Then would follow an hour devoted to digestion and talk,
when Short, if in a bad temper, would smoke abominable shag, and raise the
bowl of his clay pipe into quite perilous proximity with his eyebrows, and
if genially inclined, would entertain some one member of the company to
dark tales and fearsome hints as to the depraved habits and questionable
sincerity of his or her dearest friend.
He had of late developed a great interest in my welfare, and Kosinski had
been his special butt. He had always hated the latter on account of his
vast moral superiority to himself, and seemed specially desirous of
discrediting him in my eyes. The Russian came pretty frequently to the
office during the months following on Giannoli's disappearance. He was
always singularly uncommunicative about his own concerns; his intimate
friends were not aware of his address; how he lived or what his home life
was none seemed to know; and, indeed, he was one of those men who, without
ever saying a word to that effect, make one feel that their private life
is no concern of any one but themselves. Short, however, hinted at things
he _could_ say if he _would_, spoke in general terms of the
disgracefulness of exploiting the affections of women, referred in an
undertone to "that Kosinski's" luck, adding that, of course, one had a
right to act according to one's inclination, still Anarchists should set
an example, &c., &c. I, of course, took such observations at their true
value; I knew Short and Kosinski too well to give two thoughts to the
matter.
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