Evening star., 1912-07-15
CHAPTER III.-Continued.

signify, Win a Qulel lHdt
would be hard to say
You leave New York;"
II may have to, I'm told
I'm sorry" she said gravely. But l
shouldn't he. 1 presume. | ought to offer
you CONGRATULATIONS; you~a very fortu-
nate
Am II" he aueried. as NV -. Il
wonder"
They were iGterl-- oted by the waiter
Silent al serious for a span. Gym
thias attention was apparently held by
the show of life and sayety on whose
border they sat. observing when they
would, but almost altogether unobserVeo
Her eyes grew dark with thought and
pucker showed. all but imperceptibe.
between her delicately lined brows.
Crittenden. whose interest was no
where else. was moved to inquire: why
the frown?'
1t vanished in twinkling and she
smiled But then again the pucker m
sensibly marred the smoothness of her
forehead.
Il don't like mysteries" she averred
with trace of petulance.
NO more do T. he said. his tone mean
ingful.
But we must respect our bargain,
she insisted :. No questions to ask "
NO memories to dissect." he re-
cited. mo plans for the future
But for one thing that would be hard
bargain.
'Yes?"
THAT we're friends-the other half Of
the bargain: old friends. just for today.
His regard was steady and intent upon
her.
There was a flash like summer light
ming in the eyes that held her own. She
caught her breath sharply. A sudden
swirl of half,forned emotions bewildered
her. Something. somehow tshe had no
time 10 analyZe), had surprised her off
guard and filled her being with sweetly
strange confusion and ALARM.
Now for the first time she was brought
to face the fact that he was man and
she a woman.
She looked hastily away with fright
ened eyes. striving to readjust the SUBJ
jective balance of their relations. She
flushed deiiciouSly. -
Yet he had said nothing, positively
nothing: he had done nothing she could
name to bring about this change in their
attitudes. one toward the other. The re-
Sponsibiiity for 1t lay with her as much
as with him. 1t was all in nature: as
she had long since learned. between man
and woman one must constantly antici
pate the unexpected: it must inevitably
come, soon or late-the recognition of
sex. 1t may mean nothing, herald moth
ing. lead to nothing: but invariably 1t will
come where friendship is
Constraint lay between them for
space.
She stole a glance at him. He was
staring somberly at his plate. She fan
cied a slight movement of his lips; and
II was real. but she could not guess that
ne was swearing very softly, but very
A second time the waiter disturbed
them. earning the gratitude OF both.
when his services were for the time dis
charged and he had retired to q discreet
distance, the situation was saved Crit
tenden quickened to an amused COM
mentary on their experiences Of the
aftesnoon SO wittily phrased that Gym
thia's laughter swept her mood away and
with II his. The surface of their inter-
course became as it had been, both tacit-
Iy ignoring that instant of the senses
which had shown them what depths
might lie beneath the most quiet calm.
The meal passed off. under cover of
light table talk as impersonal as politics
and infinitely more diyerting.
Still. however, was the evening young.
Content to watch it age and loath to
leave this spot, where quiet and forget
fulness had been found, they fingered on.
dawdling over their coffee. Crittenden
steadily consuming his interminable Gig
arettes.
Slowly the dinner parties rose and left !;
the restaurant remaining only moderate
ly busy with the demands Of an inter-
mittent trickle Of belated patronage
Silences heightened between them. as
each anticipated with refreshed regret
the approach Of that moment when their
rising must signal the preliminary of
their parting. To both came q sensation
Of gentle melancholy. of whose pleasures,
OF late so few. this was the last. In the
shadow OF the impending morrow with
its insistent problems, which one of them
at least, thought to find insolvable. the
tide or their spirits slackened and began
to ebb in sadness.
From beyond the railing at their ell
bows. masked by the sombrous night,
sounded the endless complaining of the
unsleeping sea.
At length. unwillingly, Crittenden
looked at his watch. then signaled to
their waiter.
I'm sorry he said apologetic We've
Just time to catch our boat
Il m sorry, too-very,' she said softly
~ has been very sweet-this changeling
day that knew no yesterday and no to-
morrow"
innocent at once of parentage and
rosterity," he laughed. covering his reali-
za.on that the waiter was making off
with every cent he owned aside from a
single half-doIlar
She began TO draw on her gloves You
have been kind she said. without meet
ing his look. more than kind. l have no
way OF thanking you but by my appre-
ciation-but is II too much TO ask YOU
for a further kindness, a word of ad.
You couldn't crafty me more" he
said.
II want to know if you think'-she COL
ored. stammering-.if you think that pos
sibiy the inventor of occupations might
ne lndHed TO fnvent-SOmething for a
woman-like myself" Her laugh was
brief and self-conscious
You might ask him. said Crittendee
quietly. Hes a curious creature-I've
found that out already-though l know
little about him. II You like, I'll ask him
over"
How-what do you mexne'' she de-
manded. puzzled
Crittenden indicated direction with a
faint nod. He's over there now" he
said smiling. Il saw him roll in-like Z
sure-enough fire ball-about ten minutes
ago"
TRULY" But her eyes had been in
slant TO his hint, and she knew alreads
tnat the veritable Red Man was seated
quite by himself II a table near the
other edge of the veranda There was
no mlstaking that ensanguined shane.
The on& wonder was she had not no.
ticed him before
Has he seen us?''
ne instant he came in" said Crit
tendsA Those blue-glass eyes Of his
nave been buiging ever since: he's posi-
lively aching with cUiosty-auiverinr al,
over like one of those hairless Mexican