‘It would be nice, Fred, but . . . The children have been talking with me. I know Howard expects to take Annabel and come with us.’

‘Now? Just started in business? Just married?’

‘He says it would be cheaper . . .’

‘I see. He don’t so much want a trip with us as on us!’

‘And Sara has an idea. She expects to play in a tennis tournament in the South, in October — down at Wormtail Hot Springs . . .’

‘That doggone dump? Where the politicians boil out enough alcohol so they can enjoy a fresh filling? If she goes there, she goes by herself, lemme tell you!’

‘She feels that after the mistake she made about this fellow Silga’s character, she’s got to be extra respectable, and she has an idea that if we took a cottage at Wormtail together . . .’

‘Of all the . . .’

‘I know, Fred, I know, but I also know how Sara is, and if she makes up her mind and starts nagging, we’ll give in to her to save trouble. The only way you could handle it would be to run away from her.’

‘Well, and what’s the matter with running away? Hm! Think I’ll take a little walk.’

Hazel stared after him. Fred was excited, and she was afraid of spontaneous combustion.

Front Table of Contents ← Prev Next →

https://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/l/lewis/sinclair/prodigal/chapter22.html

Last updated Sunday, March 27, 2016 at 11:57

The Prodigal Parents, by Sinclair Lewis

Chapter 23

At ten next morning, a dusty and discouraged morning of July, Fred telephoned from the office:

‘Oh, Hazel? Sara there?’

‘No, she’s at the club. Anything I can do?’

‘Just something I wanted to ask about.’

‘I’ll be going down town shopping, in about an hour, Fred.’

‘Say, wait for me at the house, will you? Got anything important on for today?’

‘No, just coffee at Louise Kamerkink’s this afternoon.’

‘Fine. Wait for me.’

He looked embarrassed, she was puzzled and a little anxious, when he came into the house at this unexampled hour of the day.

‘Lookit, Hazel. Grand day, and I’m kind of tired. What say we jump in the car and skip off for two-three days?’

‘To-day?’

‘Why not?’

‘Heavens, you have to make preparations!’

‘Don’t need any. Gas and oil and a toothbrush and a comb and a nightshirt — what more do you need? If you have to get a lipstick along the way, prob’ly there are some stores outside Sachem Falls! I brought some cash from the office.’

‘If you’d just told me a few days ago. I’ve made some dates . . .’

‘Anything you can’t bust?’

‘I don’t think that would be awfully nice of me.’

‘What ‘d you do if you stepped off the kerb and got killed by an auto? Wouldn’t be able to keep your dates then, would you?’

‘Why, what a perfectly awful suggestion!’

‘Well, it does happen sometimes, don’t it? Hop to it and call ’em off.’