LIVING BACKWARDS 



mother over the writing-table ; tried on a blue 

 flannel shirt and a pair of baseball shoes, whistling 

 an air from that last opera of Delibes s. I took 

 a walk and tried to find the spring came back 

 without finding it ; took down the photograph 

 and put it up in another place ; rearranged the 

 books; swung a hammock, and cut my thumb. 

 It was the longest day I ever spent in my life. 

 Finally it occurred to me suddenly that something 

 was liable to happen to Charlie. Wasn t there 

 a milldam ? Didn t I know that girls only 

 thought of themselves ? Good heavens, the 

 Hotchkisses might be kidnappers. The air began 

 to get blue, and I snatched a stick and set out 

 hurriedly on a rescue to meet Griselle and 

 Charlie coming over the pasture-field, hand in 

 hand, beautifully silhouetted against the sky, and 

 Lilah wig-wagging behind all of them consum 

 mately unconcerned, and Charlie crammed with 

 new experiences, in which milldam was most con 

 spicuous. Griselle passed him over in the most 

 uneventful way and returned home. 



Then Charlie and I got our supper. If I 

 remember correctly, we had bologna sausage, 

 cheese, crackers, and tea, and would have had 

 sardines if I had known where that infernal 

 can-opener was. It was about the time of 

 day that I usually took steak a la Bordelaise, 

 or a bird, with several entrees and a pint of 

 dry wine. I admired my nerve as I ate the 

 bologna, and wondered how long I could keep 

 this up. 



17 



