Pale Horse, Pale Rider

Miranda leaves Adam and enters the newspaper office. She sits at her desk and pretends to read letters while thinking about Adam. She listens as Towney talks to Chuck Rouncivale, the sports reporter. They discuss the strange disease that has now arrived in the US, joking about “germs brought by a German ship to Boston, a camouflaged ship, naturally” (82). Miranda wants to think about Adam, but she doesn’t have the time. Their brief 10 days together have been busily spent in theaters, diners, on hiking trails, and at museums. Her thoughts are interrupted by the sounds of the office. Towney considers volunteering to help injured soldiers, her demeanor “now all open-faced glory and goodness” (83).

Miranda invites Chuck to join her at a vaudeville show. Chuck secretly prefers theater to sports but keeps his job as a sports reporter because it allows him to buy alcoholic beverages for his father, who is a habitual drinker. Chuck mentions that an actor has been searching for Miranda; the actor is annoyed at a poor review she gave of one of his performances. The actor is waiting for her and demands that she apologize for her critical review.