JERRY BUMPUS
123
It
was unmistakably the gleam of lovel
And it was unmistakably authentic. Later Lutz acknowledged that
it was the real thing and not merely a remarkable bit of acting on
Abbott's part.
And though Lutz found it an intriguing complication, I resented
it. Not Abbott's inspiration of bringing "Ida O 'Shey" north with a
load of love in her heart, but that the gleam was in
A bbott's
eyes and
that it was clearly the real thing.
I had never taken a huffy stance on how men ought to express their
love for one another, figuring at most it was a question of manners. As
for Lutz, he was unperturbed when he encountered man
to
man
romances in his reading. Oddly liberal on the matter, he found these
doings interesting, sometimes downright exciting.
However I resented finding one thing after being led to expect
something altogether different. It seemed there was no end to Abbott's
underhandedness, even when dealing with love. But I suppose most of
my reaction rested on my basic lack of interest in climbing into bed
with another fellow. The spectacle of two men cavorting struck me as
one of the quainter, more special human phenomena that would no
doubt prevail as long as there were men, though certainly no great
issue was involved, and certainly no disease of the mind or spirit.
And on the matter of disease, Lutz stunned Abbott by asking, "By
the way, what is the malady? I don 't mean
your
malady," he quickly
added when Abbott squinted up with mounting hostility, " I mean
hers."
"What are you talking about.?"
''The disease, Abbott. Something tropical, I'd guess. A rot, is it?–
complicated by a touch of brain fever?"
"Are you saying she's ill? "
"And you do a pretty fair job of it. By the way, would you mind
telling me how do you manage in your" -Lutz motioned to Abbott in
general, down the length of him, including the tail-"your get-up.
Poor fellow, under all that you're little more than skin and bones. "
Now while Lutz manhandled "Ida O 'Shey" on the sofa they were
talking about poets and writers, mutual acquaintances. Lutz did some
quoting for her, which she seemed to appreciate. Then he nuzzled her
foggy hair and bit the soft thin lobe of her ear. "Please," she protested.
Lutz sat up. "Another drink?" he panted.
"One more," she said, " then I must lie down." Lutz's nostrils
flared. "Alone," she quickly added. ''I'm exhausted."
