Indeed, on one memorable occasion, the object of these
good-natured banterings turned upon him coldly and said:
"See here, Webster, you're getting to be considerable of a nuisance.
Cut it out, will you? You are not half as funny as you think you
are. I'm pretty well fed up with your freshness--understand?"
It was a slap in the face that Charlie DID understand, and one
he never forgot. As the rebuke was uttered on the porch of Dowd's
Tavern and in the presence of Flora Grady, Maude Baggs Pollock and
one or two others, the sting was likely to endure.
While Courtney's manner had undergone a decided change so far as
nearly all of his fellow-lodgers were concerned, he still maintained
a very friendly and courteous attitude toward the Dowd sisters and
Mr. and Mrs. Pollock. For some reason known only to himself,--(but
doubtless plain to the reader of this narrative),--he devoted most
of his attention to the editor and his wife and to the two spinsters
who were such close friends of the young lady of his dreams. As
for the others, he made no attempt to conceal his disdain.
It was not long before the Irish in Miss Flora Grady was aroused.
She announced to Miss Angie Miller that he was a "stuck up smart-Aleck,"
and sooner or later he'd get a piece of her mind that would "take
him down a couple of pegs." Miss Miller, while in complete accord
with Flora's views, was content to speak of him as "supercilious.
Pages:
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126