american tragedy

Chapter 22 (1)
Chapter 115 (1)
It was clear to Hortense that Clyde was longing for her last concession.Not once when they were together did he want her to be sincere to him.If she really loved him, why wouldn't she let him kiss her and hug her as much as he wanted? She kept going out with other people, but she didn't keep her dates with him, or she wouldn't date him at all.What is her relationship with these other people? Does she really love others more than him? In fact, every time they are together, the problem of union is always the most important problem, but it is only mentioned in a subtle way. .

What about her? The thought of him suffering from being unable to succeed in his desire for her made him extremely excited.Thinking that it was she who executed him, and thinking that the power to relieve his pain was completely in her own hands, she had a sadistic psychology.And Clyde's self-masochistic desire for her is feeding her sadistic psychology.

However, since she wanted to get this coat, his weight and affection increased.Although she had tricked Clyde the day before yesterday that she would not see him until next Monday, and she had an appointment every night before that, but with the problem of this coat in front of her, she was thinking about how to meet him immediately without It seems too impatient.By this time, she had made up her mind that if she had the chance, she would persuade him to buy the coat, but she had to change her attitude towards him, and she had to be closer to him, although she hadn't decided whether to commit herself to him. He, but she basically thought so in her heart.

For a while she couldn't figure out what to do.How was it possible to see him today, tomorrow at the latest? How was she to explain that she wanted this gift, or, as she said to herself, that she needed to lend him this money? He lent her money first, and will pay it back slowly in the future. (But she knew, of course, that once the coat was in her hands, she wouldn't have to pay it back.) Or, if he didn't have that much money at hand, she might as well say that she could make an arrangement with Robinstein, and he, Clyde, would pay it in installments. clear.Thinking of this, she had an idea, thinking of how to win over Mr. Robinstein, and he gave her a special offer.She remembered that Robinstein had said that if he knew she would be kind to him, he would be happy to buy her the coat.

Her first plan in this matter was to get Louise Rattler to come forward and invite her brother, Clyde, and another young man called Scull, who danced with Louise, to the ballroom tonight. .She had planned to go to the dance hall with a cigarette shop clerk whom she loved.Now she was going to cancel the original plan and go alone with Louise and Greta, just to explain that her companion was ill, so that she could have a chance to walk with Clyde and walk past Robinstein. that shop.

However, she has the skills of a spider and can spin a web to catch insects.Then, she guessed, Louise might explain to Clyde or Ratterer that the party was her idea.Clyde might even have talked to Louise about the coat! That was absolutely out of the question, she didn't want her friend to know the secret.So she concluded that there was no way out.

Just when she was worrying about how to meet, Clyde happened to be passing by here on his way home from get off work, so he came to her shop.He was thinking of asking her to meet on Sunday.Hortense, overwhelmed with delight, greeted him with a very charming smile and a wave of her hand which was very affectionate.She was busy with a customer, and quickly getting things done, she went up to him, squinted at the annoying administrator, and exclaimed, "I'm thinking of you, don't you think of me! Want to?" Whispered, "Don't act like you're chatting with me, the administrator is over there."

Clyde was mesmerized by her unusually sweet voice, not to mention that charming smile.He immediately became excited, "I think, you don't?" He replied with a smile on his face, "Have I ever thought about someone else? Listen to me, Ratterer said I miss you all day long!"

"Ah, him," Hortense pursed her lips with a disdainful look on her face.She wasn't interested in Ratterer, and she knew it herself. "He thinks he's very clever," she said, "but I know a lot of girls don't like him at all!"

"Well, Tom is actually not bad," Clyde honestly interceded for his friend, "it's just that he talks too casually and doesn't hold back. He likes you very much!"

"Who said he wasn't," said Hortense, "but I'm not going to talk about him. Will you be busy at six o'clock to-night?"

"Hey!" Clyde said disappointedly. "You mean you're free tonight, don't you? Too bad I thought you had an appointment. I have work tonight!" He sighed, She thought it was rare that she was happy to play with him tonight, but he couldn't seize the opportunity, and was extremely annoyed.Hortense was flattered to find him disappointed.

"Well, I have a date, but I don't want to go." She curled her lips again, her face full of disdain. "I didn't have to miss the appointment. But if you are free, I don't plan to go out." Clyde was so happy that his heart was pounding.

"Well, if only I didn't have to go to work," he said, looking at her, "I'll be off tomorrow night, okay? I've come here to ask you, would you go for a drive on Sunday afternoon? Hegglund has a friend Got a car, a pica, and we were all free that day. He asked me to find some guy to drive to Excelso Hot Springs with. He was nice, (He said that because Hortense's face Looks disinterested.) You don't know him well, but he's a nice guy. Well, we'll talk about that next time. Tomorrow night? I'll be off tomorrow night."

Hortense pretended to bring some handkerchiefs for Clyde to choose from, as the caretaker kept walking up and down.What a coincidence, she was thinking, it would be at least 24 hours before she could show him the coat to show her wrists.At the same time, she pretended that it would be more difficult for her to date tomorrow night than he had imagined, and she was not even sure whether to accept the invitation.

"You're pretending to pick a handkerchief," she went on, terrified that an administrator might come and interrupt their conversation. "I have another appointment tomorrow night," she said pretending to be considerate, "I don't know if I can cancel it, let me think about it." Pretending to think for a while, she said, "Ah, I think so," she later said. Say, "Anyway, I'll give it a try. But only this time! You go to No. 15 Street, a quarter past six, ah, no, at the earliest 06:30, right? I'll try to find a way to see if I can get there. I can't say for sure, but I'll try, maybe I can, okay!" She gave him a sweet smile, and Clyde was already out of his mind.Come to think of it, she had finally canceled a date for him.There was special affection in her eyes and a slight smile on her lips.

"That's right," he shouted, using the waiter's colloquialism, "I'll definitely go, can you please do something special for me?"

"What is it?" She was full of guard.

"Wearing this little black hat and a red ribbon around your chin, won't you? You're beautiful."

"Hi, you," she laughed.It was too easy to tease Clyde. "Okay, yes," she went on, "but now you have to go, the old guy is coming. He's going to make trouble later, I know. I don't care. 06:30, huh? See you later. ’ She went back to greet a new customer.It was an old woman. She had been waiting patiently for a long time. She wanted to know where the red gauze was sold.And what about Clyde? He was overwhelmed by the sudden grace of heaven, and walked towards the nearest door.

He didn't feel particularly surprised that he was suddenly favored this time.At less than 06:30 on the second night, the tall curved advertising lights shone like raindrops, and she appeared under the light.He saw at once that she was wearing his favorite hat.Moreover, she looked charming, excited, and affectionate. Since I met her, I have never been able to catch up with this time.Before he could say how beautiful she was, or how pleased he was with her wearing the hat, she had said:

"I canceled a date, and I put on this shabby hat I didn't like just to please you, and I should say, I've become quite a popular person. How could I, myself baffling."

He was all smiles, as if he had just won a big victory.Will he finally be her love?

"If you knew how pretty you look in that hat, Hortense, you wouldn't despise it any more," he persuaded her adoringly, "you don't know how sweet you look! "

"Oh, it's just wearing a broken hat?" she sneered. "It's so easy to please you."

"And your eyes are just like soft black velvet," he insisted fervently, "beautiful." He was thinking of the little room hung with black velvet at the Glynn Davidson Hotel.

(End of this chapter)