Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1919-07-30
CHAPTER XIi-Continued.
---9.--

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
her and said, "All right"
Duane told the chauffeur and the
ear shot like a javelin from the lighted
street into the deep forest-night Of
Central park.
What would Clay say7 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 a 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 we're to blame.
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 1t 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.
81 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 a bad cold singing in a
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, 1 must! I couldn't be an
actress in a thousand years. Mr.. Bat.
terson told me so himself
Duane felt the truth Of this, but ii
hurt him to have her feel it. 1t of.
Tended his chivalry to realize how i'm
polite fate could Re to so pretty a girl
He 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
" don't believe that for a minute,
she protested. "Sut I've got to find
something I can d."
MAY help you to decideY
"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
sLu at mis- elbow and was standing of
In an attitude OF ill-concealed impa
tacnce for the tip, which he knew
would be large. Mr.. Duane always
gave the normal ten per cent and {
bit extra. He tipped wisely but no
too well, knowing that an extravagan
tip wins a walters contempt almos
more than none al all. The head waiter
fairly cooed "Godd night" and almos
gave them a blessing.
The starter he'd Mr.. Duane's cal
Whiting for him nj tho curh and lifte(
bis hat with one hand as he smuggle(
quarter away with the other. HI
stepped in to lay the linen laprobt
over their knees with reverence, CLOSED
she door exQuisitely and murmured
pGood nightp
The car was an aristocrat; it float
ed from the curb with a swanlik,
sweep.
Daphne thought Of Clay and hersel
plCdding hOmeward. She seemed t,
sec them or their wraiths staggering
disconsolately along. She felt yer,
sorry for them. Here was a chance t,
save one of them-both of them, IL
fact; for in taking her financial bur
den from Clay's shoulders she woul,
be twice strengthening him. If sh
were to accept Duane as her HUSBAND
then her problems would be solved
and Clay would be free of her.
To be Mrs. Tom Duane; to step int
6ss society of society; to lift her fathe
pad mother from positaon of meek