Chapter XI: As Luck Would Have It

A YOUNG man may expend anguished thought upon the question of which of two girls he ought to marry; but a third claimant breaks the spell of that dilemma. He no longer feels the sense of having to make a painful choice; his feeling is rather a bewildering one of having no choice at all. He loses in imagination the position of embarrassing masculine jurisdiction over the fate and happiness of the girls, and begins to feel a little like a hunted animal.

Abruptly, when left alone by his mother, the color of the whole situation changed for Norman. He felt as though a horde of women were closing in upon him. It was not a dignified situation, and in self-defense he felt a burst of resentment against them all.

What right had they to make demands upon him? They weren’t any of them in love with him, really. It was their damned maternal instinct. Even Monica had talked about the baby in the midst of their love-making.... Everybody seemed to think that a man with a baby had to have a wife.... Well, he would show them....

He fell asleep in a mood of profound hostility to all womankind, and when he awoke it was with the grim resolve not to be bullied into marrying anybody.

That Saturday afternoon, when he came back from lunch, there was a note on his desk. He knew when he saw it afar what it would say. That Mr. McCullough wished to see him.... And it did.... “Fired again!” thought Norman.

He wasn’t surprised; he had thought he was doing damn good work on that Pearson account; but evidently McCullough knew better.... And it was just the time when a thing like this would happen, with his mother and sister looking on. He couldn’t keep it a secret from Vickley this time....

But there was just one good thing about it: if he lost his job and became a bum on a park bench, maybe these women would let him alone.... It would be a good excuse; he wouldn’t have to marry anybody.... Norman brightened, and went in cheerfully to get the ax from Mr. McCullough.

But Mr. McCullough, as he somewhat gradually and rather incredulously discovered, had not sent for him in order to fire him--only to tell him that he seemed to be getting along pretty well, and that he could consider himself a regular member of the staff from now on. “Your salary check will be for seventy-five this week,” Mr. McCullough added casually. “And you can go on working with Charlie Beckett on the Pearson account.”

“Thank you, Mr. McCullough,” said Norman, gulping down his emotions....

Of course, one couldn’t be sorry that one hadn’t been fired.... But it took away his one avenue of escape from the embarrassing situation in which he found himself. It left him with no good excuse to make to those three girls....

Those three girls--that was the way he put it in his conscious thoughts. But in reality it was only one of them that he had in mind. Isabel would not care--he knew that well enough. And reckless little Monica--she had offered her love and demanded nothing.... It was Madge that he was afraid of. Madge--and Vickley.