Theophilus North

Theophilus North by Thornton Wilder Read Free Book Online Page A

Book: Theophilus North by Thornton Wilder Read Free Book Online
Authors: Thornton Wilder
Tags: Historical, Classics
days—corseted, jet-bugled, and rustling in half a dozen petticoats. Nothing gave her greater pleasure than to be consulted on some complicated problem requiring diplomacy and thoroughly disillusioned worldly wisdom. I can well believe that she had saved many a drowning soul. She had risen through the ranks from scullery maid and slop-carrier to upstairs maid and to downstairs maid. Rumor had it—I only venture to repeat it so many decades later—that there had never been a “Mr. Cranston” (Cranston is a town a mere crow’s flight from Newport) and that she had been set up in business by a very well-known investment-banker. Mrs. Cranston’s best friend was the incomparable Edweena who retained in perpetuity the first-floor “garden apartment.” Edweena was awaiting the long-overdue break-up and death of her alcoholic husband in distant London in order to celebrate her marriage to Henry Simmons. An advantage inherent in her possession of the “garden apartment” was apparent to a few observers; Henry could enter and depart as he chose without causing scandal.
    It was a rule of the house that all the ladies—with the exception of Mrs. Cranston and Edweena—withdrew for the night at a quarter before eleven, either to their rooms upstairs or to their domiciles in the city. Gentlemen retired at midnight. Henry was a great favorite of the lady of the house to whom he paid an old-world deference. It was this last hour and a quarter that Henry (and our hostess) most enjoyed. The majority of the men remained in the bar, but occasionally, Mrs. Cranston was joined by a very old and cadaverous Mr. Danforth, also an Englishman, who had served—no doubt majestically—as butler in great houses in Baltimore and Newport. His memory was failing but he was still called in from time to time to grace a sideboard or an entrance hall.
    It was during this closing hour that Henry presented me to Mrs. Cranston. “Mrs. Cranston, I should like you to make the acquaintance of my friend Teddie North. He works at the Casino and has some jobs reading aloud to some ladies and gentlemen whose eyesight is not what it used to be.”
    â€œI’m very pleased to make your acquaintance, Mr. North.”
    â€œThank you, ma’am, I feel privileged.”
    â€œTeddie has only one fault, ma’am, as far as I know, he minds his own business.”
    â€œThat recommends him to me, Mr. Simmons.”
    â€œHenry does me too much credit, Mrs. Cranston. That has been my aim, but even in the short time I’ve been in Newport I’ve discovered how difficult it is not to get involved in situations beyond one’s control.”
    â€œLike a certain elopement recently, perhaps.”
    I was thunderstruck. How could word of that brief adventure have leaked out? This was my first warning of how difficult it was to keep a secret in Newport, things that could easily escape notice in a big city. (After all servants are praised for “foreseeing every wish” of their employers; that requires close and constant attention. Aquidneck is not a large island, and the heart of its Sixth City is not of wide extent. )
    â€œMa’am, I can be forgiven for trying to be of assistance to my friend and employer at the Casino.”
    She lowered her head with a slight but benevolent smile. “Mr. Simmons, you’ll excuse me if I ask you to go into the bar for two minutes while I tell Mr. North something he should know.”
    â€œYes, indeed, gracious lady,” said Henry, very pleased, and left the room.
    â€œMr. North, this town has an excellent police force and a very intelligent Chief of Police. It needs them not only to protect the valuables of some of the citizens but to protect some of the citizens from themselves; and to protect them from undesirable publicity. Whatever it was that you were called upon to do two and a half weeks ago, you did it very well. But you know yourself

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