The Washington herald., 1914-10-04

I 49, 9PSes tHru paused Tor kick,
Mniriea on their heels. and retraced
tneis steps with the high knee-action
q. ~ uO1Ousnoreds winning blue rib
Then each hoped awhile On ON.
foot, the other foot kicking between ne
Farmers knees. Then they dipped to
the hoor. As he swept her back to her
fun height. the music turned sIy and
WIN you pardon me one question -
Probably not. What IS III
Ddmt you wear this same hat YES
Her head came up with a 0lar. "I.r,
that 2 rather eatty remark for man
%oh, | didn't lnean it that wax.u h,
faltered. Its beautiful hat
No hat is beautiful two days !, ,,,.-
cession. Its unkind of you, though 70
notice It, and rub II in.
FOR heavens sake. don't take il tha,
way. IL followed this hat of youTs
ior miles and miles yesterday"
You followed this hat7"
Persis could not but be pleased
though she tried to disguise her delight
by saying:
1T must have been shock to Won
when you saw what was really md,
this hat"
She had not meant TO fish so o,,..
Iageousiy for a compliment. She un-
SerStood, too late, that her words gave
MN not only an excuse, but a con1pul-
held. ' Will
IF you could only know how L
now you-how beautiful you-how-I
wish you'd let me say it,"
You've said IT," she murmured His
confusion revealed an ardor too pro-
found TO be rebuked or resisted She
luxuriated in it, and rather sighed than
smiled: '-iaii
I'm glad you like me-"
It was a more girlish speech than
she usually made. Unwittinely sh.
crept trife closer to him, and breathed
so deeply that he felt her bosom swell
against him with a strangely gentle
power. By immeasurably subtle degrees
the barrier between them dissolved, or
rather shifted until it surrounded them
Ihey were no longer strangers. They
were together within a magic inclosure.
he understood the new confmunjon-
and an impulse swept him to crush her
against him. He fought it so hard that
his arm quivered. She felt the battIe
IN his muscles, and rejoiced in the duel
OF his two selves, both hers. She knew
that she had a lover as well as a 0uar-
dian in his heart.
Inc hght burned about them like a
flaming rose. The other couples had
paused and retreated, staring at them;
but they did not heed their isolation.
hey swooped and careened and twirl-
ed TIL they were blurred like a SPIN
nIng top, till they were exhausted and
"avering in their fight.
At length he found that she was
'reathless, pale, squandered. She hung
Ill her weight on his arm, and grew so
ieavy that It ached. =
Just IN time the music GANG to an
abrupt end, and the danse macabre was
lone. But the floor still wheeled be-
1eath his feet, and he staggered As he
leld her limp and swayins BODY.
She shook the dizziness from her
yes, and put away his arm, but seized
I again. He supported her to the table
md guided her to a seat.
Ten Eyck, who had been watching
nem from his place, showed a chair
lgaInst Forbes relaxing knees, and set
tan glass IN his hand. saying:
Sad, old man, you need a drinkP
Forbes took gulp of highball and
at staring at Persis. Ten Eyck was
luietly dipping his fingers into his own
slass and tiicking water on Persis face.
She regained her seIf-control wonder
ngy. Her lips tried plucI<ily to smile.
hough her eyes studied Forbes with a
una OF termed anger-more at her
eli than at him. He met them with
!. gaze OF Liberation and dread. Persis
1abot was the wonder of her world
or being at the same time so cordial
nd so cold, so lightly amused. so ex-
rayagant, and yet apparently so i'm
nune to the follies of passion. She
vas thought to be incapable OF losing
Ither her head or her heart. Mrs.
Ven called her ''hreproof."
While Enslee was universally accent
d as her fiance, simply because his
wealth and his famiiy's prestige were
,reateT than anybody's else in her cir
le. This made him the logical candi-
late Everybody knew that he was
mad about Persis in his petty way. But.
Iooody expected PerSiS to fall madly
love with Willie, or to let that failure
eep her IRON marrying him.
And now Forbes appeared from the
and strange influences be-
an to work upon her She began to
tudy the man with increasing interest.
'he resented his effecr upon her, and
ould not resist it. He was like sharp
nife. or a loaded revolver, or the edge
4 a cliff. quiet and unpursuins, yet
atent with danger, terrifying and
therefore, fascinating.
Scores OF men had embraced her as
he Canced with them and some of them
ad muttered burning love into her ear.
ut they left her cold. This man said
tile or less, and he held her almost
lyly; yet she felt a strange kindlins
his touch, saw in his eye smoIder-
g.
She was afraid to dance with him
gam. When she had regained her
lf-control she made a pretext to es-
pc out OF the lateneSs OF the hour and
e necessity of dressing for dinner anu
e opera.
She sfered to drop Forbes and Ten
yck at their destinations, and they
amoered INTO her car with Winifred
ID BOO FORBES was all too soon de-
'slted at his hotel, where the footman
ID the starter hailed PersiS with af-
chonate homage and Forbes with
w courtesy because of her. Forbes
lgered at the curb to watch her away.
IanH-s,laN Ekk.