Page:The unhallowed harvest (1917).djvu/187

182 "Horrors!" The ejaculation came from the elder sister.

"Have you made up your mind to marry her, Barry?" persisted Miss Ramona.

And Barry replied doggedly:

"Yes; if she'll have me."

To describe the consternation that reigned at Mr. Malleson's breakfast-table following this answer would be to give a fairly good illustration of the meaning of the word itself. They all knew, of course, that Barry was paying some attention to the widow. Knowledge of that fact could not well escape them. Every rich young man, however, was entitled to indulge in temporary aberrations of fancy, and Barry was indulging in his. But to have him really and seriously contemplate marriage with the woman! Again, "Horrors!" The family gathering broke up in a storm from which tears were not entirely absent, and every one lost his or her temper save only Barry. He never lost his temper. An unkind friend said of him, one day, that he had never had any temper to lose. When he rose from the breakfast-table he did not wait for his car. He put on his hat and overcoat and started down-town on foot. He struck into Main Street at the foot of the hill and followed it almost its entire length. He did not turn off in the direction of the factory, but went straight on until he reached the Potter Building, three blocks farther down. Ignoring the elevator he mounted the staircase to the second floor and entered the room occupied by the Socialist League as a headquarters. Mrs. Bradley was already there and at work. Moreover she was alone. When Barry came in she gave him a welcoming smile and word.

"I'm glad you came," she said. "There are two or three things about which I want to talk with you."

"I suppose Farrar's case is one of them," said Barry. "You know they've started to put him out."