Jackson County journal., 1919-05-16
CHAPTER xII-Continued.

Satan or Raphael had whispered to
her an invitation to revisit the scene
Of her late humiliation with Clay. With
Duane's magic purse there would be
no danger Of snub from the walters;
with his own car there would be no
risk of footing it home.
Then an imp of mischief spoke for
Ter and said, "All right"
Duane told the chauffeur and the
car shot like javelin from the lighted
street into the deep forest-night of
Central park.
What would Clay say? But, after
all, he had failed her in crisis. Per-
haps he had turned his heart else
where. Men were impatient, vindic-
tive, tickle.
When Claremont was reached and
Duane handed Miss Kip out he noted
that her hand was hotter than his own
and little quick to escape, her face
was flushed and her lips parted as if
with excitement. He assumed that
the speed of the ride and the tang of
adventure were to blane
While the walters were serving the
supper and while he was attacking it
with the frank appetite of honest hun
ger she recounted the evenings dis
aster as calmly as if it were the story
OF somebody else. In fact, she was
standing off and regarding herself with
the eyes of an alien. We change so
fast that the persons we were yeSter-
day are already strangers, and their
acts the acts of distant relatives. Her
calm was really the numbness of
shock. The anguish would come to-
morrow.
II can't understand myself at all''
Daphne said. 81 went through every
one of the motions, but l couldn't
reach the audience once. was like a
singer with bad cold singing in q
foreign language-yOu don't know what
the song is all about, but you know
that it never quite gets on the key"
"You mustn't be discouraged"
"Oh, yes, l must! I couldn't be an
actress in thousand years. Mr.. Bat
terSon told me Sc himself
Duane felt the truth Of this, but it
hurt him to have her feel it. It Of
Tended his chivalry to realize how i'm
polite fate could be to so pretty girl
de hated to see her reduced to the
necessity Of proving how plucky she
could be. He tried to find an escape
for her. He said:
You're far too good for the STAGE
Il don't believe that for a minute
she protested. "But I've got to find
something l can do"
May l help you to decide?'
IF you only would! But I'm getting
to be nuisance"
You are a-a-tO me you are a.
well, you're not nuisance
He dared not tell her what she was
especially as the waiter had set the
Dill at his elbow and was standing of
in an attitude of ill-concealed impa
tlence for the tip, which he knew
would be large. Mr.. Duane alway.
gave the normal ten per cent and {
bit extra. He tipped wisely but no
too well, knowing that an extravagan
tip wins walters contempt almos
more than none at all. The head waite
fairly cooed Good night and almos
gave them a blessing.
The starter had Mr.. Duane's ca,
waiting for him at the curb and liftet
his hat with one hand as he smugglet
a quarter away with the other. II,
stepped in to lay the linen laprob,
over their knees with reverence, close,
the door exquisitely and murmured
Good night !'
The car was an aristOcrat: it float
ed from the culb with a swanlik
sweep.
Daphne thought of Clay and hersel
plodding hOmeward. She seemed r
see them or their wraiths staggering
disconsolately along. She felt yer
sorry for them. Here was chance +
save one of them-both of them. il
Iact; Tor in taking her financial bu,
ueh from Clay's shoulders she woul
DC twice strengthening him. If sh
were to accept Duane as her husban
then her problems would be solved
and Clay would be free of her
10 be Mrs. Tom Duane: to sten int
'he society of society; to lift her fathe
ano mother from a position of meel