The Pit

l of about nineteen, dressed extravagantly in a decollete gown of blue silk. Curtis Jadwin and Cressler himself stood by the open fireplace smoking. Landry Court fidgeted on the

and hens, Brahma, Faverolles, Houdans,

ibit of water-colors with Laura and Mrs. Cressler, Page listening with languid interest. Aunt Wess' turn

or the benefit of the hospital ward for Jadwin's mission children, and Mrs. Cressler had invited the members of th

etch over-steps its intended limits. The elaborated water-color, I contend, must be judged by t

he only one to mistake the character of the gathering and appear in formal costume. But one forgave Isabel Gretry such lapses as these. Invariably she did the wrong thing; invariably

ntinued. "Think of that! The Plymouth Rocks had the pip. An

of their feet," declared La

e thei

that don't lay. It sort of stirs t

write to Aunt A

a fresh cigar, and, turnin

aycraft alone lost ne

hich had opened at ninety-three and five-eighths to ninety-two and a half, broke with the very first attack to ninety-two, hung there a moment, then dropped again to ninety-one and a half, then to ninety-one. Then, in a prolonged shudder of weakness, sank steadily down by quarters to ninety, to eighty-nine, and at last-a final collapse-touched eighty-eight cents. At that figure Jadwin began to cover. There was danger that the buying of so large a lot might bring about a rally in the price. But Gretry, a consummate master of Pit tactics, kept his orders scattered and bought g

you had lost than won-if it would have kept you out of the Pit for good. You're cocky now. I know-g

ainty. It was found money. If I had known a certain piece of real esta

ou know," he added suddenly. "Do you know that Leaycraft has

looking at Laura Dearborn over the

for a private yacht," he murmured. Then he

hat a beautiful-what beau

een her grandmother's. She was dressed in black taffeta, with a single great cabbage-rose pinned to her shoulder. She sat v

romptly became involved in a bewildering round of teas, "dancing clubs," dinners, and theatre parties. Mrs. Wessels was her chaperone, and the little middle-aged lady found the satisfaction of a belated youth in conveying her pretty niece to the various functions that occupied her time. Each Friday night saw her in the gallery of a certain smart dancing schoo

ged to enlist the good services of Mrs. Wessels and escorted her to numerous piano and 'cello recitals, to lectures, to concerts. He even succeeded in achieving the consecration of a specified afternoon once a week, spent in his studio in the Fine Ar

t dim; the sound of Corthell's voice returned from the thick hangings of velve

ation in the foyer of the Auditorium; only by some unexplained subtlety of attitude he managed to convey to her the di

c opera. He had pronounced it "bully," unable to see that Laura evinced only a mild interest in the performance. On each propitious occasion he

d, accustomed to deal with situations with unswerving directness, he, unlike Landry Court, was not in the least afraid of her. From the very first she found herself upon the defensive. Jadwin was aggressive, assertive, and his addresses had all the persistence and vehemence of veritable attack. Landry she could manage with the lifting of a finger, Corthell disturbe

trotters. He even had the Cresslers and Laura over to his mission Sunday-school for the Easter festival, an occasion of which Laura carried away a confused recollection of enormous canvas mottoes, that looked more like campaign banners than texts from the Scriptures, sheaves of calla lilies, imitat

equences develop without effort on her part. She never asked herself whether or not she was in love with any of the three men who strove for her favor. She was quite sure she was not ready-yet-to be married. There was even something distasteful in the idea of marriage. She liked Landry Court immensely; s

dy. I shall

his was not so. Laura never manoeuvered with her lovers, nor intrigued to keep from any one of them knowledge of her companions

er pleased, hustling the amateur actors about without ceremony, scolding and brow-beating. He was a small, excitable man who wore a frock-coat much too small for him, a flowing purple cravatte drawn through a finger ring, and enormous cuffs set off with huge buttons of Mexican onyx. In his lapel was

r and punctiliously saluted everyone present, bowing only from his shoulders, his head

sh was without accent, but at times suddenly e

om the book. And I expect the second act to be letter-perfect-let-ter-per-fect. There is nothing there but that."

k to Laura without lowering his tone, and all through Monsieur Gerardy's exhortation his voice had

is direction. He struck his play-bo

retry, if I derange you!" He cleared a space at the end of the parlor, pulling the chairs about. "Be attentive now. Here"-

g solemnly at Page, "the chai

him and slamming down another chair, "is a rust

back. The older people, who were not to take part-Jadwin, the Cresslers, and Aunt Wess'-

d and hesitating, L. C.' Come, who's Marion? Mademoiselle Gretry, if you please, and for the love of God remember

t her side, one finger marking the pla

nce more. See the cl

emotion, flung himself into a chair, turning his back and crossing his legs violently. Mis

strained s

sn't tha

touched a spring, Monsieur

able set for breakfast. A fine sight on the night of the performance that. Marion climbs over the rustic breakfast and practicable-over the rustic bench and practicable

ry girl turned aga

old home a

timid and hesitating? Once more, those lines.... No, no. It

ng one foot after another, clutching at the palings of an imaginar

ance again. Don't come on too quick after the curtain. Attention. I clap my hands for the curtain, and count t

emembering her "business," confus

he old

d the coach, in a tone of

eving that she had spoken her l

he clamb

t-ce

he old

d resting his head upon one hand closed his eyes. His manner

t-ce

yes. I

rophized the chandelie

ha! She

d, as she came on, Monsieur Gerardy made vigorou

n a minute you come

Marion had

clamberi

os

bering ros

pure and

ambering rose

me the extreme obligation to bound

ght you

t God-possible to be thus

d the old stones in a loving embrace. T

y, where are you? You

sted Page. "My cue is: 'Are the

hind Page, "it would look bully if yo

rdy, "you left out the cue." He became painfully p

stage," whispered Landry. "An

he

e. He's got a be

ous silence The coach, his arms folded,

e,'" he burst out at last.

pon the scene

e drenched in dew.'" Then, raising her voice

Mr. Corthell. Ready. Well then, Mademoisell

ed the Gretry girl, her

ere. It would betray all,' then conceal yourself in the a

d the girl behind

? Why,

e the no

and to his head, rolling his eyes as if in mute appeal to heaven, then, whirli

at last, that when one rehearses for a play one

, and Laura came forward to say t

if they were all like you! You are obligi

that way; she was excited, nervous. But Monsieur Gerardy was not to be placated. Ah, no! He knew what was due a gentleman. He closed his eye

e's self to bleed at th

had retired to the dining-room with Mrs. Cressler and from time to time the sounds of her distress made themselves heard. Laura believed it quite time to interfere. After all, who was this Gerardy person, to give

e's gone just about as f

erated the "coach." "It is no

ura, "we will say nothing m

rough his nose, and Page hastened to observe that anyhow Marion was not on in the ne

nothing to lose time. Come.

not come on during the act, went back

ining-room with the Gretry girl, while Jadwin, Aunt Wess', and Cressl

n detached himself from

ys the square peg in the round hole. I

e not what she was aware were called "stylish," but she had had enough experience with her own tailor-made gowns to know that the material was the very best that money could buy. The apparent absence of any padding in the broad shoulder

served abruptly. "Charlie bought a new clock l

comfortable here, and I want t

as they found their places, "that you did

ission school. Laura had left rather early,

it was true, but in a strain decidedly conventional. And the picture he made leading the singing, beating time with the hymn-book, and between the verses declaring that "he wanted to hear everyone's voice in the next verse," did n

che. I suppose my little micks" (he invariably spoke of h

hem very i

"get religion." No, nothing like that. But I got a notion it was time to be up and doing, and I figured it out that business principles were as good in religion as they are-well, in La Salle Street, and that if the church people-the men I mean-put as much energy, and shrewdness, and competitive spirit into the saving of souls as they did into the saving of dollars that we might get somewhere. And so I took hold of a half dozen broken-down, bankrupt Sunday-sch

stened to exclaim. "And you must not think that

s a desk of his own now, and the agent tells me he's one of the very best men he's got. He does his work so well that I've been able to discharge two other fellows who sat around and watched the clock for lunch hour, and Bradley does their work now better and quicker than they did, and saves me twenty dollars a week; that's a thousand a year. So much for a business like Sunday-school; so much for taking a good aim when you cast your bread upon the waters. The last time I saw Moody I said,

s at a loss just what to say, and

the right spiri

y don't you take a class down there. The little m

but I am not fitted-I feel no call. I should be so inapt that I know I should do no good. My training has been so different, you know," she said, smiling. "I am an Episcopalia

n Christ. But I don't believe they were made-any more than Christ was-to cultivate-beyond a certain point-their own souls, and refine their own minds, and live in a sort of warmed-over, dilettante, stained-glass world of seclusion and exclusion. No, sir, that won't do for the United States and the men who are making them the greatest nation of the world. The men have got all the get-up-and-get they want, but they need the women to point them straight, and to show them how to lead that other kind of life that isn't all grind. Since I

ving as he paused that he expected her to

ene. Don't you love me? Don't you th

d of the room came the clamorous exhortations of Monsieur Gerardy. Mrs. Cressler and the Gretry girl watched the progress of the rehearsal attentively from the doorw

," she said, choosing

is it,

hing, I don't think I want to be

d wait

be en

ngaged and married. You must ask yourself some time if you love

. "I do ask myself.

at do you

I don'

e me in time? Laura, I am sure

a woman it is so serious-to be married. More so than any man ever understood. And, oh, one must be so sure, so sure. And I am not sure now. I am not sure now. Even if I were sure of you, I could not say I was sure of myself. Now and then I tell myself, and even poor, dear Aunt Wess', that I shall never love anybody, that I shall ne

e," he urged, "may I

d a littl

come until I woke to the fact that I loved the man who had as

t," he persisted,

epeated, "I

uch encouragement

woman from the one who an instant before had spoken so gravely of the seriousness of marriage. She hesitated a moment be

you

other of their "experiences," of their "premonitions," of the unaccountable thing

ings, presentiments, that sort of thing? Mrs. Wessels and I have bee

ook he

too material

out you

pped a coin in Gretry's office. If it fell heads I was to sell wheat short,

y," said Laura. "I know. Mr. Court

some day," he continued, "we can all of us get hold of this ma

always been suspect. It had a bad sound; it seemed

g!" she

or lowers the price out of all reason, for the benefit of his pocket. You see Laura, here is what I mean." Cressler had suddenly become very earnest. Absorbed, interested, Laura listened intently. "Here is what I mean," pursued Cressler. "It's like this: If we send the price of wheat down too far, the farmer suffers, the fellow who raises it if we send it up too far, the poor man in Europe suffers, the fellow who eats it. And food to the peasant on the continent is bread-not meat or potatoes, as it is with us. The only way to do so that neither the American farmer nor the European peasant suffers, is to keep wheat at an average, legitimate value. The moment you inflate or depress that, somebody suffers right away. And that is just wh

er of things was being disclosed, and for the first time in

raising a finger. Think what that means to a boy of twenty-five who's doing clerk work at seventy-five a month. Why, it would take him maybe ten years to save a thousand, and here he's made it in a single morning. Think you can keep him out of speculation then? First thing you know he's thrown up his honest, humdrum position-oh, I've seen it hundreds of times-and takes to hanging round the customers' rooms down there on La Salle Street, and he makes a little, and makes a little more, and finally he is so far in that he can't pull out, and then some billionaire fellow, who has the market in the palm of his hand, tightens one finger, and our young man is ruined, body and mind.

ut his fingers upon Cressler's brea

m off. Charlie means all right, but now and then s

r eyes were grave. But there was a diversion. While the others had been talking the rehears

it's the third ac

tching up her play-book. "Poor Monsie

was disposing the furniture for the scene,

is on? Ah, the young lady of the sick nose, 'Marion.' She is discovered-knitting. And then the duchess-later. That's you Mademois

errupting to indicate the crossings and business. Then at her cue, La

but the door stood o

Gerardy

vraiment

ld have been more dignified, more gracious, more gracefully condescending than her poise. She dramatised not only her role, but the whole of her

from group to gr

uchess. She would do

her convinced. Her eyes followin

t. That's the way she is when she comes down to the parlor of

aura comes in as though she were walking on eggs, and gets their names wrong, as though it didn't much matter, and calls them Pink

in scenes over and over again. By ten o'clock the actors were quite worn out. A little supper was served, and very soon af

alling. Mrs. Cressler begged the two sisters and Mrs. Wessels to stay at her house over night, but Laura refused. Jadwin was sugg

e," he said. "They are waiting outside no

rtist seemed-for this time at least-

ng said at the front doo

one of our umbrellas. You can get in with Aunt Wess' and me. There's

o parade a lot of hansom cabs around, but he was too proud

e so completely silly. She didn't propose to have the responsi

never seemed to be able to fin

ed, "I'll go if I can t

pressed

tips," she said, "can afford to

red resolutely. "Not a cent less. I

cab, Landry Court?" she cried. And

orthell, as he came up. He held the umbrella over h

ded her down the slippery steps. He handed her carefull

ly far back in her corner, adju

ot coming at first," she added. "At dinner Mrs. Cressler said you had an important comm

s only one thing of importance nowadays," he spoke with a studied carelessness, as though announcing a fact that Laura must know alrea

cted me to believe

f the charm of Corthell's attitude that he never did or said the expected, the ordinary. Just now he seemed

es. I had imagined that the poets were wrong, were idealists, seeing the things that should be rather than the things that were. And then," suddenly he drew a deep breath: "this happiness; and to me. And the m

at she had lowered her guard. On all accounts it would have been more dignified to have shown only a mild interest in what Corthell wished. She realised that once more she had acted upon impulse, and she even found time to wonder again how it was that when with this man her impulses, and not her reason prevailed so often. With Landry or with Curtis Jadwin she was always calm, tranquilly self-possessed. But Corthell seemed able to reach all that wa

dly recognised it. It made her a little afraid; and yet, wonder of wonders, she could not altogether dislike it. There was

rthell had a

ay something-I hardly know what-someth

he protested. "I don't

or me," he broke out. "

just as they are? We are quite happy as we are. There's never been a time of my life when I've be

ule in the light that streamed from the half-open front door, an umbrella in her hand. And as Laura alighted, s

and Corthell and Laura mou

she said. "There is a

od under the vestibule light, talking. Then Co

that you do not love me. If you did love me as I love you, you would wish for just that-a change. You

wer. There was a moment's s

I think I sh

aw

into. I don't know that it interests me much-now. But I think I had better go. At once, within the week. I've not much hea

s Dearborn

ow perfectly-ah, don't go," she exclaimed, then in de

e urged. "Do you

up the play-your going. It would spoil my part

ere is no one else you would rather have?" He was smilin

rit of daring never more awake in h

ne else I woul

ght her hand

or all. Dear, dear girl, I love you with all the strength of all the

shed a sm

me love you enoug

nk I can?" h

ermission to t

the most delicate chivalry on his part-having won this much-to push his advantage no further. She waited an

ld out his

night, then,

d-night,"

entering the house, shut the door behin

lking about the play. Page at length, at the first opportunity, excused herself and went to bed. She made a great show of l

everely, "to lock up and turn out the ha

too," declared Landr

and Laura followed him out into the

y but you. And now," he declared, solemnly, "I will see your eyes and hear your voice all the rest of the night. I want to explain," he added, "about those hansoms-a

said Laura, not quite divi

I would be willing to put myse

Landry; I

illed

it means to me to look into the eye

ondering just w

ght out for me, Landry?" sh

uished the jet in its dull red globe.

she said. "I

Suddenly Laura felt his arm clasp her. Then all at once, before she had time to so much a

left abruptly alone, breathless, stunn

. She put her hand quickly to her cheek, first

? Why

own room, and swung the door violently shut behind her. She turned up the lowered gas and, without knowing why,

man, who never conceded, never capitulated, whose "grand manner" was a thing proverbial, in all her pitch of pride,

ofound respect. Landry Court had dared, had dared to kiss her, to offer her this wretchedly commo

her fists tense at her sides, her breath short, her eyes flashing, her

k I am? How dared

nged her. Landry was to be told in effect that he was never to presume to seek her acquaintance again. Just as the enraged hussy of the street corners and Sunday picnics shouted that the offender should "never dare speak to her again as long as

the very dignity she should assume to rebuke it. The more veheme

pretended to hold her. He had deceived her, then, all along. Because she had-foolishly-relaxed a little towards him, permitted a certain intimacy, this was how he abused it. Ah, well, it would

thell and Jadwin. No doubt they all compared notes about her. Perhaps they had bet who first should

s time to end the whole business, to send each one of them to the right-about with an unequivocal definite word. She was a good girl, she told herself. She was, in her heart, sincere; she was above the inexpensive diversion o

ibility for her to remain under what she chose to believe suspicion another hour. If there was any remotest chance that her three lover

se husband was the janitor of the h

t up till I call him, or to sleep with his clothes on. Ther

and veil, and tossed them, with her coat, upon the bed. She lit another burne

ngle spurt of the pen, and dated it carefully, so that he might k

r any circumstances. I want you to understand, very cl

d it was not until she had rewritten it two o

stand me, nor to misinterpret my attitude in any way. You asked me to be your wife, and, very foolishly and wrongly, I gave you-intentionally-an answer which might easily be construed into an encouragement. Understand now that I do not wish you to try to make me love you. I wo

ially

A DEA

writing of it easier than the others. In addressing him she felt herself gr

R MR.

ward answer, and instead I replied in a spirit of capriciousness and disingenuo

my foolishly spoken words. I am deeply sorry that I should have so

ing to be your wife, let me hasten to correct it. Whatever I said to you this evening

en us upon this unfortunate subject, if we a

ially

A DEA

and glanced at the little leather-cased travelling cloc

sleep," she murmured, "if I di

d Laura gave him the letters, with order

ed, and when at last she lowered her hand, her fingers were wet. But in the end she grew calmer. She felt that, at all events, she had vindicated herself, that

ght's commotion died away, a very natural curiosity began to assert itself. She wondered how each of the three men "wo

Landry Court's reply. It was one roulade of incoherence, even in places blistered with tears. Landry protested, implored, debase

tion, Laura deliberately reduced the letter to strips,

de out to Lincoln Park, not fifteen minutes from her home, to

her hands a pasteboard box, just bro

to the stems of which a note from Corth

ave been 'good-

put the roses

on't want them. She can wear them

herself s

s in the park w

e. She came back flushed and buoyant from her exercise, her cheeks cool with the Lake b

. I told him you were not at home, but he s

he give his name

ed her Curtis