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MISS SPAULDING； turning to her music： 〃Then I've got nothing more to
say to you； Ethel Reed。〃
MISS REED： 〃I don't say but what； after he's taken the money and
signed the receipt； I'll listen to anything else he's got to say；
very willingly。〃 Miss Spaulding makes no answer； but begins to play
with a scientific absorption； feeling her way fitfully through the
new piece； while Miss Reed； seated by the register； trifles with the
book she has taken from the table。
II。
The interior of the room of Miss Spaulding and Miss Reed remains in
view； while the scene discloses； on the other side of the partition
wall in the same house； the bachelor apartment of Mr。 Samuel
Grinnidge。 Mr。 Grinnidge in his dressing…gown and slippers； with his
pipe in his mouth； has the effect of having just come in； his friend
Mr。 Oliver Ransom stands at the window； staring out into the November
weather。
GRINNIDGE： 〃How long have you been waiting here？〃
RANSOM： 〃Ten minutesten years。 How should I know？〃
GRINNIDGE： 〃Well； I don't know who else should。 Get back to…day？〃
RANSOM： 〃Last night。〃
GRINNIDGE： 〃Well； take off your coat； and pull up to the register；
and warm your poor feet。〃 He puts his hand out over the register。
〃Confound it！ somebody's got the register open in the next room！ You
see； one pipe comes up from the furnace and branches into a V just
under the floor； and professes to heat both rooms。 But it don't。
There was a fellow in there last winter who used to get all my heat。
Used to go out and leave his register open； and I'd come in here just
before dinner and find this place as cold as a barn。 We had a
running fight of it all winter。 The man who got his register open
first in the morning got all the heat for the day； for it never
turned the other way when it started in one direction。 Used to
almost suffocatewarm； muggy daysmaintaining my rights。 Some
piano…pounder in there this winter； it seems。 Hear？ And she hasn't
lost any time in learning the trick of the register。 What kept you
so late in the country？〃
RANSOM； after an absent…minded pause： 〃Grinnidge； I wish you would
give me some advice。〃
GRINNIDGE： 〃You can have all you want of it at the market price。〃
RANSOM： 〃I don't mean your legal advice。〃
GRINNIDGE： 〃I'm sorry。 What have you been doing？〃
RANSOM： 〃I've been making an ass of myself。〃
GRINNIDGE： 〃Wasn't that rather superfluous？〃
RANSOM： 〃If you please； yes。 But now； it you're capable of
listening to me without any further display of your cross…examination
wit； I should like to tell you how it happened。〃
GRINNIDGE： 〃I will do my best to veil my brilliancy。 Go on。〃
RANSOM： 〃I went up to Ponkwasset early in September for the
foliage。〃
GRINNIDGE： 〃And staid till late in October。 There must have been a
reason for that。 What was her name？ Foliage？〃
RANSOM； coming up to the corner of the chimney…piece； near which his
friend sits； and talking to him directly over the register： 〃I think
you'll have to get along without the name for the present。 I'll tell
you by and by。〃 As Mr。 Ransom pronounces these words； Miss Reed； on
her side of the partition； lifts her head with a startled air； and；
after a moment of vague circumspection； listens keenly。 〃But she was
beautiful。 She was a blonde； and she had the loveliest eyeseyes；
you know； that could be funny or tender； just as she chosethe kind
of eyes I always liked。〃 Miss Reed leads forward over the register。
〃She had one of those faces that always leave you in doubt whether
they're laughing at you； and so keep you in wholesome subjection； but
you feel certain that they're GOOD； and that if they did hurt you by
laughing at you； they'd look sorry for you afterward。 When she
walked you saw what an exquisite creature she was。 It always made me
mad to think I couldn't PAINT her walk。〃
GRINNIDGE： 〃I suppose you saw a good deal of her walk。〃
RANSOM： 〃Yes； we were off in the woods and fields half the time
together。〃 He takes a turn towards the window。
MISS REED； suddenly shutting the register on her side： 〃Oh！〃
MISS SPAULDING； looking up from her music： 〃What is it； Ethel？〃
MISS REED： 〃Nothing； nothing； IIthought it was getting too warm。
Go on； dear； don't let me interrupt you。〃 After a moment of heroic
self…denial she softly presses the register open with her foot。
RANSOM； coming back to the register： 〃It all began in that way。 I
had the good fortune one day to rescue her from acow。〃
MISS REED： 〃Oh； for shame！〃
MISS SPAULDING； desisting from her piano： 〃What IS the matter？〃
MISS REED； clapping the register to： 〃This ridiculous book！ But
don'tdon't mind me； Nettie。〃 Breathlessly： 〃Gogoon！〃 Miss
Spaulding resumes； and again Miss Reed softly presses the register
open。
RANSOM； after a pause： 〃The cow was grazing； and had no more thought
of hooking Miss〃
MISS REED： 〃Oh； I didn't suppose he WOULD！Go on； Nettie； go on！
The heroSUCH a goose！〃
RANSOM： 〃I drove her away with my camp…stool； and Missthe young
ladywas as grateful as if I had rescued her from a menagerie of
wild animals。 I walked home with her to the farm house； and the
trouble began at once。〃 Pantomime of indignant protest and burlesque
menace on the part of Miss Reed。 〃There wasn't another well woman in
the house； except her friend Miss Spaulding； who was rather old and
rather plain。〃 He takes another turn to the window。
MISS REED： 〃Oh！〃 She shuts the register； but instantly opens it
again。 〃Louder； Nettie。〃
MISS SPAULDING； in astonishment： 〃What？〃
MISS REED： 〃Did I speak？ I didn't know it。 I〃 …
MISS SPAULDING； desisting from practice： 〃What is that strange；
hollow； rumbling； mumbling kind of noise？〃
MISS REED； softly closing the register with her foot： 〃I don't hear
any strange； hollow； rumbling； mumbling kind of noise。 Do you hear
it NOW？〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃No。 It was the Brighton whistle； probably。〃
MISS REED： 〃Oh； very likely。〃 As Miss Spaulding turns again to her
practice Miss Reed re…opens the register and listens again。 A little
interval of silence ensues； while Ransom lights a cigarette。
GRINNIDGE： 〃So you sought opportunities of rescuing her from other
cows？〃
RANSOM； returning： 〃That wasn't necessary。 The young lady was so
impressed by my behavior； that she asked if I would give her some
lessons in the use of oil。〃
GRINNIDGE： 〃She thought if she knew how to paint pictures like yours
she wouldn't need any one to drive the cows away。〃
RANSOM： 〃Don't be farcical； Grinnidge。 That sort of thing will do
with some victim on the witness…stand who can't help himself。 Of
course I said I would； and we were off half the time together；
painting the loveliest and loneliest bits around Ponkwasset。 It all
went on very well； till one day I felt bound in conscience to tell
her that I didn't think she would ever learn to paint； and thatif
she was serious about it she'd better drop it at once； for she was
wasting her time。〃
GRINNIDGE； getting up to fill his pipe： 〃That was a pleasant thing
to do。〃
RANSOM： 〃I told her that if it amused her； to keep on； I would be
only too glad to give her allthe hints I could； but that I oughtn't
to encourage her。 She seemed a good deal hurt。 I fancied at the
time that she thought I was tired of having her with me so much。〃
MISS REED： 〃Oh； DID you； indeed！〃 To Miss Spaulding； who bends an
astonished glance upon her from the piano： 〃The man in this book is
the most CONCEITED creature； Nettie。 Play chordssomething very
subduedah！〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃What are you talking about； Ethel？〃
RANSOM： 〃That was at night； but the next day she came up smiling；
and said that if I didn't mind she would keep onfor amusement； she
wasn't a bit discouraged。〃
MISS REED： 〃Oh！Go on； Nettie； don't let my outbursts interrupt
you。〃
RANSOM： 〃I used to fancy sometimes that she was a little sweet on
me。〃
MISS REED： 〃You wretch！Oh； scales； Nettie！ Play scales！〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃Ethel Reed； are you crazy？〃
Ransom； after a thoughtful moment： 〃Well； so it went on for the next
seven or eight weeks。 When we weren't sketching in the meadows； or
on the mountain…side； or in the old punt on the pond； we were walking
up and down the farmhouse piazza together。 She used to read to me
when I was at work。 She had a heavenly voice； Grinnidge。〃
MISS REED： 〃Oh； you silly； silly thing！Really this book makes me
sick； Nettie。〃
RANSOM： 〃Well； the long and the short of it was； I was hitHARD；
and I lost all courage。 You know how I am； Grinnidge。〃
MISS REED； softly： 〃Oh； poor fellow！〃
RANSOM： 〃So I let the time go by； and at the end I hadn't said
anything。〃
MISS REED： 〃No； sir！ You HADN'T！〃
MISS SPAULDING gradually ceases to play； and fixes her attention
wholly upon Miss Reed； who bends forward over the register with an
intensely excited face。
RANSOM： 〃Then something happened that made me glad； for twenty…four
hours at least； that I hadn't spoken。 She sent me the money for
twenty…five lessons。 Imagine how I felt； Grinnidge！ What could I
suppose but that she had been quietly biding her time； and storing