Tubal Cain Author:Joseph Hergesheimer Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: than impertinent, they held for Hulings an intolerable patronage. John Wooddrop's foot trod the deck with a solid authority that increased the sick man's smolder... more »ing scorn. At dinner he had an actual encounter with the other. The table was filling rapidly; Alexander Hulings had taken a place when Wooddrop entered with his group and surveyed the seats that remained. "I am going to ask you," he addressed Hulings in a deep voice, "to move over yonder. That will allow my family to surround me." A sudden unreasonable determination not to move seized Hulings. He said nothing; he didn't turn his head nor disturb his position. John Wood- drop repeated his request in still more vibrant tones. Hulings did nothing. He was held in a silent rigidity of position. "You, sir," Wooddrop pronounced loudly, "are deficient in the ordinary courtesies of travel 1 And note this, Mrs. Wooddrop"—he turned to his wife— "I shall never again, in spite of Gisela's importunities, move by public conveyance. The presence of individuals like this " Alexander Hulings rose and faced the older, infinitely more important man. His sunken eyes blazed with such a feverish passion that the other raised an involuntary palm. "Individuals," he added, "painfully afflicted." Suddenly Hulings' weakness betrayed him; he collapsed in his chair with a pounding heart andblurred vision. The incident receded, became merged in the resumption of the commonplace clatter of dinner. Once more on deck, Alexander Hulings was aware that he had appeared both inconsequential and ridiculous, two qualities supremely detestable to his pride; and this added to his bitterness toward the Ironmaster. He determined to extract satisfaction for his humiliation. It was characteristic of Hulings that he saw himself essentially as John...« less