They did not talk much. The nervous loquacity
and opinionation of the Zenith Athletic Club dropped
from them. But when they did talk they slipped
into the naive intimacy of college days. Once
they drew their canoe up to the bank of Sunasquam
Water, a stream walled in by the dense green of the
hardhack. The sun roared on the green jungle but
in the shade was sleepy peace, and the water was golden
and rippling. Babbitt drew his hand through the
cool flood, and mused:
“We never thought we’d come to Maine together!”
“No. We’ve never done anything the
way we thought we would. I expected to live in
Germany with my granddad’s people, and study
the fiddle.”
“That’s so. And remember how I wanted
to be a lawyer and go into politics? I still
think I might have made a go of it. I’ve
kind of got the gift of the gab—anyway,
I can think on my feet, and make some kind of a spiel
on most anything, and of course that’s the thing
you need in politics. By golly, Ted’s going
to law-school, even if I didn’t! Well—I
guess it’s worked out all right. Myra’s
been a fine wife. And Zilla means well, Paulibus.”
“Yes. Up here, I figure out all sorts of
plans to keep her amused. I kind of feel life
is going to be different, now that we’re getting
a good rest and can go back and start over again.”
“I hope so, old boy.” Shyly:
“Say, gosh, it’s been awful nice to sit
around and loaf and gamble and act regular, with you
along, you old horse-thief!”
“Well, you know what it means to me, Georgie.
Saved my life.”
The shame of emotion overpowered them; they cursed
a little, to prove they were good rough fellows; and
in a mellow silence, Babbitt whistling while Paul
hummed, they paddled back to the hotel.
Though it was Paul who had seemed overwrought, Babbitt
who had been the protecting big brother, Paul became
clear-eyed and merry, while Babbitt sank into irritability.
He uncovered layer on layer of hidden weariness.
At first he had played nimble jester to Paul and for
him sought amusements; by the end of the week Paul
was nurse, and Babbitt accepted favors with the condescension
one always shows a patient nurse.
The day before their families arrived, the women guests
at the hotel bubbled, “Oh, isn’t it nice!
You must be so excited;” and the proprieties
compelled Babbitt and Paul to look excited. But
they went to bed early and grumpy.
When Myra appeared she said at once, “Now, we
want you boys to go on playing around just as if we
weren’t here.”
The first evening, he stayed out for poker with the
guides, and she said in placid merriment, “My!
You’re a regular bad one!” The second evening,
she groaned sleepily, “Good heavens, are you
going to be out every single night?” The third
evening, he didn’t play poker.
He was tired now in every cell. “Funny!
Vacation doesn’t seem to have done me a bit
of good,” he lamented. “Paul’s
frisky as a colt, but I swear, I’m crankier
and nervouser than when I came up here.”
