She was glad, though, that Mr. Petersen didn’t know _all_ about the
boarder, for then her triumph wouldn’t have been quite so complete....
His affectionateness, for instance, and his absent-mindedness. He
continually forgot to pay his board. Minnie would be forced to remind
him, then he would immediately take out a pocketbook and pay a week’s
board, apparently not realising that he owed for two weeks, or perhaps
three. He never got up to date. It was a great worry. She had to buy
things for him, food and the “root beer” he was so fond of, under the
most dreadful difficulties. The tradespeople, knowing that she had a
boarder, presupposed cash, and grew more and more grudging. She couldn’t
offend and perhaps lose the precious boarder by too strict insistence
upon the letter of the contract; he was supposed to pay in advance, of
course, but if he didn’t!...
There were certain times when he really alarmed her, when there was
something about him that she could not endure, something not fully
understood but none the less comprehended. For, in spite of her
soberness and her sedateness, Minnie was after all only a young girl,
and a very ignorant one. She had nothing but her instincts and her cool
temperament to protect her. She had, one might say, no sex at all, no
trace of passion. She adored compliments and attentions, and very
sensibly wanted a husband to work for her, but she recoiled with a quite
morbid aversion from the idea of a kiss. Mr. Blair’s little attempts
were repulsive to her.
He used to propose walks after supper, but after one trial, she never
accepted again. It was a horrible experience. She was too innocent to
know whether she had been insulted or whether it was all quite harmless,
but she could not deny her own distress. She lay awake and wept--a very
little--at the idea of marrying Mr. Blair. Of course, she could, and she
would, but it wasn’t an agreeable prospect.
She believed that he must have a fair enough income, for he did no work
and yet had all he wanted. Tobacco and magazines and new neckties were
his sole indulgences, with an occasional bag of cheap candy. He was the
most contented fellow alive. It was not possible that he suffered from
the usual human “money worries.” His slowness in paying his board she
attributed to his literariness.