New-York tribune., 1920-09-12

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devious at Hallam, Green & Co. s
he could have supervised her expen-
diture of SIS or $40 and taken her
Back to Centropolis on the 1 o'clock
train as completely subjugated to
his authority as she had ever been.
But fate ordained it that on the
one occasion when it mattered he
was late. And Bob Burgess, quiet,
unconscious Theseus, threaded the
maze and let Ariadne out.
66XTOU'D better tell me what
store you want to go to-"
Bob said, 80 / can tell the
chauffeur" Visibly her tension in
creased after that remark. There
was a half minute Of silence, dur
ing which he wondered, uncomforta-
bly,, if she were going to cry. He
saw how deep and quick her breath
ing was and how tightly one Of her
little hands was clenched. Then
she turned to him and said:
II think you'd better take me
back to the Office"
"Why in the world?" he wanted
to know.
She stammered over her explana-
ton. II think father I feel
sure he'll be there by now," she said.
He tried to persuade her that it
would be a mistake to chance it. She
hadn't any time to spare as it was,
and IT she were to waste another
half hour waiting from minute to
minute it would be too late to do
anything.
With Strengthening of her back
and square look into his face, she
interrupted.
| Il didn't tell you the TRUTH" she
said. II know he's there. IL saw
him coming along when we crossed
the sidewalk"
Bob dropped back disgustedly
against the cushions. "Oh, yes," he
conceded, II saw him, too. That's
why jumped in without waiting
to find out where we were going.
He'd have got US in another minute" ."
This reciprocal confession pro-
duced another moment of silence. 1t
was ended by Bob's asking her if she
still wanted to go back. He'd rather
not have said this, for fear of it
sounding as if he were suggesting
it, but something little tremulous
about her silence, as if some strong
emotion had hold of her, worried
him. She didn't think she was be-
ing taken anywhere against her
will, did she-kidnaped and held
for ransom because of the prodig-
ious fortune that had just come to
her? Indeed, the little movement
of hers that decided him-a nervous
turning of her body away from him
and of her face toward the window
looked like fear.
1t was. A fear that he would
see the tears of pure wonder and
happiness that were threatening to
we'll up into her eyes. The young
people in Centropolis made a joke
of her. She knew that we'll enough,
though she didn't know why. But
here was young man with a
splendor about him that they
dreamed of but never attained COM
mitting himself to morning with
her-not because he'd been told to-
nor because he thought he ought to,
but just because-he wanted to.
The intensity of her gratitude
made it unmanageable. All she
could say in answer to his question
whether she wanted to go back was
a half-suffocated "No. That is, not
if :. Not unless you :"
1t became immensely necessary to
Bob that she should be reassured-
that whatever the basis of her fear
was she should get over it. He had
an inspiration.
81 KNOW" he said, cts a sort of
standing joke that men hate to 90
shopping. | used to myself. But
since | got engaged-to be married
you know-I've taken quite an in
terest in it."
That ought to convince her, he
thought, that she'd nothing to fear
from him. The fact that in order
to accomplish this result he had sac
riticed his and Enid's most sacred
and hitherto inviolate secret to a
total stranger didn't turn up to
worry him until later. What occu.
pied him now was that the thing
worked
She turned toward him again
rather slowly, and gave him anothc,
of those straight looks that he'c
had from her twice before. This
one was grave, with a touch of won.
der in it, curiously pleasant some