Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1911-08-03
The impression had been ana re

Coulu ner eyes nave uecelVed her soI
"Thoughtful?"
She nodded alertly, instantaneously
mistress of self: and let her gaze.
serious yet half smiling. linger upon
his the exact fractional shade of an in
slant longer than had been. perhaps,
discreet. Then lashes drooped long
upon her cheeks. and her color deep
ened all but imperceptibly.
The mans breath halted. then came
trace more rapidly than before. He
bent forward impu,siveiy. The
girl sighed ever so gently.
Il was thoughtful. It's all
so strange. you know"
His attitude was an eager question.
Il mean our meeting-that way. last
night" She held his gaze again. mo-
mentarily, and
Damn the waiter" quoth savagely
back to facilitate the service of their
neal
The girl placated him with an insig-
n:ficant remark which led both into a
maze of meaningless but infinitely di-
verting inconsequences divert. ng. at
least. to Anisty. who held up his head.
giving her back look for look. Jest for
Jest, platitude for platitude when the
waiter was within hearing distance;
altogether, he felt, acquitting himself
very creditably.
AS for the girl. in the course of the
next half or three-Quarters CT an hour
she demonstrated herself conclusively
a person of amazing resource. de-
veloping with admirable ingenuity a
campaign planned on the spur of a
chance observation. The gentle man.
nered and self-sufiicient crook was
taken captive before he realized it.
however willing he may have been.
Enmeshed in hundred uncompre-
hended subtleties. he basked. purring.
the while she insinuated herself be-
meath his guard and stripped him of
his entire armament of cunning. vigi-
lance, invention, suspicion, and dis
trust
He relinquished them without
sigh, barely conscious of the spolia-
ton. After all, she was of his trade,
herself mired with guilt; she would
never dare betray him, the conse-
qrences to herself would be so dire.
Besides, patently-almost too much
so-she admired him. He was her
hero. Had she not more than limited
that such was the case, that his ex-
ample. his exploits, had fired her to
emulation-however weakly feminine?
/. He saw her before him, dainty,
alluring, yielding. yet leading him on
altogether desirable. And so long had
he, Anisty, starved for affectionl
Il am sure you must be dying for a
smoke"
BEG pardon." He awoke abruptly.
to find himself twirling the sharp
ribbed stem of his empty glass. Alb
s-ractedly he stared into this. as
though seeking there a clue to what
they had been talking about. Hazily
he understood that they had been
drifting close upon the perilous shoals
of intimate personalities. What had |
he told her? What had he not?
No matter. 1t was clearly to be seen
that her regard for him had waxed |
rather than waned as a result of their
conversation. One had but to look
into her eyes to be treasured as to
that. One did look, breathing heavily.
What an ingenious child it |
was, to show him her heart so freely, |
He wondered that this should be so
feeling it none the less a Just anu
81 aceful tribute to his destinations.
She repeated her arch query. She
was sure he wanted to smoke.
Indeed he did-if she would permit?
And forthwith Maitland's cigarette
case was produced, with flourish.
What beautiful easel"
In an instant it was in her hands.
Beautiful" she iterated, inspecting
the delicate tracery of the monogram
engravers art-head Bonded forward,
face shaded by the broad-brimmed hat.
You like it? You would care to
own it?" Anisty demanded, unsteadily.
~" The infection of doubtful sur
prise was a delight to the ear. obi
. / couldn't think of accepting.
Besides, | have no use for it,"
VI course you ain'tTare not that
sort" An hour back he could have
kicked himself for the grammatical
b'under; now he was wholly illuded;
besides, she didn't seem to notice.
But as a little token-between US"
She drew back, pushing the case
across the cloth; II couldn't dream"
But II INSIST"
III you insist? Why, I sup
pose it's awfully good of
you" She flashed him a maddening
glance.
You do me pro-honor," he amend