the man who could not lose-第2章

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carrying　a　dressing…case。

〃I　have　left　mother！〃　she　announced。　〃And　I　have　her　car
downstairs；　and　a　clergyman　in　it；　unless　he　has　run　away。　He
doesn't　want　to　marry　us；　because　he's　afraid　mother　will　stop
supporting　his　flower　mission。　You　get　your　hat　and　take　me　where
he　can　marry　us。　No　mother　can　talk　about　the　man　I　love　the　way
mother　talked　about　you；　and　think　I　won't　marry　him　the　same　day！〃

Carter；　with　her　mother's　handwriting　still　red　before　his　eyes；
and　his　self…love　shaken　with　rage　flourished　the　letter。

〃And　no　mother；〃　he　shouted；　〃can　call　ME　a　'fortune…hunter'　and　a
'cradle…robber'　and　think　I'll　make　good　by　marrying　her　daughter！
Not　until　she　BEGS　me　to！〃

Dolly　swept　toward　him　like　a　summer　storm。　Her　eyes　were　wet　and
flashing。　〃Until　WHO　begs　you　to？〃　she　demanded。　〃WHO　are　you
marrying；　mother　or　me？〃

〃If　I　marry　you；〃　cried　Carter；　frightened　but　also　greatly
excited；　〃your　mother　won't　give　you　a　penny！〃

〃And　that；〃　taunted　Dolly；　perfectly　aware　that　she　was　ridiculous；
〃is　why　you　won't　marry　me！〃

For　an　instant；　long　enough　to　make　her　blush　with　shame　and
happiness；　Carter　grinned　at　her。　〃Now；　just　for　that；〃　he　said；　〃I
won't　kiss　you；　and　I　WILL　marry　you！〃　But；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　he
DID　kiss　her。　Then　he　gazed　happily　around　his　small　sitting…room。
〃Make　yourself　at　home　here；〃　he　directed；　〃while　I　pack　my　bag。〃

〃I　MEAN　to　make　myself　very　much　at　home　here；〃　said　Dolly
joyfully；　〃for　the　rest　of　my　life。〃

From　the　recesses　of　the　flat　Carter　called：　〃The　rent's　paid　only
till　September。　After　that　we　live　in　a　hall　bedroom　and　cook　on　a
gas…stove。　And　that's　no　idle　jest；　either。〃

Fearing　the　publicity　of　the　City　Hall　license　bureau；　they
released　the　clergyman；　much　to　the　relief　of　that　gentleman；　and
told　the　chauffeur　to　drive　across　the　State　line　into　Connecticut。

〃It's　the　last　time　we　can　borrow　your　mother's　car；〃　said　Carter；
〃and　we'd　better　make　it　go　as　far　as　we　can。〃

It　was　one　of　those　days　in　May。　Blue　was　the　sky　and　sunshine　was
in　the　air；　and　in　the　park　little　girls　from　the　tenements；　in
white；　were　playing　they　were　queens。　Dolly　wanted　to　kidnap　two　of
them　for　bridesmaids。　In　Harlem　they　stopped　at　a　jeweler's　shop；
and　Carter　got　out　and　bought　a　wedding…ring。

In　the　Bronx　were　dogwood　blossoms　and　leaves　of　tender　green　and
beds　of　tulips；　and　along　the　Boston　Post　Road；　on　their　right；　the
Sound　flashed　in　the　sunlight；　and　on　their　left；　gardens；　lawns；
and　orchards　ran　with　the　road；　and　the　apple　trees　were　masses　of
pink　and　white。

Whenever　a　car　approached　from　the　rear；　Carter　pretended　it　was
Mrs。　Ingram　coming　to　prevent　the　elopement；　and　Dolly　clung　to
him。　When　the　car　had　passed；　she　forgot　to　stop　clinging　to　him。

In　Greenwich　Village　they　procured　a　license；　and　a　magistrate
married　them；　and　they　were　a　little　frightened　and　greatly　happy
and；　they　both　discovered　simultaneously；　outrageously　hungry。　So
they　drove　through　Bedford　Village　to　South　Salem；　and　lunched　at
the　Horse　and　Hounds　Inn；　on　blue　and　white　china；　in　the　same　room
where　Major　Andre　was　once　a　prisoner。　And　they　felt　very　sorry　for
Major　Andre；　and　for　everybody　who　had　not　been　just　married　that
morning。　And　after　lunch　they　sat　outside　in　the　garden　and　fed
lumps　of　sugar　to　a　charming　collie　and　cream　to　a　fat　gray　cat。

They　decided　to　start　housekeeping　in　Carter's　flat；　and　so　turned
back　to　New　York；　this　time　following　the　old　coach　road　through
North　Castle　to　White　Plains；　across　to　Tarrytown；　and　along　the
bank　of　the　Hudson　into　Riverside　Drive。　Millions　and　millions　of
friendly　folk；　chiefly　nurse…　maids　and　traffic　policemen；　waved　to
them；　and　for　some　reason　smiled。

〃The　joke　of　it　is；〃　declared　Carter；　〃they　don't　know！　The　most
wonderful　event　of　the　century　has　just　passed　into　history。　We　are
married；　and　nobody　knows！〃

But　when　the　car　drove　away　from　in　front　of　Carter's　door；　they
saw　on　top　of　it　two　old　shoes　and　a　sign　reading：　〃We　have　just
been　married。〃　While　they　had　been　at　luncheon；　the　chauffeur　had
risen　to　the　occasion。

〃After　all；〃　said　Carter　soothingly；　〃he　meant　no　harm。　And　it's
the　only　thing　about　our　wedding　yet　that　seems　legal。〃

Three　months　later　two　very　unhappy　young　people　faced　starvation
in　the　sitting…room　of　Carter's　flat。　Gloom　was　written　upon　the
countenance　of　each；　and　the　heat　and　the　care　that　comes　when　one
desires　to　live；　and　lacks　the　wherewithal　to　fulfill　that　desire；
had　made　them　pallid　and　had　drawn　black　lines　under　Dolly's　eyes。

Mrs。　Ingram　had　played　her　part　exactly　as　her　dearest　friends　had
said　she　would。　She　had　sent　to　Carter's　flat；　seven　trunks　filled
with　Dolly's　clothes；　eighteen　hats；　and　another　most　unpleasant
letter。　In　this；　on　the　sole　condition　that　Dolly　would　at　once
leave　her　husband；　she　offered　to　forgive　and　to　support　her。

To　this　Dolly　composed　eleven　scornful　answers；　but　finally　decided
that　no　answer　at　all　was　the　most　scornful。

She　and　Carter　then　proceeded　joyfully　to　waste　his　three　thousand
dollars　with　that　contempt　for　money　with　which　on　a　honey…moon　it
should　always　be　regarded。　When　there　was　no　more；　Dolly　called
upon　her　mother's　lawyers　and　inquired　if　her　father　had　left　her
anything　in　her　own　right。　The　lawyers　regretted　he　had　not；　but
having　loved　Dolly　since　she　was　born；　offered　to　advance　her　any
money　she　wanted。　They　said　they　felt　sure　her　mother　would
〃relent。〃

〃SHE　may；〃　said　Dolly　haughtily。　〃I　WON'T！　And　my　husband　can　give
me　all　I　need。　I　only　wanted　something　of　my　own；　because　I'm　going
to　make　him　a　surprise　present　of　a　new　motor…car。　The　one　we　are
using　now　does　not　suit　us。

This　was　quite　true；　as　the　one　they　were　then　using　ran　through
the　subway。

As　summer　approached；　Carter　had　suddenly　awakened　to　the　fact　that
he　soon　would　be　a　pauper；　and　cut　short　the　honey…　moon。　They
returned　to　the　flat；　and　he　set　forth　to　look　for　a　position。
Later；　while　still　looking　for　it；　he　spoke　of　it　as　a　〃job。〃　He
first　thought　he　would　like　to　be　an　assistant　editor　of　a
magazine。　But　he　found　editors　of　magazines　anxious　to　employ　new
and　untried　assistants；　especially　in　June；　were　very　few。　On　the
contrary；　they　explained　they　were　retrenching　and　cutting　down
expensesthey　meant　they　had　discharged　all　office　boys　who
received　more　than　three　dollars　a　week。　They　further　〃retrenched；〃
by　taking　a　mean　advantage　of　Carter's　having　called　upon　them　in
person；　by　handing　him　three　or　four　of　his　storiesbut　by　this　he
saved　his　postage…stamps。

Each　day；　when　he　returned　to　the　flat；　Dolly；　who　always　expected
each　editor　would　hastily　dust　off　his　chair　and　offer　it　to　her
brilliant　husband；　would　smile　excitedly　and　gasp；　〃Well？〃　and
Carter　would　throw　the　rejected　manuscripts　on　the　table　and　say：
〃At　least；　I　have　not　returned　empty…　handed。〃　Then　they　would
discover　a　magazine　that　neither　they　nor　any　one　else　knew
existed；　and　they　would　hurriedly　readdress　the　manuscripts　to　that
periodical；　and　run　to　post　them　at　the　letter…box　on　the　corner。

〃Any　one　of　them；　if　ACCEPTED；〃　Carter　would　point　out；　〃might
bring　us　in　twenty…five　dollars。　A　story　of　mine　once　sold　for
forty；　so　to…night　we　can　afford　to　dine　at　a　restaurant　where　wine
is　NOT　'included。'〃

Fortunately；　they　never　lost　their　sense　of　humor。　Otherwise　the
narrow　confines　of　the　flat；　the　evil　smells　that　rose　from　the
baked　streets；　the　greasy　food　of　Italian　and　Hungarian
restaurants；　and　the　ever…haunting　need　of　money　might　have　crushed
their　youthful　spirits。　But　in　time　even　they　found　that　one；　still
less　two；　cannot　exist　exclusively　on　love　and　the　power　to　see　the
bright　side　of　things　especially　when　there　is　no　bright　side。
They　had　come　to　the　point　where　they　must　borrow　money　from　their
friends；　and　that；　though　there　were　many　who　would　have　opened
their　safes　to　them；　they　had　agreed　was　the　one　thing　they　would
not　do；　or　they　must　starve。　The　alternative　was　equally
distasteful。

Carter　had　struggled　earnestly　to　find　a　job。　But　his　inexperience
and　the　season　of　the　year　were