New Britain herald., 1915-11-23

her shoulder she threw back shaft
 at MT. Underwood.
 II am dying to talk to MT. Graham, she said. He is by far the hand |scmest man in the room.'p
 Thank you.' He threw her an au. ldacious kiss. Looks are not every.
 thing my child, as I am going to try
 to convince Mrs Graham"
 With a quick movement he had Itakep me lightly by the shoulders and
 compelled me to sit down in the arm
 chair. Then he stationed himself ir front of me.
 Now, my sulky friend," he said with a smile. 'I have you prisoner
 When you are really good-natured and promise to like me I will let you up.'
 I was furiously angry. No mar 1 save Dicky and Jack had ever touched 1 my person before. It seemed like a 1 proclamation that this man, whom detested, should seize my shoulders 1 But there was no escape from my situation. l could only sit and listen to him, with as much courtesy as I could muster until some shifting of the other groups should release me- ''sticks and stones," Said Harry Underwood DO you smoke, Mrs Graham? I'll bet ten spot. you don't. but you ought to begin.'' e,..,. :.
 Harry Underwood leaned toward me a case of cigarettes in his. hand. Dicky had provided cigarettes in a quaint an- tique jar, one of the things he had brought from the studio to the apart ment. But MT. Underwood evidently wished me to try his own brand. The, question was the only thing needed to complete, my anger at this man. had vaguely disliked him from the first time had met him. His bold words and manner in the after noon had deepened my dislike. Then when his wife had warned me that ne would in all probability make violent love to me, as was a new type to him, my feeling had become an un- conquerable, aversion.
 Lillian had added that she would stralghten him out if he annoyed me too much, but as I looked out from my armchair in which he had imprisoned me by the simple expedients of push ing me into it and standing in front of it., I saw that she was still too ab- sorbed in. her art discussion with Mr.
  Lester with bird-like glances, and chirp giggles, was talking rapidly to Dicky. He was listening to her with the smile on his face which I knew meant absorbed amusement.
 ''Everybody's Doing It.
 For the moment was as much alone with MT. Underwood as if the room had been empty
 He saw my glance, interpreted it correctly, and bent closer to me, smil- ing misccievously.
 "You see it is@ useless,'',f1ae said, an- swering my unspoken thought. You can't get away. I promised myself a little uninterrupted conversation with you and I always get what I want al- ways.''
 He bent closer to me, his eyes hold ing mine. He spoke slowly, emphatl- cally, I shivered. I felt the sudden momentary dread of this man l had 1 experienced in the afternoon. He laughed suddenly, with hearty mis- chief.
 "Scared you stiff tat time, didn't I? Do you know I thought the melo- dramatic stuff would get you. I score one. You'd better light one of these. can recommend the brand, and it's
 
 looked haughtily at him, but be- fore I could open my mouth he began humming:
 "Everybody's doing it, doing it, do- ing It."
 looked around my living room The air was already heavy with the scent of the cigarettes The men were all smoking. Lillian Gale was consuming one after another, while even little Mrs. Lester was toying with one. She looked like a litle girl playing at smok- ing corn silk cigarette. All Alone. Indeed. But before my guests had ever ar 1 rived I ad mades my decision concern ing smoking. I had smoked my first cigarette with Dicky at his earnest re- quest, almost his command. But it had been against all my principles ana prejudices; I had done it only to please Dicky, and in the seclusion of our home. Not for worlds would l repeat the, experience in the presence of other people, especially at the behest of a l man I hated.
 We'll" Harry Underwood's face still held his mOcking smile as he held out the case toward me. q am sorry"-I tried to speak cOur- teously-'but I do not smoke" ''I know that. But you are going to try one with me. The combination of a cigarette and your mouth is some thing I should like to see.' His words were almost the same as l Dicky had used when he had begged me to smoke. I had faintly resented them in Dicl1y. From the lips of this man theV were an offence. How I wanted to tell him what really thought of him. But my tongue was tied by the knowledge that he was Dicky's friend. I fOresaW all sorts