The Washington herald., 1914-01-18
TWAS EVER THUS

tie table well down the room. Sylvia was
| pouring tea for him. She was radiantly
beautiful: her checks were flushed: her
red lips parted. The music, which had
momcntarily ceased, began again, more
| haunting and wierd than before. Sylvia
put down the Sevres cup.
''oh, Billy" she cried. Il just can't re-
sist. You must. This one. Pieaser'
He smiled slowly. He was about to
protest. Then she fairly threw herself
| into his arms. 1t would have been tre-
| mendously awkward under the circum-
| stances to have held out against her. He
glided with her out onto the polished
floor.
She was smiling up at him again with
that honeyed-sweet smile she had worn
when she bade him come with her. 1t
filed him somehow with premonition. But
the music was wonderful and the floor
shimmered and shone and Sylvia was
smiling there in his arms and Billy Perry,
as already stated, was very human.
He half-sighed. half-laughed, and gave
himself up to the music and its call.
oh, there's no one, no one, can dance
like you. Billy" breathed the girl.
He felt his blood quickening; but in
stantly it seemed to freeze.
Stin in those languid. honeyed tones the
girl was saying. with a hint Of malice in
her eyes and more than a hint of it in
the curling corners OF that red mouth,
land yet, Billy. we arc dancing today
those dances imported from blindly ig-
norant and superstitious savages-"
She felt his whole frame stiffen. His
face went pale.
You were there?' he said sharply.
This afternoon
Yes" she confessed.
And this was a trap?'
Yes
He glanced quickly about him. At one
OF the tables were four members Of the
Civic C.ub-four of the most influential
members. He realized he had mentioned
in his talk that this undesirable form
of dancing might be seen at Rioli's any
afternoon, not done by street arabs or
shop girls. but by scion5 and daughters
Of the best families of the city.
II am going home,' he said suddenly.
sick and disgusted and angry and
ashamed.
And SO long as brought you I shall
have to take you back, I suppose" said
she. so I'll go with you"
He neither acquiesced nor negatived
this plan Of hers. Indeed. he made no
com-:ent whatever. Stifiy he stalked
with her to the courtroom, helped her into
her wraps, got into his own. descended
the stairs, and summoned the waiting
Fritz.
$50 you were there this afternoon"
he said again, when they were in the
car.
Yes" she said, little frightened now.
She had conceived this as a great lark.
It didn't seem quite coming up to ex-
pectations.
"Delilah wasn't satisfied until Samson's
locks were shorn." he said bitterly
She tried to grin impishly at him. II
was not wholly a success.
well, why?" he demanded.
She was silent
"why?" he asked again.
II know I'm frivulous, Billy" she said.
but there's no harm in me. Neither is
there any harm in the rest of them dane
ing back there. And you and all your
horrid old speeches before the Civic Club
and such places-they make me-they
make me-
well. what? Say It," he demanded. ]
Mad" said she.
$50 to satisfy some silly little whim of
yours, To exercise your unique sense CO
humor. you catch me after my speech
this afternoon, my speech which you ad.
NIT you've listened to. and lure me to