endeavoring to take her free hand.
“Let it stay,” he said gently, when he had secured it, and was
signalling the significance of the ring to her fingers.
“Oh,” she said, smiling as if she were only jesting, “you are too
daring. I might!”
“Do,” he answered.
“Such a ring!” said the jeweler.
“I will then,” said she.
“Then, Master Maton,” said Walton, “you need only send the bill to me,”
and he laughed as he pushed the remaining display away.
As they came out, after having vaguely picked over the others, the
young lover was all elation. Upon the narrow side-path a servant
wheeling a trunk to the Liverpool dock upon a barrow brushed him
rudely, but he did not notice. Only a newsboy crying out the _Gazette_,
the blast of the bugle of the incoming stage coach from Boston, the
dust of the side-path, where the helper of the Apollo was sweeping
the lobby preparatory to the performance of the night, attracted and
pleased him. He helped his fiancée gaily into the carriage and half
bounded with joy to the seat beside her, where he smiled and smiled.
“I may not wear it, though,” said his betrothed, now that the
remarkable episode was over, and she held up a dainty finger; “because,
as you know, you have not spoken to my father as yet.”
“Keep it, nevertheless,” he answered. “I will speak to him fast enough.”
“I give you good-day, Master Walton,” said the distinguished Jefferson
as they passed from William into Wall Street, near where that statesman
made temporary stopping-place when in the city.
“Master Jefferson, William,” cried his fiancée softly, using for the
first time his given name. “Master Jefferson has bid you good-day.”
“Good evening!” cried Walton, all deference in a moment because of the
error which his excitement had occasioned, “good evening to you, sir!”
and he bowed, and bowed very gracefully again.
“How can I be so mindful, though, of all these formalities,” he said
explanatorily as he turned once more to his fair intended, “when I have
you? It is not to be expected.”
“But necessary, just the same,” she said. “And if you are to begin thus
quickly neglecting your duties, what am I to think?”
For answer he took her hand. Elatedly then they made their way to the
old homestead again, and there being compelled to leave her while
she dressed for the theater, he made his way toward the broad and
tree-shaded Bowery, where was the only true and idyllic walk for a
lover. The older houses nearest the city, redolent in their Dutch
architecture of an older and even quainter period; the wide paths and
broad doorways, rich in both vines and flowers; the rapidly decreasing
evidences of population as one’s steps led northward--all combined
to soothe and set dreaming the poetic mind. Here young Walton, as so
many before him, strolled and hummed, thinking of all that life and
the young city held for him. Now, indeed, was his fortune truly made.
Love was his, the lovely Beppie, no less. Here then he decided to build
that mansion of his own--far out, indeed, above Broome Street, but in
this self-same thoroughfare where all was so suggestive of flowers and
romance. He had no inkling, as he pondered, of what a century might
bring forth. The crush and stress and wretchedness fast treading upon
this path of loveliness he could not see.
Transcriber’s Note:
Minor errors and omissions in punctuation and spelling have been
fixed.
In this plain text version, small capitals have been changed to
to be in all uppercase. In cases where words were in uppercase
in the original text, this has also been maintained.
Page 31: “never any flare” changed to “never any flair”
Page 42: “eying him sympathetically” changed to “eyeing him
sympathetically”.
Page 50: “sometimes thought, cold, lips were now parted in” was
transposed with “a faint, gracious smile, or trace of one. He had”.
This has been corrected.
Page 67: “Larvæ and chrysalis” changed to "Larvæ and chrysalises".
Page 72: “jaws in his neck” changed to "neck in his jaws".
Page 202: “the rout of street cars” changed to “the route of street
cars”.
Page 205: “Dontcha like me?” changed to “Don’tcha like me?”.
Page 256: “influence her help” changed to “influence her to help”.
Page 263: “that’s you real” changed to “that’s your real”.
Page 332: “Just as he thought” changed to “Just as she thought”.
Page 339: “Cézanne, Goguin, Matisse,” changed to “Cézanne, Gauguin,
Matisse,”.