"I think you have made a mistake," she said quietly, and with no pretense at immense dignity (she could hear Aileen say: "Cut it out.
Nothing doing in that line here"). "I, also, have made a mistake--in walking at night on this street. Would you mind letting go my arm? I think I"ll take a car."
"No, I think you"ll stay just where you are," he said insolently. "You don"t belong here all right, but you"ve come and you can stand the consequences. You"re just the sort that needs a jolt and I like the idea of handing it."
Alexina gave him a coldly speculative glance. "I wonder why?"
"You would? Well, I"ll tell you. Never been out alone at night before, I"ll bet, like these other girls, that ain"t got no place on earth to have any fun but the streets. Never even rubbed against the common herd? Generally go about in a machine, don"t you?"
"It is quite true that I have never been out alone at night before. I certainly shall not go again."
"No, you don"t have to! That"s the point, all right. And if you weren"t such a beauty, d.a.m.n you! I"d hate you this minute as I hate your whole parasite cla.s.s."
"Oh, you are a socialist!" Alexina looked at him with frank curiosity.
"I never saw one before."
He was obviously disconcerted. Then his face flushed with anger. "Yes, I"m a socialist all right, and you"ll see more of us before you"re many years older."
"You might tell me about it if you _will_ walk with me. I am a long way from my destination, and that would be far more interesting than personalities."
"I"ve got more personalities where those came from. It makes me sick to see the difference between you and these poor kids--ready to sell their souls for pretty clothes and a little fun. There"s nothing that has done so much to inflame cla.s.s hatred as the pampered delicate satin-skinned women of your cla.s.s, who have expensive clothes and "grooming" to take the place of slathers of paint and cheap perfume.
Raised in a hot house for the use of the man on top. It"s the crowning offense of capitalism, and when the system goes, they"ll all be like you, or you"ll be more like them. You"ll come down about a thousand pegs, and the ones down below will be shoved up to meet you."
Alexina stood still and faced him.
"Are you poor?" she asked.
"What a h.e.l.l of a question. Have I been talkin" like a plutocrat?"
"Oh, there are, still, different grades. I was wondering if you would be so inconsistent as to earn a little money from me and two friends of mine. We have read socialism a bit, but, we don"t understand it very well. I am in mourning and it would interest me immensely."
He had dropped her arm and was staring at her.
"You are not afraid of me, then?" His voice was sulky but his eyes were less hostile.
"Oh, not in the least. I fully appreciate that you merely wished to humiliate me, not to be insulting, as some of these other men might have been. My name is Mrs. Mortimer Dwight. I live on Ballinger Hill--do you know it? That old house in the eucalyptus grove?"
"I know it, all right."
"Then you probably know, also, that I am not rich and never have been.
My husband is a struggling young business man."
"That cuts no ice. You train with that cla.s.s, don"t you? You"re cla.s.s yourself, reek with it. You had rich ancestors or you wouldn"t be what you are now."
"Well, we can discuss that point another time. One of my friends is a daughter of Judge Lawton--"
"Hand in glove with every rich grafter in "Frisco."
Alexina shuddered. "Please say San Francisco. I am positive you never heard a word against Judge Lawton"s probity, nor that he ever rendered an unjust decision."
"He"s a wise old guy, all right. But it would be wastin" time tryin" to make you understand why I have no use for him."
"Of course you would have no use for the husband of my other friend, Mrs. Frank Bascom."
She fully expected that the young millionaire"s name would be the final red rag and that her escort would roar his opinion of him for the benefit of all Fillmore Street. But he surprised her by saying reluctantly:
"He"s dead straight, all right. He"s not a grafter. I"ve nothing against him personally, but he"s part of a d.a.m.nable system and I"d clean him out with the rest."
"Well, there you have three of us to your hand. Who knows but that you might convert us? Why not give us the chance? If you will give me your address I will write to you as soon as my friends come back to town."
"I don"t know whether I want to do it or not. You may be makin" game of me for all I know."
"I am quite sincere. You interest me immensely. And we might teach you something too--what it means to have a sense of humor. I know enough of socialism to know that no socialist can have it. May I ask what your occupation is?"
"I"m just a plain working-man--housebuilding line."
"Then you could only come in the evening?"
"Not at all; I get off at five. You don"t have your dinner until eight in your set, I believe," This with a sneer that curled his upper lip almost to the septum of his nose.
"Seven. My husband works until nearly six. He rarely has time for lunch and comes home very hungry."
Once more he looked puzzled and disconcerted, but his small steady eyes did not waver.
"My name"s James Kirkpatrick." He found the stub of a pencil in his pocket and wrote an address on the flap of an envelope. "I"ll think it over. Maybe I"ll do it. I dunno, though."
"I do hope you will. I"m sure we can learn a good deal from each other.
Now, would you mind putting me on the next car? Or don"t the socialist tenets admit of gallantry to my s.e.x?"
"Socialism admits the equality of the s.e.xes, which is a long sight better, but I guess there"s nothing to prevent me seeing you onto your car."
He even lifted his hat as she turned to him from the high platform, and as he smiled a little she inferred that he was congratulating himself on having had the last word.
CHAPTER VII
I
Gora, to whom she had telephoned before leaving home, was standing on the steps of her house, looking anxiously up the street, as her young sister-in-law left the car at the corner.
Gora walked up to meet her guest. "Where on earth have you, been?" she demanded. "I supposed of course that you"d take a taxi. You should not go out alone at night. Mortimer would be wild. He has the strictest ideas; and you--"
"Haven"t. Not, any more. I"m tired of being kept in a gla.s.s case--being a parasite." She laughed gayly at Gora"s look of amazement. "I"ve had an adventure. Almost the first I ever had."
She related it as they walked slowly down the street and up the steps and stairs to the attic.