The Plastic Age, Percy Marks [the top 100 crime novels of all time .txt] 📗

(Index)Pg 131

 

"Sure--Sure; I'Ll--I'Ll Ta-Take You Some-Somewhere. I--I,  Too,

Cyntheea."

 

They Walked Unevenly Out Of The Gymnasium,  Down The Steps,  And Through

The Crowd Of Smokers Standing Outside. Hardly Aware Of What He Was

Doing,  Hugh Led Cynthia To Keller Hall,  Which Was Not More Than Fifty

Yards Distant.

 

He Took A Flask Out Of His Pocket. "Jush One More Drink," He Said

Thickly And Emptied The Bottle. Then,  Holding Cynthia Desperately By The

Arm,  He Opened The Door Of Keller Hall And Stumbled With Her Up The

Stairs To Norry Parker'S Room. Fortunately The Hallways Were Deserted,

And No One Saw Them. The Door Was Unlocked,  And Hugh,  After Searching

Blindly For The Switch,  Finally Clicked On The Lights And Mechanically

Closed The Door Behind Him.

 

He Was Very Dizzy. He Wanted Another Drink--And He Wanted Cynthia. He

Put His Arms Around Her And Pulled Her Drunkenly To Him. The Door Of One

Of The Bedrooms Opened,  And Norry Parker Stood Watching Them. He Had

Spent The Evening At The Home Of A Musical Professor And Had Returned To

His Room Only A Few Minutes Before. His Face Went White When He Saw The

Embracing Couple.

 

"Hugh!" He Said Sharply.

 

Hugh And Cynthia,  Still Clinging To Each Other,  Looked At Him. Slowly

Cynthia Took Her Arms From Around Hugh'S Neck And Forced Herself From

His Embrace. Norry Disappeared Into His Room And Came Out A Minute Later

With His Coat On; He Had Just Begun To Undress When He Had Heard A Noise

In The Study.

 

"I'Ll See You Home,  Cynthia," He Said Quietly. He Took Her Arm And Led

Her Out Of The Room--And Locked The Door Behind Him. Hugh Stared At Them

Blankly,  Swaying Slightly,  Completely Befuddled. Cynthia Went With Norry

Willingly Enough,  Leaning Heavily On His Arm And Occasionally Sniffing.

 

When He Returned To His Room,  Hugh Was Sitting On The Floor Staring At A

Photograph Of Norry'S Mother. He Had Been Staring At It For Ten Minutes,

Holding It First At Arm'S Length And Then Drawing It Closer And Closer

To Him. No Matter Where He Held It,  He Could Not See What It Was--And He

Was Determined To See It.

 

Norry Walked Up To Him And Reached For The Photograph.

 

"Give Me That," He Said Curtly. "Take Your Hands On My Mother'S

Picture."

 

"It'S Not," Hugh Exclaimed Angrily; "It'S Not. It'S My Musher,  My Own

Mu-Musher--My,  My Own Dear Musher. Oh,  Oh!"

 

He Slumped Down In a Heap And Began To Sob Bitterly,  Muttering,  "Musher,

Musher,  Musher."

 

Norry Was Angry. The Whole Scene Was Revolting To Him. His Best Friend

Was A Disgusting Sight,  Apparently Not Much Better Than A Gibbering

(Index)Pg 132

Idiot. And Hugh Had Shamefully Abused His Hospitality. Norry Was No

Longer Gentle And Boyish; He Was Bitterly Disillusioned.

 

"Get Up," He Said Briefly. "Get Up And Go To Bed."

 

"Tha'S My Musher. You Said It Wasn'T My--My Musher." Hugh Looked Up,  His

Face Wet With Maudlin Tears.

 

Norry Leaned Over And Snatched The Picture From Him. "Take Your Dirty

Hands Off Of That," He Snapped. "Get Up And Go To Bed."

 

"Tha'S My Musher." Hugh Was Gently Persistent.

 

"It'S Not Your Mother. You Make Me Sick. Go To Bed." Norry Tugged At

Hugh'S Arm Impotently; Hugh Simply Sat Limp,  A Dead Weight.

 

Norry'S Gray Eyes Narrowed. He Took A Glass,  Filled It With Cold Water

In The Bedroom,  And Then Deliberately Dashed The Water Into Hugh'S Face.

 

Then He Repeated The Performance.

 

Hugh Shook His Head And Rubbed His Hands Wonderingly Over His Face. "I'M

No Good," He Said Almost Clearly. "I'M No Good."

 

"You Certainly Aren'T. Come On; Get Up And Go To Bed." Again Norry

Tugged At His Arm,  And This Time Hugh,  Clinging Clumsily To The Edge Of

The Table By Which He Was Sitting,  Staggered To His Feet.

 

"I'M A Blot," He Declared Mournfully; "I'M No Good,  Norry. I'M An--An

Excreeshence,  An Ex-Cree-Shence,  Tha'S What I Am."

 

"Something Of The Sort," Norry Agreed In disgust. "Here,  Let Me Take Off

Your Coat."

 

"Leave My Coat Alone." He Pulled Himself Away From Norry. "I'M No Good.

I'M An Ex-Cree-Shence. I'M Goin' T' Commit Suicide; Tha'S What I'M Goin'

T' Do. Nobody'Ll Care 'Cept My Musher,  And She Wouldn'T Either If She

Knew Me. Oh,  Oh,  I Wish I Didn'T Use A Shafety-Razor. I'Ll Tell You What

To Do,  Norry." He Clung Pleadingly To Norry'S Arm And Begged With

Passionate Intensity. "You Go Over To Harry King'S Room. He'S Got A

Re-Re--A Pistol. You Get It For Me And I'Ll Put It Right Here--" He

Touched His Temple Awkwardly--"And I'Ll--I'Ll Blow My Damn Brains Out.

I'M A Blot,  Norry; I'M An Ex-Cree-Shence."

 

Norry Shook Him. "Shut Up. You'Ve Got To Go To Bed. You'Re Drunk."

 

"I'M Sick. I'M An Ex-Cree-Shence." The Room Was Whizzing Rapidly Around

Hugh,  And He Clung Hysterically To Norry. Finally He Permitted Himself

To Be Led Into The Bedroom And Undressed,  Still Moaning That He Was An

"Ex-Cree-Shence."

 

The Bed Pitched. He Lay On His Right Side,  Clutching The Covers In

Terror. He Turned Over On His Back. Still The Bed Swung Up And Down

Sickeningly. Then He Twisted Over To His Left Side,  And The Bed

Suddenly Swung Into Rest,  Almost Stable. In a Few Minutes He Was Sound

Asleep.

(Index)Pg 133

He Cut Chapel And His Two Classes The Next Morning,  One At Nine And The

Other At Ten O'Clock; In Fact,  It Was Nearly Eleven When He Awoke. His

Head Was Splitting With Pain,  His Tongue Was Furry,  And His Mouth Tasted

Like Bilge-Water. He Made Wry Faces,  Passed His Thick Tongue Around His

Dry Mouth--Oh,  So Damnably Dry!--And Pressed The Palms Of His Hands To

His Pounding Temples. He Craved A Drink Of Cold Water,  But He Was Afraid

To Get Out Of Bed. He Felt Pathetically Weak And Dizzy.

 

Norry Walked Into The Room And Stood Quietly Looking At Him.

 

"Get Me A Drink,  Norry,  Please," Hugh Begged.

 

"I'M Parched." He Rolled Over. "Ouch! God,  How My Head Aches!"

 

Norry Brought Him The Drink,  But Nothing Less Than Three Glasses Even

Began To Satisfy Hugh. Then,  Still Saying Nothing,  Norry Put A Cold

Compress On Hugh'S Hot Forehead.

 

"Thanks,  Norry Old Man. That'S Awfully Damn Good Of You."

 

Norry Walked Out Of The Room,  And Hugh Quickly Fell Into A Light Sleep.

An Hour Later He Woke Up,  Quite Unaware Of The Fact That Norry Had

Changed The Cold Compress Three Times. The Nap Had Refreshed Him. He

Still Felt Weak And Faint; But His Head No Longer Throbbed,  And His

Throat Was Less Dry.

 

"Norry," He Called Feebly.

 

"Yes?" Norry Stood In The Doorway. "Feeling Better?"

 

"Yes,  Some. Come Sit Down On The Bed. I Want To Talk To You. But Get Me

Another Drink First,  Please. My Mouth Tastes Like Burnt Rubber."

 

Norry Gave Him The Drink And Then Sat Down On The Edge Of The Bed,

Silently Waiting.

 

"I'M Awfully Ashamed Of Myself,  Old Man," Hugh Began. "I--I Don'T Know

What To Say. I Can'T Remember Much What Happened. I Remember Bringing

Cynthia Up Here And You Coming In and Then--Well,  I Somehow Can'T

Remember Anything After That. What Did You Do?"

 

"I Took Cynthia Home And Then Came Back And Put You To Bed." Norry Gazed

At The Floor And Spoke Softly.

 

"You Took Cynthia Home?"

 

"Of Course."

 

Hugh Stared At Him In awe. "But If You'D Been Seen With Her In The Dorm,

You'D Have Been Fired From College."

 

"Nobody Saw Us. It'S All Right."

 

Hugh Wanted To Cry. "Oh,  Lord,  Norry,  You'Re White," He Exclaimed. "The

Whitest Fellow That Ever Lived. You Took That Chance For Me."

 

(Index) Pg 133

"That'S All Right." Norry Was Painfully Embarrassed.

 

"And I'M Such A Rotter. You--You Know What We Came Up Here For?"

 

"I Can Guess." Norry'S Glance Still Rested On The Floor. He Spoke Hardly

Above A Whisper.

 

"Nothing Happened. I Swear It,  Norry. I Meant To--But--But You

Came--Thank God! I Was Awfully Soused. I Guess You Think I'M Rotten,

Norry. I Suppose I Am. I Don'T Know How I Could Treat You This Way. Are

You Awfully Angry?"

 

"I Was Last Night," Norry Replied Honestly,  "But I'M Not This Morning.

I'M Just Terribly Disappointed. I Understand,  I Guess; I'M Human,

Too--But I'M Disappointed. I Can'T Forget The Way You Looked."

 

"Don'T!" Hugh Cried. "Please Don'T,  Norry. I--I Can'T Stand It If You

Talk That Way. I'M So Damned Ashamed. Please Forgive Me."

 

Norry Was Very Near To Tears. "Of Course,  I Forgive You," He Whispered,

"But I Hope You Won'T Do It Again."

 

"I Won'T,  Norry. I Promise You. Oh,  God,  I'M No Good. That'S Twice I'Ve

Been Stopped By An Accident. I'Ll Go Straight Now,  Though; I Promise

You."

 

Norry Stood Up. "It'S Nearly Noon," He Said More Naturally. "Cynthia

Will Be Wondering Where You Are."

 

"Cynthia! Oh,  Norry,  How Can I Face Her?"

 

"You'Ve Got To," Said The Young Moralist Firmly.

 

"I Suppose So," The Sinner Agreed,  His Voice Miserably Lugubrious.

"God!"

 

After Three Cups Of Coffee,  However,  The Task Did Not Seem So

Impossible. Hugh Entered The Nu Delta House With A Fairly Jaunty Air And

Greeted The Men And Women Easily Enough. His Heart Skipped A Beat When

He Saw Cynthia Standing In The Far Corner Of The Living-Room. She Was

Wearing Her Scarlet Hat And Blue Suit.

 

She Saved Him The Embarrassment Of Opening The Conversation. "Come Into

The Library," She Said Softly. "I Want To Speak To You."

 

Wondering And Rather Frightened,  He Followed Her.

 

"I'M Going Home This Afternoon," She Began. "I'Ve Got Everything Packed,

And I'Ve Told Everybody That I Don'T Feel Very Well."

 

"You Aren'T Sick?" He Asked,  Really Worried.

 

"Of Course Not,  But I Had To Say Something. The Train Leaves In an Hour

Or Two,  And I Want To Have A Talk With You Before I Go."

 

"But Hang It,  Cynthia,  Think Of What You'Re Missing. There'S A Baseball

Game With Raleigh This Afternoon,  A Tea-Dance In The Union After That,