Page:The Breath of Scandal (1922).djvu/31

 was by far the most significant and portentous. All he thought was that here was a place of new and interesting manners; a lot of men, from everywhere, living alone; a lot of girls, from every place, taking the same elevated trains down-town with the men; working in the same offices; coming back to patronize the same delicatessens, cafeterias and picture shows; some of them continuing absolutely independent; some of them marrying and trying to carry into marriage as much as possible of their independence and going on just about the same as before; some of them attempting a home with children or one child, anyway. To look at them and to hear them talk you would never suspect them of sentimentalities; but they bought a great lot of "Wynken, Blynken and Nod" and of cards and sentimental mottoes.

Gregg's undiscriminating acquaintance included several people about here; and, not far off, now, was the apartment where Cuncliffe's salesman, Nyman, lived with his wife and baby; and, in the flat building next them, lived Mrs. Russell. Other Mrs. Russells inhabited apartments in different sections above here, Gregg knew; he heard about definite ones in half-boastful, half-ashamed•storieshalf-ashamed stories [sic] told him by some of his friends. Gregg had accepted the fact of them as he accepted other obvious occurrences in life, without thinking about them one way or another. Women of that sort did not appeal to him; they did attract a lot of men, some younger than Gregg; some older; some single, some married; some worthless loafers; some hard workers and men of reputation and ability; some were men whom Gregg did not like; but others, who "lived" in the same way, he did like. The affair was confusing and offered all sorts of inconsistencies whenever