The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1919-05-15

published in their entirety without eX
purgation. Vice has it's 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.
Daphne F nd red his card and his
taste. She was shaken from her pen
sive moOu - 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 off
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
1 early,
His eye met Daphnes 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 tho 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
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 futter 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.
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 seen
her own prestige dwindle as her
clothes lost freshness.
But the violence of Gerst's resent
ment would be 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 sidled
past two tables into the next aisle. He
laughed and sided across to the same
aisle She tried to hasten by. He put
his arms out and snickered:
"What's the rush, grille? Nobody
hollered 'Fire!'"
''Let me pass. please" she mumbled.
"Wait ia minute, wait ia minute
What d you say if l was to asst you
to go to a show tanight, huh? What'd
you say?"
'Thank you. I have another
couldn't'
Smother eve, then? Or to dance,
huh?"
THANK you, I'm afraid I can't"
"Why not? Come On! Why noti
Amt l got class enough for you?"
ooh yes, but Please, let ne by"
He stared at her, and his hands
twitched, and his lips. His eyes ran
over her fac and her bosom as if she
were a forbidden text. She was try
ing t. remember what Duane had tolG
her about the way to quell man
! With great difficulty and in all trepi
dation she parroted Ter old formula.
''N1r. Gerst. you don't have to firf
with me. l don't expect it, and DOM
like it, so please let me co.
| He stared at her, trying to under |
stand her amazing foreign language |
Then he shifted with amused unbelief, |
dropped his hands, and stood aside.
Daphne could hardly believe her |
eyes. The charm had worked the third |
| time! She 6arted forward to get away |
before the spell was broken. AS she |
passed him-whether he suddenly |
changed his mind or had only pretend |
ed to acquiesce-he> envelOped ner il,
his arms.
She almost swOoned in the onset OF
fear and the suffocation of his en-
brace. Then she fought him, striking.
scratching, Owrithing. He crowded
her against the nearest table and tried
to reach her lips across her left elbow.
Her outfung right hand struck
against an inkwell, recognized it as q
weapon of a sort, and, clutching ii,
swept it up and emptied it into his
face.
His satyric leer vanished in black
splash. His hands went to hfa
drenched eyes. Daphne, released,
dropped the inkwell and fed to thu