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Black Oxen,
they think you're
trying to put on the Ritz.
You said a no-trump, didn't you, Tom? And Arthur passed. Let
me see; I wish I knew what to do. I haven't any five-card - it's
terrible! Just a minute. I wish somebody could - I know I ought to
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take — but — well, I'll pass. Oh, Tom, this is the worst you ever saw,
but I don't know what I could have done.
I do hold the most terrible cards! I certainly believe in the saying,
'Unlucky at cards, lucky in love'. Whoever made it up must have
been thinking of me. I hate to lay them down, dear. I know you'll
say I ought to have done something. Well, there they are! Let's see
your hand, Helen. Oh, Tom, she's - but I mustn't tell, must I? Any-
way, I'm dummy. That's one comfort. I can't make a mistake when
I'm dummy. I believe Tom overbids lots of times so I'll be dummy
and can't do anything ridiculous. But at that I'm much better than
I used to be, aren't I, dear?
Helen, do you mind telling me where you got that gown? Cran-
dall and Nelsons's? I've heard of them, but I heard they were terribly
expensive. Of course a person can't expect to get a gown like that
without paying for it. I've got to get some things while I'm here
and I suppose that's where I better go, if their things aren't too
horribly dear. I haven't had a thing new since I was married and
I've worn this so much I'm sick of it.
Tom's always after me to buy clothes, but I can't seem to get used
to spending somebody else's money, though it was dad's money I
spent before I did Tom's, but that's different, don't you think so?
And of course at first we didn't have very much to spend, did we,
dear? But now that we've had our raise - All right, Tommie, I won't
say another word.
Oh, did you know they tried to get Tom to run for mayor? Tom
is making faces at me to shut up, but I don't see any harm in telling
it to his best friends. They know we're not the kind that brag, Tom-
mie. I do think it was quite a tribute; he'd only lived there a little
over a year. It came up one night when the Guthries were at our
house, playing bridge. Mr Guthrie - that's A. L. Guthrie - he's one
of the big lumbermen out there. He owns - just what does he own,
Tom? Oh, I'm sorry. Anyway, he's got millions. Well, at least thou-
sands.
He and his wife were at our house playing bridge. She's the
queerest woman! If you just saw her, you'd think she was a janitor
or something; she wears the most hideous clothes. Why, that night
she had on a - honestly you'd have sworn it was a maternity gown,
and for no reason. And the first time I met her - well, I just can't
describe it. And she's a graduate of Bryn Mawr and one of the
oldest families in Philadelphia. You'd never believe it!
Who Dealt? 295
She and her husband are terribly funny in a bridge game. He
doesn't think there ought to be any conventions; he says a person
might just as well tell each other what they've got. So he won't pay
any attention to what-do-you-call-'em, informatory, doubles and
so forth. And she plays all the conventions, so you can imagine
how they get along. Fight! Not really fight, you know, but argue.
That is, he does. It's horribly embarrassing to whoever is playing
with them. Honestly, if Tom ever spoke to me like Mr Guthrie does
to his wife, well — aren't they terrible, Tom? Oh, I'm sorry!
She was the first woman in Portland that called on me and I
thought it was awfully nice of her, though when I saw her at the
door I would have sworn she was a book agent or maybe a cook
looking for work. She had on a - well, I can't describe it. But it
was sweet of her to call, she being one of the real people there and
me — well, that was before Tom was made a vice-president. What?
Oh, I never dreamed he hadn't written you about that!
But Mrs Guthrie acted just like it was a great honor for her to
meet me, and I like people to act that way even when I know it's all
apple sauce. Isn't that a funny expression, 'apple sauce'? Some man
said it in a vaudeville show in Portland the Monday night before
we left. He was a comedian — Jack Brooks or Ned Frawley or some-
thing. It means - well, I don't know how to describe it. But we had
a terrible time after the first few minutes. She is the silentest person
I ever knew and I'm kind of bashful myself with strangers. What
are you grinning about, Tommie? I am, too, bashful, when I don't
know people. Not exactly bashful, maybe, but, well, bashful.
It was one of the most embarrassing things I ever went through.
Neither of us could say a word and I could hardly help from laugh-
ing at what she had on. But after you get to know her you don't
mind her clothes, though it's a terrible temptation all the time not
to tell how much nicer - And her hair! But she plays a dandy game
of bridge, lots better than her husband. You know he won't play
conventions. He says it's just like telling you what's in each other's
hand. And they have awful arguments in a game. That is, he does.
She's nice and quiet and it's a kind of mystery how they ever fell in
love. Though there's a saying or a proverb or something, isn't there,
about like not liking like? Or is it just the other way?
But I was going to tell you about them wanting Tom to be mayor.
Oh, Tom, only two down? Why, I think you did splendidly! I gave
you a miserable hand and Helen had - what didn't you have,
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