Page:Triangles of life, and other stories.djvu/205

Rh back to the hotel till after twelve. Mary was up, waiting; but she didn't say much, only that she had been afraid to go to bed. Next morning she asked me to stay in and watch the children while she went shopping, and bought the things she wanted to take home, and I did, and we made it up, and got along smoothly until after tea; then I wanted to go out, and Mary didn't want me to—she wanted me to sit on the balcony with her.

I remember she was very earnest about me staying in with her that evening, and if I hadn't been drinking the night before I would have stayed. I waited awhile, and then I got restless, and found I was out of tobacco.

"I will send out for it, Joe," said Mary.

"What nonsense," I said. "I'll run out and get it myself. I'm all right. I'll get some fruit, too, and chocolates, for the children. I'll only be a few minutes."

"Well, if you must go, you must," she said, in the hard tone again.

"I'll only be a few minutes, I tell you," I said. "Don't start the thing again, for God's sake."

"Well, promise me you won't be more than a quarter of an hour," said Mary, "and I'll wait here for you. I don't like being left alone in a place full of strange men."

"That's all right, Mary," I said, and I stepped out for half an hour. I was restless as a hen that didn't know where to lay. I wanted to walk, and was fond of the noise and bustle of the streets. They fascinated me, and dragged me out.