Main Street

enough to Will? Am I impressed enough by his work? I will be. Oh, I

, you must tell me a lot more about your ca

And he went down

, "For instance, wh

? How do

I want to

es, and a sprained wrist, and a fool woman that thinks she wants to ki

y woman doesn't

s. You can't do much wit

ll me about the next case that

nything that--Say that's pretty

debacle Vida Sherwin called and ca

ht innocence that Carol was uneasy. Vida took off her furs with a boun

nk this climate is the finest in the world, and my friends are the dearest people in the world, and my work is the most essenti

o flay me alive." Carol

one who runs between A and B having a beautiful time telling each of them what the other has said. But I wan

. I was too abrupt at

than that. I wonder if you understand that in a secluded community like this every newcomer is on test? People cordial to her but watching her all the t

talked abou

de

at there's nothing about me to discuss. I can't realize that Mr. and Mrs. Haydock must gossip about me." Carol was working up a small passion of

ant you to try and be impersonal. They'd paw over anybody

es

compliment of supposing that you can be. I want you t

I shall ever be able to help you 'make the town worth wh

ything farther away than Minneapolis. They're so suspicious

Shall I dress in gunn

you going t

good,"

o change yourself. Just want you to know what they think. You must do that, no matter how absurd their pr

w whether it

ourse it is! Why, I depend on

t-not an

urse y

uld help--So they t

ore Gopher Prairies than there are Chicagos. Or Londons. And--I'll tell you the whole story: They think you're showing off when you say 'American' instead of 'Ammurrican.' They th

I was

when you said she had 'such a pretty little car.' She thinks it's an enormous car! An

I was trying

your cousin. (Wait now! There's plenty more.) And they think you were eccentric in furnishing this room-they think the broad couch and that Jap

these things while I've been going about so happily and liking them.

being power. And some day you'll see how absorbing it is to have power, even

s, when I've been perfectly natural with them. But let's have i

y,

p worse things than an

them felt you were showing off-pretendin

They really thought that I--And you want to 'reform' people like that

well a

it that other kind of vulgarity? If they must know, you may tell them, with my compliments, that Will makes about four thousand a ye

you were starting dangerous competition by giving a party such as most pe

all love and friendliness that I tried to give them the gayest party I cou

make fun of your having that Chinese food-chow men, was it

hat I ordered so carefully for them! And my little Chinese costume that I was so happy mak

uddled on

her hair, mutterin

half past five, aroused her. "I must get hold of myself before Will comes. I hope

dragging, her hand on the rail. It was not her husband to whom she wanted to run for

I

n the largest chair, between the r

re don't criticize me sometimes? They must. I mea

not. They all keep telling me you'r

hink I'm too fussy about shopping. I'm afraid I bo

ly resents the fact that you got this new furniture down in the Cities instead of here. I didn't want to raise

on can furnish a room out of the mortuary pieces that he ca

independent town, not like these Eastern holes where you have to watch your step all the time, and live up to fool demands and social customs, and a lot of old tabbies always

des with you unless you really want to, but same time: I'd be just as glad if you dealt with Jenson or Ludelmeyer as much as you ran, instead of Howland & Gould, who go to Dr.

& Gould because they'r

short weight-and Ludelmeyer is a shiftless old Dutch hog. But same time, I mea

s

it's about ti

nbuttoned his waistcoat, yawned, wound the clock, went down to look at the furnace,

you ever coming up to