It's not"--Miss Bessemer stiffened again--"that I'm afraid of Jack Carter and his dirty stories; I simply don't want to know the kind of people who have made Jack Carter possible. The other girls don't mind it, nor many men besides you, Condy; and I'm not going to be associated with people who take it as a joke for a man to come to a function drunk. And as for having a good time, I'll find my amusements somewhere else. I'll ride a wheel, take long walks, study something. But as for leading the life of a society girl--no! And whether I have a good time or not, I'll keep my own self-respect. At least I'll never have to dance with a drunken man. I won't have to humiliate myself like that a second time.""But I presume you will still continue to go out somewhere,"protested Condy Rivers.
She shook her head.
"I have thought it all over, and I've talked about it with Papum.
There's no half way about it. The only way to stop is to stop short. Just this afternoon I've regretted three functions for next week, and I shall resign from the 'Saturday Evening.' Oh, it's not the Jack Carter affair alone!" she exclaimed; "the whole thing tires me. Mind, Condy," she exclaimed, "I'm not going to break with it because I have any 'purpose in life,' or that sort of thing. I want to have a good time, and I'm going to see if Ican't have it in my own way. If the kind of thing that makes Jack Carter possible is conventionality, then I'm done with conventionality for good. I am going to try, from this time on, to be just as true to myself as I can be. I am going to be sincere, and not pretend to like people and things that I don't like; and I'm going to do the things that I like to do--just so long as they are the things a good girl can do. See, Condy?""You're fine," murmured Condy breathless. "You're fine as gold, Travis, and I--I love you all the better for it.""Ah, NOW!" exclaimed Travis, with a brusque movement, "there's mother thing we must talk about. No more foolishness between us.
We've had a jolly little flirtation, I know, and it's been good fun while it lasted. I know you like me, and you know that I like you; but as for loving each other, you know we don't. Yes, you say that you love me and that I'm the only girl. That's part of the game. I can play it"--her little eyes began to dance--"quite as well as you. But it's playing with something that's quite too serious to be played with--after all, isn't it, now? It's insincere, and, as I tell you, from now on I'm going to be as true and as sincere and as honest as I can.""But I tell you that I DO love you," protested Condy, trying to make the words ring true.
Travis looked about the room an instant as if in deliberation;then abruptly: "Ah! what am I going to DO with such a boy as you are, after all--a great big, overgrown boy? Condy Rivers, look at me straight in the eye. Tell me, do you honestly love me? You know what I mean when I say 'love.' Do you love me?""No, I don't!" he exclaimed blankly, as though he had just discovered the fact.
"There!" declared Travis--"and I don't love you." They both began to laugh.
"Now," added Travis, "we don't need to have the burden and trouble of keeping up the pretences any more. We understand each other, don't we?""This is queer enough," said Condy drolly.
"But isn't it an improvement?"
Condy scoured his head.
"Tell me the truth," she insisted; "YOU be sincere.""I do believe it is. Why--why--Travis by Jingo! Travis, I think I'm going to like you better than ever now.""Never mind. Is it an agreement?"
"What is?"
"That we don't pretend to love each other any more?""All right--yes--you're right; because the moment I began to love you I should like you so much less."She put out her hand. "That's an agreement, then."Condy took her hand in his. "Yes, it's an agreement." But when, as had been his custom, he made as though to kiss her hand, Travis drew it quickly away.
"No! no!" she said firmly, smiling for all that--"no more foolishness.""But--but," he protested, "it's not so radical as that, is it?
You're not going to overturn such time-worn, time-honored customs as that? Why, this is a regular rebellion.""No, sire," quoted Travis, trying not to laugh, "it is a revolution."
