The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1920-01-09

tlety which u more reckless appear
ance would have at once defeated.
And then Dave looked in her face.
1t was a pretty face, Notwithstanding
It's grease paint, and it smiled right
into his eyes. His heart thumped be
tween his shoulders as though it would
drive all the air from his lungs. She
smiled at him-for him! Now they
were away again; there were gyra-
tons about the stage.
Then there was q sudden break.
away In the dance, and the girl dis
appeared behind a forest. Dave sup
posed she had gone to rest; dancing
He found little to interest him now In
what was going on on the stage. II
seemed rather foolish. He wished the
girl behind the forest would come
down and rest there. Then she could
see the show herself. Then she co~ld
see
But there was q whir from the for
est, and the girl reappeared, this time
all In red, right before him. And then
she looked down and smiled again at
him. And he smiled back. And then
he looked at Coward and saw him
smiling too. And then he felt q very
distressing uncertainty, which brought
the color slowly to his face. He re-
solved 10 say nothing, but watch. And
his observations convinced him that
fhn cuniIng hn1 hnan fnr TOn,r,,1 Nd
for him. And then he lost interest In
the play.
They hustled into their o~vercoats to
the playing Of the national anthem.
Hurry" said Coward. Lets get
out quickl Amt she some dame?
There-through the side exit--the
stage door is that way. She promised
to have her chum with her. They'll
be waiting If we don't hurry"
Coward steered him to the stage
entrance, where a little group was al
ready congregated. In a moment the
girl appeared, handsomely dressed in
furs. With her was another girl, also
from the chorus, but Dave could not
recall her part. He was suddenly
aware of being introduced.
"This is my friend Belton." Con-
ward was saying.
Dave was about to correct him when
Coward managed to whisper:
whist! Your stage name. Mines
Edward. Don't forget"
Coward took the first girl by the
n spl 4. anH nayA fn,n1 hspnca1f foIlOxy
ing rapidly with the other. They cut
through certain side streets, up a stair
way, and into q dark hall. A door
opened. Coward pressed a button.
and they found themselves In a small
but comfortably furnished room-evi-
IDENTIFY bachelor apartments.
The girls threw off their wraps and
sauntered about the place, while Con
ward started a gas crate and put some
water to boil.
"Sorry I've nothing for you to eat"
he said, "but I've some good medicine
for the thirst"
"Eating's poor business when there's
a thirst to be quenched," said one of
the girls with a yawn. "And. believe
me, I've a long one"
The glasses were filled and raised.
''Hoi I" said Coward.
Here's lookingi" said one of the
girls.
Dave ~hesitated. but the other girl
clinked her glass against his. Here's
looking at YOU" she said, and she ap-
to lay special emphasis on the
last two words. Certainly her eyes
were on Dawes as she raised her glass
to her lips. And under the spell of
those eyes he raised his glass and
drained 1t.
Other glasses were filled and
drained. The three were chattering
away. but Dave vas but vaguely con
OF their tr 4 and could weave
connected meaning into II. His
head was buzzing with q pleasant.
dreamy sensation. A very grateful
warmth surrounded him. and with it
q disposition to go to sleep. He
probably would have gone to sleep had
his eye not fallen on a picture on the
wall. 1t was a picture of q girl point
ing her finger at him. . No girl
could point her finger at him. He
arose and made a lunge across the
room. He missed her. and with diff
Guilty retraced his steps to the table
to make q fresh start.
ashes maxim fun OF me-" he said,
I don't stand for that. Nobody
can do that with me. Nobody-seef
\ don't low It."
"Oh. you don't?" laughed one of the
girls, running into a corner and point
ing her finger at him. "You don't?"
He turned his attention to her.
s~teadying himself very carefully be-
fore he attempted an advance. Then.
with wide-stretched arms. he bore
down cautiously upon her. When he
had her almost within reach she dart
ed along the edge Of the room. He
attempted = sudden change In direc-
ton, which ended disastrously. and he
found himself very much sprawled out