“What do you think I stay in this hell for except for you? Oh you’re such a brute.” She sat dryeyed staring at her feet in their gray buckskin slippers, twisting and untwisting in her fingers the wet string of her handkerchief.
“Look here Cecily a divorce would be very harmful to my situation downtown just at the moment, but if you really dont want to go on living with me I’ll see what I can arrange. … But in any event you must have more confidence in me. You know I’m fond of you. And for God’s sake dont go to see anybody about it without consulting me. You dont want a scandal and headlines in the papers, do you?”
“All right … leave me alone. … I dont care about anything.”
“All right. … I’m pretty late. I’ll go on downtown in that taxi. You don’t want to come shopping or anything?”
She shook her head. He kissed her on the forehead, took his straw hat and stick in the hall and hurried out.
“Oh I’m the most miserable woman,” she groaned and got to her feet. Her head ached as if it were bound with hot wire. She went to the window and leaned out into the sunlight. Across Park Avenue the flameblue sky was barred with the red girder cage of a new building. Steam riveters rattled incessantly; now and then a donkeyengine whistled and there was a jingle of chains and a fresh girder soared crosswise in the air. Men in blue overalls moved about the scaffolding. Beyond to the northwest a shining head of clouds soared blooming compactly like a cauliflower. Oh if it would only rain. As the thought came to her there was a low growl of thunder above the din of building and of traffic. Oh if it would only rain.
Ellen had just hung a chintz curtain in the window to hide with its blotchy pattern of red and purple flowers the vista of desert backyards and brick flanks of downtown houses. In the middle of the bare room was a boxcouch cumbered with teacups, a copper chafingdish and percolator; the yellow hardwood floor was littered with snippings of chintz and curtainpins; books, dresses, bedlinen cascaded from a trunk in the corner; from a new mop in the fireplace exuded a smell of cedar oil. Ellen was leaning against the wall in a daffodilcolored kimono looking happily about the big shoebox-shaped room when the buzzer startled her. She pushed a rope of hair up off her forehead and pressed the button that worked the latch. There was a little knock on the door. A woman was standing in the dark of the hall.
“Why Cassie I couldn’t make out who you were. Come in. … What’s the matter?”
“You are sure I’m not intwuding?”
“Of course not.” Ellen leaned to give her a little pecking kiss. Cassandra Wilkins was very pale and there was a nervous quiver about her eyelids. “You can give me some advice. I’m just getting my curtains up. … Look do you think that purple goes all right with the gray wall? It looks kind of funny to me.”
“I think it’s beautiful. What a beautiful woom. How happy you’re going to be here.”
“Put that chafingdish down on the floor and sit down. I’ll make some tea. There’s a kind of bathroom kitchenette in the alcove there.”
“You’re sure it wouldn’t be too much twouble?”
“Of course not. … But Cassie what’s the matter?”
“Oh everything. … I came down to tell you but I cant. I cant ever tell anybody.”
“I’m so excited about this apartment. Imagine Cassie it’s the first place of my own I ever had in my life. Daddy wants me to live with him in Passaic, but I just felt I couldn’t.”
“And what does Mr. Oglethorpe … ? Oh but that’s impertinent of me. … Do forgive me Elaine. I’m almost cwazy. I don’t know what I’m saying.”
“Oh Jojo’s a dear. He’s even going to let me divorce him if I want to. … Would you if you were me?” Without waiting for an answer she disappeared between the folding doors. Cassie remained hunched up on the edge of the couch.
Ellen came back with a blue teapot in one hand and a pan of steaming water in the other. “Do you mind not having lemon or cream? There’s some sugar on the mantelpiece. These cups are clean because I just washed them. Dont you think they are pretty? Oh you cant imagine how wonderful and domestic it makes you feel to have a place all to yourself. I hate living in a hotel. Honestly this place makes me just so domestic … Of course the ridiculous thing is that I’ll probably have to give it up or sublet as soon as I’ve got it decently fixed up. Show’s going on the road in three weeks. I want to get out of it but Harry Goldweiser wont let me.” Cassie was taking little sips of tea out of her spoon. She began to cry softly. “Why Cassie buck up, what’s the matter?”
“Oh, you’re so lucky in everything Elaine and I’m so miserable.”
“Why I always thought it was my jinx that got the beautyprize, but what is the matter?”
Cassie put down her cup and pushed her two clenched hands into her neck. “It’s just this,” she said in a strangled voice. … “I think I’m going to have a baby.” She put her head down on her knees and sobbed.
“Are you sure? Everybody’s always having scares.”
“I wanted our love to be always pure and beautiful, but he said he’d never see me again if I didn’t … and I hate him.” She shook the words out one by one between tearing sobs.
“Why don’t you get married?”
“I cant. I wont. It would interfere.”
“How long since you knew?”
“Oh it must have been ten days ago easily. I know it’s that … I dont want to have anything but my dancing.” She stopped sobbing and began taking little sips of tea again.
Ellen walked back and forth in front of
