Clyde flushed, since obviously this was a notice to him that his social position here was decidedly below that of the Griffiths or these girls. At the same time, as he also noticed, the look of Bertine Cranston, who was only interested in youths of means and position, changed from one of curiosity to marked indifference. On the other hand, Sondra Finchley, by no means so practical as her friend, though of a superior station in her set, since she was so very attractive and her parents possessed of even more means re-surveyed Clyde with one thought written rather plainly on her face, that it was too bad. He really was so attractive.
At the same time Samuel Griffiths, having a peculiar fondness for Sondra, if not Bertine, whom Mrs. Griffiths also disliked as being too tricky and sly, was calling to her: Here, Sondra, tie up your dog to one of the dining-room chairs and come and sit by me. Throw your coat over that chair. Heres room for you. He motioned to her to come.
But I cant, Uncle Samuel! called Sondra, familiarly and showily and yet somehow sweetly, seeking to ingratiate herself by this affected relationship. Were late now. Besides Bissell wont behave. Bertine and I are just on our way home, truly.
Oh, yes, Papa, put in Bella, quickly, Bertines horse ran a nail in his foot yesterday and is going lame to-day. And neither Grant nor his father is home. She wants to know if you know anything thats good for it.
Which foot is it? inquired Griffiths, interested, while Clyde continued to survey Sondra as best he might. She was so delicious, he thought her nose so tiny and tilted her upper lip arched so roguishly upward toward her nose.
Its the left fore. I was riding out on the East Kingston road yesterday afternoon. Jerry threw a shoe and must have picked up a splinter, but John doesnt seem to be able to find it.
Did you ride him much with the nail, do you think?
About eight miles all the way back.
Well, you had better have John put on some liniment and a bandage and call a veterinary. Hell come around all right, Im sure.
The group showed no signs of leaving and Clyde, left quite to himself for the moment, was thinking what an easy, delightful world this must be this local society. For here they were without a care, apparently, between any of them. All their talk was of houses being built, horses they were riding, friends they had met, places they were going to, things they were going to do. And there was Gilbert, who had left only a little while before motoring somewhere with a group of young men. And Bella, his cousin, trifling around with these girls in the beautiful homes of this street, while he was shunted away in a small third-floor room at Mrs. Cuppys with no place to go. And with only fifteen dollars a week to live on. And in the morning he would be working in the basement again, while these girls were rising to more pleasure. And out in Denver were his parents with their small lodging house and mission, which he dared not even describe accurately here.
Suddenly the two girls declaring they must go, they took themselves off. And he and the Griffiths were once more left to themselves he with the feeling that he was very much out of place and neglected here, since Samuel Griffiths and his wife and Bella, anyhow, if not Myra, seemed to be feeling that he was merely being permitted to look into a world to which he did not belong; also, that because of his poverty it would be impossible to fit him into however much he might dream of associating with three such wonderful girls as these. And at once he felt sad very his eyes and his mood darkening so much that not only Samuel Griffiths, but his wife as well as Myra noticed it. If he could enter upon this world, find some way. But of the group it was only Myra, not any of the others, who sensed that in all likelihood he was lonely and depressed. And in consequence as all were rising and returning to the large living room (Samuel chiding Bella for her habit of keeping her family waiting) it was Myra who drew near to Clyde to say: I think after youve been here a little while youll probably like Lycurgus better than you do now, even. There are quite a number of interesting places to go and see around here lakes and the Adirondacks are just north of here, about seventy miles. And when the summer comes and we get settled at Greenwood, Im sure Father and Mother will like you to come up there once in a while.
She was by no means sure that this was true, but under the circumstances, whether it was or not, she felt like saying it to Clyde. And thereafter, since he felt more comfortable with her, he talked with her as much as he could without neglecting either Bella or the family, until about half-past nine, when, suddenly feeling very much out of place and alone, he arose saying that he must go, that he had to get up early in the morning. And as he did so, Samuel Griffiths walked with him to the front door and let him out. But he, too, by now, as had Myra before him, feeling that Clyde was rather attractive and yet, for reasons of poverty, likely to be neglected from now on, not only by his family, but by himself as well, observed most pleasantly, and, as he hoped, compensatively: Its rather nice out, isnt it? Wykeagy Avenue hasnt begun to show what it can do yet because the spring isnt quite here. But in a few weeks, and he looked up most inquiringly at the sky and sniffed the late April air, we must have you out. All the trees and flowers will be in bloom then and you can see how really nice it is. Good night.
He smiled and put a very cordial note into his voice, and once more Clyde felt that, whatever Gilbert Griffiths attitude might be, most certainly his father was not wholly indifferent to him.
Chapter 11
The days lapsed and, although no further word came from the Griffiths, Clyde was still inclined to exaggerate the importance of this one contact and to dream from time to time of delightful meetings with those girls and how wonderful if a love affair with one of them might eventuate for him. The beauty of that world in which they moved. The luxury and charm as opposed to this of which he was a part. Dillard! Rita! Tush! They were really dead for him. He aspired to this other or nothing as he saw it now and proceeded to prove as distant to Dillard as possible, an attitude which by degrees tended to alienate that youth entirely for he saw in Clyde a snob which potentially he was if he could have but won to what he desired. However, as he began to see afterwards, time passed and he was left to work until, depressed by the routine, meager pay and commonplace shrinking-room contacts, he began to think not so much of returning to Rita or Dillard he could not quite think of them now with any satisfaction, but of giving up this venture here and returning to Chicago or going to New York, where he was sure that he could connect himself with some hotel if need be. But then, as if to revive his courage and confirm his earlier dreams, a thing happened which caused him to think that certainly he was beginning to rise in the estimation of the Griffiths father and son whether they troubled to entertain him socially or not. For it chanced that one Saturday in spring, Samuel Griffiths decided to make a complete tour of inspection of the factory with Joshua Whiggam at his elbow. Reaching the shrinking department about noon, he observed for the first time with some dismay, Clyde in his undershirt and trousers working at the feeding end of two of the shrinking racks, his nephew having by this time acquired the necessary skill to feed as well as take. And recalling how very neat and generally presentable he had appeared at his house but a few weeks before, he was decidedly disturbed by the contrast. For one thing he had felt about Clyde, both in Chicago and here at his home, was that he had presented a neat and pleasing appearance. And he, almost as much as his son, was jealous, not only of the name, but the general social appearance of the Griffiths before the employees of this factory as well as the community at large. And the sight of Clyde here, looking so much like Gilbert and in an armless shirt and trousers working among these men, tended to impress upon him more sharply than at any time before the fact that Clyde was his nephew, and that he ought not to be compelled to continue at this very menial form of work any longer. To the other employees it might appear that he was unduly indifferent to the meaning of such a relationship.
Without, however, saying a word to Whiggam or anyone else at the time, he waited until his son returned on Monday morning, from a trip that he had taken out of town, when he called him into his office and observed: I made a tour of the factory Saturday and found young Clyde still down in the shrinking room.
What of it, Dad? replied his son, curiously interested as to why his father should at this time wish to mention Clyde in this special way. Other people before him have worked down there and it hasnt hurt them.
All true enough, but they werent nephews of mine. And they didnt look as much like you as he does a comment which irritated Gilbert greatly. It wont do, I tell you. It doesnt look quite right to me, and Im afraid it wont look right to other people here who see how much he looks like you and know that he is your cousin and my nephew. I didnt realize that at first, because I havent been down there, but I dont think it wise to keep him down there any longer doing that kind of thing. It wont do. Well have to make a change, switch him around somewhere else where he wont look like that.
His eyes darkened and his brow wrinkled. The impression that Clyde made in his old clothes and with beads of sweat standing out on his forehead had not been pleasant.
But Ill tell you how it is, Dad, Gilbert persisted, anxious and determined because of his innate opposition to Clyde to keep him there if possible. Im not so sure that I can find just the right place for him now anywhere else at least not without moving someone else who has been here a long time and worked hard to get there. He hasnt had any training in anything so far, but just what hes doing.
Dont know or dont care anything about that, replied Griffiths senior, feeling that his son was a little jealous and in consequence disposed to be unfair to Clyde. Thats no place for him and I wont have him there any longer. Hes been there long enough. And I cant afford to have the name of any of this family come to mean anything but just what it does around here now reserve and ability and energy and good judgment. Its not good for the business. And anything less than that is a liability. You get me, dont you?
Yes, I get you all right, governor.
Well, then, do as I say. Get hold of Whiggam and figure out some other place for him around here, and not as piece worker or a hand either. It was a mistake to put him down there in the first place. There must be some little place in one of the departments where he can be fitted in as the head of something, first or second or third assistant to some one, and where he can wear a decent suit of clothes and look like somebody. And, if necessary, let him go home on full pay until you find something for him. But I want him changed. By the way, how much is he being paid now?
About fifteen, I think, replied Gilbert blandly.
Not enough, if hes to make the right sort of an appearance here. Better make it twenty-five. Its more than hes worth, I know, but it cant be helped now. He has to have enough to live on while hes here, and from now on, Id rather pay him that than have any one think we were not treating him right.
All right, all right, governor. Please dont be cross about it, will you? pleaded Gilbert, noting his fathers irritation. Im not entirely to blame. You agreed to it in the first place when I suggested it, didnt you? But I guess youre right at that. Just leave it to me. Ill find a decent place for him, and turning, he proceeded in search of Whiggam, although at the same time thinking how he was to effect all this without permitting Clyde to get the notion that he was at all important here to make him feel that this was being done as a favor to him and not for any reasons of merit in connection with himself.
And at once, Whiggam appearing, he, after a very diplomatic approach on the part of Gilbert, racked his brains, scratched his head, went away and returned after a time to say that the only thing he could think of, since Clyde was obviously lacking in technical training, was that of assistant to Mr. Liggett, who was foreman in charge of five big stitching rooms on the fifth floor, but who had under him one small and very special, though by no means technical, department which required the separate supervision of either an assistant forelady or man.
This was the stamping room a separate chamber at the west end of the stitching floor, where were received daily from the cutting room above from seventy-five to one hundred thousand dozen unstitched collars of different brands and sizes. And here they were stamped by a group of girls according to the slips or directions attached to them with the size and brand of the collar. The sole business of the assistant foreman in charge here, as Gilbert well knew, after maintaining due decorum and order, was to see that this stamping process went uninterruptedly forward. Also that after the seventy-five to one hundred thousand dozen collars were duly stamped and transmitted to the stitchers, who were just outside in the larger room, to see that they were duly credited in a book of entry. And that the number of dozens stamped by each girl was duly recorded in order that her pay should correspond with her services.
For this purpose a little desk and various entry books, according to size and brand, were kept here. Also the cutters slips, as taken from the bundles by the stampers were eventually delivered to this assistant in lots of a dozen or more and filed on spindles. It was really nothing more than a small clerkship, at times in the past held by young men or girls or old men or middle-aged women, according to the exigencies of the life of the place.
The thing that Whiggam feared in connection with Clyde and which he was quick to point out to Gilbert on this occasion was that because of his inexperience and youth Clyde might not, at first, prove as urgent and insistent a master of this department as the work there required. There were nothing but young girls there some of them quite attractive. Also was it wise to place a young man of Clydes years and looks among so many girls? For, being susceptible, as he might well be at that age, he might prove too easy not stern enough. The girls might take advantage of him. If so, it wouldnt be possible to keep him there very long. Still there was this temporary vacancy, and it was the only one in the whole factory at the moment. Why not, for the time being, send him upstairs for a tryout? It might not be long before either Mr. Liggett or himself would know of something else or whether or not he was suited for the work up there. In that case it would be easy to make a re-transfer.
Accordingly, about three in the afternoon of this same Monday, Clyde was sent for and after being made to wait for some fifteen minutes, as was Gilberts method, he was admitted to the austere presence.
Well, how are you getting along down where you are now? asked Gilbert coldly and inquisitorially. And Clyde, who invariably experienced a depression whenever he came anywhere near his cousin, replied, with a poorly forced smile, Oh, just about the same, Mr. Griffiths. I cant complain. I like it well enough. Im learning a little something, I guess.
You guess?
Well, I know Ive learned a few things, of course, added Clyde, flushing slightly and feeling down deep within himself a keen resentment at the same time that he achieved a half-ingratiating and half-apologetic smile.
Well, thats a little better. A man could hardly be down there as long as youve been and not know whether he had learned anything or not. Then deciding that he was being too severe, perhaps, he modified his tone slightly, and added: But thats not why I sent for you. Theres another matter I want to talk to you about. Tell me, did you ever have charge of any people or any other person than yourself, at any time in your life?