Part 45 (1/2)
At this, the first break in the little old lady's undammable flood, Mrs.
Gilson sprang up, yammering, ”The rest of you may stay as long as you like, but if I'm to be home in time to dress for dinner----”
”Yes, and I must be going,” babbled Saxton.
Milt noted that his lower lip showed white tooth-marks.
It must be admitted that all of them rather ignored the little old lady for a moment. Milt was apologetically hinting, ”I don't really think Bill and I'd better come to dinner this evening, Mrs. Gilson. Thanks a lot but---- It's kind of sudden.”
Claire again took charge. ”Not at all, Milt. Of course you're coming. It was Eva herself who invited you. I'm sure she'll be delighted.”
”Charmed,” said Mrs. Gilson, with the expression of one who has swallowed castor oil and doubts the unity of the universe.
There was a lack of ease about the farewells to Aunt Harriet. As they all turned away she beckoned Milt and murmured, ”Did I raise the d.i.c.kens? I tried to. It's the only solace besides smoking that a moral old lady can allow herself, after she gets to be eighty-two and begins to doubt everything they used to teach her. Come and see me, boy. Now get out, and, boy, beat up Gene Gilson. Don't be scared of his wife's hoity-toity ways. Just sail in.”
”I will,” said Milt.
He had one more surprise before he reached the limousine.
Bill McGolwey, who had sat listening to everything and scratching his cheek in a puzzled way, seized Milt's sleeve and rumbled:
”Good-by, old hoss. I'm not going to b.u.t.t in on your game and get you in Dutch. Gosh, I never supposed you had enough cla.s.s to mingle with elittys like this gang, but I know when I'm in wrong. You were too darn decent to kick me out. Do it myself. You're best friend I ever had and---- Good luck, old man! G.o.d bless you!”
Bill was gone, running, stumbling, fleeing past Aunt Harriet's cottage, off into a sandy hilltop vacancy. The last Milt saw of him was when, on the skyline, Bill stopped for a glance back, and seemed to be digging his knuckles into his eyes.
Then Milt turned resolutely, marched down the stairs, said to his hosts with a curious quietness, ”Thank you for asking me to dinner, but I'm afraid I can't come. Claire, will you walk a few blocks with me?”
During the half minute it had taken to descend the steps, Milt had reflected, with an intensity which forgot Bill, that he had been selfish; that he had thought only of the opinion of these ”nice people”
regarding himself, instead of understanding that it was his duty to save Claire from their enervating niceness. Not that he phrased it quite in this way. What he had been muttering was:
”Rotten shame--me so scared of folks' clothes that I don't stand up to 'em and keep 'em from smothering Claire. Lord, it would be awful if she settled down to being a Mrs. Jeff Saxton. Got to save her--not for myself--for her.”
It may have been Aunt Harriet, it may have been Milt's resolution, but Mrs. Gilson answered almost meekly, ”Well, if you think---- Would you like to walk, Claire?”
As he tramped off with Claire, Milt demanded, ”Glad to escape?”
”Yes, and I'm glad you refused dinner. It really has been wearing, this trial by food.”
”This is the last time I'll dare to meet the Gilsons.”
”And I'll have to be going back East. I hope the Gilsons will forgive me, some day.”
”I'm afraid you didn't win them over by Aunt Hatty!”
”No. They're probably off me for life. Oh, these horrible social complications--worse than any real danger--fire or earthquake----”
”Oh, these complications--they don't exist! We just make 'em, like we make rules for a card game. What the deuce do we care about the opinions of people we don't like? And who appointed these people to a fixed social position? Did the president make Saxton High c.o.c.kalorum of Dress-Suits or something? Why, these are just folks, the same as kings and coal-heavers. There's no army we've got to fight. There's just you and me--you and I--and if we stick together, then we have all society, we _are_ all society!”
”Ye-es, but, Milt dear, I don't want to be an outcast.”