the game-第3章

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slipped　by。　　Her　acquaintances　were　few。　　She　had　elected　to　have　no

girl　chum　for　the　reason　that　no　satisfactory　girl　had　appeared。

Nor　did　she　choose　to　walk　with　the　young　fellows　of　the

neighbourhood；　as　was　the　custom　of　girls　from　their　fifteenth　year。

〃That　stuck…up　doll…face；〃　was　the　way　the　girls　of　the

neighbourhood　described　her；　and　though　she　earned　their　enmity　by

her　beauty　and　aloofness；　she　none　the　less　commanded　their　respect。

〃Peaches　and　cream；〃　she　was　called　by　the　young　menthough　softly

and　amongst　themselves；　for　they　were　afraid　of　arousing　the　ire　of

the　other　girls；　while　they　stood　in　awe　of　Genevieve；　in　a　dimly

religious　way；　as　a　something　mysteriously　beautiful　and

unapproachable。



For　she　was　indeed　beautiful。　　Springing　from　a　long　line　of

American　descent；　she　was　one　of　those　wonderful　working…class

blooms　which　occasionally　appear；　defying　all　precedent　of　forebears

and　environment；　apparently　without　cause　or　explanation。　　She　was　a

beauty　in　color；　the　blood　spraying　her　white　skin　so　deliciously　as

to　earn　for　her　the　apt　description；　〃peaches　and　cream。〃　　She　was　a

beauty　in　the　regularity　of　her　features；　and；　if　for　no　other

reason；　she　was　a　beauty　in　the　mere　delicacy　of　the　lines　on　which

she　was　moulded。　　Quiet；　low…voiced；　stately；　and　dignified；　she

somehow　had　the　knack　of　dress；　and　but　befitted　her　beauty　and

dignity　with　anything　she　put　on。　　Withal；　she　was　sheerly　feminine；

tender　and　soft　and　clinging；　with　the　smouldering　passion　of　the

mate　and　the　motherliness　of　the　woman。　　But　this　side　of　her　nature

had　lain　dormant　through　the　years；　waiting　for　the　mate　to　appear。



Then　Joe　came　into　Silverstein's　shop　one　hot　Saturday　afternoon　to

cool　himself　with　ice…cream　soda。　　She　had　not　noticed　his　entrance；

being　busy　with　one　other　customer；　an　urchin　of　six　or　seven　who

gravely　analyzed　his　desires　before　the　show…case　wherein　truly

generous　and　marvellous　candy　creations　reposed　under　a　cardboard

announcement；　〃Five　for　Five　Cents。〃



She　had　heard；　〃Ice…cream　soda；　please；〃　and　had　herself　asked；

〃What　flavor？〃　without　seeing　his　face。　　For　that　matter；　it　was　not

a　custom　of　hers　to　notice　young　men。　　There　was　something　about

them　she　did　not　understand。　　The　way　they　looked　at　her　made　her

uncomfortable；　she　knew　not　why；　while　there　was　an　uncouthness　and

roughness　about　them　that　did　not　please　her。　　As　yet；　her

imagination　had　been　untouched　by　man。　　The　young　fellows　she　had

seen　had　held　no　lure　for　her；　had　been　without　meaning　to　her。　　In

short；　had　she　been　asked　to　give　one　reason　for　the　existence　of

men　on　the　earth；　she　would　have　been　nonplussed　for　a　reply。



As　she　emptied　the　measure　of　ice…cream　into　the　glass；　her　casual

glance　rested　on　Joe's　face；　and　she　experienced　on　the　instant　a

pleasant　feeling　of　satisfaction。　　The　next　instant　his　eyes　were

upon　her　face；　her　eyes　had　dropped；　and　she　was　turning　away　toward

the　soda　fountain。　　But　at　the　fountain；　filling　the　glass；　she　was

impelled　to　look　at　him　againbut　for　no　more　than　an　instant；　for

this　time　she　found　his　eyes　already　upon　her；　waiting　to　meet　hers；

while　on　his　face　was　a　frankness　of　interest　that　caused　her

quickly　to　look　away。



That　such　pleasingness　would　reside　for　her　in　any　man　astonished

her。　　〃What　a　pretty　boy；〃　she　thought　to　herself；　innocently　and

instinctively　trying　to　ward　off　the　power　to　hold　and　draw　her　that

lay　behind　the　mere　prettiness。　　〃Besides；　he　isn't　pretty；〃　she

thought；　as　she　placed　the　glass　before　him；　received　the　silver

dime　in　payment；　and　for　the　third　time　looked　into　his　eyes。　　Her

vocabulary　was　limited；　and　she　knew　little　of　the　worth　of　words；

but　the　strong　masculinity　of　his　boy's　face　told　her　that　the　term

was　inappropriate。



〃He　must　be　handsome；　then；〃　was　her　next　thought；　as　she　again

dropped　her　eyes　before　his。　　But　all　good…looking　men　were　called

handsome；　and　that　term；　too；　displeased　her。　　But　whatever　it　was；

he　was　good　to　see；　and　she　was　irritably　aware　of　a　desire　to　look

at　him　again　and　again。



As　for　Joe；　he　had　never　seen　anything　like　this　girl　across　the

counter。　　While　he　was　wiser　in　natural　philosophy　than　she；　and

could　have　given　immediately　the　reason　for　woman's　existence　on　the

earth；　nevertheless　woman　had　no　part　in　his　cosmos。　　His

imagination　was　as　untouched　by　woman　as　the　girl's　was　by　man。　　But

his　imagination　was　touched　now；　and　the　woman　was　Genevieve。　　He

had　never　dreamed　a　girl　could　be　so　beautiful；　and　he　could　not

keep　his　eyes　from　her　face。　　Yet　every　time　he　looked　at　her；　and

her　eyes　met　his；　he　felt　painful　embarrassment；　and　would　have

looked　away　had　not　her　eyes　dropped　so　quickly。



But　when；　at　last；　she　slowly　lifted　her　eyes　and　held　their　gaze

steadily；　it　was　his　own　eyes　that　dropped；　his　own　cheek　that

mantled　red。　　She　was　much　less　embarrassed　than　he；　while　she

betrayed　her　embarrassment　not　at　all。　　She　was　aware　of　a　flutter

within；　such　as　she　had　never　known　before；　but　in　no　way　did　it

disturb　her　outward　serenity。　　Joe；　on　the　contrary；　was　obviously

awkward　and　delightfully　miserable。



Neither　knew　love；　and　all　that　either　was　aware　was　an　overwhelming

desire　to　look　at　the　other。　　Both　had　been　troubled　and　roused；　and

they　were　drawing　together　with　the　sharpness　and　imperativeness　of

uniting　elements。　　He　toyed　with　his　spoon；　and　flushed　his

embarrassment　over　his　soda；　but　lingered　on；　and　she　spoke　softly；

dropped　her　eyes；　and　wove　her　witchery　about　him。



But　he　could　not　linger　forever　over　a　glass　of　ice…cream　soda；

while　he　did　not　dare　ask　for　a　second　glass。　　So　he　left　her　to

remain　in　the　shop　in　a　waking　trance；　and　went　away　himself　down

the　street　like　a　somnambulist。　　Genevieve　dreamed　through　the

afternoon　and　knew　that　she　was　in　love。　　Not　so　with　Joe。　　He　knew

only　that　he　wanted　to　look　at　her　again；　to　see　her　face。　　His

thoughts　did　not　get　beyond　this；　and　besides；　it　was　scarcely　a

thought；　being　more　a　dim　and　inarticulate　desire。



The　urge　of　this　desire　he　could　not　escape。　　Day　after　day　it

worried　him；　and　the　candy　shop　and　the　girl　behind　the　counter

continually　obtruded　themselves。　　He　fought　off　the　desire。　　He　was

afraid　and　ashamed　to　go　back　to　the　candy　shop。　　He　solaced　his

fear　with；　〃I　ain't　a　ladies'　man。〃　　Not　once；　nor　twice；　but　scores

of　times；　he　muttered　the　thought　to　himself；　but　it　did　no　good。

And　by　the　middle　of　the　week；　in　the　evening；　after　work；　he　came

into　the　shop。　　He　tried　to　come　in　carelessly　and　casually；　but　his

whole　carriage　advertised　the　strong　effort　of　will　that　compelled

his　legs　to　carry　his　reluctant　body　thither。　　Also；　he　was　shy；　and

awkwarder　than　ever。　　Genevieve；　on　the　contrary；　was　serener　than

ever；　though　fluttering　most　alarmingly　within。　　He　was　incapable　of

speech；　mumbled　his　order；　looked　anxiously　at　the　clock；　despatched

his　ice…cream　soda　in　tremendous　haste；　and　was　gone。



She　was　ready　to　weep　with　vexation。　　Such　meagre　reward　for　four

days'　waiting；　and　assuming　all　the　time　that　she　loved！　　He　was　a

nice　boy　and　all　that；　she　knew；　but　he　needn't　have　been　in　so

disgraceful　a　hurry。　　But　Joe　had　not　reached　the　corner　before　he

wanted　to　be　back　with　her　again。　　He　just　wanted　to　look　at　her。

He　had　no　thought　that　it　was　love。　　Love？　　That　was　when　young

fellows　and　girls　walked　out　together。　　As　for　himAnd　then　his

desire　took　sharper　shape；　and　he　discovered　that　that　was　the　very

thing　he　wanted　her　to　do。　　He　wanted　to　see　her；　to　look　at　her；

and　well　could　he　do　all　this　if　she　but　walked　out　with　him。　　Then

that　was　why　the　young　fellows　and　girls　walked　out　together；　he

mused；　as　the　week…end　drew　near。　　He　had　remotely　considered　this

walking　out　to　be　a　mere　form　or　observance　preliminary　to

matrimony。　　Now　he　saw　the　deeper　wisdom　in　it；　wanted　it　himsel