The San Francisco call., 1913-09-20
SEMI-M ONTHLY MA GAZINE
The Girl With a Past
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complimentary, but it was a wretched
failure. He was only unpleasant and
| saw that she resented it, Her an
swers were chill and her manner had
lost all its debonair froth. | was we'll
aware that she was conscious of my
attention and was trying by some
telepathic signal to ask me to relieve
her of the presence of Thurzo. | rose
and advanced to him with a dollar
bill signifying my desire to pay my
account, and my glance told him that
| realized what had been going on.
He got up rather hectically and
went into the kitchen to get the
change. Bowing to the Girl with the
Past, took the chair he had vacated
and she looked at me gratefully.
realized tonight that she seemed to
be the person | had fancied she might
become under proper influence. My
eyes may have expressed this, for she
flushed a little.
Thank you," she said.
| got my change from Thurzo, took
my stick and hat, and going back
assumed her escort without saying
anything; for | remeWbered her pro
hibitive practice of going home alone.
But | could see that she wished me to
leave the place with her.
A S Fate would have ii the storm
"A had grown to a fury The streets
were ice-coated and before we had
taken five steps she was hanging to
my arm, the wind having taken our
two umbrellas like feathers off into
the darkness. She said she got her
car at the corner.
When we reached there after many
stumbles, we found in the shelter of
my own door way a sleet encrusted
officer who said no cars had been run
ming for an hour or more. 1t was bit
terly cold and uncomfortable and
asked her to wait in my place until
we could get some conveyance to take
her home She consented quite SIM
ply, almost eagerly, without the
slightest prudery, although the hall
boy looked with some astonishment
at the drenched feminine person
ushered into my rooms with such un-
accustomed warmth.
oiii, CD hdAC StQtCu, d QuiCt
and such apparitions are not familiar
ones on my floor. There was a good
coal fire in the pld-fashioned CRATE,
and we sat down before it in quite a
Darby and Joan manner. | made her
put her feet on the nickel bar to dry,
and it was exactly as if we had known
each other all our lives. Her COM
radeship returned, she grew happy
again and taking out a silver case she
passed it to me.
| took cigarette, the first in thirty
years. | am now forty-siX, and my
father had broken me of the perni-
cious habit, | thought permanently;
but at the first puff the intervening
years fell from me. | was cub again
and was being admitted to her court.
| belonged No longer need pine in
the outerdark at Thurzos.
We chatted of him and delicately
brought the talk round to her odd lik-
ing for the restaurant. | spoke of
She clasped her hands at the back OF
her head, leaning against them cush-
Toned on my big lounging chair.
II can't stand quiet!" she shivered.
Il must have gaiety, talk, smoke. |
want a place where women can go
alone and meet people. | don't want
to think! Give me the open road"
you ii get awfully tired of it,"
suggested. "It is mt really gay, you
know, or vicious. 1t s dreadfully
commonplace, and by and by you IL
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