Uneasy Money

perplexed Claire Fenwick. She had taken it for granted that next day at the latest he would resume the offer of his hand, heart, and automobiles. But time passed and he made no move in that direct

t and waits in vain for that guest's arrival. She made up her mind what to do when Dudley Pickering proposed to her next t

he narrowness of his escape from taking a definite step. Except in the way of business, he was a man who hated definite steps. He never accepted even a dinner invitation without subsequent doubts and remorse. The consequence was that, in the days that followed the Reigelheimer episode, what Lord Wetherby would have called the lamp of love burned rather low in Mr Pickering, as if the acetylene were running out. He still admired Claire intensely and experienced disturbing emotions when he beheld her perfect tonneau and wonderful headlights; but he regarded her with a cautious fear. Although he sometimes drea

t Brookport, Long Island, taking with her Algie, her husband, the monkey Eustace, and Claire and Mr Pickering, her guests. The house was a large one, capable of receiving a big party, but she did not w

reading cedars. Yet for all its effect on Dudley Pickering it might have been a gasworks. He roamed the smooth lawns with Claire, and sat with her on the rustic benches and talked guardedly of lubricating oil. There were moments when Claire w

No sooner had the press agent appeared than Claire deserted him shamelessly and absolutely. She walked with Roscoe Sherriff. Mr Pickering experienced the discomfiting emotions of the man who pushe

was Sunday, the day of rest. Dinner was over, and the remainder of the party were gathered in the drawing-room, with

feel lonely. It stirs their hearts to thoughts of love. Marriage loses its terrors for them, and they think wistfully of hooking some fair woman up the

you, Mr P

tinkle of a piano. The sound blended harmoniously with the quiet peace of the

thee saw-ong

es of farrr

to che-eat

m thee to-o

ave a li

iful voice Mr

beastly voice. He resented Roscoe Sherriff's voice. He objected t

think so, M

-hu

r Pickering, I want you to tell me somet

ng started

E

le ago we were always together, having such interesting talks.

is spine. He felt paralyzed. Caution urged him to make some excuse and follow it with a bolt to the drawing-room, but he was physically incapable of taking the excellent advice. Sometimes when you are out in your Pickering Gem or your Pickering Giant the car hesitates, falters, and stops dead, and your chauffeur, having examined the carburettor, turns to you and explains the phenomenon in these words: 'The mixture is too rich.

eated at the piano, still touched the keys softly, and the sound increased the richness of the mixture which choked Dudley Pickering's spiritual carburettor. It is not fair th

ring, if I had done anything to

id Mr Pi

w real friend

voice t

lonely, a little h

om beneath Dudley Pickering's ample shirt. There was

dy Wetherby. But-I miss my home. It's the first time I have been away for so long. I feel very far awa

alize Percy as a sort of little Lord Fauntleroy, his favourite character in English literature. He had a vision of

it lay there, while the universe paused breathlessly. And then from the semi-darkness beside him

such chums. He is onl

be mis

ltaneously Dudley Pic

e does tap the vein of eloquence that vein becomes a geyser. It was as if after years

depth of repentance and remorse. Proceeding from this, he eulogized her courage, the pluck with which she presented a smilin

terial for his pen, and the actual words of a stout manufacturer of automobiles proposing marriage in the moonlight fa

dle

self-starting, with limousine body and all the newest. No, no, his mind w

e Sherriff's voice floated

bye,

o be marrie

bye,

rom sunshin

ng up till br

he overcame it instantly. He despised Roscoe Sherriff. He flattered himself

ed o'er Eden,' platoons of bridesmaids, wagonloads of cake. And then they would go back to Detroit and l

ing to

ry and

d-bye,

t! Confound him! Dudley Pickering turned a dea

ement had been announced. All that part of it was over-Dudley's stammering speech, the unrestrained delight of Polly Wetherby, the facetious ren

er that, though she

e had not h

ne. She saw herself walking with Dudley Pickering. Along came Bill. 'Claire, darling!' … Heavens, what would Dudley think? It would be too awful! She couldn

someone in the shadow of a tall tree spoke her name. A ma