The ensuing December days brought to Clyde some pleasing and yet complicating and disturbing developments.
For Sondra Finchley, having found him so agreeable an admirer of hers, was from the first inclined neither toforget nor neglect him. But, occupying the rather prominent social position which she did, she was at first ratherdubious as to how to proceed. For Clyde was too poor and decidedly too much ignored by the Griffithsthemselves, even, for her to risk any marked manifestation of interest in him.
And now, in addition to the primary motivating reason for all this--her desire to irritate Gilbert by being friendswith his cousin--there was another. She liked him. His charm and his reverence for her and her station flatteredand intrigued her. For hers was a temperament which required adulation in about the measure which Clydeprovided it--sincere and romantic adulation. And at the very same time he represented physical as well as mentalattributes which were agreeable to her--amorousness without the courage at the time, anyhow, to annoy her toomuch; reverence which yet included her as a very human being; a mental and physical animation which quitematched and companioned her own.
Hence it was decidedly a troublesome thought with Sondra how she was to proceed with Clyde without attractingtoo much attention and unfavorable comment to herself--a thought which kept her sly little brain going at nightsafter she had retired. However, those who had met him at the Trumbulls' were so much impressed by her interestin him that evening and the fact that he had proved so pleasing and affable, they in turn, the girls particularly,were satisfied that he was eligible enough.
And in consequence, two weeks later, Clyde, searching for inexpensive Christmas presents in Stark's for hismother, father, sisters, brother and Roberta, and encountering Jill Trumbull doing a little belated shoppingherself, was invited by her to attend a pre-Christmas dance that was to be given the next night by Vanda Steele ather home in Gloversville. Jill herself was going with Frank Harriet and she was not sure but that Sondra Finchleywould be there. Another engagement of some kind appeared to be in the way, but still she was intending to comeif she could. But her sister Gertrude would be glad to have him escort her--a very polite way of arranging forGertrude. Besides, as she knew, if Sondra heard that Clyde was to be there, this might induce her to desert herother engagement.
Tracy will be glad to stop for you in time," she went on, "or--" she hesitated--"perhaps you'd like to come overfor dinner with us before we go. It'll be just the family, but we'd be delighted to have you. The dancing doesn'tbegin till eleven."The dance was for Friday night, and on that night Clyde had arranged to be with Roberta because on thefollowing day she was leaving for a three-day-over-Christmas holiday visit to her parents--the longest stretch oftime thus far she had spent away from him. And because, apart from his knowledge she had arranged to presenthim with a new fountain pen and Eversharp pencil, she had been most anxious that he should spend this lastevening with her, a fact which she had impressed upon him. And he, on his part, had intended to make use of thislast evening to surprise her with a white-and-black toilet set.
But now, so thrilled was he at the possibility of a reencounter with Sondra, he decided that he would cancel thislast evening engagement with Roberta, although not without some misgivings as to the difficulty as well as thedecency of it. For despite the fact that he was now so lured by Sondra, nevertheless he was still deeply interestedin Roberta and he did not like to grieve her in this way. She would look so disappointed, as he knew. Yet at thesame time so flattered and enthused was he by this sudden, if tardy, social development that he could not nowthink of refusing Jill. What? Neglect to visit the Steeles in Gloversville and in company with the Trumbulls andwithout any help from the Griffiths, either? It might be disloyal, cruel, treacherous to Roberta, but was he notlikely to meet Sondra
In consequence he announced that he would go, but immediately afterwards decided that he must go round andexplain to Roberta, make some suitable excuse--that the Griffiths, for instance, had invited him for dinner. Thatwould be sufficiently overawing and compelling to her. But upon arriving, and finding her out, he decided toexplain the following morning at the factory--by note, if necessary. To make up for it he decided he mightpromise to accompany her as far as Fonda on Saturday and give her her present then.
But on Friday morning at the factory, instead of explaining to her with the seriousness and even emotionaldissatisfaction which would have governed him before, he now whispered: "I have to break that engagement tonight,honey. Been invited to my uncle's, and I have to go. And I'm not sure that I can get around afterwards. I'lltry if I get through in time. But I'll see you on the Fonda car to-morrow if I don't. I've got something I want togive you, so don't feel too bad. Just got word this morning or I'd have let you know. You're not going to feel bad,are you?" He looked at her as gloomily as possible in order to express his own sorrow over this.
But Roberta, her presents and her happy last evening with him put aside in this casual way, and for the first time,too, in this fashion, shook her head negatively, as if to say "Oh, no," but her spirits were heavily depressed andshe fell to wondering what this sudden desertion of her at this time might portend. For, up to this time, Clyde hadbeen attentiveness itself, concealing his recent contact with Sondra behind a veil of pretended, unmodifiedaffection which had, as yet, been sufficient to deceive her. It might be true, as he said, that an unescapableinvitation had come up which necessitated all this. But, oh, the happy evening she had planned! And now theywould not be together again for three whole days. She grieved dubiously at the factory and in her roomafterwards, thinking that Clyde might at least have suggested coming around to her room late, after his uncle'sdinner in order that she might give him the presents. But his eventual excuse made this day was that the dinnerwas likely to last too late. He could not be sure. They had talked of going somewhere else afterwards.
But meanwhile Clyde, having gone to the Trumbulls', and later to the Steeles', was flattered and reassured by aseries of developments such as a month before he would not have dreamed of anticipating. For at the Steeles' hewas promptly introduced to a score of personalities there who, finding him chaperoned by the Trumbulls andlearning that he was a Griffiths, as promptly invited him to affairs of their own--or hinted at events that were tocome to which he might be invited, so that at the close he found himself with cordial invitations to attend a NewYear's dance at the Vandams' in Gloversville, as well as a dinner and dance that was to be given Christmas Eveby the Harriets in Lycurgus, an affair to which Gilbert and his sister Bella, as well as Sondra, Bertine and otherswere invited.
And lastly, there was Sondra herself appearing on the scene at about midnight in company with Scott Nicholson,Freddie Sells and Bertine, at first pretending to be wholly unaware of his presence, yet deigning at last to greethim with an, "Oh, hello, I didn't expect to find you here." She was draped most alluringly in a deep red Spanishshawl. But Clyde could sense from the first that she was quite aware of his presence, and at the first availableopportunity he drew near to her and asked yearningly, "Aren't you going to dance with me at all?""Why, of course, if you want me to. I thought maybe you had forgotten me by now," she said mockingly.
As though I'd be likely to forget you. The only reason I'm here to-night is because I thought I might see youagain. I haven't thought of any one or anything else since I saw you last."Indeed so infatuated was he with her ways and airs, that instead of being irritated by her pretended indifference,he was all the more attracted. And he now achieved an intensity which to her was quite compelling. His eyelidsnarrowed and his eyes lit with a blazing desire which was quite disturbing to see.
My, but you can say the nicest things in the nicest way when you want to." She was toying with a large Spanishcomb in her hair for the moment and smiling. "And you say them just as though you meant them.""Do you mean to say that you don't believe me, Sondra," he inquired almost feverishly, this second use of hername thrilling her now as much as it did him. Although inclined to frown on so marked a presumption in hiscase, she let it pass because it was pleasing to her.
Oh, yes, I do. Of course," she said a little dubiously, and for the first time nervously, where he was concerned.
She was beginning to find it a little hard to decipher her proper line of conduct in connection with him, whetherto repress him more or less. "But you must say now what dance you want. I see some one coming for me." Andshe held her small program up to him archly and intriguingly. "You may have the eleventh. That's the next afterthis.""Is that all?""Well, and the fourteenth, then, greedy," she laughed into Clyde's eyes, a laughing look which quite enslavedhim.
Subsequently learning from Frank Harriet in the course of a dance that Clyde had been invited to his house forChristmas Eve, as well as that Jessica Phant had invited him to Utica for New Year's Eve, she at once conceivedof him as slated for real success and decided that he was likely to prove less of a social burden than she hadfeared. He was charming--there was no doubt of it. And he was so devoted to her. In consequence, as she nowdecided, it might be entirely possible that some of these other girls, seeing him recognized by some of the bestpeople here and elsewhere, would become sufficiently interested, or drawn to him even, to wish to overcome hisdevotion to her. Being of a vain and presumptuous disposition herself, she decided that that should not be.
Hence, in the course of her second dance with Clyde, she said: "You've been invited to the Harriets' forChristmas Eve, haven't you?""Yes, and I owe it all to you, too," he exclaimed warmly. "Are you going to be there?""Oh, I'm awfully sorry. I am invited and I wish now that I was going. But you know I arranged some time ago togo over to Albany and then up to Saratoga for the holidays. I'm going to-morrow, but I'll be back before NewYear's. Some friends of Freddie's are giving a big affair over in Schenectady New Year's Eve, though. And yourcousin Bella and my brother Stuart and Grant and Bertine are going. If you'd like to go, you might go along withus over there."She had been about to say "me," but had changed it to "us." She was thinking that this would certainlydemonstrate her control over him to all those others, seeing that it nullified Miss Phant's invitation. And at onceClyde accepted, and with delight, since it would bring him in contact with her again.
At the same time he was astonished and almost aghast over the fact that in this casual and yet very intimate anddefinite way she was planning for him to reencounter Bella, who would at once carry the news of his going withher and these others to her family. And what would not that spell, seeing that even as yet the Griffiths had notinvited him anywhere--not even for Christmas? For although the fact of Clyde having been picked up by Sondrain her car as well as later, that he had been invited to the Now and Then, had come to their ears, still nothing hadbeen done. Gilbert Griffiths was wroth, his father and mother puzzled as to their proper course but remaininginactive nonetheless.
But the group, according to Sondra, might remain in Schenectady until the following morning, a fact which shedid not trouble to explain to Clyde at first. And by now he had forgotten that Roberta, having returned from herlong stay at Biltz by then, and having been deserted by him over Christmas, would most assuredly be expectinghim to spend New Year's Eve with her. That was a complication which was to dawn later. Now he only saw blissin Sandra's thought of him and at once eagerly and enthusiastically agreed.
But you know," she said cautiously, "you mustn't pay so very much attention to me over there or here oranywhere or think anything of it, if I don't to you. I may not be able to see so very much of you if you do. I'll tellyou about that sometime. You see my father and mother are funny people. And so are some of my friends here.
But if you'll just be nice and sort of indifferent--you know--I may be able to see quite a little of you this winteryet. Do you see?"Thrilled beyond words by this confession, which came because of his too ardent approaches as he well knew, helooked at her eagerly and searchingly.
But you care for me a little, then, don't you?" he half-demanded, half-pleaded, his eyes lit with that alluring lightwhich so fascinated her. And cautious and yet attracted, swayed sensually and emotionally and yet dubious as tothe wisdom of her course, Sondra replied: "Well, I'll tell you. I do and I don't. That is, I can't tell yet. I like you alot. Sometimes I think I like you more than others. You see we don't know each other very well yet. But you'llcome with me to Schenectady, though, won't you?""Oh, will I?""I'll write you more about that, or call you up. You have a telephone, haven't you?"He gave her the number.
And if by any chance there's any change or I have to break the engagement, don't think anything of it. I'll seeyou later--somewhere, sure." She smiled and Clyde felt as though he were choking. The mere thought of herbeing so frank with him, and saying that she cared for him a lot, at times, was sufficient to cause him to almostreel with joy. To think that this beautiful girl was so anxious to include him in her life if she could--thiswonderful girl who was surrounded by so many friends and admirers from which she could take her pick.