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have　been　prudery　in　the　middle　class；　but　which　in　them　was　the

modesty　and　reticence　found　in　individuals　of　the　working　class　when

they　strive　after　clean　living　and　morality。



Mr。　Clausen　accompanied　them　to　the　elevator；　all　smiles；　patronage；

and　beneficence；　while　the　clerks　turned　their　heads　to　follow　Joe's

retreating　figure。



〃And　to…night；　Joe？〃　Mr。　Clausen　asked　anxiously；　as　they　waited　at

the　shaft。　　〃How　do　you　feel？　　Think　you'll　do　him？〃



〃Sure；〃　Joe　answered。　　〃Never　felt　better　in　my　life。〃



〃You　feel　all　right；　eh？　　Good！　　Good！　　You　see；　I　was　just　a…

wonderin'you　know；　ha！　ha！goin'　to　get　married　and　the　rest

thought　you　might　be　unstrung；　eh；　a　trifle？nerves　just　a　bit　off；

you　know。　　Know　how　gettin'　married　is　myself。　　But　you're　all

right；　eh？　　Of　course　you　are。　　No　use　asking　YOU　that。　　Ha！　ha！

Well；　good　luck；　my　boy！　　I　know　you'll　win。　　Never　had　the　least

doubt；　of　course；　of　course。〃



〃And　good…by；　Miss　Pritchard；〃　he　said　to　Genevieve；　gallantly

handing　her　into　the　elevator。　　〃Hope　you　call　often。　　Will　be

charmedcharmedI　assure　you。〃



〃Everybody　calls　you　'Joe'；〃　she　said　reproachfully；　as　the　car

dropped　downward。　　〃Why　don't　they　call　you　'Mr。　Fleming'？　　That's

no　more　than　proper。〃



But　he　was　staring　moodily　at　the　elevator　boy　and　did　not　seem　to

hear。



〃What's　the　matter；　Joe？〃　she　asked；　with　a　tenderness　the　power　of

which　to　thrill　him　she　knew　full　well。



〃Oh；　nothing；〃　he　said。　　〃I　was　only　thinkingand　wishing。〃



〃Wishing？what？〃　　Her　voice　was　seduction　itself；　and　her　eyes

would　have　melted　stronger　than　he；　though　they　failed　in　calling

his　up　to　them。



Then；　deliberately；　his　eyes　lifted　to　hers。　　〃I　was　wishing　you

could　see　me　fight　just　once。〃



She　made　a　gesture　of　disgust；　and　his　face　fell。　　It　came　to　her

sharply　that　the　rival　had　thrust　between　and　was　bearing　him　away。



〃II'd　like　to；〃　she　said　hastily　with　an　effort；　striving　after

that　sympathy　which　weakens　the　strongest　men　and　draws　their　heads

to　women's　breasts。



〃Will　you？〃



Again　his　eyes　lifted　and　looked　into　hers。　　He　meant　itshe　knew

that。　　It　seemed　a　challenge　to　the　greatness　of　her　love。



〃It　would　be　the　proudest　moment　of　my　life；〃　he　said　simply。



It　may　have　been　the　apprehensiveness　of　love；　the　wish　to　meet　his

need　for　her　sympathy；　and　the　desire　to　see　the　Game　face　to　face

for　wisdom's　sake；and　it　may　have　been　the　clarion　call　of

adventure　ringing　through　the　narrow　confines　of　uneventful

existence；　for　a　great　daring　thrilled　through　her；　and　she　said；

just　as　simply；　〃I　will。〃



〃I　didn't　think　you　would；　or　I　wouldn't　have　asked；〃　he　confessed；

as　they　walked　out　to　the　sidewalk。



〃But　can't　it　be　done？〃　she　asked　anxiously；　before　her　resolution

could　cool。



〃Oh；　I　can　fix　that；　but　I　didn't　think　you　would。〃



〃I　didn't　think　you　would；〃　he　repeated；　still　amazed；　as　he　helped

her　upon　the　electric　car　and　felt　in　his　pocket　for　the　fare。







CHAPTER　II







Genevieve　and　Joe　were　working…class　aristocrats。　　In　an　environment

made　up　largely　of　sordidness　and　wretchedness　they　had　kept

themselves　unsullied　and　wholesome。　　Theirs　was　a　self…respect；　a

regard　for　the　niceties　and　clean　things　of　life；　which　had　held

them　aloof　from　their　kind。　　Friends　did　not　come　to　them　easily；

nor　had　either　ever　possessed　a　really　intimate　friend；　a　heart…

companion　with　whom　to　chum　and　have　things　in　common。　　The　social

instinct　was　strong　in　them；　yet　they　had　remained　lonely　because

they　could　not　satisfy　that　instinct　and　at　that　same　time　satisfy

their　desire　for　cleanness　and　decency。



If　ever　a　girl　of　the　working　class　had　led　the　sheltered　life；　it

was　Genevieve。　　In　the　midst　of　roughness　and　brutality；　she　had

shunned　all　that　was　rough　and　brutal。　　She　saw　but　what　she　chose

to　see；　and　she　chose　always　to　see　the　best；　avoiding　coarseness

and　uncouthness　without　effort；　as　a　matter　of　instinct。　　To　begin

with；　she　had　been　peculiarly　unexposed。　　An　only　child；　with　an

invalid　mother　upon　whom　she　attended；　she　had　not　joined　in　the

street　games　and　frolics　of　the　children　of　the　neighbourhood。　　Her

father；　a　mild…tempered；　narrow…chested；　anaemic　little　clerk；

domestic　because　of　his　inherent　disability　to　mix　with　men；　had

done　his　full　share　toward　giving　the　home　an　atmosphere　of

sweetness　and　tenderness。



An　orphan　at　twelve；　Genevieve　had　gone　straight　from　her　father's

funeral　to　live　with　the　Silversteins　in　their　rooms　above　the　candy

store；　and　here；　sheltered　by　kindly　aliens；　she　earned　her　keep　and

clothes　by　waiting　on　the　shop。　　Being　Gentile；　she　was　especially

necessary　to　the　Silversteins；　who　would　not　run　the　business

themselves　when　the　day　of　their　Sabbath　came　round。



And　here；　in　the　uneventful　little　shop；　six　maturing　years　had

slipped　by。　　Her　acquaintances　were　few。　　She　had　elected　to　have　no

girl　chum　for　the　reason　that　no　satisfactory　girl　had　appeared。

Nor　did　she　choose　to　walk　with　the　young　fellows　of　the

neighbourhood；　as　was　the　custom　of　girls　from　their　fifteenth　year。

〃That　stuck…up　doll…face；〃　was　the　way　the　girls　of　the

neighbourhood　described　her；　and　though　she　earned　their　enmity　by

her　beauty　and　aloofness；　she　none　the　less　commanded　their　respect。

〃Peaches　and　cream；〃　she　was　called　by　the　young　menthough　softly

and　amongst　themselves；　for　they　were　afraid　of　arousing　the　ire　of

the　other　girls；　while　they　stood　in　awe　of　Genevieve；　in　a　dimly

religious　way；　as　a　something　mysteriously　beautiful　and

unapproachable。



For　she　was　indeed　beautiful。　　Springing　from　a　long　line　of

American　descent；　she　was　one　of　those　wonderful　working…class

blooms　which　occasionally　appear；　defying　all　precedent　of　forebears

and　environment；　apparently　without　cause　or　explanation。　　She　was　a

beauty　in　color；　the　blood　spraying　her　white　skin　so　deliciously　as

to　earn　for　her　the　apt　description；　〃peaches　and　cream。〃　　She　was　a

beauty　in　the　regularity　of　her　features；　and；　if　for　no　other

reason；　she　was　a　beauty　in　the　mere　delicacy　of　the　lines　on　which

she　was　moulded。　　Quiet；　low…voiced；　stately；　and　dignified；　she

somehow　had　the　knack　of　dress；　and　but　befitted　her　beauty　and

dignity　with　anything　she　put　on。　　Withal；　she　was　sheerly　feminine；

tender　and　soft　and　clinging；　with　the　smouldering　passion　of　the

mate　and　the　motherliness　of　the　woman。　　But　this　side　of　her　nature

had　lain　dormant　through　the　years；　waiting　for　the　mate　to　appear。



Then　Joe　came　into　Silverstein's　shop　one　hot　Saturday　afternoon　to

cool　himself　with　ice…cream　soda。　　She　had　not　noticed　his　entrance；

being　busy　with　one　other　customer；　an　urchin　of　six　or　seven　who

gravely　analyzed　his　desires　before　the　show…case　wherein　truly

generous　and　marvellous　candy　creations　reposed　under　a　cardboard

announcement；　〃Five　for　Five　Cents。〃



She　had　heard；　〃Ice…cream　soda；　please；〃　and　had　herself　asked；

〃What　flavor？〃　without　seeing　his　face。　　For　that　matter；　it　was　not

a　custom　of　hers　to　notice　young　men。　　There　was　something　about

them　she　did　not　understand。　　The　way　they　looked　at　her　made　her

uncomfortable；　she　knew　not　why；　while　there　was　an　uncouthness　and

roughness　about　them　that　did　not　please　her。　　As　yet；　her

imagination　had　been　untouched　by　man。　　The　young　fellows　she　had

seen　had　held　no　lure　for　her；　had　been　without　meaning　to　her。　　In

short；　had　she　been　asked　to　give　one　reason　for　the　existence　of

men　on　the　earth；　she　would　have　been　nonplussed　for　a　reply。



As　she　emptied　the　measure　of　ice…cream　into　the　glass；　her　casual

glance　rested　on　Joe's　face；　and　she　experienced　on　the　instant　a

pleasant　feeling　of　satisfaction。　　The　next　instant　his　eyes　were

upon　her　face；　her　eyes　had　dropped；　and　she　was　turning　away　toward

the　soda　fountain。　　But　at　the　fountain；　filling　the　glass；　she　was

impelled　to　look　at　him　againbut　for　no　more　than　an　instant；　for

this　time　she　found　his　eyes　already　upon　her；　waiting　to　meet　hers；

while　on　his　face　was　a　frankness　of　interest　that　caused　her

quickly　to　look　away。



That　such　pleasingness　would　reside　for　her　in　any　man　astonished

her。　　〃What　a　pretty　boy；〃　she　thought　to　herself；　innocently　and

instinctively　trying　to　ward　off　the　power　to　hold　and　draw　her　that

lay　behind　the　mere　prettiness。　　〃Besides；　he　isn't　pretty；〃　she

thought；　as　she　placed　the　glass　before　him；　received　the　silver

dime　in　payment；　and　for　the　third　time　looked　into　his　eyes。　　Her

vocabulary　was　limited；　and　she　knew　little　of　the　worth　of　words；

but　the　strong　masculinity　of　his　boy's　face　told　her　that　the　term

was　inappropriate。



〃He　must　be　handsome；　then；〃　was　her　next　thought；　as　she　again

dropped　her　eyes　before　his。　　But　all　good…looking　men　were　called

handsome；　and　that　term；　too；　displeased　her。　　But　whatever　it　was；

he　was　good　to　see；　and　she　was　irritably　aware　of　a　desire　to　look

at　him　again　and　again。



As　for　Joe；　he　had　never　seen　anything　like　this　girl　across　the

counter。　　While　he　was　wiser　in　natural　philosophy　than　she；　and

could　have　given　immediately　the　reason　for　woman's　existence　on　the

earth；　nevertheless　woman　had　no　part　in　his　cosmos。　　His

imagination　was　as　untouched　by　woman　as　the　girl's　was　by　man。　　But

his　imagination　was　touched　now；　and　the　woman　was　Genevieve。　　He

had　never　dreamed　a　girl　could　be　so　beautiful；　and　he　could　not

keep　his　eyes　from　her　face。　　Yet　every　time　he　looked　at　her；　and

her　eyes　met　his；　he　felt　painful　embarrassment；　and　would　have

looked　away　had　not　her　eyes　dropped　so　quickly。



But　when；　at　last；　she　slowly　lifted　her　eyes　and　held　their　gaze

steadily；　it　was　his　own　eyes　that　dropped；　his　own　cheek　that

mantled　red。　　She　was　much　less　embarrassed　than　he；　while　she

betrayed　her　embarrassment　not　at　all。　　She　was　aware　of　a　flutter

within；　such　as　she　had　never　known　before；　but　in　no　way　did　it

disturb　her　outward　serenity。　　Joe；　on　the　contrary；　was　obviously

awkward　and　delightfully　miserable。



Neither　knew　love；　and　all　that　either　was　aware　was　an　overwhelming

desire　to　look　at　the　other。　　Both　had　been　troubled　and　roused；　and

they　were　drawing　together　with　the　sharpness　and　imperativeness　of

uniting　elements。　　He　toyed　with　his　spoon；　and　flushed　his

embarrassment　over　his　soda；　but　lingered　on；　and　she　spoke　softly；

dropped　her　eyes；　and　wove　her　witchery　about　him。



But　he　could　not　linger　forever　over　a　glass　of　ice…cream　soda；

while　he　did　not　dare　ask　for　a　second　glass。　　So　he　left　her　to

remain　in　the　shop　in　a　waking　trance；　and　went　away　himself　down

the　street　like　a　somnambulist。　　Genevieve　dreamed　through　the

afternoon　and　knew　that　she　was　in　love。　　Not　so　with　Joe。　　He　knew

only　that　he　wanted　to　look　at　her　again；　to　see　her　face。　　His

tho