Los Angeles herald., 1905-09-03
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4 ness transaction. He can pay for my.
hat"
The man dropped a shutter over his
face. When he raised 1t again she ap-
peared to be distinctly amused. 1t
seems to me-" he said, that Is de-
cidedly ending somewhere"
She rose and gave him her hand. 80
pleased to have met you," she said
pleasantly.
"When may I call?" he asked.
1--WE are leaving town in day or
two" said Nancy regretfully. "And my
aunt is not at all we'll. Good night"
The young man still held her hand.
I'm so sorry" said he. But 1 will
call a cab. It's one Of the things I do
especially we'll"
All at once his face seemed very
winning. After stony second Nancy'c
lips quivered in spite of herself. The
laughter which lay in the bottom Of
her eyes bubbled over involuntarily.
| The young man surveyed her with
roguish candor THAT epigram of
yours" he said, us very good in an
impersonal way, but it isn't worth
twenty-five dollars"
ITO which of us?" said Nancy,
shrewdly.
"Ill tell you when you come down."
he laughed.
eff you will release my hand" she
began demurely.
"Oh, 1 beg your pardon" said he.
Something always seems to be detain-
ing you in an unpleasant situation"
Nancy swept away. When she came
down he was waiting for her in the hall
with his hat in his hand. Nancy gasped
when he took her arm as a matter of
course and piloted her down the steps.
In many ways, indeed, she felt her
breath taken away.
"You really are the rudest man eevr
met" she said at last, fatty, feeling
that she must say something.
"Rudeness is a healthy virtue" he
returned. "I have always found prefer
able to. But 1 encroach on your
preserves. What I meant to say was
this: If 1 had not been rude I should
not only have missed the greatest joy
of my hitherto deprived life, but also I
should have entirely failed of the future
which I mapped out this afternoon at
6:15 on the street corner. with bunch
of roses in my hand. Do you know I
have leaped over six months in an
evening? That is the length Of time
L calculated should have to wait for
an Introduction
"How should you have found out who
was?" asked Nancy, catching her
breath.
"My friend the hoorwalker would
have told me, especially when he found
out that I had to make good for the
hat. The register of the hotel would
have told me where your home was. I
should have unearthed some friend
there to visit, and"
"Here is the cab," interrupted Nancy.
"Yes," said he. Here we are, all
three of us together again. The ques-
ton is, am going to leap over another
half year? That is, am I going to see
you home now?"
"I should say you were not" said
Nancy, IF didn't know you were quite
capable of making another scene be-
fore the cabman."
"Oh," he said, as he handed her in,
"Now," he continued, as he sat down
beside her and closed the doors with a
comfortable sound, "a whole year has
passed. Do you know I allowed only
three months after that?"
Gracious" said Nancy. Don't wish
any more of my time away. It's going
fast enough as 1t is"
'I wish it to go fast now," said he,
"in order that it may the sooner go
slower. That isn't much of an epigram,
but I hope it's worth twenty-five dol
lars"
"It might be-" conceded Nancy,
graphically, "to one Of u.s."
"In that case" he replied. "itN will
balance up all right whether we ever
find out or not, for in the future we'll
keep our epigrams on the double entry
system"