Page:The plastic age, (IA plasticage00mark).pdf/170

152 He did n’t know just what the trouble was, but there was a sharp sting of disillusionment that hurt. He would have been more confused had he known what was happening in Carl’s room.

Carl had walked into his own bedroom, lighted the light, and closed the door. Then he walked to the dresser and stared at himself in the mirror, stared a long time as if the face were somehow new to him.

There was a picture of the “old lady” on the dresser. It caught his eye, and he flinched. It seemed to look at him reproachfully. He thought of his mother, and he thought of how he had bluffed Hugh. He had cried after his first experience with the girl.

He looked again into the mirror. “You god¬ damn hypocrite,” he said softly; “you goddamr hypocrite.” His lip curled in contempt at his! image.

He began to undress rapidly. The eyes of the “old lady” in the picture seemed to follow hirr around the room. The thought of her hauntec him. Desperately, he switched out the light.

Once in bed, he rolled over on his stomach anc buried his face in the pillow. “God!” he whis pered. “God!”