Part 9 (2/2)

”Insignificant then.”

”Isn't she?”

”Yes--in a way,” said Josephine, the condescending note in her voice again--and in his mind Miss Hallowell's clever burlesque of that note.

”But, in another way--Men are different from women. Now I--a woman of my sort--couldn't stoop to a man of her cla.s.s. But men seem not to feel that way.”

”No,” said he, irritated. ”They've the courage to take what they want wherever they find it. A man will take gold out of the dirt, because gold is always gold. But a woman waits until she can get it at a fas.h.i.+onable jeweler's, and makes sure it's made up in a fas.h.i.+onable way.

I don't like to hear _you_ say those things.”

Her eyes flashed. ”Then you _do_ like that Hallowell girl!” she cried--and never before had her voice jarred upon him.

”That Hallowell girl has nothing to do with this,” he rejoined. ”I like to feel that you really love me--that you'd have taken me wherever you happened to find me--and that you'd stick to me no matter how far I might drop.”

”I would! I would!” she cried, tears in her eyes. ”Oh, I didn't mean that, Fred. You know I didn't--don't you?”

She tried to put her arms round his neck, but he took her hands and held them. ”Would you like to think I was marrying you for what you have?--or for any other reason whatever but for what you are?”

It being once more a question of her own s.e.x, the obstinate line appeared round her mouth. ”But, Fred, I'd not be _me_, if I were--a working girl,” she replied.

”You might be something even better if you were,” retorted he coldly.

”The only qualities I don't like about you are the surface qualities that have been plated on in these surroundings. And if I thought it was anything but just you that I was marrying, I'd lose no time about leaving you. I'd not let myself degrade myself.”

”Fred--that tone--and don't--please don't look at me like that!” she begged.

[Ill.u.s.tration: ”'Would you like to think I was marrying you for what you have?--or for any other reason whatever but for what you are?'”]

But his powerful glance searched on. He said, ”Is it possible that you and I are deceiving ourselves--and that we'll marry and wake up--and be bored and dissatisfied--like so many of our friends?”

”No--no,” she cried, wildly agitated. ”Fred, dear we love each other.

You know we do. I don't use words as well as you do--and my mind works in a queer way--Perhaps I didn't mean what I said. No matter. If my love were put to the test--Fred, I don't ask anything more than that your love for me would stand the tests my love for you would stand.”

He caught her in his arms and kissed her with more pa.s.sion than he had ever felt for her before. ”I believe you, Jo,” he said. ”I believe you.”

”I love you so--that I could be jealous even of her--of that little girl in your office. Fred, I didn't confess all the truth. It isn't true that I thought her--a n.o.body. When she first came in here--it was in this very room--I thought she was as near nothing as any girl I'd ever seen.

Then she began to change--as you said. And--oh, dearest, I can't help hating her! And when I tried to get her away from you, and she wouldn't come----”

”Away from me!” he cried, laughing.

”I felt as if it were like that,” she pleaded. ”And she wouldn't come--and treated me as if she were queen and I servant--only politely, I must say, for Heaven knows I don't want to injure her----”

”Shall I have her discharged?”

”Fred!” exclaimed she indignantly. ”Do you think I could do such a thing?”

”She'd easily get another job as good. Tetlow can find her one. Does that satisfy you?”

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