The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1919-05-23

prurient innueHdo that The books were
published In their entirety without e.
purgatiOn. Vice has its hypocritical
cant no less than religion.
One day, toward the end Of her firvt
week, she was startled to find before
her card bearing the legend duane,
Thomas" His address was given, and
the facts that he had bought the three
quarter morocco Balzac, the half.
leather Fielding and Smollett, and the
leyant Court Memoirs. He had not
yet taken the bait for the De Maupas-
SAINT.
Daphne pondered his card and his
taste. She was shaken from her pen.
sive mood by the sudden commokioc
Of all the women. All eyes had EAsn
the minute and the hour hands in CO..
junction at XII. Names were left OF
in the middle; pens fell from DoaseA
hands.
Daphne found herself alone. Shs
was glad of the quiet and the solitude,
while 1t lasted-which was not long,
for Gerst came back Unexpectedly
early,
His eye met Daphne's. He started
toward her, and then, seeing that she
glanced away, went on to his desk.
He stood there manifostly irresolute a
moment. He glanced at Daphne again,
at the fire escapes, at the empty room.
Then he went to the first of the tables
and with labored carelessness inspect.
ed the work of the absentee. He drift.
ed along the aisle toward Daphne,
throwing her now and then an inter.
rogative smile that filed her with q
fierce anxiety.
She knew his reputation. She had
seen his vulgar scufiies with some of
the girls, had heard his odious words.
She was convinced that he was about
to pay her the horrible compliment Of
his attention.
Her heNrt began to flutter with fear
and wrath. She felt that If he spoke
70 her she would scream; If he put his
hand on her shoulder or her chair she
would kill him, with pair Of scissors
or the knife with which she scraped
off blots. No, she must not kill
him. But she would have to strike
him on the mouth.
But that meant instant dismissal a.
the very least. He might smash his
fist into her face or her breast or
knock her to the floor with the back
Of his hand. She had seen too much
of life recently to cherish longer the
pretty myth that the poor are good to
the poor. She had seen how shabby
women Jared with street car conduct
ors and subway guards. She had seer
her own prestige dwindle as her
clothes lost freshness.
But the violence of Gerst's resent
ment would be a detail. The horror
was the mere thought Of his touch.
She rose quickly and tried to reach
the fire escape. That was the solu-
tion-to join the crowd.
But Gerst filed the aisle. She sided
past two tables into the next aisle. He
laughed and sidled across to the same
aisle. She tried to hasten by. He put |
his arms out and snlckered:
"Whats the rush, girllei Nobody |
hollered 'Firef"
"Let me pasl. please" she mumbled.
"Wait ia minute, wait Ia minute.
What d you say If l was to asst you
to go to show tanight huh2 What's
you say?"
THANK you. have another &,
Smother eve, then2 Or to dance
huh?"
"Thank you, I'm afraid ! can't"
"Why noti Come onl Why nc&l
Amt got class enough for your"
"0h yes, but Please, let me BY"
He stared at her, and his hands
twitched. and his lips. His eyes ran
over her face and her bosom as II shs
were a forbidden text. She was try,
ing to remember what Duane had told
her about the way to quell q man.
With great difficulty and In all trepi,
dalton she parroted her old formula.
'Mr. Gerst, you don't have to fir
with me. / don't expect It, and don't
like 1t, so please let me CO."
He stared at her, trying to under
stand her amazing foreign language, |
Then he shifted with amused unbelitf,
dropped his hands, and stood aside.
Daphne could hardly believe her
eyes. The charm had worked the third
dmel She darted forward to get away
before the spell was broken. Az she
passed him-whether he suddenly
.hsnged As mind or had only pretend
ID to acquiesce-he envsloped her IN
lis arms.
She almost swooned iu the onset Of |
ear and the suffocatlon Of his en-
race. Then she fought him. striking.
scratching, writing. He crowded
her against the nearest table and trieo
o reach her lips across her left elbow
Her outflung right hand struck
against an inkwell. recognized IT as a
Weapon of q sort, and. clutching IL
'wept 1t up and emptied II into his