Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-05-10
CHAPTER IN
On the Brink

HATE for the, girl in his arms sud
l l. denly surged through Carey, wave
on wave. He hated her because of
Dick. and II cnragcd him to think that
this slim, soft girl had it within her
power to cause 80 much hcartachc and
misery.
He wondered what she would say II
suddenly he were TO tell her who he
was and what had happened that event
full evening when she had refused Dick :
offer of marriage. No doubt IL would
mean very littl" TO her. She might
even refuse to believe ii. for TO n woman
of her type mans heart was nothing
more than a plaything. and Dick was
only one of many.
His cold eyes rested on the fluff Of
hair just beneath his lips. 4 warm
fragrance rose from it, and just beneath
! her hair he could see the curve of her
dark lashes almost resting on her
checks. How demure she seemed. and
! yet he was aware even in her uuietncss
OF aboundng vitality. Deliberately he
studied her. determined TO see in every
thing she did a pose that would serve
TO draw him into her tolls. What fun
II would be to draw her on and on. TO
max" her believe that he was falling
in love with her. And as he held her
close in the drifting cadence of a slow
waltz there was no mercy in his heart.
She must pay the penalty in full for the
suhcrlng she had caused In the past. =.
and lie was the man to exact that PEN
atty.
/ IL was strange that Carey, who had
never had any use for women, should
! be SO sure of himself. but never once
had he asked himself whether or not
she would love him. He was simply
| determined thar she should, although he
| mad no campaign mapped out. lie
would have been exultant II he could
/ have seen into Cleo's heart at that mo
ment. If he could have known that the
meeting with him had disturbed her and
that for the first time In her life She
was not sure of herself.
The music stopped abruptly, Carey's s
arms dropped away from Cleo and he
stepped back.
With an effort she raised her eyes
to his.
She was conscious that she had said
nothing during the time they had
danced together and that he would
think her stupid. She didn't want that,
although she had never In her life be .
fore wanted any man 70 like her, and
she had never had to exert herself 10
hold the attention Of any one until TO =
night.
There was a soft clapping of hands
around her. They We're encoring III"
dance. The music began again, and
once more Carey took her in his arms
and they moved of in time 10 the music,
out suddenly there was an interrup-
ton, The man whom Cleo had been
dancing with before was cutting in.
The incident broke the spell and Cleo
was suddenly herself again. She flashed
Carey smile and flung him a laughing
remark as she was carried away, bu,
before she had cirCled the room with hel
new partner Carey had borne her off in
triumph.
; I'm just beginning to understand tn,
, ethics Of modern dancing" he said. a,
his arm closed around her. II suppos,
this business Of cutting in Is very pop
/, ular. ! haven't beer going TO dance
of late, so | really don't know"
What brought you here tonight 2
Cleo asked suddenly. She had throw,
back her head so that she could look u,
e at him, and his eyes narrowed suddenl,
as he stared back into hers.
4 Once more he was conscious OF m
$ widening of her pupils, and 1t was will
, feeling OF conscious power that h
e said deliberately:
e 1T must have been Fate, since b.
= coming here ! have met YOU"
t And Cleo, instead Of laughing light,
q and parrying his remark with one of ,
= similar nature, felt her heart lean sud
denly as though he had really mean
what he said, when Of cOurse tba. 80,