The Washington times., 1922-09-24

with an expression so completely
battling In her smile that 1t left
him thinking deeply for quite five
minutes after she was gone. And
for a few brief moments after she
had passed into the sunshine
again she remained curiously
grave, staring straight ahead of
her at nothing in particular. Then,
in the centre Of the pavement she
stopped abruptly, touching Billy
Fanshawe lightly on the arm
"You have been more than gen.
erous," she said, her wide eyes,
unusually clear and momentarily
like very dark sapphires In the
sunshine, fixed straightly on his.
81 don't understand it all very
well. ! never do understand law
yers.
Usually / don't want to, be-
cause so far when | have met them
they've only had something un-
pleasant to convey. with the result
that they have much the same
effect on me as have cows, curates
and cockroaches! But l do know
you have been generous and l find
II difficult to thank you"
She made a little gesture as
though graciously dismissing the
entire matter, dropping her light
fingers from his arm and walked
on. Billy murmured something
unintelligible and followed her.
He imagined she was pleased,
gratified, but he was not altogether
sure about It. There was a look
in those starry eyes Of hers that
he had not found easy to under
stand, and it was almost with re-
lief that he put her into the big
red car which was to take them
back to the Warren.
Gerry Denning was driving them
home, and once clear Of the traffic
he increased the speed until the
great machine was humming
through the Winter dusk like q
flying beetle on a Summer night.
At his elbow Bonny kept up flow
Of eager encomiums upon the vir-
tues of his new toy; behind him
Billy occasionally urged caution,
and Fancy, her eyes aglint, scofred
softly at his fears.
81 like itP' she assured him.
Nothing slow appeals to me, and
an element Of danger always
makes an experience more worth
having. Don't you," her eyes,
cleaning provocativcly, rested
briefly upon his mild blue ones,
"think so, too"
Billy, cropping somewhat labo-
riously for an answer, was spared
the necessity of giving one. Gerry,
taking a dark bend in the road too
sharply, ran the car half way up
and along a bank. For few tense
seconds it tilted perilously, precipi-
tating Fancy into Billy Fanshawe's
arms. For a moment she lay in
them, instinctively burying her
face against his shoulder, waiting
tense and breathless for the shock
which she felt was bound to come.
And in that moment, with her
heart beating heavily against his,
the warmth Of her tiny body close
against him, Billy Fanshawe ex-
perienced thrill which made him
blink, and which took him COM
pletely from the possibilities of
disasters.
It was an experience which had
never been his before, and it shook
him considerably more than did
the unpleasant and unexpected
climb up the steep bank.
Then, with a jolt and a jerk, the
car found the road again and slid
on. Gerry, grinning somewhat
nervously, emitted sigh of relief; !;
in the gloom Bonny laughed ex-
citedly.
With much precision Fancy re-
leased herself from Fanshawe's
hold. She was quite unruffled, and
adjusted her hat with accurate,
careful fingers. Then, under her
eyelashes, she smiled at him.
THAT was a near thing" she re-
marked placidly. Sorry I grabbed
you like that, but wanted to pro-
tect my faces you know. Why, /
believe you were scared. You're
quite white"
Her tone was half amused, half