The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1919-04-25

: published In their entirety without ex
: purgation. Vice has its hypocritical
: cant no less than religion.
One day, toward the end Of her first
week, she was startled to find before
: her a 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
levant Court Memoirs. He had not
yet taken the bait for the De Maupas-
SAINT.
1 Daphne pondered his card and his
taste. She was shaken from her pen
sive mood by the sudden commotion
of all the women. All eyes had seen
the minute and the hour hands in con-
junction at XII. Names were left of
in the middle; pens fell from poised
hands.
Daphne found herself alone. She
was glad Of the quiet and the solitude.
while it 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 manifestly irresolute
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 filled her with q
fierce anxiety.
She knew his reputation. She had
seen his vulgar scuffles 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 heart began to flutter with fear
and wrath. She felt that if he spoke
to 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.
Z But that meant instant dismissal at
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 heI
clothes lost freshness.
But the violence of Gerst's resent
nent would be detail. The horror
vas the mere thought of his touch.
She rose quickly and tried to reach
he fire escape. That was the solu,
ion-to join the crowd.
But Gerst filled the aisle. She adled
,ast two tables into the next aisle. He
aughed and sided across to the same
isle. She tried to hasten by. He put
lis arms out and snickered: :
whats the rush, grille? Nobody :
ollered sFire!'"
LET me pass, please" she mumbled y
wait ia minute, wait ia minute
What d you say If l was to asst you :.
0 go to show tanight, huh? What'd y
GU say?"
"Thank you. I have another 4
ouIdn't" -
Smother eve, then? Or to dance y
uh?" ST
THANK you, I'm afraid I can't"
"Why not? Come on Why not' ~
lint got class enough for your y
"Oh yes, but Please, let me BY"
He stared at her, and his hands
and his lips. His eyes rar W
,er her face and her bosom as If she pa
ere forbidden text. She was try gu
& to remember what Duane had toIc 40
,r about the way to quell a man ed
18th great difficulty and in all trepi On
ltion she parroted her old formula. TO
"Mr. Gerst, you don't have to f1iri
it'll me. don't expect it, and don't ,
re 1t, so please let me CO."
He stared at her, trying to under 80
md her amazing foreign language
len he shifted with amused unbelief -, !,
opped his hands, and stood aside. :
Daphne could hardly believe her -
es. The charm had worked the third
ne! She darted forward to get away =
fore the spell was broken. AS she NJ
ssed him-whether he suddenly
anged his mind or had only pretend
to acquiesce-he enyeloped her ir
arms.
She almost swooned in the onset OF -
II and the suffocation of his EN- -
ice. Then she fought him, striking ,ura
atching, writhing. He crowded blad
: against the nearest table and tried D
reach her lips across her left elbow nigf
Ter outfung right hand struck " !
inst an inkwell, recognized it as Swa
apon Of a sort, and, clutching 1t caus
ept it up and emptied it into his real
e, heal
lis satyric leer vanished In black ot
ash. His hands went to his -. ~
nched eyes. Daphne, released 81
pped the inkwell and fied to the prer
ker-room while he stamped about 1
vling like the blinded Cyclops bott
ohne did not stay to taunt him nor s'on
demand her wages. She caught