Part 30 (1/2)

”You are clever, arn't you?” said Gallagher, bitingly.

”That's living with you,” retorted the H.M.J., who was not easily put down.

”Then you see that you treat Stirling as if he was somebody. He's getting to be a power in the ward, and if you want to remain Mrs.

Justice Gallagher and spend eight thousand--and pickings--a year, you see that you keep him friendly.”

”Oh, I'll be friendly, but he's awful dull.”

”Oh, no, mamma,” said Monica. ”He really isn't. He's read a great many more French books than I have.”

Peter lunched with the wholesale provision-dealer as planned. The lunch hour proving insufficient for the discussion, a family dinner, a few days later, served to continue it. The dealer's family were not very enthusiastic about Peter.

”He knows nothing but grub talk,” grumbled the heir apparent, who from the proud alt.i.tude of a broker's office, had come to scorn the family trade.

”He doesn't know any fas.h.i.+onable people,” said one of the girls, who having unfulfilled ambitions concerning that cla.s.s, was doubly interested and influenced by its standards and idols.

”He certainly is not brilliant,” remarked the mother.

”Humph,” growled the pater-familias, ”that's the way all you women go on. Brilliant! Fas.h.i.+onable! I don't wonder marriage is a failure when I see what you like in men. That Stirling is worth all your dancing men, but just because he holds his tongue when he hasn't a sensible thing to say, you think he's no good.”

”Still he is 'a n.o.body.'”

”He's the fellow who made that big speech in the stump-tail milk case.”

”Not that man?”

”Exactly. But of course he isn't 'brilliant.'”

”I never should have dreamed it.”

”Still,” said the heir, ”he keeps his eloquence for cows, and not for dinners.”

”He talked very well at Dr. Purple's,” said the mamma, whose opinion of Peter had undergone a change.

”And he was invited to call by Mrs. Dupont and Mrs. Sizer, which is more than you've ever been,” said Avery senior to Avery junior.

”That's because of the prog,” growled the son, seeing his opportunity to square accounts quickly.

Coming out of church the next Sunday, Peter was laid hold of by the Bohlmanns and carried off to a mid-day dinner, at which were a lot of pleasant Germans, who made it very jolly with their kindly humor. He did not contribute much to the laughter, but every one seemed to think him an addition to the big table.

Thus it came to pa.s.s that late in January Peter dedicated a week of evenings to ”Society,” and nightly donning his dress suit, called dutifully on Mrs. Dupont, Mrs. Sizer, Mrs. Purple, Mrs. Avery, Mrs.

Costell, Mrs. Gallagher and Mrs. Bohlmann. Peter was becoming very frivolous.

CHAPTER XXVI.

AN EVENING CALL.