Our Mr. Wrenn The Romantic Adventures of a Gentle Man

the cud of thought in his room next evening

because England was a country where every one-native or American-was

First one, then the other, these thoughts swashed back and forth like the swinging tides. He got away from them only long enough to rejoice that somehow-h

d would not, be the perfect comrade amon

dy shot up from its crouch,

foot on the sill with apologetic has

st wondered if you could let

ase take 'em. I got plenty more.

o' you," she said, h

urging: "Have you been to another show? Gee! I hope you draw a

nk y

some fifteen feet from his. He was scratching at the

e in?" she sai

but I guess I

tered she warbled: "Needn't both be so lonely all the time, after all, need we? Even if you don't like poor Istra. You don't-do you?" Seemingly she di

rom her as she threw back her head and inhale

urned away uncomfortable eyes. He recognized the black-and-gold burnoose, which was tumbled on the bed, with a nightgown of lace insertions and s

n it lay a gold-mounted fountain-pen, huge and stub-pointed; a medley of papers and torn envelopes,

ss. He considered the Yvette flask the largest bottle of perfume he'd ever seen; and remarked that there w

lonely when

y,

g sorer and sorer on Interesting People. I think I'll go back to Paris. There even the

get what you mean. How do you

tely, blowing the blue tendrils toward the ceiling as she continued: "Of course you don't get it. You're a nice sensible clerk who've had enough real work to do to keep

ways, and some social workers. The particular bunch that it amuses me to hate just now-and that I apparently can't do without-they gather around Olympia Johns, who makes a kind of salon out of her rooms o

r them wamble. They sit around and growl and rush the growler-I hope you know growler-rushing-and rejoice that they're free spirits. Being Free, of course, they're not allowe

audience-or even three. For instance, you may be a militant and a vegetarian, but if some one is a militant and has a good figure, why then-oof!... That's what I mean by `Inter

I guess they're like cattlemen-the cattle-ier they are, the more romantic they look, an

ave so much intellekchool discussion, shall it!... I think you're a very nice person,

es

to stand in an unaired parlor ever since. She glowered silent disapproval at the presence of Mr. Wrenn in Istra's room, but sent a slavey to make the fire-"saxpence uxtry." Mr. Wrenn felt guilty till the co

re, Turk-wise, her quick delicate fi

the romantic, ought to appreciate sitting

es and trying to appear the dignified Am

him intimately

girl by the fire. Tell poor Istra the dark s

e! Except when I was about nine-one Hallowe'en-at

? Poor

ly conscious of the warm smoothness of her fingers playi

een in love? Dr

ver h

know, when I think of the jaded Interesting People I've met-Why do I leave you to be spoiled by some shop-girl in a flo

, then, feeling guilty,

ke me, too. We'll forget there are any syndicalists or broken-colori

the woods! You're the first person with brains I ever met, 'cept, maybe, Dr. Mittyf

feeling of historic daring, he ventured to explore with his thumb-tip the fine lines of the side of her hand.... It actua

s hand a parting pre

n I'll send you away, and to-morr

he could be dignified and not take advantage of Miss Nash's kindness by slouchin' round. Having read much Kipling, he had an idea th

fire, chucked its papers on the bed, and placed a bunch of roses on one end,

ook wine as a matter of course. Mrs. Zapp wouldn't take it as a matter of course. He rejoiced that he wasn't narrow-minded, like Mrs. Zap

cakes. Just once, anyway.

U

e wine is wine.

h, I did get y

t my presiding goddess

I'm going to b

re you going to

don't quite ge

it. I think I'd rather

ls, before starting. Dark close place 'tween-decks, with the steers bellowin' and all parked tight together, and the stiffs gettin' seasick-so seasick we just kind of stagg

, feeling that he was talking too much. But, "Go on, please do," she commanded, and he told simply, seeing it more and more,

it's a good thing you're articulate, anyway-" wh

y, hasn't it, caveman? (If you are a caveman.) Call f

hand in the flee

ht, Miss Nash,

eautiful transcript of Mittyford, Ph.D. As a result, when he stood before the large canvases of Mr. Watts at the Tate he was s

I have taken a gre

to play. You don't k

don't know why I shou

the gr-r-rand young bobbies. You must learn to watch for the blossoms on the restaurant terraces and roll on the grass in the parks. You're much to

English Breakfas

B

excitedly, as they took a

inning at least

a are there, Istra?... Oh

re bluffers, more or less, and we are ever so polite in pretending not to know the others are bluffing.... There's lots

antown. I used to

nly charge three dollars a cup.... But, serious-like, there's really only two kinds of teas-those you go to to meet the man you love and ought to hate, and those you give to spite the women you hate but ought to-hate! Isn

better than most of

ed, "it's kind of

e. Talking sideways

was, he let her think sh

ying such vast learning that he made gi

om behind a candy-shop on Tottenham Court Road, a low room with white wicker chairs, colored tiles set in the wall, and green Sedji-ware jugs with irregular bunches of white roses. A

ngs the gold butter-measuring rod to test your skill, why, he always wears knee-breeches of silver gray. So you can see, Billy, how careful you have to be. And eat them without buttering your nose. For if you butter your nose they'll think you're a Greek professor.

e, are the hatter and hare? Especially the sweet bunny rabbit tha

e are the ha

s the best

you shall lead me. Show me where you'd go for dinner. And you shall t

don't know a single

ogether for a little while. We're not used to each other's sort of play, but that will b

ye

me how y

ve I ever did

ake me to your kin

ou'd care much for

e meat

-hu

y ones? With

-hu

'ny tea? Lead me to it, O brav

testing zylophones with small clubs, or the side-splitting juggler's assistant who breaks up piles and pil

er he talked of There

ter and Morton

on the steps of the h

a strange-enough woods get acquainted. You are a lonely child, ar

games to teach. But

eauty, too, aren't I

u are!"

... And I need some

on hold their sides la

. "Oh, don't! They

kill anybody

nd I'll go on being discontented. Oh, isn 't life the fiercest proposition!... We seem different, you and I, but maybe it

s and rest there. But he sat still, and pr

't see how Paris could help 'preciating you. I'll bet you're one of the best artist

y. Can't pa

s quite masterful. "I'll be

U

ee some of them some time.

out to hear some great though nasty criticis

no time to blush and hesitate over the impropriety of entering a

anked out a dozen unframed pastels and wash-drawings which she scornfull

t art editor, that red-headed youth, probably didn't like. Don't you hate r

ng him, pinching her chin thoughtfully, while she mur

ing her shoulders a

y, my dear man, every bit of the drawing in this thing would disgrace a seventh-grade drawing-class in Dos Puentes. And regard the bunch of lombardies in this other picture. They look like umbr

ard a white cottage with orange-trees gleaming against its walls.

could say, but adm

we will play. Good