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He was not given time to reply。 With a mocking snort Griswold
interrupted。 Aline and Charles had entirely forgotten him。
〃An utter stranger！〃 mimicked Griswold。 〃Oh； yes； he's an utter
stranger！ You're pretty good actors； both of you； but you can't
keep that up long； and you'd better stop it now。〃
〃Stop what？〃 asked Miss Proctor。 Her tone was cold and calm； but
in her eyes was a strange light。 It should have warned Griswold
that he would have been safer under the bed。
〃Stop pretending！〃 cried Griswold。 〃I won't have it！〃
〃I don't understand；〃 said Miss Proctor。 She spoke in the same
cold voice； only now it had dropped several degrees nearer freezing。
〃I don't think you understand yourself。 You won't have what？〃
Griswold now was frightened； and that made him reckless。 Instead
of withdrawing he plunged deeper。
〃I won't have you two pretending you don't know each other；〃 he
blustered。 〃I won't stand being fooled！ If you're going to deceive
me before we're married； what will you do after we're married？〃
Charles emitted a howl。 It was made up of disgust； amazement； and
rage。 Fiercely he turned upon Miss Proctor。
〃Let me have him！〃 he begged。
〃No！〃 almost shouted Miss Proctor。 Her tone was no longer coldit
was volcanic。 Her eyes； flashing beautifully； were fixed upon Griswold。
She made a gesture as though to sweep Charles out of the room。
〃Please go！〃 she demanded。 〃This does not concern you。〃
Her tone was one not lightly to be disregarded。 Charles disregarded it。
〃It does concern me；〃 he said briskly。 〃Nobody can insult a woman
in my houseyou； least of all！〃 He turned upon the greatest catch
in America。 〃Griswold；〃 he said； 〃I never met this lady until I
came into this room； but I know her； understand her； value her
better than you'd understand her if you knew her a thousand
years！〃
Griswold allowed him to go no farther。
〃I know this much；〃 he roared： 〃she was in love with the man who
took those photographs； and that man was in love with her！ And
you're that man！〃
〃What if I am！〃 roared back Charles。 〃Men always have loved her；
men always willbecause she's a fine； big； wonderful woman！ You
can't see that； and you never will。 You insulted her！ Now I'll give
you time to apologize for that； and then I'll order you out of this
house！ And if Miss Proctor is the sort of girl I think she is； she'll
order you out of it； too！〃
Both men swung toward Miss Proctor。 Her eyes were now smiling
excitedly。 She first turned them upon Charles； blushing most
becomingly。
〃Miss Proctor；〃 she said； 〃hopes she is the sort of girl
Mr。 Cochran thinks she is。〃 She then turned upon the greatest
catch in America。 〃You needn't wait； Chester；〃 she said； 〃not
even to apologize。〃
Chester Griswold； alone in his car； was driven back to New York。
On the way he invented a story to explain why； at the eleventh
hour； he had jilted Aline Proctor； but when his thoughts reverted
to the young man he had seen working with his sleeves rolled up
he decided it would be safer to let Miss Proctor tell of the broken
engagement in her own way。
Charles would not consent to drive his fair guest back to New
York until she had first honored him with her presence at
luncheon。 It was served for two； on his veranda； under the
climbing honeysuckles。 During the luncheon he told her all。
Miss Proctor； in the light of his five years of devotion；
magnanimously forgave him。
〃Such a pretty house！〃 she exclaimed as they drove away from it。
〃When Griswold selected it for our honeymoon he showed his first
appreciation of what I really like。〃
〃It is still at your service！〃 said Charles。
Miss Proctor's eyes smiled with a strange light； but she did not
speak。 It was a happy ride； but when Charles left her at the door
of her apartment…house he regarded sadly and with regret the
bundle of retrieved photographs that she carried away。
〃What is it？〃 she asked kindly。
〃I'm thinking of going back to those empty frames；〃 said Charles；
and blushed deeply。 Miss Proctor blushed also。 With delighted
and guilty eyes she hastily scanned the photographs。 Snatching one
from the collection； she gave it to him and then ran up the steps。
In the light of the spring sunset the eyes of Charles devoured
the photograph of which； at last； he was the rightful owner。 On
it was written： 〃As long as this rock lasts！〃
As Charles walked to his car his expression was distinctly
thoughtful。
THE MEN OF ZANZIBAR
When his hunting trip in Uganda was over； Hemingway shipped his
specimens and weapons direct from Mombasa to New York； but he
himself journeyed south over the few miles that stretched to
Zanzibar。
On the outward trip the steamer had touched there； and the
little he saw of the place had so charmed him that all the time
he was on safari he promised himself he would not return home
without revisiting it。 On the morning he arrived he had called
upon Harris； his consul； to inquire about the hotel； and that
evening Harris had returned his call and introduced him at
the club。
One of the men there asked Hemingway what brought him to
Africa； and when he answered simply and truthfully that he had
come to shoot big game； it was as though he had said something
clever； and every one smiled。 On the way back to the hotel； as
they felt their way through the narrow slits in the wall that
served as streets； he asked the consul why every one had smiled。
The consul laughed evasively。
〃It's a local joke；〃 he explained。 〃A lot of men come here for
reasons best kept to themselves； and they all say what you said；
that they've come to shoot big game。 It's grown to be a polite
way of telling a man it is none of his business。〃
〃But I didn't mean it that way；〃 protested Hemingway。 〃I really
have been after big game for the last eight months。〃
In the tone one uses to quiet a drunken man or a child； the
consul answered soothingly。
〃Of course；〃 he assented 〃of course you have。〃 But to show he
was not hopelessly credulous； and to keep Hemingway from
involving himself deeper； he hinted tactfully： 〃Maybe they
noticed you came ashore with only one steamer trunk and no
gun…cases。〃
〃Oh； that's easily explained；〃 laughed Hemingway。 〃My heavy
luggage〃
The consul had reached his house and his 〃boy〃 was pounding upon
it with his heavy staff。
〃Please don't explain to me；〃 he begged。 〃It's quite unnecessary。
Down here we're so darned glad to see any white man that we don't
ask anything of him except that he won't hurry away。 We judge
them as they behave themselves here； we don't care what they are
at home or why they left it。〃
Hemingway was highly amused。 To find that he； a respectable；
sport…loving Hemingway of Massachusetts； should be mistaken for a
gun…runner； slave…dealer； or escaping cashier greatly delighted
him。
〃All right！〃 he exclaimed。 〃I'll promise not to bore you with my past；
and I agree to be judged by Zanzibar standards。 I only hope I can
live up to them； for I see I am going to like the place very much。〃
Hemingway kept his promise。 He bored no one with confidences as
to his ancestors。 Of his past