0:00

To what lengths will Bernice go to

0:02

fit in with her cousin's friends? F.

0:06

Scott Fitzgerald, today on

0:08

the Classic Tales Podcast. Welcome

0:21

to this vintage episode of the Classic

0:23

Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening. A

0:26

vintage episode is released every Tuesday. Please

0:29

help us to continue producing our award-winning

0:31

audiobooks by going

0:33

to classictalesaudiobooks.com and becoming

0:35

a supporter. New

0:38

stories are coming your way on Friday. Keep

0:41

an ear open for our Kickstarter for

0:43

The Golden Triangle, the seventh novel

0:46

in the Arzen Lu Pan series. We're

0:48

getting ready with boxed sets, special

0:50

editions, and more. We'll let

0:52

you know when we're ready to kick off. Today's

0:55

story first appeared in the Saturday Evening

0:58

Post in May 1920 and

1:01

was the first short story to

1:03

bring national acclaim to F. Scott

1:05

Fitzgerald. Julie Harris

1:07

starred in a CBS TV adaptation

1:09

in 1951, and Shelly

1:11

Duvall headlined a PBS adaptation in 1976.

1:16

And now, Bernice Bobs Her

1:18

Hair by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

1:28

After dark on Saturday night,

1:30

one could stand on the first tee of the golf course

1:34

and see the Country Club windows

1:36

as a yellow expanse over a

1:38

very black and wavy ocean. The

1:41

waves of this ocean, so to speak, were the

1:43

heads of many curious caddies, a

1:45

few of the more ingenious chauffeurs

1:47

of the golf professional's deaf sister. And

1:51

there were usually several stray,

1:53

diffident waves who might have

1:55

rolled inside had they so desired. This

1:59

was the gallery. The

2:01

balcony was inside. It consisted of

2:03

the circle of wicker chairs that

2:05

lined the walls of the combination

2:07

club room and ballroom. At

2:10

these Saturday night dances it was

2:12

largely feminine. A great

2:14

babble of middle-aged ladies with

2:16

sharp eyes and icy hearts

2:18

behind lornettes and large bosoms.

2:21

The main function of the balcony was critical.

2:24

It occasionally showed grudging admiration

2:26

but never approval, for

2:28

it is well known among ladies over

2:30

thirty-five that when the younger set

2:33

dance in the summertime, it is

2:35

with the very worst intentions in the

2:37

world, and if they

2:39

are not bombarded with stony eyes,

2:42

stray couples will dance weird barbaric

2:44

interludes in the corners, and

2:46

the more popular, more dangerous girls

2:49

will sometimes be kissed in the

2:51

park limousines of unsuspecting dowagers.

2:55

But after all, this critical

2:57

circle is not close enough to the

2:59

stage to see the actor's faces and

3:01

catch the subtler by play. It

3:04

can only frown and lean, ask

3:07

questions, and make satisfactory deductions from

3:09

its set of postulates, such

3:12

as the one which states that every

3:14

young man with a large income leads

3:16

the life of a hunted partridge. It

3:19

never really appreciates the drama

3:21

of the shifting, semi-cruel world

3:23

of adolescence. No. Boxes,

3:26

orchestra circle, principles, and chorus

3:28

are represented by the medley

3:31

of faces and voices that

3:33

sway to the plaintive African

3:35

rhythm of Dyer's dance orchestra.

3:38

From sixteen-year-old Otis Ormond, who has

3:40

two more years at Hill School,

3:43

to G. Rees Stoddard, over

3:46

whose bureau at home hangs a Harvard

3:48

Law Diploma. From little

3:50

Madeline Hogue, whose hair still feels strange

3:52

and uncomfortable on top of her head,

3:54

to Bessie McCray, who has

3:56

been the life of the party a little

3:59

too long. long, more than ten

4:01

years, the medley is not

4:03

only the center of the stage

4:06

but contains the only people capable

4:08

of getting an unobstructed view of it. With

4:12

a flourish and a bang, the music stops.

4:14

The couples exchange artificial, effortless

4:17

smiles, facetiously

4:19

repeat, la-di-da-dum-dum. And

4:22

then the clatter of young feminine voices

4:24

soars over the burst of clapping. A

4:27

few disappointed stags caught in mid-floor

4:29

as they had been about to

4:31

cut in subsided listlessly back to

4:33

the walls. Because

4:35

this was not like the

4:37

riotous Christmas dances, these summer

4:40

harps were considered just pleasantly

4:42

warm and exciting, where

4:44

even the younger Marys rose

4:46

and performed ancient waltzes and

4:48

terrifying foxtrots to the tolerant

4:50

amusement of their younger brothers

4:52

and sisters. Warren

4:55

McIntyre, who casually attended

4:57

Yale, being one of the unfortunate

5:00

stags, felt in his dinner pocket

5:02

for a cigarette and strolled out

5:04

onto the wide, semi-dark veranda, where

5:07

couples were scattered at tables, filling

5:10

the lantern-hung night with vague words

5:12

and hazy laughter. He

5:14

nodded here and there at the less absorbed,

5:17

and as he passed each couple, some

5:19

half-forgotten fragment of a story played in

5:21

his mind. For it

5:24

was not a large city, and everyone

5:26

was who's who to everyone else's past.

5:29

There, for example, were Jim

5:31

Strain and Ethel Demarest, who had

5:33

been privately engaged for three years.

5:36

Everyone knew that as soon as Jim managed to hold a

5:38

job for more than two months, she would marry him. Yet

5:41

how bored they both looked, and

5:44

how wearily Ethel regarded Jim sometimes,

5:46

as if she wondered why she

5:48

had trained the vines of her

5:50

affection on such a wind-shaken poplar.

5:54

Warren was nineteen, and rather

5:56

pitying with those of his friends who had gone

5:58

east to college. But like most

6:00

boys, he bragged tremendously about the girls

6:02

of his city when he was

6:05

away from it. There was Genevieve

6:07

Ormonde, who regularly made the

6:09

rounds of dances, house parties, and football

6:11

games at Princeton, Yale, Williams, and Cornell.

6:15

There was black-eyed Roberta Dillon, who was

6:17

quite as famous to her own generation

6:19

as Hiram Johnson or Ty Cobb. And

6:22

of course, there was Marjorie

6:24

Harvey, who, besides

6:26

having a fairy-like face and a

6:28

dazzling bewildering tongue, was

6:30

already justly celebrated for having

6:32

turned five cartwheels in succession

6:35

during the last pump-and-slipper dance at

6:37

New Haven. Warren,

6:40

who had grown up across the street from

6:42

Marjorie, had long been crazy about her. Sometimes

6:46

she seemed to reciprocate his feeling with a

6:48

faint gratitude. But she

6:50

had tried him by her infallible test

6:52

and informed him gravely that she did

6:54

not love him. Her

6:57

test was that when she was away from

6:59

him, she forgot him and had affairs with

7:01

other boys. Warren

7:03

found this discouraging, especially as Marjorie had

7:06

been making little trips all summer, and

7:08

for the first two or three days after each arrival

7:11

home, he saw great heaps of

7:13

mail on the Harvey's Hall table addressed

7:15

to her in various

7:17

masculine handwriting. To make

7:19

matters worse, all during the

7:21

month of August she had been visited

7:24

by her cousin Bernice from Eau Claire,

7:26

and it seemed impossible to see her alone.

7:29

It was always necessary to hunt around

7:31

and find someone to take care of

7:33

Bernice. As August waned, this

7:35

was becoming more and more difficult. Much

7:39

as Warren worshipped Marjorie, he

7:41

had to admit that cousin Bernice was sort of

7:44

dope-less. She was

7:46

pretty, with dark hair and high color, but

7:48

she was no fun on a party. Every

7:51

Saturday night he danced a

7:53

long, arduous duty dance with her

7:55

to please Marjorie, but he

7:57

had never been anything but bored in her company.

8:01

Warren, a soft

8:03

voice at his elbow, broke in

8:05

upon his thoughts, and he turned

8:07

to see Marjorie, flushed and radiant

8:09

as usual. She laid

8:11

a hand on his shoulder, and a

8:13

glow settled almost imperceptibly over

8:16

him. Warren, she

8:19

whispered, do something for

8:21

me. Dance with Bernice.

8:23

She's been stuck with little Otis Ormond

8:25

for almost an hour. Warren's

8:28

glow faded. Why,

8:31

sure, he answered

8:33

half-heartedly. You don't mind, do you?

8:35

I'll see that you don't get stuck. It's

8:38

all right. Marjorie smiled,

8:41

that smile that was thanks enough. You're

8:43

an angel, and I'm obliged, loat. With

8:47

a sigh the angel glanced round the

8:49

veranda, but Bernice and Otis were

8:51

not inside. He wandered back

8:54

inside, and there in front of the women's

8:56

dressing room he found Otis in the center

8:58

of a group of young men who

9:00

were convulsed with laughter. Otis

9:03

was brandishing a piece of timber he

9:05

had picked up and discoursing volubly. She's

9:08

gone in to fix her hair, he announced

9:10

wildly. I'm waiting to dance another hour with

9:12

her. The laughter was renewed.

9:15

Why don't some of you cut in? Tried

9:18

Otis resentfully. She likes more

9:20

variety. Why, Otis,

9:22

suggested a friend. You've just barely

9:24

got used to her. By

9:26

the two-by-four, Otis, inquired

9:28

Warren, smiling. The two-by-four? Oh,

9:31

this? This is a club. When

9:33

she comes out, I'll hit her on the head and knock

9:35

her in again. Warren

9:37

collapsed on a settee and howled with glee.

9:40

Never mind, Otis. He articulated

9:43

finally, I'm leaving you this time.

9:46

Otis simulated a sudden fainting attack

9:48

and handed the stick to Warren. If

9:51

you need it, old man, he said hoarsely.

9:54

No Matter how beautiful or brilliant

9:56

a girl may be, the reputation

9:58

of not being frequently. Cut in

10:00

on. Mixer. Position at a

10:03

dance unfortunate. Perhaps

10:05

boys prefer her company to that

10:07

of the Butterflies with whom they

10:09

dance a dozen times and evening

10:11

but used in this jazz newest

10:13

generation is temperamentally restless. And

10:16

the idea of fox trotting more than

10:18

one full foxtrot with the same girl

10:20

is distasteful. Not. To say

10:22

odious. When it comes

10:24

to several dances and the intermissions between.

10:27

She. Can be quite sure that a

10:29

young man, once relieved, will never tread

10:31

on her wayward toes again. Warren

10:34

dance the next full dance with

10:36

Bernice and finally thankful for the

10:38

intermission. He. Led her to a

10:40

table on the veranda. It

10:43

was a moment silence when she did

10:45

unimpressive things with his son. Is.

10:47

Hotter here than a no player. She.

10:49

Said. Or. And stifled

10:51

a sigh and nodded. It

10:53

might be for all he knew or cared.

10:56

He wanted idly whether she was a

10:58

poor conversationalist because she got no attention.

11:01

Or got no attention because she was a

11:03

poor conversationalist. You. Going to

11:06

be much longer. He. Asked

11:08

and then turned rather read. To

11:10

my suspect his reasons for asking. Another

11:13

week. She. Answered and stared at

11:15

him as if to lunge at his next remark.

11:17

when it left his lips. Warren.

11:20

Fidgeted. Than with

11:22

a sudden charitable impulse, he decided to try

11:24

part of his line on her. He.

11:26

Turned and looked at her eyes.

11:29

You. Got an awfully kissel mouth.

11:32

He. Began quietly. This.

11:34

Is a remark. That he sometimes

11:37

made the girls at college problems when they

11:39

were talking and just such as dark as

11:41

this. Bernice. Distinctly

11:43

checked. She turned and

11:45

ungraceful read and became clumsy with her

11:48

san. No one had ever made such

11:50

a remark to her before. Fast.

11:53

The. Word had slipped out before she realized it,

11:55

and she bit her lip. Too. Late

11:58

she decided to be amused. The

12:00

offered him a flustered smile. Warren

12:02

was a know I'd. Do

12:05

not accustomed to have that remark

12:07

taken seriously. Still, it usually provoked

12:09

Allow for a paragraph of sentimental

12:11

banter. And. He hated to

12:13

be cold fresh except in a

12:15

joking way. His. Charitable

12:17

impulse died and he switched

12:20

the topic. Gym

12:22

sprain and ethel damn arrest out as

12:24

usual. Method this was

12:26

more and Bernice his life but

12:29

a saint. Regret mingled with a

12:31

relief as the subject changed. Mended,

12:34

Not talk to her about Castle now. But

12:36

she knew that they talk in some such way to

12:39

other girls. Oh yes. She

12:41

said and laughed. I. Hear they

12:43

have been moving around for years without a

12:45

read Any isn't that silly? Warrants.

12:48

Disgusting. Creased. Gym

12:50

strain. Was. A close friend of his

12:52

brothers. But. Anyway, he considered bad

12:54

form to sneer at people. For. Not

12:57

having money, But. When he

12:59

said had no intention of sneering. She.

13:01

Was merely nervous. To.

13:06

When. Marjorie and Boonies reached home

13:08

at half after midnight. They.

13:10

Said goodnight the top of the stairs. So.

13:13

Cousins. They were not intimates.

13:16

As a matter of fact, Marjorie

13:18

had no female intimates she considered

13:21

girls stupid. Bernice.

13:23

On the contrary all through this

13:25

parent arranged visit. Had rather

13:27

longed to exchange those confidences

13:30

flavored with giggles and tears

13:32

that she considered an indispensable

13:34

factor. In all feminine

13:36

intercourse. But. In this respect,

13:38

he found Marjorie. Rather, Cold.

13:41

Felt. Somehow the same difficulty in talking

13:44

to her. That. She had

13:46

and to men. Marjorie

13:48

never giggled, was never frightened,

13:50

seldom embarrassed. And in

13:52

fact had very few of the

13:54

qualities which Bernice considered appropriately and

13:57

blessedly. Eminent. As.

14:00

These are self. As

14:02

nine. He wandered for the

14:04

hundred the time. Why she

14:07

never had any attention. When.

14:09

She was away from home. That

14:11

her family with the wealthiest and

14:13

oh Clare, that her mother entertain

14:15

tremendously dave little dinners for her

14:18

daughter before all dances. And

14:20

bought her a car of her own

14:22

to drive round and never occurred to

14:24

her as factors in her home town

14:26

social success. Like. Most girls

14:28

she had been brought up on the

14:30

warm built the prepared by any fellows.

14:32

johnston. And on novels

14:34

in which the female was

14:37

beloved because of certain mysterious

14:39

woman, the qualities always mentioned.

14:41

That. Never displayed, Bernice.

14:45

Felt. A vague pain. That.

14:47

She was not at present engaged and

14:49

being popular. She. Did not

14:51

know that has not been for Marjorie

14:53

is campaigning to. Would have danced the

14:55

entire evening with one man. But

14:58

she knew that even an old claire

15:00

other girls with less position and less

15:02

poker tude. Were. Given a much

15:04

bigger rush. She attributed

15:06

this to something subtly unscrupulous

15:09

in those girls. It

15:11

it never worried her and if it

15:13

had her mother would have reassured her

15:15

that the other girls cheap themselves. Of.

15:17

That men really respected girls like

15:19

Bernice. She. Turned out the

15:21

light and her bathroom. And on an

15:23

impulse. Decided. To go in and

15:25

chat for a moment with her Aunt Josephine. Whose.

15:28

Life was still on. Are

15:30

soft slippers. Bore. Her noiselessly down

15:33

the carpet at all. But.

15:35

Hearing voices inside, she stopped

15:37

near the partly opened door.

15:40

And she caught her own name

15:42

and without any definite intention of

15:45

eavesdropping. lingered, In,

15:47

the threat of the conversation going

15:49

on inside pierced her consciousness sharply

15:51

as if it had been drawn

15:53

through with a needle. This

15:56

is absolutely Hopeless. It

15:59

was Marjorie, his voice. I'm I

16:01

know what you're going to say. So

16:03

many people have told you how pretty

16:05

and sweet she is and how she

16:07

and cook. What of it she has

16:09

a bomb times. Men don't like her.

16:12

But what's a little seat popularity? As

16:15

is, Harvey sounded annoyed. It's everything

16:18

when you're eighteen. Said

16:20

Marjorie emphatically. Time done my

16:22

best. I've been polite and

16:24

I made men dance with her,

16:26

but they just won't stand being

16:28

bored. When I think of

16:30

that gorgeous coloring wasted on such a ninny

16:33

and think what Martha Carrick and Do with

16:35

it. The

16:37

is no courtesy these days. Mrs.

16:40

Always voice imply that modern situations

16:42

with too much for her. When.

16:44

She was a girl. all young ladies

16:47

who belong to nice families that glorious

16:49

times. Well. Said. Marjorie.

16:52

Know. Girl can permanently both to up

16:54

a lame Duck visitor. Because. These

16:56

days it's every girl for herself.

16:59

And even try to drop her hints about

17:01

close and things as he's been furious. Given.

17:04

Me: the funniest lox. She's.

17:06

Sensitive enough to know she's not getting

17:08

away with much power, but she consoles

17:11

herself. I think that she's very virtuous

17:13

than that. I'm to Gay and Sickle.

17:15

And will come to a bad end.

17:18

All and popular girls think that way.

17:20

Sour Grapes Sarah Hopkins refers to Genevieve

17:22

and Reboot and me as Gardenia Girls.

17:25

Out that she'd give ten years of her

17:27

life and her European education to be a

17:29

gardenia girl and to have three or four

17:32

men in love with her and be cut

17:34

in on every few feet that dances. It.

17:37

Seems to me. Interrupted Mrs.

17:39

Harvey. Rather, we're really. Said.

17:41

You ought to be able to do something

17:43

for Bernie is I know she's not very

17:45

wise. Asia's. Marjorie. Groaned

17:48

Same faces Good Grace.

17:51

i've never heard her say anything to a

17:53

boy except that it's hard to the floors

17:55

crowded for the she's going to school in

17:58

new york next year sometimes She

18:00

asks them what kind of car they have and

18:02

tells them the kind she has, thrilling.

18:06

There is a short silence. And

18:08

then Mrs. Harvey took up her refrain. All

18:11

I know is that other girls not

18:13

half so sweet and attractive get partners.

18:16

Martha Carey, for instance, is stout

18:18

and loud, and her mother is

18:20

distinctly common. Roberta Dillon is

18:22

so thin this year that she looks as

18:25

though Arizona were the place for her. She

18:28

is dancing herself to death, but

18:30

mother, objected Marjorie impatiently.

18:33

Martha is cheerful and awfully witty

18:35

and an awfully slick girl, and

18:37

Roberta is a marvelous dancer. She

18:40

has been popular for ages. Mrs.

18:42

Harvey yawned. I think it's

18:44

that crazy Indian blood in Bernice,

18:47

continued Marjorie. Maybe she is

18:49

a reversion to type. Indian

18:51

women all just sit round and never

18:53

said anything. Go to

18:55

bed, you silly child! Laughed

18:57

Mrs. Harvey. I wouldn't have told you

18:59

that if I thought you were going to remember it,

19:01

and I think most of your ideas

19:03

are perfectly idiotic. She finished,

19:06

sleepily. There was

19:08

another silence, while Marjorie considered whether

19:10

or not convincing her mother was

19:13

worth the trouble. People

19:15

over forty can seldom be permanently convinced

19:17

of anything. At eighteen, our

19:20

convictions are hills from which we look. At

19:22

forty-five, they are caves in which we hide.

19:26

Having decided this, Marjorie said

19:28

good night. When she

19:30

came out into the hall, it was

19:32

quite empty. Three.

19:37

While Marjorie was breakfasting late next day,

19:40

Bernice came into the room with

19:42

a rather formal good morning, sat

19:45

down opposite, stared intently over,

19:47

and slightly moistened her lips. What's

19:51

on your mind? inquired Marjorie,

19:53

rather puzzled. Bernice paused

19:55

before she threw her hand grenade. I

19:58

heard what you said about me. me to your mother

20:01

last night." Marjorie

20:03

was startled, but she

20:05

showed only a faintly heightened color, and

20:08

her voice was quite even when she spoke. "'Where

20:12

were you?' In the

20:14

hall. "'I didn't mean to listen,' at

20:17

first." After

20:19

an involuntary look of contempt,

20:22

Marjorie dropped her eyes and

20:24

became very interested in balancing a

20:26

stray cornflake on her finger. "'I

20:29

guess I'd better go back to Oak Playa if

20:32

I'm such a nuisance.'"

20:35

Bernice's lower lip was trembling violently, and

20:37

she continued on a wavering note. "'I've

20:40

tried to be nice, and I've—'

20:43

"'I've been first neglected and then insulted.

20:46

No one ever visited me and got such treatment."

20:50

Marjorie was silent. "'But

20:52

I'm—' "'In the way I

20:54

see, I'm a drag on you. Your friends

20:56

don't like me.' She

20:59

paused, and then remembered another

21:01

one of her grievances. "'Of

21:03

course I was furious last week when you tried to

21:05

hint me that my dress was unbecoming. Don't you think

21:08

I know how to dress myself?' "'No,'

21:11

murmured Marjorie, less than half allowed.

21:14

"'What?' "'I didn't hint anything,'

21:17

said Marjorie succinctly. "'I

21:19

said as I remember that it

21:21

was better to wear a becoming dress three

21:23

times straight than to alternate

21:26

it with two frights. "'Do you

21:28

think that was a very nice thing to say?' "'I

21:30

wasn't trying to be nice.' Then

21:33

after a pause. "'When

21:35

do you want to go?' Bernice drew

21:37

in her breath sharply. "'Oh!' It

21:39

was a little half cry. Marjorie

21:41

looked up and surprised. "'Didn't

21:44

you say you were going?' "'Yes, but—'

21:47

"'Oh, you were only bluffing.' They

21:50

stared at each other across the breakfast table for

21:52

a moment. The

21:54

waves were passing before Bernice's eyes,

21:57

while Marjorie's face wore

21:59

that rather Hard expression that she

22:01

use been slightly and toxic. Hated

22:03

undergraduates were making love to her.

22:07

So. You were bluffing. She.

22:09

Repeated. As if it will What she

22:11

might have expected. Bernice. Admitted

22:13

it by bursting into tears. Marjorie.

22:16

His eyes showed boredom. Still

22:19

my cousin. Sub. Bunnies.

22:21

I'm visiting you. I

22:24

was to stay a month that if I go

22:26

home my mother will know would soon wonder. Marjorie

22:30

waited until the shower have broken. words

22:32

collapsed into little sniffles. I'll.

22:34

Give you my months allowance. To.

22:37

Said cowardly. And. You

22:39

can spin this last week. Anywhere you

22:41

want is a very nice hotel. Own

22:45

he says, sobs rose to a flute note. And.

22:47

Rising of a sudden. She fled from

22:49

the room. An

22:51

hour later, While. Marjorie it

22:54

was in the library, absorbed in

22:56

composing one of those non committal,

22:58

marvelously elusive letters that only a

23:00

young girl can ride. Bernice.

23:02

Reappeared, very rare, died

23:04

and consciously com. To

23:07

cast know glance at Marjorie, but to the

23:09

book at random from the shelf. And.

23:11

Sat down as if to read. Marjorie.

23:14

Seemed absorbed in her letter and

23:16

continued writing. On. The clock

23:19

showed noon boonies close to book with

23:21

a snap. I suppose

23:23

I'd better get my real row tickets. This.

23:26

Was not the beginning of the speed she

23:28

had rehearsed upstairs, but as Marjorie was not

23:30

getting her queues wasn't urging her to be

23:32

reasonable. It's all a mistake. It.

23:35

Was the best opening she could muster. The.

23:38

Sweet and I finish this letter. Said.

23:40

Monetary without looking round. I

23:42

want to get it off than the next mail. After

23:46

another minute during which have been scratched

23:48

busily she turned round. And relaxed

23:50

with an air of at your service.

23:53

Again, been nice. had to speak.

23:56

Do. You want me to go home? Well

23:58

said, Marjorie. I suppose

24:01

if you're not having a good time you'd better go."

24:04

He was being miserable. "'Don't

24:07

you think that common kindness—' Oh, please

24:09

don't quote little women,' cried

24:11

Marjorie impatiently. "'That's out of style.'

24:14

"'You think so? Heavens, yes. What

24:17

modern girl could live like

24:19

those inane females?' "'They were

24:21

the models for our mothers,' Marjorie

24:23

laughed. "'Yes, they were. Not.

24:27

In fact, our mothers were all very well

24:29

in their way, but they know very little

24:31

about their daughter's problems.' Bernice

24:33

drew herself up. "'Please don't

24:35

talk about my mother,' Marjorie

24:38

laughed. "'I don't think I mentioned her.'

24:41

Bernice felt that she was being led away

24:43

from her subject. "'Do you

24:45

think you've treated me very well? I've

24:48

done my best. You're rather hard material to

24:50

work with.' The lids

24:52

of Bernice's eyes reddened. "'I

24:55

think you're hard and selfish, and

24:57

you have a feminine quality in

24:59

you.' "'Oh, my lord,' cried

25:01

Marjorie in desperation. "'You little nut!

25:04

Girls like you are responsible

25:07

for all the tiresome, colorless

25:09

marriages, all those ghastly inefficiencies

25:11

that passes feminine qualities. What

25:14

a blow it must be when

25:17

a man with imagination marries the

25:19

beautiful bundle of clothes that he's

25:21

been building ideals around and finds

25:23

that she's just a weak, whining,

25:25

cowardly mass of affectations.' Bernice's

25:28

mouth had slipped half open. "'The

25:30

womanly woman!' continued

25:32

Marjorie. "'Her whole early life is occupied

25:34

in whining criticisms of girls like me

25:37

who really do have a good time.'

25:40

Bernice's jaw descended farther as

25:42

Marjorie's voice rose. "'There's some

25:44

excuse for an ugly girl

25:46

whining. If I'd been

25:48

irretrievably ugly, I'd never have forgiven my

25:50

parents for bringing me into the world.

25:52

But you're starting life without any handicap,'

25:55

Marjorie's little fist clenched. "'If

25:58

you expect me to weep with you, you'll be disappointed.

26:01

Go or stay just as you like." And

26:04

picking up her letters, she left the room.

26:08

Bernice claimed a headache and failed to appear

26:10

at luncheon. They had a

26:12

matinee date for the afternoon, but

26:14

the headache persisting Marjorie made explanation

26:16

to a not very downcast boy.

26:19

But when she returned late in the afternoon,

26:21

she found Bernice with a strangely set face,

26:24

waiting for her in her bedroom. I've

26:27

decided, began Bernice

26:29

without preliminaries, that maybe you're

26:32

right about things, possibly not. But

26:34

if you'll tell me why your friends aren't

26:38

interested in me, I'll see if I can do

26:40

what you want me to." Marjorie

26:43

was at the mirror, shaking down her hair.

26:45

"'Do you mean it?' "'Yes.'

26:49

"'Without reservations? Will you do

26:51

exactly what I say?' "'Well, I

26:53

—' "'Well, nothing! Will you do

26:55

exactly as I say? If they're

26:57

sensible things, they're not! You're

27:00

no case for sensible things! Are

27:02

you going to make —' "'To

27:04

recommend, yes, everything. If I tell you

27:07

to take boxing lessons, you'll have to

27:09

do it. Write home and tell

27:11

your mother you're going to stay another two weeks.' "'If

27:14

you'll tell me —' "'All right, I'll give you just a

27:16

few examples now. First, you

27:18

have no ease of manner. Why?

27:21

Because you're never sure about your

27:23

personal appearance. When a

27:25

girl feels that she's perfectly groomed and dressed,

27:27

she can forget that part of her. That's

27:30

charm. The more parts of yourself

27:32

you can afford to forget, the more

27:34

charm you have.' "'Don't I look

27:36

all right?' "'No. For

27:39

instance, you never take care of your

27:41

eyebrows. They're black and lustrous. But

27:43

by leaving them straggly, they're oblemish.

27:46

They'd be beautiful if you'd take care of them

27:48

in one-tenth the time you take doing nothing. You're

27:51

going to brush them so that they'll grow

27:53

straight.' Bernice raised

27:55

the brows in question. "'You

27:57

mean to say that men notice Eyebrows?' Yes,

28:00

Subconsciously. And. When you

28:03

go home, you ought to have your

28:05

teeth straightened a little. It's almost imperceptible

28:07

still. But. I thought.

28:09

Interrupted. Bernice and bewilderment. That.

28:12

You despise little dainty Sam and things

28:14

like that. I hate

28:16

dainty mines answered Marjorie. That.

28:19

A girl has to be dainty and person. If

28:22

she looks like a million dollars, she can

28:24

talk about Russia ping pong with the League

28:26

of Nations and get away with it. What

28:29

else? Oh. I'm just beginning

28:31

stages dancing. Gonna. Dance

28:33

along. Know. You don't' You.

28:36

Lean on a man. Yes, you do

28:38

ever so slightly. I noticed

28:40

that when we were dancing together yesterday

28:42

and you dance standing up straight instead

28:44

of bending over a little. Probably

28:47

some old lady on the sideline once told

28:49

you that you looked so dignified that

28:51

way. But except with a very small girl

28:53

is much harder on the man. and

28:55

he's the one that counts. Go.

28:58

On. But. He says brain

29:00

was really. Well you've.

29:02

Gotta learn to be nice to men

29:04

who are sad birds. You look as

29:06

if you've been insulted whenever you're thrown

29:08

with any except the most popular boys.

29:11

I Bernice. I'm. Putting on every

29:13

few feet And who does most of

29:15

it? Why those very sad birds Know

29:18

girl can afford to neglect them. They're

29:20

the big part of any crowd. Young

29:22

boys too shy to talk. Or.

29:25

The very best conversational practice Clumsy

29:27

boys, so the very best dancing

29:29

practice if you can follow them.

29:31

And. Yet look graceful. You can

29:33

follow a baby tank across a

29:36

barbed wire skyscraper. Funny.

29:38

Side profoundly. but Marjorie was not

29:41

through. If. You go

29:43

to would dance and really amuse save

29:45

three sad birds the dance with you.

29:48

If. You talk so well to them that

29:50

they forget they're stuck with you. You've

29:52

done something. They'll. come back

29:54

next time and gradually so many sad

29:56

birds will dance with you that the

29:58

attractive boys there's no danger

30:00

of being stuck. Then they'll dance with

30:03

you." Yes," agreed

30:06

Bernice faintly. "'I think I

30:08

begin to see.' And finally,"

30:10

continued Marjorie, "'poise and

30:13

charm will just come. You'll

30:16

wake up some morning, knowing you've attained it,

30:19

and men will know it too.'" Bernice

30:22

rose. "'It's been awfully kind of

30:24

you, but nobody's ever talked to me

30:26

like this before. And I feel

30:29

sort of startled." Marjorie

30:31

made no answer, but gazed pensively at

30:34

her own image in the mirror. "'You're

30:37

a peach to help me,' continued Bernice.

30:40

Still Marjorie did not answer, and Bernice

30:42

thought she had seemed too grateful. "'I

30:46

know you don't like sentiment,' she said timidly.

30:49

Marjorie turned to her quickly. "'Oh,

30:51

I wasn't thinking about that. I was

30:54

considering whether we hadn't better

30:56

bob your hair.'" Bernice

30:58

collapsed backward upon the bed. On

31:05

the following Wednesday evening, there was a dinner

31:07

dance at the country club. When

31:09

the guests strolled in, Bernice found her

31:11

place card with a slight feeling

31:14

of irritation. Though at

31:16

her right sat G. Rees Stoddard,

31:18

a most desirable and distinguished young

31:21

bachelor, the all-important Left

31:23

held only Charlie Paulson.

31:27

Charlie lacked height, beauty, and social

31:29

shrewdness, and in her new

31:31

enlightenment Bernice decided that his only qualification

31:33

to be her partner was that he

31:35

had never been stuck with her. But

31:38

this feeling of irritation left with the last

31:40

of the soup plates, and

31:42

Marjorie's specific instruction came to her. Swallowing

31:45

her pride, she turned to

31:47

Charlie Paulson and plunged. "'Do

31:51

you think I ought to bob my hair, Mr.

31:53

Charlie Paulson?' Charlie looked

31:55

up when surprised. "'Why?' "'Because

31:58

I'm considering it.' It's such

32:00

a sure and easy way of attracting

32:02

attention." Charlie smiled

32:05

pleasantly. He could not know that

32:07

this had been rehearsed. He replied that

32:09

he did not know much about Bobb-Hair, but

32:11

Bernice was there to tell him. "'I

32:14

want to be a society vampire, you

32:16

see,' she announced coolly,

32:18

and went on to inform him

32:20

that Bobb-Hair was the necessary prelude.

32:23

She added that she wanted to ask his

32:25

advice because she had heard he was so

32:27

critical about girls. Charlie, who

32:29

knew as much about the psychology of women

32:31

as he did of the mental states of

32:34

Buddhist contemplatives, felt vaguely flattered.

32:36

"'So I've decided,' she

32:38

continued, her voice rising slightly,

32:40

"'that early next week I'm going

32:43

down to the Severe Hotel barbershop,

32:45

sit in the first chair, and

32:47

get my hair bobbed,' she

32:49

faltered, noticing that people near

32:51

her had paused in their

32:53

conversation and were listening.

32:56

She had a confused second Marjory's coaching

32:58

told, and she finished her paragraph to

33:00

the vicinity at large. "'Of

33:02

course I'm charging admission, but if you'll

33:04

all come down and encourage me, I'll

33:06

issue passes for the inside seats.' There

33:09

was a ripple of appreciative laughter, and

33:11

under cover of it, G. Rees stoddered,

33:14

leaned over quickly and said close to

33:16

her ear, "'I'll take a box right

33:18

now.' She met

33:20

his eyes and smiled as if he had

33:23

said some things surpassingly brilliant. "'Do

33:25

you believe in bobbed hair?' asked

33:28

G. Rees in the same undertone. "'I

33:30

think it's unmoral,' affirmed Bernice

33:33

gravely, "'but of course, you've either

33:35

got to amuse people or feed them

33:37

or shock them.' Marjory

33:40

had culled this from Oscar Wilde. It

33:42

was greeted with a ripple of laughter from the

33:44

men and a series of quick, intent looks from

33:46

the girls, and then, as though

33:49

she had said nothing of wit or moment,

33:51

Bernice turned again to Charlie and

33:53

spoke confidentially in his ear. "'I

33:56

want to ask you your opinion of several people. I imagine

33:58

you're a man of a kind. You're a wonderful judge

34:01

of character." Shirley,

34:03

thrilled faintly, paid her a subtle

34:05

compliment by overturning her

34:07

water. Two

34:09

hours later, while Warren

34:11

McIntyre was standing passively in

34:14

the stag-line abstractedly watching the

34:16

dancers and wondering whither and

34:18

with whom Marjorie had disappeared, an unrelated

34:21

perception began to creep slowly

34:23

upon him, a

34:26

perception that Bernice, cousin to

34:28

Marjorie, had been cut in

34:30

on several times in the past five minutes.

34:33

He closed his eyes, opened them, and

34:36

looked again. Several minutes

34:38

back, she had been dancing with a visiting

34:40

boy, a matter easily accounted

34:42

for a visiting boy would know no

34:44

better. But now she was

34:46

dancing with someone else, and

34:48

there was Charlie Paulson headed for

34:51

her with enthusiastic determination in his

34:53

eye. He? Charlie

34:55

seldom danced with more than three girls

34:57

an evening. Warren

35:00

was distinctly surprised when, in exchange

35:02

having been affected, the man relieved

35:05

proved to be none other than G.

35:07

Reese Stoddard himself, and

35:09

G. Reese seemed not at all jubilant at

35:11

being relieved. Next time

35:13

Bernice danced near, Warren regarded

35:16

her intently. Yes,

35:19

she was pretty, distinctly

35:21

pretty, and tonight her face

35:23

seemed really vivacious. She

35:26

had that look that no woman,

35:28

however histrionically proficient, can successfully

35:30

counterfeit. She looked

35:33

as if she were having a good time. He

35:36

liked the way she had her hair arranged, wondered

35:38

if it was his brilliant time that made it

35:40

glisten so. And that dress

35:42

was becoming, a dark red

35:44

that set off her shadowy eyes and

35:46

high coloring. He remembered

35:49

that he had thought her pretty when she had

35:51

first came to town, before he

35:53

had realized that she was dull. Too

35:55

bad she was dull. Dull

35:58

girls unbearable. certainly

36:00

pretty, though." His thoughts

36:02

zigzagged back to Marjorie. This

36:05

disappearance would be like other disappearances.

36:08

When she reappeared, he would demand where she

36:10

had been. He would be told emphatically

36:12

that it was none of his business. What a

36:14

pity she was so sure of him. She

36:17

basked in the knowledge that no other girl

36:19

in town interested him. She defied him to

36:22

fall in love with Genevieve or Roberta. More

36:25

inside. The

36:27

way to Marjorie's affections was illuberant

36:29

indeed. He looked up. Bernice

36:32

was again dancing with the visiting boy.

36:35

Half unconsciously he took a step out from

36:37

the stag line in her direction and

36:40

hesitated. Then he said

36:42

to himself that it was charity. He

36:44

walked toward her, collided suddenly with

36:46

G. Reis' stardust. Pardon

36:49

me, said Warren, but G.

36:51

Reis had not stopped to apologize. He

36:53

had again cut in on Bernice. That

36:57

night at one o'clock, Marjorie, with

36:59

one hand on the electric light switch in

37:02

the hall, turned to take a last look

37:04

at Bernice's sparkling eyes. So

37:06

it worked. Oh, Marjorie,

37:09

yes, cried Bernice. I

37:11

thought you were having a gay time. I

37:14

did. The only trouble was

37:16

that about midnight I ran short of talk.

37:18

I had to repeat myself with different men,

37:20

of course. I hope they won't

37:22

compare notes. Men don't,

37:25

said Marjorie, yawning. And

37:27

it wouldn't matter if they did. They'd

37:29

think you were even trickier. She

37:32

snapped out the light, and as

37:34

they started up the stairs Bernice

37:36

grasped the banister thankfully. For

37:39

the first time in her life she had

37:41

been danced, tired. You

37:43

see, said Marjorie at the top of the

37:45

stairs, one man sees another man

37:47

cut in and he thinks there must

37:49

be something there. Well, we'll

37:52

fix up some new stuff tomorrow. Good

37:54

night. Good night. As

37:57

Bernice took down her hair, she

37:59

passed the east. evening before her in review.

38:02

She had followed instructions exactly, even

38:04

when Charlie Paulson cut in for

38:06

the eighth time. She

38:09

had simulated delight and

38:11

had apparently been both interested and

38:13

flattered. She had

38:15

not talked about the weather or Eau

38:17

Claire or automobiles or her school, but

38:19

had confined her conversation to

38:21

me, you, and us. A

38:25

few minutes before she fell asleep, a

38:28

rebellious thought was churning drowsily in

38:30

her brain. After

38:32

all it was she who had done it, Marjorie,

38:35

to be sure, had given her conversation,

38:37

but then Marjorie got much of

38:39

her conversation out of things she read. Her

38:42

niece had bought the rent-dress, though

38:45

she had never valued it highly before Marjorie

38:47

dug it out of her trunk, and

38:50

her own voice had said the words, her

38:52

own lips had smiled, her own

38:54

feet had danced. Marjorie,

38:58

nice girl, lame

39:00

though, nice evening.

39:04

Nice boys, like

39:06

Warren. Warren.

39:11

Warren, what's his name?

39:15

Warren. She

39:18

fell asleep. Five.

39:21

Two. To

39:23

Bernice, the next week was

39:25

a revelation. With the

39:27

feeling that people really enjoyed looking at

39:29

her and listening to her came the

39:32

foundation of self-confidence. Of

39:34

course, there were numerous mistakes at first. She

39:37

did not know, for instance, that Dreykot Deyo

39:39

was studying for the ministry. She

39:41

was unaware that he had cut in on

39:43

her because he thought she was a quiet,

39:46

reserved girl. Had she known

39:48

these things, she would not have treated him

39:50

to the line which began, Hello,

39:52

shell shock! and continued

39:54

with the bathtub story. It

39:57

takes a frightful lot of energy to fix my hair

39:59

in the summer. There's so much of it, so

40:01

I always fix it first and powder my face

40:03

and put on my hat. Then I

40:06

get into the bathtub and dress afterward. Don't you

40:08

think that's the best plan?" Though

40:11

Dreykot Deyo was in the throes

40:13

of difficulties concerning baptism by immersion

40:16

and might possibly have seen a connection,

40:19

it must be admitted that he did not.

40:21

He considered feminine bathing an immoral subject

40:24

and gave her some of his ideas

40:26

on the depravity of modern society. But

40:29

to offset that unfortunate occurrence, Bernice

40:31

had several signal successes to her

40:33

credit. Little Otis Ormonde

40:36

pleaded off from a trip east

40:39

and elected instead to follow her,

40:41

with a puppy-like devotion to the

40:43

amusement of his crowd and to

40:45

the irritation of G. Rees' stoddard,

40:47

several of whose afternoon calls Otis

40:49

completely ruined by the disgusting tenderness

40:52

of the glances he bent on

40:54

Bernice. He even told

40:56

her the story of the two-by-four in

40:58

the dressing room to show her how

41:00

frightfully mistaken he and everyone else had

41:02

been in their first judgment of her.

41:05

Bernice laughed off that incident with

41:08

a slight sinking sensation. Of

41:11

all Bernice's conversation, perhaps the best

41:13

known and most universally approved was

41:15

the line about the bobbing of

41:17

her hair. Oh

41:19

Bernice, when you going to get the hair bobbed? Day

41:22

after tomorrow, maybe, she would

41:24

reply, laughing. Will you come and see?

41:27

Because I'm counting on you, you know. Will-o-wee,

41:29

you know, you better hurry up. Bernice,

41:33

whose tonsorial intentions were

41:35

strictly dishonorable, would laugh again.

41:38

Pretty soon now, you'd be surprised.

41:42

But perhaps the most significant symbol of

41:44

her success was the gray

41:46

car of the hypercritical Warren

41:48

McIntyre, parked daily in front

41:51

of the Harvey house. At

41:53

first, the parlour maid was distinctly

41:55

startled when he asked for Bernice

41:58

instead of Marjorie. After

42:00

a week of it, she told the

42:02

cook that Miss Bernice had gotten hold

42:04

of Miss Marjorie's best fellow and

42:07

Miss Bernice's. Perhaps

42:10

it began with Warren's desire to rouse

42:12

jealousy in Marjorie. Perhaps

42:14

it was the familiar, though

42:16

unrecognized, strain of Marjorie in

42:18

Bernice's conversation. Perhaps

42:20

it was both of these and something

42:22

of sincere attraction besides. But

42:24

somehow the collective mind of the younger

42:27

set knew within a week that

42:29

Marjorie's most reliable beau had

42:31

made an amazing face about

42:34

and was giving an indisputable

42:36

rush to Marjorie's guest. The

42:39

question of the moment was how Marjorie would take

42:41

it. Warren called

42:43

Bernice on the phone twice a day, sent

42:45

her notes, and they were frequently

42:47

seen together in his roadster, obviously

42:50

engrossed in one of those tense,

42:52

significant conversations as to whether or

42:54

not he was sincere. Marjorie,

42:57

on being twitted, only

43:00

laughed. She said she

43:02

was mighty glad that Warren had at last

43:04

found someone who appreciated him. So

43:07

the younger set laughed too and guessed that

43:09

Marjorie didn't care and let it go at

43:11

that. One afternoon,

43:14

when there were only three days left of her visit,

43:16

Bernice was waiting in the hall for Warren,

43:19

with whom she was going to a bridge party. She

43:22

was in a rather blissful mood and when

43:24

Marjorie, also bound for the party, appeared

43:26

beside her and began casually to adjust her

43:28

hat in the mirror, Bernice

43:31

was utterly unprepared for

43:33

anything in the nature of

43:35

a clash. Marjorie

43:37

did her work very coldly and

43:39

succinctly in three sentences.

43:42

"'You may as

43:44

well get Warren out of your head,' she

43:46

said coldly. "'What?' Bernice

43:49

was utterly astounded. "'You

43:51

may as well stop making a fool of

43:53

yourself over Warren McIntyre. He doesn't care a

43:55

snap of his fingers about you.' For

43:59

a tense moment. They regarded each

44:01

other, Marjorie scornful,

44:03

aloof. Bernice

44:06

astounded, half angry, half

44:08

afraid. Then

44:10

two cars drove up in front of the house, and

44:13

there was a riotous honking. Both

44:15

of them gasped faintly, turned,

44:18

and side by side hurried out.

44:21

All through the bridge party Bernice

44:23

strove in vain to master a

44:26

rising uneasiness. She had

44:28

offended Marjorie, the sphinx of sphinxes.

44:31

With the most wholesome and

44:33

innocent intentions in the world, she

44:35

had stolen Marjorie's property. She

44:38

felt suddenly and horribly guilty. After

44:41

the bridge came, when they sat

44:44

in an informal circle and the

44:46

conversation became general, the storm gradually

44:48

broke. Little Otis

44:50

Ormond inadvertently precipitated it. When

44:54

are you going back to kindergarten, Otis? Someone

44:57

had asked. Me? Day-Bernice

44:59

gets her hair bobbed. Then

45:02

your education's over, said Marjorie

45:04

quickly. That's only a bluff of hers. I

45:06

should think you'd have realized. Matter

45:08

of fact, demanded Otis, giving

45:11

Bernice a reproachful glance. Bernice's

45:13

ears burned as

45:16

she tried to think up an effect she will come

45:18

back. In the face of

45:20

this direct attack, her imagination

45:22

was paralyzed. There's

45:24

a lot of bluffs in the world, continued

45:27

Marjorie quite pleasantly. I

45:29

should think you'd be young enough to know that, Otis. Well,

45:33

said Otis, maybe so, but gee,

45:36

with a line like Bernice's, really,

45:39

yawned Marjorie, what's

45:41

her latest balm-mo? No

45:44

one seemed to know. In fact,

45:46

Bernice, having trifled with her muse's

45:48

bow, had said nothing

45:51

memorable of late. Was

45:53

it really all a line? asked

45:55

Roberta curiously. Bernice

45:58

hesitated. that

46:00

wit in some form was demanded of

46:02

her. But under her

46:04

cousin's suddenly frigid eyes, she

46:06

was completely incapacitated. I

46:09

don't know. She strolled.

46:11

Splash, said Marjorie. Admit it.

46:15

Bernice saw that Warren's eyes had left

46:17

a ukulele he had been tinkering with,

46:19

and were fixed on her questioningly. Oh, I

46:23

don't know, she repeated steadily.

46:25

Her cheeks were glowing. Splash,

46:29

remarked Marjorie again. Come

46:32

through, Bernice, urged Otis. Tell her where to

46:35

get off. Bernice

46:37

looked round again. She seemed unable

46:39

to get away from Warren's eyes. I

46:42

like bobbed hair, she said hurriedly, as

46:44

if he had asked her a question, and

46:47

I intend to bob mine. When,

46:50

demanded Marjorie, any time. Now

46:53

time like the present, suggested Roberta.

46:55

Otis jumped to his feet. Good

46:57

stuff, he cried. We'll have a

46:59

summer bobbing party. Severe hotel barbershop,

47:01

I think you said. In

47:04

an instant, all were on their

47:06

feet. Bernice's heart throbbed violently. What?

47:08

she gasped. Out of

47:11

the group came Marjorie's voice, very

47:13

clear and contemptuous. Don't worry,

47:15

she'll back out. Come

47:17

on, Bernice, cried Otis, starting

47:19

toward the door. Four

47:22

eyes, Warren's and Marjorie's,

47:24

stared at her, challenged

47:26

her, defied her. For

47:29

another second, she wavered

47:31

wildly. All

47:33

right, she said swiftly. I don't

47:35

care if I do. An

47:37

eternity of minutes later, riding downtown

47:40

through the late afternoon beside Warren,

47:43

the others following in Roberta's car close

47:45

behind, Bernice had all the

47:47

sensations of Marie Antoinette bound for

47:50

the guillotine in a tumbrel. Vaguely,

47:53

she wondered why she did not cry out that

47:55

this was all a mistake. It

47:57

was all she could do to keep from clutching her

47:59

head. hair with both hands to

48:01

protect it from the suddenly hostile

48:03

world. Yet she did

48:05

neither. Even the

48:08

thought of her mother was no deterrent now. This

48:11

was the test supreme of

48:13

her sportsmanship, her right to

48:15

walk unchallenged in the starry

48:17

heaven of popular girls.

48:21

Warren was moodily silent, and

48:23

when they came to the hotel, he drew

48:25

up at the curb and nodded to

48:28

Bernice to proceed him out. Roberta's

48:30

car emptied a laughing crowd into the

48:32

shop, which presented two bold

48:34

plate-glass windows to the street. Bernice

48:37

stood on the curb and looked at

48:39

the sign, Severe Barber

48:41

Shop. It

48:43

was a guillotine indeed, and

48:46

the hangman was the first barber, who,

48:48

attired in a white coat

48:50

and smoking a cigarette, leaned

48:53

nonchalantly against the first chair.

48:56

He must have heard of her. He must have

48:58

been waiting all week, smoking

49:00

eternal cigarettes beside that

49:02

portentous, too often mentioned,

49:04

first chair. Were

49:08

they blindfold her? No, because they

49:10

would tie a white cloth around her neck

49:12

lest any of her blood-nonsense hair

49:15

should get on her clothes. All

49:17

right, Bernice," said Warren quickly. With

49:21

her chin in the air, she crossed the sidewalk,

49:24

pushed open the swinging-screen door, and,

49:26

giving not a glance to the uproarious,

49:28

riotous row that occupied the waiting

49:30

bench, went up to the first barber.

49:33

"'I want you to bob my hair,' the

49:37

first barber's mouth slid somewhat open. A

49:39

cigarette dropped to the floor. Huh?

49:43

My hair. Bob it." Refusing

49:47

further preliminaries, Bernice took

49:49

her seat on high. A

49:51

man in the chair next to her

49:53

turned on his side and gave her

49:55

a glance, half-lather, half-amazement. One

49:58

barber started Willy

50:00

Schuneman's monthly haircut. Mr.

50:02

O'Reilly, in the last chair, grunted and

50:05

swore musically an ancient Gaelic as a

50:07

razor bit into his cheek. Two

50:10

boot-lacks became wide-eyed and rushed

50:12

for her feet. No, Bernice

50:14

didn't care for a shine. Outside,

50:17

a passerby stopped and stared. A

50:19

couple joined him. Half a

50:21

dozen small boys' noses sprang into

50:23

life, flattened against the glass, and

50:26

snatches of conversation borne on the

50:28

summer breeze drifted in through the

50:30

screen door. Look

50:32

at the long hair on a kid! Where you

50:34

get that stuff? That's a bearded lady, he just

50:37

finished shaving. But Bernice

50:39

saw nothing, heard nothing. Her

50:41

only living sense told her that this man

50:43

in the white coat had

50:46

removed one tortoise-shell comb and

50:48

then another, that his fingers

50:51

were fumbling clumsily with unfamiliar

50:53

hairpins, but this

50:55

hair, this wonderful hair of

50:57

hers, was going. She

51:01

would never again feel its long

51:03

voluptuous pull as it hung

51:05

in a dark brown glory down her back.

51:09

For a second she was near breaking down, and

51:12

then the picture before her swam mechanically

51:14

into her vision, Marjorie's mouth curling in

51:16

a faint ironic smile as if to

51:18

say, Give up and get down,

51:21

you tried to buck me and I called your

51:23

bluff. You see, you haven't

51:25

got a prayer. And

51:28

some last energy rose up in Bernice, for

51:31

she clenched her hands under the white cloth,

51:33

and there was a curious narrowing of

51:36

her eyes that Marjorie remarked on to

51:38

someone long afterward. Twenty

51:40

minutes later the barber swung her round

51:43

to face the mirror, and

51:45

she flinched, at the full

51:47

extent of the damage that had been wrought.

51:51

Her hair was not curly, and

51:53

now it lay in lank, lifeless blocks

51:56

on both sides of her suddenly pale

51:58

face. It was ugly

52:00

as sin. She

52:03

had known it would be ugly as sin. Her

52:05

face's chief charm had been

52:07

a Madonna-like simplicity. Now

52:10

that was gone, and she was, well,

52:13

frightfully mediocre. Not

52:16

stagey, only ridiculous, like

52:18

a Greenwich villager who had left her spectacles

52:20

at home. As

52:23

she climbed down from the chair, she tried to smile.

52:26

Failed miserably. She

52:28

sought two of the girls' exchange glances. Notice

52:31

Margaery's mouth curved in attenuated

52:34

mockery, and that Warren's eyes

52:36

were suddenly very cold. You

52:39

see, her words fell into

52:41

an awkward pause. I've

52:44

done it. Yes,

52:46

you've done it, admitted

52:49

Warren. Do you like

52:51

it? There

52:53

was a half-hearted, sure, from

52:55

two or three voices, another

52:57

awkward pause, and then

52:59

Margaery turned swiftly with her serpent-like

53:01

intensity to Warren. Would you

53:04

mind running me down to the cleaners? She asked.

53:06

I simply can't. To get a dress there

53:09

before supper. Roberta's driving home right now, and she

53:11

can take the others. Warren

53:14

stared abstractedly at some infinite speck

53:16

out the window. Then

53:18

for an instant, his eyes rested

53:21

coldly on Bernice before they turned

53:23

to Margaery. Be

53:25

glad to, he said

53:27

slowly. Bernice

53:34

did not fully realize the outrageous trap that

53:36

had been set for her until

53:39

she met her aunt's amazed

53:41

glance just before dinner. Why,

53:44

Bernice! I've

53:46

bobbed at Aunt Josephine. Why,

53:48

child! Do you like

53:51

it? Why, Bernice! I

53:53

suppose I've shocked you. No, but

53:57

what'll Mrs. Day-o think tomorrow night, Bernice?

54:00

you should have waited until after the

54:02

Deyo's dance. You should have

54:04

waited if you wanted to do that." It

54:07

was sudden, Aunt Josephine. Anyway, why

54:09

does it matter to Mrs. Deyo particularly? Why

54:12

child! cried Mrs. Harvey. In

54:16

her paper on the foibles of the

54:18

younger generation that she read in the

54:20

last meeting of the Thursday Club, she

54:22

devoted fifteen minutes to bobbed hair. It's

54:25

a pet abomination and the dance

54:28

is for you and Marjorie. I'm

54:31

sorry. Oh, B'nees, what'll

54:33

your mother say? She'll

54:35

think I'll let you do it. I'm

54:38

sorry. Dinner

54:41

was in agony. She

54:43

had made a hasty attempt with a curling

54:45

iron and burned her finger and much hair.

54:49

She could see that her aunt was both worried

54:51

and grieved and her uncle kept

54:53

saying, Well, I'll be darned.

54:56

Over and over, in

54:58

a hurt and faintly hostile tone. And

55:02

Marjorie sat very quietly,

55:05

entrenched behind a faint smile,

55:07

a faintly mocking smile.

55:11

Somehow she got through the evening.

55:13

Three boys called, Marjorie disappeared with

55:15

one of them, and B'nees made

55:17

a listless, unsuccessful attempt to entertain

55:20

the two others. Side

55:22

thankfully as she climbed the stairs to her

55:24

room at half-past tenth, what

55:27

a day! When

55:29

she had undressed for the night, the door

55:31

opened and Marjorie came in. B'nees,

55:35

she said, I'm awfully sorry

55:37

about the day-o dance. I'll give you

55:39

my word of honor I'd forgotten all

55:41

about it. It's all right,

55:44

said B'nees shortly. Standing

55:46

before the mirror, she passed her comb

55:48

slowly through her short hair. I'll

55:51

take you downtown tomorrow, continued Marjorie,

55:54

and the hairdresser will fix it so you look slick.

55:57

I didn't imagine you'd go through with it. I'm really

55:59

mad. mighty sorry. Oh, it's all right. Still,

56:04

it's your last night, so I suppose it won't

56:07

matter much." Then

56:09

Bernice winced as Marjorie tossed

56:12

her own hair over her shoulders

56:14

and began to twist it slowly

56:16

into two long blonde braids until

56:19

in her cream-colored negligee she looked

56:22

like a delicate painting of some

56:24

Saxon princess. Fascinated,

56:27

Bernice watched the braids

56:29

grow, heavy and luxurious

56:31

they were, moving under the supple

56:33

fingers like restive snakes and to

56:36

Bernice remained this relic and

56:38

the curling iron and a tomorrow full

56:40

of eyes. She

56:43

could see G. Reese stuttered, who liked her,

56:45

assuming his Harvard manner and telling his

56:47

dinner partner that Bernice shouldn't have been

56:50

allowed to go to the movie so

56:52

much. She could see

56:54

Draycott Deo exchanging glances with his

56:57

mother and then being conscientiously charitable

56:59

to her. But

57:01

then perhaps by tomorrow Mrs. Deo would

57:03

have heard the news, would send round

57:05

an icy little note requesting that she

57:07

fail to appear and behind

57:10

her back they would all laugh and know

57:12

that Marjorie had made a fool of her,

57:15

that her chance at beauty had been

57:17

sacrificed to the jealous whim of a

57:19

selfish girl. She

57:21

sat down suddenly before the mirror,

57:23

biting the inside of her cheek. I

57:27

like it, she said with an effort. I

57:30

think it'll be becoming. Marjorie

57:33

smiled. It looks all right.

57:35

For heaven's sake don't let it worry you. I

57:39

wrote, good night Bernice. But

57:43

as the door closed, something

57:45

snapped within Bernice. She

57:48

sprang dynamically to her feet, clenching

57:50

her hands, then swiftly and noiselessly

57:52

crossed over to her bed and

57:54

from underneath it dragged out her

57:57

suitcase, into which she tossed

57:59

toilet articles. and a change of clothing. Then

58:01

she turned to her trunk and quickly

58:04

dumped in two drawerfuls of lingerie and

58:06

summer dresses. She moved quietly but with

58:08

a deadly efficiency, and in three-quarters of

58:11

an hour her trunk was locked and

58:13

strapped, and she was fully dressed in

58:15

a becoming new travelling suit that Marjorie

58:17

had helped her pick out. Sitting

58:21

down at her desk, she wrote a

58:23

short note to Mrs. Harvey, in which

58:25

she briefly outlined her reasons for going.

58:28

She sealed it, addressed it, and

58:30

laid it on her pillow. She glanced at

58:32

her watch. The train left it

58:34

one, and she knew that if she walked

58:37

down to the Marlboro Hotel two blocks away,

58:39

she could easily get a taxicab. Suddenly

58:42

she drew in her breath sharply, and

58:45

an expression flashed into her eyes that

58:48

a practised character reader might have connected vaguely

58:50

with the set look she had worn in

58:53

the barber's chair. Somehow,

58:55

a development of it. It

58:57

was quite a new look for Bernice, and

58:59

it carried consequences. She

59:02

went stealthily to the bureau, picked up

59:04

an article that lay there, and turning

59:06

out all the lights, stood quietly

59:09

until her eyes became accustomed to the

59:12

darkness. Softly, she

59:15

pushed open the door to Marjorie's room.

59:18

She heard the quiet, even

59:20

breathing, even untroubled

59:22

conscience asleep. She

59:26

was by the bedside now, very deliberate

59:28

and calm. She acted

59:30

swiftly. Bending over, she found

59:32

one of the braids of Marjorie's hair, followed

59:35

it up with her hand to the point

59:37

nearest the head, and then

59:39

holding it a little slack so that the

59:41

sleeper would feel no pull. She

59:43

reached down with the shears and severed

59:45

it. With a pigtail in

59:47

her hand, she held her breath. Marjorie

59:51

had muttered something in her sleep. The

1:00:00

and silently. Back. To her own

1:00:02

room. Downstairs she opened

1:00:04

the big front door, closed it

1:00:06

carefully behind her. And. Feeling

1:00:08

oddly happy and exuberant, stepped off

1:00:11

the porch into the moonlight, swinging

1:00:13

her heavy grip like a shopping

1:00:15

bag. After a myth

1:00:17

brisk walk she discovered that her left

1:00:19

hand still held the to blonde braids.

1:00:22

She laughed unexpectedly had a shot,

1:00:24

her mouth hard. To. Keep from

1:00:27

a knitting an absolute feel. She

1:00:29

was passing Warrants house now and

1:00:31

on the impulse she said don't

1:00:33

her baggage and swinging the braid

1:00:35

like pieces of rope slung them

1:00:37

with the wooden porch where they

1:00:39

landed with a slight stand. She

1:00:42

laughed again, no longer restraining herself,

1:00:46

She. Giggled wildly scalp the

1:00:48

selfish thing. Than

1:00:50

picking up her suitcase, she said off that

1:00:53

a half run. Down. The

1:00:55

moonlit street. This

1:01:09

is Bj Harrison. I hope

1:01:11

you enjoyed this vintage episode of

1:01:14

Bernice Bob's Her Hair by F.

1:01:16

Scott Fitzgerald. If you've enjoyed

1:01:18

this book, please become a supporter by

1:01:21

going to Classic Tales Audio books.com And

1:01:23

thanks for putting in. Thank

1:01:25

you for joining me today and

1:01:28

allowing classic literature to awaken you're

1:01:30

better self. Please join me next

1:01:32

time and will rediscover the greatest

1:01:34

stories ever put to paper. Watch.

1:01:52

The total Solar Eclipse at

1:01:54

Seneca Resources seen as. april

1:01:57

eighth for events filled with food

1:02:00

drinks, DJs, viewing glasses, and

1:02:02

more. Family friendly at Seneca

1:02:04

Niagara and Seneca Elegany. 21

1:02:07

and up at Seneca Buffalo Creek. The first 200

1:02:10

guests at each property receive a

1:02:12

commemorative t-shirt. Book your overnight stay

1:02:14

now so you don't miss it.

1:02:16

Get all the details at senecacasinos.com.

1:02:19

Seneca Resorts and Casinos. Nothing else

1:02:21

comes close.