Affinities and Other Stories

r were dining out and were to meet me later, so I was fre

for the car. At the last minute I pulled my hair a bi

es. He was going with some people to the dance, and would

"There's a lot too much being whispered th

and we two were lef

ine," Russell said. "I-I don't usually have to wa

There was a window open and I stood near it,

banished as soon as I've explained that

although he was uncomfortable t

erest," I said. "This is Henry's idea, you know. You n

entirely safe. He put his hands in h

istake. I'm respectable enough to be uninteresting, and the ban

ver got a chance to know you really well, I'm sur

eard! But that doesn't matter. What really matters"-he had hardly taken his

imposs

to the same places. Am

not. B

given me a thought. Henry, I knew, had lugged him there by sheer force

ed rathe

ecile," he said. "In the first place, there never was an

w what the f

e of a little saint, with all that fluffy hair, but your eyes don't be

afrai

won't you? I suppose we can sit in a

ather sneaki

't hurt it

r being announced, he put

m behind me. "Thank heaven for hair tha

and in the hall

d lot after all, a

gesture I put my free han

y sorry, if I've misunder

er door. Russell Hill stoop

he had called "the dolly dozen." Now, by merely letting him under

stationed there were getting their supper. He tried to hold my hand and I drew it away-not too fast, but

have a good time and all that sort of thin

t's only that the right

od many. A good

not fools or blind. Look here, I'm

you'd bet

ot to telephone, how's this

l friends don't nee

ght. Now, see here, I'm going to see you again, and often

he put it down o

ow my middle name, and if it's not conveni

er she'd taken on. They got clear round the palms and in

the way home. Father had gone a couple of hours earlier and

t you danced with every hopeless ineligibl

pped, "let poor Henry alone. Henry

burned," mother said with unconscious humour. "He

said. When I look back on that evening and think how little Hen

st one, mother: I want you to

oo

ou to forbid

insane, K

ing he wanted. He's had so much that-that he's got a sort of social indigestion.

ill see her trying to readjust her ideas, and getting t

have me he'

sure of

rs, and you know less about men in a month than I do in a minute

she sai

think of-Toots W

salts and held t

my mind," she said at last.

t home. Then on the stai

oing, mother, if Herschenrother the tailo

after me with her mouth op

the dragons were, and if there was any chance of my walking in the park at fiv

u've only got to ask me, Kit. I

Henry had been a wrong move. But, as it turned out he hadn't, for Russe

raid of me sti

hy

. You asked him, and he's so set up

m af

f

myse

helped me across a pu

irl!" h

led again-he's terribly popular,

u alone if I have to

xt day, and Madge, who had come home

t be getting a trousseau. That

we

ell's voice, "how

. I'm horribl

ant. I-I can't go

was listening and I had to be c

about the Art Gallery? Art is long an

o'clock," I repli

go along, Kit. I've been shut up in school until the me

practise. She was furious. Really, mother turned out to be a most understanding person. I got t

well, mother," I said w

ed when he would tak

ay he has never voluntarily be

aid, "what abou

t you t

ouldn't u

life and marriage arrange themselves. That it's all a sort of comb

d something about Russell, and

man down if it really

I told her. "We'll pr

ways something queer about an elopement. And anyhow she'd been giving wedding gifts for years

day. All the way through I played in hard luck. Ju

s. I couldn't afford to wait, for one or two of the girls were wearing their hair like mine, and I'd heard that Toots Warringt

Instead of going from the cradle to the gra

s too polite. In the second place, he is too stupid.

heater, and we sat dow

oney?" h

ou mind if I put one

pocket of various things, including a letter which he mentioned casua

ng person," he said, "a

hand until it hurt. S

" he said. "T

her. He did not see us at first, and we had time to stand up and be looking at a landscape when he got

rfully. "Never saw so many good 'uns

nterest in us had passed evidently. He marked another cross in the catalogue and went o

e's a friend of the family, and I'll just c

hink he was

s just one of the things that comes and go

goes?" he demande

don't last. And we can't go on meeting indefinitely.

wrong move

. "Are you sure your fathe

about it," I said,

y, and he nearly fell on

t that? I w

ple," I managed finally,

nd. And he moved round and put it in the other coat pocket without a wo

that evening abo

ople will send things when the announcement cards go out.

, and I did not like her tone when she said it was Herschenrother again. Once I could

a cotillon or two for the school set, and played round with th

would take with me, if the thing came to an elopement-I was pretty sure by that time, and we planned a

nry took her to the train. I remember mother's

"She is bound to marry badly anyhow, she's so impulsive, and

d. "Probably Henry would be all right fo

d at me and

n a movie. We'd had to give up the Art Gallery because Henry was always ta

as up, and she had to have somebody. There was probably something to it. We saw them in the pa

refused

u're crazy about me

a past," I said. "You'd

re you, that'

u might fin

ve never had as interes

hing. Afte

the first night

pantry

out being cold? And I told you it

memb

ool yourself-that little hand of yours slips into m

kissed it. Luckily

him. Mother was quite delirious when I to

, Kit, never," she said. "If

si

d be happy," I snapped. It was a silly

bby," sa

ain of the last month was over,

not going to marry Russell Hill, and have him call you 'girlie,

iffly, and sent her

y that night, and mother wa

atherine," she said, "I'v

ternoon, please forget it, mother. I w

Now and then those things have a way of going wrong. Qui

ahead," I sai

after things. Russell is not the sort to arrang

en

your well-being at heart. He is more like a

e fixed on Henry, and I telephoned him to come round to

," he said, "d

to do someth

. That's all th

e's something so downright about Henry. He was standing

d, "I am going

y anything at

?" he

know t

es

going to s

isn't it? The point is, of course, why you are doing it. If it's to cut out somebody else, or to get money or anything l

o a red-headed young man with bl

enry," I said. I was astound

giving him a

e with me either

n wh

st marriageable man I know, and I have to marry money. I've been raised for that. A

!" he said hoarsely, and slammed o

came over me that night. I went

elopement had been set for Friday, and it was Wednesday. Mother and father were out, and I went downstairs for a b

He was just sitting, his long l

almly. "I knew this was

picious of his manner.

ken by surprise. Just forget it, Kit. Now,

him, an

ade any ar

en't a

ind a license and a preacher on the platform. I'd better

so eager to get me married. There ha

" I

said. "You might give me one of your rings, a

m," I sa

ing in

date, I

or anything

sort of stupor

ere won't be room for much inside. The d

put in the date. Then, if he takes one along,

very tho

shown. "I don't approve of anything about this business;

stood in fro

y, "is that you don't love any one else. It's

eligible," I said, not looking at him. "I've been rai

nobody el

uld the

you have evaded it. The plain truth, of course, is that you are i

" I demand

said, and picked up