Read "The Prodigal Parents" by Sinclair Lewis online for free on Textopian. Full text with search, annotations, highlights, and AI-powered reading aids.
In all innocence and glee, Fred was playing poker at the residence of his friend and lawyer, Edward McTavish Appletree, and the conversation was hearty with humour: 'By me.' 'I'll whoop you two.' Knock, knock. 'What're you trying to do with that hooch, Ed--save it for your grandchildren?'
But he was also present, though not physically, in his own house, where Hazel, Sara, Howard, Annabel and Dr. Kamerkink were sitting as comfortably as possible, which wasn't very comfortably, on Louis Quinze. Sara was holding forth: 'You may think I'm absolutely silly, maybe a little melodramatic, in asking you to meet, but we've really got to be serious and practical. I don't mean Father is the least bit insane, of course, but I do feel he's got some pretty queer ideas that might make him do things that, afterward, he'd be the first to regret.'