The Washington herald., 1921-04-24

garded her from under lowered lids.
sounded almost casual.
Perdita, shrank away farther, Shed
have liked to weep--she scarcely knew
why. She supposed she should show an
( ger but she didn't seem able 70 nnd the
words Of anger. she felt atsss loss Tor
WORDS. aeAshed. childish. p
-one sdoesnt 20 about KISSING eyery-
body one meets does cnew As soon ~
she had spoken, she felt her speech was
childish. too. -
mo. kiss lis scarcey handshake."
said Lenmore. dryly.
I've seen you only three ttimes--"
Then she stopped because that was inane
also. ~
. Lenmore smiled. ~ :
81 don't see what the number Of times"
has to do with it--but II 7 should have
waited longer. I'm sorry"
I grsrditas still felt she should 4show In
1 digSation; that she should prove to him
= dennitely. that she. wasn't . girl to be
used fsrniiisriy: but. instead she began
tsissang about her. trip. She knew her
taIk was perfunctory; and that he felt
the strain, too. He didn't stay long.
When he was leaving. he said:
I'm sorry u offended you. TIL not
= bother you again" - -
y Tenmore made rood his promise-hs
Z did not bother her again; but that very
thing was TO prove the greatest Of all.
nbSthers to Perdita- At first she told her.
self she was glad he was gone from her
life. That kiss his manner, had revealed
as clearly as the clearest speech, his at
titude OF mind toward her. She knew
that he was attracted to her. strongly at
tracted, yet she knew also that he did
not feel with her the restraining force.
the awe. or whatever it Is that a man
feels with women he Fundamentally, re-
spects. He held her lightly, cheap-her.
Anne Wells! He had dared do that! 1t
was horrible! She hated HIM! She was
glad to have seen the last Of hint: She
wanted to close this. short. sorry chapter;
to forget II. .s.........y =
= But she did not forget II. She found
mind. trying to see wherein she had per-
mitted him to get his, niisconception of
her. Where hid she hrst been at fault?
Where tn. hrst wrong turn
Then she began telling herself she
wanted him to telephone, just once. so
she might make him understand what
kind Of woman she really was. But he
did not telephone. And then. finally, IS.
suring herself II was her pride that
CrhNbu = CuAuCo iOE IcCtHS&tiVbs eHS we
ephoned to him ~
He was clearly delighted at hearing her
voice. II was afraid you'd thrown me
overboard!" Then he suggested dinner
together. We'll make . fresh start.
The other went wrong some way"
Yes. II went wrong" But she didn't
mention the particulars she had men
tally rehesrsed.
Like . race" he went on, where the
horses don't get of together. Sometimes
one breaks swsy-out Of hand. you
know p. - .-. .,
~. Z Just what did he mean BY that? But
perhaps lest she discover . <eason for not
seeing him. she dismissed the query;
she continued assuring herself she should
see him Just once-for the purpose Of
self-sstisfaetion, of course.
However, during that dinner. she didn't
say things she had intended to. She de.
cided that she didn't need to. Lenmors
was In high mood. and entertained her
abundant past. Not once did the talk
lveer round to personalities. Perdita con.
graduated herself IN that At the eve.
ning's end; she was gIad-ano yet
She saw him again-soon And again.
They seemed established on . friendly.
comradely basis. And then, one evening.
in Perdita's little sitting room, the con-
versation shifted again to dangerous
ground, and she somehow neglected to
stop II.
They got to talking about men and
women and life. Lenmore picked up .
photograph from the mantel. the photo
graph Of man.
"one Of the chaps you've been engag-
ed tot"
NO" said Perdita
He replaced the photograph. Engaged
to any one now7"
No"
No prospects at sli!" he said banter.
inEIy.
You know" she said with . little halt
smile. some one has declared that any
woman can marry any man she decides
to-.
Rot" said he; then. smiling with that
mischievous look in his eyes: 81 dare you
to marry noe. No lack of tribute to your
powers. either-but I'm not . marrying
man"
The talk went on. Perdita scarcely con.
scious Of her words. not daring to anal.
we the emotions surgins within her.
As he was leaving. he took her hand
and held 1t as he said good night; then
all Of sudden. he caught her and kissed
her Her head fell back. her eyeiid'
closed -..
'sweetheartw he breathed. Sweet,
heaft!"
She forced her eyes open. She could
hardly make them meet his own; and
then she could not drag them away
away from that magnetizing, mastering
force ii her eyes.
But she pulled back from his clasp
murmuring:
''Stop-you're hurting my hand"
He released her, and stood regarding
her with smile that held something
hoYyibly cynical Sha L~.-w hst thfa wa