know whether to offer his hand or not; suddenly he was all thumbs again. This handsome, elegant woman with her top-hatted, remotely smiling Italian dismayed him. Sullavan’s hand stopped halfway; he dropped his hat.
“How do you do, Mr. Sullavan.”
“Pleased to meet you,” said Sullavan, bending down to get his hat. When he straightened up his face was an apoplectic red. Riquetti looked at him a little uneasily as if he thought Sullavan was going to explode.
“Read, you’re surely going to stop a minute,” said Eileen.
“Sorry. It’s getting late. I’ve got work to do.”
“I envy you,” said Riquetti, with a sigh.
Read glanced at him, then bowed slightly and started out. Sullavan turned awkwardly:
“I’m sure I’m glad I…” He went out.
Eileen called:
“Read, won’t you stop for even one little drink?”
“Sorry.”
The servant shut the door. Sullavan puffed a little, keeping step with Read.
“Pretty girl, Eileen Bradley,” he said, trying to sound as if he was in the habit of meeting Eileen Bradleys every day.
Read said nothing. He was terribly upset. Just to see her with that European lounge lizard made him
tremble with rage and jealousy. And, by the way, what was she doing with him?
Barney held the door open. Read got in without a word; then Sullavan followed.
“Excuse me, Governor,” said Barney; “there was a young guy hanging around here all evening. He was trying to pump me. Newspaper guy, I guess.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Well, I thought…”
Barney shrugged, got into his seat, and drove off. He could tell by the tone of Read’s voice that something was up.
They rode in silence for a while, then Sullavan said:
“That was the biggest deal of your life, Governor.”
Read spoke with an effort.
“Yes, I guess it was.”
“You don’t seem very cheerful about it.”
“I’m tired.”
“Well,” said Sullavan, “you’ve sure got a right to be tired. But don’t let it get you. Anyway, it’ll soon be over.”
Read dropped Sullavan at his old-fashioned brick house in an East End suburb, then he spoke to Barney:
“Let’s go home.”
It was nearly midnight. Read felt very tired and put his head on the back of the seat and closed his eyes. There was so much to do. He still had his Saturday night speech to finish; and it was time he started thinking about the speech he was to deliver at Memorial Hall the night before the election. He racked his brain for an opening paragraph but he hadn’t an idea in his head. He felt stale. Suddenly he wanted to see Gregg.
“Barney, I’ve changed my mind. Mayflower Arms.”
“Yes, Governor.”
Good old Gregg; what would he do without him! They bickered incessantly, always had; but when Gregg was your friend he was your friend. Wait! Hadn’t Gregg said something about a shindig? Read hesitated, then shrugged. No matter; anyway, a shindig, lots of talk, however silly, might pep him up a little.
IV
As Read approached the door of Gregg’s apartment, he heard the noise. There was a radio going loudly inside; people were laughing and talking and shuffling about to the music. Read hesitated, nearly withdrew; then, shrugging, he rang the bell. A little fun might be good for him; he was getting to be quite a stick-in-the-mud!
The door opened at once. A woman with shining blond hair thrust her head out and cried: “Surprise!” Then she started, recognizing Read, and said: ”Oh, excuse me, Governor. Won’t you come in? I thought it was Gregg.”
“Gregg! Isn’t he here?”
“No, he isn’t. But he’ll be right back.”
This woman was pretty. Read began to thaw. “That’s a funny way to give a party.”
“Oh, Governor, it’s a long story. Please come in. Let me take your hat and coat. Gregg’s Jap boy is so busy dragging in drinks he…”
“Thank you.”
He went in. She closed the door, then took his hat and coat and put them on a chair in the little hallway. Beyond, Read
“How do you do, Mr. Sullavan.”
“Pleased to meet you,” said Sullavan, bending down to get his hat. When he straightened up his face was an apoplectic red. Riquetti looked at him a little uneasily as if he thought Sullavan was going to explode.
“Read, you’re surely going to stop a minute,” said Eileen.
“Sorry. It’s getting late. I’ve got work to do.”
“I envy you,” said Riquetti, with a sigh.
Read glanced at him, then bowed slightly and started out. Sullavan turned awkwardly:
“I’m sure I’m glad I…” He went out.
Eileen called:
“Read, won’t you stop for even one little drink?”
“Sorry.”
The servant shut the door. Sullavan puffed a little, keeping step with Read.
“Pretty girl, Eileen Bradley,” he said, trying to sound as if he was in the habit of meeting Eileen Bradleys every day.
Read said nothing. He was terribly upset. Just to see her with that European lounge lizard made him
tremble with rage and jealousy. And, by the way, what was she doing with him?
Barney held the door open. Read got in without a word; then Sullavan followed.
“Excuse me, Governor,” said Barney; “there was a young guy hanging around here all evening. He was trying to pump me. Newspaper guy, I guess.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Well, I thought…”
Barney shrugged, got into his seat, and drove off. He could tell by the tone of Read’s voice that something was up.
They rode in silence for a while, then Sullavan said:
“That was the biggest deal of your life, Governor.”
Read spoke with an effort.
“Yes, I guess it was.”
“You don’t seem very cheerful about it.”
“I’m tired.”
“Well,” said Sullavan, “you’ve sure got a right to be tired. But don’t let it get you. Anyway, it’ll soon be over.”
Read dropped Sullavan at his old-fashioned brick house in an East End suburb, then he spoke to Barney:
“Let’s go home.”
It was nearly midnight. Read felt very tired and put his head on the back of the seat and closed his eyes. There was so much to do. He still had his Saturday night speech to finish; and it was time he started thinking about the speech he was to deliver at Memorial Hall the night before the election. He racked his brain for an opening paragraph but he hadn’t an idea in his head. He felt stale. Suddenly he wanted to see Gregg.
“Barney, I’ve changed my mind. Mayflower Arms.”
“Yes, Governor.”
Good old Gregg; what would he do without him! They bickered incessantly, always had; but when Gregg was your friend he was your friend. Wait! Hadn’t Gregg said something about a shindig? Read hesitated, then shrugged. No matter; anyway, a shindig, lots of talk, however silly, might pep him up a little.
IV
As Read approached the door of Gregg’s apartment, he heard the noise. There was a radio going loudly inside; people were laughing and talking and shuffling about to the music. Read hesitated, nearly withdrew; then, shrugging, he rang the bell. A little fun might be good for him; he was getting to be quite a stick-in-the-mud!
The door opened at once. A woman with shining blond hair thrust her head out and cried: “Surprise!” Then she started, recognizing Read, and said: ”Oh, excuse me, Governor. Won’t you come in? I thought it was Gregg.”
“Gregg! Isn’t he here?”
“No, he isn’t. But he’ll be right back.”
This woman was pretty. Read began to thaw. “That’s a funny way to give a party.”
“Oh, Governor, it’s a long story. Please come in. Let me take your hat and coat. Gregg’s Jap boy is so busy dragging in drinks he…”
“Thank you.”
He went in. She closed the door, then took his hat and coat and put them on a chair in the little hallway. Beyond, Read
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