Millions and millions of friendly folk, chiefly
nurse-maids and traffic policemen, waved to them, and for some reason
smiled.
"The joke of it is," declared Carter, "they don't know! The most
wonderful event of the century has just passed into history. We are
married, and nobody knows!"
But when the car drove away from in front of Carter's door, they saw on
top of it two old shoes and a sign reading: "We have just been married."
While they had been at luncheon, the chauffeur had risen to the
occasion.
"After all," said Carter soothingly, "he meant no harm. And it's the
only thing about our wedding yet that seems legal."
Three months later two very unhappy young people faced starvation in the
sitting-room of Carter's flat. Gloom was written upon the countenance of
each, and the heat and the care that comes when one desires to live, and
lacks the wherewithal to fulfill that desire, had made them pallid and
had drawn black lines under Dolly's eyes.
Mrs. Ingram had played her part exactly as her dearest friends had
said she would. She had sent to Carter's flat, seven trunks filled with
Dolly's clothes, eighteen hats, and another most unpleasant letter. In
this, on the sole condition that Dolly would at once leave her husband,
she offered to forgive and to support her.
To this Dolly composed eleven scornful answers, but finally decided that
no answer at all was the most scornful.
She and Carter then proceeded joyfully to waste his three thousand
dollars with that contempt for money with which on a honey-moon it
should always be regarded. When there was no more, Dolly called upon her
mother's lawyers and inquired if her father had left her anything in
her own right. The lawyers regretted he had not, but having loved Dolly
since she was born, offered to advance her any money she wanted. They
said they felt sure her mother would "relent."
"SHE may," said Dolly haughtily. "I WON'T! And my husband can give me
all I need. I only wanted something of my own, because I'm going to make
him a surprise present of a new motor-car. The one we are using now does
not suit us."
This was quite true, as the one they were then using ran through the
subway.
As summer approached, Carter had suddenly awakened to the fact that he
soon would be a pauper, and cut short the honey-moon. They returned to
the flat, and he set forth to look for a position. Later, while still
looking for it, he spoke of it as a "job." He first though
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