New-York tribune., 1920-10-03

Tea--orange pekoe."
The way Mr.. Case smiled at thu.
reminded her Of that first smile .,
his--ironic she might almost bav.
called IL.
"You win excuse me-" he asked +,
a tone that went with the smile, nis
have something else?"
"Why, Of course" she said.
Whereupon he ordered briefly for
himself "a clover"
She thought that sounded nice. and
was half-minded to change her order
to his. But she hesitated, and the
waiter was gone. She really re-
GREETED her choice little later. be-
cause her tea was not very good, and
the frothy pink drinks-he had three
of them, one after another--looked
lovely. She, of course, concealed this
regret from him.
She tried bravely, too, to conceal
from him how she hated the place
he had brought her to.
Her host, strangely enough, was
almost as silent as she.
"Do you feel that way about it,
too?" he asked abruptly. "Then for
Gods sake let's get out of here. I
loathe the place"
Dorothy was half frightened
again. Not so much because he
swore-her father did that some-
times-as because of a flash Of some
thing which his ordinary manner
concealed-something she couldn't
guess the nature of. except that it
seemed explosive and, vaguely, dam
gerous.
But the fact that he didn't like
the White Parrot any better than
she did was, on the other hand, re-
assuring. In the street she faced
him with a tentatively outstretched
hand. "I've had a very nice time,"
she said.
He refused the farewell hand and
contradicted her fatty, but in a way
that brought back al his customary
charm.
You've had beastly time" he
said. "and so have l. But let's give
ourselves one more chance. | be-
lieve what we both need for starter
is a good dinner"
CHE went along, but at the door
- u a place around the corner
she al but fled. The little
building in an untidy street, one Of
a row Of Iunchrooms, saloons and
the cheapest little stores, had es-
sayed distinction by means of fac
ing of sicllish yellow tile. The main
entrance was a double door with
beer sign over it. But the one to
which he led her was pair Of
narrow, swinging doors opening d.
rectly upon a flight OF brass-bound
stairs.
He smiled over her hesitation. "a
find it necessary to tell my friends
when l bring them here" he said,
mot only that it's the best restau-
rant in town but also that it's the
most expensive. Even at that, they
sometimes refuse. If you'd rather,
we'll go somewhere else"
That disposed of all the reason
able part of her reluctance, and she
followed him up the dingy stairs,
curious and only little frightened.
The room was empty. but a waiter
in very white, clean jacket fol-
lowed them in.
Case greeted him with a nod.
Anybody else coming tonight" he
asked.
Not that we know Of, SIR" said
the waiter. People sometimes hap
pen ill.,"
Case nodded indifferently, turned TO
Dorothy with the explanation that
when you were coming up here you
generally ordered in advance-some-
times a week ahead; then he gave his
attention with the waiter to the Sc
lection of their menu Wnen he
turned upon Dorothy again it was
with the question:
What do you want TO drink? Any
special wine you fancy?"
"Why-why, I like claret best"
said Dorothy timidly.
1t was, as q matter of fact, the
one wine she knew by name, or had
ever tasted. She had often heard her
father hold forth, bitterly, as was his
wont, upon the superiority Of claret
to all the vinous beverages, and upon
the occasion of rare feasts he had
been known to produce bottle which
ne discussed in an intensely critical
manner and, to the horror of Aunt
Hannah Wells, prescribed half a.
~ = IL