Part 81 (2/2)
”Tell us what you heard,” Mrs. Enslee asked, hungrily.
”I prefer not to retail club gossip in my home,” said Willie.
”Oh, aren't we punctilious?” Persis railed; and Willie answered, curtly:
”One of us ought to be.”
Persis was jarred a trifle, but her only comment was: ”Why is it that when men are feeling ugly they always come home early?”
Willie threw her a look of wrath and turned to his distressed mother.
”Won't you stop to dinner?”
”Not when there's so much war-paint visible, thanks!”
”But hang it all--” Willie began, and checked himself, for Crofts shuffled through the room. Willie rounded on him. ”Oh, somebody at last, eh? Why the deuce was no one at the door? I had to let myself in.”
Crofts cupped his hand behind his ear, and crackled, ”Beg pardon, sir?”
”I had to let myself in, I say.”
”Very sorry, sir, but owing to Dobbs' wedding and your early dinner, sir, the servants have a great deal to do.”
”But I rang and rang!” Willie stormed, and repeated, wrathfully, ”I rang and rang!”
”Very sorry, indeed, sir,” Crofts pleaded. ”My hearing isn't as good as it was when I entered your father's service.”
”Well, I won't have my house turned into a--an infirmary.”
Crofts heard that and withered. ”Your father never complained of me, sir.”
”You heard better then and jumped quicker,” Willie shouted.
The old man, at bay, answered with unintended irony: ”I meant no offense, sir, by growing old.”
”Oh, get out!” Willie snapped.
Crofts bowed and turned on Persis a pitiful look. She gave him a glance of sympathy, then pointed to Enslee's coat and hat. Crofts took them, and, touching the back of his hand to his eyes and swallowing hard, shuffled away.
Willie's mother rebuked him. ”You've broken his poor old heart.”
And Persis was more severe. ”You ought to be ashamed of yourself.”
Willie retorted, more sharply: ”Oh, we all ought to be ashamed of ourselves--for something or other. Crofts isn't the only man on earth with a broken heart.”
As Persis stared in wonderment at his unusual mood Crofts came back.
”You are wanted on the telephone, ma'am. The gentleman wouldn't give his name.”
Persis flinched at this, and stammered, ”You'll excuse me?”
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