Mr. Bridge_ A Novel - Evan S. Connell [116]
“As nearly as I can gather. I think Carolyn is perfectly justified. I don’t blame her one iota for being upset. She’ll never have another opportunity like that. It’s a shame.”
“Well,” Mr. Bridge said after thinking about it, “that is too bad. And if you ask me, this boy she’s running around with is a little cracked. However, I don’t suppose it’s important. Two weeks from now she’ll have forgotten the entire business.”
“Walter Bridge,” she said, walking out of the bathroom with both hands pressed to her forehead, “for once in your life you are as wrong as a man can be.”
126 Hot Number
Two days later Carolyn reappeared just long enough to get some clothes out of her closet and have a glass of milk and a sandwich. Arthur Merton may not have been forgotten, but he was not mentioned. The sorority was planning an “Arabian Nights” party, and this was all she talked about. A feature of the party was to be a belly dance. She was trying to decide whether or not to be one of the belly dancers. The idea of putting on the costume and dancing for a crowd of fraternity boys obviously excited her, but at the same time she was reluctant to expose herself. She announced that she might do it if they promised to let her dance in the back row. Then, whoever was driving her to the university was in front of the house honking urgently. She swallowed the remainder of her sandwich, drank the rest of the milk, grabbed her clothes and ran for the door.
127 Socrates
Observing that his son looked shaggy, Mr. Bridge suggested a haircut. Douglas replied that he could not get a haircut, he could not possibly get a haircut because his external being would not then be in harmony with his inner self.
For a few moments Mr. Bridge considered this. Being unable to make any sense of it, he requested an explanation. Douglas was not merely willing to explain, he was eager to explain, and Mr. Bridge discovered that in the course of miscellaneous reading which seemed to spring from subject to subject with no apparent pattern Douglas had come upon the wisdom of Socrates. Specifically, the inner man should correspond to the outer man.
“This is a commendable philosophy,” Mr. Bridge said. “However, I suggest you visit the barber.”
Douglas repeated that he could not. It was impossible.
Mr. Bridge repeated that it would be good thing to pay a call on the barber, not next month or next week or the day after tomorrow, but tomorrow, preferably in the morning, before school. Otherwise there was not going to be any allowance next Friday, or the Friday after. No allowance until the external being appeared more harmonious to the eye of the spectator. Douglas answered disdainfully that he could get along without an allowance. In fact, rather than accept an allowance any longer he would get a job after school. He would become independent. Mr. Bridge said this was a splendid idea.
A week passed. Douglas began to look remotely Byronic. He had not found a job because he had not looked for one, and because he did not get any allowance he did not have enough money to go bowling with Tipton and Vandermeer, which he wanted to do very much. But still he would not get his hair cut.
Friday afternoon of the fourth week, after school, he borrowed fifty cents from his mother and got the haircut.
After inspecting him that evening Mr. Bridge handed him his customary allowance. Neither of them said a word. Integrity had been defeated, there was no question about it.
128 Eagle Scout
Much to the astonishment of everybody, possibly excepting his mother, Douglas finally managed to become an Eagle Scout. He had started off rapidly, almost spectacularly. Soon after becoming a Tenderfoot at the age of twelve he had passed his tests and been promoted to Second Class. But then he began to slow down. He had difficulty passing the first-aid examination required for promotion to First Class; after failing twice he gathered himself for a major effort, passed it, and was then seen on Tuesday nights dressed