Well anyways, I walked myself into a terrible enthusiasm over Jim, and then come back to the hotel. Which, by the way, its a strange thing how much further it is coming back to a Atlantic City hotel than walking away from it. And there at the door was Ma with the two dogs. A real strange sight for I never knew her to take them out before, and it looked like a guilty conscience, for she give me a peek out of the corner of her eye for some reason and then hastily explained how she had thought she'd take them herself this time instead of Musette. Well, we got rid of the dogs and then come down to dinner where Maison sailed down upon us all dressed up and no place to go, for it seems this Mr. Freddy had stood her up on the dinner, having telephoned he'd be over later with a friend or two but business prevented him paying for her meal, or at least thats what I expect he meant. And Maison was wild. But she had to eat dinner with us, and register a bunch of complaints between bowing to friends and so forth.
"The luck I have!" she says. "That guy Freddy doesn't think any more of a nickle than he does of his right arm! And with all the conventions which is held at this town of course we would have to pick on the date the Baptist ministers was here! Its a fact! The clerk told me. And what is more if there ain't Ruby Roselle and Goldringer and will you look at that wine and it twelve a quart without the tax! Well, of all things!"
III
And there sure enough was Ruby across the room with Goldringer, which he evidently had come down to wait for the answer to that cable in the fresh air, and I suppose Ruby was a accident, the same as Freddy, for goodness knows, I wouldnt say a thing against her even behind her back—and a good deal could be said behind what shows of it when in costume. But I wouldnt say it anyhow, because even if it was the truth that woman would sue a person for liabale if only to get her name in the paper. And if she happened to be taking dinner with Goldringer, Gawd knows, its a comparatively free country and he's her manager as well as mine and its a good thing to assume its only business whenever possible as thinking the best of people never hurt anybody yet.
Also across the room all by himself was that young Captain, and he looked over twice but of course I pretended it was the picture on the wall over his head which had took my eye. Altogether that strange dining room wasnt much more lonesome to us than the Ritz or Astor for tea would of been. But the most remarkable part of the meal was Ma. Because she didn't touch it! Actually, and it the American plan which would tempt one of these Asthetics if for no other reason but that you have to pay for it anyway. And all she took was a piece of meat about the size of a dime and a leaf of salad.
"I'm going to stick by what I said if only because you said I wouldnt!" she says, looking me square in the eye. "Diet is my middle name."
Well, I mentally give her until to-morrow on that but said nothing at the time. And we went out into the lounge where Mr. Freddy and three friends was already lounging and after they had joined us, Goldringer and Ruby did the same, and the drinks commenced to flow with that frantic haste like into a river at the edge of the ocean as the poet says, meaning because its near its finish. While I, never using any alcohol myself except to remove my make up, sat there flushed with Bevo, and couldn't help noticing the way the Captain which he was still all alone, looked over at the menagerie, and it made me boil for how could I help that piker Freddy and his cheap friends and the rest, and believe you me there are many perfect ladies in pictures and on the stage, only the public dont often recognize them because they are swamped with a bunch of roughnecks which all are popularly supposed to be.
It was a big relief when the Captain got up and went away about nine, and left us to a endurance contest as to which could sit up the longest in that refreshing atmosphere of cigarette smoke and drinks and ten-dollar perfume with the sad sea waves beating vainly outside the carefully glass enclosed verandah until one o'clock—when I personally went to bed leaving them to their fate.
I give the telephone operator a terrible shock by leaving a call for seven thirty, and when it come I put on my riding suit which I had left from a dance called "The Call to Hounds" which Jim and me done at the Palace just before he enlisted, and went out into the keen morning air. And it was some air! Then I commenced to look around for horses but had great difficulty in finding the same, for it seems the Atlantic City horses dont get up any earlier than most of the visitors, and believe you me I and a few coons which were picking up scraps and so forth off the boardwalk, was the only birds in sight at that hour. Well anyways I walked along breathing in that sweet air at about fifty cents per breath by the hotel rates, but feeling pretty good in spite of it, when I actually found a place where the horses was up—or mabe they had been all night. I got a horse which looked considerable like a moth-eaten property one but could go pretty good and commenced to ride gently along what seemed to be my private ocean, when all of a sudden who would I see but the young Captain riding very good indeed. He come up to me on high and then tried to put on the brakes when he seen who it was, but the horse had its mind on something else and wouldnt, so he got by me but not without a "Good morning!" Which I thought fairly safe to smile at seeing we was so rapidly going in opposite directions. But it seems he must of spoke roughly to his steed for he come up behind me and spoke with just that grand refined Big-Time drawing-room act accent I knew by his little moustache he would have.
"I say! What luck!" he says. "You are Miss Marie LaTour, are you not?"