Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1908-03-03
(Chapter Nine-Continued.)

ing me my congeY
Eyes, thank you" nodded Miss Ian
dis coolly. "You may go now"
t'You're spoiled, that's what's the
matter" retorted Ferrall wrathfully.
II thought ! was to have this dance.
You said''
Fl said perhaps because | didn't
see Mr.. Plank coming to claim it.
Thank you, Kemp, for finding him"
Her nod and smile took the edge
from her malice Ferrall, who really
adored dancing, glared about for any
body to dance with.
Sylvia, standing beside Plank, look
ed up at him with her confident and
friendly smile.
''You don't care to dance. do you?
Would you mind If we sat out this
dancer
III you'd rather." he said, so visit
fully that she hesitated; then with
little shrug laid one hand on his arm,
and they swung out across the floor
together into the scented whirl.
Plank, like many heavy men, dane
ed Beautifully, and Sylvia, who still
1oved dancing with all the ardor of O
schoolgirl, permitted moment or two
or keen delight to sweep her dreamily
from her purpose. But that purpose
must have been a strong one, for she
returned to 1t In a few minutes and,
looking up at Plank, said very gently
that she cared to dance no more.
Her hand resting lightly on his arm,
At did not seem possible that any pres
sure Of hers was directing them to the
conservatory, yet he did not know
where he was going, and she was fa-
miIiar with the house, and they soon
entered the conservatory, where, in the
shadow Of various palms, various
youths looked up irnpatiently as they
passed and various maidens sat up
very straight In their chairs.
Threading their dim way into the
farther recesses. they found seats
among thickets of forced lilacs over
hung by early wistaria A spring
like odor hung In the air. Somewhere
q tiny fountain grew musical In the
nemidarkness.
Marion told me you had been ask
ed" she said I'VE have been so
friendly You've always asked me To
dance whenever we have met, so
thought I'd save you one Are yoH
battered, Mr. Plank n
He said he was. very pleasantly, per
6ectly undeceiyed and convinced Of her
.pnrposea purpose never even tacitly
admitted between them. and the old
loneliness came over him again-not
resentment for he was willing that she
should use him. why not? Others
nsed him, everybody used him, and If
they found no use for him they let
him alone Mortimer. Fleetwood, Bel
lwether-aIl. all had something to ex-
net from him. 1t was for that he was
tolerated He knew It He had slow
~ and unwillingly learned 1t. His In
frueion among these people, of whom
he was not one, would be endured on
~ while he might be turned to some
account The hospital used him, the
clergy found plenty for him to do for
them, the museum had room for other
pictures Of his Who among them all
had ever sought him without a mo
4five7 Who among them all had ever
found unselfish pleasure in him2 Not
one
He wished she would come to heI
point. but he dared not lead her to il
too brusquely. because her purpose and
her point We're supposed to be abso
1uteIy hidden from his thick and cred
uious understanding 1t had tal1er
him some time to make this clear tC
sa1imself Passing from suspicion
through chagrin and overwounded feel
ing to dull certainty that she. too, was
using him. harmlessly enough from
her standpoint, but how bitterly from
his. he alone could know
The futter of her fan meant impa
fienee to learn from him what she hac
come TO him to learn and then, salts
Aed. to leave him alone again amiC
the peopled solitude of clustered lights
He wished she would speak Hs
was tired OF the sadness of 1t all
whenever in his isolation. in his utter
.destitution of friendship, he turnet
guilelessly TO meet new advance, al
ways, sooner or later. the friendly
mask was lifted enough for him Il
divine the cool, fixed gaze of self In
kferest inspecting him through til,
damask Sits.
Sylvia was speaking now, and tbs
plumy fan was under sayant control
waving graceful accompaniment to he
soft voice, punctuating her sentence!
at times, at times making an emphasis
or outlining gesture.
1t was the familiar sequence topic
that led to themes which adroitly skirt
ed the salient point; returned capri
ciously, just avoiding tia subtl.
charming pattern of words which re
CURED so little in reply that bis smil'
and nod were almost enough to keei
her aria and his accompaniment aflOat
It began to fascinate him to watcl
the delicacy of her strategy. the CO
quoting with her purpose; her naiv
advance to the very edges of it, tn
airy retreat. the innocent detour. til