New-York tribune., 1920-10-03
WHAT Would he do qUhen
~ she made her first m,ove
to escape? She shuddered as
she thought of putting the
question to test

| question 20 LeS[
more than an hour when he asked
what he supposed was a man in the
chair to the left of him what time it
was.
And this bit Of thistledown at his
elbow that had just spoken to him.
He didn't know how far she'd go, but
he'd try and see. That hundred
dollars in his pocket would see him
through. He'd have a run for his
money at last. Society could go to
hell. He smiled ironically and peered
around at the girl.
So much for Walter Case.
Meanwhile, I hope you won't have
forgotten all about little Dorothy
Pruyn--Dorothy came up to town to
find out for herself what life was
like; to find out whether things real
~ happened OR whether happenings
were mere inventions of men who
wrote books--Dorothy at the end of
her four blank days, during which
she had seen nothing but smoothly
finished surfaces walling people in
and walling her out--Dorothy, so
grateful for casual inquiry as to
the time Of day, and so eager that
the conversation shouldn't stop there,
that the gratitude and eagerness
fairly sang in her voice. Because,
after all, this is Dorothy's story.
Her heart was in her threat when
she said: "Why, that clock says ten
minutes after 5. Don't you sup
pose it's right?" But it sank down
again to nowhere after she'd done
speaking. Because the man, for an
appreciable moment Of time, made no
response whatever; sat there as if he
hadn't heard her. But then her heart
came up again, because he turned
suddenly upon her and smiled.
y Y is broad face, with It's cleanly
/ y modelled features, had a fresh
rosy coloring that went we'll
with his white hair and eyebrows and
his brown eyes. His smile wasn't just
smile. 1t had something behind 1T
carried some sort of comment
that he didn't expect her, or any,
body else, to understand Neverthe
less-perhaps all the more-it was
charming.
He wasn't quite 80 old as she had
supposed him to be from the back
of his head and his attitude In the
chair when she came up; was a little
younger probably than her own
father.
II couldn't see the clock" he said.
Il can't see anything. l can't even
see you, except just as"-he made
a gesture between his face and hers
"a little blur sitting there"
Dorothy liked his voice It was
as finely moduIated as her fathers
But instead of being cold with satire,
as her fathers nearly always was,
the strangers was warm with some
thlng-not amusing exactly, though
1T had a bead on it that suppested
he might laugh. Unaccountably. it
frightened her a little, although it
charmed her, too.
She said, Haven't you any one
to see things for you?"
"lll have pair Of eyeglasses in
few minutes" he told her. "The
opticlan next door promised them at
s o'clock. I hope you don't 90
away before they come"
I'LL stay until they come, if you
want me to- said Dorothy.
He looked a.little puzzled at that.
That's very nice. But you mustn't
put yourself out. If the person
comes along that you're waiting
for"
"1'm not waiting for anybody"
said Dorothy. "I'm just pretending
to. don't know anybody"
THAT sounds" the man said, "as
If you were waiting for somebody
you didn't know"
Il suppose l was" Dorothy ad-
mitted. "Or waiting for something
to happen" And she added apollo
getically. "You see haven't had
anybody to talk to for four days"
The man made a gesture of i'm.
patience and muttered something
about his eyeglasses.
Perhaps" said Dorothy, Yf I
went for them, l could hurry them
up little. And III be glad to--if
you're In hurry"
He said with an odd cadence she
couldn't account for, "I'm not in a