第14章

"I know you have, but there's plenty of time."He smiled in benevolent pity. "YOU know, do you? If you made any coffee--don't bother if you didn't. Get some down-town." He seemed about to rise and depart; whereupon Alice, biting her lip, sent a panic-stricken glance at her mother.

But Mrs. Adams seemed not at all disturbed; and laughed again.

"Why, what nonsense, Walter! I'll bring your coffee in a few minutes, but we're going to have dessert first.""What sort?"

"Some lovely peaches."

"Doe' want 'ny canned peaches," said the frank Walter, moving back his chair. "G'-night.""Walter! It doesn't begin till about nine o'clock at the earliest."He paused, mystified. "What doesn't?"

"The dance."

"What dance?"

"Why, Mildred Palmer's dance, of course."Walter laughed briefly. "What's that to me?""Why, you haven't forgotten it's TO-NIGHT, have you?" Mrs. Adams cried. "What a boy!""I told you a week ago I wasn't going to that ole dance," he returned, frowning. "You heard me.""Walter!" she exclaimed. "Of COURSE you're going. I got your clothes all out this afternoon, and brushed them for you.

They'll look very nice, and----"

"They won't look nice on ME," he interrupted. "Got date down-town, I tell you.""But of course you'll----"

"See here!" Walter said, decisively. "Don't get any wrong ideas in your head. I'm just as liable to go up to that ole dance at the Palmers' as I am to eat a couple of barrels of broken glass.""But, Walter----"

Walter was beginning to be seriously annoyed. "Don't 'Walter'

me! I'm no s'ciety snake. I wouldn't jazz with that Palmer crowd if they coaxed me with diamonds.""Walter----"

"Didn't I tell you it's no use to 'Walter' me?" he demanded.

"My dear child----"

"Oh, Glory!"

At this Mrs. Adams abandoned her air of amusement, looked hurt, and glanced at the demure Miss Perry across the table. "I'm afraid Miss Perry won't think you have very good manners, Walter.""You're right she won't," he agreed, grimly. "Not if I haf to hear any more about me goin' to----"But his mother interrupted him with some asperity: "It seems very strange that you always object to going anywhere among OURfriends, Walter."

"YOUR friends!" he said, and, rising from his chair, gave utterance to an ironical laugh strictly monosyllabic. "Your friends!" he repeated, going to the door. "Oh, yes! Certainly!

Good-NIGHT!"

And looking back over his shoulder to offer a final brief view of his derisive face, he took himself out of the room.

Alice gasped: "Mama----"

"I'll stop him!" her mother responded, sharply; and hurried after the truant, catching him at the front door with his hat and raincoat on.

"Walter----"

"Told you had a date down-town," he said, gruffly, and would have opened the door, but she caught his arm and detained him.

"Walter, please come back and finish your dinner. When I take all the trouble to cook it for you, I think you might at least----""Now, now!" he said. "That isn't what you're up to. You don't want to make me eat; you want to make me listen.""Well, you MUST listen!" She retained her grasp upon his arm, and made it tighter. "Walter, please!" she entreated, her voice becoming tremulous. "PLEASE don't make me so much trouble!"He drew back from her as far as her hold upon him permitted, and looked at her sharply. "Look here!" he said. "I get you, all right! What's the matter of Alice GOIN' to that party by herself?""She just CAN'T!"

"Why not?"

"It makes things too MEAN for her, Walter. All the other girls have somebody to depend on after they get there.""Well, why doesn't she have somebody?" he asked, testily.

"Somebody besides ME, I mean! Why hasn't somebody asked her to go? She ought to be THAT popular, anyhow, I sh'd think--she TRIES enough!""I don't understand how you can be so hard," his mother wailed, huskily. "You know why they don't run after her the way they do the other girls she goes with, Walter. It's because we're poor, and she hasn't got any background.

"'Background?' " Walter repeated. "'Background?' What kind of talk is that?""You WILL go with her to-night, Walter?" his mother pleaded, not stopping to enlighten him. "You don't understand how hard things are for her and how brave she is about them, or you COULDN'T be so selfish! It'd be more than I can bear to see her disappointed to-night! She went clear out to Belleview Park this afternoon, Walter, and spent hours and hours picking violets to wear. You WILL----"Walter's heart was not iron, and the episode of the violets may have reached it. "Oh, BLUB!" he said, and flung his soft hat violently at the wall.

His mother beamed with delight. "THAT'S a good boy, darling!

You'll never be sorry you----"

"Cut it out," he requested. "If I take her, will you pay for a taxi?""Oh, Walter!" And again Mrs. Adams showed distress. "Couldn't you?""No, I couldn't; I'm not goin' to throw away my good money like that, and you can't tell what time o' night it'll be before she's willin' to come home. What's the matter you payin' for one?""I haven't any money."

"Well, father----"

She shook her head dolefully. "I got some from him this morning, and I can't bother him for any more; it upsets him. He's ALWAYSbeen so terribly close with money----"

"I guess he couldn't help that," Walter observed. "We're liable to go to the poorhouse the way it is. Well, what's the matter our walkin' to this rotten party?""In the rain, Walter?"

"Well, it's only a drizzle and we can take a streetcar to within a block of the house."Again his mother shook her head. "It wouldn't do.""Well, darn the luck, all right!" he consented, explosively.

"I'll get her something to ride in. It means seventy-five cents.""Why, Walter!" Mrs. Adams cried, much pleased. "Do you know how to get a cab for that little? How splendid!""Tain't a cab," Walter informed her crossly. "It's a tin Lizzie, but you don't haf' to tell her what it is till I get her into it, do you?"Mrs. Adams agreed that she didn't.