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lingeringly。
;Are you a schoolteacher察Emily拭─he said。
;Kindergarten。 It's my first year。 And don't call me Emily察please。;
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;Why not拭 It's your name。 I think it's the prettiest name in the
world。; Which he hadn't meant to say at all。 In fact察 he was perfectly
aghast to find himself saying it。 But he meant it。
At supper he passed her things察 and stared察 until everybody laughed
again察and Eva said acidly察 Why don't you feed her拭─
It wasn't that Emily had an air of helplessness。 She just made him
feel he wanted her to be helpless察so that he could help her。
Jo took her home察and from that Sunday night he began to strain at the
leash。 He took his sisters out察 dutifully察 but he would suggest察 with a
carelessness that deceived no one察 Don't you want one of your girl friends
to come along拭 That little What's´her´name´Emily察 or something。 So
long's I've got three of you察I might as well have a full squad。;
For a long time he didn't know what was the matter with him。 He
only knew he was miserable察and yet happy。 Sometimes his heart seemed
to ache with an actual physical ache。 He realized that he wanted to do
things for Emily。 He wanted to buy things for Emilyuseless察 pretty察
expensive things that he couldn't afford。
He wanted to buy everything that Emily needed察and everything that
Emily desired。 He wanted to marry Emily。 That was it。 He discovered
that one day察 with a shock察 in the midst of a transaction in the harness
business。 He stared at the man with whom he was dealing until that
startled person grew uncomfortable。 ;What's the matter察 Hertz拭─
;Matter拭─ You look as if you'd seen a ghost or found a gold mine。 I
don't know which。; ;Gold mine察─ said Jo。 And then察 No。 Ghost。;
For he remembered that high察 thin voice察 and his promise。 And the
harness business was slithering downhill with dreadful rapidity察 as the
automobile business began its amazing climb。 Jo tried to stop it。 But he
was not that kind of businessman。 It never occurred to him to jump out
of the down´going vehicle and catch the up´going one。 He stayed on察
vainly applying brakes that refused to work。 ;You know察 Emily察 I
couldn't support two households now。 Not the way things are。 But if
you'll wait。 If you'll only wait。 The girls mightthat is察 Babe and
Carrie;
She was a sensible little thing察Emily。 ;Of course I'll wait。 But we
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mustn't just sit back and let the years go by。 We've got to help。;
She went about it as if she were already a little matchmaking matron。
She corralled all the men she had ever known and introduced them to
Babe察 Carrie察 and Eva separately察 in pairs察 and en masse。 She got up
picnics。 She stayed home while Jo took the three about。 When she was
present she tried to look as plain and obscure as possible察so that the sisters
should show up to advantage。 She schemed察and planned察and contrived察
and hoped察and smiled into Jo's despairing eyes。
And three years went by。 Three precious years。 Carrie still taught
school察 and hated it。 Eva kept house more and more complainingly as
prices advanced and allowance retreated。 Stell was still Babe察the family
beauty。 Emily's hair察somehow察lost its glint and began to look just plain
brown。 Her crinkliness began to iron out。
;Now察 look here ─ Jo argued察 desperately察 one night。 ;We could be
happy察 anyway。 There's plenty of room at the house。 Lots of people
begin that way。 Of course察 I couldn't give you all I'd like to察 at first。
But maybe察 after a while; No dreams of salons察 and brocade察 and
velvet´footed servitors察and satin damask now。 Just two rooms察all their
own察 all alone察 and Emily to work for。 That was his dream。 But it
seemed less possible than that other absurd one had been。
Emily was as practical a little thing as she looked fluffy。 She knew
women。 Especially did she know Eva察and Carrie察and Babe。 She tried
to imagine herself taking the household affairs and the housekeeping
pocket´ book out of Eva's expert hands。 So then she tried to picture
herself allowing the reins of Jo's house to remain in Eva's hands。 And
everything feminine and normal in her rebelled。 Emily knew she'd want
to put away her own freshly laundered linen察 and smooth it察 and pat it。
She was that kind of woman。 She knew she'd want to do her own
delightful haggling with butcher and grocer。 She knew she'd want to
muss Jo's hair察and sit on his knee察and even quarrel with him察if necessary察
without the awareness of three ever´present pairs of maiden eyes and ears。
;No No We'd only be miserable。 I know。 Even if they didn't
object。 And they would察Jo。 Wouldn't they拭─
His silence was miserable assent。 Then察 But you do love me。 don't
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you察Emily拭─
;I do察Jo。 I love youand love youand love you。 But察Jo察Ican't。;
;I know it察dear。 I knew it all the time察really。 I just thought察maybe察
somehow;
The two sat staring for a moment into space察their hands clasped。
Then they both shut their eyes with a little shudder察 as though what
they saw was terrible to look upon。 Emily's hand察the tiny hand that was
so unexpectedly firm察tightened its hold on his察and his crushed the absurd
fingers until she winced with pain。
That was the beginning of the end察and they knew it。
Emily wasn't the kind of girl who would be left to pine。 There are
too many Jos in the world whose hearts are prone to lurch and then thump
at the feel of a soft察fluttering察incredibly small hand in their grip。 One
year later Emily was married to a young man whose father owned a large察
pie´ shaped slice of the prosperous state of Michigan。
That being safely accomplished察 there was something grimly
humorous in the trend taken by affairs in the old house on Calumet。 For
Eva married。 Married well察 too察though he was a great deal older than
she。 She went off in a hat she had copied from a French model at Field's察
and a suit she had contrived with a home dressmaker察aided by pressing on
the part of the little tailor in the basement over on Thirty´first Street。 It
was the last of that察though。 The next time they saw her察she had on a hat
that even she would have despaired of copying察 and a suit that sort of
melted into your gaze。 She moved to the North Side trust Eva for that察
and Babe assumed the management of the household on Calumet Avenue。
It was rather a pinched little household now察 for the harness business
shrank and shrank。
;I don't see how you can expect me to keep house decently on this ─
Babe would say contemptuously。 Babe's nose察always a little inclined to
sharpness察had whittled down to a point of late。 ;If you knew what Ben
gives Eva。;
;It's the best I can do察Sis。 Business is something rotten。;
;Ben says if you had the least bit of; Ben was Eva's husband察and
quotable察as are all successful men。
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;I don't care what Ben says察─ shouted Jo察 goaded into rage