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Queed

Queed

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Chapter 1 No.1

Word Count: 3518    |    Released on: 06/12/2017

and the Great Pleasure-Dog Behemoth; also of

small girl and quite a behemothian dog. If she had been a shade smaller, or he a shade more behemothian, the thing would have appro

rt, you understand, for she was of a reasonable height, as of a dainty slimness, a certain exquisite reticence of the flesh. She had cares and duties and even sober-sided responsibilities in this world, beyond the usual run of girls. Yet her hat was decidedly of the mode that year; her suit was smartly and engagin

tch her eye through a large plate-glass window. It was Semple and West's window, the ground-floor one in the great new Commonwealth Building, of which the town is rightly so proud, and the young man was no other than West, Charles Gardiner himself. A smile warmed his good-looking face

alking downtown with a dog. Usually at this time you are most earnestly walking up

a mad kind of feeling, as though the world had gone upside down. Don't be amazed if I suddenly clutch out at you

When the c

this richly earned vacati

ay through the noisome hum of commerce and set brisk evening faces toward the op

old name, the one I bought him by, was Fred-Fred!-but already he answers to the pretty name of Bee as though he were born to it. Watch."

ioned taking a walk in the November air. I can only say that

n earth I could have gotten on another day without it. You can't imagine what loads of things I've done since two

ery well now. All the years hitherto she had joined in the general admiration of him shyly and from a distance, the pretty waiting-lady's attitude toward the dazzling young crown prince. She was observant, and so she could not fail to observe now the cordiality with which people of all sorts saluted him, the touch of deference in the greeting of not a few.

ity of that size the life and bustle here were, indeed, such as to take the eye. Trolley cars clanged by in a tireless procession; trucks were rounding up for stable and for bed; delivery wagons whizzed corn

said West. "It isn't every generation that can watch its

w. You went home and told the family about it, and very likely counted the spoons next morning. Th

aces of the homeward bound. "The eternal mystery of the people.... Don't you like to look at their fac

world," said Miss Weyland, "bright young men lie awake at night, thinking up odd, ingenious ways to take other people's money away fr

other group. I sleep of nights and wake up in the morning

made his real money from an interesting device of his own. There is a lot of building going on in his neighborhood, it seems, and it occurred to him to send around to the various owners and offer his private watchman to guard the loose building materials at night. This for the very reasonable price

y. "Bobby could stand for th

s. I can see that. Ah, me! My garrulity has cost us a splendid chance to cross. Wha

r the Department. Bee! Come here, sir! Look how fat this purse is. I'm going to spend all of

For a guess, that queer-looking little citizen in spectacles

ry, comes the disagreeable thing, and yet interest

lled to dun yo

hearted to do it herself. There's a man there who won't

into the mêlée, which immediately clos

h. It was doing things to the speed-limit, this wagon, because a dashing police patrol was close behind, treading on its tail and indignantly clanging it to turn out, which it could not possibly do. To avoid erasing the little citizen, the patrol man had to pull sharply out; and this manoeuvre, as Fate had written it, brought him full upon the great dog Behemoth, who, having slippe

paper bag, of course, had burst; some of the apples had rolled to amazing distances, and newsboys, entire strangers to the fallen gentleman, were eating them wi

g scared him crazy-he's usually so good! You aren't

the street, glanced up at Miss

, precisely; "though the loss of my fruit

-"quite as though you had offered to treat! I'm very much mortified-But-are

s-looking little man who sat so calmly upon his hat in the middle of the street. Meantime all traffic on that side was h

e that?" inquired the man ruminative

t a utilitarian dog at all, you see! He's a pleasure-dog

producing his derby from beneath him and methodically

sition was somewhat unconventional. A very faint color sprang into her cheeks, but she was not the kind t

if my dog has given you no pleasure, you may li

away, resigning the situation to West. West handled it in his best manner, civilly assisting the lit

y, waiting for him, and he fel

e, in rather a muffled voice. "I don'

est, laughing too. "When I finally caught you, lagg

e to him and he blabbed them out artlessly. The only things that he seemed in the least interested i

g out of his coat pocket? It was The Religion of Humanity, unles

said Mis

f mine once remarked, people who read that sort o

d obtained, and Behemoth bowled over no more young men that day. Thereafter, the two set their faces westerly till they came to the girl's home, where the dog was delivered to the cook, and Miss Weyland

She was frankly glad of his company; to be otherwise was to be fantastic; and now as they strolled she led him to talk of his work, which was never difficult. For West,

omplished? You may say that I could take all the money I made and spend it for free hospitals, but would I do it? No. The more I made, the more I'd want for myself, the more all my interest

et me spend it for you. I know this minute wher

said he, "just such work as yours. There's none finer. You'd like me immensely as your royal master, I suppose? Want nothing b

Suddenly a new thought struck her, and she made a faint grimace. "There's noth

s gift horse over very

all it

then your dog ran amuck and began butti

idea. Such is the way our bright young men carve out their fortunes-the true Gothic architecture! Possibly Aunt Jennie has thrown out one or two delicate hints, carefully insulated to avoid hurting his feelings. You kno

what'll

h the man. I'm simply going to c

e horrid a

ng to fi

looked most charming when he smiled. "

ne it, lot

ever attended by scenes

ttle lambs when I say the

loses their arrears

perate resort. Signs of penitence, earnest resolves to lead

t I think you will, oh no!-telephone me. I'm amazingly good

corner over there. O

ed him perfectly-glinted upon the spectacles, touched up the stout volume in the coat-pocket, beat full upon the swaybacked derby, whereon its owner had sat what time Charlotte Lee Weyland

stared at each other with a kind of wild surmise which rapi

k you'll have the

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