The diamond drill., 1913-11-01

woman-etring. Listen--how discord.
ant nowi tune IL TO the man-string'
for I am God OF this little world-and
new how beautiful"
.You are talking poetryl" said Bet
sy-parhara; and thought OF the phrase
gs somewhat awkward.
All. but am inspired" replied Es-
trilla.
("He surely doesn't mean me"
thought Betsy Barbara, that would be
100 deliciousl' However, he was look.
ing not at her but mt the guitar)
He strummed little shimmertng
chords as he spoke He fell TO silence.
but sfllI the languorous music quivered
from the guitar. Betsy Barbara turned
about on the piano stool. her hands
folded lightly In her lap, her eyes cast
down.
II was many years before Betsy-Bar
bara, looking back over everything,
could analyze the feeling OF that mo-
ment, could put IL In It's true relation
to herself and her life. AT the time,
she knew only that she sat there i'm
passive, embarrassed, but inert, that
she felt shame yet also furtive pleas.
ure at the steady look OF those caress
ing eyes IL lasted only moment.
The outer door slammed violently.
Betsy.B Barbara started as though
caught in something guilty. She hesr
tated moment for fear OF showing
her feelings to Estrilla. Then she
walked out into the hall. There was
no one in sight. That seemed curl
GUS. since the hall stairs were not car
peted, and one could hear footsteps
II was as though some one had opened
the front door and then quickly closed
&c again without entering. When she
turned back, puzzled, she felt the ne
cessity for explanation.
Il thought II might be Miss Hard
ing" she said, falsely-'I wanted tc
see her"
He only smiled the same caressine
smile But the spell was cracked; and
Betsy-Barbara herself completed the
break. Half an hour later she winged
a hint. which he caught mid-course, as
he seemed to catch every delicate
shaft OF meaning. He rose and bads
her formal good night. Il hope may
sing with you again." he said at part
ing.
Betsy-Barbara went to her owr
room. She dwadled over her prepare
tions for undressing. making dozen
starts and stops. She was not sleepy:
a hundred currents OF thought were
crossing and recrossing In her mind
So at last she threw klmono over her
evening gown and sat down at the win
dow, maiden-fashion, and thought.
To make no further mystery, the
person who opened the front door anc
disturbed the tete-a-tete between Es
strilla and Betsy-Barbara was only
Tommy North. He had been searching
strenuously for job. No mystery
about that, either. The reason wat
Betsy-Barbara. The nights quest hac
failed. The fluid mercury OF his dis
position had fallen almost to absolute
zero. In this mood, he unlocked the
front door. The parlor was open; he
heard the soft thrum OF a guitar. Hun
cry for companionship, he crossed tbs
thick hall carpet to the parlor door
He looked in and beheld Betsy-Bar
bara sitting with flushed cheeks ano
folded hands. II was the attitude of o
woman who yields. Beside her sat the
Estrilla person. strumming gently or
guitar and looking a million Ian
guors. With a movement that was an
explosion, Tommy rushed out. slam
ming the front door behind him.
His feet. rather than his will, car
ried him away. There was a saloon AT
the corner. AS by instinct. Tommy
rushed into II and ordered q glass OF