“It’s only lately I’ve worked in an office,” I said. “Before that I always worked out-of-doors; oystering and clamming and, in the fall, scalloping. And in the summer I played ball on a hotel nine.”
I saw that to the beautiful lady my explanation carried no meaning whatsoever, but before I could explain, the young man with whom she had come on board walked toward us.
Neither did he appear to find in her talking to a stranger anything embarrassing. He halted and smiled. His smile was pleasant, but entirely vague. In the few minutes I was with him, I learned that it was no sign that he was secretly pleased. It was merely his expression. It was as though a photographer had said: “Smile, please,” and he had smiled.
When he joined us, out of deference to the young lady I raised my hat, but the youth did not seem to think that outward show of respect was necessary, and kept his hands in his pockets. Neither did he cease smoking. His first remark to the lovely lady somewhat startled me.
“Have you got a brass bed in your room?” he asked. The beautiful lady said she had.
“So’ve I,” said the young man. “They do you rather well, don’t they? And it’s only three dollars. How much is that?”
“Four times three would be twelve,” said the lady. “Twelve shillings.”
The young man was smoking a cigarette in a long amber cigarette-holder. I never had seen one so long. He examined the end of his cigarette-holder, and, apparently surprised and relieved at finding a cigarette there, again smiled contentedly.
The lovely lady pointed at the marble shaft rising above Madison Square.
“That is the tallest sky-scraper,” she said, “in New York.” I had just informed her of that fact. The young man smiled as though he were being introduced to the building, but exhibited no interest.