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The Claws Of The Tiger
by
Linnevitch did not meet her eye. “I am wrong,” he said, “and that young feller is O. K.”
When Daisy came back from her first dancing lesson, Mr. and Mrs. Linnevitch were sitting up for her. Her gayety and high spirits seemed to move the couple, especially Linnevitch, deeply. He insisted that she eat some crackers and drink a glass of milk. He was wonderfully gentle, almost tender, in his manner; but whenever she looked at him he looked away.
VI
It was as if heaven had opened before Daisy. The blood in her veins moved to the rhythm of dance music; her vision was being fed upon color and light. And, for she was still a child, she was taken great wonders to behold: dogs that rode upon bicycles, men who played upon fifty instruments, clowns that caused whole theatres to roar with laughter, ladies that dove from dizzy heights, bears that drank beer, Apollos that seemed to have been born turning wonderful somersaults. And always at her side was her man, her well-beloved, to explain and to protect. He was careful of her, careful as a man is careful who carries a glass of water filled to overflowing without losing a drop. And if little by little he explained what he called “life” to her, it was with delicacy, with gravity–even, as it seemed, with sorrow.
His kisses filled her at first with a wonderful tenderness; at last with desire, so that her eyes narrowed and she breathed quickly. At this point in their relations Barstow put off his pleading, cajoling manner, and began, little by little, to play the master. In the matter of dress and deportment he issued orders now instead of suggestions; and she only worshipped him the more.
When he knew in his heart that she could refuse him nothing he proposed marriage. Or rather, he issued a mandate. He had led her to a seat after a romping dance. She was highly flushed with the exercise and the contact, a little in disarray, breathing fast, a wonderful look of exaltation and promise in her face. He was white, as always, methodic, and cool–the man who arranges, who makes light of difficulties, who gives orders; the man who has money in his pocket.
“Kid,” he whispered, “when the restaurant closes to-morrow night I am going to take you to see a friend of mine–an alderman.”
She smiled brightly, lips parted in expectation. She knew by experience that he would presently tell her why.
“You’re to quit Linnevitch for good,” he said. “So have your things ready.”
Although the place was so crowded that whirling couples occasionally bumped into their knees or stumbled over their feet, Barstow took her hand with the naive and easy manner of those East Siders whom he affected to despise.
“You didn’t guess we were going to be married so soon, did you?” he said.
She pressed his hand. Her eyes were round with wonder.
“At first,” he went on, “we’ll look about before we go to house-keeping. I’ve taken nice rooms for us–a parlor and bedroom suite. Then we can take our time looking until we find just the right house-keeping flat.”
“Oh,” she said, “are you sure you want me?”
He teased her. He said, “Oh, I don’t know” and “I wouldn’t wonder,” and pursed up his lips in scorn; but at the same time he regarded her out of the corners of roguish eyes. “Say, kid,” he said presently–and his gravity betokened the importance of the matter–“Cullinan’s dead for it. He’s going to be a witness, and afterward he’s going to blow us to supper–just us two. How’s that?”
“Oh,” she exclaimed, “that’s fine!”
The next morning Daisy told Mr. and Mrs. Linnevitch that she was to be married as soon as the restaurant closed. But they had schooled themselves by now to expect this event, and said very little. Linnevitch, however, was very quiet all day. Every now and then an expression little short of murderous came into his face, to be followed by a vacant, dazed look, and this in turn by sudden uncontrollable starts of horror. At these times he might have stood for “Judas beginning to realize what he has done.”