" And he spoke with a quiet
graciousness that was almost courtly, with a note of weariness
and spiritual experience such as seldom comes into the
boarding-houses, to slay joy and bring wisdom and give words shyness.
He had, as he sat down, intended to ask her to go with him to a
moving-picture show. But inspiration was on him. He merely sat
and talked.
When Mr. Wrenn returned from the office, two evenings later, he
found this note awaiting him:
DEAR MOUSE,--Friend has asked me to join her in studio & have
beat it. Sorry not see you & say good-by. Come see me
sometime--phone before and see if I'm in--Spring xxx--address xx
South Washington Sq. In haste, ISTRA.
He spent the evening in not going to the studio. Several times
he broke away from a pinochle game to rush upstairs and see if
the note was as chilly as he remembered. It always was.
Then for a week he awaited a more definite invitation from her,
which did not come. He was uneasily polite to Nelly these days,
and tremulously appreciative of her gentleness.
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