VII + 

In so far as his life at Mrs.¬†CuppyвАЩs went, he was not so very happily placed there, either. For that was but a commonplace rooming and boarding house, which drew to it, at best, such conservative mill and business types as looked on work and their wages, and the notions of the middle class religious world of Lycurgus as most essential to the order and well being of the world. From the point of view of entertainment or gayety, it was in the main a very dull place. + 

At the same time, because of the presence of one Walter DillardвБ†вАФa brainless sprig who had recently come here from Fonda, it was not wholly devoid of interest for Clyde. The latterвБ†вАФa youth of about ClydeвАЩs own age and equally ambitious sociallyвБ†вАФbut without ClydeвАЩs tact or discrimination anent the governing facts of life, was connected with the menвАЩs furnishing department of Stark and Company. He was spry, avid, attractive enough physically, with very light hair, a very light and feeble mustache, and the delicate airs and ways of a small town Beau Brummell. Never having had any social standing or the use of any means whatsoeverвБ†вАФhis father having been a small town dry goods merchant before him, who had failedвБ†вАФhe was, because of some atavistic spur or fillip in his own blood, most anxious to attain some sort of social position. + 

But failing that so far, he was interested in and envious of those who had itвБ†вАФmuch more so than Clyde, even. The glory and activity of the leading families of this particular city had enormous weight with himвБ†вАФthe Nicholsons, the Starks, the Harriets, Griffiths, Finchleys, et cetera. And learning a few days after ClydeвАЩs arrival of his somewhat left-handed connection with this world, he was most definitely interested. What? A Griffiths! The nephew of the rich Samuel Griffiths of Lycurgus! And in this boarding house! Beside him at this table! At once his interest rose to where he decided that he must cultivate this stranger as speedily as possible. Here was a real social opportunity knocking at his very doorвБ†вАФa connecting link to one of the very best families! And besides was he not young, attractive and probably ambitious like himselfвБ†вАФa fellow to play around with if one could? He proceeded at once to make overtures to Clyde. It seemed almost too good to be true. + 

In consequence he was quick to suggest a walk, the fact that there was a certain movie just on at the Mohawk, which was excellentвБ†вАФvery snappy. DidnвАЩt Clyde want to go? And because of his neatness, smartnessвБ†вАФa touch of something that was far from humdrum or the heavy practicality of the mill and the remainder of this boarding house world, Clyde was inclined to fall in with him. + 

But, as he now thought, here were his great relatives and he must watch his step here. Who knew but that he might be making a great mistake in holding such free and easy contacts as this. The GriffithsвБ†вАФas well as the entire world of which they were a partвБ†вАФas he guessed from the general manner of all those who even contacted him, must be very removed from the commonalty here. More by instinct than reason, he was inclined to stand off and look very superiorвБ†вАФmore so since those, including this very youth on whom he practised this seemed to respect him the more. And although upon eagerвБ†вАФand evenвБ†вАФafter its fashion, supplicating request, he now went with this youthвБ†вАФstill he went cautiously. And his aloof and condescending manner Dillard at once translated as вАЬclassвАЭ and вАЬconnection.вАЭ And to think he had met him in this dull, dubby boarding house here. And on his arrivalвБ†вАФat the very inception of his career here. + 

And so his manner was that of the sycophantвБ†вАФalthough he had a better position and was earning more money than Clyde was at this time, twenty-two dollars a week. + 

вАЬI suppose youвАЩll be spending a good deal of your time with your relatives and friends here,вАЭ he volunteered on the occasion of their first walk together, and after he had extracted as much information as Clyde cared to impart, which was almost nothing, while he volunteered a few, most decidedly furbished bits from his own history. His father owned a dry goods store now. He had come over here to study other methods, et cetera. He had an uncle hereвБ†вАФconnected with Stark and Company. He had met a fewвБ†вАФnot so many as yetвБ†вАФnice people here, since he hadnвАЩt been here so very long himselfвБ†вАФfour months all told. + 

But ClydeвАЩs relatives! + 

вАЬSay your uncle must be worth over a million, isnвАЩt he? They say he is. Those houses in Wykeagy Avenue are certainly the catsвАЩ. You wonвАЩt see anything finer in Albany or Utica or Rochester either. Are you Samuel GriffithsвАЩ own nephew? You donвАЩt say! Well, thatвАЩll certainly mean a lot to you here. I wish I had a connection like that. You bet IвАЩd make it count.вАЭ + 

He beamed on Clyde eagerly and hopefully, and through him Clyde sensed even more how really important this blood relation was. Only think how much it meant to this strange youth. + 

вАЬOh, I donвАЩt know,вАЭ replied Clyde dubiously, and yet very much flattered by this assumption of intimacy. вАЬI came on to learn the collar business, you know. Not to play about very much. My uncle wants me to stick to that, pretty much.вАЭ + 

вАЬSure, sure. I know how that is,вАЭ replied Dillard, вАЬthatвАЩs the way my uncle feels about me, too. He wants me to stick close to the work here and not play about very much. HeвАЩs the buyer for Stark and Company, you know. But still a man canвАЩt work all the time, either. HeвАЩs got to have a little fun.вАЭ + 

вАЬYes, thatвАЩs right,вАЭ said ClydeвБ†вАФfor the first time in his life a little condescendingly. + 

They walked along in silence for a few moments. Then: + 

вАЬDo you dance?вАЭ + 

вАЬYes,вАЭ answered Clyde. + 

вАЬWell, so do I. There are a lot of cheap dance halls around here, but I never go to any of those. You canвАЩt do it and keep in with the nice people. This is an awfully close town that way, they say. The best people wonвАЩt have anything to do with you unless you go with the right crowd. ItвАЩs the same way up at Fonda. You have to вАШbelongвАЩ or you canвАЩt go out anywhere at all. And thatвАЩs right, I guess. But still there are a lot of nice girls here that a fellow can go withвБ†вАФgirls of right nice familiesвБ†вАФnot in society, of courseвБ†вАФbut still, theyвАЩre not talked about, see. And theyвАЩre not so slow, either. Pretty hot stuff, some of them. And you donвАЩt have to marry any of вАЩem, either.вАЭ Clyde began to think of him as perhaps a little too lusty for his new life here, maybe. At the same time he liked him some. вАЬBy the way,вАЭ went on Dillard, вАЬwhat are you doing next Sunday afternoon?вАЭ + 

вАЬWell, nothing in particular, that I know of just now,вАЭ replied Clyde, sensing a new problem here. вАЬI donвАЩt know just what I may have to do by then, but I donвАЩt know of anything now.вАЭ + 

вАЬWell, howвАЩd you like to come with me, if youвАЩre not too busy. IвАЩve come to know quite a few girls since IвАЩve been here. Nice ones. I can take you out and introduce you to my uncleвАЩs family, if you like. TheyвАЩre nice people. And afterwardsвБ†вАФI know two girls we can go and seeвБ†вАФpeaches. One of вАЩem did work in the store, but she donвАЩt nowвБ†вАФsheвАЩs not doing anything now. The other is her pal. They have a Victrola and they can dance. I know it isnвАЩt the thing to dance here on Sundays but no one need know anything about that. The girlsвАЩ parents donвАЩt mind. Afterwards we might take вАЩem to a movie or somethingвБ†вАФif you want toвБ†вАФnot any of those things down near the mill district but one of the better onesвБ†вАФsee?вАЭ + 

There formulated itself in ClydeвАЩs mind the question as to what, in regard to just such proposals as this, his course here was to be. In Chicago, and recentlyвБ†вАФbecause of what happened in Kansas CityвБ†вАФhe had sought to be as retiring and cautious as possible. ForвБ†вАФafter that and while connected with the club, he had been taken with the fancy of trying to live up to the ideals with which the seemingly stern face of that institution had inspired himвБ†вАФconservatismвБ†вАФhard workвБ†вАФsaving oneвАЩs moneyвБ†вАФlooking neat and gentlemanly. It was such an Eveless paradise, that. + 

In spite of his quiet surroundings here, however, the very air of the city seemed to suggest some such relaxation as this youth was now suggestingвБ†вАФa form of diversion that was probably innocent enough but still connected with girls and their entertainmentвБ†вАФthere were so many of them here, as he could see. These streets, after dinner, here, were so alive with good-looking girls, and young men, too. But what might his new found relatives think of him in case he was seen stepping about in the manner and spirit which this youthвАЩs suggestions seemed to imply? HadnвАЩt he just said that this was an awfully close town and that everybody knew nearly everything about everybody else? He paused in doubt. He must decide now. And then, being lonely and hungry for companionship, he replied: + 

вАЬYesвБ†вАФwellвБ†вАФI think thatвАЩs all right.вАЭ But he added a little dubiously: вАЬOf course my relatives hereвБ†вАФвАЭ + 

вАЬOh, sure, thatвАЩs all right,вАЭ replied Dillard smartly. вАЬYou have to be careful, of course. Well, so do I.вАЭ If he could only go around with a Griffiths, even if he was new around here and didnвАЩt know many peopleвБ†вАФwouldnвАЩt it reflect a lot of credit on him? It most certainly wouldвБ†вАФdid already, as he saw it. + 

And forthwith he offered to buy Clyde some cigarettesвБ†вАФa sodaвБ†вАФanything he liked. But Clyde, still feeling very strange and uncertain, excused himself, after a time, because this youth with his complacent worship of society and position, annoyed him a little, and made his way back to his room. He had promised his mother a letter and he thought he had better go back and write it, and incidentally to think a little on the wisdom of this new contact. + 