The Washington herald., 1914-10-18
tcoDsrishs Bll

- flower at sunset. She
ceased to smuggle her yawns
and sighs, and once or twice she torgol
to lift her hand 10 hide them
Forbes was so infatuated that he adj
mired even her yawns. He wanted to
whisper over her round shoulder,
How pretty you are when you are a
sleepyheadi" But he had been lessoned
enough for one evening.
At last, however, she gave up the eff
fort to go on dancing forever. She in
quired for Willie. He was not to be
seen. Ten Eyck went exploring. and
found him in retirement clutching big
highball glass with his little raocoon-
like fingers. and blinking his little rae
coon-like eyes.
However, as they were all waiting
on the curb in the fresh auroral air,
while the starter whistled up their cars,
Forbes ventured chance to murmur
to Persis:
Il beg you TO 60 home and sleep till
noon. Please don't ny to get up and
ride in the morning"
4 must" she answered. 'Its the
only duty / do"
But the note of protecting solicitude
in his voice had touched her. She
turned softer eyes upon him and smiled.
We'll dance some more tomorrow
afternoon. Till then. au revoir."
But l am to revoir you in the park
in a few hours!"
$50 you say"
Also at luncheon?"
"Oh, yes, of course"
"Persis, are you never c-coming ?"
Willie Enslee hiccoughed.
"Yes, pet" she laughed, ironically,
and nodded again to Forbes. Forbes
WINGED at the endearment she gave
Enslee, even though he felt It to be sar-
castle. He WINGED again as Enslee took
her white elbow in his white glove and
made fumbling effort to help her in.
The white fleece she was vanished into
his dark car like moon slipping into
clouds.
Forbes set out to walk to his hotel
1t was only a few blocks away, but it
seemed hundred miles. He plucked
off his clothes in a stupor, and slid
straight into the abyss of sleep as he
showed his dance-weary toes down into
the sheets.
When he woke he reached for his
watch, wondering if he could not have
a little further nap to get back into that
dream without delay
But the dial blandly informed him
that If wanted a few minutes to noon
Horror shocked him wide awake.
He leaped from his hateful couch,
swearing at himself like an army team
ster. He was doubly indignant with
himself because he had counted upon
that morning galopade He rode like
a centaur, though with the military and
not the park seat, and he had expected
his horsemanship to commend him to
Persis.
How should he apologize? He could
not wait till he saw her. The offense
must be erased before it set He must
call her up instantly He ransacked the
dangling telephone tome Her fathers
Office was mentioned, but not his resi-
dence. Yet he must have a residence,
and il must have a telephone.
At length he screwed his courage to
the point of calling up the Office of her
father. Here he learned only that Mr..
Cabot had left the Office, and it was
contrary to orders to give his house
number 49,.
After beating his head and hands
vainly for a long time against those
walls that New Workers have to build
about themselves if they are ever to
know seclusion, Forbes remembered
Ten Eyck and called up his house. He
was not at home, and his whereabouts
were unknown.
Forbes gave up. He telephoned for
coffee and rolls and morning paper
IN a powerful hurry, and Stormed into
his bathroom. When he came out as
sparsely dressed as most of the gentle
men are in the advertising pages of the
magazines, he found his breakfast on
little half table mysteriously apported.
While he danced into his trousers his
eyes were caugh: by headlines on the
paper folded at his plate:
Mayor Puts Lid on Thes Dansants."
According to the newspaper account
of a typical dancing tea, it was apparent
that Forges had failed to grasp the de-
pravity of the crowd he had been dane
ing with; II seemed that the women
were all fat hends pursuing immature |
schoolgirls, and the men all evil-eyed
brokers whose corpulence alone was
proof enough OF their wickedness.
Forbes stared aghast at a wholesale |
condemnation that must include Mrs. |
Neff, Persis, Winifred, Alice, and the |
respectable set He had not yet learned |
that certain journalists are mere news |
boys always beating out of their dread |
nought typewriters cries of Extra
Extra All about the turrible moiderl"
On his way to the Ritz-Carlton,
Forbes stopped at his bank to draw
some money. He decided that he would !
better take along hundred dollars. It |
would look impressive when he paid
the waiter. He realized that it would
drag his bank account below the ac-
ceptable minimum. But he set his teeth |
and determined to do the thing right /
If he bankrIpted the government Hel
would probably need most of the rest
of the hundred before the week was
out He could begin to save again
VIXEN he was in his uniform again.
He drew the money, strolled to the
hotel, asked for Fernand, and found
him al a glass screen in a superb room
that ran from street to street.
Fernand was cautiously gracious till
he learned that Miss Cabot had sent
Forbes to him; then he became quite
paternaL Forbes slipped him a ten
dollar bill, and he listened almost ten
derly as Forbes explained:
Il want to give little luncheon
nothing elaborate, but-well, some
thing nice, you know"
Perfectly, M'Sieur. And how many