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the man who could not lose-第2章

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〃Not half as loud as they will;〃 said Carter。

With three thousand dollars in bank and three stories accepted and
seventeen still to hear from; and with Dolly daily telling him that
it was evident he did not love her; Carter decided they were ready;
hand in hand; to leap into the sea of matrimony。 His interview on
the subject with Mrs。 Ingram was most painful。 It lasted during the
time it took her to walk out of her drawing…room to the foot of her
staircase。 She spoke to herself; and the only words of which Carter
was sure were 〃preposterous〃 and 〃intolerable insolence。〃 Later in
the morning she sent a note to his flat; forbidding him not only
her daughter; but the house in which her daughter lived; and even
the use of the United States mails and the New York telephone
wires。 She described his conduct in words that; had they come from
a man; would have afforded Carter every excuse for violent
exercise。

Immediately in the wake of the note arrived Dolly; in tears; and
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 a
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