Part 1 (1/2)
Affairs of State.
by Burton E. Stevenson.
CHAPTER I
The Wiles of Womankind
Archibald Rushford, tall, lean, the embodiment of energy, stood at the window, hands in pockets, and stared disgustedly out at the dreary vista of sand-dunes and bathing-machines, closed in the distance by a stretch of gray sea mounting toward a horizon scarcely discernible through the drifting mist which hung above the water.
”Though why you wanted to come here at all,” he continued, presumably addressing two young ladies in the room behind him, ”or why you want to stay, now you _are_ here, pa.s.ses my comprehension. One might as well be buried alive, and be done with it. The sensations, I should imagine, are about the same.”
”Oh, come, dad!” protested one of the girls, laughing, ”you know it isn't so bad as that! There's plenty of life--not just at this hour of the morning, perhaps,”--with a fleeting glance at the empty landscape,--”but the hour is unfas.h.i.+onable.”
”As everything seasonable and sensible seems to be here,” put in her father, grimly.
”And such interesting life, too,” added the other girl.
”Interesting! Bah! When I want to see monkeys and peac.o.c.ks, I'll go to a menagerie.”
”But you never do go to the menagerie, at home, you know, dad.”
”No--because I don't care for monkeys or peac.o.c.ks--in fact, I particularly detest them!”
”But lions, dad! There are lions--”
”In the menagerie at home, perhaps.”
”Yes, and in this one--bigger lions than you ever dreamed of, dad!--perfect monsters of lions!”
”Oh, no, there aren't, Susie,” dissented Rushford. ”You don't know the species. You've mistaken a bray for a roar, just as a lot of people always do, if the bray is only loud enough. Come, now, let me know the worst. How much longer do you propose to stay here?”
”Well, dad, you see the season won't be at its height for fully a month yet--”
”A month!” echoed Rushford, in dismay. ”Well, Susie, you and Nell may be able to stand it for a month, but long ere that I'll be dead--ossified, fossilised, dried up, and blown away! Maybe you girls enjoy it, though I didn't think it of you--but what can _I_ do? I'm tired of reading day-before-yesterday's newspaper and of being two days behind the market. Two days! Think what may have happened to steel since I've heard from it! It's enough to drive a man mad!”
He got out a cigar, lighted it, and stood puffing it nervously, appalled at the vision his own words had conjured up.
”But, dad,” Sue pointed out, coming to his side and taking his arm coaxingly, ”you know it was just to get away from all that worry--from those horrid stocks and things--that you consented to come with us.”
”Don't call the stocks hard names, Susie. Don't go back on your best friends!” protested Rushford. ”Don't forget what they've done for you!”
”But, dear, you remember how strongly Doctor Samuels insisted on your taking a rest; how necessary he said it was?”
”Oh, perfectly!” responded Rushford, drily. ”I've suspected right along that Samuels took his orders from you.”
”From me, dad!” cried Sue, indignantly, but her eyes were s.h.i.+ning in a most suspicious manner. ”A man of his standing--”
”It doesn't matter,” broke in her father, with a wave of his arm. ”I'm willing to grant, for the sake of argument, that Samuels was perfectly sincere. But I still protest that there is no reason why we should conceal ourselves here. We haven't done anything--the police aren't after us--I can speak for myself, at least.”
”This seemed to be such a nice, quiet place for you, dad,” explained Nell, perching herself upon a table near the window and gazing pensively out at the s.h.i.+mmering water, which told that the sun was winning a decisive victory over the mist, and that the day would be a fine one.