“Oh,” said Stacey thoughtlessly, “I don’t care anything about all that. One party seems to me as silly as the other. I only want General Wood to be elected president because I suppose he wants to be president and I’d like him to have whatever he wants.”
But at these words the elation had vanished from Mr. Carroll’s face. It looked grave now and sad. Stacey bit his lip. Why the devil, he thought angrily, couldn’t he have kept his mouth shut? He didn’t seem to have decent control over his words.
“I’m sure he’d make a good president,” he said apologetically.
But they could neither of them keep off from subjects on which they disagreed, these being nearly all conceivable subjects except their unreasoning mutual affection, which would not have lent itself especially well to conversation even had Mr. Carroll not been shy and Stacey intensely reserved. It was Mr. Carroll’s turn next.
“All that business, that damnable riot,” he said, as though involuntarily, a fanatical gleam in his eye, “I felt sure at the time that there was Bolshevism behind it. Did you see any evidence of that?”
“No, sir,” returned Stacey drily. He tried to keep his tone expressionless, knowing that his father literally couldn’t help making the remark—the thing was an obsession; but he probably, in spite of himself, revealed the disdain his father must have known the question would arouse in him. The rest of the dinner passed off in a dreary attempt to revive the faded cordiality.
Afterward they went into the living-room, and Stacey walked restlessly about.
“A game of pinochle, son?” Mr. Carroll suggested presently.
“Thanks, no, sir. I’ve really got to go out and make a call,” Stacey returned. He knew he was being cruel. There was a faint wistfulness about his father that touched Stacey dully; but he simply could not endure the repression he must exert upon himself if he were to stay there and talk with his father. All his words would have to be studied, never casual. He was incapable of it.
“All right,” said Mr. Carroll. “You’ve been away a week. Of course there are people you want to see. I’ll read a little while, then go up to bed. Good night.”