The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1906-12-02

TO meet you out uerc beyond the
bridget"
In answer she locked al him tnll
and straight for three seconds. then
threw back her head and closed her
eyes tight with laughter, without A
word she took the parssol from him..
opened It herself. placed the smooth
white coral handle OF it in his hand.
and lightly took his arm, There was
no further deHur on the part Of the
young man. He did not know where
she was going; he did not ask.
Soon~after Norbert turned TO follow
them, they came TO the shady part OF
the street. where the town in summer
was like a grove. Detachnlents from
the procession had already. here and
there. turned In at the various gates.
Nobody. however, appeared to have
gone indoors, except for fans, armed
with which Immediately they returned
to rockers upon the shaded verandas. AS
Miss Tabor and joe went BY, the rock
ing-chairs stopped; the fans poised.
nlotioniess; and perspiring old gentle
men. wiping their aecks, paused in ar
rested attitudes.
Once Ariel smiled politely. not Al Mr.
Louden, and inclined her head twice.
with the result that the latter. after
thinking for time of how gracefully
she did Il and how pretty the top OF her
hat was. became gradually conscious
OF meaning In her action: that she
had bowed TO some one across the
street. He lifted his hat. about four
minutes late, and discovered Mamie
Pike and Eugene, upon the opposite
pavement. walking home from church
together. Joe changed color.
There, just over the way. was she
who had been, in his first youth, the
fairy child. the little princess playing
in the palace yard, and always after
ward his lady of dreams, his fair nm
readable moon, And Joe, seeing her
today, changed color; that was ALI He
had passed Mamie in the street only a
week before, and she had seemed all
that she had always seemed: TODAY an
incomprehensibie and subtle change
had befallen her--a change so rnystify-
ing to him that for a moment he al
most doubted that she was Mamie Pike
II came 10 him with breath taking
shock that her face lacked certain
vivacity of meaning; that it's sweetness
was perhaps too placid; that there
would have been a deeper goodness in
II had there been any hint OF daring
Astonishing questions assailed him.
startled him: could II be true that,
after all, there might be some day too
much for her? Was her amber hair a
little too-huffy? Was something the
matter with her dress? Everything
she wore had always seemed so beau
tiful. Where had the exduisiteness of
II gone? For there was surely no ex-
quisiteness about il nowi Il was in
credible that any one could so greatly
alter in the few days elapsed since he
had seen her.
Strange matters. Mamie had never
looked prettier.
At the sound OF Ariers voice he
emerged from the profundities of his
psychic enigma with leap.
She is loveIier than ever. isn't she?"
Yes, indeed he answered, blankly
Would you still risk" she began.
ter OF IL, changed her question: What
Is the name OF your dog, Mr.. Louden?
You haven't told me-
''oh, he's ju.t yellow dog" he
evaded unskillfulIy.
Young mani she said. sharply
Well" he admitted. reluctantly, II
call him Speck for Short
And what for long? I want to know
his real name"
It's mighty inappropriate, because
were fond of each other" said Joe,
but when 1 picked him up he was so
yellow, and SO thin. and so creeping,
and so scared that I christeued him
Respectability.'
She broke into light laughter, stopped
short in the midst OF it, and became
grave. "Ah, you've grown bitter" she
said, gently.
mo. no. he protested. II told you
l liked him."
She did not answer
They were now opposite the Pike
mansion, and to his surprise she turned,
indicating the way by touch upon