what I should be doing either, is it? This is
Lycurgus. I am a Griffiths, here. I know how these people
feel toward me—their parents even. Do I really care for
her? Is there not something about her quick and easy
availability which, if not exactly dangerous in so far as my
future here is concerned, is not quite satisfactory,—too
quickly intimate?” He was experiencing a sensation not
unrelated to his mood in connection with the lupanar in
Kansas City—attracted and yet repulsed. He could do no
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more than kiss and fondle her here in a somewhat
restrained way until at last Dillard and Zella returned,
whereupon the same degree of intimacy was no longer
possible.
A clock somewhere striking two, it suddenly occurred to
Rita that she must be going—her parents would object to
her staying out so late. And since Dillard gave no evidence
of deserting Zella, it followed, of course, that Clyde was to
see her home, a pleasure that now had been allayed by a
vague suggestion of disappointment or failure on the part of
both. He had not risen to her expectations, he thought.
Obviously he lacked the courage yet to follow up the proffer
of her favors, was the way she explained it to herself.
At her own door, not so far distant, and with a conversation
which was still tinctured with intimations of some future
occasions which might prove more favorable,—her attitude
was decidedly encouraging, even here. They parted, but
with Clyde still saying to himself that this new relationship
was developing much too swiftly. He was not sure that he
should undertake a relationship such as this here—so soon,
anyhow. Where now were all his fine decisions made
before coming here? What was he going to decide? And
yet because of the sensual warmth and magnetism of Rita,
he was irritated by his resolution and his inability to proceed
as he otherwise might.
Two things which eventually decided him in regard to this
came quite close together. One related to the attitude of the
Griffiths themselves, which, apart from that of Gilbert, was
not one of opposition or complete indifference, so much as
it was a failure on the part of Samuel Griffiths in the first
instance and the others largely because of him to grasp the
rather anomalous, if not exactly lonely position in which
Clyde would find himself here unless the family chose to
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show him at least some little courtesy or advise him
cordially from time to time. Yet Samuel Griffiths, being
always very much pressed for time, had scarcely given
Clyde a thought during the first month, at least. He was
here, properly placed, as he heard, would be properly
looked after in the future,—what more, just now, at least?
And so for all of five weeks before any action of any kind
was taken, and with Gilbert Griffiths comforted thereby,
Clyde was allowed to drift along in his basement world
wondering what was being intended in connection with
himself. The attitude of others, including Dillard and these
girls, finally made his position here seem strange.
However, about a month after Clyde had arrived, and
principally because Gilbert seemed so content to say
nothing regarding him, the elder Griffiths inquired one day:
“Well, what about your cousin? How’s he doing by now?”
And Gilbert, only a little worried as to what this might bode,
replied, “Oh, he’s all right. I started him off in the shrinking
room. Is that all right?”
“Yes, I think so. That’s as good a place as any for him to
begin, I believe. But what do you think of him by now?”
“Oh,” answered Gilbert very conservatively and decidedly
independently—a trait for which his father had always
admired him—“Not so much. He’s all right, I guess. He may
work out. But he does not strike me as a fellow who would
ever make much of a stir in this game. He hasn’t had much
of an education of any kind, you know. Any one can see
that. Besides, he’s not so very aggressive or energetic-
looking. Too soft, I think. Still I don’t want to knock him. He
may be all right. You like him and I may be wrong. But I
can’t help but think that his real idea in coming here is that
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you’ll do more for him than you would for someone else,
just because he is related to you.”
“Oh, you think he does. Well, if he does, he’s wrong.” But at
the same time, he added, and that with a bantering smile:
“He may not be as impractical as you think, though. He
hasn’t been here long enough for us to really tell, has he?
He didn’t strike me that way in Chicago. Besides there are a
lot of little corners into which he might fit, aren’t there,
without any great waste, even if he isn’t the most talented
fellow in the world? If he’s content to take a small job in life,
that’s his business. I can’t prevent that. But at any rate, I
don’t want him sent away yet, anyhow, and I don’t want him
put on piece work. It wouldn’t look right. After all, he is
related to us. Just let him drift along for a little while and see
what he does for himself.”
“All right, governor,” replied his son, who was hoping that
his father would absent-mindedly let him stay where he was
—in the lowest of all the positions the factory had to offer.
But, now, and to his dissatisfaction, Samuel Griffiths
proceeded to add, “We’ll have to have him out to the house
for dinner pretty soon, won’t we? I have thought of that but I
haven’t been able to attend to it before. I should have
spoken to Mother about it before this. He hasn’t been out
yet, has he?”
“No, sir, not that I know of,” replied Gilbert dourly. He did
not like this at all, but was too tactful to show his opposition
just here. “We’ve been waiting for you to say something
about it, I suppose.”
“Very well,” went on Samuel, “you’d better find out where
he’s stopping and have him out. Next Sunday wouldn’t be a
bad time, if we haven’t anything else on.” Noting a flicker of
doubt or disapproval in his son’s eyes, he added: “After all,
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Gil, he’s my nephew and your cousin, and we can’t afford to
ignore him entirely. That wouldn’t be right, you know, either.
You’d better speak to your mother to-night, or I will, and
arrange it.” He closed the drawer of a desk in which he had
been looking for certain papers, got up and took down his
hat and coat and left the office.
In consequence of this discussion, an invitation was sent to
Clyde for the following Sunday at six-thirty to appear and
participate in a Griffiths family meal. On Sunday at one-
thirty was served the important family dinner to which
usually was invited one or another of the various local or
visiting friends of the family. At six-thirty nearly all of these
guests had departed, and sometimes one or two of the
Griffiths themselves, the cold collation served being
partaken of by Mr. and Mrs. Griffiths and Myra—Bella and
Gilbert usually having appointments elsewhere.
On this occasion, however, as Mrs. Griffiths and Myra and
Bella decided in conference, they would all be present with
the exception of Gilbert, who, because of his opposition as
well as another appointment, explained that he would stop
in for only a moment before leaving. Thus Clyde as Gilbert
was pleased to note would be received and entertained
without the likelihood of contacts, introductions and
explanations to such of their more important connections
who might chance to stop in during the afternoon. They