Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-07-23
Cynthia (Cyndonia)
pr Y Erie 8 p $40
CHAPTER II.
DERELICTS.

she call Jean and leave it with him to be
returned to its putative owner, the Red
Man? Or was that worth while-would
1t not be Identifying the thing with an
undue importance, since apparently it
had been thrown away as worthless?
The cryptic scrawl on the back in
clined her to the latter conclusion. She
could trace no inteHigible connection be-
tween the words Cynthia" and "Cydo-
MIA" and the rest of it seemed quite
meaningless-merely a purL oseless scrib-
BILE such as one is apt to make if play
ing with a pencil while conversing.
She was on the point of dropping the
card where she had found it, when she
heard a sound of quick footsteps as
cending the brownstone stoop. and before
she bethought herself to move out of
the way the entrance was again darken-
ed by the slender, well-poisted figure of
that boy" ...-.r
| At sight of Cyntn.a, pausing there with
the card in her hand, he halted short,
momentarily confused He said Il beg
your pardon" between breaths, and re-
moved his hat with sudden graceful
gesture.
Cynthia's confusion, however, was
greater than any he betrayed. For
moment she was assailed by a wholly
unreasonable sense of modification, as
II she had been caught doing some
thing unworthy of her-somethlng al
most as contemplate as eavesdropping
This was in part due to his question
/ ing attitude; she realized at once, or
course. that he hal come back for the
card and was surpTiasd to ind it in her
possession. She fiukhed sensitiVely,
thereby rendering herself rather more
pretty than usual, collected her wits
and in response to his uncalled for apol-
ogy rendered him the card.
"This is yours?" she said, I hap
pened to see it here on the floor
He took it with a little bow of thanks
that reminded her of the minor cour-
tesies she was accustomed to expect or
men abroad rather than of the nervous
and self-conscious cIvility of the aver
age American man of affairs.
"'Thank you," he said, Il missed 1t
i Just a minute ago and hurried back
I'm greatly obliged-wouldn't
have lost that for good deal"
She heard herself say Nor with the
linouiring infection; and caught her
breath with surprise that she should
have forgotten herself so far. 1t wasn't
Hike her to offer encouragement to
Eyoung men unknown to her-or vice ver-
sa, for that matter; whereas her mon
losyllabic reply had been distinctly an
invitation to him to explain, If he wish
ed, why he valued the card so highly.
An explanation would involve some &C
acknowledgement on her part and that
would prolong the passage sufhclen1y
Ito provoke his interest.
She was surprised at herself with
surprise that was. nothing lessened by
her subsequent conduct; something
which remained inexplicable to her long
after the incident might well have been
i forgotten. The real explanation of her
acceptance of the situation, not only
lat, that moment but as 1T
developed, probably resided in the young
mans manner; which was perfection. She
was even then discovering that his
smile, viewed at close quarters, was
both disarming and insidious, and could
4 be. when he chose, positively charming
with its suggestion of humor, defer
ence, and some little reserve, all color
ed by a suggestion of admiration to
which no woman could remain totally
indifferent And he chose that it should
convey a great deal when 1T accompa-
MED his prompt response.
cit means a lot to me-" he said with
an engaging hint of candor; you see,
struck a bit of luck today and this
Indicating the card-'is the token there
Of"
you've found something to DOR she
said: and the query came as impul-
sively, as naturally as had it's predeces-
sor. 81 am glad" she added, feeling
that since she had gone so far with
impunity she might venture a step
further without loss of dignity. Mo-
mentarily she was gaining confidence in
him, that he was not the sort to impose
upon her generosity.
YES" he said, gravity shadowing
his smile while his glance chung to her,
keenly inquisitive. Yves, 1 seem to have
stumbled on something 1 think I can
do It's promising. anyway, and I'm
going to have try at it,"
Cynthia repeated a shade vaguely, be-
ginning to remember that she must find
an excuse to terminate the incident, 81
am glad. 49,.
He was quick to divine her thought
and at once stood aside, leaving the
doorway clear; but at the same time he
pursued the subject with a question
that had every excuse: But how did
you guess"
why. the card. of course" she said
with a smile that shyly extenuated her
presumption, Inventor of occupa-
TONS" she quoted. "You see 1 no
ticed him go over and speak to you.
Apparently he doesn't wait in his den
for clients; he goes boldly forth and
hunts them down and forces his inven-
lions upon them"
cit does look like that" admitted the
other.
Somehow ii seemed quite natural that
he should follow her out and down to
the sidewalk. But at the foot of the
steps he hesitated, took a couple of
steps by. her side, then paused.
| would it annoy you" he said, ito
have me walk with you as far as Fifth
avenue-if you go that way? 1t didn't
occur to me, at first, that 1 might seem
impertinent You see. having
seen you so often at Suzanne's
laugh.
No" returned Cynthia quietly. 81
quite understand"
He thanked her in curious tone, as
If he had not yet quite recovered from
! the reelizat'cR cf his effrontery; and for