The daily Alaskan., 1917-10-29

dtay bid dirl. Finilin' aIl night wifi dray, bid, 'normous dlrl!" Her cruelty was all unwilling. She intended to rally him sweetly. But seventeen is deathly serious at such junCtures, and William was in sensi. tive condition.
 "Oo tross?" whispered Lola.
 He spake not.
 "Twasn't my fault bout dancing" she said. Bad boy! What made % tum so late?"
 He maintained his silence and the accompanying icy dignity. whereupon she made a charming little pout
 "Oo be so tross," she said. Lola talk to nice Man uvver side of herw
 With that she turned her back upon him and prattled merrily to the gen. tleman of sixteen upon her right.
 Still and cold sat William. Let her talk to the Man at the other side of her as she would, and ever so gayly. William knew that she was conscious every instant of the reprOachful pres- enCe upon her left. And somehow these moments of quiet and melan- chOiy dignity became the most satis- factory he had known that evening, for as he sat, so silent, so austere, and not yet eating. though q plate of chick en salad had been placed upon his lap, he began to feel that there was sOme- where about him mysterious supert orIty which set him apart from other people and above them.
 And, although Miss Pratt continued to make merry with the Man upon her right, 1t seemed to William that this was but outward show. He had a strange, subtle impression that the mysterious superiority which set him apart from others was becoming per ceptible to he:; that she was feeling 1t tco
 Over the chatter and laughter of the guests rose q too familiar voice. Lem me hep you to nice tongue samwich, lady. Nom? Nice green lettuce sam- wich, ladyt"
 Genesis.
 "Nice tongue Samwlch, suh? Nice lettuce Samwich, ladyi" he could be heard vOclfcrating, perhaps a little too much as If he had sandwiches for sale. "Lemme jes' lay this nice green let tuce samwich on you plate fer you, lady"
 Because he was a new waiter he strongly wished to show familiarity with his duties-famIliarity, in fact, with everything and everybody. This yea-ning, born of self doubt and in- tensidcd by a slight touch of gin, was beyond question the inspiration of his painful behavior when he came near the circle of chairs where sat Mir. and Mrs. Parcher, Miss Parcher, Miss Pratt, Miss Boke, Mir. Watson, MT. Bullitt, others and William.
 "Nice tongue samwich, lady!" he an- nounced semicake walking beneath his high borne tray. Nice green lettuce sam He came suddenly to a dra- matic dead stop as he beheld William sitting before him, wearing that strange new dignity and MT. Baxter's evening clothes. Name O gOo'ncss!' Genesis exclaimed, so loudly that every one looked up. How in the llvin' worr you eyuh come to git here? You dad dy sut'ny mus "a weakened way down 'fo' he let you wear his low cut yes an pants an long tail coat! bet any man 50 cents you gone an stole lem out aftuh he done went to bed"
 And he burst into a wild, free Afri- can laugh.
 At seventeen such things are not embarrassing; they are catastrOphicaL But, merclfully, catastrophes often pro- duce numbness in the victims. More as in a trance than actually William heard the outbreak of hls young com panIons.
 A flourish of music challenged the dancers. Couples appeared upon the platform.
 The dreadful supper was over.
 The ineffahle One SImremcIy pink, EElzsEHI1z II1-IzsllslzEZ