Susan Lenox: Her Fall and Rise, by David Graham Phillips

"When he got through college," replied Susan."I thought so! And he persuaded you to run away.""No," said Susan. "He––""I say yes," stormed her uncle. "Don't lie!""Warham! Warham!" remonstrated Mr. Wright. "Don't browbeatthe girl.""He begged me not to go," said Susan."You lying fool!" shouted her uncle. Then to Wright, "If he didask her to stay it was because he was afraid it would all come out–just as it has.""I never promised to marry her!" whined Sam. "Honest to God,father, I never did. Honest to God, Mr. Warham! You know that'sso, Susan. It was you that did all the marrying talk.""Yes," she said slowly. "Yes, I believe it was." She lookeddazedly at the three men. "I supposed he meant marriagebecause–" her voice faltered, but she steadied it and went on–"because we loved each other.""I knew it!" cried her uncle. "You hear, Wright? She admits hebetrayed her."Susan remembered the horrible part of her cousin's sexrevelations. "Oh, no!" she cried. "I wouldn't have let him do that–even if he had wanted to. No–not even if we'd been married.""You see, Warham!" cried Mr. Wright, in triumph."I see a liar!" was Warham's furious answer. "She's trying todefend him and make out a case for herself.""I am telling the truth," said Susan.Warham gazed unbelievingly at her, speechless with fury. Mr.Wright took his silk hat from the corner of the piano. "I'm satisfiedthey're innocent," said he. "So I'll take my boy and go.""Not if I know it!" retorted Warham. "He's got to marry her.""But the girl says she's pure, says he never spoke of marriage,says he begged her not to run away. Be reasonable, Warham.""For a good Christian," sneered he at Wright, "you're mightyeasily convinced by a flimsy lie. In your heart you know the boy haswronged her and that she's shielding him, just as––" ThereWarham checked himself; it would be anything but timely to remindWright of the character of the girl's mother."I'll admit," said Mr. Wright smoothly, "that I wasn't overanxiousfor my boy's marriage with a girl whose mother was–unfortunate.But if your charge had been true, Warham, I'd have made the boydo her justice, she being only seventeen. Come, Sam."Sam slunk toward the door. Warham stared fiercely at the elderWright. "And you call yourself a Christian!" he sneered.At the door–Sam had already disappeared–Mr. Wright pausedto say, "I'm going to give Sam a discipline he'll remember. Thegirl's only been foolish. Don't be harsh with her.""You damned hypocrite!" shouted Warham. "I might haveknown what to expect from a man who cut the wages of his handsto pay his church subscription."But Wright was far too crafty to be drawn. He went on pushingSam before him.As the outer door closed behind them Mrs. Wylie appeared. "Iwant you both to get out of my house as quick as you can," shesnapped. "My boarders'll be coming to dinner in a few minutes."Warham took his straw hat from the floor beside the chairbehind him. "I've nothing to do with this girl here. Good day,madam." And he strode out of the house, slamming the doorbehind him.Mrs. Wylie looked at Susan with storming face and bosom.Susan did not see. She was gazing into space, her face blanched."Clear out!" cried Mrs. Wylie. And she ran to the outer door andopened it. "How dare you come into a respectable house!" Shewished to be so wildly angry that she would forget the five dollarswhich she, as a professing Christian in full church standing, wouldhave to pay back if she remembered. "Clear out this minute!" shecried shrilly. "If you don't, I'll throw your bundle into the street andyou after it."Susan took up the bundle mechanically, slowly went out on thestoop. The door closed with a slam behind her. She descended thesteps, walked a few yards up the street, paused at the edge of thecurb and looked dazedly about. Her uncle stood beside her. "Nowwhere are you going?" he said roughly.