The Fashionable Adventures of Joshua Craig

ambassador and costly limousine of multi-millionaire to humble herdic wherein poor, official gran

e at windows, high and low. And now the electric was at the door. He and Arkwright sprang out, hastened up the broad steps. His expression amused Arkwright; it was intensely self-conscious, resolutely indifferent-the kind of look that betrays tempestuous inward perturbations and misgivings. "Josh is a good deal of a snob,

ere's a difference between your point of view and mine. You take this seriously through and through. I laugh at it in the bottom of my heart

in goblins, eithe

ve in anything e

d humor in the lines round her sweet mouth. "Well, Josh," she said in a slow, pleasant monotone, "you HAVE done a lot o

examined her toilette. He thought it startling-audacious in its display of shoulders and back-until he got over his dazed, dazzled feeling, and noted the other women about. Wild horses could not have dragged it from him, but he felt that this physical di

he felt that he was not quite frank, in fact was dishonest, with himself in this lofty disdain. It represented what he ought to feel, not what he actually was feeling. "At least," said he to himself, "I'll never confess to any one that I'm weak enough to be impressed by this sort of thing. Anyhow, to confess a weakness is to encourage it ... No wonder society is able to suck in and destroy so many fellows of my sort! If _I_ am tempted what must it mean to the ordinary man?" He noted with angry shame tha

so glum and sour abo

been reflected in his face. "I was thinking of the case I

ese people socially. You'll be surprised to see how respectful and eager they'll all be if you become a recognized social favorite. For real snobbishness give me your friends, the common people, when they get up where they can afford to put on

part right; and it angered him for the sake of the people from whom he had sprung, and to whom he had pledged his p

rself, eh?" sugg

ggerated scorn th

ded old horror, but very influential with her father and all the older crowd. Sit up to her, Josh. You can lay the f

is not dependent on-"

eeches here. They don't go. They bore people and create an

ric eulogies of "your great and revered father," because the eulogist was young and handsome, and obviously anxious to please her. As Arkwright passed along the edge of the dancers a

e person I was looking for. H

she had tapped him. "Sit down.... Jackie"-this to a rosy, eager-faced youth beside

as he seated himself where Jackie had been vainly end

and have to admit to twe

rinkles; and what's more unsightl

lied the girl. "I've made up my

cki

ossy stones. "You see, I've lost that first bloom of youth the wife-pickers prize so highly. I'm not unsophisticated enough to ple

ll you were rather homely as a child and merely nice and fresh-loo

was in no mood for the barren bloss

time with the young married set, where marriage is regarded as a rather stupid jo

at was my sad mistake," said she. "Howev

arry money," he declared,

o's got it or some

o's got it,

a woman without a mercenary thought in her head. "Very bad advice," she went on. "Men who've got money may lose it and be unable to ma

a severe strain upon him. It always is to those whose sense of humor is k

"to marry a man who could get money. That kind of man is s

a good head you've got on you, Rit

an uneasy glance around. And Grant knew he was correct in his suspi

you selec

hough," she added, "I assure you, I'll make him happy. It takes intelligence to make a man happy,

sonal interest, her delicate face, her figure, slim and gracefully curved, as her evening dress fully revealed it. Yes, a charming, most ladylike figure. And the skin of her face, of neck and shoulders, was beautifully white, and of the texture suggesting that it will rub if too impetuously caressed. Yes, a man would hesitate to kiss her unless he were well shaved. At the very thought of kissing her Grant felt a thrill and a glow she had never before roused in him. She had

saying, idly waving her fan an

idn't

ecide why you never f

" admitted

had lots of ca

st kind of splurge in a puddle where splurge was everything. "Rather, because you are too intelligent," drawled he. "I wa

ect for a woman if he's to fall u

was now the fashion. "See," said he, "how ridiculous I'd feel trying to say sentimental things to you. Besides, it's not easy to fall i

her look was artful, was deliberate, but he could not help responding to it. He began to be a little afraid of he

friendship by making a dead set for him. But she speedily tranquilized him by saying: "No, my reason was that I didn't want to spoil my one friendship. Even a business person craves the luxury of a friend-and marry

oisy and silly," he admitted. "That sort

over to old Patsy Raymond?

me, isn

a so

nt TO the Attorney-General. He's from Minnesot

two years or so ago," said Rita, her voice a

u've me

silly, stuffy gatherings where some blatant politician bellows out a lot of lies, and a crowd of badly-dressed peo

rue," sugg

at least half-convinced himself, while the others showed they were lying outright. We rather liked him-at the

do like tha

u know

e fraud there's a man-I think-a great, big man, strong and sure of himself-which is

riend, to admire the impressive, if obviously posed, effect of his handsome head and shoulders. He smiled with a te

resuming the languid w

could corrupt him that far. But you could take him out of politics and put him in the law. He

unds int

I hadn't though

rious, quiet smile

exclaimed

told me he was headed for Washington, I put him on my list that very night-well do

nicest girl I know, and the cleverest. If she had hid herself from me, as the rest do, I'd never for one instant have suspected her of having so much-so much-calm, good sense-for that's all it amounts to." He decided it was a mistake for any human being in any circumstances to be ab

ions with: "Your private opinion of me is of small consequence to me, Grant, beside the relief and the joy of being able to say my secret self aloud. Also"-here she grew dizzy at her own auda

answering people's thoughts," said Arkwright. "Now, h

r. Craig is able to guess w

at reas

e most generous-mean man the Lord ever permitted. The way to make you generous is to give you a m

eased; for with truly human vanity he had accepted the complimen

th a sudden compression of the lips and a s

," cried Arkwright. "It rem

"A little late, please. I want others to be there, so that I can study him unobserved." She laughed. "This is a serious matter for me. My time is short, and my list of possibl

laze of jewels to white neck, to laughing, sensuous face, to jewels again or to lithe, young form, scantily clad and swaying in masculine arm in rhythm with the waltz. It gave Arkwright a qualm of so

. It's a squalid hole. Six months ago, when I got my seventy-five hundred a year, I thought I was rich. Rich? Why, that woman there has ten years' salary on

you," sai

od. But I don't want money, I want power-to make all these snobs with their wealth, these millio

d. "Well, it's u

p to me, and I'll get what I want-the peop

alty in full panoply. There was white lace over her black velvet at the shoulders; her train swept yards behind her. She was bearing a cane, or rather a staff, of ebony; but it suggested, not decrepitude, but power

s haughty daughter-in-law, with an expression of eager desire to conciliate and to please, hastened forward and conducted the old lady to a gilt armchair in the center of the dais,

ig. He was scowling like a king angered and

rkwright, his flippan

man, too! She's the exact reverse of everything a woman should be-no sweetne

ubts it herself,

rybody cringe

that matter. It's just the custom. We defer to her here precisely as we wear

ntroduce me to her,"

od time. She's the grandmother of a young woman I want you to

er before had he seen a human being who gave him a s

rd you fast enough. That old lady will put you in your place. After ten minutes

atched the men and women bowing deferentially about her chair; watched her

She's ours.... I'm dead tired. You've done enough for one night. It's a ba

eral halts and backward glances a