Two incidents which occurred at this time tended still more to sharpen the contrary points of view holdingbetween Clyde and Roberta. One of these was no more than a glimpse which Roberta had one evening of Clydepausing at the Central Avenue curb in front of the post-office to say a few words to Arabella Stark, who in alarge and impressive-looking car, was waiting for her father who was still in the Stark Building opposite. AndMiss Stark, fashionably outfitted according to the season, her world and her own pretentious taste, was affectedlyposed at the wheel, not only for the benefit of Clyde but the public in general. And to Roberta, who by now wasreduced to the verge of distraction between Clyde's delay and her determination to compel him to act in herbehalf, she appeared to be little less than an epitome of all the security, luxury and freedom from responsibilitywhich so enticed and hence caused Clyde to delay and be as indifferent as possible to the dire state whichconfronted her. For, alas, apart from this claim of her condition, what had she to offer him comparable to all hewould be giving up in case he acceded to her request? Nothing-- a thought which was far from encouraging.
Yet, at this moment contrasting her own wretched and neglected state with that of this Miss Stark, for example,she found herself a prey to an even more complaining and antagonistic mood than had hitherto characterized her.
It was not right. It was not fair. For during the several weeks that had passed since last they had discussed thismatter, Clyde had scarcely said a word to her at the factory or elsewhere, let alone called upon her at her room,fearing as he did the customary inquiry which he could not satisfy. And this caused her to feel that not only washe neglecting but resenting her most sharply.
And yet as she walked home from this trivial and fairly representative scene, her heart was not nearly so angry asit was sad and sore because of the love and comfort that had vanished and was not likely ever to come again . . .
ever . . . ever . . . ever. Oh, how terrible, . . . how terrible
On the other hand, Clyde, and at approximately this same time, was called upon to witness a scene identifiedwith Roberta, which, as some might think, only an ironic and even malicious fate could have intended orpermitted to come to pass. For motoring north the following Sunday to Arrow Lake to the lodge of the Trumbulls' to take advantage of an early spring week-end planned by Sondra, the party on nearing Biltz, whichwas in the direct line of the trip, was compelled to detour east in the direction of Roberta's home. And comingfinally to a north and south road which ran directly from Trippettsville past the Alden farm, they turned northinto that. And a few minutes later, came directly to the corner adjoining the Alden farm, where an east and westroad led to Biltz. Here Tracy Trumbull, driving at the time, requested that some one should get out and inquire atthe adjacent farm-house as to whether this road did lead to Biltz. And Clyde, being nearest to one door, jumpedout. And then, glancing at the name on the mail-box which stood at the junction and evidently belonged to theextremely dilapidated old farm-house on the rise above, he was not a little astonished to note that the name wasthat of Titus Alden--Roberta's father. Also, as it instantly came to him, since she had described her parents asbeing near Biltz, this must be her home. It gave him pause, caused him for the moment to hesitate as to whetherto go on or not, for once he had given Roberta a small picture of himself, and she might have shown it up here.
Again the mere identification of this lorn, dilapidated realm with Roberta and hence himself, was sufficient tocause him to wish to turn and run.
But Sondra, who was sitting next him in the car and now noting his hesitation, called: "What's the matter, Clyde
Afraid of the bow-wow?" And he, realizing instantly that they would comment further on his actions if he didnot proceed at once, started up the path. But the effect of this house, once he contemplated it thoroughly, wassufficient to arouse in his brain the most troubled and miserable of thoughts. For what a house, to be sure! Solonely and bare, even in this bright, spring weather! The decayed and sagging roof. The broken chimney to thenorth--rough lumps of cemented field stones lying at its base; the sagging and semi-toppling chimney to thesouth, sustained in place by a log chain. The unkempt path from the road below, which slowly he ascended! Hewas not a little dejected by the broken and displaced stones which served as steps before the front door. And theunpainted dilapidated out-buildings, all the more dreary because of these others.
Gee!" To think that this was Roberta's home. And to think, in the face of all that he now aspired to inconnection with Sondra and this social group at Lycurgus, she should be demanding that he marry her! AndSondra in the car with him here to see--if not know. The poverty! The reduced grimness of it all. How far he hadtraveled away from just such a beginning as this
With a weakening and sickening sensation at the pit of his stomach, as of some blow administered there, he nowapproached the door. And then, as if to further distress him, if that were possible, the door was opened by TitusAlden, who, in an old, thread-bare and out-at-elbows coat, as well as baggy, worn, jean trousers and rough,shineless, ill-fitting country shoes, desired by his look to know what he wanted. And Clyde, being taken abackby the clothes, as well as a marked resemblance to Roberta about the eyes and mouth, now as swiftly as possibleasked if the east and west road below ran through Biltz and joined the main highway north. And although hewould have preferred a quick "yes" so that he might have turned and gone, Titus preferred to step down into theyard and then, with a gesture of the arm, indicate that if they wanted to strike a really good part of the road, theyhad better follow this Trippettsville north and south road for at least two more miles, and then turn west. Clydethanked him briefly and turned almost before he had finished and hurried away.
For, as he now recalled, and with an enormous sense of depression, Roberta was thinking and at this very time,that soon now, and in the face of all Lycurgus had to offer him--Sondra--the coming spring and summer--thelove and romance, gayety, position, power--he was going to give all that up and go away with and marry her.
Sneak away to some out-of-the-way place! Oh, how horrible! And with a child at his age! Oh, why had he ever been so foolish and weak as to identify himself with her in this intimate way? Just because of a few lonelyevenings! Oh, why, why couldn't he have waited and then this other world would have opened up to him just thesame? If only he could have waited
And now unquestionably, unless he could speedily and easily disengage himself from her, all this other splendidrecognition would be destined to be withdrawn from him, and this other world from which he sprang mightextend its gloomy, poverty-stricken arms to him and envelop him once more, just as the poverty of his familyhad enveloped and almost strangled him from the first. And it even occurred to him, in a vague way for the firsttime, how strange it was that this girl and he, whose origin had been strikingly similar, should have been sodrawn to each other in the beginning. Why should it have been? How strange life was, anyway? But even moreharrowing than this, was the problem of a way out that was before him. And his mind from now on, on this trip,was once more searching for some solution. A word of complaint from Roberta or her parents to his uncle orGilbert, and assuredly he would be done for.
The thought so troubled him that once in the car, and although previously he had been chattering along with theothers about what might be in store ahead in the way of divertissement, he now sat silent. And Sondra, who satnext to him and who previously had been whispering at intervals of her plans for the summer, now, instead ofresuming the patter, whispered: "What come over de sweet phing?" (When Clyde appeared to be the leastreduced in mind she most affected this patter with him, since it had an almost electric, if sweetly tormentingeffect on him. "His baby-talking girl," he sometimes called her.) "Facey all dark now. Little while ago facey allsmiles. Come make facey all nice again. Smile at Sondra. Squeeze Sondra's arm like good boy, Clyde."She turned and looked up into his eyes to see what if any effect this baby-worded cajolery was having, and Clydedid his best to brighten, of course. But even so, and in the face of all this amazingly wonderful love on her partfor him, the specter of Roberta and all that she represented now in connection with all this, was ever before him-herstate, her very recent edict in regard to it, the obvious impossibility of doing anything now but go away withher.
Why--rather than let himself in for a thing like that--would it not be better, and even though he lost Sondra onceand for all, for him to decamp as in the instance of the slain child in Kansas City--and be heard of nevermorehere. But then he would lose Sondra, his connections here, and his uncle--this world! The loss! The loss! Themisery of once more drifting about here and there; of being compelled to write his mother once more concerningcertain things about his flight, which some one writing from here might explain to her afterwards--and so muchmore damagingly. And the thoughts concerning him on the part of his relatives! And of late he had been writinghis mother that he was doing so well. What was it about his life that made things like this happen to him? Wasthis what his life was to be like? Running away from one situation and another just to start all over somewhereelse--perhaps only to be compelled to flee from something worse. No, he could not run away again. He must faceit and solve it in some way. He must
God